<h4>Chapter 27: Viin Simtor, Ch 27</h4>
"Why am I being forced to make this kind of choice?"
For Lucas, this dilemma was perhaps more difficult than all the previous choicesbined.
Before, the options were mostly about choosing between being a good person or a viin. This time, the choice was clearly between being a jerk—or, well, a different kind of jerk.
Yet, after a brief internal conflict, Lucas made his decision.
"La Signora."
It felt a bit cruel to Scaramouche, but Lucas had never seen her in that way. If this incident could make her give up on those feelings, it might be for the best.
[You finally rejected Scaramouche, making the excuse that you needed toplete some work in theb before hastily leaving the house. As you left, you caught a glimpse of the deep disappointment in her eyes, but you steeled yourself and walked away.]
[To celebrate the victory, Snezhnaya lifted the curfew for three days, allowing the citizens to revel all night. To avoid being recognized, you disguised yourself before heading to theb. Originally, only two keys existed for theb—yours and Scaramouche''s—but now, a third key had been given to another person: La Signora. You unlocked the door with your key...]
"Enter immersive mode."
This time, Lucas entered the simtion without hesitation.
Truthfully, he could have chosen another ce for these secret meetings with La Signora, but to avoidplications, he stuck with theb. Besides, La Signora didn''t seem to mind—she''d even mentioned liking the cold, hard surface of theb table.
"You''re here?"
Sure enough, a familiar figure had been waiting for some time inside theb.
With the war in Nan upying most of his attention, it had been a while since Lucasst helped La Signora "treat" her condition.
"Yes, Scaramouche kept me for a bit," Lucas nodded, then paused. "Wait, have you been drinking?"
Sure enough, a wine ss sat beside La Signora, with half of its contents remaining.
"Consider it a toast to your sess," La Signora said, offering a rare smile. "Though, only as the Eighth Harbinger."
"And as yourself?" Lucas stepped closer, lifting her chin with his fingers. "What gift do you have for me in that capacity?"
A blush crept across her face as she reached behind her, pulling out a small bottle filled with slime condensate.
Slime condensate was a material derived from the body of a Slime, often used for its stic and moldable properties in industrial applications. It could even be eaten, though it had little nutritional value and a rather nd taste, akin to jelly in the real world.
Of course, like jelly, it had other uses beyond being eaten.
A man of Lucas''s experience quickly understood its implication. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "But... haven''t you always refused to do something like this?"
It was true—while he and La Signora had maintained an intimate rtionship, it had always been rather conservative. Certain acts, especially those requiring her to kneel before him, had been out of the question, given her pride.
"Just this once," La Signora huffed, her voice cold. "Don''t expect it to happen again."
Slime condensate was a peculiar substance.
Though it came from the body of a magical creature, itcked any signs of life itself. As food, it provided no real nourishment and tasted rather nd, aside from its unusual texture.
However, for "other purposes," its effects were extraordinary.
Even with La Signora''s somewhat clumsy attempts, the slime condensate helped magnify the experience, making it far more than the sum of its parts.
Yet, more than the physical sensation, watching the usually proud La Signora lower herself before him filled Lucas with a sense of conquest that was far more satisfying than anything physical.
"Aren''t you... done yet?" La Signora shot him a weary nce. Despite her immense strength, even she couldn''t help but feel a bit of fatigue.
"Almost," Lucas replied, keeping his rhythm steady. "It won''t be long now."
"Almost there."
"Just a bit more."
These were, without a doubt, the lies Lucas had told the most in his life. He had deceived Shenhe with them many times before, and now La Signora too.
Finally, after another half hour, Lucas "hit the jackpot."
"Cough, cough..."
La Signora coughed awkwardly. During the process, she had identally swallowed some of the slime condensate, along with something else of a simr texture.
She wasn''t sure why she had agreed to do something like this. Perhaps she simply wanted to celebrate Lucas''s return, or maybe she wanted to show her gratitude in her own way.
Of course, she kept telling herself that this didn''t change how much she hated him.
"This treatment was an interesting experiment," Lucas remarked as he dressed. "Perhaps we should explore more ''medical solutions'' in the future."
"I refuse," La Signora retorted, her cold demeanor back in ce. "I told you, this was a one-time thing."
"Nothing is ever absolute," Lucas teased, raising an eyebrow. "Besides... it didn''t seem like you hated it all that much, did you? To be honest, out of all the gifts I received upon my return, yours might be tied for first ce."
"Tied?" La Signora sneered. "Let me guess, the other gift... it''s from that little brat, isn''t it?"
The "little brat" was, of course, Scaramouche. Though the nickname was a bit of a stretch, it made senseing from the tall and statuesque La Signora.
"Yes, she—like you," Lucas said with a knowing smile, "is struggling to do something she''s not very good at."
"My apologies for being clumsy and untalented," La Signora scoffed. "I suppose, in your eyes, that brat is more important."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Why... did I say something like that? It almost sounds... like I''m jealous.
"Scaramouche is important to me," Lucas said seriously. "But there''s noparing the two of you."
There truly was noparison.
Lucas''s rtionship with Scaramouche was more akin to that of Leon and Mathilda in *Léon: The Professional*, or Silco and Jinx in *Arcane*. To him, Scaramouche represented a deeper emotional bond—something closer to family, even more intimate than actual blood rtions.
"So... in the end, I really can''tpare to her, can I?"
A soft, pained voice suddenly echoed from behind, catching Lucaspletely off guard. He turned swiftly to see a familiar figure standing at the door, staring at the two of them with aplicated expression.
It was Scaramouche!
Lucas hadn''t expected her to show up here, and given the current situation between him and La Signora, even a fool could guess what had happened.
"Scaramouche..." Lucas forced himself to remain calm. "When... when did you get here?"
With his strength, it was unlikely that anyone could approach without him noticing, but he had let his guard down during the "treatment," and Scaramouche''s stealth abilities were extraordinary.
"Since you two... started doing that," Scaramouche muttered through gritted teeth. "No wonder you never epted me... It''s all because of her, isn''t it?"
"It''s not like that!" Lucas shook his head. "The two things aren''t rted at all. She''s just—"
"You don''t need to exin," Scaramouche interrupted, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Of course, you prefer this kind of woman. To you, I''m not even a real woman... no, I''m just a puppet. You never saw me as human at all!"
It was no surprise that Scaramouche was furious. The man she loved had chosen to be with her most hated rival. If not for her immense self-control, she might have alreadyshed out.
"This isn''t what you think," Lucas sighed. "Let''s go home, and I''ll exin everything."
But there was no way to exin things in this situation.
"No need..." Scaramouche''s expression was heartbroken. "I guess I was just... an extra all along. I wish you both... the worst."
With that, the girl turned and ran out the door without looking back.
"Wait!" Lucas tried to follow, but he was still half-dressed. Shaking his head, he muttered, "That girl..."
"Aren''t you going after her?" La Signora finally spoke up.
"Chasing her now would only cause a bigger scene," Lucas sighed. "She''ll go home eventually. Once she''s calmed down, I''ll exin everything to her."
"But aren''t you afraid..." La Signora''s voice carried a hint of tension, "that she might reveal our secret?"
"Don''t worry. I know her," Lucas said confidently. "Besides, even if she did, what would happen? Do you think the Tsaritsa would punish me for something like this after I just brought back such a victory?"
"Never underestimate a woman..." La Signora warned softly. "Especially when ites to matters of the heart. They''re capable of anything."
"Is that so..." Lucas looked at La Signora with a teasing expression. "So, you do have emotions after all?"
"People aren''t made of stone; of course, they have feelings..." La Signora''s gaze softened momentarily before snapping back to its usual sharpness. She cast a sidelong nce at Lucas and added, "But my feelings will never have anything to do with someone like you."
"That''s fine," Lucas responded nonchntly. "I''m not interested in your emotions. Your body is all I need."
After spending time with her, Lucas hade to terms with things.
La Signora and Rosaline were two different entities, more like a connection between past and present lives than the same person. Thefort he found in La Signora had nothing to do with the memories of Rosaline.
Surprisingly, La Signora didn''t get angry at his remark. She only sighed wearily. "Get out of here, go back to your little brat."
Without saying more, Lucas donned his coat, put on his mask, and disappeared into the darkness outside the door.
"You''re lucky..." La Signora muttered to herself. "At least you have someone to hold onto. But I... have nothing."
[Exit Immersive Mode]
[Enter Text Mode]
[You thought that, as usual, Scaramouche would eventually forgive you after you sweet-talked her enough. But this time, things were different. Scaramouche seemed genuinely angry, and for a whole month, she refused to speak to you.]
[When she finally did, her first words were simply a formal greeting during an official meeting of the Harbingers. "Hello," she said.]
[You tried several times to have a proper conversation with her, but she never gave you the chance, refusing to speak beyond necessity. She even began requesting more external missions to avoid you.]
[The only smallfort was that she didn''t move out of your house. As long as you both lived under the same roof, you still considered yourselves family. You figured that it was only a matter of time until things eased between you—but time was something you had in abundance.]
[So, a strange dynamic developed. On the surface, you and Scaramouche seemed close, but in reality, you were estranged. Meanwhile, you and La Signora appeared to be at odds, yet behind closed doors, your rtionship was... intimate.]
...
[Age 538: A young man named Ajax was promoted by the Fifth Harbinger, Pulcine, to be the newest andst of the Fatui Harbingers, code-named "Tartaglia." Unlike the others, he hadn''t been directly chosen; he had risen through the ranks from a lowly Fatui soldier. Although he held the lowest position, his potential andbat instincts even made you take notice.]
[Despite his position, Tartaglia was anything but humble. He didn''t bow to any of his "seniors." But when it came to you, he showed great respect, telling you that it was his admiration for you that led him to join the Fatui.]
[Unbeknownst to you, you had be a figure of admiration for many in Snezhnaya. The Fatui''s growth was partly driven by people joining in hopes of following your example.]
[Age 539: Just as raw jade must be polished, so must young warriors hone their skills. You created arge number of undead soldiers for Tartaglia to train against, using the opportunity to gather more data and improve thebat capabilities of your creations.]
[In time, you and Tartaglia became something close to friends. His enthusiasm and carefree nature were a refreshing contrast to the usual atmosphere within the Fatui. asionally, his demeanor reminded you of a certain someone—Rostam, your once-dear friend.]
[Age 540: Snezhnaya''s power continued to grow, and the annexation of Nan caused the nation to expand further. However, this strength also worried the Tsaritsa. She knew all too well that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled. Thest nation to rise to such prominence met a tragic end—the destruction of Khaenri''ah, a conflict she had personally witnessed.]
[Under Pierro''s advice and long-term nning, the Tsaritsa finally announced the "Gnosis Collection n"—a mission to collect the Hearts of all the Archons, regardless of the cost.]
[The Heart of the Pyro Archon had already been secured as part of the unequal treaty with Nan.]
[Naturally, the Fatui Harbingers were tasked with leading these missions. Tartaglia was sent to Liyue, La Signora to Mondstadt, and Scaramouche volunteered to go to Inazuma.]
[After the fallout from yourst incident, your rtionship with Scaramouche had hit rock bottom. Even so, you sought her out, urging her to reconsider the mission. Deep inside, you had a terrible premonition that something disastrous would happen if Scaramouche went to Inazuma.]
[But Scaramouche refused outright, even hinting that her reasons for going extended beyond just retrieving the Gnosis. She promised that when she returned, she would surprise you.]
[You didn''t know what her other objective was, but you understood that once she set her mind on something, there was no changing it. However, to ensure her safety, you ordered the Dragon Ursa to wait near Inazuma and assist her if she encountered any danger.]
[Age 541: La Signora''s mission went smoothly. In Mondstadt, she sessfully retrieved the Anemo Archon Barbatos''s Gnosis. Though Mondstadt''s morale had taken a heavy blow, there were rumors that Barbatos''s powers had already waned.]
[Even so, a god''s power should never be underestimated. Whether Barbatos''s weakened state was genuine or part of a deeper ploy remained a mystery.]
[Age 542: While on his mission, Tartaglia encountered setbacks, leading him to unleash The Overlord of the Vortex Osial, causing catastrophic damage to Liyue. Although the people of Liyue managed to seal Osial once again, Tartaglia''s actions made both the Fatui and Snezhnaya targets of widespread condemnation.]
[That "disaster" turned out to be part of the Geo Archon Morax''s n. As a result, his Gnosis was handed over to La Signora as payment. Now, Snezhnaya held four of the seven Gnosis.]
[To celebrate, the Tsaritsa hosted a grand ceremony. Just as everyone began to think that the Gnosis Collection n would continue smoothly, a deafening roar echoed from outside the pce. Your heart sank, for you recognized that roar—it belonged to the Dragon Ursa.]
[You rushed out of the pce, your usually calm demeanor reced by rare panic. The scene that greeted you was shocking.]
[Dragon Ursa was sprawled across the pce square, its tough scales covered in wounds. The most noticeable injury was a long gash, exposing the rotting muscle beneath.]
[You knew that Dragon Ursa possessed the power of a demigod, with extraordinary defense. To inflict such damage, the attacker had to be either a more powerful god or a being of equal strength.]
[Then, you saw a figure tumble off Dragon Ursa''s back. Rushing forward, you caught her in your arms—Scaramouche, badly injured and on the verge of copse. Her body was covered in wounds, but when she saw your face, she managed a weak smile and whispered in your ear: "I did it... I really... did it..."]
[She then passed out. Before the Tsaritsa could give an order, you took her straight to yourb. As the best doctor in the world, only you could save her.]
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Author''s Note: Remember guys!
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