Chapter 5: A Month Later
"Finally!"
Osha shouted with pure delight as he practically flopped onto the plush, cozy bed. His entire body seemed to melt into the soft mattress, his tail flicking lazily behind him as he buried his face into the pillow.
"Heh… I'm starting to like this place."
He chuckled to himself, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling with a satisfied grin.
"Sorry, Roach… looks like your old man's moving up in the world. No more sleeping on scratchy hay bales or fighting the rats for space in the stables. It's nothing but soft pillows, feathered quilts, and proper mattresses from now on!"
A whole month had passed since the day he'd been sold into this house, and surprisingly, things had taken a turn for the better. Lady Shuri, who at first seemed like a cruel noblewoman eager to humiliate him, had gradually taken a liking to him. Whether it was because of his obedience, his iced tea, or his desperate attempts to stay alive and useful, she'd finally granted him a proper room of his own.
Sure, the collar was still firmly around his neck, a constant reminder that he was considered property more than a person in this place, but for now, he wasn't about to complain.
"This isn't too bad after all…"
Osha muttered, stretching his arms above his head.
"Guess being a cupbearer has its perks. Who knew iced tea could be the key to survival in high society?"
He grinned as he remembered how Lady Shuri would now request his drinks personally, and even let him serve them to visiting nobles. It was a small thing, but it kept him alive, fed, and apparently, steadily rising in the household's pecking order.
"Now… I just need to earn enough money to get out of here and finally explore Teyvat on my own! Yeah…"
His voice trailed off a little as the reality of his situation dawned on him once more.
"…About that earning money part… since I'm technically still just property and all."
Osha sighed and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling again.
"But hey! Free food, no taxes, and a roof over my head. That's gotta count for something, right?"
With a chuckle, he turned onto his side, tail lazily flicking under the blanket as his eyes began to close.
"Just one step at a time, Osha… One step at a time…"
'A month has passed, huh?'
Osha thought to himself as he lay sprawled across the bed, eyes tracing the intricate patterns carved into the ceiling.
'Frankly, I thought it would only take a week before I got sold off to someone else again… Guess I underestimated my own ability to survive in a noble's estate.'
In that time, he'd managed to learn quite a few things about his new surroundings, useful bits of information he carefully filed away in the back of his mind.
For one, Lady Shuri wasn't just some random noblewoman with a sharp tongue and a fondness for iced tea. No, she was a Marchioness of House Lorraine, a name that, as far as Osha could remember, had never been mentioned in any of the lore dumps, character stories, or in-game texts of Genshin Impact.
'I don't think House Lorraine was ever a thing in the game… or maybe it was one of those obscure background details nobody paid attention to. Either way, noted.'
He also learned that Lady Shuri had a rather… particular weekend habit. She would often leave the estate to attend trials at the Opera Epiclese, taking a boat and a small entourage with her. More importantly, she had once casually mentioned being a friend of Furina, the Hydro Archon herself.
But in the entire month Osha had been here, Furina had never once visited.
That detail made something click in his head.
'I think I've finally started to piece it together… I'm not in the current timeline of Genshin. I'm still years in the past, before the main story events even begin!'
Navia, being a kid and her father, Callas Caspar, was still very much alive, the Fontaine Research Institute hadn't gone up in flames yet, and on top of that, Osha had gathered the courage to ask Lady Shuri if Furina had a personal bodyguard. The response had been a dismissive
"No, why would she?"
'Which means… Chlorinde hasn't become a champion duelist yet either.'
The realization left him both relieved and uneasy. Relieved because it meant he still had time, time to prepare, time to figure out a way to survive the chaos to come. But uneasy, because it also meant he was utterly alone in a version of Teyvat that hadn't yet been shaped by the events he knew by heart.
'I don't know how I ended up here, or what I'm supposed to do… but if I play my cards right, maybe, just maybe, I can carve out a life for myself before the storm hits.'
With a quiet sigh, Osha closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift, the knowledge he'd gathered settling in like pieces of a puzzle he was far from finishing.
'I want to save both Furina and Focalors... I can't stand her crying, and I can't stand Focalors sacrificing herself! I cried when I played the Fontaine Storyline! I can't believe the people would turn their backs on Furina so quickly!'
Osha's thoughts.
"Osha!"
A loud call and a knock on the door made Osha's ears perk up and her eyes open.
"The Mistress is calling you!"
"Here we go again..."
Osha muttered before getting up and straightening his uniform.
'Oh, right, if I'm still years in the past, is Arlecchino not a Harbinger and Father of the House of Hearth yet? Eh, I don't think I'm gonna be sold to that place anyway, because I have my uses now!'
Osha thought before exiting the door.
'Even if that evil woman, Crucabena, is still in charge, Lady Shuri would never sell me to her like she said when I first arrived here! I'm her cupbearer, and she loves my iced tea!'
Osha thought with a nod, confident Lady Shuri would never sell him, never!
"Let's just get this over with. Maybe Oval still has some sandwiches left later."
Osha exited his room after straightening his uniform, his tail instinctively reaching back to close the door behind him.
He yawned softly as he made his way toward Shuri's office. Lately, his duties around the household had expanded beyond simply washing and cleaning the horses (the Roaches), as he called them. He had begun helping with various chores instead, often running small favors for the household's head chef, Oval.
Osha was especially grateful that she was a Melusine, their naturally kind nature never failed to show. More often than not, she would reward his help with a freshly made sandwich, something he quietly looked forward to every day.
"Well… here I am, again…"
Osha gulped. His ears drooped low, and his heart always seemed to beat a little faster whenever he stood at the doorstep of Shuri's office. Even after a month, he still wasn't used to her piercing stares and stern attitude.
"Hopefully her visitor didn't bring a kid again."
He muttered under his breath.
"They always yank my tail, and I can't do anything about it…"
With one last deep breath, Osha opened the door and stepped inside.
"Excuse me, I have ar- Hm?!"
His words died instantly as his mouth snapped shut. Four people were in the room, yet only two bothered to look at him when he entered the office. One had reddish-pink hair and regarded him with a calm, almost neutral expression. Both were standing on the sides, while another lady on the couch was chatting with Shuri. The other one on the side had white hair streaked with black, looked at him with a stoic expression, and those eyes…
Osha recognized them immediately. Arlecchino… or rather, Peruere.
He gulped, sweat already beginning to form on his forehead.
'I recognize her! But who… who is that kid?'
Osha's gaze shifted back to the girl with reddish-pink hair, a mental red arrow and circle practically forming in his mind as curiosity and nervousness quickly set in.
'Wait, I recognize her too, Cler-'
"Boy, don't just stand there. You know what to do."
Shuri's voice immediately snapped Osha back to reality. She didn't even bother looking up, her attention still fixed on her guest, who Osha sincerely hoped wasn't the person he was thinking of.
"Y-yes, my Lady!"
Immediately, Osha moved to the side to prepare his iconic iced tea. His hands were slightly shaking, though he tried his best to hide it. Part of him wanted to turn around and sneak a glance at who exactly Shuri was speaking with.
"I'll help!"
The girl with the reddish-pink hair quickly stepped beside him, already arranging the glasses and carefully placing ice into each one.
"Oh, uh, thanks, miss…"
Osha glanced at her briefly before returning his focus to mixing the drink.
"Mm."
Clervie simply hummed in response as she continued helping.
'She's still alive, huh… and she looks about fourteen or fifteen, and tall, too. Well, I'm still eight in this body. I wonder when Arle is going to- wait! Why am I thinking about her death when she's right beside me?!'
Osha shook his head to dispel such thoughts. He carefully poured the mixture into each cup, finishing them off by placing a slice of lemon on the rim of every glass. Once done, he arranged the drinks neatly onto a silver platter.
Unexpectedly, Clervie reached for it first, almost taking the tray to deliver the drinks herself.
"I'll take it from here, thank you."
Osha said quickly, gently taking the silver platter from her hands.
"Oops, sorry."
Clervie simply smiled, folding her hands together as she stepped back.
Osha walked toward the table where Shuri was speaking with her guest.
'Please don't be her… please don't be her…'
The thought repeated in his mind as he carefully set the silver platter down on the table. He glanced toward the other side...
"Mm?!"
It was her. Crucabena, the previous Knave. And worse, their eyes met for a brief moment. Osha immediately turned his head away, hastily placing the glasses down with trembling hands before giving a quick bow, already eager to leave the room as fast as possible.
"Nyah!"
His tail was suddenly yanked.
"Are you forgetting something, boy?"
Shuri finally looked at Osha, her gaze fixed firmly on him.
"Y-yes, My Lady?"
Osha slowly turned back, carefully avoiding looking in Crucabena's direction.
"Aren't you forgetting something? You're making it look like I don't value the others, dear."
Shuri's voice was calm, yet carried a clear hint of reprimand. Following her gaze, Osha looked down at the table, and immediately realized his mistake.
There were only two glasses of iced tea placed neatly before Shuri and her guest.
His ears twitched in alarm as understanding hit him. In his nervousness, he had completely forgotten about Peruere and Clervie.
"I-I'll make some right away!"
Osha quickly hurried back to prepare more iced tea, moving faster than before as he mixed the drink and filled two more glasses. Moments later, he returned and carefully handed them to Clervie and Peruere.
"Mm! This is good!"
Clervie said brightly, taking a large gulp of the iced tea without hesitation.
"…"
Peruere, on the other hand, only took a small sip. Her expression remained stoic, unreadable as ever. After a brief pause, she quietly handed her cup over to Clervie, perhaps finding it a little too sweet for her taste.
Osha then just stood at the side, hopefully not getting noticed by Crucabena.
'I wonder what they're talk-'
"How much for the kitten, Shuri?"
Crucabena's voice cut cleanly through Osha's thoughts.
"He's not for sale. He's my cupbearer, Bena. I believe he'd be far more useful holding a brush for horses than a sword."
Shuri said this with a faint smile, casually taking a sip of her iced tea.
'Yes, tell her that! I am indeed more useful scrubbing horses than being forced to fight other children to the death!
'…Did she just call Crucabena, Bena?'
Osha remained still, silently watching as the two women continued their discussion, one casually asking about buying him, the other refusing just as calmly, while he stood there, painfully aware that the conversation was about him.
"I wouldn't be interested if he were normal, yes, but he clearly isn't. He would be far more useful to me than simply serving you iced tea. Though I will admit… it is quite refreshing."
Crucabena said this as she finished the last of her drink.
'Hey! Clervie! Go tell your mother it's not normal to buy children!'
Osha practically screamed inside his head as he glanced toward Clervie, who only waved at him cheerfully and smiled, completely unaware of his internal panic.
"Is there more where that came from, dear?"
Crucabena lifted her empty cup slightly, clearly expecting a refill.
"Yes…"
Osha stepped forward and carefully refilled her glass. Behind Crucabena, Shuri watched the scene quietly, her gaze lingering on Osha as if already calculating what his price might be.
"Say, child… do you have a dream?"
Crucabena asked, offering him a gentle smile, one that felt far too tender to be genuine.
"A dream…? Well, I want to meet Lady Furina."
Osha replied, still confused as to why this woman seemed so interested in buying him in the first place.
"A very predictable, yet splendid dream for a child. I happen to be a friend of Furina. I suppose you would like to become a knight in shining armor for her someday, yes?"
Crucabena smiled at him again, another soft, carefully crafted smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
'Yeah… I highly doubt you even know Furina.'
Osha kept his expression polite, though his thoughts firmly refused to believe that someone like this tyrant could truly be a friend of Furina.
"I happen to run an orphanage filled with children who have dreams similar to yours. Every child deserves to see their dreams become reality, and I can clearly see that you want yours to come true, yes? So, child… would you like to join our family?"
Crucabena spoke gently, though there was an unmistakable weight behind her words. It was obvious she wouldn't take rejection kindly.
'Augh… she's obviously not going to like my answer…'
Osha thought nervously.
"I'm sorry, but I already have this place as my home."
'Home? Yeah, right… big words for a pet.'
Osha added silently to himself.
Behind Crucabena, Shuri's lips curled into a faint smile upon hearing Osha call the household his home.
In Osha's mind, a vein practically appeared on Crucabena's forehead. She clearly hadn't liked his answer, yet her smile never faded.
"Shuri."
She turned back toward Shuri, not even acknowledging Osha anymore.
"You heard it from him, Bena."
Shuri replied, still smiling faintly. Was she… actually proud that Osha had called the mansion his home?
"Then perhaps a bargain."
Crucabena said smoothly, changing tactics as she placed a small open box onto the table. Inside rested a softly glowing gemstone.
'Is that a…?'
Osha's eyes widened slightly. Yep, it was a Delusion. A Hydro one, to be exact.
Shuri picked it up and examined it closely, turning it in her hand as its glow reflected in her eyes.
"Hmm…"
She pondered for a moment, briefly glancing at Osha before her gaze returned to the Delusion.
"…Deal."
'ARE YOU FU-