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Childe frowns, looking around his room of the Grand Goth Hotel. A knock comes at the door but he hardly pays it any mind as he walks over to the dresser to begin searching the drawers again.
“Um…Lord Tartaglia?” One of the agents murmurs, having stepped inside to behold the chaos.
“What?” Childe asked, growling and kicking the dresser as though it had personally wronged him.
“Is…everything alright, sir?”
“Oh yeah, it’s great,” Childe drawled, rolling his eyes. “Just misplaced my Delusion is all.” ‘Misplaced’ is such a funny word to Childe, because it’s basically just a really gentle way of saying you lost something. Turning away from the mess he’s made, he looks towards the agent. “What do you want?”
“Lady Signora is here.”
Childe frowned. “What?” He demanded, shoving out of the room and past the agent, down to the lobby where the eighth Harbinger was patiently waiting.
“Childe,” she greeted, though they both knew it was meant to be patronizing. “How are you?” She looks him up and down. “Oh my, you’ve lost your Delusion, haven’t you?”
“I’ve misplaced it.”
“Or has it been stolen?” Childe narrowed his eyes and she smiled. “Well we can never be too cautious, you know. This is, after all, where the Delusion Thief lives.”
Childe laughs. “Master Diluc didn’t steal my Delusion.”
“How do you know?” Signora asked sweetly. “He’s done it before, how are you so certain he hasn’t done it again.”
Childe narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “What are you after, Signora?”
“I just think it’s interesting that your Delusion has gone missing the very same night that he attempted to kill you.”
“You watched.”
“You’re our youngest, darling.” She walked over to stroke his cheek, only to have her hand slapped away. “I’m only here to protect you.”
“I don’t need or want your protection.”
“Pity.” She looked at him in disdain for a moment before that too sweet smile returned to her face. “There is one way to figure out if he took your Delusion.”
“And what’s that?”
“I think I’ll write to her majesty and inform her. With her permission, we’ll be able to search her properties and get your weapon back.”
“You can’t do that,” Childe said. “He can’t be tried for the same crime twice.”
“I thought you said he didn’t do it?” Signora asked. “Besides, I’ve already spoken with the agents outside. They saw a figure slipping inside last night with very prominent red hair and, well, we all know who that is.”
“That’s not evidence.”
“I don’t need evidence, sweetheart,” Signora crooned. “All I need is enough of a suspicion to get her majesty to say yes.”
……………….
Kaeya really hadn’t wanted to go into work the following day. Diluc had been a mess the night before and, according to Adelinde that morning when Kaeya had come out of his rom, had barely slept.
Kaeya had wanted to stay at the winery in case his brother needed him but he also knew that if Diluc thought he was hovering, he’d throw a fit.
So he very reluctantly dragged himself to the city to stop by his apartment and get ready before heading in.
So far, it’s been a very boring morning, at least until he was summoned to Jean’s office where he found Childe already seated across from her desk.
Kaeya scowled. “I thought we got rid of you,” he muttered.
Childe ignores him. “Signora came to me this morning making claims that Master Diluc has stolen my Delusion.”
“No he hasn’t,” Kaeya said, immediately on guard and defensive. “I was at the winery all night, he was tossing and turning in bed all night.”
“Yeah, well, according to the guards outside the hotel, they watched him sneak in last night.”
“He didn’t leave the bed.”
“Yeah, okay, can you shut up and listen for once?” Childe demanded. He huffed. “My point is that something isn’t right. Signora is contacting The Tsaritsa for permission to search his properties to see if she can find my Delusion as proof that he stole it.”
Jean pressed her lips together. “What happens if she does find the Delusion among his things?”
“Jean!” Kaeya shouted, eyes wide. “You can’t be serious–”
“I don’t seriously think he took it,” Jean soothed. “But I have to consider all the possibilities, Sir Kaeya.”
Childe sighed. “If they do find it, it’ll be enough to convince The Tsaritsa that he’s the one that took it.”
Kaeya had a really bad feeling. “And then?” He asked. “What happens then?”
The Harbinger refused to meet his gaze as he replied, “If they find it, he’ll be taken back to Snezhnaya and executed.”
…………….
Diluc knows it’s going to be a terrible day when Adelinde answers the door to find Fatui agents and one of the Harbingers on the other side. He shoos her away because he doesn’t want her involved, then turns to the woman standing in the doorway.
“Can I help you?” He asks politely.
“I think you can,” she replies as she hands him a piece of parchment. “This is a letter from The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya herself. We have reason to believe that you’ve stolen Harbinger Childe’s Delusion and thus, we have her permission to search your properties.”
“Of course,” Diluc agreed easily enough, stepping aside. He saw a flash of confusion and anger pass over the woman’s face for only a moment before she stepped inside. “As my maid can attest, I haven’t left the house since yesterday. I’ve been unwell.”
“And your maid knows everything about you, does she?” The Harbinger asked as the agents spread out and began to search the winery.
“Yes she does,” Diluc replied honestly. “I’ve done nothing wrong and I have nothing to hide. So please have a look. I only request politely that you respect my things.”
She just huffed and stormed past him. Diluc narrowed his eyes, not liking the way she immediately headed up the stairs.
Like she knew exactly where she needed to go.
……………….
“How quickly could she get that letter to The Tsaritsa and get a reply,” Kaeya asked as he and Childe headed towards Dawn Winery.
“It would take a few days,” Childe replied.
“Will she wait those few days before searching his stuff?”
“If she knows what’s good for her she will,” Childe answered honestly.
“And does she know what’s good for her?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
………………
Kaeya feels his stomach drop. “Oh no,” he whispered as they approached Dawn Winery, only to find it crawling with Fatui Agents.
“What’s going on here?” Childe demanded, storming up to one of the agents who practically shit himself at the sight of an enraged Harbinger storming towards him.
“L-Lord Tartaglia–”
Kaeya’s eye went wide when Childe lashed out and grabbed the agent by his throat, drawing him close.
“ Answer me .”
“L-Lady Signora received permission from The Tsaritsa to search Master Ragnvindr’s property for your missing Delusion.”
Childe threw the agent on the ground and turned back to Kaeya. “That’s not possible,” he said as the two of them headed up the hill towards the winery. “There’s no way her letter got to Snezhnaya that fast and it’s especially impossible for her to have gotten a letter in reply already. This isn’t right, something’s wrong.”
But Kaeya had stopped listening and was staring towards the doors of the winery. “Diluc.”
Childe followed his gaze, narrowing his eyes and storming forwasrd as Diluc and La Signora stepped outside.
“What do you think you’re–”
But she easily spoke over him, a gleam in her eyes as she turned to Diluc and loudly proclaimed,
“Master Diluc Ragnvindr. Under order by The Tsaritsa herself, you’re under arrest for the theft of a harbinger’s Delusion.”
“There’s no way you already got permission from The Tsaritsa,” Childe snapped as two agents stepped forward to remove Diluc’s Vision from his belt and clasp his wrists in iron.
“I have the letter right here,” La Signora bragged, brandishing a piece of parchment in his face but taking it away before he could see it. “And even if I didn’t , I found your Delusion among his things.” She tossed the weapon to Childe who caught it easily. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, we have a ship to Snezhnaya to catch. It’s time we got this prisoner back, after all.”
“You can’t do this, Signora,” Childe said as she and the agents marched Diluc away. “This isn’t legal.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out when I present him in front of The Tsartitsa, won’t we?” With a smile, Signora turned and walked away.
…………….
It hadn’t been much of a trial. Diluc was placed in front of The Tsaritsa, Signora declared she’d found Childe’s Delusion with his things, and he was promptly put on death row and dragged down to the cells.
He didn’t bother trying to argue the accusations. There was no point.
He was alone for all of an hour, perhaps, before he heard too familiar footsteps and tensed, turning towards the cell.
“Dottore.”
“Welcome back, Master Ragnvindr,” Dottore greeted with a grin. “I’ve been waiting for you. I hope you’re just as excited as I am to pick up exactly where we left off.”