Please note that this is not his actual lore/it is not confirmed. HOWEVER, I THINK IT IS HIGHLY PLAUSIBLE AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE SOURCE OF WHERE I FIRST HEARD THE THEORY, HERE IT IS:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Lore/comments/10ij1x9/dottores_plan_in_sumeru_was_never_commanded_by/
I don't think this is the first person who suggested something like this, but this is what I found when trying to figure out more of Scara's origins.
Okay bye!
Shortly after Scaramouche's recruitment, in the Doctor's room, Il Dottore's POV
...
"Sit down," I ordered the little navy-haired boy. His clothes were very much Inazuman style, as a puppet of the nation's archon.
And as expected of a puppet, he almost automatically obeyed. How convenient. This is bound to be a quick and easy experiment.
"I brought you here for one purpose: to see if you'll obey every word I, any of the harbingers, or Her Majesty gives. This will be essential to your acceptance for the sixth seat in the Harbingers. Understood?" I explained, getting straight to the point. I didn't have the patience or time to explain the whole thing. The Tsaritsa was expecting the new recruit very soon.
The boy's eyes flared with anger but I simply ignored him, mildly amused. For someone who joined our organization to escape from control only to submit to it without complaint immediately after is quite ironic. Perhaps it's a testament to the Raiden Shogun's excellent handiwork, making him into a servant boy of sorts. Or at least, I'm sure that's what the kid believed.
All while thinking this, I had made my way over to my cabinet filled with all sorts of vials and test tubes containing all sorts of mixtures and potions I'd made as "The Doctor." I hummed a random tune to myself while searching for the residue.
"Aha! Here it is. Now, whatever you do, do not make a single sound. Even if you're in excruciating pain you cannot scream or shout. Do I make myself clear?" I instructed, turning my face imperiously at the boy. He simply glared and nodded.
"Answer me with your words. Kunikuzushi."
His eyes widened and I merely smiled, waiting for his response.
"Yes. I'm clear."
"Good. I'll start. Open up." The short male opened his mouth semi-reluctantly and I spilled about half of the vial's contents in. "What a good little test rat. I might well keep you for longer just because it's so fun!" I laughed to myself and then stepped back to observe.
Kunikuzushi did not have time to retort to this last remark because just then, the effects of the residue started to kick in. His hands flew to his throat, gasping for air and choking, trying to find his breath. After a minute or so of unsuccessfully finding air and looking more and more like a fish out of water, much to my amusement, his eyes started bulging and were turning red from the strain of trying to live. I kicked him in the stomach, knowing that it would bring enough air to him so that if he wanted to, which was not wise, he could scream and yell enough for me or someone standing outside the room to hear.
His eyes widened with surprise and his mouth opened as if to let out a scream, but then he stopped himself. Instead, he let out a shaky breath. Then, quite interestingly, he began to quake all over and fell to the floor by my feet, gasping for air once more.
"Quiet. Take the pain and stop writhing. It makes me sick to watch you. Stop at once!"
With an obvious effort, Kunikuzushi got up to a kneeling position and tried to control his shaking and breath with surprisingly good control.
I watched him for a while longer until the shaking had completely subsided and he was almost eerily calm now. He stared back at me with loathing eyes but I was not the least bit bothered.
I clapped my hands together and brought over a treat for him to eat. "Eat this. It'll help you adjust, but the residue is in you permanently. It's a power that will allow the Tsaritsa to control your every move, whenever she wishes," I explained. With that, I dismissed him from my lab and waved goodbye, smiling.
"I hope to see you again, my favorite test rat."
Scaramouche's POV, years later, flashback to the Delusion Factory shortly after Y/N's possession (events of Chapter 17)
...
"Well done, Y/N. I'll take care of the intruders. You can go back to the room," I called, dismissing them. I didn't want them to see me, nor did I want the Traveler to see me either.
It was eerie, to say the least, to see Y/N like that, possessed and not of their own mind. That's when it clicked, I think. The experiments, the horrible pain, blank spots in my memory mysteriously filled in with random things. It was like the Doctor didn't care, carelessly shoving in false, confusing information to try and prevent me from figuring out his evil schemes.
After the Traveler passed out from her anger and smoke-induced drowsiness, the Raiden Shogun's kitsune, Yae Miko, came for negotiations. If I let Lumine go, she would give me the electro gnosis she'd been safeguarding for the Shogun. I wondered briefly if she remembered me, but if she did, she didn't say anything to indicate recognition.
Of course, as the gnosis had more value to more than the Traveler, I agreed to the deal, and the head priestess of Narukami Shrine disappeared nearly in the blink of an eye.
The fox is still as cunning and quick as ever. She knew what my mission was and used that as leverage for me to let Lumine go. Hmph. No matter. She can be left roaming around for now, but I will exterminate her as soon as I hear the word.
Thinking back on everything that happened that day, I feel something... bittersweet almost. It was like I was watching myself, broken and upset at being used. I was just like them. Wanting freedom, but somehow never being able to escape the shackles of worldly control.
So of course, as soon as I was back at the palace I confronted Il Dottore. He was as annoying as usual, greeting me with a fake, wide smile.
"Ah! My little test rat! My favorite guinea pig!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms out in a weak attempt at a hug. He knew I hated physical contact of any sort and did this on purpose every time I saw him.
"Save it. I remember now. I want my memories back. Now." I stated flatly, glaring at the 2nd Fatui Harbinger as menacingly as possible. The frustrating thing was that Il Dottore was one of the three people who were not in the least intimidated by me.
"Ahaha, so I see you've finally figured out. Took you long enough, though it's not any fault of yours! I was just too meticulous about it!"
"You call 'meticulous' memories of talking with you, getting lectured about loyalty to Snezhnaya and the Tsaritsa, then dreaming of flying horses, beautiful landscapes, babies, couples in love sharing ice cream? Seriously?" I scoffed. "I didn't even feel a drop of emotion to any of that. You know I can't feel. I'm a puppet."
"You're wrong!" Dottore said annoyingly cheerfully. "You feel pain, resentment towards me I'd reckon, and probably most surprising of all, sympathy for someone other than yourself. You're such a selfish little critter, selfish but so obedient, that I never thought you'd be so soft, especially someone with a low rank, so insignificant in your eyes. Y/N, right?"
"...So what. I'll ask again, 'Doctor,' give me my memories back," I said through gritted teeth.
He tilted his head to the side and replied, "But do you actually want to remember? Why? Why relive all that when you can have blissful memories. Fake, yes, maybe even strange or insane, but it'll hide the truth. Truth is a very dangerous, powerful thing. That's why it took me such hard work to meddle with it to fill the blank spots in your brain."
"I don't care. Give it back."
"Alright then, suit yourself."
He walked over to his cabinet, grabbed a vial the same color as his hair, a neonish turquoise, and I automatically opened my mouth. I felt the cold, weird substance hit my tongue with an explosion of sourness. I swallowed it with some difficulty, but eventually, it was over. The memories, real ones, came rushing in all at once.
He was right. There's so much pain. I want to go back, but I'm not going to let him use me anymore. I will not be a puppet, even though I am made to be one. I've had enough of being used.
I got ahold of myself a lot easier than I'd expected, probably from all the torture I'd been through all these past years and got to my feet. I hadn't realized I'd dropped to the floor from the overload of memories.
Without another word, I simply walked to the door, wanting to get away from the room with so many bad memories as soon as possible. I was stopped by the cold, self-entitled voice of the 2nd Harbinger.
"Now, where do you think you're going? You haven't even properly thanked me yet."
I laughed mockingly. "I'm never going to thank you for returning what's mine anyway."
And with that, I turned my back on him and walked away, sure I'd never be back again for another horrible test.
How wrong I was.