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Chapter Text

He returned to reading this novel as soon as he had a free minute. That is, he practically did not look up from reading – working from home and a reclusive lifestyle allowed him to spend days and nights reading one stupid story about the power of friendship.

Lyney did not have high hopes for this book. Several volumes were in the corner of the bookshelf that belonged to his sister. And if Lynette had been alive, she would certainly have laughed at him. But Lyney was completely alone. Longing consumed his heart, and in an attempt to distract himself, the guy took the first book he saw from the shelf. He just wanted to touch what his sister had once liked.

But this novel turned out to be unexpectedly... pleasant. The main characters are a group of children who survive in an orphanage. And it wasn't the conditions – these children had everything they could wish for (except parental love). However, their lives had been at stake since childhood – the House of the Hearth was subordinate to the Tsaritsa, and the orphans were sent to serve in the army.

And there was always some kind of chaos going on around these children, starting from sudden murders and ending with... More murder attempts. The evil head of the House of the Hearth, the Father, was constantly trying to prevent the children from finding their happiness, from investigating crimes that all adults seemed to turn a blind eye to...

Simply put, it was a novel about friendship in the laws of a typical shonen, where teamwork is able to defeat any evil. The children were so devoted to each other that they were able to replace the family. And Lyney admired the "found family" trope like nothing else. He and his sister were orphans themselves. Reading a story about the sincere care and love between abandoned children...

Yes, he cried over it.

And yet, even the victory over their Father did not bring the heroes the long-awaited happiness. There were too many events going on around that the children couldn't influence. The House of the Hearth began to fall apart from the inside, some of the characters were sent to service, others run away. But the group that decided to stay was the most unlucky of all.

They were ruined by their own devotion to the House. And when the main character Claudea was standing on a mountain of corpses, children killed by her hand, orphanage staff and soldiers who tried to stop her... Then the seventeen-year-old girl realized that she had failed to break the cycle of violence and depravity. On the contrary, she became the one she hated.

Along with the title of her Father, she got his duties, and the further plot of the novel did not hesitate to show in all its glory how the child was going crazy.

Oh, how it made Lyney angry when he got to this point. He invested a lot of money buying illustrated editions of the new volumes to know what the characters look like. He was an active participant in discussions on the Internet. He even created a TikTok page where he posted his theories about the future plot.

It all went into the furnace. From Liney's own experience, it felt like the last ten volumes had been completed by a mentally ill person. The world around the children was getting darker, and some of the characters had died as a result of the previous Father's actions. And to make things worse, the little girl had to carry on her shoulders the burden of mass murder and the curse that drove her crazy.

As if there were no adult characters in this story who could come to the rescue!

That's the thing, they were existed. But it is difficult to find such rare cardboards in the role of minor characters in other novels. The world was literally divided into black and white, and the children from the House of the Hearth were unlucky to be on the black side, because they belonged to Fatui. And Fatui was the universally recognized villain in the universe where the actions of the novel took place.

Therefore, you can turn a blind eye to child abuse, of course. Lyney was so angry when the adult characters refused to help the children begging for help. Although, the guy also suspected that they were all blind. Murders were taking place under their noses, but no one was in a hurry to investigate them.

No one except the Traveler who came from faraway lands. As stupid as he is kind and selfless. He was rejected as often as the children. But he was still trying to find out something. However, at some point it became convenient for the plot to ignore him. And the Traveler just disappeared.

This plot really ignored a lot, as the author took a wrong turn in his creative impulse. Lyney personally helped to make everyone on the Internet aware of this by posting several revealing videos. Deep down, he understood: he's almost thirty, and he's locked himself at home and arguing with kids on the Internet. And yet... He was not a fan of bad endings and stories about a world full of hopeless despair. Books should tell stories that help you distract yourself, not drive you into an even deeper depression!

He repeated the famous phrase "Stupid author, stupid novel, give me my money back!", secretly hoping to escape into the world of the novel and remake the plot for himself. However, he continued to wake up in his own bed, spend days arguing on the Internet, and then finish work assignments in a hurry.

That's how he died. Probably.

Presumably it was exhaustion? He slept poorly, ate little, and spent a lot of time hunched over his laptop screen. Perhaps this led to his death.

"Sir, are you awake?" Someone gently shook his shoulder.

Or he was still alive. He called him "sir"... Is he in an expensive private hospital? Then he must have been saved by a greedy but rich neighbor from above. Quite unexpected, even if pleasant.

He tried to open his eyes and winced at the light flooding the room. What a cliched awakening! Although, unlike the typical manhwas or novels about isekai with their unrealistic worlds, his eyes burned very realistically.

Lyney stretched, trying to rub his eyes, but his hand was stopped and placed on his chest. Judging by the white spot, it was the doctor. Maybe he'll cure him of his mental confusion.

"Sir, don't move, please." The doctor took out some medicine and quickly poured it into Lyney's mouth. It was sweet, so he didn't mind. Besides, he was being treated! He didn't take any pills himself in the hope that it would help bring down the fever. Yes, without his sister, he was not adapted to an independent life.

Lyney obediently lay there while the doctor poked him with various things. The guy closed his eyes and allowed himself to focus only on the sensations that arose from the doctor's touch. The man was terribly careful. This only convinced Lyney that if he hadn't been reborn in some parallel universe, then he had definitely ended up in the most expensive hospital in his city.

"You can open your eyes now," the doctor said.

Lyney noticed him packing his suitcase. However, his eyesight was still failing, and the guy had to squint. Seeing his efforts, the doctor sighed. He picked up the glasses from the bedside table and put them on Lyney. The picture immediately became clearer.

Hurray! Dreams come true – this is definitely not a hospital in its usual sense. It's more like the infirmary from fantasy novels. This means that he most likely found himself in the world of a novel that he had been cursing for so long.

Lyney turned his head around, trying to find the System, but it seemed to be missing. So he ended up in a manhwa scenario about an unfortunate, downtrodden gray mouse trapped in the body of the lady queen ruler of the world. This is exactly the kind of scenario he would like. He had once been the life of the party, but now he looked more like the offended protagonist of such stories. He's better off.

"Please take these pills three times a day. Drink these potions once," the doctor said monotonously. All this before they end. And don't forget to rest, take more walks. Try to avoid overexertion."

Then doctor buttoned up his raincoat and left. Lyney couldn't wait for this. Now he will be able to explore the world he has entered and the body he has inherited.

He looked around the room for a mirror. It would be nice to be reborn as one of Claudea's friends. Then he would be able to influence the changes in the plot and do everything he would like to achieve. Although it would be nice to find out what time period it is in.

Besides... A bad thought crossed his mind. He looked around once more, but still couldn't see the mirror. White walls, rows of white beds. The sun illuminating the room through the high floor-to-ceiling windows.

The thing is, Lyney was an experienced reader. He knew that there was only one big problem behind the rebirth. Almost always, all the roles of kind and positive characters turned out to be taken, gee! And then poor victims of isekai became villains.

And if he became the villain in this story... Does this mean that he is?

"Brother." The door to the infirmary opened and Lynette entered the room.

All thoughts receded into the background as soon as he saw his sister. Lynette died three years ago.

"Brother," Lynette repeated, seeing Lyney's lack of reaction.

But what should he say? Maybe he didn't isekai. Instead, Lyney ended up in a coma and will now have to relive a waking nightmare.

"Lyney," Lynette said, frowning. She came closer and put her hand on his forehead. "It's strange, the doctor brought down your temperature. Is everything okay?"

No. No! What kind of "okay" can it be? For three years he had been trying to accept his sister's death, and now he could feel her hand on his forehead.

"I'm dead," Lyney said hoarsely.

"No," Lynette replied sternly. "But you were close to it. I told you to rest, but you haven't listened to me. And you almost died of exhaustion. You're lucky that the House of the Hearth staff found you."

"Lynette," it was all Lyney could manage. How eloquent.

"What?" His sister asked gently. "We don't say this to each other very often, but I'm worried about you. You are my dearest person."

Lyney felt tears trickle down his cheeks. He didn't try to stop them. Lynette sat on the edge of the bed, hugging him with one arm and stroking his head with the other. Lyney clung to his sister, barely holding back deep sobs. He cries in front of the fantasy created by his sick mind.

"Lyney," Lynette called softly. "Don't take on too much. I'm always there for you, you know."

It wasn't reassuring. But Lyney continued to cling to his sister, unwilling to let go.

"Your tears are drenching my dress," Lynette scolded him. "Let me get you some food, and then we can talk like we used to?"

She unclasped his hands and smiled tenderly. Lynette, his own sister, always seemed distant. But in fact, Lyney didn't know anyone softer than her. They only allowed each other to look behind the masks they wore on their faces.

And now Lynette was dead. And Lyney himself had been avoiding people for a long time, so there was no need to hide his true feelings.

Lynette left the room, leaving Lyney to recover. Wherever he went, it was too cruel from the beginning. He needs to get ready. Shortly before Lynette appeared, he came to another realization.

In the novel, members of the Fatui organization wore masks. This did not apply to the House of the Hearth – many employees did not hide their faces and names. But the Father always did. He wore a mask, but no one knew his name. And he was a villain.

Yes, no easy life as a friend of the main character. He was destined to be reborn as the most pathetic villain of all the pathetic villains in manhwas and novels.

That's because the Father was... Now, suspecting the truth about his new body, it was a shame to say it. But the Father was pretty stupid, just as he was pathetic. He was literally tricked and outsmarted by a bunch of kids! Shouldn't the head of an important organization be at least a little more prudent and smarter? That's why everything fell apart.

The Father was also a cruel tyrant. Everything seems to be written off from the character of Lyney himself, thank you. The Father collaborated with the Fatui Harbingers, sending the children to serve or experiment. It even got to the point where he didn't hesitate to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of former students and exile them all to participate in the "Stuzha" project. It was a one-way road. These events occurred in the later volumes, when the main characters began an open struggle with their Father. But Lyney still didn't understand what time period he was in right now.

Maybe his stay in this world will end right after he leaves the infirmary. One of the children will make an attempt on his life, and it will end again. Where then? Lyney grimaced.

"Here's the soup," Lynette said monotonously.

Now she had a tray in her hands, on which were a plate and a glass, and cutlery. It was a homemade meal. Lyney allowed himself to enjoy his meal while Lynette watched him warily. As soon as he finished, she touched his forehead again.

"I'm fine," Lyney murmured softly. "Thanks for the soup and water."

 "No problem," Lynette set the tray aside. "So what? Shall we begin? Why did you bring yourself to such a state?"

"Because I couldn't handle your death." Lyney couldn't give his sister an honest answer. But generally... What can he discuss with her now? This Lynette is not his sister, let her repeat her appearance, her habits, her... Who is he kidding? He was pining so much that he was ready to believe to this obvious lie.

"Lynette, I’m..." Lyney looked away, giving himself away. But he continued. "I barely remember what happened. I'm sure my memory will be restored. But I'm not ready to talk about myself. What about you? How have you spent the last week?"

"Watching my brother lying here, almost dead." Lynette pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow in mute disapproval.

Lyney's heart ached. That expression was so, so familiar. Lyney lowered his head.

"They even had to put you to bed in the infirmary. None of the children were allowed in here, so that no one could see. Although they're still gossiping that you're dead.

"Haha," Lyney smiled mirthlessly. "Then maybe you can help your frail brother get to his rooms."

Lynette glared at him, but nodded.

"Okay, brother. Only because you were sick. Let's go."

She helped him up and led him to the wall. Lyney mentally rolled his eyes. Of course, in a top-secret and super-cool organization, the most important people will walk through secret corridors. Even the children in the novel couldn't find them all. So the Father was ahead of the main characters in order to annoy them once again. Lyney sighed.

"If you want, we can leave through the usual door. But then there will be even more rumors." She met Lyney's gaze. "You can't let that happen. Your reputation as the Father is still fragile."

So he just became the Father... The story gave a confused explanation – the children themselves did not understand what had happened. Even at the beginning of the story, the Father was a woman. But then she disappeared, and in her place came... Well, he came, it turns out. And who was Lynette in this story? Did the new Father have any sisters? Or was it?

Lyney's eyes widened in realization. Here he and Lynette were walking down the dark corridor towards his rooms. And soon it may happen that he will lose his sister for the second time.

The Father's character always seemed to him rather psychotic, nervous and deranged. Being honest with himself, Lyney understood him. But did he turn into a villain's body just because they both lost their sister?

In his world, Lyney just shut himself away from everyone. And the Father just became a psychopathic despot who killed half of the House of the Hearth. It's an excellent comparison.

 Lynette pushed open the hidden door. "Ta-dam," she said gloomily. "Your rooms. I'll leave you to it, I have a couple of things to do. And you'll find something to do. Just please don't overexert yourself."

Lynette left the room the same way they had entered. And Lyney was left alone, looking at his possessions. Well, there are advantages to being a villain. The room was huge, decorated in burgundy and black tones. It's like a medieval goth or emo lived here. In his previous life, it would have been difficult to recreate such an interior. But the masters did it here. Lyney involuntarily clapped his hands.

The table was littered with piles of paper, as expected from... a workaholic, who apparently was the Father before he went crazy. Lyney came over and looked at the papers. He did not understand anything: a cursory reading would not help here. He'll have to deal with them later, and not bring himself to a coma a second time. And now...

He was postponing this moment, anticipating it. Well, well. Now he's going to find out what it's like to wake up in the body of a pumped–up handsome man with a perfect face. Okay, he'd already noticed that his body wasn't exactly muscular, but maybe he was lucky with his face.

Lyney walked over to the black-framed mirror... Then he shook his head, exhaling in disappointment. He was still himself. There were only two major differences: his blue eyes turned purple, and his face looked too exhausted for isekai's character. His eyes were red and swollen, with large dark circles under them. His lips were cracked, stubble stood out on his chin and cheeks, and his skin was terribly pale. And the hair was in disarray: it stuck out in all directions and needed washing.

And the worst part was that he couldn't see anything without his glasses. Why did his vision problems travel to another world? What an injustice.

Although now he understood why the Father always wore a mask, hat, and cape, like the cheap villain he was.

Lyney bent down and pressed his forehead against the mirror. A complete failure. As soon as he leaves the room, he will be ridiculed by the children. And he must not lose Lynette again. So, he needs to take the initiative into his own hands. If he just goes with the flow, he will lose.

Then he will become the Father. And sure enough, he also wanted to help the children of the House of the Hearth. If they let him... His head was spinning from so many things he was thinking about at the same time.

He needs to start taking decisive action. So he resolutely went to bed.

Chapter Text

Lyney had to admit that he wasn't a decisive person. Therefore, he pretended to be sick and did not leave the room for the next three days. It wasn't just social anxiety, he told himself. In fact, this time was devoted to very important things. In addition to the sleep that the doctor insisted on, Lyney studied the life of the person in whose body he found himself.

Here he was twenty–six years old, and the date of birth coincided with his own – February 2nd. However, with a slight gloating, Lyney noted that the villain was younger than him.

Although now it was worth taking it as his own rejuvenation.

Lyney studied Father's papers, which made him doubt his own knowledge – a lot, difficult and incomprehensible. It will take time to figure everything out. If he lived that long...

Was this world even real? The things in his rooms were pretty realistic, and yet... He still suspected that he was in a coma. One way or another, no one but Lynette should matter until he makes sure his sister is safe.

Lyney even drew up an action plan that looked pretty pathetic.: 

1. Prevent Lynette's death (and understand what happened to her in the novel);

2. Deal with the affairs of the House of the Hearth;

3. Help the orphans (if possible);

4. Don't make enemies and keep your head down.

Yes, for the head of an organization with connections all over the world, he was a real coward. But he'll stay alive. If something happened to Lynette... He won't stay in this world a second longer.

Lyney sighed and crumpled the piece of paper he was writing on. This moment was inevitable, but he would have to gather his strength and start doing his job. Otherwise, knowing the children and staff described in the novel, someone can kill him in his own bed, sensing weakness.

So, he needs to get himself cleaned up, get dressed and go out the door.

In his world, he had been avoiding human contact for a long time. But here he didn't want to upset his sister, who visited him every day. Lynette seemed indifferent, but there was concern in the depths of her eyes. So far, Lyney has managed to avoid questions, but soon his sister will get tired of his behavior, and he will not be well threaten.

Whether she was human or a figment of his imagination, Lyney couldn't help but indulge her. Therefore, after making all the necessary preparations, spending a shameful amount of time styling his hair, choosing a suit and shoes, he stopped in front of a separate closet where the canes lay.

"I wonder if he used them to beat up children, or if I still don't know something about my own body?"

Lyney looked at himself again. Overall, he looked presentable. It is not known what the original preferred, but Lyney still had a taste. In any case, he will overshadow any impression that has developed about him before. Because he wasn't going to wear a mask.

Yes, there was a separate wall in the wardrobe, on which hung a variety of masks. Lyney wanted to put one of them on, but remembered that the previous Father probably hadn't done it. He's seen the concept arts. The Father was supposed to appear in the plot. Lyney didn't know if the woman was going to appear in person or in someone's flashbacks, but still. Her image made an impression on him.

And she wasn't wearing a mask. The characters in the novel respected their previous Father, which means that if Lyney does not want to become their enemy, he should follow the best.

Picking up his cane, he left the room and took a few decisive steps down the corridor. Then he froze. It's not too late to come back, and... Lyney tightened his grip on the cane. If his legs give out from fear, he'll have something to lean on.

So, he found himself in the middle of a huge mansion, Hotel Bouffes d'ete, having no idea where to go next. He would have to improvise with that, too, although he hoped to meet one of his subordinates and convince them to accompany him somewhere... He wasn't going to give himself away so far, but he could always plead that he wasn't feeling well. Or his mental instability. These excuses were terribly pathetic.

Lynette said he was in a coma for two weeks. Lyney still did not know what exactly caused such consequences. Although he has suspicions. While inspecting his Father's office, he found a box with a shining red light decoration inside.

There were the Visions and the Delusions in the novel. The former were given out by local deities, while the latter were artificial forgeries. Lyney did not find the Vision, no matter how hard he searched. The gods of this world had robbed him, but someone had given him the Delusion to compensate for the lack of elemental power.

And Lyney clearly saw how stupid Father was using this thing. Apparently, it burned out his brain, which led to a feud with a bunch of kids. And this thing really looked dangerous. Lyney did not touch the Delusion, carefully placing the box with it back where it had been lying before.

"Hello," the greeting brought him out of his thoughts.

Lyney turned around in search of the speaker, and by all the laws of isekai, he came face to face with the main character. She was clearly not seventeen, which meant that he came in this world long before she went down the bad path of becoming a single Father at such a young age. She was probably thirteen years old, maybe more, but the girl's blue eyes had not yet lost their childish naivety. And the blonde, almost white, curls gently curled around her head.

"Hello," Lyney greeted with a frown.

He kept his eyes on Claudea, who was smiling at him kindly. Gradually, her smile turned to uncertainty. The two of them just stood and stared at each other in the middle of the hallway.

"You must have come to see the Father?" Claudea asked. "I'm sorry, but he's busy. I don't know how you got into the mansion, but you'd better come with me. I'll find one of the adults, they'll tell me what to do."

She's not used to being a leader and taking decisions on herself yet... but... Didn't she recognize him? The Father... Now he was in this place. It's time to call the previous one a Villainous Villain. He really never took off his mask? What kind of complexes did this man have?

"I'm sorry," Claudea said softly. He must have scared her by staring at her and not answering. "Come with me," she asked once more, but now hesitantly.

Lyney decided not to bring the child to a nervous breakdown, nodded and followed her. Along the way, they met some House of the Hearth workers, as well as children. They watched them go, but there was no recognition in their eyes. Lyney couldn't get enough of the fact that they were walking all this way unnoticed. Although he didn't need a mask to hide his emotions, it was nice not to attract attention.

And his feigned indifference was enough to deceive the child, trustfully leading him through the mansion. Why didn't anyone stop her, seeing that the girl was walking next to a suspicious adult? Some stranger entered the territory, but no one was paying attention.

Involuntarily, Lyney remembered the indifference with which the adult characters treated all the incidents in the plot. Maybe it's a built-in setting for background cardboards? Just be an NPC and ignore things that aren't written into their scripts?

Lyney made a note to deal with the security of the mansion. What if he was a murderer?

"Claudea," gasped one of the girls in the room they entered. "Who's that?"

And the children reacted the way they should.

Lyney looked around the room. Unknowingly, Claudea brought him to the company of her friends. A dozen children of different ages studied Lyney, and he responded in kind. Yes, the illustrations of these children were quite clear. They looked like themselves.

"Hello," there were several greetings.

"Claudea," hissed the eldest of the boys, dark–haired and green-eyed. His name was Otto, and he died because of the Father’s actions when he was chasing children.

Lyney winced at the memory of what he had read and the silly loud whisper that he shouldn't have heard.

"I do not know," Claudea replied just as "quietly". "I met him in the west wing. It's..."

"It's not far from the Father's rooms!" Otto exclaimed. The children let out a loud and collective sigh of horror. "This man has come to kill our Father!"

The children pressed themselves against the walls, and Lyney raised an eyebrow in amazement. Instead of the obvious option, they suggested the most impossible one. They were such children...

"Hey," Grezel, a girl with green hair and a scar on her neck, pointed a finger at Lyney. "We are not afraid of you! I even have the Vision! Attack!"

"Grezel," Claudea tried to reassure her friend. "Don't be so nervous. I don't think this man came to kill our Father. Take a look for yourself."

"She has brains!" Thought Lyney.

But the joy was short-lived.

"Our guest looks so much like Auntie. They literally have the same face."

So Lynette was an Auntie while he was a Father. He found it funny.

"No, Auntie doesn't have any brothers."

"But look for yourself!"

"While you're arguing, he could kill us all! Let me use the Vision and end him!"

While the children were arguing, Lyney was silent. He wondered what they would come up with. And even more questions were raised by his own villainous predecessor. What must be going on in his head to be at odds with these little kids...

"Brother," Lynette came into the room, and the children quieted down. The girl looked skeptically at the crowd, stopping at Lyney. Surprise flashed in her eyes. Did he really not go out without a mask?

"Brother?" Grezel whispered softly. "But if this man is our Auntie's brother, then that makes him... The Father?"

Bingo. The children's faces turned white.

"I'm sorry, Father," Claudea said, stepping forward. "It's just that you've never appeared without a mask before, and we didn't recognize you." She froze, staring at the floor.

The other children also bowed their heads. Did they expect to be punished? That he would yell at them or start waving his cane? How violent did the Father become before he was on the verge of death?

"Okay," Lyney said hoarsely. "It's all right." The children looked up in surprise. Even Lynette was looking at him with interest. "Claudea, you did well. And you, Grezel, are well done for not being afraid to defend our House from the enemy. It's not for nothing that the gods gave you the Vision." Praised Lyney.

The children's eyes widened.

"Father knows my name..." Claudea said, dumbfounded. The others started putting their fingers to their mouths, ordering her to be silent.

"Well," Lyney said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. "I'm the Father. Now you know what I look like. This should remain another mystery of the House of the Hearth. He waited for nods of agreement from the children and continued. "Mind your own business until I get you ready or your classes begin. In the meantime, I'm going."

He turned around and quickly retreated. Going out into the corridor, he flew down several stairs, ran through a couple of corridors and found himself in the attic. Clutching his cane, he slid down the wall. This interaction squeezed all the juices out of him. But it looks like it went well.

 Lynette followed him. "Are you okay?"

She kept asking him that question. Obviously not, but he couldn't show her that. Lyney forced a smile and raised his head, looking at his sister.

"Yes, did something seem strange to you?" He decided to ask, hoping that a casual question would help him learn more about what the Father used to be like.

"You're pretty calm today." Lynette sat down next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Lyney suppressed a shudder.

"Lynette, I've already told you that the coma took away some of my memories. Were you in such a hurry to find me because you were afraid that I would start beating poor children with a cane?" He tried to make his words sound like a joke. But Lynette frowned. "Oh, don't tell me that I actually hit someone with a cane before..."

Lyney threw the cane aside, looking after it with dislike.

"No," Lynette replied calmly. "When you first became a Father, you had a lot of responsibilities. You're sleeping worse, eating less. And this led to exhaustion, both physically and mentally." She paused. "You used to scream. More often on adults, but also children were scolded. And your screams were quite loud, other children heard everything and walked on tiptoe, seeing your explosive nature. I was afraid that one day you would come to blows."

Lyney took off his glasses and hid his head in his hands. It's a miracle that he didn't kill anyone (at least one of the children) or maim them. Lynette patted his head. Lyney clenched his teeth tightly. This is not the time to cry, everyone in the House of the Hearth depends on him.

"I... Lynette, promise me that you will notice if I start going overboard again," Lyney took his sister's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Please stop me if it’ll be need to."

"Of course," Lynette promised. "Get up, it's time to go."

"Where to?" Lyney asked, confused.

"Brother, your memory damage has also affected your intelligence." Lynette sighed. "Your subordinates are waiting for you."

He's doomed.

"Very well. Okay. Do it this way. I'll send people." Lyney replied indifferently.

He quickly figured out how to behave during these meetings. Various people came asking the House of the Hearth for a favor. If their proposals sounded adequate, and the price they paid was high enough, then the Father coldly agreed to cooperate.

Lynette put a mask on his face, as if hoping that potential customers would not distinguish him from the previous Father. But those, feeling fear and awe, did not try to find a trick.

A typical conversation during such a meeting was structured like this: Lyney listened to suggestions, considered them, sometimes kicking the guest out of the room to discuss with his sister, and then agreed and received money. The money turned his head a little. The main thing is that the missions should not be impossible or suicidal for those who come from the House of the Hearth, the rest is not important. Lynette, making allowances for his memory loss and apparent indifference to his own subordinates (in fact, he did not know their names and skills for a reason), helped him.

The meetings could have waited, but Lynette insisted on the need to sort things out quickly. The new Father must be effective. Four months had passed since his formation, and the affairs of the House of the Hearth were not going well.

Perhaps now, as he sat over his paperwork after a day of boring meetings, Lyney understood why the Father in the novel was so nervous, loud, and irritable. It seemed that the House of the Hearth was in a desperate situation.

On the one hand, they still received offers of cooperation from various rich people, but on the other… They were mostly visited by guests from Snezhnaya. And the House of the Hearth was located in another country, in Fontaine. But here it was cut off from society, so other things didn't go well.

He could endlessly send soldiers into battle, on missions, but they also needed equipment. And the orphaned children needed food. And everyone needed to be treated, and they wanted to keep a roof over their heads.

The roof of the mansion was normal, but Lyney's attentive gaze found minor flaws that required cosmetic repairs, furniture that needed to be replaced, and other details. And the more he rummaged through the papers, the more he realized that Fontaine did not want to cooperate with an enemy organization. Therefore, the House of the Hearth was forced to conclude deals with small suppliers instead of large ones. This created a certain deficit.

And according to the plot of the novel, Lyney knew that it would get worse. Because the people in Fontaine will decide to expel the House of the Hearth from their lands. As if they didn't understand that in addition to the enemy organization, they would deprive several hundred children of their homes and employees of their jobs.

But knowing the characters at the head of the court... Lyney could only sigh. Now he understood why it was impossible for anyone to have even the thought that the Father was weak. This would lead the organization to collapse, which he could not allow.

However, as if obeying the worst-case scenario, another surprise awaited him. After a couple of days of meetings and paperwork, there was a knock on the mansion's door.

The men who entered were wearing uniforms that Lyney vaguely recognized. But the emblems spoke for themselves – the Maison Gardiennage.

"Stay calm and follow us." The woman in the lead pointed her gun at his chest.

Lyney's heart almost stopped at such techniques. He's only been in this world for a week, what has he done? Or worse, what could the one whose body he occupied have done?

Lyney raised his hands, showing his lack of weapons. He wasn't even wearing a mask, but apparently that was the key factor why the Gardes came to him. No one screamed, something like "The Father from the House of the Hearth is accused of murder." No, instead they blame him, Lyney Snezhevich.

"What did I do?" Lyney asked resignedly.

"You're charged with murder. Follow me, otherwise, you'll be tied up."

Here. That was exactly what had to be proved.

Chapter Text

The road was long, and the seat of the carriage where he was riding was not soft at all. Fortunately, his hands remained untied, which relieved him of the pain of the rope-worn skin. Unfortunately, he was handcuffed instead.

The House of Hearth was far from Fontaine's capital. It took several hours of driving to finally see the houses outside the window. At first they were small and poor, but gradually they were replaced by larger and richer houses. The streets became more luxurious, the tiles rattled under the horseshoes and cart wheels.

"Come out," one of the Gardes opened the door, allowing Lyney to be blinded by the bright sun. The guy obeyed.

He shouldn't start quarrels. Let the Gardes think he's harmless. In fact, he was, but no one would have believed him if Lyney himself had told them that.

The Palais Mermonia was huge, but being in its shadow, Lyney frowned. The worst hours of his life await him – Fontaine was known for his bureaucracy. And don't forget that everyone hated Fatui.

Then maybe they should put him in jail without trial...

"We'll take you to the interrogation room now. There, you wait until it's your turn to speak."

Lyney shrugged and nodded. He has already seen how hours of waiting loomed before his eyes without the opportunity to walk, breathe and fill other needs of the human body. Truly, there was no justice.

But his imprisonment did not last long. Less than ten minutes later, the door to the room opened. The gendarme cleared his throat.

"You’re being called in for questioning." He nervously clutched the hilt of the sword at his side. "Lady Furina herself is here."

Could things have gotten any worse? Definitely. Furina was a pretty popular side character. There were many theories about her in the fandom of the novel, which at first were actively supported by the author. Here and there, hints of the ambiguity of the Archon's behavior appeared in the work. All the theories boiled down to the fact that the girl had a big secret that she carefully guarded. Lyney found her unbearable anyway.

He could have said that Furina was worse than the Father.

"And now I'm going to show you how the fairest justice system in the world works!" A voice came from behind the door.

When it opened, the gendarme entered the room and bowed. Lyney looked around the audience, who also paid attention to him. He felt a little proud – Lyney didn't look like the criminal they expected to see.

Although, the guy quickly dismissed the thought. Anyone could be a criminal. Appearance is not an indicator.

For the side characters of the work, their images were too good. Furina herself has always been described as a young girl, wearing lush dark blue clothes, with white hair, short, but agile. If possible, then her living incarnation was even more vivid. The Archon's eyes alone were worth it, heterochromic and piercing, although not burdened with intelligence, with water droplets in the depths of the pupils.

And, of course, Neuvillette was also in the office. He was the judge! But even this did not add necessary arguments to the scales when the man refused to help the children from the House of Hearth. Although it was only once, after the trial where the murder of the Father was investigated. It was a necessary measure, but Claudea killed him in the middle of a busy street. Even that was enough for Lyney to feel a slight dislike for the man. Besides, the man indulged Furina.

"Paimon feels like you're bullying us!" The flying creature grumbled.

It was Paimon, the Traveler's companion, whom the fans of the novel hated as much as they loved. Lyney shifted his gaze to her companion. The Traveler's hair shone with gold, and his eyes were deep and sad, although his pretty face did not betray emotions. Nothing but fatigue. How long can you stay in the Archon's company before she pisses anyone off? He'll find out now.

"That's right! This man is a criminal." Furina sounded offended.

The Traveler cast a sympathetic, wary glance in the direction of the Lyney.

"He's charged with murder! On a dark night, poor Elizabeth was walking down the street and entered a dark alley. They never saw her again." The Archon dramatically put the back of her hand to her forehead.

"Then why do you think I'm the killer?" Lyney asked.

"Eyewitnesses saw a blond guy in a top hat and a crimson suit chatting courteously with Elizabeth, volunteering to escort her. The girl refused, and the guy left. But the witnesses assure us that he followed her."

"Is there only one person in Fontaine who fits that description?" The Traveler asked skeptically.

This guy wasn't supposed to be so smart, but for some reason he was able to demonstrate intellectual abilities. Stop. The last time Lyney thought that, he was immediately disappointed...

"Of course not," Furina laughed. "But we have a weighty argument."

Oh, he guessed what that argument was.

"Lyney Snezhevich is a member of the Fatui." The Archon said triumphantly. "Traveler, does this mean something to you?"

Lyney sighed, seeing how the Traveler's face became suspicious, and condemnation shone in his eyes. Where is all the kindness and empathy that he was imbued with before?

"Paimon already thought that you just caught and dragged a completely random person here to impress us. But now..." Paimon crossed her arms over her chest. "Paimon finds this guy very suspicious!"

Furina smiled contentedly, saluting Neuvillette. He sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Really?" Lyney asked. "Will you just say that I'm from Fatui and close the case? Then let's get this over with, I'm ready to go to jail."

Furina frowned. Was she offended that the guy wasn't going to play along with her?

"If you want a real interrogation, I can arrange it," Furina pouted.

She ran to the windows and pulled the curtains. Now they were in semi-darkness.

"Where were you seventeen days ago?" Furina leaned over to Lyney, holding a candle in her hand. Did she accidentally mix up the genres? Did they do such stupid things in detective fiction?

"In the mansion," Lyney replied, pushing the candle away from his face – it blinded his eyes.

"Very good," Furina drawled, returning the candle to his face. "Are there any witnesses?"

"A whole mansion of children."

"Ha!" Furina poked his chest with her finger, making Lyney wince. "Do you all know each other? Hundreds of Fatui serve in the House of Hearth. Are you a family?" Furina showed the quotation marks with her fingers.

"Well, yes? At least you'd know who you're dealing with before you judge." Lyney grumbled. What a mess was going on in this place. And his eyes were already watering from the bright light.

They didn't have security cameras here to track down exactly who was walking down the street with poor Elizabeth that evening. And if someone wanted to frame Lyney himself, in the role of the Father or as one of the Fatui, then it's easier to do it. Dress up like him and that's it. He had never overestimated the judicial system of this novel, but now everything was stacked against him.

"There is one weightier proof!" Furina announced solemnly.

She put the candle on the table, and then bent down and took out a drawer from under the table, which she hurriedly began to open. Inside one box, of course, there was another. Others. There were a lot of small boxes containing numerous items. There were traces of blood on some of them. It's just that the Archon had to open a few while she was looking for the evidence she needed. Professionalism in all its glory.

"And so," Furina began solemnly. "The dead woman's belongings are here. These are serial murders, Mr. Snezhevich. And it took us a long time to get on the trail of the criminal, but you made a mistake." Furina took a crumpled handkerchief out of the box.

She straightened it out and shook the object in front of Lyney's face. Then she turned to show the evidence to the Traveler.

"Blood!" Paimon squeaked in alarm.

As if she hadn't seen what else was in the drawer Furina was rummaging through.

"Yes!" Furina exclaimed with a satisfied grin. "But besides that." She held her handkerchief to the flame and beckoned the Traveler to her.

Maybe they should have turned on the lights and opened the curtains before the important evidence burned out? Lyney felt an urgent desire to help the investigation and burn the handkerchief until no one had time to come to their senses. But fortunately, the voice of reason in the room, Neuvillette, got up from the table and went to the light switch, turning on the lamps in the room.

Paimon let out another startled sigh. Lyney grimaced.

"The killer's initials are right here on the handkerchief!" Furina shook the object in front of Lyney's face again. "And not just initials!"

Lyney narrowed his eyes. His name and surname were embroidered on the fabric with red threads, as well as the symbols of the rose and the House of Hearth.

Whether he was the murderer or he was framed, the situation seemed hopeless, because all the evidence pointed to him.

"Well, what do you say now?" Furina sat down on the table, crossing her legs. She looked at the audience with superiority. "Are you saying it's not yours?"

Lyney tried not to let his true emotions show on his face. He smiled sourly.

"I think it belongs to me. But I didn't kill that lady."

"Just this one? Or all the others too?" Furina asked hurriedly.

"I didn't kill anyone."

"Then let's get back to the question: where were you seventeen days ago?"

"At the mansion, I told you," Lyney could barely contain himself from rolling his eyes. "Conduct a proper investigation, and don't accuse me just because I belong to Fatui. It's like saying that the Hydro Archon is responsible for the drought in the southwestern part of Fontaine..."

Furina pursed her lips resentfully.

"Are there any witnesses? Is someone not from the organization?" Neuvillette intervened, gesturing for Furina to let him get in a word.

Were there any witnesses? Lyney started going over the options in his head. Of course!

"I didn't feel well, so a doctor came to us. He does not belong to Fatui."

"This does not mean that he cannot work for you or that you will not bribe him."

Lyney gave up and rolled his eyes.

"Well, you are representatives of the power here, not Fatui. Can't you scare the poor doctor into telling the whole truth?"

Neuvillette frowned, and Furina pouted.

"Just let me go..." Lyney pleaded. "You can even put a guard on me. I'm not running away..."

"Ha!" Furina snorted. "We can't just let the criminal go!"

Lyney sighed, imagining what kind of days awaited him. Prison bunks, cold iron walls and endless monotonous work. The novel repeatedly described the Fortress of Meropide – underwater prison. It was definitely impossible to escape from it. And he will spend eternity there.

But why wasn't the Father convicted in the novel? He bribed someone or...

Lyney began to go over the events that happened to the characters at the very beginning of the plot. After all, the Traveler appeared there... At the very beginning of Claudea's journey, when the new Father had just appeared in the House of Hearth.

Now the guy remembered that the news about the murders in Fontaine was constantly flashing against the background of the orphans' lives. Then Lyney became the Father, then the murder was committed in the House of Hearth. The Father's mental problems had already begun to worsen when the Traveler appeared on the horizon.

He arrived at the House of Hearth to investigate, but his stay there did not last long. The Father had a particularly hostile attitude towards outsiders, so they were kicked out pretty quickly. And then the relationship between Fontaine and the House of Hearth began to heat up, so Claudea's letters, which she sent to the Traveler, begging for help, remained unanswered.

And, returning to the murder in the House of Hearth. This has not happened yet, but the Traveler has already become one of the acting characters.

"Let the Traveler follow me."

"I can follow him..."

They said it at the same time. Lyney glanced sideways at the Traveler, whose eyes shone with a determination that even Furina's displeasure could not quench.

"And why should we let you do that?" The Archon asked.

And it's true. Lyney froze, waiting for a weighty (as he hoped) argument from the Traveler.

"That's why Paimon and the Traveler agreed to chat with you..." Paimon crossed her arms over her chest. "A man was killed in front of our eyes. The killer was wearing a mask and all, but the Traveler would definitely recognize him if he would be nearby." Paimon began counting off her fingers, listing the signs by which the Traveler would guess the identity of the killer in a matter of seconds.

Simply put, the golden-haired hero had an amazing attention to detail for this work. And he was sure that he would recognize the killer if he was near him.

Let him believe in what he likes. The main thing is that it helps Lyney to avoid detention. At least for now.

The guy chuckled to himself. If he thinks about it, then he and the Father are two different people. If his predecessor really was a serial killer, then will the Traveler be able to distinguish the habits of this person from what he became after rebirth? Lyney, with all his clumsiness and insecurity, though carefully concealed, was still far from an inadequate Father who waved a cane left and right.

"Okay, okay!" Furina interrupted Paimon. "Let it be your way. This is even for the best, at least one person worthy of trust and respect will appear on the territory of Fatui!"

"And what did he manage to do that was so worthy?" Lyney couldn't contain his curiosity.

"He is a hero who has accomplished many feats in other regions!" Paimon exclaimed confidently.
Everything is clear. If the author believed that a group of children deserved to be called the main characters, then in reality, where he got to, everything was a little different. The Traveler was the main character of this world. There is no other way to explain how easily he managed to convince Furina to agree.

Although they usually didn't listen to him in the novel. But it started after the Traveler visited the House of Hearth, which, apparently, secured his status as a traitor. And right now... They continued to move along the plot of the novel, so everything strangely turned out in favor of the Traveler (and Lyney, hooray).

And according to the plot, the Traveler must get to the House of Hearth. And what should happen there... It was never said directly, but while reading, Lyney had a strong feeling that the Traveler had stuck his nose too deeply into the Father's affairs, for which he paid the price. It must have been a battle... Or the Father just beat the hero with a cane...

Or they fucked with each other. While reading, Lyney was sure about that idea, but now that he was in the world of the novel, he didn't even want to think about it! It was not enough to succumb to the goading of his consciousness, which had come up with all this, and do various strange things with his own imagination.

"Paimon still hopes that you won't kill us while we're riding in this carriage..." Paimon's voice snapped Lyney out of his thoughts.

He often withdrew into himself, so even now he did not even notice how he left the judge's office and boarded a carriage accompanied by gendarmes, the Traveler and a Paimon.

Lyney raised an eyebrow and stared at Paimon. The real Father must have done something similar. It seemed to Lyney that the murders and so on should start later. The real Father probably had his own web of spies to hide his crimes.

And Lyney himself... This postponement will be short-lived. Maybe they will return to the Palais Mermonia tomorrow. If they follow the plot, then upon arrival at the House of Hearth, a body will be waiting for them... Lyney grimaced. He was worried about his sister.

"I have something better to do than kill you and then spend the best years of my life in prison." Lyney growled sullenly.

Paimon pouted.

"Come on, Paimon," Lyney smiled tightly. "Follow me, find evidence of my involvement in the murders, and then put me in the Fortress of Meropide."

"Are you so sure you're guilty?" The Traveler chuckled.

"I'm from Fatui," why does he even need to explain this... "Fatui are always to blame for everything. That's the principle you two live by." Lyney leaned back in his seat. "Everyone in Fontaine lives like this..."

He sighed.

"Well..." The Traveler could not find an answer.

Lyney glanced at him. The hero's face reflected doubts mixed with thought processes.

"Okay, don't make excuses for yourself and them. Don't strain your little brain for this." He decided to have mercy on him. "You'd better tell me this: what's your name?"

The Traveler pursed his lips and squinted, obviously offended by the previous comment.
"I don't have a name," he replied irritably.

"Fine, I don't have a name. Pleased to meet you." Lyney adjusted his glasses, knowing exactly how to effectively catch the light. "There is no need to lie, we Fatui easily distinguish lies from the truth."

Paimon chuckled.

"That's exactly because you're Fatui, you can't know the Traveler's name. No secrets for Fatui!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

Lyney rolled his eyes. He waited a bit, but no one told him the Traveler's name.

"Fi-ine," the guy drawled. "I tried to be friendly, but you don't want to."

As if imaginary people could keep up with his charisma and charm. Besides, didn't the author bother to come up with a name for this greatest hero? Could it be that this man simply did not know his own name?

Lyney turned away and stared out the window the rest of the way. It was dark in there. As if the picture hadn't loaded to the end. This once again convinced Lyney that everything that was happening around him was just imagination.

And the only person whose feelings were worth considering was, is, and will be Lynette. His dear sister.

Who met them on the threshold of the House of Hearth, looking worried but collected. Lyney waved at her.

"My sister Lynette," he introduced her. "And this is Paimon and..." He wanted to bring up the topic of the Traveler's lack of a name again, but decided to keep silent. "The traveler. They'll be watching me, looking for evidence for Fontaine's trial."

Lyney walked past Lynette and reached for the door handle.

"Brother..." Lynette sounded like she wanted to warn him, but the guy didn't care.

He resolutely opened the door. There was a body lying right in the middle of the hall. A pool of blood spread out beneath it.

"What the fuck!?" Lyney swore loudly. "Who greets long-awaited guests like that?!"

Suddenly someone moved in the dark. And then an unknown liquid was splashed onto the body in the middle of the hall. With a nasty squelch, the body dissolved in a matter of seconds. The silhouette disappeared into the darkness, and Paimon's scared sighs came from behind.

Barely able to contain his irritation, Lyney turned around. The Traveler looked straight into his eyes with an expression of shock on his face. Lyney looked away.

"It was the Fatui welcome ritual. There are sacrifices on Thursdays and holidays, that's how we live."

If Paimon couldn't fly, she would definitely have fainted. Her face was so pale.

Chapter Text

Being in a fantasy world had a negative effect on stamina, otherwise Lyney couldn't explain why he was feeling so tired when he could stay awake all night in his home world. On the other hand, in his home world, he did not have to defend his honor in front of a judge and an Archon. Nor had he ever seen murders committed in front of his eyes.

It took a lot of effort to calm Paimon down and convince her and the Traveler to go to sleep in one of the many rooms of the mansion. And now that he was able to calm down the first source of his problems for a while, another one was bound to appear. Lyney expected to be greeted by his sister, who would explain what had happened. But someone else was waiting inside his office.

Lyney frowned and pursed his lips when he saw an unknown man, dressed in all black, with a mask on his face, sitting on his desk. Lyney’s heart started pounding in fright as he realized that this was the killer who had poured an unknown liquid on the corpse!

Was it worth pretending that he was in a position of strength here? However, he had only his own hands as weapons. But he might try to escape... However, this is unlikely to help against a stab in the back. Or an unknown reagent that the killer possessed.

"What do you want?" Lyney asked, slamming the door. That's how he shows this insanely dangerous man his instability.

The killer paused for a moment, and when Lyney had already decided that he would simply ignore him, he suddenly reached for his face and took off his mask. He was a guy with blond hair, blue eyes, and a sprinkling of freckles on his pale face. And Lyney had no idea who he was.

"I'm just doing my job," the assassin threw the mask aside and crossed his arms over his chest. "Father," he added tartly.

Lyney grimaced, but he still didn't understand. The killer rolled his eyes.

"You yourself instructed me to monitor and eliminate your enemies. Another attempt on the Father's life failed." An evil grin suddenly blossomed on the killer's face. "If you think about it, then no one tried to kill the previous Father."

"But everyone was afraid of her..." Lyney hoped there was no question in his voice.

"They should be afraid of you, too, Lyney." The killer stopped smiling and his face became serious. "But instead everyone hates you." He made a few handclaps.

Lyney struggled to make sense of what was happening. While he and Lynette were meeting with partners who wanted to cooperate with the House of Hearth, no one came to kill him. Was it the merit of this guy?

"Why are you surprised? Everyone knows that you are," he twirled his finger at his temple. "Unstable."

Yes, it won't be easy. Everyone wanted to fight with him, that's for sure. But the Archon was just quite petty and quarrelsome. And this guy in front of him... He seemed to be angry at Lyney for personal reasons.

But, don't forget! It's all just a fantasy. No wonder his subconscious is projecting his self-loathing, creating people experiencing the same emotions. However, Lyney was not going to take into account the opinion of fakes pretending to be people.

"Watch your mouth," Lyney replied roughly. "Explain what you want and get out."

The assassin made a small irritated sound. He got up from the table and picked up the mask from the floor.

"I didn't want anything." The guy headed for the exit. "I just wanted to make sure that you still can't control yourself. I also..." He paused. "It doesn't matter anymore."

The killer sighed and then left the office, bumping Lyney with his shoulder. He just watched the other guy go. And he hadn't even started being rude to him...

Even though this guy hadn't been shy about accusing Lyney of almost losing his mind. With an exasperated groan, Lyney sat down in a leather-upholstered chair. He took off his glasses and ruffled his hair. He would like to cry about his unfair fate, but despite all the difficulties, Lynette was still there! He couldn't give up without trying to fix something. At least the orphans haven't tried to tease him yet. And speaking of them...

Lyney went to the cabinet and rummaged through the documents. Earlier, he found out that there was a secret compartment inside, which contained information about the current students of the orphanage and those who serve under the House of Hearth.

In fact, Lyney was only interested in two people. Claudea and this killer, obviously well acquainted with him. The girl's card was found pretty quickly, and the guy hurried to read what was written in it. To his horror, he realized that she was already fourteen. And at that age, the plot of the novel had just started. After getting to know the characters and taking a brief look into their lives over the previous years, hard times came. He had no respite. The mysterious murders have already begun, which means that if he doesn't fix anything, he won't be able to change the plot of the novel. And Lynette could get hurt.

But Lyney didn't know what to do at all. The only idea is to investigate the murders. And even if the chain of evidence leads to him, it will still save his sister from death. But how did she die in the novel?

As for the identity of the killer, Lyney had to tinker. But he found it. The guy's name was Freminet, he was a little younger than him and his sister, and he was also one of the agents close to the Father. And judging by the short biography, this guy has already seen three Fathers, including Lyney himself.

Is this count as daddy issues?

Putting away the documents, not feeling interested in reading, Lyney stretched his shoulders. It's been a shitty day, and tomorrow's going to be even worse. Although there were advantages: he would not meet with the Archon tomorrow.

But another squeaky voice woke him up. Judging by the clock, it was terribly early, but there were already guests waiting outside the door. Lyney didn't open the door despite Paimon's insistent knocking and shouts from outside. He didn't want to give them that much pleasure. However, sleep did not come, and irritation only grew. Fine, he couldn't stand it.

"Seriously, Paimon, go play with the kids if you have nothing better to do." Lyney glowered at the startled little girl.

"Hmpf!" Paimon crossed her arms over her chest. "Not a good morning!"

Lyney sighed. The Traveler stood next to Paimon, looking surprisingly cheerful and full of energy. And even the early hour didn't make the guy look tired. Only his eyes seemed thoughtful, but his face shone with health, youth and enthusiasm.

Only Lyney in this world was lucky enough to feel like something of a pathetic slug, and to look the same. Even worse, he could say that he is openly showing the Traveler all his complexes right now. And yes, Lyney wasn't happy about it. The guy would try to smooth his hair, but it would definitely draw the attention to what was happening on his head.

"I want to sleep." Lyney wanted to go back into the room, but the Traveler prevented the guy from closing the door. He looked at Lyney with his deep, slightly dog-like eyes.

"You're still a suspect, and there was a murder here yesterday. I didn't write a letter to the Archon, but you also promised to help with the investigation. So no more time to sleep."

Lyney pursed his lips, sighing tiredly.

"Yesterday's murderer from the House of Hearth. Someone wanted to make an attempt on me, but it didn't work out. And they're dead now. I've already got one foot in jail, and someone got here to deal with me. I guess this man was disappointed when I didn't meet him."

"An attempt on your life?" Paimon raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"It happens, Paimon. I'm going to sleep now. If you have nothing better to do, ask the children. About past murders," Lyney corrected himself. "Or about me. Although I don't want to know what they will tell you."

"Past murders?"

"Yes," Lyney pulled the door to close it. "Well, I'm accused of a series of crimes. And it's strange that the Archon completely forgot that the first murder from the chain took place here. Perhaps she has no idea"

The Traveler and Paimon exchanged glances, looking surprised. Lyney belatedly realized that he only knew about the first murder because he remembered plot. However, the killer was never caught. When it was revealed that the first body had been found in the House of Hearth, Claudea and her friends were so close to solving the mystery. And then the Father had to ruin everything.

Unsurprisingly, this was the last straw of Claudea's patience. Then she killed the Father.

Lyney hurried to slam the door in the faces of the heroes. Now he will continue his well-deserved rest.

"Hello, Father."

"Good afternoon, Father."

"Have a nice day, Father."

Lyney strolled leisurely through the mansion, nodding to the children, responding to their greetings. He slept well and then had breakfast with Lynette, discussing the latest news. Mostly, he questioned his sister carefully, trying to figure out what made Freminet hate him.

"I didn't do anything to him, did I? Maybe there was something I forgot about...?" Lyney really hoped not.

"I told you, brother. You've just been pretty mean to everyone the last few years. No wonder you've made a lot of enemies inside the House of Hearth, too."

"Still, Freminet seems to be protecting me. Why?"

"He did the same thing with the previous Father. Even more, Freminet was a member of her inner circle. Like you and me, it's strange that you forgot this detail too."

Lynette looked at him accusingly. Lyney grimaced. Lynette was no longer surprised that he didn't remember anything. Could she have guessed that he...

"There is one serious conversation, brother." Lynette put her cup back on the saucer.

Oh no! She definitely guessed it!

"This morning is not for serious conversations!" Lyney exclaimed, almost spilling his own tea defensively.

Lynette frowned.

"You've been avoiding serious conversations since the day you woke up from your coma. But I can see that something is wrong. Let's talk."

Lyney hurriedly took a sip of tea and put on a smile that he couldn't fool his sister with anyway.

"I know that for a long time we were busy with our own missions. So it's been a few years. And now the day has come when my dear sister misses me!" Lyney smiled a little more sincerely, seeing how his sister was embarrassed by the indication of her affection to him.

"Don't get off the subject, Lyney." Lynette murmured. Still, a blush appeared on her face.

"I'm fine," Lyney said seriously. "I don't remember many things very well, but it's nothing compared to how well I feel."

Lynette looked at him carefully.

"You really do look healthier." She gently placed her hand on top of his. "It's been a long time since we've been as close as we have in recent weeks." She turned her head so that Lyney couldn't see her emotions. "I didn't expect you to come back to me..."

She squeezed Lyney's hand tightly and then left the room without looking back. Lyney was still sitting in his chair, staring at the closed door. He froze, and frightening thoughts were spinning in his head. Lynette hadn't said before that they were very far apart. In this world, did his evil counterpart dare to abandon his sister?

Fate was laughing in his face. In his world, Lyney would give anything to get Lynette back. But here, he pulled away from his sister of his own free will.

Lyney clenched his fist, which was still lying on the table. He slammed it on the table, and then, as swiftly as his sister, left the dining room.

And now he was wandering around the mansion without much meaning or purpose. From the outside, it might seem that he was investigating something, so the children remained cautious around him. Or they were still afraid that Lyney would start yelling at them in the middle of the hallway.

The sound of voices drew his attention to one of the rooms. Lyney stopped and then opened the door. It happened so suddenly that the smile left Paimon's face right in front of his eyes. She and the Traveler were chatting with the students.

"Hello, Father." The children hurried to greet him.

Lyney controlled his irritation. Did they really have to give his status to a Traveler on the very first day? Lyney greeted the children, but did not take his eyes off the guy.

"I see that you have already met the dear guests of the House of Hearth."

And they told them all the secrets, of course.

The children became wary, and Lyney had to make her face friendlier. He smiled.

"Okay, I need to chat with the Traveler. Go to class."

The children hurriedly ran out the door, which, however, was carefully closed so as not to provoke his anger.

When only the three of them were left in the room, Lyney smiled less sincerely.

"So, do you already know all the secrets of the House of Hearth? Have the kids complained about me yet?"

"If only!" Paimon exclaimed. "We were hoping to learn the secrets of the Fatui, but your children didn't say a word."

Lyney grunted, impressed.

"They kept saying that you are their Father." Paimon's face became thoughtful. "You're pretty young to be a parent. Are they all...?" She didn't finish.

"Ah, Paimon!" Lyney exclaimed in mock shock. "I didn't know there were so many kids here! We urgently need to return them home, from where they were stolen by evil Fatui!"

"It's not funny!" Paimon flared up.

"A single father like me can laugh at such a deplorable state of affairs." Lyney sat down on the nearest armchair and put his hand to his forehead. "I don't even have time to sleep, and then strangers come to accuse me of murder!"

Paimon flew off resentfully to the other end of the room, where the Traveler was sitting with a tired expression on his face.

"What?" Lyney asked, seeing such obvious displeasure.

"Since we've been waiting for you, let's get down to business. Tell me everything you know about the murders."

"People were killed." Lyney said bluntly.

"Well, that's not what we're talking about!" Paimon exclaimed.

"Oh, so you need the details of the murder. I'll tell you now, because I wrote it in my diary!" Lyney pretended to search for something in the notebook he carried in the inside pocket of his vest. "The first man was killed here, in the House of Hearth. It's just that one of the children accidentally tripped over a knife, and it plunged into the victim's neck."

Paimon and the Traveler exchanged glances with skepticism.

 "Paimon doesn't even know what to say. Why can't you just tell us the whole truth?"

"Yes, because I do not know what happened!" Lyney exclaimed. Technically, it was true. The first body didn't have time to lie there for long before it disappeared. "Fatui did not even have time to identify the deceased. Someone opened her mouth and accidentally pressed on her tongue, under which there was a capsule with this liquid. And the body just vanished."

"That's quite a lot for a man who claimed to know nothing." Paimon grumbled. "Paimon and the Traveler saw the same thing! The victim fell from the balcony, but her body disappeared in flight. Only the clothes were left!"

Lyney hummed thoughtfully. Who was behind these murders? Could the Father have been the one who killed people in the streets of Fontaine as a sophisticated form of revenge against the government of a country that refused to cooperate with Fatui?

"And you are absolutely sure that yesterday's murderer is from the House of Hearth, and the body has nothing to do with the series of murders that we are investigating?"

"Yes."

Lyney was sure because he had asked Lynette about everything. About this strange liquid that could dissolve human bodies. And about Freminet's motives. He was actually a quiet guy, devoted to the House of Hearth and the Father (not Lyney). It's strange to expect him to be the one who kills people. But Lyney kept that option in mind anyway. After all, at least someone besides himself should be on the list of potential killers.

"It's quite cruel to kill a person first and then dissolve his body. If a killer wants to eliminate someone, can't they just use liquid? Why act so radically...?" Lyney said thoughtfully.

"That's right," the Traveler agreed.

Lyney raised his head and looked at the other guy. The man's face lit up, as if he was glad to hear that Lyney wasn't as much of a psychopath as he thought he was.

"I have nothing more to tell you." Lyney got up from his armchair. "If you have any questions, you will find me at the mansion. After all, I really have something to do besides run around the streets and kill people."

And until the evening, Lyney sat in his office, working with papers.

Well, not really. At first, he worked with papers, compiled accounting books for the next month. But then, he got really bored. He didn't want to chat with anyone, but the books on the shelves in the library were so inviting.

So he returned to what he was constantly doing in his home world. There were no social networks or the Internet in Teyvat, but there were light novels. Therefore, Lyney, with a clear conscience, immersed himself in reading in his bedroom, ignoring the Father's duties. No one needed him for the whole day anyway. What would they want from him now?

As soon as he took his mind off responsibility for a second, someone knocked. Lyney gripped the book viciously, but immediately released it so as not to tear the pages. He tossed the novel aside and hurried to open the door.

"What do you want?" Lyney asked wearily.

"It seems to me that I'm on the trail." The Traveler pushed past Lyney and went straight to his room.

"Hey!"

But when Lyney turned around, the Traveler was already rummaging through his things.

"Have a conscience! When detectives conduct investigations, they do it covertly!" Lyney abruptly approached the Traveler. "It's indecent to go through my things in front of my eyes!"

But the Traveler ignored the screams, examining the bed, armchairs, tables and dressers. Lyney didn't even try to stop him. Let him look for what he wants and fail. If he finds the real evidence, he'll really send Lyney to jail. But the sooner the better. Then the guy won't have to wait for the truth.

Nevertheless, he cautiously opened the dressing room and took out the first cane he could find in case he had to fight back.

"Yeah!" The Traveler exclaimed solemnly.

Lyney shuddered and turned around, expecting to see bloodstained clothes or something worse. But no, the Traveler only got to the novel that Lyney was reading.

"Do you read light novels?" The Traveler chuckled.

"These are ordinary books," Lyney protested. "It's not written in syllables."

"Paimon likes to read this too," the Traveler couldn't help but smile contentedly. "And what is the plot." He flipped through the pages. "A poor noble from Fontaine is oppressed in high society, and then she meets with the Duke of the North, that is, from Snezhnaya, and he lays the whole world at her feet."

The Traveler became even happier, as if he had won some kind of prize. Lyney pursed his lips and tried to look as indifferent as possible.

"Oh, dear Nikolai, I'm so in love with you." The Traveler was having fun. "Your eyes are like cornflowers, and your hair is shining in the moonlight." Unexpectedly for Lyney, the Traveler took a few steps in his direction. "Oh, dear Drizella, I am so delighted with your kind heart and the peace of your soul."

"Am I Drizella?" Lyney asked skeptically when the Traveler extended his hand, pretending to be the Duke of the North.

"Yeah," the Traveler chuckled. "But I'm afraid Drizella didn't have a cane."

"Because Drizella is blind," Lyney chuckled. "Poor lost soul trapped by some stranger."

"Actually, they've known each other for a long time," the Traveler said resentfully. "They wrote letters."

"Ha!" Lyney laughed triumphantly. "So you've read it too."

The Traveler was confused, but nodded.

"Paimon has no one to discuss the plot with, so I have to. And yet," he moved even closer to Lyney. "Let's get back to our dialogue."

Lyney raised one eyebrow and waited. For some reason, he was amused by the course of this conversation.

"Oh, dear Drizella. My parents are against it, but I'll buy an island where just you and me will live." The Traveler scanned the page. "Why would he buy her an island when they live in Fontaine and the Duke's family's possessions are in Snezhnaya?"

"Indeed, he was supposed to give her a glacier." Lyney agreed.

The Traveler laughed.

"What's next?" The Traveler flipped through several pages. "Do you really read that? Because you actually wanted and not forced to do it, that's what I mean." He read something and chuckled. "The Duke lifted Drizella's skirts and gently touched her legs."

As if following the words written in the book, the Traveler knelt down and stretched out his hand to Lyney's leg without touching it.

"Hey!" Lyney recoiled in fright, feeling a blush flood his cheeks. "My boundaries!" He waved his cane, running away as the Traveler crept closer.

"Drizella is such a bitch," he chuckled. "Why is she so angry with a man who will give her an entire island? Maybe that's not enough for her?"

"Of course it's not enough," Lyney smiled. "Drizella has hundreds of hungry mouths to feed here. And in the northern lands of the Duke, it will not be possible to plant wheat for bread."

"Yeah," drawled the Traveler, who managed to get up from the floor and sit on the edge of the bed. "Drizella should have chosen someone else. It's a pity that she fell in love with Nikolai at first sight."

"Drizella can't fall in love at first sight, she can't see anything." Lyney joked, happily noting how the Traveler was smiling back. "But she could hear everyone around her admiring Nikolai's beautiful blue-violet eyes. So she plucked a flower in the same color."

Lyney smiled slyly and then came closer. He pretended to think, and then stretched out his hand to the Traveler's hair. The guy's eyes widened in surprise when Lyney pulled a lily flower from behind his ear. It was golden, with dark brown streaks. It's just a little trick he learned as a kid.

"It's a pity, but Drizella can’t distinguish colors."

The Traveler blushed and accepted the flower from Lyney's hands. It seems that Lyney was able to outplay him at his own game.

"So what's the trail you're on?" Lyney asked, sitting down next to the Traveler. Their shoulders touched.

"Uh, well... I just..." The Traveler hesitated. "Paimon and I have been asking a lot about you, and I wanted to check something out."

"Checked it?" Lyney chuckled softly.

"I checked," the traveler replied confidently.

"Did you want to make sure that my behavior matches the characteristics that you noticed in the killer? By the way, how did you even see it if the body fell from the balcony?"

"Yes," the Traveler said hurriedly. "I checked these very features. I saw the killer because he came down and made sure that the victim had definitely disappeared. And then he took her things away."

"And you could restrain yourself and did not interfere?" Lyney narrowed his eyes in surprise.

"Yeah. We wanted to follow him, but the killer got away."

The Traveler fell silent. Lyney didn't know what to say either. The silence between them was quite comfortable, but it would be even more comfortable to be alone after a busy day.

"It's late, it's time for you to sleep." Lyney said softly, hoping that the Traveler understands what he means.

"Yes. Shouldn't you be going to sleep too?" The Traveler asked.

"I'm going to find out how the story ended." Lyney shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, all right." The Traveler got up awkwardly and moved towards the exit. 

However, he was walking with his back, and soon enough he crashed into a closet. Lyney didn't even have time to warn him. A few books fell, but worse than that... The box where the Delusion lay also fell and opened.

The Traveler, who was trying to pack his things, froze and stared at the Delusion.

"Is this yours?" He asked in horror.

Lyney frowned.

"Yes."

"Oh!" The Traveler got up and put the fallen things on the nearest surface, while avoiding the Delusion. "I never thought about it, but now... It's all clear now, and... and me... Anyway, good night!" And the Traveler ran out the door.

Lyney watched him go with a puzzled look. His suspicions, which the guy had shoved away, suddenly returned. What kind of trail did the Traveler find?

For some reason, Lyney now doubted that it was just the identity of the killer.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Lyney was worried sick: he expected that at any minute the Traveler might crash into his office to continue his research. What was he trying to achieve? In his wildest and most hopeless dreams, Lyney might have assumed that the Traveler was flirting with him, but he should be realistic.

The Traveler was trying to achieve something that only he knows about. And he used Lyney to his advantage, forced him to let his guard down. And the guy fell for it.

But now that half a day had passed since their strange conversation, Lyney was determined to avoid any more questionable interactions with the Traveler at all costs. And yet, he was waiting for him to come.

Someone knocked on the door. Lyney hurriedly invited the guests to enter, but it turned out to be not the Traveler. Claudea came through the door, and behind her, looking down, was another heroine of the novel – the girl's friend who betrayed them all. Lyney controlled his irritation. These are children, he can't take out his frustration on them.

"Hello, Father," Claudea smiled affably, studying Lyney with an attentive gaze. The girl tugged at her friend's arm.

"Hello," she said quietly.

Her hair was straight and shone green, and there was an inexplicable sense of guilt in her eyes, as if she already knew what she would do in the future. The other characters always disparagingly addressed her by her last name, Miyata, so maybe her betrayal wasn't so unexpected.

Izao Miyata had once been Claudea's friend, but the older they got, the more the former was drowning in her own envy. What was she jealous of? Claudea had nothing but her birth name and the strong qualities she had acquired on her own. Maybe some people just need to learn kindness and determination from the main character... 

But instead, Miyata just let the hate consume her. After the Father's death, the House of the Hearth became restless. And among all the intrigues and betrayals, when some tried to escape and others tried to seize power, Claudea and Izao turned out to be the fiercest opponents. In any case, it all ended with the victory of the main character. And when she dealt with her ex-friend, she was left completely alone.

Lyney nodded grimly, hoping that smart kids couldn't read minds, and certainly couldn't read the emotions he was trying so hard to hide. He can't let his past life influence the perception of these characters now. After all, in the original novel, Claudea would never have dared to come to the Father to ask for his help.

"What did you want, Claudea, Izao," mentally Lyney triumphed, because he knew them by name, hooray!

"Father..." Miyata started, but trailed off.

"Say it, or I'll do it for you." Claudea urged.

Lyney noticed a quick flash of annoyance on the other girl's face.

vPlease don't waste my time," Lyney said calmly. Of course, he had more interesting things to do. For example, to reflect on the meaning of existence or to think about the intentions of the Traveler. In his defense, sometimes the guy was interrupted to work with documents, but he still could not allocate finances and resources in a situation of almost complete isolation of the House of the Hearth from the rest of the Fountaine.

"Of course, Father. Miyata just doesn't want to make a mistake in her words, does she?" Claudea looked at her friend suggestively.

"Don't speak for me," Miyata snorted.

"What Miyata means is that she knows something about the first murder." Miyata glared at the girl. "Because the Traveler and Paimon are investigating a chain of murders that began in the House of the Hearth. But we didn't tell them anything special, but Miyata knows something."

"What's that?" Lyney looked at Miyata with interest. She was embarrassed.

"The thing is, I saw the killer. I saw the crime itself, but I hid very well and was not noticed."

"Come on, get down to business. It is important!" Claudea exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Father."

Lyney shrugged his shoulders indifferently. Miyata pursed her lips angrily.

"Father, it's just me... I didn't know then, but now..." She lowered her head and said quietly. "The killer looks a lot like you."

Lyney inhaled sharply and immediately hurried to make his face as neutral as possible.

"That's how..."

"Yes! Forgive us, Father," Claudea lowered her head, but continued to stare at Lyney.

"It's good that you didn't tell the Traveler and his partner about this..."

"That's right." Miyata said softly and angrily. "Instead, we came to a place where we are guaranteed to be punished, if not killed, as witnesses."

She covered her mouth with her hands in fright and fell to her knees. There was panic in Claudea's eyes, too. She looked from her friend to Lyney and back again. Lyney sighed briefly.

"Calm down, I'm not going to kill you. Izao, get up from the floor. And, Claudea, please stop communicating with us with only your eyes – use words." Lyney waited until both girls calmed down and stood in front of him. "What do you know about the investigation of the Traveler? About why he came here?"

"Well, they only told us in general terms... You, Father, are being accused of–" Claudea paused, and realization dawned on her face.

"Exactly," Lyney grinned. "And it's in my best interest to prove that neither I nor the House of the Hearth had anything to do with it. So it's good that you didn't tell anyone about it. I hope so." He looked sternly at the girls, who shook their heads. "Keep this information to yourself. And now, Miyata, what else did you see?"

"Not so much, people were arguing, but I couldn't make out the words and I couldn't remember the voices. And then I heard a gunshot. Someone brushed past me, but then he came back much slower and checked the victim's body again. That's what I thought. And this moment gave me the opportunity to look at the killer's figure from behind. He was wearing a top hat like you used to, as well as a burgundy suit and shoes."

It must have been at that moment that the killer decided to put a capsule with a liquid that dissolves people in that woman's mouth. And yet, this killer was definitely trying to parody the image of Lyney himself. Or was the Father the one who killed so many people? Lyney pushed those thoughts away. Not now. Those kids are still here.

"Well, if that's all, then I can say that someone is desperately trying to destroy the House of the Hearth from the inside by framing me. Be on your guard, and if you see anything suspicious, tell me or Auntie," he chuckled.

The girls exchanged glances and nodded obediently. Lyney smiled at them with satisfaction.

"You can be free."

"Thank you, Father."

"Goodbye, Father."

The girls hurried away, leaving Lyney alone with his thoughts. He leaned back in his chair and groaned. Is everything really going to work out in favor of the fact that he really was a murderer? The guy would like to say that this could not be, but the Father was not an exemplary and law-abiding citizen. For the first time, Lyney wondered how much he and his predecessor really looked like. Or did everyone just accept that the guy went crazy and then suddenly became kind?

He even felt sorry for the Father's character. Not enough to forgive him for his cold relationship with his sister, but still... Lyney had to interact with various subordinates, and they all seemed to exhale when they saw that he was completely calm and in the company of Lynette, like a nurse with a mentally ill person.

And that man... The Father. He was immersed in hatred, like Miyata who was destined to become a villain when the position became vacant. And now, when everyone around them realizes that Lyney has changed, they will just agree with it. And the identity of the real Father will be completely forgotten.

If only... Unless they were so much alike that no one noticed the substitution just because the Father had never been a villain in their eyes. Just a psychopath, but still someone practically harmless. Or else, Lyney himself was not a good person, so he managed to masterfully match the Father's image.

None of the options were attractive to the guy. He was convinced that as a result of his rebirth, one person with a broken psyche had replaced another. Wouldn't it be better to give up right away?

Sighing, Lyney got up from his seat. He would find Lynette and ask her what she knew about the first murder, given the new details. Maybe his sister knows everything and keeps quiet so as not to get him into trouble?

After finding out where he could find Lynette, Lyney moved towards one of the small dining rooms, obviously used for tea parties in the inner circle of the family. The guy had already prepared a funny joke, and then opened the door to face an unpleasant picture. His sister was having tea with that guy, Freminet.

Lynette was laughing. Yes, it may sound strange, but his reserved sister laughed when Freminet, who told her something with the same bright smile on his face. Lyney's heart ached at what he saw. An incomprehensible longing filled him, as if a vision of a long-lost family appeared before his eyes. However, this haze quickly dissipated as soon as both his sister and Freminet noticed the newcomer.

The smiles disappeared from the faces of these two. Lynette was neutral, while Freminet looked suspiciously, as if waiting to see what Lyney would say or do.

"What are you doing here?" No matter how hard Lyney tried, his voice sounded too much... Suspicious, contemptuous, and broken.

"Don't look like we've committed a betrayal of the House of the Hearth in front of your eyes." Freminet replied.

"We're just having tea, brother. Do you want to join us?" Lynette tilted her head slightly, offering Lyney a seat in an empty chair.

As luck would have it, there was a place for him at this idealistic table. The third chair is right between the two of them. Lyney frowned.

"Why would I? I've been looking for you, Lynette, but I see you're busy." Lyney shrugged his shoulders. "We can chat later."

He wanted to leave. Calmly, without provoking conflict, but Freminet's sarcastic words flew at his back.

"Your title of the Father doesn't elevate you above other people, Lyney. You think too much of yourself, but it's time to face the truth: you need allies."

"Freminet..." Lynette said accusingly.

Lyney turned around and glared at Freminet.

"Why would I sit next to you? You're not Lynette, you don't mean anything to me. I don't even know you."

Freminet clenched his teeth and made a strangled sound. He didn't say anything, and for a second it seemed to Lyney that pain flashed in his eyes, but then Freminet turned away.

"Lyney, don't say that." Lynette looked at him sternly.

"I have to go," Lyney replied irritably and left, slamming the door behind him.

His own guilt was not long in coming. He wanted to open the door, run into the room and apologize to Lynette. But at the same time, Freminet was still inside. This guy for some reason decided that he had some kind of influence on him. In the world of cardboard characters created by Lyney's sick imagination, only Lynette mattered. She was the only one he was willing to listen to, and yet she wasn't real.

In an irritated state, Lyney moved away. A familiar golden hair flashed at the top of the flight of stairs.

"Traveler," Lyney called.

The guy heard it and went down. They froze, standing on different steps and looking into each other's eyes.

"Hello," the Traveler said uncertainly.

"Hi," Lyney said hurriedly. "Listen, I thought maybe you could tell me about your observations that you made yesterday. This investigation is important to me too..."

The Traveler paled, then blushed.

"I can't," he said quietly. "It doesn't really matter right now."

"And when will it matter?" Lyney asked irritably. "When will I be charged with another murder and go to jail?"

"No, I'm still trying to figure this out! You'll see, I'll get to the truth soon and...!"

"And I won't tell you anything anyway," Lyney finished. "Okay, I get you. Forget. As if I expected you to believe me even a little bit."

"As if you were at least a little outspoken," the Traveler grumbled.

Lyney chuckled and put his finger to the other guy's lips. He looked him straight in the eye and enunciated every word.

"You're completely fake. All of you. So there's no need for hypocrisy – I'm just playing by your rules."

And he left again, not allowing himself to look back at the Traveler, who remained standing on the stairs as Lyney continued to climb to his rooms. He didn't want to leave them anymore. Never. Just lie there and feel sorry for himself. Over the years he had spent grieving for his sister, he had completely lost touch with the fact that people could be so difficult. And in this imaginary fantasy world, he found himself surrounded by troubled people of all ages and social statuses.

***

Lyney had been sulking on his bed for hours. More precisely, it was the Father's bed, which he appropriated for himself, as well as this body. Lyney thoughtfully examined the scar that crossed the back of his hand. It was quite deep and uneven, but its existence proved that the Father had once been a man who could receive such a wound.

It was a world with a deep level of immersion, definitely.

And whether this world was fake or not, Lyney couldn't stay mad at Lynette for long. He was still angry, but at himself. And Lynette... The guy just missed her, because she was far away even when she was so close.

It's worth finding her and talking to her. He can even touch on something personal, as she wanted. Lyney is unlikely to admit to her that he came from another world, but they could discuss more details that led to the Father's death.

However, even when Lyney left the room and questioned several subordinates, no one could tell where to find Lynette. And there was no girl in her rooms. The barely suppressed irritation returned when the guy headed to the office. He had an idea, because his sister was also his subordinate. It could have been a mission...

And so it turned out. Looking through the numerous assignments they had accepted, the guy's gaze came across what Lynette was doing. Of course, she didn't hesitate to take something complicated – escorting a wealthy merchant to the nearest settlement. Usually, Fontaine residents did not take instructions from them, but here the situation required the woman to ask the Fatui. And Lyney felt that it would be in the best interests of their organization to accept this assignment. After all, the merchant was working with reagents, they could use later.

And now, Lyney was very suspicious of this assignment. At that time, he did not realize that the liquids described in the novel that dissolve people could well exist in this world. And then he saw firsthand how this substance works. Lyney didn't have time to stop Lynette – she left to carry out this mission all by herself.

Didn't the House of the Hearth have enough people to send at least some support with his sister? It was his own mistake.

"Have you spent all this time lying in bed feeling sorry for yourself?"

Lyney cursed and glared at Freminet, who had also entered the office and was leaning against the wall. Maybe he's been there before? Lyney didn't know. Freminet was also right, he probably realized it when he saw that the guy's suit was wrinkled and his hair was disheveled.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Lyney asked. "Why do you keep picking on me?"

Freminet chuckled.

"Lyney." He suddenly said seriously. "I just don't understand what happened to you." Freminet's voice sounded unusually anxious.

Lyney looked at the guy in surprise. He was incredibly frank and sad.

"I know that you got the Father's title legally, and that you had a hard time too. But I'm tired of you going crazy on the sly and not letting any of us in!"

Lyney didn't understand anything at all. He thought that the Father and Freminet were some kind of enemies, but they were... friends?

"And you've almost reached the point of no return!" Freminet stubbornly stuck out his jaw. "I answered you the same way, aggression against aggression, but then you almost died! And now you seem pretty normal, like you aren’t going crazy at any moment!"

Lyney grunted in confusion, continuing to listen to Freminet's rapid monologue.

"Just please be honest for once. You go through a lot and you can't hide it," Freminet looked at him with pleading blue eyes. "Please, Lyney, just tell me what's happening to you."

He can't fall for mind games played by fake people, but still... Lyney's heart was pounding in his chest when he saw the despair on Freminet's face.

"I'm just..." Lyney hesitated, wondering what to say to him. "I'm sorry for what I said this afternoon, but I wasn't lying. I don't remember you at all."

Freminet's face paled.

"You... Lyney, what did you do before you went into a coma?

Lyney shrugged uncertainly. "I don't know."

But obviously nothing good. Could the Father from this world have died of overwork like himself?

"Lyney, are you being honest with me?" Freminet asked sadly.

"Yes. Why would I lie?"

Freminet chuckled, as if to say that lying was something Lyney was particularly good at.

"I'm starting to worry about Lynette," Lyney admitted uncertainly. "It's already quite late, shouldn't she be back?"

Freminet also looked worried.

"I'm sure she's fine..."

Of course, because she had the Vision. But could it provide her with enough protection?

Their silence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Lyney hurried to open the door and look out.

"What's going on?" He asked loudly.

A few people flinched, but continued on their way.

"Someone is injured there, we are rushing to provide first aid."

A feeling of foreboding shot through Lyney's chest. He took a quick glance at Freminet, and then ran towards where the others were running.

The wounded Fatui fighter has already been placed on a stretcher. And even the distance and poor eyesight couldn't stop Lyney from seeing that it was Lynette. Her pale face with her eyes closed.

"Let me through!" He shouted, pushing aside the students and subordinates gathered in the corridor. "Keep order, you're the Fatui!" He had to shout at a few, especially fussy people.

Lyney made his way forward and ran to the stretcher.

"Lynette... What's wrong with her? Report back."

"She has a laceration on her side, as well as symptoms of poisoning with something... Not fatal."

Lyney made an angry growling sound.

"Do everything to save her!"

The healers immediately hurried away, leaving the guy in the middle of the crowd and in complete despair. Worse, Lyney felt like he was on the verge of breaking down. Tears were already gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"Keep an eye on the safety of the mansion. A few people, let it be Faina's group, are going to investigate the place, where the Auntie was. The rest of you go to sleep!"

Lyney rushed past the people, trying to get out of sight before he completely lost face. He tries to look as cold and calm as he can and keeps screwing up.

But the shittier thing is that Lynette's injury is his fault.

Lyney slammed the door to his rooms and screamed, falling to his knees. Damn those who sent him into this world. If his sister died, he would follow her. Lyney couldn't stand a few more years of longing.

Lyney hit the floor, and then again, and again. He was powerless. And he was a disgusting brother, a disgusting man. He was supposed to be sitting near the hospital wing of the mansion, but instead he hides in his room and cries out of self-pity. He's so pathetic.

Angry tears streamed down his cheeks as his mind raced with thoughts of the worst outcomes Lynette could expect. Could today be the last day? And the last thing he did was have a fight with her close friend, and then he showed indifference to Lynette. No, Lyney was definitely the same person as the previous Father. The same bastard who hides when the situation gets hot and doesn't really represent anything.

And Lynette... She was everything to him. And whether the world was real or not, his sister's injury was very realistic. And feelings... The feelings that Lyney had. They were terrifying in their power. The cruel creators of this world forced him to relive the most terrible moment of his life. And now Lynette's pale face was etched back into his memory.

In his home world, Lyney sometimes had nightmares, until he began to forget Lynette's face, even though they were twins. But now he has fresh fuel for injury. If only he was stronger...

But he could be stronger... The guy's half-crazed gaze stopped at the box with the Delusion, which was still lying in plain sight. If he can use it, he can go on missions with Lynette. So, he would never let anyone hurt his sister.

Lyney reached into the box and took out the cursed object. The Delusion glowed red, which radiated danger, there was not a drop of warmth in it. Well, he just had to do it...

The fiery volley crashed into the wall and left a scorch mark on it. Lyney sighed in shock. He looked at the shiny object in his palm again. With it, he could move mountains and... Lyney tried again and again. Finally, he managed to create a more powerful volley.

The fire hit the chair, and it caught fire. In a panic, Lyney grabbed one of the blankets and began to extinguish the flames. It went out, and the guy decided to continue his experiments on the street. But a wild pain shot through his whole body.

Lyney fell to his knees and screamed, throwing the Delusion aside. His head hurt the most. Insane pressure on the temples, frantic pounding of the heart, trembling of the limbs. No, if he lies around like this every time after using the Delusion, he definitely won't be able to help his sister.

On his knees, Lyney crawled to where the Delusion had rolled away. He rummaged under the sofa, finding what looked like a hidden hiding place under the floorboard. However, there was nothing interesting there, except for some kind of notebook, which the guy immediately put down. The Delusion was all he could think about right now.

Finally, he managed to reach the cursed object and squeeze his trembling fingers around the glass. Lyney pulled out the Delusion and tried to focus. His glasses came off while he was thrashing around on the floor, but let it be. The power of the Delusion in his veins would make up for any genetic problems he had. There will only remain... Lyney pointed his hand at the door.

A direct hit, and it caught fire. A wave of heat went through Lyney's whole body, but he was ready to be sacrificial if it was about saving his sister. Through the noise in his ears, the guy heard a knock on the door. He wandered to the entrance and opened it, encountering the Traveler whose eyes widened in horror.

"What?" Lyney growled.

"I wanted to talk to and... Why is your door on fire?" The Traveler asked anxiously.

"None of your business."

Lyney slammed the door and moved deeper into the room. Suddenly, the door opened without his participation – the Traveler simply tore it off its hinges. The guys stared at each other in surprise.

"Are you okay?" The Traveler asked.

"Are you out of your mind? Put the door back in place!" Lyney shouted hoarsely.

The Traveler extinguished the flame with a Hydro element and shyly returned the door to where it was supposed to stand.

"I want to see you on the other side of that door," Lyney said with an anger.

Gradually, the fever subsided and sobriety of thought returned to him. What did he just do? The Delusion was on the floor again, but now its dim glow terrified the guy.

"Are you okay?" The Traveler repeated. "I wanted to talk to you about my research."

"Huh. Now you're ready," Lyney grinned maliciously. "Get out."

"But you need help..." The Traveler said hesitantly.

Lyney looked at him contemptuously.

"To help me, all you needed was for my sister to get hurt and then see me on the verge of a seizure? That's cruel, Traveler. You're being selfish. Go away."

Lyney paused, looking at the Traveler expectantly. He wanted to say something, opened and closed his mouth, but gave up. When the other guy left, Lyney exhaled.

He was really going crazy. Suddenly, his gaze landed on the notebook that the guy had found in the hiding place.

"The diary of Lyney Snezhevich. Part two..." It was written on the cover. Lyney opened his notebook and continued reading. "I'm not sure if this is the second part: I'm afraid I wrote a lot more, but I don't remember at all where I put the other notebooks and what was inside. Maybe I'm repeating myself, but I don't have long left. For the sake of the Tsaritsa... No, for the Father's sake... It's stupid, now I am the Father. For the sake of my sister Lynette, in the hope that one day she will find these diaries and read them, I swear to tell only the truth."