Now that they had decided to investigate, they each had to fulfill their assigned roles to ensure efficiency.
Lynette said she would return to the House of the Hearth to search for useful information or files. Lyney and Freminet would investigate Clervie's past actions and statements.
"It feels just like when the four of us used to go on missions together," Lyney said with a smile.
Luna smiled back. "It's been a while indeed. I'll try to get more information out of Clervie. Leave the rest to you guys."
"Leave it to us," Freminet said earnestly, brimming with enthusiasm.
Lynette silently gave a double thumbs-up.
Working with Lulu again... I really miss this, she thought, her cat ears twitching with delight.
The four split up to carry out their respective tasks.
Luna took Clervie to a more secluded spot to avoid being seen by the other children. Until they uncovered the truth, it was best to keep their investigation discreet.
Clervie continued to gaze at her. "Sister Luna, you remind me of someone I know."
"Oh? Who?"
"She's blonde too! She even used to catch fish with Peppy. But like the other children, she never noticed the darkness within our home and saw 'Mother' as a true family member."
Clervie sat down.
"By the way, where's Peppy now? I haven't seen her around."
Luna leaned against the wall, lost in thought.
Where should I start? After a moment, she confirmed, "The Peppy you're talking about... does she have a cross-shaped scar on her eye?"
"Exactly! I always thought it looked kind of like a mushroom, though I never told her that."
That was undoubtedly Arlecchino.
Peruere—that was Arlecchino's original name.
It sounds quite cute, Luna thought, a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Ah, you're smiling! Do you like Peppy too?"
"...Too?" Luna asked casually.
"Of course! We're best friends, after all!"
"She's different from the other children. She clearly understands that everything 'Mother' does is abnormal. We live in an incredibly cruel 'home' where people might die every day, or be taken away for experiments."
Luna felt a pang of irritation. I never imagined I'd be jealous someday.
She chuckled. "Indeed, I like her very much too. She saved me and gave me a place to belong."
"...Are you perhaps Bambi?"
Bambi was a spider Arlecchino had kept when she was young.
Luna chuckled. "Why would you think that?"
"I've heard that Liyue's folklore features spider spirits and such..."
"Indeed, there are such tales, but I'm a cat, not a spider, you know."
Clervie studied Luna's face, pondering. "A cat? Hmm... I don't see it. Sister Lynette seems more like one."
Luna smiled. "I have certifications from numerous sources. It's as authentic as it gets."
Clervie still seemed unconvinced.
Only those who knew Luna well could discern her cat-like nature. But if I tell Clervie, Luna thought, she'll probably forget it too.
Now that Arlecchino had taken over the House of the Hearth, the "Father" had become its "King."
Yet Clervie still referred to the Knave as "Mother."
Wandering through the House of the Hearth, she couldn't possibly be unaware of this—unless her perception, her world, had frozen at the House of the Hearth of the past.
"Who killed you?" Luna asked.
"Huh? Kill? No one did... I'm still alive and well, aren't I?"
"But the 'Mother' often made you do dangerous things, didn't she?"
Luna pressed further.
Clervie's eyes dimmed as she nodded.
"Including myself and Peppy, everyone in the House is just a 'tool' or 'expendable resource.' 'Mother' forces us to kill each other, and the final survivor becomes the 'King.'"
So, it's like raising gu worms, Luna thought.
Sitting beside Clervie, Luna tried to comfort her by stroking her head, but her fingertips passed right through her hair and ethereal form.
"Wow, your hands are so warm!" Clervie exclaimed, as if Luna's touch had actually made contact.
Luna chuckled. "I hear that often."
Sometimes, Luna felt as if Arlecchino were seeing someone else through her—someone who might very well be Clervie.
The realization only deepened the unease in her heart. Yet Clervie's vulnerability tugged at her heartstrings, urging her to offer comfort and listen.
None of these complex emotions showed on Luna's face; her touch remained gentle and tender. Her heart wasn't as narrow as all that.
"The other children don't see anything wrong with this. They're all desperate to become 'King.' When we play Marelle, many die on the blades hidden beyond the squares."
(Spy- Marelle is the French name for Hopscotch)
So, Marelle used to be such a dangerous game.
No wonder Arlecchino hesitated between "relaxing" and "dangerous" when setting "Marelle" as the code word.
"Dead or half-dead children were sent to the 'Doctor' for experiments..."
It's said that when Arlecchino first took over the House of the Hearth, the Doctor approached her, seeking to continue his collaboration with the House and resume the experiments conducted on the previous "Knave."
Arlecchino refused, but she secretly initiated her own experiment.
This secret experiment was conducted independently by the House of the Hearth. Though its exact nature remained unclear, it was likely not human experimentation.
When Arlecchino learned that the Doctor had set a trap, forcing Luna to use a specially modified Vision for his experiments, she destroyed one of his "segments," rendering it completely unusable.
If not for her status as a Harbinger, she might have killed the Doctor outright.
"No one can escape the House alive," Clervie said, lowering her head.
"I truly wanted to create a genuine home without sacrifice, but—"
She touched her chest.
"—but I don't know what a real home looks like. Peppy doesn't know either. No one knows."
Clervie turned to Luna.
"What do you think a real home is like?"
When Luna was still young, Arlecchino had once asked her the same question.
At the time, she had replied, "Home is where 'Father' is."
What about now?
She drew the Azure Radiance of Hydrell slightly from its sheath. The blade's shimmering light seemed to respond to her.
"...Perhaps it's a tiny world where love and affection remain unchanged, no matter the circumstances."
Clervie's eyes lit up slightly. "Wow..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"That's the first time anyone's given me such an answer! I can tell you have a wonderful family. But if that's the case, why are you still at the House of the Hearth?"
Luna sheathed her longsword and smiled. "Because the House of the Hearth is also my family. Peppy and Lynette are both part of it."
"What about Lyney and the others?"
"Hmm... they count too."
"It feels like you're treating some people differently."
Luna chuckled. "That's because my feelings for them really are deeper."
Clervie asked curiously, "Do you like Peppy that much?"
"Of course. And it's not just as a friend."
"Hmm? Then could it be—"
Clervie's face flushed crimson as she covered her mouth. "I-I won't say it! But I never imagined someone would feel that way about Peppy... especially another girl..."
Not just another girl, but a foster daughter, Luna thought.
Luna knew she was a devoted mother hen, but what did it matter? Anything she set her sights on, she would claim.
"...Can you tell me more about your family?" Clervie asked curiously.
"Of course."
But Clervie probably wouldn't remember any of this.
If she had a long-term memory, she wouldn't still believe the previous generation of Knaves controlled the House of the Hearth after all this time.
So Luna recounted her past to Clervie in the form of a story.
"'Father'? But... isn't 'Mother' in control of the House of the Hearth?" Clervie asked, confused. "Did she... transition?"
"Well, you'll find out later," Luna replied with a smile.
Luna continued her tale, and Clervie listened intently, completely engrossed. The dramatic twists and turns of Luna's life left her repeatedly gasping in amazement.
However, one thing particularly caught Clervie's attention.
"You seem to have quite a few girls around you? Will Peppy accept that?"
"She said she'd only accept it if I beat her in a fight."
"...That does sound like something she'd say."
After chatting for a long while, Lyney, Freminet, and Lynette returned.
They hadn't found any particularly useful information, at most just the House of the Hearth's execution list and some internal negative news.
"Filliol and the others seem to be secretly discussing something, like wanting to leave home..."
"The atmosphere in the House has been strange lately. Some of the children harbor resentment towards 'Father.' If 'Father' discovers this, they'll definitely be executed."
Arlecchino would view departures like Luna's as a natural part of growing up. As long as their hearts remained tethered to the House, it wouldn't be considered betrayal.
But if someone remained physically present yet their heart had already left... Arlecchino would certainly not let that go unpunished.
In an organization like theirs, which frequently undertakes dangerous missions, internal divisions and conflicts simply cannot be tolerated.
Otherwise, the cost would only be the deaths of more members.
Such incidents had occurred at the House of the Hearth before—a simple suspicion could cost ten lives.
Luna didn't engage with the topic but stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lynette asked.
"To find 'Father'," Luna replied.