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"It occurs to me," Clayman said, pausing briefly to sip at his tea, "what a shame it is that Kazalim-sama was killed before he could release Wendy from their curse."
Wendy, sitting on Clayman's right side on the couch, made a startled noise, looking at him in confusion, teacup still lifted as if poised to drink.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Laplace asked, setting his tea down and fixing Clayman with a suspicious gaze. Despite the way his face was hidden but for one eye behind his mask, the members of the Moderate Harlquin Alliance had long learned to read each others emotions.
Clearly, he was suspicious of Clayman's remark, gears turning in his head.
"Yeah, it is sad, but..." Tear tilted her head, looking across the coffee table at Clayman.
"Was it ever part of the plan?" Footman asked. "That's not really normal for summoned Otherworlders."
"Is it even possible?" Tear added, raising a sleeved hand to her mask thoughtfully.
" Goodness , you all seem rather accusatory ." Clayman huffed, setting his tea down in order to cross his arms and lean back. "I will admit, I kept it quiet so as not to get anyone's hopes up." He glanced at Wendy, expression turning briefly sheepish, before he continued. "However, Kazalim-sama and I had spoken of it privately. He was considering my proposal. But as you know, my opportunities to speak with him were few and far between once I became a Demon Lord."
"Your proposal?" Tear asked, leaning forward with interest. "So it was your idea! But why?"
"W-why?!" Clayman sputtered, leaning forward to properly express his disdain for the question. "Because-! Well, of course-!"
"That really didn't clear anything up." Footman replied.
"Yeah, Clayman! Why, why, why?" Tear continued in a sing song voice.
Wendy turned their gaze away thoughtfully as Tear and Footman began to terrorize the increasingly flustered Clayman.
Two members of this casual tea party had been unusually quiet. The subject, Wendy herself, had offered up no opinion, other than the faint, bashful smile resting on their lips, and faintly pink cheeks.
The other was Laplace. Laplace was usually eager to tease Clayman like Tear and Footman were, and furthermore was quite clever. If anything, as Wendy considered his silence, they began to find it oddly unnerving. In response to that feeling, they lifted their gaze from their teacup to sneak a look at him.
Laplace was already staring at them from across the way, and they didn't need to be able to see his face to know that he was smirking.
"Well? Are you going to say anything?" He asked casually, even as his one-eyed gaze seemed to pierce them.
Ah. He knew. They wondered when he'd realized.
"What?" Clayman replied flatly, furrowing his brow and looking at Wendy. "They don't need to thank me, or anything like that. I didn't succeed, after all." He deflated visibly. "So if anything, I apologize for my failure."
"No, that's-" Wendy turned to face him better, cheeks more flushed. "I really do appreciate it." They smiled shyly at him.
Clayman simply stared as Wendy collected their thoughts, too taken to make a response. This did not go unnoticed by the others.
"It's just...when Kazalim-sama was killed..." They took a deep breath. "The curse carved into my soul became inactive."
There was a long silence, Laplace nodding to himself as if satisfied, while the others processed.
"But- but that would mean-" Clayman's eyes were wide as Wendy nodded at him in confirmation.
"You...stayed even though you were free?" Tear added on, voice wobbly.
"Yes." Wendy smiled at everyone in turn.
"Heh. I only just figured it out myself." Laplace said, grinning.
"But- why ?" Clayman blurted out. "Why didn't you say anything? I- we- we could have changed things-"
"Nothing needed to change." Wendy replied softly. "I am happy with how things are. You three and Kazalim-sama are...my family."
"Wendy!!!" Tear began to wail, getting to her feet and rushing over to hug the Otherworlder.
Laplace got up as well, chuckling to himself. He put a hand on Clayman's shoulder.
"Go on, get in there too." He whispered, delighted by Clayman's aggrieved sigh and faint blush.
"Hush." Clayman snapped, even as he scooted a bit closer to Wendy, putting a hand on their shoulder. "Wendy, I-"
"You're our family, too!" Footman charged in, pulling everyone into a group hug. Clayman wiggled, flustered as he was pressed into Wendy.
"There we go." Laplace said, clearly amused.
Wendy laughed.
"Thank you. I'm so happy!" They couldn't contain the wide smile on their face. "Thank you, all of you."
Soon enough, the hug would end, tea would be finished, and the group would disperse. However, a seed of thought had planted itself firmly in Clayman's mind.
If he no longer held ultimate power over them via Kazalim-sama's curse...then was it possible now that he could...?
He would try in vain to shut that thought away before it bloomed.