Chapter 165: Arlecchino's Good Daughter

"Speaking of changes..." Luna said, studying Arlecchino's face intently.

Her cold demeanor suggested that anyone who got too close might get frostbite, but Luna still remembered the warmth and softness of Arlecchino's cheek beneath her eyes when her fingertips had touched it.

"You don't seem to have changed much," Luna observed.

Arlecchino smiled faintly. "Perhaps I have? After all, you haven't been home in years."

"But I still think you're beautiful."

Arlecchino met Luna's gaze, and for a moment, neither spoke.

"Come closer. Let me get a good look at you."

Luna leaned forward, and Arlecchino tilted her chin upward. In the flickering candlelight, her eyes slowly traced the contours of Luna's face.

Arlecchino's thumb gently tapped the corner of Luna's eye. "Here."

It slid down to the tip of her nose. "And here—"

Arlecchino tucked a strand of golden hair behind Luna's ear, her nail lightly grazing the delicate skin. Under Luna's beaming gaze, Arlecchino smiled faintly.

"And your ears."

"These three features are much the same as before, but your face... it's a bit thinner now. You've lost some of that childish cuteness and gained a young girl's elegance."

"It seems you were truly born for the stage," Arlecchino nodded.

"And my body has matured so much!" Luna patted her chest.

"You've grown up, after all."

Luna averted her gaze, her meaning unspoken. She gently took Arlecchino's hand, her eyes lingering on her lap.

Arlecchino stepped back slightly, tolerating Luna's earlier actions and refusing to see them as betrayal.

Now that the Judgment at the House of the Hearth was over, could she...?

"May I rest my head on your lap?"

"You've grown up."

"Then... would you lie down on mine?" Luna patted her own lap.

Arlecchino clearly wouldn't agree.

Nor would she ever.

Her silent stare was a firm refusal.

Well, a 'Father' would never rest on her child's lap anyway... Luna felt a pang of disappointment but still cautiously lay down.

Arlecchino didn't refuse. Instead, she lowered her gaze to meet Luna's, slowly combing through her bangs with her hand.

"Have you uncovered any information about the Archon?"

"I only know that Furina is concealing some truth, but I have no intention of directly questioning her to pry into her secrets."

"A wise choice," Arlecchino said. "Only by growing close to her can you reach the softest part of her heart—the part you'll need to tear open when the time comes."

Luna closed her eyes. "That isn't my goal."

Of course, she wanted to uncover the truth of the Prophecy, but she refused to do so by interrogating Furina. If that was the only path, she would forge another. What she did and how she did it would be her decision alone.

"I understand. Yet sometimes, the choices we make inevitably harm others. Prepare yourself, Luna, whether that is your intention or not."

Arlecchino's gentle touch on her hair deeply relaxed Luna.

She opened her eyes and whispered, "When I left the House of the Hearth... did it hurt you, Arle?"

"You're just not living at home anymore."

"Will that make you lonely?"

Luna had always asked Arlecchino tricky questions, ever since she was a child.

Arlecchino's expression remained unchanged. "I understand your decision and accept it, as long as it doesn't affect the family. If it doesn't, I won't interfere with your choices."

That's not really answering my question, Luna thought.

She rubbed Arlecchino's fingers. "I just want to know if you'll miss me."

"I will. If that's all you wanted to know."

Arlecchino's words brought a radiant smile to Luna's face.

"...I've been missing you too lately."

Arlecchino said softly, "Then you should come back for a visit. Even if you don't stay at the House of the Hearth, just for dinner. The other children would love to see you again, especially Lynette."

"So... do you want me to come back?" Luna persisted.

"If I said yes, would you?"

Arlecchino gently stroked the back of Luna's neck.

Luna exhaled a warm breath. "If you said it, I might go back."

"I don't need a 'might.' I want a definite answer. Tit for tat—give me certainty, and I'll give you the answer you seek."

Back to the House of the Hearth? Luna thought. Lynette probably still hasn't forgiven me.

Even if she wasn't a traitor to the House of the Hearth, she was still a betrayer who had broken her promise to Lynette.

But she wanted to hear Arlecchino's answer with her own ears.

She wanted to hear Arlecchino say she wanted her back.

"...If it's just for a meal," Luna murmured.

"A satisfactory answer. Then I can tell you definitively—I do want you to return, but not to resume your duties at the House of the Hearth."

"I simply wish for a child who's been away for far too long to come home and visit."

Luna was surprised.

"You don't want me to do what Lynette and the others do?"

It almost sounded like Arlecchino was saying she wasn't suited for the House of the Hearth.

Arlecchino chuckled softly. "After all, you're the Phantom Thief White Cat, aren't you?"

"I..."

"Shh." Arlecchino gently pressed a finger to Luna's lips, silencing her.

Luna stopped speaking, her face flushed crimson.

Anyone who knew her well would have been astonished by her reaction. The Luna they knew—always smiling, elegant, and flamboyantly beautiful—appeared remarkably shy and vulnerable before "Father."

"I trust you completely," Arlecchino continued. "I know that the hidden fire within you will drive you toward the shared destination we both desire."

At least, that was true regarding the current prophecy in Fontaine.

"That alone is enough."

"I taught you how to survive and how to fight, not to submit to a fate dictated by others."

"Throughout history, only those who defied destiny earned what they truly deserved."

Arlecchino parted her lips slightly.

"You are a child of the House of the Hearth, a child who dances in the flames and blooms in the dark night."

"Just as I told you many years ago, you cannot become 'King.' You will only follow the path your heart dictates, unwavering and true."

"But you will shine brighter than anyone else—brighter than a meteor streaking across the night sky."

Arlecchino gently caressed Luna's cheek.

"I remember your promise. Do not forget this vow. I will inform the children that shattered expectations come with a price, and I hope you understand."

Arlecchino's tone remained largely unchanged, but Luna, who had known her for so long, could detect a faint tenderness in her words.

Many believed Arlecchino to be inherently cruel, emotionally detached, and utterly cold-blooded.

But Luna knew this to be far from the truth.

"...'Father'."

Arlecchino responded softly, "Hmm."

Luna cradled Arlecchino's hand in both of hers, her eyes glistening with tears.

"...I've missed you so much."

The warmth spreading through her heart was the greatest proof of their bond.

A memory surfaced unbidden from years past:

The little girl who used to sit on the sofa, waiting for her return, would stretch out her arms and shout with a bright smile, "'Father'! I've missed you so much!" Now, that same girl lay gracefully across her lap, her youthful innocence replaced by a poised elegance.

The words remained unchanged.

Only the voice had matured, losing its childishness to become clear and melodious. And the weight pressing against her legs felt slightly heavier than before.

The tenderness in Arlecchino's eyes deepened slightly.

"Then let the candle burn a little longer."

"We still have plenty of time."