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The moment the main gate creaked open, Signora found herself face-to-face with a sorrowful expression.
The distance between them was less than half a meter. An incredibly awkward tension filled the air.
...
Signora stared at Columbina, who seemed frozen in place, until she finally broke the silence.
"What a coincidence."
Why would Columbina show up at a time like this? And what exactly was she after? Signora guessed it was curiosity toward Su Ran. After all, he was the man who had just joined the Fatui and immediately pushed the girl out of the top three seats. It seemed plausible enough—a new comrade draws enough interest to warrant a visit.
"Two Signoras?"
Columbina tilted her head, watching Little Rosalyne trotting along behind the main body, panting for breath. The disparity between long legs and short, stubby ones was painfully obvious with every step; for every stride Signora took, her combat doll counterpart had to scramble to keep up.
"It's not just two of me. There is another one of you in there, too!"
Having someone actually witness this shrunken version of herself made Signora feel inexplicably uncomfortable. Even though she wasn't the one making a fool of herself, she felt a strange, shared embarrassment. After all, the little thing was modeled after her.
"Is that so?"
Columbina strolled forward without invitation and scooped up Little Rosalyne. "See you later, Signora."
With that, she glided inside.
"Hey! Don't get so comfortable! Put me down!"
The combat doll struggled in Columbina's arms, but it was futile. Even with a combat system installed, she was no match for the Third of the Fatui Harbingers. Columbina possessed the strength of a god, while the doll lacked such power.
Walking down the long corridor, Columbina arrived at the main hall where Su Ran was stationed. While the surrounding high-tech architecture piqued her curiosity, the man himself was far more fascinating.
"You are the second guest to visit today."
Su Ran was not surprised by her arrival. Under normal circumstances, most people would want to familiarize themselves with a new colleague, especially someone as relentlessly curious as Columbina.
"The second?" Columbina tilted her head. "Didn't Dottore come to greet you early this morning?"
Counting the Signora from moments ago, she should have been the third. Was he bad at math?
"My apologies," Su Ran said with an apologetic shrug. "Dottore and dogs are not permitted inside."
His laboratory was vital. There was no way he would allow idlers or time-wasting trash to enter. To him, an average person was just an average person, but Dottore was nothing more than trash. He was a professional rival, and even if Dottore wasn't qualified to compete with him, he was still the type to hog the research funding.
"Aren't you worried he'll get angry?"
Columbina picked up the miniature version of herself, who was sitting on the floor gnawing on a chair leg, and settled into a seat while cradling the two combat dolls.
"It's fine. I actually quite enjoy watching him throw a tantrum."
At that moment, the girl looked like a mother holding her children, though only one of them looked like she was actually hers.
"Why does she bite the chair?" Columbina asked, eyeing her miniature self. The drool on the chair leg was impossible to ignore.
"That's..." Su Ran struggled for an explanation. He couldn't exactly tell her it was because he'd watched the Snezhnaya teaser and decided her habit of singing while hunched over a coffin looked remarkably like she was chewing on the lid, so he'd programmed it into the doll. "Isn't it normal for children to bite things when they're teething?"
Columbina smiled at him. Her intuition told her the truth was not nearly that simple. What are you hiding?
Being stared at by a Harbinger with that soft, smiling expression would make most people break into a cold sweat. But this was Su Ran. In both power and standing, he far exceeded her.
"You look beautiful when you smile."
The girl didn't reject the compliment. Instead, the little girl in her arms began to hum.
"Like a flower in springtime..."
Columbina sat there quietly, listening until the miniature version of herself finished the song. By the time darkness fell, she still showed no sign of leaving. Throughout the evening, the little girl served as her personal jukebox, singing whatever she requested. It was strangely more delightful than hearing herself sing.
"Arlecchino, set another place at the table. Columbina is dining with us tonight."
The girl caught sight of yet another shrunken Harbinger colleague. Unfortunately, both of her hands were full, leaving her no arms to embrace little Arlecchino. Seeing that Columbina wasn't moving to grab her, little Arlecchino let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know how to handle someone like that.
Back when they were out in the snowy plains, Su Ran never had any demands for their food. Even with resources available, he treated eating as a mere necessity. But now that he had the proper conditions, he refused to settle for anything less than quality. That night, Columbina tasted the best meal of her life. Remembering her previous life in Snezhnaya, she couldn't help but sigh at the bitterness she had endured. Sensing the emotions of her larger self, the little girl thoughtfully offered her a handkerchief.
"I'm living here from now on!"
The girl had fallen in love with the place after just one visit, going as far as to decide she was moving in. Su Ran paused, then put on an expression of helplessness.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to put up with it and let you sleep in the same bed as me."
Columbina blinked, confused. In a house this big, surely there was more than one bed? She had heard that he'd squeezed a fortune out of Pantalone to build this place.
Su Ran simply gave her a look, leaving the rest for her to figure out on her own. This was his laboratory, after all. Why would he let an outsider stay here? Anyone permitted to live in was naturally family. Whether it was a wife or a girlfriend, did they really need to sleep separately? He might be a scientist, but he was certainly no fool. Besides, his bed was plenty large.
...
Columbina fell silent. She might be an innocent maiden, but she wasn't clueless. To that, she only had one thought: "I... don't want to die yet."