NOTE: The following content is not canon to the events of the main storyline of the fanfic. Some bits of Y/n and her mother's lore will be mentioned and are the only parts of this special chapter that is canon and relevant to the main storyline.

"Uhm... Scaramouche?"

"I know, Y/n. The doctor just sent us a child."

Having been informed of their matrimony, and the fact that Scaramouche is a puppet, Dottore made the effort to produce a puppet similar to his system as what marriage could they have if they have no child? The Balladeer is a puppet while Y/n is human. It's impossible for them to procreate.

Hence the creation of a puppet child who bears the resemblance of the Balladeer and his wife.

The puppet child indeed had an innocent appearance, but it was uncanny that she was just as beautiful as the puppet who would be her supposed father. She was almost a spitting image of Scaramouche, her hair was of the same haircut, but only longer, and her eyes were the same color and shape as Y/n's.

And not to mention, she appeared to be around three to five years old.

The married couple in question stared at the child before them, unsure of what to do with her just after they read Dottore's letter that said he sent the puppet for them to simulate themselves into the life of parenthood.

Scaramouche did at least bear prior knowledge on caring and nursing children, but as for Y/n...

She had absolutely no idea on what to really do or say to the child. Growing up without a mother, it somehow struck a chord in her, and she was worried she couldn't do a good job at all being a mother. Heck, being a decent parent altogether sounded intimidating. Fearing the possibility of failing as a parent, let alone being a mother, she couldn't handle that. This child deserved better parents.

Scaramouche notices the worry obviously being shown in her expression, slowly intertwining their fingers together and giving her hand a gentle squeeze as a way to comfort her,

"Hey... It's okay. I suppose we can learn along the way." He reassures her, smiling, "I know you will be a good mother."

"I will?"

"I just know it, Y/n." He reaffirms, turning towards the child, "Now then,"

He steps forward, kneeling down to the child puppet's height. He looked straight into her eyes as he spoke in a careful tone, "Do you know who I am?"

The puppet nods, "Mhm. You're papa."

"Good," Scaramouche praises, now pointing towards Y/n, "Do you know who she is?"

"She's Mama."

"Very good, little one." Scaramouche smiles, gently patting her on the head as a way to praise her.

The child puppet extends her arms towards Y/n, stepping forward to reach her, asking to be in her embrace,

"Mama, mama. Up, up." She begged in a monotone voice, jumping up and down.

Y/n was easily touched by the child's desire to be noticed by her, but her hesitance and raw fear of truly becoming her mother held her back. She didn't want this child to be disappointed in her. She didn't want to fail this child as her mother. And she certainly didn't want this child to feel as if her mother couldn't love her.

Loving this child is... It's such a scary thought for her. She never experienced what it was like to be raised in the guidance of a loving mother, let alone her own late mother. She was raised by her nannies and maids, yes, but they never once set an example for her as their supposed mother figure.

Well, the closest she got of such an experience was with her aunty Arle. Despite the 'father-figure' of a position she holds in the house of the hearth, she had always been motherly towards Y/n, almost as if she was indeed her own daughter.

The puppet child leans towards the now trembling human, displaying her affection for her mother,

"Mama, up."

Y/n sighs, giving in to the child's demands as she picks her up in her arms, surprised to feel her surprisingly lightweight. The child immediately clung around her, her face buried into her neck as she nestled herself in her embrace.

Scaramouche found the sight amusing, observing his 'daughter' cling to her mother for dear life,

"She seems to be attached already. Children do often run to their mothers rather than their fathers." He chuckled, approaching the duo and engulfs them both in his embrace, though Y/n is significantly taller, he still enjoyed being able to hug her close.

Y/n's face goes red like a tomato, to be showered with so much affection by her husband and their 'daughter,' it made her melt into such a blissful feeling. She could feel their touch reaching her as well as their emotions that reassured her she was doing well as a wife, and a mother.

She really hoped she could be the mother she wished her late mother could've been.

Scaramouche had been tasked to look after the child for the meantime as Y/n wanted to pay a visit to Arlecchino who was currently in Fontaine as well.

He understood his wife's maternal attachment to the Knave, though he still thinks there is some ulterior motive behind all this. He even wanted to beg his wife not to see her last night, too, but the child just had to be in the way and stop him from doing so. He even wanted to resort to sending anonymous threats, but he was also aware that he'd get caught easily. The house of the Hearth isn't the intelligence organization of the Fatui for nothing.

Hence, his current task taking place in the L/n manor whilst he handles his paperwork for today. He even borrowed his father-in-law's study room just to have the place all to himself. He may or may not have kicked him out in the process.

But he wasn't alone at all, Oh no. Remember, he was tasked to look after his daughter while his wife was away, so now he glances over to the puppet child from time to time, observing how she devoured her snacks and juice quickly, easily distracted by other things when Sadako intervened.

To be honest, he was rather grateful that Sadako volunteered to help babysit the child. Sadako is an experienced parent after all, having seven children waiting patiently for her back in Inazuma for her next quarterly vacation.

"Sadako." The puppet child speaks, turning towards the mirror maiden, "Where's mama?"

"Oh! Your mama is out for a while, but she'll be back, little one. She's probably taking so long because she wanted to buy more snacks for you!" Sadako smiles, creating a diversion out of pure desperation.

Scaramouche can also sense the desperation in Sadako's tone, remembering how she assisted him a few hours ago in calming down the puppet child. The child threw a really big tantrum when Y/n was leaving to visit Arlecchino. He could bear to spend another hour trying to calm her down.

"How about this, little one, your papa is here, so why don't you play games with him!" Sadako suggests, causing Scaramouche to turn his head towards the mirror maiden with shock.

"Play games with papa?"

"Yes, little one. Papa is here to be with you while mama is away, so why don't you give it a try?"

The puppet child turns towards her father, jumping off the couch with a small thud as she runs barefoot towards him, immediately making an attempt to climb on his lap.

Scaramouche could only watch, curious enough to see what his daughter had in mind to spend time together,

"Can I go out with papa?" The child asks, tilting her head, "I want to see the butterflies mama showed me last time in the greenhouse."

That's all? Scaramouche sighs as he scoops up the child into his hold as he stood from his chair, walking towards the door,

"Sadako," He turns towards the mirror maiden, "Do have the soldiers stationed where they can't see us."

"Butterfly... Butterfly... Butterfly..." The puppet child chases around the abundance of butterflies in the garden that was well maintained and bred within the confines of the household's greenhouse.

The child hopped and stomped, trying to catch each of these fragile creatures as she sang a song Y/n sang to her the last time she had fun playing with the butterflies.

Scaramouche only watched her from a safe distance, observing her movements, and even her song. This child... Though only a puppet of material and system simulating similarities with Scaramouche, she seems to articulate and express the full innocence and naivety of an actual child.

But the child is yet to express more emotions, it seems. Even with the affection his wife showers her with, a single reaction that expresses joy or sorrow hasn't surfaced at all.

"Papa." The child stands before him out of the blue, "Catch me a butterfly."

"Do you want to keep one?"

"No. They keep flying away from me."

"That's because you're chasing them."

"I'm not. I just want to hold them."

Scaramouche sighs, unable to decipher what was going through this child's head. She was just as odd as he was when he used to be... just like her.

He could truly see the fool that he once was inside her, the foolish puppet who onced thrusted his whole being into the lives of humans whose very same lives were eventually taken from them. He would not want a repetition of that past ever again.

Especially with Y/n. He doesn't wish for those past events to repeat itself. He can't lose her to that bastard again. He just can't.

He already lost her once, he can't afford to lose her again-

"Papa? Are you listening?" The puppet child pouts, tugging on his finger, "I want a butterfly."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Scaramouche sighed for the nth time today. His patience with his new daughter is already running thin,

"I'll have someone catch you a butterfly, okay? How about we rest for a while, hm? You've been running around for quite some time now."

"Okay." The child was easily persuaded, extending her arms, reaching to him,

"Up, up." She bounces.

Lifted up from the ground, she immediately hugs her father, easily nestled in his hold as she yawns, rubbing her eyes closed and slowly drifting off to peaceful slumber.

"Well, that was easy." Scaramouche shrugged, turning to head back inside the manor.

He had been patient about leaving the greenhouse. The flowers that were cultivated here were mostly native to Inazuma, and the fact these were all maintained by the late mistress of the L/n manor added more depth to the lore of these flowers being able to survive in the conditions they are in.

Seeing these flowers, he could see how much Y/n's mother cherished them. Each patch of flowers had a poem written by her. And all those poems were dedicated to her unborn child at the time.

Y/n's mother, Kinako, planted all these flowers and wrote poems in preparation for her passing once she gave life to her on that fateful day, and dedicated them all to her and her birth.

It was such a scary thought how an expecting mother could meticulously plan such things all for her impending death. She knew the consequences it would bring to leave her daughter in the care of her grieving husband, and yet she remained calm, confident that the child will live on to have a happy life with or without her.

But alas, Y/n did meet a cruel fate under her father's care.

That was until she got married.

Smirking at the thought that he, was the one who brought happiness to Y/n. He couldn't be more smug that he could ever. He still remembers how he rubbed into Pantalone's face that he was happily married unlike him and Signora. Their marriage was contractual, but his and Y/n's was genuine and out of ther love for one another. He might as well be the new Cryo archon to properly represent the 'God of love' title.

Scaramouche held back a snicker, entering the manor where he would coincidentally meet his wife,

"Ah, welcome home, Y/n."

"Glad to be home, Scaramouche." Y/n smiles, leaning downward to reach her husband and plant a quick kiss, "Sadako told me you took her out to the greenhouse, yes?"

"I did. She's asleep now though. All that running and jumping must've worn her out." He chuckled.

"Were you alright while I was away? I'm sorry I took so long. Aunty Arle brought me along to shop for toys for our daughter." Y/n hummed, gently caressing the child's hair.

Scaramouche takes a quick glance behind her, noticing Roxie and Garyth carrying bags and bags of toys and children's clothing. He recognized the packaging of which the clothes were stored, ao he assumed Y/n had met up with an old friend of hers who was known to be a famous seamstress.

"I'll tuck her to bed now, join me?" Scaramouche offers, smiling warmly at his wife.

"Yes." Y/n smiles back.

"Let's play... To a song, that we made..."

Scaramouche listens intently to the lullaby, observing the careful and gentle handling of his wife as she lulls their daughter to sleep.

The child, in turn, yawns, her hands grasping both of her parents' hands. Her eyes closed and her snores softly ringing, she had finally drifted off to sleep just as Y/n finished the lullaby.

"Wipe your tears... And your fears... I'll be... here..."

Scaramouche couldn't help but smile at the contentment his wife felt just to be able to cradle their daughter asleep. He shifts on his side of the bed, "Say, Y/n, have you thought of a name for her yet?"

Y/n perks up, facing her husband with a surprised expression, "Ah, you're right! We really haven't yet...!"

Her face turns red, averting her gaze down towards their child who was peacefully asleep and tenderly holding their hands,

"I was so engrossed with the events today, and... I was just so nervous about this whole parenting thing. Aunty Arle luckily gave me some advice, and-and I also got some advice from Sadako, too..."

Scaramouche chuckles, listening to her rant word for word. He always loved it whenever his wife starts ranting on even the most trivial topics. They all may seem boring, but he's always drawn to listen to her, and sometimes start a full blown discussion with her. Talking to his wife was always pleasant.

"You're already getting the hang of being a mother. I'm proud of you, Y/n."

Y/n's face had gotten even more red than it could ever, whimpering happily as she hugs their sleeping child close,

"I'm just so happy, Scara..." she smiles, tears swelling in her eyes,

"To have a child with you... it makes me very happy. Even though I didn't give birth to her, even if the doctor made her for us, I'm happy."

Scaramouche's eyes widened. To hear his wife say how happy she is... It meant so much to her. All he wanted was for his wife to be happy, even if it means he'll have to take in the child Dottore made for him and Y/n.

Happy, huh? Something clicks in his head at that moment.

"Sanyu..." he mutters, giving the child's hand a gentle squeeze, "What do you think, Y/n?"

"Sanyu...?" Y/n repeats, tilting her head. She feels a squeeze as she looks down, watching theur child smile in her sleep.

With the same sweet smile, she made her decision, "Her name will be Sanyu. Our little bundle of joy who has brought us even more happiness." She cradles their child, now named Sanyu, into her embrace, planting a kiss on her forehead,

"Let's make more happy memories, Scaramouche..."

"Of course, Y/n, we will make more happy memories." He smiles back at her, intertwining his fingers with hers,

"Let's be happy with our little Sanyu."

One day, when fate finally permits it,
Our happiness will take the form of new life

As you can see, this special is heavily inspired by that one Scaralumi fanart on twitter, and the impossible child AU of Apothecary Diaries on Tumblr.

Also,