<h4>Chapter 28: Viin Simtor, Ch 28</h4>


    [Even though you knew that Scaramouche was just a puppet and no matter how severe her injuries, you could repair her, this time, a strange sense of anxiety weighed on your heart.]


    [You expertly picked up the scalpel, intending to slice through Scaramouche''s skin as you had many times before. But just as the de touched her body, your hand suddenly froze.]


    [You''ve dissected tens of thousands of bodies. Even the slightest sensation through the de tip is enough for you to understand the condition of the skin beneath it. And now, you felt something unmistakable—the skin you were about to cut wasn''t the material of a puppet. It was real human skin—alive, warm, fragile.]


    [Soon, you discovered something shocking: Scaramouche''s body, once purely mechanical, had transformed into that of a real human. The intricateponents inside her had be human organs, and the tiny power core that once sustained her was now a beating heart—weak and on the verge of failure.]


    [You didn''t know why Scaramouche''s body had undergone this transformation. You only knew one thing: healing a human was far more difficult than repairing a puppet.]


    [Scaramouche, severely injured, coughed up blood. You held her face in your hands, murmuring, "You won''t die... I swear, I won''t let you die!"]


    [You had treated countless patients before, but you''d never felt nervous. To you, every human body was just a machine, a system to be fixed using a precise method. But now, with someone so important lying on your operating table, for the first time, your hand holding the scalpel began to tremble uncontrobly.]


    [Scaramouche''s injuries were severe, but it seemed that a strange power was slowly healing her. That power felt familiar—as if you had encountered something simr when you held the Pyro Archon''s Gnosis years ago.]


    [You had no time to think about the connection. Your entire focus was on this operation. You''d never failed before, and this time, you absolutely couldn''t afford to fail.]


    [Atst, after an intense operation, you managed to stabilize Scaramouche''s condition. Though still unconscious, she was no longer in immediate danger. Just as you were about to exhale in relief, La Signora suddenly entered the room, her expressionplex as she informed you that the Tsaritsa was calling a Harbinger meeting, and you were required to attend.]


    [You noticed the unusual look in La Signora''s eyes but decided to apany her. When you arrived, an informant embedded in Inazuma was reporting the details of what had transpired.]


    [Everything had gone ording to n. Scaramouche had stationed herself at the Delusion factory on Yashiori Ind, assisting in the manufacture and distribution of Delusions. Through a mysterious "transaction," Scaramouche had sessfully obtained the Gnosis from Yae Miko, the head priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine.]


    [However, after acquiring the Gnosis, Scaramouche suddenly betrayed Yae Miko,unching a surprise attack and severely injuring her. This, in turn, alerted the Raiden Shogun, who quickly arrived and engaged Scaramouche in battle.]


    [Despite the immense power of a god, Scaramouche was at a disadvantage. But for some reason, the Raiden Shogun never delivered a killing blow. In the heat of the battle, Dragon Ursa appeared, rescuing the heavily injured Scaramouche. Although the Raiden Shogun attacked Ursa, the dragon managed to escape.]


    Seeing these events unfold, Lucas was left utterly shocked.


    This isn''t right!


    This isn''t how things were supposed to go at all!


    He distinctly remembered that in the original storyline, after obtaining the Gnosis, Scaramouche was supposed to disappear temporarily. But here, in the simtion, why did she attack Yae Miko?


    [As the report concluded, everyone knew what had happened. Dragon Ursa had brought the heavily wounded Scaramouche back to Snezhnaya. Tsaritsa did not ask about Scaramouche''s injuries but instead questioned you about the whereabouts of the Electro Gnosis. You truthfully told her that you hadn''t found the Gnosis yet and that the full truth could only be learned after Scaramouche regained consciousness.]


    [Tsaritsa didn''t say much, but she did inform you that Tartaglia''s actions in Liyue had already put Snezhnaya under heavy scrutiny. Scaramouche''s behavior had further pushed the country to the brink of crisis. You were advised to prepare for the severe consequences Scaramouche would soon face.]


    [Sure enough, a few dayster, Inazuma sent a diplomatic envoy—General Kujou Sara—delivering an ultimatum.]


    [It was revealed that after obtaining the Gnosis, Scaramouche had absorbed its power into her body. Overwhelmed by the immense strength, she had lost control, which led to her grievously wounding Yae Miko and drawing the attention of the Raiden Shogun.]


    [Kujou Sara stated that the severity of this incident could not be overstated. She demanded that Snezhnaya hand over both Scaramouche and the Gnosis, as well as pay a hefty reparation. Otherwise, Inazuma would use this as a pretext to form an alliance with other nations and dere war on Snezhnaya.]


    [For years, Snezhnaya''s actions had angered the other nations. They had tolerated it only due to Snezhnaya''s immense military strength. Now, with Scaramouche''s "crime," they had the perfect reason to band together and weaken Snezhnaya.]


    [For any ruler, this was an easy decision. While Snezhnaya was strong, it wasn''t yet powerful enough to stand against thebined forces of every other nation.]


    [Moreover, Scaramouche''s decision to absorb the Gnosis without permission was a clear act of betrayal. Whether handed over or not, she was bound to face severe punishment.]


    [Thus, Tsaritsa made an immediate decision: Snezhnaya would hand over Scaramouche.]


    [You, of course, protested right away. Tsaritsa, as if expecting this, calmly told you that she was already aware of your rtionship with La Signora. If you were willing to give up Scaramouche, not only would she spare you both from any punishment, but she would also arrange for you to marry La Signora. Furthermore, La Signora had already agreed to this.]


    [Faced with the Tsaritsa''s "offer," your choices were...]


    [1. Agree and give up Scaramouche.]


    [2. Refuse and insist on protecting Scaramouche.]


    [3. Temporarily agree, but n a rescueter.]


    Scaramouche must not be abandoned.


    Lucas knew this all too well.


    But outright refusing the Tsaritsa''s suggestion would mean outright defiance,mitting a grave crime of insubordination. Not only would it make protecting Scaramouche impossible, but it would also endanger himself.


    "I choose... the third option."


    [You agreed to the Tsaritsa''s conditions for now, but you immediately began nning a way to rescue Scaramouche.]


    [Not long after, Scaramouche regained consciousness and confessed everything. Tsaritsa ordered her to be imprisoned.]


    [With the Gnosis now inside Scaramouche, surrendering her would mean giving up the Gnosis as well. Handing it over after all that effort wasn''t something Tsaritsa wanted either.]


    [At this point, you offered a solution: you could extract the Gnosis from Scaramouche''s body and rece it with a fake. That way, when Snezhnaya handed her over, Inazuma would receive a powerless puppet, severing any further ties to Snezhnaya.]


    [Tsaritsa was suspicious, but she agreed. After all, no one else in Teyvat had the skills necessary for such a procedure.]


    [As you prepared to enter the prison, you encountered a familiar figure.]


    [Entering Immersive Mode!]


    The figure approaching was none other than La Signora.


    She seemed to have been waiting for Lucas, anticipating his arrival.


    "You''vee after all," she said, her tone unusually calmpared to her usual disdain. "Do you really think you can extract the Gnosis from Scaramouche''s body?"


    "We won''t know until we try," Lucas replied with a smile. "It''s all for the greater n."


    "You should know by now," La Signora added, her voice cool, "Tsaritsa has already approved our marriage. Once this is over, we''ll be wed."


    "I didn''t expect you to agree to such a thing," Lucas''s smile turned teasing. "I thought you hated me."


    "I do hate you. Even now," La Signora shook her head. "But this is Tsaritsa''s order. I have no choice."


    "Well then, I suppose I should thank both of you," Lucas said, spreading his arms. "But why did youe here? Just to tell me how lucky I am?"


    "No," La Signora leaned in, whispering in his ear. "I came to warn you not to do anything foolish. Tsaritsa has taken precautions. If you think you''ll be able to rescue Scaramouche during this, you won''t even make it out of the prison."


    "Thanks for the warning, but don''t worry," Lucas smiled. "I''m quite fond of living."


    As Lucas walked into the prison, La Signora murmured, "For your sake, I hope that''s true... for both of us."


    Scaramouche was imprisoned in the most heavily guarded cell, reserved for only the worst criminals.


    Finally, after opening the thick iron doors, Lucas saw her familiar face.


    "You''vee... You finally came."


    To his surprise, Scaramouche seemed in good spirits. Far from her cold demeanor before, she smiled at him. "I knew you woulde for me."


    Scaramouche had been transferred here right after regaining consciousness, leaving Lucas without a chance to speak with her.


    Now, all the questions swirling in his mind condensed into just one bitter sentence: "Why did you do it?"


    "Because... I wanted to be human."


    Scaramouche looked down at her hands, her eyes soft. "I wanted to hold you, for you to feel my warmth. I wanted to be like other women and do with you... the things you do with them."


    "And for that reason alone?" Lucas asked sternly. "Do you know the chaos you''ve caused?"


    "I know exactly what I did," Scaramouche replied, her voice steady. "I also know this is probably thest time I''ll ever see you. La Signora came to see me earlier. She said she would take good care of you. Do you know why I always hated her? Because I was so jealous. Jealous that she had a human body and could always catch your eye."


    "So, before I die, fulfill my final wish," Scaramouche stepped forward and embraced Lucas tightly, her voice full of contentment. "Even if it''s only once, I want to be one with you... as a human."


    Whether it was stealing the Gnosis or betraying the Tsaritsa, even knowing it would cost her life...


    All of it was for this reason?


    Regret gnawed at Lucas. If only, just once, he had epted Scaramouche''s "request," maybe things wouldn''t have reached this point.


    This foolish girl had believed that the reason he kept rejecting her was simply because she wasn''t human.


    "Smack!"


    Lucas''s fist came down hard on Scaramouche''s head. Her newly human body, still not used to pain, couldn''t withstand the blow, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    "W-What was that for?" Scaramouche whimpered, rubbing her head. "I was just getting into the mood!"


    "Sorry about that," Lucas chuckled, pping the dust off his hands. "But as for what you just said... I''ll have to refuse."


    "W-What..."


    A deep sense of disappointment spread across Scaramouche''s face as she murmured, "Everything I did... was for this moment, and even now, you''re still going to reject me?"


    "You''re wrong. What I''m rejecting isn''t this," Lucas replied calmly. "What I''m rejecting is the idea of letting you die."


    "That''s impossible," Scaramouche shook her head. "This prison is the most heavily guarded ce in all of Snezhnaya."


    "I know that better than anyone," Lucas shrugged. "After all, I helped n the construction of this prison. I memorized every part of its design."


    Lucas, who could remember even the mostplex medical textbooks, had no troublemitting the entire blueprint of the prison to memory.


    "Even so, what difference does it make?" Scaramouche nced at her ankle, where a sturdy iron shackle was fastened. "With this thing still on me, there''s no way I can leave, even if you wanted to."


    It wasn''t an ordinary shackle but one crafted from special steel and cold iron by Snezhnaya''s finest artisans under the Tsaritsa''s orders. Unless someone had the key, only the Tsaritsa herself could remove it.


    It was like the iron chain around Xiao Zhao''s ankle in *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*—nothing could break it except the Heaven-Relying Sword.


    Lucas thought of making a joke about whether Scaramouche had changed her underwear in the past few days, but it felt inappropriate for the moment, so he kept quiet.


    "This chain?" Lucas squatted down in front of Scaramouche, gripping the iron links with both hands. "Let me give it a try."


    "Don''t bother," Scaramouche shook her head. "After absorbing the Gnosis, my strength increased significantly, but even with that, I couldn''t break it. How could you..."


    *Snap!


    With a crisp sound, the unyielding cold-iron chain shattered into pieces, falling to the ground.


    Scaramouche blinked in disbelief, muttering, "How... how did you do that?"


    "Well..." Lucas dusted off his hands nonchntly. "Maybe I''m just a little stronger than you thought."


    Lucas had never disyed his full strength to anyone. Even to Scaramouche, who was closest to him, he seemed like nothing more than a "decently fit, slightly hunched older man."


    The only one who had a vague understanding of his true strength was La Signora—after all, an ordinary human couldn''t withstand her physical prowess or possess such enduring stamina.


    "Stop kidding around. You must have used some sort of trick," Scaramouche still refused to believe that Lucas had broken the chain purely through strength. Suspiciously, she asked, "Did you develop some kind of acid that corrodes metal?"


    To Scaramouche—and indeed, to most people in Snezhnaya—the Harbinger known as "The Doctor" was regarded as a brilliant mastermind. Within the Fatui, he was more akin to a strategist or advisor than a fighter.


    Most believed that the Doctor''s position among the powerful Harbingers was due to his intelligence, not physical prowess.


    No one knew the true nature of the body that housed his brilliant mind.


    "Oh, yes, yes! You caught me," Lucas replied yfully, not bothering to deny it. "You''re a sharp one, aren''t you?"


    "Now''s not the time for jokes," Scaramouche said, her expressionplicated. "You must realize how slim the chances are of sessfully escaping. Even if you did, you''d be hunted by Snezhnaya for the rest of your life, never finding peace..."


    "Enough with the chatter. Just tell me this—do you want to leave?" Lucas extended a hand to Scaramouche. "Come with me, and we''ll get out of here together."


    "Do you even have to ask?" Without hesitation, Scaramouche grasped his hand firmly. "If we''re caught, we''ll die together."


    "Good," Lucas nodded. "Now, we can move on to the next step. Of the guards watching over you, which one do you dislike the most?"


    "Number 4524," Scaramouche frowned. "Every time he''s on shift, he looks at me with this disgusting gaze."


    Even in her puppet form, Scaramouche had always been strikingly beautiful, though her clothing and demeanor often led people to mistake her for a cute boy. Now, as a human, her appearance had be even more alluring. If it weren''t for the strict supervision in the prison, there might have been some unscrupulous guards who would have tried something indecent.


    "Then it''s him," Lucas said as he pulled out amunicator. "Guard 4524,e here."


    "Y-Yes, sir!"


    The voice on the other end sounded nervous. Momentster, a gaunt guard in his forties entered the cell, bowing respectfully. "What are your orders, Doctor?"


    "Oh, nothing much," Lucas smiled. "I just need to borrow something from you."


    "W-What is it?" the guard asked, his voice trembling.


    "Your life."


    Before the guard could react, he copsed to the floor, lifeless. Even Scaramouche, with her sharp skills, could barely follow Lucas''s movements—it seemed he had simply tapped the man''s temple lightly with his finger.


    Could it be that... Doctor was actually as powerful as he imed?


    ---


    Author''s Note: We did not meet the powerstone goals ??Looks like you guys really dont want extra Chapters I guess...


    Cmon reach 400 by today and I give you 2 extra chaps!!!


    Oh btw join discord as I''ve uploaded character images in it!


    discord.gg/ZRZ7pQH9w3