The Arcana One Shots

♢Kid!MC X Lucio - Don't Worry, I've Got You♢

"No! Wait!" MC cried, beginning to fun after the kitten.

MC didn't get very far as they ran headfirst into something rather hard.

"Oof!" The exclaimed as they fell to the floor.

The child looked up to be met with the disapproving gaze of a man dressed to the nines in the finest furs and silks - Count Lucio himself.

Frightened, the child scrambled backwards and stood, running to hid behind their parents' backs.

Lucio said nothing and strode into the tent, looking around him.

"My, my, what a shabby little tent. Pity," he commented.

"Now, you are the LN's correct?" He asked.

"Yes, we are, your excellency" P1 answered, feigning confidence.

"Well then, you should know today is the collection day from that gracious loan I gave you five years ago, to the day," he stated, looking over the couple.

"Yes, we are aware..." P2 began.

"Let me guess," Lucio interrupted. "You don't have the money? I can tell just by the state of things. I should've known," he said with a look of annoyance and disgust. "Tell me, just how much of your debt do you have prepared, hmm?"

P1 reaches for the coin bag and shakily hands it over to the Count.

He takes one look inside the bag and shakes his head.

"You are aware that this is maybe one-fifth of your debt, correct?"

"Yes, your excellency, we are aware. We are terribly sorry, these last few years have not been kind to us. Is there anything we could do to make up for the difference?"

Lucio was in no particular mood to bargain. He wanted to collect and leave, no hassle. But he was not one to be cheated out of money that he was due. 

He sighed. "What could you possibly have to offer me? You have nothing. No land, no goods worth my time. And neither of you are of any use by means of skills or trades and you are far too old to learn - " Lucio paused, a smirk and a look of revelation on his face. "You may not be capable of serving me, but your child however, they would do just fine as payment."

The parents looked to each other, speechless. Their child in exchange for their debt? Absurd! But then again, what kind of life do they have here? No way to learn to read or write, no good friends. They could barely provide food and clothes. Perhaps life in service to the Count was not so bad after all... They would have a job, a place to live, food on their plate and clothes on their back.

P1 turned to their child who was still hiding behind them. 

"Honey, I know this is hard to understand, but you are going to be living at the palace and working for Count Lucio. He can give you a good place to live, good food and clothes. He can give you a better life than we can. We love you so so much, darling. We wouldn't do this if it wasn't for your best. Please remember that," they said crouching down to meet their child's eyes, crying a little.

Confused, MC didn't know how to react. They only knew that their parent was upset and that made them upset too.

"Please don't make me go, I wanna stay here, I wanna live with you, I don't wanna leave, please," the child cried, throwing their arms around their parent's neck.

"You have to honey, it's for your own good. We want you to have the best life you can." P2 said, hugging both P1 and their child.

P1 set down MC and stepped back, letting Count Lucio take the child.