7 Chapter 7: Useless Convincing

"It fits perfectly, puddin'. Your size is just as I remembered!"

After Harley Quinn returned, she brought a new set of clothes for Jekyll. Finally, after reincarnating to this world, Jekyll dressed decently for the first time, feeling much more settled.

The clothes surprisingly fit well. Although they looked a bit like a comedian's attire, Jekyll had no major complaints.

When he emerged from the bathroom in his new attire, he noticed Harley had changed back to her original style from their first meeting: colorful tank top, hot pants, and meticulously applying makeup in front of a small mirror.

"I brought pizza for you. I have to go out again shortly, but when I come back, we can cuddle, sweetie."

Sensing that Harley Quinn had no intention of letting him go, Jekyll's heart sank. He decided to cut to the chase and not beat around the bush any longer.

"Miss Harley Quinn, I'll be straightforward. My name is Jekyll, and I am not the Joker you know. While I'm grateful for you rescuing me last night, I'm also about to leave."

Harley paused, pouting and looking at Jekyll with a somewhat displeased expression.

"Jekyll? Puddin', why say such heartless words? I've never forgotten your face. The moment I saw you, I knew you were back."

"I've seen your scrapbook. It clearly states that the Joker was killed by Batman, and it involves you, Harley. You should also know I'm not the Joker."

Jekyll interrupted Harley and lifted the scrapbook in his hand.

Harley's expression changed dramatically. She quickly snatched the scrapbook back, hugging it tightly to her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she appeared genuinely pitiful.

"So, you still haven't forgiven me, darling. Three years ago, Gordon and that bad bat tricked me. But I knew if they could fool me once, they could fool me again. They were lying when they said you were dead. The proof is that you're here alive and well."

Harley's sorrowful appearance seemed genuine; she genuinely believed him to be the resurrected Joker. Jekyll couldn't help but soften a bit, his tone becoming calmer.

"My resemblance to the Joker might be due to other reasons, but I can assure you, I am not the Joker. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Miss Harley Quinn."

Upon hearing Jekyll's words, Harley lowered her head, rubbing her eyes, seemingly contemplating something.

"I understand, Mr. Jekyll. You're not the Joker, just an exact clone of the Joker, right?"

Jekyll's face brightened, nodding eagerly.

"Yes! Harley, you understand—"

"But this disguise isn't enough, dear. You also have to explain to others why, as a clone, you have the same intelligence and knowledge as an ordinary person when you've just been born. Are you going to use a learning device as an excuse? That reason is pretty lame, or perhaps the reason could be that your body was possessed by a soul from somewhere? But that sounds too fantastical."

Seeing Harley playfully wink at him, Jekyll was momentarily stunned.

"I understand what you mean. You want to return to Gotham with a brand-new identity, just like you used Jack Napier and Arthur Fleck as aliases before."

Harley tossed the scrapbook aside, quickly approached Jekyll in three swift steps, grabbed his hand, and looked up at him with shining eyes.

"Regardless of your new identity, whether it's the Joker or Jekyll, what remains unchanged is that you will always be the person I love the most—so please don't leave me again, my puddin'."

Finally comprehending, Jekyll realized that this woman had already assumed him to be equivalent to the Joker, and no matter how he explained, she couldn't accept it.

With a light sigh, Jekyll gently pulled his hand away from Harley's grasp and headed toward the door.

"Alright, it's up to you, Harley. But I'm leaving here now. I just want a peaceful life and don't want to get involved in anything dangerous anymore."

Suddenly, Jekyll felt slender fingers grab the back of his neck, and he was forcefully yanked backward, crashing heavily onto the sofa before he could react.

"Cough, what's happening—ugh!"

Before Jekyll could figure out the situation, he felt something heavy pressing down on him, and a fragrance surrounded him.

"No, puddin'. Absolutely, positively, you cannot leave here, not a step. I'll agree to whatever you want me to do, but you have to stay here for this period."

Harley's forceful tone sharply contrasted with her soft body pressing against Jekyll. He met her gaze, which conveyed unwavering determination and a hint of pleading.

Knock, knock, knock.

At that moment, a loud knocking echoed from the door, accompanied by the snarling sound of the guard "dog".

"Hey! Don't bite me! Ahem! Everyone's almost gathered; the meeting can start!"

A voice came from outside the door. Harley swiftly covered Jekyll's mouth with her soft palm to prevent him from making any noise, then maintained her position, suppressing Jekyll while loudly responding.

"Okay, I'll be out in a minute—Dinah seems to be at the nearby dessert shop. Please go and bring her over."

The person outside seemed to have left, prompting Harley to release the hand covering Jekyll's mouth, looking apologetically at him.

"Sorry, dear, I can't let anyone know you're here for now. But soon, once I've killed that bastard, you'll be free."

Jekyll frowned. Before he could inquire further, there was a clear clinking sound, and his wrist felt the cold touch of metal.

Turning his head, he realized that Harley had cuffed his hand to the table leg with handcuffs.

As Harley got up from Jekyll's side, her graceful figure moved towards the door, picking up a baseball bat leaning against the wall on the way.

"Wait, Harley, what do you mean by kill? And please, release me, Harley!"

However, Harley Quinn didn't respond to Jekyll's pleas. Instead, she blew him a kiss, opened the iron door, left the room, and the sound of locking echoed as she locked the door behind her.

Jekyll lay on the couch, letting out a long sigh. He had hoped that many issues would be resolved when Harley returned, but the situation had only become more complicated.

Most importantly, Harley had just mentioned "murder" related to him. The phrase, spoken by the Joker's associate, didn't seem like a joke at all.

Although the situation was unclear, one thing was evident to Jekyll—if Harley committed a crime at this moment, there was no way he, living in her house, wouldn't be implicated.

Jekyll focused, and in the next moment, he disappeared from the couch, reappearing free from the handcuffs, standing beneath the part of the ceiling where the wooden board was nailed.

Raising his head, he gazed silently at the spot where the wooden board was nailed, simultaneously giving his hand a slight shake, conjuring a gleaming sharp dagger.

"Sorry, Harley, but I'm leaving this room right now."

°°°

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