You've never felt happier to be basking in the warm sunlight after escaping from that ghoulish building you've been staying in. You spent around ten minutes walking down the long corridors and opening the incorrect doors before finally finding the building's main entrance... or is it exit in this case? As you can see, your sense of direction was completely out of whack.

After successfully finding your way outside the maze-like interior of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour, you were greeted by two people. At first, they seemed to be a little bit shocked from seeing you in regular clothes rather than your original Fatui uniform but they welcomed you regardless.

"Goodmorning!" Paimon waved excitedly, flailing her arms in the air.

Lumine grinned cheerfully as well, "I'm glad to see that you're alright, [Y/N]. I was afraid that we would have to pry open a coffin just in case you were buried by accident... Hu Tao tends to get too excited about her business."

You felt a crooked smile run along your lips as you waved your hand to dismiss the Traveller's assumption, "Director Hu Tao is a great hostess...! I'm just grateful she's allowing me to stay with her regardless of my military background... ahaha..."

"Well then, it's great news to know that both of you are getting along." Lumine turned on her heels and motioned for you to follow. "Today's schedule consists of zero battles, so you should be alright weaponless today. As promised, I will be helping you with finding a cure for your brother's sickness. Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Chongyun are waiting for us near the main bridge into the Harbour."

There was really nothing else you could do, it wasn't like you thought for yourself either. So, without another word, you followed Lumine and Paimon.

They led the way in the left direction, nonchalantly walking past the Millelith Guards as a way to not draw attention to themselves. Children were running around in all their joy as well as street vendors trying to bring attention to the items that they were selling.

Still, you couldn't shake off the fact that the Northland Bank was quite literally on top of your head. It would be very unlucky if you were to be spotted by one of the Fatui workers there- or even Master Childe.

You looked and felt like the Snezhnayan tourist everyone said you were, this casual outfit was practically the perfect camouflage and almost foolproof. You swear to her majesty the Tsaritsa that you looked at some Millelith Officers dead in the eyes and they only reacted with "evil shall never prevail!" At least you didn't feel like an idiot...

After a few minutes of walking down a long, long flight of stairs, you were escorted towards the Harbour's bridge. To the left and behind a steaming food cart was the trio of best friends, they also greeted you warmly.

"Hello, my liege!" Xingqiu waved.

Xiangling was happily stirring a boiling pot, "Good morning!"

"Hey," Chongyun acknowledged your arrival, pausing his popsicle licking.

"Hi, everyone..." You replied in the strongest voice you could.

The exorcist laughed inwardly, "You look exhausted."

"That seal of protection you gave me... made me have a really weird dream..." You explained with mortification, shivering at the memory.

"Don't blame me, Fatui girl, you're the one who's sleeping on top of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour." Chongyun's lips pulled into a grin as he chewed down on the popsicle stick. "So, what's gotten you so worked up, [Y/N]? Did you dream about ghosts or something along those lines?"

You answered truthfully, "I dreamt about my boss... and it was a very disturbing dream... I don't usually get scared of harmless nightmares, but last night I couldn't help but genuinely feel terrified."

The fellow Cryo user went quiet, it seemed like he was remembering the past conversation you had with him a few days ago. That evening, alone and against the large rock, Chongyun had his questions about Scaramouche answered by the very secretary that worked for him. You were starting to think Chongyun was finally, yet slowly, understanding your relationship with the Harbinger.

"Speaking of [Y/N]'s boss..." Xingqiu pushed on the conversation, glancing at his book and then at his friends. "I have been researching all night about [Y/N]'s situation and came up with a conclusion. Throughout the early morning, Xiangling and I have been going to and fro Bubu Pharmacy collecting all kinds of ingredients to make the medication. I'm sure the Traveller can back up my claim...!"

"He's right," Lumine nodded excitedly. "He and Xiangling have been working diligently to have everything prepared as soon as possible!"

Both the chef girl and Guoba were smiling and wiping a sweatdrop from their foreheads, now placing the medication in a small pouch.

You clasped your hands together and pressed them against your chest, obviously touched by their thoughtfulness, "I can't thank you guys enough... One day, I will repay this debt... I swear..."

"Trust me, my liege, there is no need for you to repay us!" Xingqiu reassured you. "Buuut perhaps if you would be so kind as to answer a few additional questions, that would be just fine...! I sent a letter to one of my acquaintances who was relocated to Dragonspine, Mondstadt. He specializes in alchemy and told me that your case is quite the remarkable finding. His name is Albedo and he might try to contact you in the future, so remember that, [Y/N]."

"Alright...!" You made a mental note in your head. Not only were you waiting for a reply from your family but you also had to worry about receiving a letter from another stranger.

You and Lumine were offered seats next to the wooden table and both of you situated yourselves accordingly. Xingqiu stood in front of the group, notebook open as he read over the written notes. Xiangling was cleaning up her working space, yet keeping an ear open to listen to the lecture. Chongyun was leaning against the chair, already pulling out another popsicle from wherever and licking it delicately.

"Let me explain my discovery," Xingqiu suddenly became serious, his thin eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "There was a study conducted in Sumeru related to your older brother's condition. I have been reading every single research article I could find... and I believe it is important that I provide a quick lesson so we all understand the severity of it."

Everyone listened carefully.

"It's called Classical Conditioning, basic psychology." The bookworm was now in teacher mode. "It is a process that involves rewiring the test subject's behaviour. It's a learning procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus is paired with a previously neutral stimulus. That is an elementary explanation of Classical Conditioning."

Amazing... You were impressed by the Hydro user's intelligence.

"This might sound like a personal question but, [Y/N]... were you touched in any way by your boss?"

Now that you thought about it, Scaramouche was indeed a very touchy person. In the early days of your new promotion, he would be patting you on the shoulder or giving you rewarding head pats. Even before that night, Scaramouche's hands would be on your hips, tugging on your wrists, or even groping your leg in a non-sexual way. They all counted, you guessed.

"Yes..." You admitted shamefully. "My Lord Scaramouche has touched me a lot..."

There was an ill-tempered chomp from Chongyun to his popsicle.

"I see, I see..." Xingqiu nodded understandingly, using a writing utensil to take down more notes. "Let me ask you again, [Y/N]. What do you think is the unconditioned stimulus? Think about all the things Harbinger Scaramouche has repeatedly done specifically to your body."

You recalled the information Lumine told you from all those days ago when both of you first met. She told you that Childe spilled some vital information about the training techniques used on all the soldiers- regardless of status. You hated to think about it again, but if it was for the sake of curing Nikolai, you would do anything.

"Is it the Electro shocks...?" You bargained and felt your heart drop when Xingqiu nodded.

"That is possible," The young man checked off something in his notes. "How about the neutral stimulus? It should be something that your boss does repeatedly without physically touching any part of your body. Can you think of any clues as to what it could be?"

You knew the answer and you knew it well. But you didn't want to admit it. Yet, you knew you had to accept the fact that it was the only way to fix everything. As much as you wanted to mentally fight with your conscience, you didn't have all day and you felt like you were running out of time. You just wanted to go back home.

"The praises..." You answered breathlessly. "It's his... kind words... they always... shake me to the core..."

Xingqiu stared deeply at his book, "Let's look at it this way, before conditioning, the Electro touches made you have the unconditioned response of being the perfect soldier. In addition, being only told praises resulted in no conditioned response from you. Do you understand?"

"Yes... a little..."

Honestly, you're trying your best to.

"If Harbinger Scaramouche combined the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus together, we would receive an unconditioned response from you. During conditioning, he would have had to give you an Electro shock while telling you praises."

"I see..."

Still, sometimes trying your best isn't enough to please some people.

Xingqiu explained further, "Now, after what we can assume have been months or even years, the conditioning is now complete and only the conditioned stimulus would make you have a conditioned response. And with that, you became just as Harbinger Scaramouche wanted you to be."

"I'm still confused... He told me... he stopped doing that months ago...? I just don't understand... Can you explain it again...?"

Xingqiu was happy to clarify, "Think of it like a dog being face to face with a plate of Sweet Madame. The unconditioned stimulus is the food, while the dog's hunger, salivation, would be the unconditioned response. If we ring a bell in front of the dog, we would get no conditioned response because the ringing of a bell is a neutral stimulus - the dog sees it as nothing important."

"But... I've always found Lord Scaramouche's praises to be very special..."

"Or maybe," Chongyun tilted his head in disapproval. "That's what he wants you to think."

"..."

Xingqiu continued, "To condition a dog to react to the sound of a bell, you would need to combine the ring of a bell with the presence of the Sweet Madame. That way, the dog will associate the bell with the food, causing it to salivate even without the Sweet Madame."

"[Y/N]..." Xiangling wearily touched your shoulder. "Are you going to be alright...? You're turning really pale..."

"..."

"Only after conditioning, the mere sight of the bell would be enough to make the dog salivate. In this case, hearing Harbinger Scaramouche say a repeated praise would be enough to make you... obedient... It's probably something inconspicuous enough to be said without raising any suspicions... yet powerful enough to trigger a reaction from you... I wonder what kind of phrase it is..."

"I don't regret choosing you as my secretary." Scaramouche's voice was heard from behind you.

At that very moment, you knew that you and everyone around you were in terrible danger. Not only were you experiencing Scaramouche's cruel games in your dreams, but also lucidly. It was difficult to separate what was real and what wasn't real. Now, you didn't know what was a hallucination and what was not. The level of danger just increased drastically.

What was the truth? How do you distinguish reality from the twisted scenarios conjured up in your head? Unbelievably, you wanted to laugh like some kind of deranged asylum escapee. There was no way to undo this tragedy. It's pointless to undo all of Scaramouche's hard work, he'll only get angrier. Which one is the real you? What was really happening?

You could hear Scaramouche's soothing voice even though he was miles away. He visits you in your dreams, he intrudes in your general thoughts. He even has control over what you say and what you do. You're not even your own person anymore. You're just like him.

Just like Scaramouche. His other, messed up, half. No wonder why people always associate you with him. You're never seen as yourself, you're not [Y/N] to others.

Is this what Nikolai is experiencing every single day?

Lumine had a sorrowful look in her eyes when she glanced your way. With a gentle hand, she touched yours cautiously, obviously willing to comfort you.

"..."

Xingqiu sighed regretfully, "If he had stopped electrocuting you months ago, that would mean that he was confident enough that his conditioning over you was a success and Electro was no longer needed to make you submit to his every command... That Fatui Harbinger... is an evil man for doing this to you, [Y/N]..."

"..."

"But there is a way we can help cut off all conditioned stimuli from affecting your brain." Xingqiu had a hopeful smile as gestured towards Xiangling, who was holding a bowl full of red treats. "Ingesting a Pyro infused candy tablet will Overload the Electro shocks and remove the implemented stimulus from your mind."

"..."

All this time. Everything Scaramouche has done was all one big lie? He really didn't care about you at all? He just wanted an empty vessel to turn into the perfect secretary-assistant? It could have been anyone. Someone else. It just had to be you. Out of all those men and women, you won the lottery. Congratulations, everything as you know it, was destroyed beyond your control.

My brother... has been through so much pain... and I'm still failing to grasp his actual sickness... You've never felt so useless before.

The chef and her waddling sidekick retrieved the bag containing the medication and walked over to your side of the table. You already had a bad feeling swirling around in your stomach because you could almost see heat waves radiating from the food concoction.

"Here you go!" Xiangling placed it in front of you, standing back as she was full of pride. "A bag of candy based on the dish: Black-Back Perch Stew! With a bit more spiciness! Just enough to get rid of that nasty Electro sickness!"

Guoba was hopping proudly, though you're sure that the little creature had zero to no clue as to what was actually going on.

"There's a chopped up and diced Flaming Flower Stamen as well as a heavy drizzle of Pyro Shimmering Whopperflower Nectar for more boom!" Xiangling suddenly shouted which made everyone around her flinch. "Then, I mixed it with some crushed Jueyun Chilis and added a hint of Violetgrass for a more pleasant scent!"

Your eyes were as wide as saucers, now you were very worried that your tongue might melt off in the process of even chewing the treat.

"Oh, Morax..." Chongyun gagged at the sight, right away reaching for another ice-cold popsicle.

You reluctantly poked at the bag, "Are you sure ingesting these treats won't hurt my big brother Nikolai in any way? I don't want a big Overload reaction to happen to him."

"I'm sure!" Xiangling put two thumbs up which was totally reassuring to see.

Lumine felt confident as well, "Don't worry, [Y/N]! All you have to do is swallow the medicine quickly and it'll be over and done with!"

Your whole body began to tremble anxiously, "C-Can't I eat the treats with another, more edible meal...?!"

The bookworm held a hand up in refusal.

"I don't recommend it, adding another food might mess up our calculations for the perfect Overload combination. But to make you feel better, we came up with a backup plan. As an emergency coolant, we have popsicles on standby provided by dear Chongyun." Xingqiu lightly whacked the back of the exorcist's head with his book. "Stop eating them, those are for [Y/N]...!"

Rubbing his ice blue hair, Chongyun turned to you with a sympathetic look on his face, inching his chair closer to yours. His eyes shined with empathy as he reached out to you in a friendly manner. In turn, you raised an eyebrow at his odd behaviour.

"[Y/N], you don't have to eat those spicy treats... There are other ways we can do this..." Chongyun urged, holding your hand tightly. "We could have Guoba set your face on fire or ask Hu Tao to stab your head with her spear?"

You deadpanned and yanked your hand away, "Give me the medication."

Xiangling opened the pouch and took out a single Pyro candy tablet, placing it carefully into the palm of your hand. Already, you felt a terrible sweat roll down the back of your neck, just holding the medicine was making your mouth dry up. Chongyun was now inching away from you, clearly not a fan of anything Pyro-related.

"Wait a moment, I would like to give a word of warning." Xingqiu had one last thing to say. "Overloading the implemented Electro stimulus will not only remove the brainwashing but could also potentially uncover forgotten memories leading up to the exact moment the mind control was at its peak... All I want to say is... you might remember things that you won't like..."

You didn't care anymore. You were ready to know what really happened to Nikolai even if it meant reliving those painful memories. You would do anything to help him.

For even though you and your brother were only half-blood related, it was just enough to give you the strength to fight against Scaramouche.

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