Paimon: You guys finished talking?
Qixuan: So, what's the plan? Or rather, can we take her on an adventure with us?
Lumine: Is that okay?
Qixuan: Absolutely.
Lyney: It's just a small family disagreement. How can we let our guests solve it?
Qixuan: You can't say that. Maybe it hasn't reached that point yet.
Lumine: We're old friends. Is there anything we can't help with?
Lyney: Ah, alright, thank you… I thought this matter was a bit dangerous, but since you've put it that way, I can't really refuse. If you ever face any difficulties in the future, I'll risk my life to help!
Paimon: You're too kind. But, when you said dangerous, were you referring to Clervie?
Lumine: Paimon, Clervie is still here.
Paimon: Oh, oh! (Covers her mouth)
Clervie, however, seemed not to have heard anything, playing with her Honkai doll beside them.
Lyney: No, it's not that. We can't report to our Father if we don't know Clervie's background. Once Father finds out…
Freminet: Even if Father wants to get rid of Clervie, I'll stand in front of her.
Lumine: Lyney, you idiot.
Lyney: … … …
Paimon: Shouldn't we be thinking about what to do now!
Qixuan: Actually, we just need to find out Clervie's background.
Lumine: The problem is, how do we find out?
Qixuan: How about I search her soul?
Paimon: Eek… That sounds a bit cruel. Isn't that something you do to enemies?
Qixuan: It's harmless. What are you thinking?
Lumine: Are there any other ways?
Qixuan: Hmm… I got it! I can bring all of us into Clervie's memories. That way, we'll know her background.
Lyney: That's a good idea.
Paimon: Hehe, then let's do it!
After getting Clervie's consent, everyone got to work. Clervie also really wanted to remember her past.
Everyone took Clervie to a hidden room. Qixuan set up a barrier inside the room for safety. Qixuan herself didn't care, but there were others present.
Qixuan: Lynette, come out.
Qixuan suddenly blurted out this sentence.
Lyney: What?
Lynette had no choice but to emerge from behind Lyney.
Lynette: Hi, big brother, I heard everything.
Freminet: … … …
Paimon: So Lynette has been following us this whole time?
Lynette: Pretty much.
Lyney knew his little sister's personality, so he could only bring her along. Before entering the memories, Qixuan had something to say.
Qixuan: We can only be observers, because Clervie's timeline might not be the same as ours, so we can't change anything. We'll just be viewing her memories from an observer's perspective.
Everyone: Okay.
Then Qixuan waved her hand, Clervie fainted, and then it was the Featherfall connecting to the brain, Heavenly Fire replacing thought—ahem, I misspoke. Everyone just felt their vision go dark, and then countless memory fragments flashed before their eyes. Finally, a flash of light passed, and everyone appeared in a bright little cottage. In the distance were a group of children and a woman telling a story.
Paimon: Wow, is this Clervie's memory? What a beautiful cottage.
Lyney: This… looks like the House of the Hearth.
Lynette: Big brother, don't you think that lady looks like someone?
Freminet: Lyney, have you remembered anything?
Lyney looked closer, and a story about the first House of the Hearth came to mind. Father hadn't explained it in too much detail, just a rough outline.
Lumine: Look! That's Clervie.
Everyone looked into the crowd and saw Clervie's pink hair, which was particularly noticeable. Paimon flew in front of Clervie, swaying left and right, but Clervie still didn't react, intently listening to the story.
Lumine: Paimon!
Paimon: It's fine, Qixuan-jie said they can't see us.
Qixuan: Alright, let's keep watching.
… … … … … …
After the woman finished her story, she seemed to notice something and said, "Where's Peruere? Didn't he come to listen to the story?"
A little girl with yellow hair replied, "Reporting, Mother, he's holding a funeral for his little spider."
The woman listened and said helplessly, "This child, the curse must have acted up again."
Then the woman asked Clervie to go check on him. Everyone quickly followed and saw Clervie go to the kitchen to get a lot of cakes, stuffing her mouth full before going to find Peruere.
Paimon: He really is a glutton.
Lumine: Who eats more than you?
Paimon: You're actually starting to complain about how much I eat? Waaah…
Qixuan: Stop messing around, keep up.
When everyone followed Clervie and saw Peruere, Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet were stunned.
Paimon: That… that child, why does he look so much like…
Lumine: The Knave…
Lyney: Fa… Father?
Lynette: To be precise, it should be Father when he was little.
In the distance… Clervie held a plate of cake and said to Peruere, "Um, I brought some cake. Do… do you want some?"
After speaking, she blinked, looking at Peruere expectantly.
Peruere: …Okay.
Clervie: Huh?
Peruere placed the cake in front of the little spider's grave.
Peruere: You know, spiders don't eat cake, right?
Clervie: Ah… I… I know!
Clervie suddenly looked nervous, so adorable.
After that day, Lyney and the others saw a different Father.
Clervie then took Peruere to make cakes, pick Apples, catch fish, and read books together.
Lyney: Father is really…
Lynette: Big brother, you'd better control your mouth when you go back, otherwise…
Lyney: Alright, alright, I get it.
… … … …
One night… Peruere tied a bow on Clervie's hand wound.
Peruere: Do biological mothers and daughters… also fight?
Clervie didn't answer, she just opened the window and looked at the night sky.
Clervie: I heard that in Snezhnaya's night, there are colorful auroras hanging in the sky… When we grow up, let's go see them together.
Clervie's smile was reflected in Peruere's eyes. Perhaps at this moment, his life… had a touch of sunshine.
Paimon: How gentle Clervie is.
Lumine: So cute.
Qixuan: Ahem…
Lyney: So, does that mean Clervie is of the same generation as Father? Then we…
Lynette: Let's talk after we finish watching…
… … … …
Immediately, the scene rapidly shifted until the two girls grew into Damselettes. Finally, the scene stopped at a sight that was hard for everyone to imagine: the House of the Hearth was no longer warm, surrounded by collapsed buildings and raging fires.
And their Father, holding a sword, plunged it into Clervie's chest. Blood splattered all over Peruere's face, yet he remained in the same posture.
Paimon: Wh-wh-what… what's going on!
Lumine: No! Another knife!
Freminet: Father… she.
Lyney: It seems… that story was true.
Paimon: What story is it!
Lyney: The House of the Hearth is a Fatui organization that specializes in adopting orphans and training them to become assassins and spies for Snezhnaya. And in the story I heard, in the first House of the Hearth, the children had to fight each other when they came of age, and only those who survived would not be sent for experiments…
Lumine: How cruel…
Qixuan: It's almost over.
… … … …
Clervie: You will become… a very good King. I'm sorry… Thank you…
Clervie's body slowly fell backward, lifeless. Peruere stood in place, holding the sword, his expression unreadable to anyone.
After dealing with Clervie's body, Peruere, carrying his sword, went to find Crucabena, who was the first The Knave.
Crucabena: A flower that doesn't grow well, taking until today to wither, is somewhat nauseating, wouldn't you say?
Peruere swung the sword in his hand fiercely, but Crucabena easily blocked it.
Paimon: They're…?
Lyney: By order of the Tsaritsa, to inherit the title of The Knave, one must kill the person who already holds the title of The Knave.
Lumine: What kind of insane inheritance law is this?
… … … …
Peruere was furious, as if he wanted to tear Crucabena apart. His moves were fierce, constantly pressing for vital points, but Crucabena remained calm and composed, occasionally taunting him.
"Innocence and kindness, such beautiful qualities, but unfortunately… utterly useless!"
This time, it was Crucabena's turn to attack. Compared to Peruere, her moves seemed much more stable.
Crucabena swept her leg horizontally, which Peruere dodged, and then followed with an upward slash. Peruere raised his sword to block, and was immediately sent flying backward.
Crucabena: Heh heh, a bird in a cage will never fly to the sky, and you are no exception.
Crucabena pursued the advantage, a horizontal sweep sending Peruere flying, crashing heavily into the wall.
Paimon: Wh-what do we do? It looks like The Knave is going to lose.
Lumine: If The Knave loses, then who is the current The Knave? A ghost?
Paimon: Hehe…
… … … … …
Peruere looked at the flowers nearby, remembering his moments with Clervie.
Crucabena: Give up. Let me, as your Mother, guide you to become a true King!
Peruere slowly stood up. Crucabena saw disdain on his face. She was enraged and no longer cared about any specific moves, charging forward with her sword. But this time… he wouldn't lose.
Peruere: Mother…
Peruere suddenly teleported in front of her, kicking Crucabena directly, sending her flying.
Peruere: You… are not worthy!
Then, amidst an explosion of crimson blood, Peruere was finally confined in a cage, and the scene shifted again, arriving at the Snezhnaya Palace.
Pierro: This is the will of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. I have pardoned your sins and bestowed upon you a new name. Carry on this blood-stained title.
Poor, mad, cursed The Knave (Arlecchino),
Finally, the scene froze on The Knave becoming a Harbinger. She adopted her first child.
Arlecchino: Come with me. I will raise you, like a strict and cold Father.
Then everyone felt a dizzying sensation, and when they woke up again, they were back in the room.
Paimon: Ugh… My head feels like it's not enough. That's a lot of information.
Lumine: I didn't expect The Knave to have such an experience.
Lyney: Father… she never mentioned it. The House of the Hearth also began to change after Father took over.
Lynette: So what do we do now? Clervie, she…
Freminet: Father shouldn't hurt Clervie now, right? After all, they were so close.
Lyney: You can't be sure. Father never holds back when it comes to anything that affects the House of the Hearth.
At this moment, Clervie woke up, seemingly remembering something.
Clervie: I… Peruere, he…
Qixuan: You remembered?
Clervie: Yes, my life stopped at 16, but I still couldn't let go of Peruere, so I stayed in the House of the Hearth out of obsession. But this is also a curse; every day, I forget something.
Lyney: So that's how it is… Then.
Clervie: But… I feel much better now. It's strange, I don't feel as tired as before.
Lumine knew this was thanks to the jade pendant Qixuan-jie had given her.
Freminet: Clervie, do you… still want to see Father now?
Clervie was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes! Of course."
Clervie's smile held a hint of happiness and relief.
Lyney: Okay… let's discuss.
… … … …
Lyney: Clervie stayed in the House of the Hearth due to her obsession. If Clervie no longer has that obsession…
Paimon: Will she… disappear? No!
Freminet: …I respect Clervie's choice. Continuing like this would only torment her.
Qixuan: Who said she would disappear?
Lyney, Lynette, Freminet: "Huh?"
The three didn't understand what Qixuan meant. Lumine remembered how Ei's sister was revived. If a God could do it, why not Clervie? Paimon said, "Alright, alright, you even kept it from me."
Lumine: You were there when Makoto was revived, weren't you?
Paimon: Hehe… I guess so.
The three still didn't understand, so Lumine explained it again.
Lyney: You're kidding, right? This is the work of a God, isn't it?
Lynette: I haven't heard of any of the Seven Gods having such abilities.
Freminet: In that case… we can give Father a surprise.
Without further ado, everyone had Clervie sit down, telling her she'd get a surprise soon.
Clervie: Eh?
Qixuan placed her hand on Clervie's forehead and slowly said, "God bestows upon me a brocade robe, a draught of death's wine, countless cycles of reincarnation, and finally, Nirvana. Come, Rebirth Method 2.0."
Death Law was activated. Clervie gradually gained a physical form, but this wasn't enough. Qixuan 'borrowed' some 'wool' from Aichan. Qixuan then integrated a drop of Ancient Dragon Essence into Clervie's new body.
And far away in Natlan, the Archon in charge of Death seemed to have noticed something…