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When she had first returned, Lyney had tried to bombard Arlecchino with questions the moment she stepped into the House of the Hearth and she had told him in no uncertain terms he would have to wait.
Now, as she sips her tea, she watches him over the rim of her teacup. He’s sitting across the table from her, practically vibrating with impatience.
“How has the House been in my absence?”
Lyney visibly gathers his patience with a deep breath, “The House has been well, Father. Foltz’s training has been progressing well. His diligence while you, Lynette, Freminet, and myself were away is commendable. Heloir caused a few minor incidents with some of her potion brewing, but there were no major injuries or structural damages this time.”
“That is certainly an improvement,” Arlecchino remarks dryly.
With a snort, Lyney says, “I suppose so. But overall, it was business as usual in your absence. Nothing of note to report.” Lyney purses his lips for a moment, clearly wishing to ask about her time away, but he no doubt remembers her chastisement from his last query.
Finally taking pity on him, Arlecchino says, “I believe you had some questions about the happenings in Nod Krai?”
Lyney’s relief is nearly palpable as he nods eagerly.
“Go on, then.”
It’s akin to a dam breaking as Lyney blurts out, “After what Childe told me, I was so worried! Lady Dameselette missing, Aether kidnapped, Lady Marionette and the Doctor dead. The sky cracking open? And no word from you!”
Arlecchino sighs, “I’ll need to have words with Tartaglia about this. He is a Harbinger. He should not be allowing teenagers, no matter how capable, to wheedle information out of him.”
Lyney opens his mouth to respond but Arleccino can see the moment the compliment processes because his face flushes a bright red.
Taking advantage of his momentary flustering, Arlecchino continues, “But yes, events were rather…chaotic in Nod Krai recently. I can confirm that everything Tartaglia told you was indeed accurate, unfortunately.”
Lyney’s face falls and Arlecchino expects him to ask after the Traveler but he surprises her by saying, “Father, I am so sorry for your loss. I know that Lady Marionette meant a great deal to you.”
Touched, Arlecchino allows herself a moment of vulnerability and admits, “I am still coming to terms with it. But thank you, Lyney, your words are deeply appreciated.”
Lyney offers her a fleeting smile and a nod before he asks hesitantly, “And, is Aether alright?”
Nodding, Arlecchino replies, “Thankfully, yes, the Traveler is no worse for ware after being at Dottore’s mercy. A friend of his from Sumeru was able to rescue him.”
Lyney’s eyebrows shoot up, “Alone? Such a person must be incredibly formidable.”
“Indeed,” Arlecchino muses, tracing her long, red nail along the rim of her teacup thoughtfully.
“Is there something on your mind, Father?”
“I think, perhaps, it would behoove us to monitor this acquaintance of the Traveler’s more closely for the foreseeable future,” Arlecchino pauses for a moment, “I find myself…intrigued.”
Lyney smiles knowingly, “I’ll get someone on it right away.”
Arlecchino raps smartly on the door to Freminet’s little workshop and waits. After a moment, the door is cracked open and a single blue eye can be seen, assessing the intruder.
The eye widens. “Father!” Freminet blurts out, yanking the door fully open, “I apologies for making you wait, I did not realize that it was you and I-“
Arlecchino holds up her hand and he immediately falls silent. “You’ve no need to apologize,” she says in her gentlest voice, “I did not warn you I was coming.”
“Of-of course! Thank you, Father,” Freminet stammers, “O-oh, please come in!”
As he opens the door fully, Arlecchino notices his pale, freckled face is smudged with soot and she represses a smile. His hair and clothing are in disarray and his hat is nowhere to be seen.
In contrast, his workshop is the pinnacle of tidiness. She can’t help but wonder where all that soot came from as she can’t see a speck of it anywhere in the room. Turning to him, Arlecchino says without preamble, “I’m sure you’ve heard what befell Sandrone in Nod Krai.”
Freminet’s face falls and he says miserably, “I have. She wasn’t always the nicest to me but I loved working with her robots.” Realizing what he’d said, Freminet’s eyes go wide and he stammers, “Not that I-um. I was very sorry to hear of her passing.”
At this, Arlecchino does allow herself a small smile, “She was not one to be nice in general. I suspect your first response is the one she’d have preferred.”
Freminet manages a tiny smile in return as he waits for her to continue.
“I imagine you’re wondering why I’m here,” Arlecchino says mildly, “And I do not wish to disturb you any longer than necessary, so I will be brief.
“Among her personal effects, Sandrone left behind a great deal of research notes and diagrams. They have been given to me for safekeeping and I intend to store them here, at the House of the Hearth.”
Freminet’s eyes have gone very wide again, but this time, she can see the excitement he’s trying to hide.
“I believe Sandrone would have considered it a terrible waste to let them gather dust, and I can think of no one more suited than you to make use of them. You were, after all, one of the only people she ever allowed to touch her projects.”
Freminet looks up at her, awestruck, “I can…I can study Lady Marionette’s notes?”
Arlecchino allows herself another small smile, “It is my hope that you will.”
In a move that surprises them both, Freminet throws his arms around her and cries, “Thank you, Father! Truly, thank you!”
After a moment, Arlecchino rests her hand on his mop of blond hair and replies, “It is my pleasure, Freminet.”
Arlecchino finds Lynette in the gardens, watching the butterflies with a distinctly catlike focus.
“I thought you grew out of eating those poor things,” she remarks dryly, alerting Lynette to her presence.
Lynette offers her a rare smile, amused by the joke, and replies in a perfectly deadpanned voice, “Some days I find them hard to resist.”
Arlecchino cannot help but smile in return. It is a rare delight, indeed, to see Lynette engage in humor. She settles on the stone bench beside the girl and a companionable silence stretches between them as they observe the aforementioned butterflies.
In truth, Arlecchino does not have anything pressing to speak with Lynette about. She’d simply seen her in the gardens through the window and decided to indulge in a short break. While she cares deeply for all of her children and would deny having favorites to her dying breath, Arlecchino has always had a soft spot for Lynette.
After a long while, Arlecchino suddenly remembers something. Turning to Lynette, she says, “In the wake of the ensuing chaos, I nearly forgot about Moon Prayer Night.”
She pulls a photograph from her jacket pocket and offers it to Lynette. The girl’s eyes widen in a rare show of emotion as she asks, “Father…is that you and Lady Damselette having a…water balloon fight?”
“It is.”
“And are you…are you wearing cat ears?” Arlecchino is fairly certain she’s never heard Lynette sound this astonished in all their years together. She can’t help but smile.
“I am.”
Lynette stares at the photo for another moment before looking up at Arlecchino and asking very seriously, “Do you wish for me to burn this?”
That startles a rare laugh out of Arlecchino, which only serves to further shock Lynette, “No, Lynette, that will not be necessary.”
“Then why are you showing me this?”
Arlecchino pauses, considering. She hadn’t truly thought about why she wanted Lynette to have that picture, she’d just known that she did.
“I suppose,” she muses, “I wanted you to have it to remind you that it is perfectly acceptable for even the most serious among us to indulge in a bit of silliness on occasion.”
The smile Lynette offers her is utterly brilliant and Arlecchino feels her heart swelling with such pride and affection. Lynette has truly grown into a remarkable young lady and Arlecchino is desperately glad to know she will have the honor of watching her grow further still.
“Thank you, Father.”
The moon is bright and clear overhead and the breeze is a tad too cold to be comfortable as Arlecchino settles amongst the scattered ruins. It is late, far later than any respectable person would be out, and she is utterly alone.
Reclining on a shattered pillar, Arlecchino tips her face to the stars and murmurs, “My dearest Clervie, I’ve just returned from Nod Krai and I have so much to tell you. Do you remember my stories about Columbina?”