diff --git a/packages/cultmesh-ts/test/interop/cultmesh-quic-peer.ts b/packages/cultmesh-ts/test/interop/cultmesh-quic-peer.ts
index 241514a6..aadd1265 100644
--- a/packages/cultmesh-ts/test/interop/cultmesh-quic-peer.ts
+++ b/packages/cultmesh-ts/test/interop/cultmesh-quic-peer.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@
 // `WaitForFirstConnectionAsync`, since a broadcast to nobody would otherwise
 // silently no-op), then broadcasts `--frames` frames at `--delivery` with
 // `--interval-ms` between them, watching stdin for EOF as its own shutdown
-// signal like the C# peer's `WatchStdinCloseAsync`.
+// signal like the C# peer's `WatchStdinCloseAsync`. `--linger-ms` (default 0)
+// keeps the listener open that long after broadcasting finishes, so the
+// harness can dial a peer late and exercise Cut C's retained-state seed
+// instead of the provider always tearing down the moment it is done sending.
 //
 // Neither mode imports `cultmesh-ts` itself (the harness drives processes,
 // and the dependency direction is `cultmesh-ts` -> `cultnet-ts`, never the
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ async function serveAsync(args: Map<string, string>): Promise<void> {
   }
   const delivery = deliveryArg as CultMeshRealtimeDelivery;
   const intervalMs = optionalIntArg(args, "interval-ms", 50);
+  const lingerMs = optionalIntArg(args, "linger-ms", 0);
   const port = optionalIntArg(args, "port", 0);
 
   const provider = await CultMeshQuicRealtimeProvider.listen({
@@ -129,6 +133,7 @@ async function serveAsync(args: Map<string, string>): Promise<void> {
       writeLog("quic-realtime-serve", { sent: sequence, hex: Buffer.from(encodeRealtimeFrame(frame)).toString("hex") });
       if (intervalMs > 0) await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, intervalMs));
     }
+    if (lingerMs > 0 && !stopped) await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, lingerMs));
   } finally {
     provider.dispose();
     // Mirrors the C# peer returning from `QuicRealtimeServeAsync`: once
diff --git a/packages/cultnet-ts/test/interop/cultnet-interop.test.ts b/packages/cultnet-ts/test/interop/cultnet-interop.test.ts
index c90a7e0c..756ef97d 100644
--- a/packages/cultnet-ts/test/interop/cultnet-interop.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cultnet-ts/test/interop/cultnet-interop.test.ts
@@ -506,6 +506,74 @@ test("CultMesh QUIC realtime: TypeScript provider and C# native connector (the U
   assert.doesNotMatch(stdout, /Skipped:\s*1/, `the env var should have made the test run, not skip.\n${stdout}`);
 });
 
+// Cut C headline: a late-joining C# native connector receives the TS
+// provider's retained frame. The TS provider's own trigger peer (a `dial`
+// subprocess, needed only because the provider waits for a first connection
+// before it broadcasts anything) receives every frame and disconnects before
+// the native connector dials, so nothing here is a live retransmission: only
+// Cut C's retained seed can deliver a frame to the late C# connector.
+test("CultMesh QUIC realtime: a late-joining C# native connector receives the retained frame from a TypeScript provider", async (t) => {
+  if (process.platform !== "win32") {
+    t.skip("The native connector is Windows-only; this lane runs on Windows.");
+    return;
+  }
+  if (!process.env.CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR) {
+    t.skip("CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR is not set to a built native bridge.");
+    return;
+  }
+  logInteropPhase("quic-provider-retention", "build the typescript quic peer");
+  await buildCultMeshTsQuicPeer();
+
+  const servers: RunningServeProcess[] = [];
+  t.after(async () => {
+    for (const server of servers) {
+      server.child.stdin?.end();
+      server.child.kill();
+    }
+    await delay(processCleanupTimeoutMs);
+  });
+
+  logInteropPhase("quic-provider-retention", "start the typescript QUIC provider");
+  servers.push(await spawnServeProcess("ts-quic-provider-retention", {
+    command: process.execPath,
+    args: [
+      cultMeshQuicPeerScript,
+      "serve",
+      "--frames", "3",
+      "--delivery", "latest-only",
+      "--interval-ms", "20",
+      "--linger-ms", "60000",
+    ],
+    cwd: cultMeshTsRoot,
+    env: { CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR: process.env.CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR ?? "" },
+    stdin: "pipe",
+  }));
+  const ready = (await servers[servers.length - 1].ready) as { status: string; endpoint: string };
+  assert.equal(ready.status, "ready");
+
+  logInteropPhase("quic-provider-retention", "trigger peer receives every frame, then disconnects");
+  const trigger = await runJsonCommand("ts-quic-dial-trigger", process.execPath, [
+    cultMeshQuicPeerScript,
+    "dial",
+    "--endpoint", ready.endpoint,
+    "--expect", "3",
+  ], cultMeshTsRoot, { CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR: process.env.CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR ?? "" });
+  assert.equal(trigger.frames.length, 3);
+
+  logInteropPhase("quic-provider-retention", "dotnet test: the native connector dials late, after the trigger peer is gone");
+  const { stdout } = await runDotnetTestFilter(
+    quicNativeTestsProject,
+    "NativeConnectorReceivesTheRetainedFrameWhenJoiningLate",
+    {
+      CULTMESH_NATIVE_EXTERNAL_ENDPOINT: ready.endpoint,
+      CULTMESH_NATIVE_EXTERNAL_EXPECTED_PAYLOAD: "frame-3",
+    },
+  );
+  assert.match(stdout, /Test Run Successful\./);
+  assert.match(stdout, /Passed:\s*1/, `expected exactly one passed test.\n${stdout}`);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(stdout, /Skipped:\s*1/, `the env vars should have made the test run, not skip.\n${stdout}`);
+});
+
 test("CultMesh QUIC realtime: TypeScript provider and C# managed connector, with golden bytes", async (t) => {
   if (!process.env.CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR) {
     t.skip("CULTMESH_QUIC_NATIVE_DIR is not set to a built native bridge.");
diff --git a/tests/GameCult.Mesh.Quic.Native.Tests/CultMeshNativeQuicRealtimeTransportTests.cs b/tests/GameCult.Mesh.Quic.Native.Tests/CultMeshNativeQuicRealtimeTransportTests.cs
index e56b7c2e..4ab27191 100644
--- a/tests/GameCult.Mesh.Quic.Native.Tests/CultMeshNativeQuicRealtimeTransportTests.cs
+++ b/tests/GameCult.Mesh.Quic.Native.Tests/CultMeshNativeQuicRealtimeTransportTests.cs
@@ -35,6 +35,36 @@ public sealed class CultMeshNativeQuicRealtimeTransportTests
         frame.Payload.Should().NotBeEmpty();
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Cut C's headline cross-process proof: the harness lets the external
+    /// TypeScript provider finish broadcasting and disconnect its trigger peer
+    /// <i>before</i> this test dials, so nothing is retransmitted live. If a
+    /// frame arrives at all here, it can only be the provider's retained seed;
+    /// this test also checks the retained frame's own payload, so a
+    /// regression that seeds a stale generation (not just no seed) is caught
+    /// too.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Test]
+    public async Task NativeConnectorReceivesTheRetainedFrameWhenJoiningLate()
+    {
+        var endpoint = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("CULTMESH_NATIVE_EXTERNAL_ENDPOINT");
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(endpoint))
+            Assert.Ignore("Set CULTMESH_NATIVE_EXTERNAL_ENDPOINT to exercise the late-join retention lane.");
+        var expectedPayload = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("CULTMESH_NATIVE_EXTERNAL_EXPECTED_PAYLOAD");
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(expectedPayload))
+            Assert.Ignore("Set CULTMESH_NATIVE_EXTERNAL_EXPECTED_PAYLOAD to the retained frame's expected payload text.");
+
+        var connector = new CultMeshNativeQuicRealtimeTransportConnector();
+        using var client = await connector.ConnectAsync(
+            new CultMeshTransportCandidate(endpoint!),
+            new CultMeshSessionTarget("aetheria", "aetheria.local"));
+        using var timeout = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10));
+        var frame = await client.ReceiveAsync(timeout.Token);
+
+        frame.Delivery.Should().Be(CultMeshRealtimeDelivery.LatestOnly);
+        System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(frame.Payload.ToArray()).Should().Be(expectedPayload);
+    }
+
     [Test]
     public async Task NativeConnectorAuthenticatesAndReceivesLatestOnlyFrame()
     {