Whose Demon Orb Has Descended?

"Honestly, Columbina, where did you learn all these weird and wonderful things from?!"

Columbina tilted her head and answered truthfully, "A subordinate brought back light novels from Inazuma, and I caught her secretly reading them."

Sandrone paused, then whirled around, her voice rising sharply. "So you watched it with her!"

Columbina secretly took another piece of cake from the table and said earnestly, "But that book is really good..."

"Don't watch those weird things next time!"

"Okay." Columbina nodded obediently.

The soft afternoon sunlight streamed down in Fontaine. Xingsu stood at the front of the line. On both sides of the corridor, the children of the House of the Hearth were neatly lined up in two long rows, each with upright posture and eyes looking towards the entrance.

Shortly after, three Harbinger appeared from a distance.

Arlecchino entered first, her scarlet eyes sweeping over the lined-up children before gently landing on Xingsu, a hint of barely perceptible tenderness in her gaze.

Two people walked side by side with her: Columbina, in a plain white dress, and Sandrone, sitting on Pulonia's large hand.

The next moment, all the young men from the House of the Hearth bowed in unison, their synchronized voices echoing through the front courtyard:

"Welcome, Harbinger!"

Xingsu stepped forward slowly and bowed to the group.

"Arlecchino."

He then turned to the side, his gaze calm as he looked at Sandrone and Columbina, his tone polite and measured, "La Signora. Sandrone, Miss Columbina, welcome to the Hotel Bouffes d'ete."

Sandrone's gaze immediately fell on Xingsu, and he quietly looked the scholar up and down.

Columbina curiously raised her head, her gaze... perhaps fixed on Xingsu, as she sized up Arlecchino's beloved with great interest.

A faint smile appeared on Arlecchino's lips as she gestured for the children to stand up.

No need for formalities.

He then led the group into the Hotel Bouffes d'ete.

The group stepped into the Hotel Bouffes d'ete.

Inside the hall, many of the children from the House of the Hearth who had stayed behind stopped what they were doing and bowed when they saw Arlecchino return, their innocent cries of "Father" echoing throughout the room.

In response to the children's greetings, Arlecchino continued walking slowly, nodding slightly as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Amidst the orderly greetings, a clear, ethereal voice rang out without warning:

"Father."

In an instant.

All the noise in the mansion suddenly vanished.

The children, who were bowing, froze on the spot, their mouths slightly open, still in the posture of shouting;

The line of boys and the Damselette froze, their eyes all turning towards the source of the sound;

Xingsu and Arlecchino abruptly stopped in their tracks, slowly turning their heads to look at Columbina beside them with astonishment in their scarlet eyes.

Sandrone stiffened, letting out a soft "click," feeling a throbbing pain in the core of her logic. A bad feeling crept over her, and she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Columbina..."

Columbina, however, was completely oblivious to the strange and stagnant atmosphere. She looked at Arlecchino with a serious expression, as if she were simply imitating the children and doing what was perfectly normal.

The atmosphere in the room was so tense it almost seemed to freeze.

Unable to bear the attention this scene was drawing, Sandrone quickly grabbed Columbina's sleeve and whispered urgently, "Let's go, don't stand here fooling around."

Without a word, she grabbed the still bewildered the Damselette in white and quickly followed the two people ahead.

A fleeting hint of helplessness crossed Arlecchino's ears as she walked ahead. Without pausing, she quickened her pace and continued along the corridor. Xingsu walked beside her, also quickening her pace.

Many children from House of the Hearth along the way still stopped to look around, their curious gazes fixed on Columbina, who suddenly called out "Father," and whispers could be heard among them.

Columbina, still confused and being pulled along by Sandrone, muttered under her breath, "The children all call Arlecchino' Father,' is there anything wrong with me calling him that?"

"Don't ask now, I'll explain later." Sandrone had a terrible headache and just wanted to get to the conference room quickly to escape the probing gazes behind him.

Hearing the conversation behind her, Arlecchino Xingsu. The two silently shared a look that was both funny and exasperating.

The group quickly stepped into the conference room, and the heavy wooden door closed behind them, shutting out the curious gazes of the children in the corridor.

The four of them simultaneously let out a long sigh of relief, their tense nerves relaxing slightly.

Sandrone could no longer contain herself. She turned around, reached out, and gently pinched Columbina's cheek, her brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Columbina, what exactly do you want?"

Columbina's cheeks were pinched until they were slightly puffed out. She looked blankly at Sandrone, her ethereal tone full of confusion:

"I see all the children in the corridor calling Arlecchino' Father,' is there something wrong with that?"

Arlecchino leaned against the table, raised her hand to her forehead, and chuckled softly in exasperation.

Xingsu stood to the side, unable to suppress the smile on her lips, but could only turn her head to look out the window to avoid being seen by the two of them.

"That's a title only children from House of the Hearth use!" Sandrone released his grip, rubbing his forehead in a headache. "We're colleagues, Harbinger. What will people think if you call him 'father' in public?"

Columbina nodded thoughtfully, then posed another question:

"But Arlecchino is able to take care of so many children, he's gentle yet strong, isn't he a suitable father?"

Arlecchino spoke up at the right moment to defuse the situation:

"Columbina, this name carries a unique bond within the House of the Hearth. Outsiders using it rashly may easily cause misunderstandings."

"Okay." Columbina nodded obediently again.

Xingsu stepped forward, intending to change the subject and avoid dwelling on the earlier incident. However, Columbina's gaze shifted to Xingsu, her mind racing, and she earnestly posed a new question:

"The children all call Arlecchino' Father,' so what should they call Xingsu? 'Mother'?"

The meeting room fell into an instant silence as soon as he finished speaking.

Xingsu's forward step suddenly froze in mid-air, a faint blush quickly rising to the tips of her ears, and all the prepared words stuck in her throat.

Arlecchino paused, her crimson eyes meeting Columbina's serious expression. After a brief moment of surprise, a playful smile involuntarily crept onto her lips as she quietly observed the situation.

Sandrone felt a suppressed clicking sound emanating from every metal part of his body, and his voice was filled with helplessness:

"Columbina! Could you please stop asking these strange questions for now?"

Xingsu coughed lightly to calm his chaotic thoughts and explained, "Miss Columbina, although we are indeed... in that kind of relationship, she is the head of the House of the Hearth, so the children call her Father. I am only responsible for teaching the children, so they call me Mentor."

"I see, then..."

Seeing that she was clearly about to ask another unexpected question, Sandrone's heart tightened, and she interrupted her quickly, saying:

"Alright! Alright! Let's put that aside for now! We've come here specifically to investigate Wisdom Network communication technology, Columbina, please be quiet!"

"Okay." Columbina nodded obediently.