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Columbina lowered her head to look.
Indeed, from the city back to the wilderness, the two of them had not let go of each other's hands once. Arlecchino had noticed this long ago, though she remained more rational than Tartaglia and chose not to bring it up. While they were all Fatui Harbingers, The Tsaritsa had never explicitly forbidden romance within their ranks. She likely assumed that anyone capable of becoming a Harbinger had no need for such attachments. Even if they did, it hardly qualified as a serious matter. As long as it didn't interfere with the plans of the Fatui, no one cared.
Columbina was a special case, of course, as she was not human and could not love one.
"Why shouldn't I?" Su Ran countered.
He was holding a girl's hand, she hadn't pulled away, and they were both single. By what logic was it Tartaglia's place to object? They were a perfect match of talent and beauty. Would a monster even have the right to protest?
"I see... then it was my place to stay silent."
Tartaglia looked stunned. His eyes practically bulged from their sockets as he watched the pair. To think Su Ran had captured the most beautiful flower among the Harbingers so quickly—he truly lived up to his reputation as the man who snatched the Doctor's seat the moment he joined the Fatui. He was a force of nature. Tartaglia silently gave him a thumbs-up in his heart. Such a feat was truly admirable; ordinary men couldn't hope to stand beside someone like Columbina.
Columbina, the subject of all this, pursed her lips, searching for a way to explain, but Su Ran spoke again, nearly causing Arlecchino and Tartaglia's jaws to drop.
"It's getting late. Arlecchino is right, the children should be heading to bed soon, so we should return. Little Columbina is waiting for me to tuck her in."
"Little Columbina?"
Tartaglia nodded at first, then froze. He looked at Su Ran with a blank expression. "Surely she isn't still a child? Or are you some kind of ancient monster yourself?"
"What are you thinking? I'm not talking about the Columbina beside me, but the one back in my workshop. She looks exactly like her mother, you know." Su Ran raised his eyebrows at Tartaglia with a look that suggested he understood everything.
It completely misled the youngest Harbinger.
*Oh... it's only been a few days, and they already have a child? Did I sleep through the last year?*
Arlecchino stared at Su Ran with deep suspicion. Even if the Seelie were extraordinary, surely they didn't give birth to newborns in a matter of days?
"If you're ever free, you're welcome to visit my workshop. Little Columbina and the others would love to have you aunts and uncles over." Su Ran extended the invitation, as he was generally friendly to the other Harbingers, with the exception of the Doctor and Scaramouche.
"There's more than one?"
At this point, it wasn't just Tartaglia—even Arlecchino felt a sense of disorder.
"There are five, actually." He left Arlecchino with a lingering, meaningful glance, letting her figure out the rest.
Tartaglia and Arlecchino stood rooted to the spot, watching as Su Ran led Columbina back toward the city.
"Well... looking at it this way, you won't be the only Harbinger with children anymore." Feeling the strange atmosphere, Tartaglia cracked a dry, cold joke.
Unfortunately, it failed to make her laugh.
***
"I hadn't realized you were such a troublemaker, too."
As they walked back to the workshop, Su Ran viewed the girl beside him in a new light.
"I just find it amusing." Columbina did not deny her nature as an agent of chaos.
As Su Ran mentioned the children earlier, she recalled the five little ones inside his workshop. One was herself, one was Rosalyne, one was Sandrone, one was Arlecchino, and one was Her Majesty the Tsaritsa! Rosalyne and Her Majesty were already aware of their existence, but Sandrone and Arlecchino were still in the dark.
If she could capture their attention, it might be quite interesting. At the very least, it might finally lure the shut-in Sandrone out of her quarters. She hadn't seen Sandrone outside for a long time and missed her dearly. If only she could be persuaded to leave that cold, sterile workshop.
Look at Su Ran. He was the same type of existence as them, yet he could communicate with outsiders. Sandrone was such a pitiful child, only ever keeping company with her inventions—inventions that weren't even cute, nothing like the children Su Ran had created. That was why she had played along with the lie, smiling so naturally that not even the Knave or the Childe could spot a flaw.
"I wonder how Arlecchino will react when she sees a version of herself like that?" Su Ran stroked his chin, genuinely looking forward to the scene.
Unlike the children of the House of the Hearth, the Arlecchino-doll was his creation. He was not just her master, but her father. If the original Arlecchino looked at her counterpart, what position would she take? Mother? That was possible, given that the doll wasn't a child of the House of the Hearth.
But upon reflection, it seemed unlikely. The Arlecchino-doll might acknowledge Su Ran as her master and father, but she wouldn't necessarily accept the original Arlecchino as her mother. She was far too strong-willed for that.
"Having a child who looks just like her—Arlecchino should be pleasantly surprised, right?" As an optimist, she preferred not to dwell on the negatives.
As they neared the workshop, Columbina's pace slowed.
"Is there really only one bed in your workshop?"
Even if she wasn't human, she still possessed a sense of modesty.
"Didn't you want to stay there? I'm leaving Snezhnaya in three days; isn't one bed enough for you to sleep in? Besides, I'm quite a handsome man, and I certainly don't mind."