A while before Furina's arrival, Isaac followed Arlecchino upstairs to discuss something with her.
As the sly barista followed behind her, he was able to see the rest of the House of the Hearth, as well as the passing members of it. Some were in their adolescence, some in their early adulthood, and a few children. Suffice to say, it was truly a diverse orphanage.
If Isaac hadn't known better, then he might have seriously thought that this was just another normal orphanage.
Looking at each and every child of the Hearth, Isaac inwardly sighed as he pondered their roles given by their Father.
'Should one say it's a blessing or a curse to be taken in by her?'
He wasn't trying to question her methods, and just instead viewed it from an outsider's perspective.
He was aware of the Hearth's true purpose, it's methods, as well as how valuable it is to the Fatui. After all, they were the one responsible for gathering information across the seven nations, with a vast network of sleeper agents awaiting their Father's orders.
Remembering certain characters from the original storyline, Isaac couldn't help but wonder about the children in the Hearth and their wellbeing.
However, he soon brushed those thoughts off.
'Well, if the one raising them is the fourth strongest Harbinger, then I can't really blame them.'
Though, that would probably come with a price of spilling blood. But, again, Isaac wasn't questioning their ways— he was just contemplating.
As if reading his thoughts, Arlecchino turned around and looked at the barista behind her.
Her infernal crimson crossed eyes observed him in silence for a few moments, as if surveying him.
'Man... Is her intuition that strong?' Faced with her stare, Isaac curled up a small smile and nodded at her.
She lingered for a few moments before shifting her gaze back and proceeding with her walk. It was for a brief moment, but Isaac could have sworn he saw her eyes gleam— and whatever kind of thought invoked that gleam was surely not simple.
Their walk continued in silence, and soon, they reached a certain room at the upper floor of the hotel. From the way the door of the room was decorated minimally, it was obvious that it was not something easily approached by the children.
Arlecchino opened the door slightly, and the first thing Isaac saw was...
A fairly normal office room.
The door creaks open wider, revealing more of the dimly lit room bathed in the amber glow of the sun outside peering through tinted blinders.
'That is... Unexpected... Feels like I just entered an early 20th century investigator's room or something...'
He wasn't even kidding. It was... Something he didn't expect from someone like Arlecchino. But then again, he didn't truly know her that well so he can't really say much.
He looked a bit more, finding the room interesting. With a hint of interest in his eyes, he thought with envy. 'Maybe I can copy this for my own room... Seems fun and practical.'
The air smells faintly of old leather and ink. The space is minimal, almost plain, with no clutter save for the meticulous stacks of paper lined up on a wooden desk in the center. Shelves on the walls hold only the essentials—books, folders, and a few neatly labeled files.
Arlecchino stepped in first, her heels making soft clicks against the worn hardwood floor.
Her eyes flicked briefly to the desk, reassured by the familiar order of things. She moves with purpose, her presence quietly commanding, as though this room is an extension of herself.
She owns this space, and every piece of it is in its rightful place—except for the growing stack of papers that hint at more questions than answers.
Her voice then reached Isaac's ears, carrying a sense of authority that asks for no compromise.
"Sit down."
"Yes, ma'am."
Isaac followed her figure and did as she told and sat down on one of the chairs, trying not to get under her skin. However, as he did so, his couldn't help but gaze around with curiosity.
He looked at her near desk and lingered over the papers present, noticing cryptic marks in the margins and scattered references to cases long forgotten.
His hand hovered over one of the piles but didn't touch it, respecting the precision she's imposed on the chaos.
"It seems like everyone is interested in this case," he murmured, half impressed, half amused— but still maintained his feeble look.
It was the serial disappearances case. A long running case that has plagued Fontaine for the past decade.
"You know, this is actually..." Trying to strike up a conversation, Isaac spoke with interest as his gaze shifted to Arlecchino.
However, his voice trailed off when he saw what she was doing. 'Uhh...'
Over at the corner, Arlecchino took off her grayish-white overcoat and hung it on a wooden coat rack, leaving only her fitted gray shirt. Of course, this also allowed Isaac to see her blackened arms that resemble burnt wood that laid bare open in his eyes.
She then caught his gaze and narrowed her eyes without speaking a word. For a moment, Isaac felt as if he was suffocating so he quickly stopped ogling at her. Not that he was looking at her in a lecherous manner— goodness no.
Arlecchino walked over behind her desk and sat down and soon looked at Isaac. Likewise, he looked back at her.
Then, after a moment of silence, her lips parted.
"First of all, thank you for your time, Mister Isaac. But this is where the formality ends. I want to get straight to the point."
'She sure is succinct about this...' He thought before clearing his throat and speaking. "Of course. What would you like to discuss?"
Her eyes narrowed down on him while maintaining her stern cold expression.
"Why are you here and what do you want? I believe we have nothing else to discuss after our deal in your cafe, am I right?"
Isaac smiled.
"Well, to tell the truth, I was invited here by one of your children. I won't get too much into the details, but I just needed a place to hide— and one of your children just happened to find me and suggested I stay here for a while."
She then lingered for a while and thought for a moment, trying to figure out which child it was.
However, before she made any drastic decisions, Isaac quickly intervened.
"Oh, and, if you could, please don't blame the child that invited me. He was just trying to help out his struggling mentor."
Isaac sensed that Arlecchino might give Freminet some sort of punishment for inviting outside parties in the House of the Hearth. In their clandestine organization, such an act was equivalent to openly saying that they were spies— as such, this was utterly prohibited.
But since Freminet was aware of Isaac and Arlecchino's acquaintance, he must have speculated that the former was allowed to visit.
Now, obviously, Isaac doesn't want anything bad to happen to his dear pupil, as such, he quickly tried to negotiate with Arlecchino.
She lingered for a bit and said with an amused tone.
"How bold of you, Mister Isaac. To openly question the way I handle my organization... Tell me one food reason why I shouldn't take this as a sort of provocation."
He grimaced, fully expecting that she'd say something similar to this.
"No, no, no, you got it all wrong. I'm not questioning you nor provoking you! I'm just negotiating, that's all."
"And what would you use to negotiate with me?" She questioned.
"..." Isaac fell silent.
Indeed, he currently doesn't have anything to barter with the Father of the Hearth. The best he could do is provide information, but even then, she might have already learned about them. Her network is far greater than his, after all.
Seeing his reluctant and deterred expression, she lingered for a bit before smiling lightly.
"You know... I do sometimes wonder how someone like you managed to get where you are right now."
He smirked wryly.
"Luck... And a lot of acting is all it took."
"A Clown then."
She added after him and continued speaking.
"But we digress. Regarding the child that invited you, I'll make sure to give him an... appropriate punishment. Good children should listen well."
Hearing this, Isaac grimaced slightly. He was unable to stop her from punishing Freminet in the end, and it made him a tad bit guilty. With her unconventional methods and standards, she would without a doubt issue a punishment that would remind Freminet why listening to her would result in severe consequences.
Worst case scenario is that... He'll be excommunicated and get "burned" as she refers to it. Other than her, only Isaac knew what that term truly meant when dealing with her children.
'Stay strong, my pupil... You'll get through this predicament, I'm sure of it.'
In the end, all Isaac could do is have faith in Freminet and hope that Arlecchino won't push him to the edge too hard.
Watching Isaac grimace, Arlecchino lingered for a bit and observed him with eyes looking like that of a hawk. Of course, she still maintained her cold and composed expression as she studied him.
She thought for a moment and then spoke with a tone that was as if lightly mocking him.
"And what makes you so compassionate towards the children now? After all the preparations you've done for your so-called grand plan?"
Isaac's smile faded and he frowned when he heard this.
She then smiled coldly, without any trace of amusement nor joy.
"Ah, dear oh dear, what is it? Is it the blood? The guilt? Or... The thought of executing this madness of a plan you've concocted for the sake of the nation?"
"A tad bit of a hypocrite, aren't we?"
Isaac stopped and listened to her, his thoughts trailing off somewhere else. His expression remained the same, but his deep amber eyes became much deeper as they watched her.
A pair of infernal crimson crossed eyes and a pair of deep amber eyes looked at each in silence. Hidden behind them are indescribable thoughts.
Then, he opened his mouth and smiled bleakly at her.
"You could say that. Those three... I've grown closer to them recently and hope for nothing but the best for them. As such, I want this plan to succeed without shedding too much blood."
She blinked.
"So I've heard. On one hand, you could be true with your emotions, but on the other hand, you could be feeling guilty."
Isaac had shared his plan with her, and, indeed, she agreed to it. But even then, it was obvious that she still held doubts about his dubious plan that involved a lot of people... and three measly siblings from the Hearth.
A grand plan that would set things back to the appropriate course of events, help the Hearth, and most importantly, ensure Furina's safety for the future.
For such a grand plan, Isaac had strained his mind with stress, thinking about all the potential casualties that could arise from it. But, overtime, he had concluded that it was necessary.
Conjuring a light smile, Isaac cleared his mind and looked back at her with more clarity in his eyes.
"That is true, and I won't deny one bit. But you can't deny that, for measly just my mentality, Fontaine would grow stronger for the prophecy."
He lingered for a bit before smiling softly.
"There are always things worth more protecting than one's self, after all."
Upon hearing this, Arlecchino lingered and took in what he said. She contemplated deeply and, as she looked at him, couldn't help but gradually change her expression.
Indeed, his plan was absolutely mad. However, despite it's risks, it's rewards were also worth it if everything goes smoothly. And, during their first meeting in the cafe, she agreed to it with one condition— a condition that, if the plan fails, would still benefit the Hearth.
She paused for a good bit then spoke. "...alright then, Mister Clown. I will admit that you have a way with words."
"Thank you." He replied with a light nod.
However, she quickly added more, trailing just behind her words. With a sinister look, she spoke.
"Now then. I believe you still owe a performance for my children."
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
"Erm... What performance?"
Arlecchino leaned back, observing Isaac's changing expression with her cold look.
"Hm. Did you not promise one of my children earlier that you'd swallow a dagger for your magic trick?"
After saying this, Arlecchino reached out for her drawer and took out an intricately designed dagger from it. Afterwards, she slid it towards Isaac.
"Do it. I want to see your magic tricks, Clown."
"..." Isaac stared at the dagger in front of him and looked at Arlecchino who was observing his every move.
'Father... It was just a joke! A joke!' he complained silently. However...
Could he pull off the inventory trick?
Isaac hesitated then reached out his hand and lingered above the blade, still reluctant to pick it up.
Arlecchino watched him intently, observing how he would pull off such a magic trick in front of her.
Then, all of a sudden, a noise suddenly interrupted the strange atmosphere between the two.
"Father! We're back!"
The voice was all the more familiar to Isaac. After all, it was none other than Lyney.
Arlecchino turned her head as she slightly scowled. Looking at her door, she stood up and walked towards it. The door opened and she saw her child, Lyney.
Seeing his Father's expression, Lyney realized what he had done and looked apologetic. "Oh, forgive me Father. Was I interrupting something?"
Arlecchino lingered for a bit and shook her head. "No, not at all. I was merely..."
She then shifted her gaze back to where Isaac was sitting and found... nothing. He was no longer there.
Her gaze looked around a bit more and saw an anomaly in her room.
The window was open.
"..."
Seeing this, she fell silent as if deeply contemplating whether teaming up with such a man was a wise decision.
"..."
Isaac and Furina looked at each other in a momentary silence. One was on the ground while the other was looking at him from above.
"..."
At that moment, it was as if the world had stopped for the two of them. In that fraction of a second, it was as if they had looked at each other for an eternity. As he laid there on the ground, Isaac stared at his God that wore a complicated expression not far from him.
In that short amount of silence, Isaac's mind raced, trying to come up with a way to placate Furina. After all, he had just run away from her.
But before he could do so, the person beside her moved and immediately went over to his side.
"Mister Isaac! You... What happened to you?"
The Captain of the Special Security, Chevreuse, asked as she helped him up. She then added, "Did you get thrown out of that window?"
Leaning on Chevreuse for support, Isaac released a dry chuckle, as if he too didn't know what happened.
"No, not really. I was just... making a grand exit, yeah." With her help, Isaac managed to get up pretty quickly. "I was performing a magic trick for a friend... And for my last trick, I disappeared!"
Through a window, that is.
Fortunately, his fall wasn't that hard. He did, however, get bruised. But besides that, he handled the fall from the second floor pretty well.
Was it stupid? Very much so.
But in the face of what Arlecchino was planning to make him do, he had very little choices and had to make use of what was available to him. He could have teleported back to his cafe, yes, but that would just raise more questions regarding his abilities. For the time being, he wanted to limit how much Arlecchino knew about him.
Meanwhile, Furina watched as Isaac stood back up before speaking with a somewhat sarcastic voice.
"A magic trick, huh?"
"So how was it? Did the taste of the hard ground marble floor feel good, my dear Isaac? Or did you perhaps need to taste it more to understand the deeper flavor profile?"
She was trying to make fun of his goofiness— but the subtle irritated tone was present in her voice. It was obvious that she was not at all happy.
He flinched when he heard her say this. Shifting his gaze to her, he smiled wryly, looking apologetic.
"It's uhh... Indeed, I liked it. Though, I very much prefer smooth lacquered tiles compared to this unpolished stone."
She smiled.
"What a coincidence. Palais Mermonia just happened to have those exact same types of tiles located at the deeper layers beneath."
Hearing this, Chevreuse shot an eyebrow and looked at her, as if trying to confirm something.
"Lady Furina... Is that not where the Maison Gardiennage usually tortu—"
However, she was suddenly cut off.
"Hush, my dear Captain. I was just merely recommending it. Well, if our dear Isaac here wants to, then I'm more than happy to guide him there."
Isaac, who had been listening to them this whole time, shivered. Looking at Furina, she without a doubt still looked the same— confident, flamboyant, and an amiable personality.
However, hidden beneath that façade was a threatening beast that was breathing down on his neck. A monstrous creature that he had, unfortunately, angered.
'...I'm doomed.' Isaac felt cold sweats just looking at Furina's seemingly harmless smile.
He had truly pissed her off today. Of course, she managed to hide it pretty well. In fact, if Isaac wasn't good at observation, he wouldn't have even guessed the hidden meaning behind her words.
The way she said it was just too innocent, after all.
'I need to make peace with her...'
Feeling as if something bad was going to happen, Isaac immediately tried to make up with her.
Approaching Furina, he stood beside her before looking at Chevreuse. With a casual tone, he spoke to her succinctly.
"I'm sorry, miss... Chevreuse, yes? But I'll have to accompany Lady Furina from here on out. Thank you for accompanying her thus far."
The Special Security Captain looked at him with dubious eyes. Crossing her arms, she shot him a look.
"Really? Just like that? After you left our Archon and made us go through a wild goose chase... You just want to end things like that?"
Indeed, what Isaac had done today was nothing short of rude behavior. He had not only unceremoniously left Furina, but he also gave trouble to a few people. Truly, what a selfish sly bastard he was.
Hearing this, Isaac mentally smacked himself and quickly responded to her with an apologetic look.
"I'm truly sorry, Miss Chevreuse. It's my fault— I admit that. But rest assured that I won't ever dare to do something so... Rude... again in the foreseeable future."
"Also..."
He then glanced at Furina beside him and, in a daringly bold move, grabbed her hand in front of the Captain without any hint of shame in his face.
It was a daring gamble that he hoped would work. It would either help him in this situation or make things worse— a true gamble with no reason.
Then, with a proud face, his deep amber eyes looked at her. He conjured up a faint smile and spoke with a hint of pride.
"I promised Lady Furina to be her assistant again today, after all. Please, trust me when I say that I'll do anything she wishes and won't cause trouble again... today."
'?!'
Meanwhile, Furina's eyes widened as she looked at their intertwined hands. With a reluctant and flustered face, she looked at Isaac with disbelief— her face filled with questions.
Although she didn't say anything, Isaac managed to understand what she was conveying through her eyes.
It was all too easily understandable.
'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' was what she was saying with those heterochromatic eyes of hers. He knows that what he was doing was dangerous, however, he was well-prepared for situations like this so he didn't worry that much.
Furina, meanwhile, was struggling whether to release her hand from his. Feeling the large, warm hand fully envelope her petite pristine ivory hand, a complicated expression formed on her face.
A moment had only passed, yet it was as if an eternity had passed in her mind. Staring at their hands, she paused and pursed her lips, the red hue on her face now slightly prominent.
'Its... oddly comfortable.' she thought before hesitantly enclosing her fingers and embracing his hand. She first looked at his hand then to his forearm, her eyes alternating. 'So... warm... and big...'
Isaac was not muscular, that was a fact. But he does workout everyday during his free time to not only expand his stamina, but also to release stress and build up physical strength.
And it just so happens that pull ups and curl ups were one of his favorite past time calisthenic workouts. As such, his upper body was relatively decently-shaped. He didn't want to have a gym bro body— just a decently toned one.
As for Furina, she had never been a fan of any bulky build either. However, Isaac was different. He wasn't that muscular, but she felt that he could fully envelope her with ease, given their difference in size.
And that...
She shivered at the thought that came after.
Oblivious to what she was thinking, however, Isaac paused for a moment before genuinely smiling brightly. It seems that his gamble worked for the first phase.
'Good, she's playing along.'
Chevreuse, on the other hand, looked at what Isaac had done and tilted her head, slightly confused about what he was doing.
"Well... considering your achievements thus far as a private investigator, I won't deny that you have competent capabilities..."
She lingered for a bit before sighing.
"Fine then. But do make sure to never disappoint Lady Furina again, alright? You're lucky she tolerated you today. If not, then you would have fallen for one of the laws of Fontaine that prohibits the disappointment of the Archon."
'...there's a law like that?' For a moment, Isaac forgot that he was living in Fontaine where the law, as strict and cold as they are, could still be manipulated. 'Hm... I'm not even surprised. Just in disbelief.'
His gaze then shifted to Furina. She was looking down on the floor, as if thinking of something while still holding his hand. Her grayish-white hair fell over her face, preventing Isaac to see the expression she was making, unfortunately.
He would have loved the kind of expression she was making right now. 'Is she flustered by this tease?'
Of course, he would have never known what complicated expression she was actually using.
Turning his head back to Chevreuse, he chuckled wryly. "I'll keep it in mind. Thank you, Captain Chevreuse."
She nodded then paused for a bit as if remembering something. "It's funny. Just this morning I was trying to find you— I didn't think this would be our first meeting."
He entertained her words and replied with a small chuckle. "Haha, fate really is funny, isn't it? Well, if you have the time, why not drop by my cafe sometimes? That way, we can get to know each other more."
Chevreuse lingered for a bit before smiling lightly. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Farewell, Lady Furina. Mister Isaac." With that said, she turned around and left while waving her hand in the air.
Watching the musket captain take her leave, Isaac heaved a soft sigh. With a slightly tired expression, he thought to himself, 'What an exhausting day... I want to go back to my cafe...'
He longed to rest in his silent sanctuary.
Looking back at Furina, he saw her still holding his hand. Seeing this, he smirked and leaned closer. This calls for a teasing.
"How is it?" Whispering into her ears, Isaac's silvery voice flowed in. "Want to keep holding hands?"
Shuddering at Isaac's whisper, Furina jumped a bit and looked at him with a flushed look. Her face was slightly red, and Isaac could swear he saw white fumes coming off her head. Their hands then separated as she tried to cover her ear that he whispered to.
"You! Wh-why would you suddenly whisper to me like that?!"
"You seemed to be enjoying yourself a bit too much." Replying to her, Isaac laughed. "I just couldn't help myself. You're too adorable when you're flustered."
"Don't say such things out here in the open..." She scowled slightly, however, her beet-red face betrayed her expression.
Isaac shrugged.
"If you say so."
"So then— where would you like to go now? We have the whole day for ourselves, after all."
He lingered for a moment then quickly added.
"And yes... I promise I won't run away again."
"So... Where should we go next, my dear Archon? Poisson? The Opera House? Erinnyes? Just say the word— this loyal assistant of yours shall accompany you."
This time, Isaac truly has no ulterior motives. He truly just wanted to accompany her where she wants today.
As for Furina, she listened to his words and pondered deeply for a moment. There were so many places she wanted to go to today, but now, she suddenly lost the motivation to go to any of them.
She originally planned for the two of them to get a manicure, have their hair fixed in a salon, get a massage, and many more than would freshen their body up for the upcoming ball.
With a dubious expression, she turned to Isaac and asked him, "How about you? Do you have anywhere to recommend?"
Faced with this question, he grimaced slightly.
"Not... Really. Sorry, I'm really not that well-informed of this aspect..."
Hearing this, Furina paused before smiling lightly, as if amused by his answer. "Really? I would have never guessed..."
She then walked forward to him, and, just like he did, she suddenly took his hand and held it. Her delicate fingers closed up, instantly enveloping Isaac's hand firmly.
Afterwards, she turned to look at his face directly and smiled mischievously, with a hint of playfulness hidden behind that smile. But overall, it was a bright and joyous smile.
"Then let's go... wherever. We have a day for ourselves, don't we?"
Isaac looked at her for a moment, surprised that she took on the lead. However, this act didn't deter him one bit, and instead only made him chuckle.
As the distant ring of a mechanical ring, the day had just reached past noon. Indeed, they still have a day for themselves.
'This is... gonna be a fun day.' With this thought, he nodded at her.
"After you, my lady."
"Hehe, all right. Let's go!"
For the rest of this day, Isaac plans to relax. He wouldn't think about any other matter other than what was in front of him. He just wanted to focus solely on Furina...
Just Furina.
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