The training ground was deathly silent, with no one daring to make a sound. Even the sound of breathing was suppressed to a bare minimum.
It was the first time the children had seen such a "mother."
Though the surface seemed calm, everyone could sense the towering waves hidden beneath the peaceful exterior, like mountains beneath the calm sea.
At this moment, Peruere and Clervie returned.
But they did not bring Yuxie with them.
"Mother, Yuxie is missing," Clervie said.
Upon hearing this, there was no overwhelming anger on Crucabena's face. Instead, she let out a strange, light laugh.
The children still dared not speak, for they knew that this smile from "Mother" was more chilling than any anger.
"Heh... The Hearth Manor does not tolerate betrayal," Crucabena said slowly. "Children, you are all the ones who make me proud. So, go and find the traitor, bring him before me. I trust you won't disappoint me."
The calm tone of her voice, however, carried a terrifying undercurrent that everyone present, including the Fatui soldiers, could sense.
Yuxie's escape was a blatant act of betrayal, a direct challenge and disrespect toward the "Knave."
And as the Fourth Seat of the Executors, the "Knave" would not allow anyone to treat her with such contempt.
...
They searched for over two months.
The forces of the Hearth Manor had almost scoured all of Fontaine, yet there was still no trace of Yuxie. Not a single clue, as if Yuxie had never existed in this world at all.
The children privately whispered among themselves, saying that Yuxie was the first to successfully escape from the Hearth Manor.
Some of them spoke of it with disdain and anger, while others looked on with longing and envy.
Naturally, such an event had an impact on Crucabena's authority.
"The rules of the Hearth Manor are not unbreakable." These words began to spread among the children.
...
That night, in her room.
Peruere completed the final stitch of the scarf. It was finally finished.
She wrapped the scarf around her neck and felt its warmth.
It was already very late, and recently, the nights had been filled with a sense of sleeplessness.
Knock knock knock.
Peruere neatly folded the scarf and walked over to open the door. Standing outside was Clervie.
"Clervie?"
"Peipei, I can't sleep."
"Come in."
The two of them sat on the edge of the bed.
The moonlight from outside shone in, pure and flawless.
"Peipei, I still don't understand," Clervie said. "What do you think, why did Yuxie do all this?"
Peruere was silent for a moment, her eyes filled with a mixture of complicated emotions.
"Maybe it's for the 'assassination'..."
"He wants to go alone..." Clervie's pupils trembled slightly.
"That's just my guess. I don't really understand him either."
"Peipei..." Clervie hesitated, unsure whether to ask. "Do you... like Yuxie?"
This question took Peruere by surprise.
She had never thought about it before.
Growing up in an environment like the one at the Hearth Manor, it was hard for the children to even understand what "liking" or "loving" someone truly meant.
Peruere herself had never considered that one day she might like someone.
She didn't even know what "liking" someone really was.
"I..." Peruere tried to say something but found herself at a loss for words.
"Actually, it's not strange at all," Clervie said with a soft smile. "Spending so much time with someone, it would be weird if you didn't like them."
"Clervie..." Peruere turned to look at Clervie, still unsure of what to say, as if her ability to speak had failed her.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
The two of them looked at each other in confusion and quickly went to the door.
Outside, a Fatui soldier hurried past, his expression grave.
"What's going on?" Clervie called out to one of the soldiers.
"We've found a trace of Yuxie. Lady 'Knave' is calling for you immediately."
The words struck like a thunderbolt, causing Peruere and Clervie's hearts to tremble.
.....
In the outskirts.
Yuxie walked alone under the moonlight, a long blade strapped to his waist, resembling a wandering swordsman.
Ahead of him, in the distance, was a structure that resembled a coliseum—a place that was his destination.
A notification flashed in his mind.
[Time remaining: 5 hours]
Everything was unfolding just as he had planned. Now, the conclusion was near.
He walked slowly, crossing the fields, until he reached the entrance of the building.
The large doors were wide open, and inside the building was eerily quiet. Only one figure stood in the center of the open arena, bathed in moonlight.
It was Crucabena.
She held a standard Fontaine long sword in her hand, her posture graceful, her expression calm and composed.
Yuxie's footsteps echoed through the building, like a midnight symphony.
"You've exposed your whereabouts and invited me here. Are you challenging me, your 'mother', to a duel?" Crucabena said, her gaze fixed on the approaching figure of Yuxie, her voice soft yet steady.
"Crucabena, to be honest, the first time I saw you, I thought maybe you were a good person. My views almost followed my senses," Yuxie said with a smile.
"Is that how you speak to your 'mother'?" Crucabena raised an eyebrow slightly.
"'Mother'?" Yuxie paused. "A 'mother' wouldn't allow her children to kill each other."
"A weak flower should be pruned, isn't that right? Innocence and kindness are virtues, but they're useless," Crucabena said, her lips curling into a sneer as she spoke her philosophy. "Do you know? I had expectations for each of you. But I never imagined you'd disappoint me so much."
"There's no point in continuing a conversation when we don't see eye to eye." Yuxie stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharpening. He slowly drew Cloud Cutter, the cold blade gleaming in the moonlight.
"Speaking of which, after all these years, you've never called me 'Mother.' But that's fine. You and Peruere have always been the most suitable candidates in my heart. If you wish, I'll consider your betrayal just a joke. Afterward, I can guide you to become a true 'King.'"
Crucabena's sneer shifted into a benevolent smile—at least it looked benevolent.
"I already said it," Yuxie replied, "There's no point in continuing a conversation when we don't see eye to eye."
"Have you thought this through? I am the Fourth Seat of the Harbingers. Are you sure you want to point your blade at me? All the skills you possess, I taught you."
"Who said my skills were taught by you? Crucabena, you're too full of yourself. Even in the Hearth Manor, not everyone will live under your control."
The night wind swept through, kicking up dust from the ground.
At that moment, the moon slipped behind the clouds, and the moonlight grew faint.
A suffocating sense of pressure hung in the air, as if two long swords had already begun to clash, sparks flying.
End of chapter
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