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Lyney couldn't be nervous. Nervous? Him? Impossible. He was the great magician Lyney, the next Knave! He couldn't possibly be nervous. So—what was this feeling that tugged at his heart?
It wasn't just him, either. The atmosphere at home felt tense. The only sounds were the bustling clatter of the children cleaning and preparing for Father's return. They didn't want to get scolded, even though they knew Father wouldn't mind. But, after hearing what the previous Knave did, Lyney, along with the children who came before him, didn't want to risk it. The boy was snapped out of his worries as Lynette slid a plate of cake over to him.
"You're picking at your skin again," the girl pointed out, taking a sip of her tea. On the surface, Lynette was as cool as a cucumber. But as twins, Lyney noticed how his sister's ears twitched, and her hand shook as she set the cup down. "I know you're nervous, but please keep your wits about yourself."
Lyney scoffed at this, setting his hat on the table beside the plate. He wasn't hungry, nor did he want to have sweets right now. But, knowing Lynette, she wasn't going to let him leave just yet. With a sigh, Lyney picked up the fork and took a bite of the cake. After downing some tea, he stared at his sister.
"Please, me? Nervous? No, no, no. I'm just excited for Father's return, is all," Lyney explained, sounding slightly exasperated. Lynette only sighed at his attitude; she was not in the mood to deal with his hardheadedness.
The duo fell silent. Lyney watched as Freminet and the other children worked together to organize things. One of the younger children noticed him watching and waved him over. Lyney stood from his chair as Lynette nodded.
After carefully avoiding some cleaning supplies that had been knocked over, Lyney joined the other children.
"Ah, Lyney," Freminet started as his older brother came over. "I believe that almost all the tasks have been completed. We still have some cleaning to do here, though, and Jeanne is still finishing dinner with Selene and Elio." The young blonde gestured to the kitchen after placing a few books on a shelf. Lyney thanked him before walking over to the kitchen.
Upon entering the kitchen, Lyney was greeted by the fresh smell of roast duck. Jeanne, one of the older children, greeted him before returning her focus to the stove. Elio and Selene, a younger pair of siblings, were being as careful as possible while chopping vegetables.
"Lyney!" Selene squealed, giving him a bright smile. The little girl was always looking up to him and enjoyed his tricks. Her brother Elio, on the other hand, merely glared at her for disturbing his focus. "Lyney, is there anything else we should add to tonight's dinner plans?" The little girl asked while rinsing a few carrots. She pointed to the list of food items for reference. Much to Lyney's expectations, the trio had almost finished the list. With Jeanne leading, he knew it wouldn't be hard.
"Why do you ask, Selene?" Lyney asked with a tired smile. The children were so close to the finish line that it would be terrible if he had shown how exhausted he really was.
"W-Well… Father likes having cake sometimes a-and I was wondering if she'd like it to have cake for dessert?" Selene responded, a sweet smile on her face. The little girl was always so thoughtful. It made Lyney question why fate had her end up here, of all places. He knew that the kind ones didn't usually last long.
Jeanne walked over to join the conversation while looking at the list. With a small hum, she nodded in agreement, wanting to fulfill the girl's wish.
"I don't mind adding another thing to the list. Lyney, Elio, what are your thoughts?" Jeanne asked calmly. Lyney could tell that Jeanne was just being kind to Selene, though. The girl had seen quite a bit, so it was only expected that she would want to keep the younger ones kind, even though it would fail them later on.
Elio crossed his arms but nodded. This boy was the complete opposite of his sister. He was mute, but it was self-evident when he disliked something. Of course, Elio knew the harsh truth. He would always do his best to protect his sister. Lyney found it noble, and his heart ached as he felt Elio's similarity.
"Hmm, since you three are the chefs then you really are the ones with all the say. I'm going to do some final checks, so I'll see you at dinner," Lyney waved a small goodbye before walking out of the kitchen and around the building.
Eventually, he ended up pacing the hallways of the rooms. The bustling house was getting a bit overwhelming for him. Maybe Lyney really was nervous. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves. When that didn't work, he observed the scenery from the hallway windows, all without much reward. This wasn't a new feeling to him. It's just that he hadn't felt it this strong since he was younger.
Lyney's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed how far the sun had set. Panicked, he glanced at the clock. It read 8 o'clock. The awaited time was approaching, and Lyney wanted to rip his skin off from the suspense. Taking one more deep breath, Lyney went to find his sister.
Lynette had also finished her final checks and ensured everything was perfect. When she unnoticed a disheveled Lyney, the girl asked Jeanne to finish up before checking on her brother.
"You're looking a little worse for wear," Lynette muttered, a faint look of worry crossing her features. It wasn't every day that her brother looked this distraught. With a hum, she gently patted his back, not knowing exactly how to comfort him. Lyney shook her hand off, removing his hat to smoothen out his hair.
"I'm… fine, Lynette. Please, don't worry about me," Lyney sighed, taking his sister's hand and squeezing it in reassurance. However, that didn't settle the concern in the girl's heart.
Lynette was about to say something when her ears twitched. She picked up the quiet sound of some unique footsteps. To her, this could only mean one thing. Lynette's suspicions were only confirmed when she heard one of the other children announce that Father was here. Lyney sighed, putting on his usual confident front and releasing his sister's hand.
"Let the show begin?" He laughed nervously, walking toward the foyer with Lynette in tow.
Lynette nodded alongside him, being joined by Freminet. "Let the show begin."
The children parted, letting the trio go to the front.
Then, it happened. The heavy doors opened, and Father had returned. The two Fatuus who had followed along nodded at some quiet words before departing. With the two gone, Arlecchino eyed her children as if waiting for something.
"Welcome home, Father," Lyney and Lynette said in unison before the rest of the children followed suit. The Knave nodded, signaling for the children aside from Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet to leave.
"Please, no need for formalities. I trust everything was taken care of while I was away?" Arlecchino queried, her question pointed at Lyney more than the other two. He nodded obediently, still a bit tense. The Knave hummed in thought before dismissing Lynette and Freminet. "Lyney, I'd like to speak with you."
His heart pounded at her words, but he nodded, following her as she walked away from the foyer. Did he do something wrong? Were things not to her liking? Had he forgotten to take care of a mission?
"You know, Lady Columbina has said much praise for this place. She told me that my children have done a surprisingly good job surviving my 'pressuring' personality," Arlecchino laughed dryly while speaking of the other harbinger. Lyney visibly panicked as she mentioned her personality.
"F-Father, none of us see you as 'pressuring' I assure y–"
"It's alright Lyney. It's merely a joke between us. If anything I still need to find something to call her…" She mumbled the last part before shaking her head. Turning to Lyney, Arlecchino sighed. "That aside, my point is that you've done a good job."
His Father's praise took Lyney by surprise. Despite her blunt tone, her words were surprisingly gentle. He froze at first, not knowing how to react. Then he bowed slightly in thanks, which earned another sigh from Arlecchino.
"No need to be so tense, Lyney. There are no missions to worry about, and during the funeral, my fellow Harbingers were civil. Let's go enjoy the company of the others, hm? We are at home, after all," Father stated, gesturing to his siblings, who were waiting for the two.
Looking at his family, Lyney couldn't help but feel a little warm. Arlecchino's words put him at ease. Now that he knew Father was likely gentle at heart, he felt calm. Lyney didn't know what would come, but worries didn't prepare him for the future- they only ruined the present.
"... You're right. Thank you, and welcome home, Father."