When the doors opened, Rosalyne was greeted by a sorrowful face.
Right there, barely half a meter away.
The air between them froze into awkward silence.
"..."
"..."
Rosalyne stared at Columbina's stiff expression, finally breaking the ice.
"…Small world, isn't it?"
Why was Columbina here of all times?
What did she want with this place?
Most likely, it was Su Ran.
The man who had joined the Fatui only recently, yet instantly pushed her down from the top three seats.
Curiosity about a new comrade… coming to greet him herself…
That seemed plausible.
"Two Rosalynes?"
Columbina tilted her head, watching the chibi Rosalyne jog up behind, panting with her tiny legs.
The difference between long strides and little stubs was stark.
For every one step the Lady took, the doll had to scurry seven or eight.
"There aren't just two of me. Inside, there's also a chibi you."
Being caught was embarrassing.
Even though it wasn't her who looked ridiculous, Rosalyne still felt a sting of secondhand shame.
After all, the little one was modeled after her.
"…I see."
Without hesitation, Columbina stepped forward and scooped up the tiny Rosalyne.
"Well then, farewell, Rosalyne~"
And with that, she walked straight inside.
"Hey! You can't just—put me down!"
The doll wriggled helplessly in her arms.
Battle system or not, what could a doll do against the former Third Harbinger— a being of Archon-level power?
Certainly not break free.
Down the long corridor, Columbina entered the main hall where Su Ran waited.
She was curious about the futuristic architecture surrounding her— but the man was even more intriguing.
"You're my second visitor today."
Her arrival didn't surprise Su Ran.
It was natural for comrades to drop by, especially someone as inquisitive as Columbina.
"…Second?"
She tilted her head.
"Didn't the Doctor already come to greet you this morning? Counting Rosalyne, that should make me third."
Was this man bad at math?
"Oh, right. My mistake."
Su Ran gave an apologetic smile.
"Dottore and dogs are not allowed inside."
This was his laboratory—his sanctum.
No way would he let in random nuisances or time-wasting trash.
Ordinary people were just ordinary.
But to him, Dottore was pure garbage.
A fellow researcher, even if no rival, still competed for funding.
"…Aren't you afraid he'll get angry?"
Columbina sat down, arms full—one doll in each.
She looked like a young mother, except only one child actually resembled her.
"It's fine. If I get to watch him froth with impotent rage, I'll enjoy it."
She chuckled softly.
Meanwhile, the chibi Columbina gnawed noisily at a chair leg.
"Why is she biting the chair?"
The trail of drool was impossible to miss.
"Well…"
Su Ran hesitated.
He couldn't very well admit that it was because, in a certain Fatui performance, she had looked like she was chewing on her own coffin lid—so he'd hardcoded the behavior.
"…She's like a toddler teething. Kids like to chew things, right?"
Columbina gave him a sly smile.
Her instincts told her— there was more to it.
What else are you hiding, Su Ran?
Most would have wilted under the gaze of a smiling Harbinger.
But Su Ran was not "most."
In power and in rank, he stood above her.
"You have a lovely smile."
She didn't reject the compliment.
But in her arms, the chibi Columbina suddenly broke into song.
"Like flowers in the springtime~"
And so Columbina simply sat there, listening until the little one finished the entire tune.
By the time night fell, she still showed no sign of leaving.
The tiny Columbina had become her jukebox.
Any song she wanted, the doll sang.
Far more pleasing than her own singing.
"Arlecchino-chan, set another place. Columbina will be dining here tonight."
Another doll appeared before her eyes.
Sadly, with both arms already occupied, she had no way to hug this one too.
Seeing she wasn't about to be scooped up, Arlecchino-chan sighed in relief.
She really wasn't good at handling people like this.
In the harsh conditions of the snowfields, Su Ran hadn't cared much about food— as long as it was edible, he ate.
But now, with resources and facilities, meals were made properly.
That night, Columbina tasted the finest food she'd ever had in her life.
Compared to her past in Snezhnaya…
Had all those days been nothing but hardship?
Sensing her emotions, the chibi Columbina sweetly handed her a handkerchief.
"…From now on, I'll live here."
On her very first visit, she had already decided.
Su Ran blinked, then sighed with feigned helplessness.
"Then I suppose I'll just have to squeeze in and share the bed with you."
Columbina: "???"
This massive house only had one bed?
She'd heard it had cost a fortune to build.
But Su Ran only gave her a look.
Inviting her to draw her own conclusion.
This was his laboratory.
How could outsiders live here?
If she stayed, that made her an insider.
And insiders didn't sleep separately.
He might be a scientist— but not a block of steel.
Besides, the bed was plenty big.
"..."
Columbina fell into silence.
She might still be a maiden, but she wasn't naive.
All she could think was:
"…I… I don't want to die yet…"