Fandom The Gathering of Death Eater Children

[Hikari Chan]

"Mmm...that's why everything tastes so delicious here…" Aislinn smiled and took a sip of her chocolate milk drink.

"Since I couldn't tell you the secret behind Alastair's castle, I can offer you another secret, if you wish. Only if you promise not to tell anyone that you heard it from me?" Malice asked.

"Thank you, but no thank you," Aislinn replied. "It is fine...I have just been curious about the castle...but if there is something Alastair wish to share with me...if he has something to tell me, he will tell me...I am sure about it..."

...It won't be good if I hear things about Alastair in second hand...it would be disrespectful of me if I sought out his secrets by asking others...if he wish to share secrets with me, that's up to him....

"Very well. I suppose Alastair's secrets are his to keep. I'm not one to snitch, I only thought that you would like to know."

"Of course..." Aislinn smiled.

"Mhm..." Elias agreed, enjoying the view of the sea to the fullest.

"May I sit next to you?" Luna asked, gesturing to the sofa.

"Sure…" He was surprised by her question and moved to sit beside her on the sofa.

His eyes never left the view of the sea.

"Elias?" Luna asked.

"Yes?"

"Would it be possible to share a kiss?"

He froze for a moment, surprised by her sudden request. He looked away from the view of the sea and turned his attention towards her. She was looking down to the floor, her breathing uneven and her hands holding one another so firmly that her knuckles were turning white. For a moment he hesitated, wondering if he really had heard her speaking or if it had been his imagination. He seemed to have forget his breath and that he could hear his own heartbeat and the dull sound of the sea in his ear. He moved closer to her, put his left hand atop of hers and lifted her face gently so that he could look into her eyes. Two seconds passed in silence, as if he tried to recall the words, he had heard from her. Her sudden request seemed like a distant echo in his ear, as if it would only happen in a dream. Then he brushed his lips softly against hers, his heart beating very fast, expecting her to push him away any moment.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair and the others were walking from the restaurant to Antique together, still chatting merrily.

Some people gossiped about what the oddly dressed group was up to.

"The lady with the long hair is beautiful, and with such an ostentatious kimono. Do you think that they're performers?" a lady asked her husband.

"Performers? Perhaps they are going to put on a play tonight?" the husband suggested to his wife.

"Oh, the one with the black hair and the Victorian suit is so handsome." one lady suggested to her friend.

"No no...The other black-haired one with the vest and the rose!" her friend insisted.

"They're fools, parading themselves around like that." a mother explained for her son. "Don't turn out like that."

"That lady is pretty." the boy said.

"Which one?"

"I believe that this is where we part ways." Alastair said once they reached the entrance to Antique.

"I'm going to greet Damien." Nova smiled, standing beside Alastair. He was clearly quite amused about something.

Everyone else bid them goodbye.

"Good day, ladies." Nova said politely, smiling kindly to both Malice and Aislynn as he passed their table. He went straight in for the kitchens.

"Good day." Alastair smiled, greeting Aislynn first and then Malice. "How was your tea?" he asked.

"It was lovely; Ms. Monroe makes for charming company." Malice replied genuinely. She seemed to have enjoyed herself.

"Nova, I summon you." Rosaleya said.

Crystal had taken her out to eat last night, and to a cafe this morning. Afterward, they had returned to the store so that Rosaleya could work her shift. Now, she sat in her room, having just finished.

"What would you like?" Nova asked after appearing. He bowed elegantly, although it was a shallow bow, as he was concentrating on holding two large boxes. The boxes were the second thing that she noticed; his outfit had been the first.

"Uhm...What are those? If it's alright that I ask?" Rosaleya asked. "I didn't disturb a birthday party, did I?" she asked worriedly before he could answer. "I'm sorry; can you give me a list of times that I shouldn't summon you?"

"No no, that's quite alright." Nova laughed, offering her one from the first box. "These are cookies from a bakery." he explained. "They're mine."

"They're so cute!" she exclaimed, fawning over it instead of eating it. "Were you shopping?"

"No, they're a gift." Nova smiled. "Along with these." he placed the panda cookie box on a table, and opened up the other box, offering her one.

"Oh, these are just as cute!"

She held them in her hands as if they were tiny figurines made out of glass.

"Would you mind me asking what you summoned me for?" Nova asked politely.

"Oh...I'm sorry; when you showed me this cuteness I forgot..." Rosaleya apologized, wrapping the cookies in a tissue before putting them on her bedside table.

"You can have up to half of each box, if you wish." Nova offered. "I have no need for the entire-"

"No, that's alright, thank you...What I summoned you for was...Can I make a wish to go to Hell? Not as a permanent thing, but, can I just visit there without being dead?"

"Hmm...You wish to go there?" Nova asked, becoming alarmingly serious.

Rosaleya was worried, almost scared, thinking that perhaps she had suggested something forbidden. Her posture quickly became defensive, as if she expected a fight to break out in a moment.

"It's really quite simple." he began, his seriousness gone.

Ah, what a relief! I thought that he was going to suggest some crazy thing like dying or drinking a demon's blood or

"You only have to drink some bitter drink and you can be transported there in an instant. I can make it less bitter by adding-" And he explained the rules to her. Everything from how the drink could be flavored to avoid a bitter taste, to how time worked in Hell.

"Really? That sounds so easy! Can I really go?" Rosaleya asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"You must make a wish." Nova replied. "And be specific. Details details." he reminded her.

"Alright. Can I write it on paper to make sure that I don't forget anything?"

"Of course. May I take a seat?" Nova asked, gesturing to a chair.

"Yeah, sure. I'm sorry for not offering; that was impolite."

"Not at all; I find it refreshing."

"Find what refreshing?"

"Someone who doesn't stress herself to death with rules and etiquette and the like." he said in an overly- important-sounding voice.

Rosaleya laughed, getting her notebook and a sharp pencil.

Nova sat down, and let his eyes wander to everything in Rosaleya's room. The plain white walls to the plain white blinds. Her writing desk with all of the magical books she was currently reading. The manga collection that she had wished up. Her plain tiled floor, a plain full-sized mirror, and her wardrobe. The only thing that he found interesting was a stuffed animal in the form of a monkey.

"Who is this?" Nova inquired, pointing.

"Oh, his name is George. My mother gave him to be before she died. I keep it because, for some reason, I don't want to throw it away." Rosaleya explained.

"Your mother? I apologize for asking." Nova said quickly. "My condolences."

"Don't. I don't want to talk about her. Don't give me your condolences, please." Her tone warned him that it was a very sensitive subject.

"Very well then; I will refrain from speaking of her. May I ask if you have any other siblings?"

"Nope. I'm an only child."

"So am I." Nova said, finding this interesting.

He said no more, although he wondered. If she doesn't want to speak about her mother, then why does she keep that thing that makes her think of her? I would have burnt it if my mother was terrible. So lucky that she wasn't. And that I don't have any terrible siblings.

When Elias put his left hand atop of Luna's, she thought that he was going to gently decline. She was even more surprised when their eyes met; hers had an incredibly nervous look inside them. She shut her eyes when he came closer, as if she expected some sort of pain in a moment, and she felt his lips brush hers. Her lips parted slightly in surprise, but she quickly closed them, her features relaxing considerably. Shhhh... She tried to quiet her nervous thoughts. Shhh....This is the man that you said yes to. This is Elias. He won't betray your love; he would have done that already. Shhh.... In one second, it seemed that she had taken control of her feelings, and she began to kiss him. She did it gently and lovingly; none of their other kisses had ever felt quite like this one. It truly felt as if this was their first kiss. Suddenly, she pulled away. It has only lasted three seconds, and now she realized that she hadn't been paying attention to his reaction. Was he enjoying it? Was I forcing it? He hadn't been so slow to kiss me the other times...perhaps he was only humoring me this time, hence his hesitation? "I'm sorry." she apologized before he could speak, putting her clasped hands into her lap. "I didn't mean to get carried away." Why is this so difficult? I feel so flustered that it's like I haven't been with him these past months. It feels like I'm interacting with someone different that I'm a stranger to, but at the same time nothing has changed.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Good day, ladies." Nova said politely, smiling kindly to both Malice and Aislinn as he passed their table. He went straight in for the kitchens.

"Eh...good day..." Aislinn replied, hesitating for a moment, visible surprised to see Nova. She had nearly forgot about him and had not expected him to enter the cafe.

"Good day." Alastair smiled, greeting Aislinn first and then Malice. "How was your tea?" he asked.

"It was lovely; Ms. Monroe makes for charming company." Malice replied genuinely. She seemed to have enjoyed herself.

Aislinn smiled, looking first at Malice and then at Alastair.

Elias was quiet for several seconds, feeling impotent to speak any word. He licked his lower lip a couple of times, reviving his memory of the special moment, almost not believing what just had happened. He was feeling happy, yet he was feeling a bit nervous at the same time, finding himself in a dilemma where he was feeling unsure about how to act next.

…Why is she apologizing... He thought and looked at her softly. …Should I kiss her again...?...no...I must not forget...If I only think about my own desires, I will become selfish and not make her happy at all...Her desires come first...I have to fulfil her desires first before mine...I have to think about her interests before mine, in order to make her happy...He thought reasonably.

He remained sitting beside her, smiling happily, his face full of what he was feeling at the moment, which he could not describe verbally, happiness.

"You are so beautiful when you get carried away..." He said romantically, biting his lower lip in a smile.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Lovely." Alastair smiled. They got along...In all honesty, I feared that Malice to say something too strange to Aislynn and have them force their smiles when I returned...

"I will be leaving, now." Malice said, standing. "I wish you both a pleasant day. Adieu." she curtsied elegantly to both of them, then made for the exit.

"Do you mind waiting a moment for me to order something sweet myself before we leave?" Alastair asked Aislynn.

"Excuse me." he said politely when she replied with a 'yes', walking away. He came back with a chocolate muffin, a banana and strawberry muffin, and a waffle with fresh cream and berries. He ordered a glass of milk and an ice water. "Tell me, what did you enjoy the most this morning?" he asked. He clearly meant the desserts. What did she have, and which one was her favorite? I am so curious...But, what if she replies with a sweet reply like 'all three were my favorite'? At this place, that wouldn't be too difficult to believe.

"I see." Alastair smiled. "Luna is going to be busy these next few days, so I have no obligation to return to London. Do you need to return there, or would you rather spend the day somewhere else?" he asked, sipping his milk. She doesn't visit her family every day, and she has no obligation to Hogwarts, so perhaps today's trip back isn't completely necessary. I would normally return for Luna, but she is going to be occupied the next few days.

"Excuse me for a moment." Luna said softly. She seemed surprisingly calm, despite the undeniable look of nervousness in her eyes. She went to her room and gently closed the door. The moment it was closed, she let out the breath she had subconsciously been holding. Her breathing was heavy and her heart was still racing; she leaned up against the wall for a moment, waiting until she had calmed down.

"You are so beautiful when you get carried away..." His words echoed in her ears. She put her hair up with a clip, and washed her face with cold water. ...Carried away...That was me, getting carried away...But what was that look he gave me?! "You are so beautiful when you get carried away..." she saw the smile he had given her at that moment in her mind's eye. What should I do now? I have to hurry up and get back there. Should I stay in here until dinner? That would make for a wastefully awkward dinner. Shhhh....Just calm down. She used the disguise mirror to fix her hair again, because part of it had gotten wet.

Calmly, she opened the door and sat next to him again. This time, she was truly calm, and she smiled softly to him. "Thank you. That was lovely." she said honestly. Then she moved a bit closer to him, and leaned back, resting her head on his chest while still enjoying the view of the sea. "Is this uncomfortable? I can move back." she said. I feel calmer now. I don't know what that was, but whatever those nervous feelings were, I don't have them now. I want to stay right here if it's alright with him. And I want his hand on my head.

"Could you please put your hand on my head?" she asked.

"All done." Rosaleya declared. "Can you please read it through first before you grant it? Technically, you can tell me that I've forgotten something, as long as you don't make suggestions or tell me what I've forgotten, right?"

"That is correct." Nova nodded, taking the paper form him.

Rosaleya waited eagerly as he read it through.

"You write wishes the same way that Reign does." Nova laughed when he had finished reading it. "So meticulous. I cannot find any flaws. Although I do find this part interesting-" he looked down and read from the paper "...and so I do not fully trust you, yet. Part of the wish is that you cannot betray me in any way, nor can you allow anyone to harm me during my visit." he looked up at her. "You trust my magic to ensure that I do not betray you?"

"Yes. It worked the first time, so I figure, if I specify...Well, even if you're really a pervert or a backstabber, you won't be able to break the rules." she shrugged.

"Very well, then. I suppose that this is quicker. Now, then, for my favor..."

Rosaleya waited anxiously.

"Would you mind cleaning my home?" he asked. "I try to get someone to clean it every week; it accumulates so much dust I don't know why I can't keep it clean."

"Sure. I'm not that great at cleaning, but I think I could do it...Is there a time-limit?"

"You have one week." he explained. "That should be more than enough time."

"Of course." Rosaleya nodded seriously. Every time I've seen him, he's wearing expensive clothing. I imagine his manor is just as wonderful. If he has a lot of rooms, I can do like...four a day. Four times six is eighteen, plus an extra day for the kitchen. "I can't wait, thank you so much." Rosaleya said appreciatively. "Do I have to act like a maid, calling you master and wearing a uniform and all of that?"

"Only if you want to." Nova laughed.

Hmm...Why not? He can't do anything because of the rules! It would be fun. "Then I want part of my wish to be that you supply me with a cute maid's outfit. Not too short on the skirt, but still adorable." she explained.

"You're so enthusiastic." Nova remarked, surprised. "May I inquire...why?" I don't understand; usually when I ask someone to clean my house they sigh and agree because they want their wish.

"Oh, well, I do a lot of cleaning around this place, but I've always wanted it to be a bit funner. Like with a cute outfit and a bit of role-play."

"Hmm. I find you very amusing, in a good way."

Why? I'm probably both boring, and confusing him at the same time...Silly me.

"I will return shortly." he bowed, then picked up the cookie boxes and disappeared.

"Yes!" Rosaleya exclaimed. "This is so amazing! All I have to do is some chores! I've been doing them forever, so this is no different! Who would have thought that cleaning would actually get me to that place! And I get a costume!!! It's so easy."

"A maid to clean the home?" Stephan repeated. "Another one?"

"Yes, if this place doesn't get cleaned every week, it will be filthier than it is now. Besides, I don't want you to clean it. We can easily get a human to do it. And now that you're a demon, you're not allowed to devour magical souls. So don't touch her. Ah, that brings me to my second announcement; the rules of the wish that she just made...."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Not at all," Aislinn smiled. "You may take as much time as you need. I am not in hurry so we can remain here for a while." She ordered her third glass of chocolate milk along with a small chocolate cupcake.

"Excuse me." Alastair said politely, walking away.

He came back with a chocolate muffin, a banana and strawberry muffin, and a waffle with fresh cream and berries. He ordered a glass of milk and an ice water.

...Merlin's beard...the combination of first drink a glass of milk then ice water after it...ewww She thought astonished.

"Tell me, what did you enjoy the most this morning?" he asked. He clearly meant the desserts.

"Well...basically anything that contains chocolate…" She replied with a dreamy look in her eyes. "Especially chocolate cupcakes that only consist of chocolate…" She glanced at her cupcake with smile.

"I see." Alastair smiled. "Luna is going to be busy these next few days, so I have no obligation to return to London. Do you need to return there, or would you rather spend the day somewhere else?" he asked, sipping his milk.

"I..." Aislinn seemed to ponder about it for several seconds before she replied. "I have nothing on my schedule today..."

…I have planned to have a word with Vincent, but I think I should wait, allow him to calm down a bit and pay a visit at home whenever Alastair wish to spend time with Luna...

"Take your time..." Elias replied calmly with a smile.

When he was left alone in the sitting room, he wondered if he had got carried away with her. ...What if I said things, I should not have said… He thought nervously. ...I did not cross the borders with my words? did I?

He turned his head around as soon as he heard her opening the door and entering the sitting room. He returned her soft smile, forgetting about his recent worries.

"Thank you. That was lovely." she said honestly. Then moved a bit closer to him, and leaned back, resting her head on his chest while still enjoying the view of the sea. He smiled of relief. ...She said that was lovely...it means she loved it...He thought happily, taking a deep breath.

"Is this uncomfortable? I can move back." she said.

"It is fine..." He replied quietly, not minding at all.

"Could you please put your hand on my head?" she asked.

He bit is lower lip in a smile, finding her being so cute when she asked.

He put his right hand on her head, caressing it gently and slowly, feeling her soft hair under his palm. He rested his left arm at the edge of the back of the sofa

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I..." Aislynn seemed to ponder about it for several seconds before she replied. "I have nothing on my schedule today..."

"Tell me, do you have any interest in visiting an art exhibition today? Not the contemporary kind, I can assure you." he smiled. "A few demons that you aren't familiar with painted them, and I thought that it may be interesting. It's not too far from here, so at the very least, we would have wasted ten minutes in walking there, yes?" he smiled.

Soon after, they were leaving the bakery with their arms linked, preparing to walk to the art exhibit. They hadn't been walking for longer than eight minutes when they reached their destination. It was a plain building that looked just like any other building in Rouen, built in the French style.

"After you." Alastair said, opening the door for Aislynn.

The layout was like that of a typical art exhibition, and at first glance the place seemed to be ordinary and boring. But the paintings were spectacularly dark. One was of the 'dark scene' that Malice had described for Aislynn, painted in great detail; it almost looked to be real.

"Malice painted this one..." Alastair said in surprise. "I didn't know that her paintings would be here as well."

Another one was of a powerful-looking dragon tearing apart a human. Certain aspects of that painting were like that of the previous one. "Another one that Malice appears to have painted..." he said, further surprised.

The next one was of a cute schoolgirl smiling while looking up at the ceiling, where several ravaged corpses hung from what was left of their necks. There was both an innocence, and a darkness to the girl's smile. "This one is not Malice's. The art style is completely different." Alastair observed, talking more to himself.

"Mmm." Luna sighed, clearly enjoying his touch. "Can we stay this way until dinner? Or when this crosses the line between comfortable and boring." I'd like to say ten or fifteen minutes, but I really don't want to move...This feels so lovely that I want to stay here as long as possible.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Sure," Aislinn smiled. She was not really into art and she did not know how to paint, though she accepted Alastair's invite because she was curious about to see the artwork done by demons. And she did not mind taking a walk after all. The walk did not even take so much time. At the art exhibition she was amazed by the paintings he showed her. She was amazed by the three paintings by Malice, the first one illustrating the scene Malice just had described for her at the cafe. However, Aislinn was not only amazed but also surprised that the second one was illustrating a dragon tearing apart a human. She had not been expecting that. It was as if Malice knew her unconsciously and it gave Aislinn goosebumps. That painting brought memories.

...It reminds when I teared apart Luna's enemies in the labyrinth when we were fighting against her mother... She remembered. ...That time feels so long time ago...

The third painting seemed to describe Malice. When Aislinn saw it, she saw Malice in the cute girl. It was as if Malice was illustrating her own personality in the painting.

"I am amazed by her artwork..." Aislinn praised. "Who are the other demons who paint? Do you also know how to paint?" She asked Alastair curiously.

"We'll stay this way until dinner..." Elias spoke quietly, taking in the scent of Luna's hair. He could not resist himself and kissed her head softly and then kept his hand on her head, caressing it gently and slowly. He smiled happily as he looked at the view of the sea.

...We could literary sit like this and watch the sunset... he thought. ...Though I want her to experience the sunset at the open space on the cruise...

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I am amazed by her artwork..." Aislynn praised.

"This one isn't Malice's." Alastair said, apparently certain. "The art style is different...Although it is definitely someone who knows Malice very well..." Although I doubt that you would know them; you've never met.

"Who are the other demons who paint? Do you also know how to paint?" She asked Alastair curiously.

For one moment, Alastair was silent, and there was a disappointed look in his eyes. Then, it disappeared. "Sadly, I am not capable of even the simplest painting." Alastair smiled. "That is another reason I truly appreciate art; it is far more difficult than I had thought it to be. As for the other demons that paint...." How to avoid the explanation of the representatives when I have to mention Envy's name? I'm having trouble remembering her alias for this world..."...There are many of them. For this exhibit, there are three artists. Malice, and a brother and sister that are twins; they were at the Summer Feast. This one-" he pointed to the one basically depicting Malice "-was painted by the sister. This one is painted by the brother." he walked over to the next painting, gesturing to it.

A young raven-haired boy was sharing a warm embrace with what appeared to be his mother. They both smiled, although the mother's smile was incredibly forced, as if to hide an evident wickedness. The son's smile held an undeniable air of melancholy. Behind them, their shadows depicted a different picture; the son was obediently bowing to his mother, and the mother was laughing manically as she cracked a whip. There was also a third, yet incredibly subtle shadow of a man, standing idly by and simply watching.

"All of them have either painted one of these-" he gestured in the air to mean all of the paintings "- or collaborated to do one together. The brother's name is Dante, and the sister's name is Celeste. They are a charming pair; if you wish, you could meet them in this world just the same way that you met Malice today." he offered. "But it can be whenever you wish." he clarified, meaning that there was no rush and she didn't have to answer right away, simply accept the idea. His eyes didn't want to leave the painting. Rather than feel disturbed by it, he was fascinated by it. He is a wonderful artist; he managed to capture the sorrow and hatred in my eyes with the stroke of his paintbrush. And mother's wickedness and cruelty...A masterpiece indeed. Clearly, Dante recognizes the beauty in truth...And the fact that a smile does not matter; you cannot hide what is truly happening, no matter how good your mask is.

Luna laughed softly when he kissed her head.

"That sounds perfect." she agreed. "Order your favorite things off of the menu; I'll trust in your good taste." she said; you could hear the confidence in her voice.

"It's so cold." Rosaleya remarked. It felt as though thousands of Dementors were inhabiting the dark hallway. Rosaleya was hugging herself to keep warm, not realizing that it wasn't the temperature that was cold, but the energy.

"Yes, it is, but it won't last long, I promise. " Nova said kindly. He had a hand on her shoulder, leading her on. "There is a way to shield you from this feeling, but it would require me to feel double the discomfort. You wouldn't want to do that for me, now would you?" he asked logically.

"I'm not complaining." Rosaleya clarified. "It was just an observation. It's bad enough, the way it already feels. I couldn't imagine it being twice as bad. Besides; nothing lasts forever. That's been my favorite saying throughout my entire life." she smiled.

Not long after that, they were in a boat.

"Wow, this place looks like a fantasy garden...I don't know what to call it." Rosaleya exclaimed. "That cold didn't even last long."

"You can drink this water, if you want." Nova said.

"Really? I wonder what it tastes like."

"You'll taste it in due course."

"Oh, thank you." This is so amazing! Everything looks so...otherworldly! There's really nothing to compare it to! There's no way that this- "Did you take a wrong turn somewhere down that hallway and accidentally take us to Heaven?" Rosaleya asked.

"Do not speak that word." Nova cringed, immediately ceasing to row.

"Got it; divine words are taboo here."

"Yes, please do not repeat your mistake." he continued rowing.

Rosaleya daydreamed for a while, and she lost track of time. Suddenly, she returned to the present time and realized that the water had changed from lilac to light blue. There were also tall rocks which Nova had been skillfully avoiding as they seemed to get larger and larger. Water poured out from areas of the rocks like miniature waterfalls, and there was lush grass growing on the flat tops. Chunks of the rocks were floating high above them, although none of them were very large.

"Here we are." Nova said, as they sailed around the largest rock yet.

"Wow...I didn't know that Laputa was real, too!" Rosaleya said in surprise, looking up at a piece of land that was floating high above the waters.

"Laputa?" Nova inquired.

"Never mind."

Nova docked the boat, and stepped onto a platform that was connected to the pillars, turning to assist Rosaleya.

"Thanks. I'm curious how we're going to get from here to all the way up there from a platform that isn't connected to anything. I don't see a demonic elevator or anything...Will a set of stairs appear?"

Nova took a moment to laugh. "Please hold my hand firmly." Nova instructed, offering Rosaleya his hand. She took his hand, a worried look on her face. "Now you're cutting off the circulation." he winced, pulling his hand away.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize-"

You're much stronger than you look...How odd...For a human to actually hurt me; it feels as though I may get a bruise here. I'm surprised. Nova thought, inspecting his hand.

"-that I hurt you."

"Never mind that-" he smiled kindly, offering her his other hand "-you may try again, but only once more."

A moment later they were soaring through the air. Nova was in the lead, and Rosaleya enjoying the view of the water shrinking beneath her and the chunk of land getting nearer.

I hope I didn't hurt his hand; I'm holding his left one now, so that means that I might have put his primary hand out of commission. She bit her lower lip.

"Welcome to my home, Ms." Nova smiled when they landed on the soft green grass. "To be honest, the name Rosaleya isn't easy on my tongue. Would you mind giving me a different name to call you?"

"Sure; I don't really like my name to begin with. Mom chose it." she added in a more quiet tone. "Can you call me Rose? I think that that's a pretty name." Dad wanted to name me Rose. Good choice on his part, so we'll just go with that.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Oh..." Aislinn was surprised, yet she sympathized with Alastair, because she could not paint either.
She was surprised that all the demons he mentioned could paint when he did not know how to paint.
...it is something his wicked mother missed to teach him...or perhaps she tried and he could not learn because of her being so strict and evil towards him...

Aislinn tried to recall if she had seen other demons besides Nova and Reign, but she could not remember seeing two other demons who were siblings at the summer feast. ..if they both were there, why did Alastair not introduce me to them?.. She thought oddly.

She stood beside him and studied the artwork by Dante. She had immediately recognized Alastair's story in it, everything captured in one artwork. …How does Alastair feel when.... She thought and glanced at him carefully. She noticed that he was fascinated by it, which she had not been expecting. She remained quiet and let him look at the painting as long as he desired. ...He said that he appreciates art because it is difficult to paint...I on the other hand do not really care about art because I do not know how to paint… She thought for herself.

"Sure..." Elias chuckled. "I will pick something from the menu this evening..." he promised and thought about the possible dishes that may be on the menu on a Tuesday evening.

"It is time..." He announced, checking his pocket watch when it was ten minutes left before the time would turn seven o'clock.

He stood up as soon Luna had stood up. He offered his arm and together they walked out on the boat deck. He let her to choose where she would like to sit and picked up the menu as soon as they both had taken their seats. He glanced through the name of the dishes and turned towards to waiter, who had slick-back hair and who was dressed in a pure black butler suit. The waiter was waiting patiently on them to place their orders.

" Two cilantro soup, two cordon Bleu, two heirloom salad, two glasses of iced water with lemon slices and mint leaves, and two of the chocolate truffles…" Elias read from the menu.

A parchment scroll and a quill was hovering midair in front of the waiter, the quill scribbling down the order. When it was done, the waiter bowed on his head and walked away, making his way to the kitchens on the floor below, the scroll and the quill following him midair. Three minutes later the same waiter returned with the plates hovering midair in front of him. It was the soup, the gourmet chicken dish which obviously was named Cordon Bleu and the Heirloom salad and the iced water with lemon slices and mint leaves. The desserts would be brought as soon as they had finished their meals.

"Bon appetite!" The waiter bowed on his head and walked away to next table where another couple just had taken their seats.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

I wish to purchase this one. After we look at the other paintings, I will return here for this one. "Shall we?" Alastair asked after a minute, walking to the next painting.

The other paintings were beautiful as well. Each one was dark and alluring in its own way, but the most memorable ones had been the first three. There were no more from Malice, only the twins. Celeste seemed to enjoy painting horrifyingly gory scenes, whereas Dante preferred paintings with realistic themes such as abuse, infidelity, political corruption, arranged marriages, child neglect, and favoritism. He managed to get the point across without showing too much or overdoing anything. Just as with the painting about Alastair's past, there were subtle things to be noticed if the painting was looked at closely.

"I do hope that I didn't bore you." Alastair smiled when they had seen all of the paintings. It had taken them forty-five minutes to view them all, and now they were returning to the entrance to leave. "Do you have any ideas as to where we should go next?" Dante's art is incredible; now I know what Envy means when she says that she wishes she had his painting ability. Hers are lovely and realistic, but most of Dante's make an indelible impression on me.

"There is a spa in Hong Kong, if you are interested. You could have any treatments that you want, and their service is pristine." he offered. "My favorite treatment is an herbal bath; the herbs that they blend help with stiff or pained muscles. It works perfectly for me because they prepare the bath and leave me alone; I personally dislike treatments that require someone else to be in the room."
"It is time..." He announced, checking his pocket watch when it was ten minutes left before the time would turn seven o'clock.

"Very well." Luna replied; she had lost track of time, and forgotten about their dinner. She stood, and adjusted her dress and hair.

"Two cilantro soup, two cordon Bleu, two herloom salad, two glasses of iced water with lemon slices and mint leaves, and two of the chocolate truffle.." Elias read from the menu.

"That sounds delectable." Luna said. She had read through the menu before he ordered, and now she turned to the waiter. "And one lemonade with mint, more sour than sweet, please."

"Lovely choice..." Luna praised when she had tasted everything. "...Edmund Dantes." she added with a smile. Still my favorite part of the trip. "The view of the water is lovely." she turned her head, admiring the view.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Not at all," Aislinn smiled. She had enjoyed the art even if she had no general interest in visiting art exhibition in general. This visit was however different because the artworks were dark, which was the reason that she enjoyed looking at them.

"Do you have any ideas as to where we should go next?"

"Hmm...no, do you have any suggestions?"

"There is a spa in Hong Kong, if you are interested. You could have any treatments that you want, and their service is pristine." he offered. "My favorite treatment is an herbal bath; the herbs that they blend help with stiff or pained muscles. It works perfectly for me because they prepare the bath and leave me alone; I personally dislike treatments that require someone else to be in the room."

"Oh yes please!" She exclaimed delighted, not really listening when he told her about his favorite treatment.

…So Luna has literary renamed me... Elias thought amused.

"I am glad that everything is to your liking..." He replied after he had tasted the soup. He would not taste everything at once but eat one dish ate a time. "You will be choosing tomorrow," He added with a smile.

A soft classical music started to play in the background. It was the orchestra, playing soft and alluring classical music for the guests who were dining. The music almost fused with the soft sound of the sea, intertwining with each other.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Oh yes please!"

Alastair smiled. "Before we leave, I wish to purchase one of the paintings. Did you see anything that you liked?" he asked.

"I took a liking to this one." He pointed. There was still the look of fascination in his eyes. He truly appreciated just how much the artist understood his feelings.

"Excuse me, Sir, are you looking to purchase that one?" Dante asked, approaching them.

"Oh, I didn't know that you were here." Alastair said in surprise. "I thought that you had left Rouen already. Good day to you. "

"Good day." Dante replied.

"My lady-" Alastair turned to her "-this is Dante. Dante, this is Ms. Monroe."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms." Dante said elegantly, with the polite nod of his head. At the moment, his aura was serene and controlled. It gave off the distinct impression that he was the type to enjoy acting out one of the scenes in Celeste's paintings. On someone who deserved it, of course. Malice was correct; curiosity comes to mind when setting eyes on Ms. Monroe...Both of us wonder what it would be like to play with her. And Malice told me that she enjoyed the thought of what we call 'playing', which we both found surprising. Although... Dante thought. "DiVilliers, for you that painting costs nothing." Dante said, turning back to Alastair. "I will make plenty of of the other pieces without charging the sovereign." he said realistically when it seemed that Alastair was going to argue.

"It is some of the loveliest art I have ever seen." Alastair complimented. "In truth, contemporary artwork bores me. The only reason I visited was because I heard that you and Celeste were the artists. Although Malice's artwork was a surprise to me."

"You could tell?" Dante asked, feigning interest.

"Yes. All of your pieces have different aspects that are characteristic of your individual styles. Your style is my personal favorite."

"I am honored." Dante replied modestly. "To the man with good taste, I wish you a pleasant day." he shook hands with Alastair before walking away to assist another couple.

"You will be choosing tomorrow," He added with a smile.

"Will I?" Luna asked with a smile; it was a rhetorical question. "I don't think that I could out-do you." and by this she meant that his choices had been perfect. "I would much rather you ordered again tomorrow." she clearly had no intention of arguing; she had already decided against ordering tomorrow. "Mmm...How lovely this music is." she sighed, looking out at the waves. The conversation is over. Luna thought. For this cruise, I wish that he could control everything like when I am with Alastair. Elias knows what I like; it would be nice, just for these few days, if he took control and surprised me with things. Alastair does it so well that I don't need to make decisions when he is around; he seems to know everything that I want and anticipate my needs. It is always nice to take a break from so many decisions...Goodness, why am I comparing them again?! Elias can never be like Alastair. And why am I trying to...I should choose different thoughts for this dinner...The food tastes exquisite, and the view is perfect. And the music... Luna continued distracting herself with her surroundings, looking at everything but Elias.

"You don't have to start working right away; you have my permission to explore every inch of this land as you please. Except for the lowest level of the manor." Nova added severely. "Every other floor is open to you."

Wow, that's amazing! I get to explore this place! All I have to do is avoid the bottom floor...Probably his collection of dirty magazines or something like that. Not like I care; I have too much of this place open to me to worry about the tiny portion that's forbidden. "Thank you very much." Rosaleya smiled. "I'll be sure not to go there. I promise."

"Very well. You will be staying in one of the guest bedrooms; you will know yours because it contains your costume." he explained. "Do not be alarmed if you meet anyone besides me, because I do have the terrible habit of entertaining guests. " he jested, and Rosaleya laughed. "Now, do you have any other questions?"

"No...Wait, yes! What if I need to ask you a question later, but I don't know where you are?"

"Hmm..." Nova thought for a full minute before replying "Ah, you can use Eric."

"Who is-"

"He is a young boy that we use for errands and the like. He is quite helpful and energetic....And by we, I mean the representatives."

"Oh...How do I contact him?"

"Summon him the way you summon me. If you don't mind, I would like you to avoid summoning me unless it is an emergency, or if you need or want another wish."

"I wouldn't want to be summoned for every little thing that someone else wants either. " Rosaleya nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you." Nova bowed respectfully.

I wonder what sort of boy Eric is... Rosaleya wondered as Nova jumped, leaving her alone. But since I don't need anything right now, I can't call him until I actually have a need for him. Well, now I get to explore this amazing place!!!

Before she moved an inch, she took a very long look at the land.

There was a lot of water, running like a calm stream at some places and like a raging river in others. In the busier areas, it spilled down to the ocean-like waters below, in the form of a waterfall. In the calmer areas there were ponds of various sizes. Where there was no water, there was rich, green grass surrounding cobbled paths that lead to the home. There were many bridges built in different sizes and styles to get across the waters to the paths.

Rosaleya slowly made her way to the gardens surrounding the manor, staring in awe at everything she saw. She wondered what the sunset would look like from this height. Looking down, it seemed as if the ocean stretched on forever.

The cobbled path that she was on lead to a cobbled courtyard with a large fountain in the center. Above the fountain were statues of all of the current representatives, in striking detail. Rosaleya studied them for a while, wondering who was talented enough to create such realistic likenesses. She didn't know most of them, but she did recognize Nova and Reign. She stared at Alastair's for a minute, trying to remember where she had seen him, but eventually gave up.

At the east and west of the courtyard, large grassy paths lead around the home to the gardens. The paths were surrounded by various flowers, all indigenous to the Demon Realm, and roses of every colour. There were various fountains in the gardens, a large hedge labyrinth that resembled a maze, and a large plain grassy field that was perfect for playing games. A round, polished glass table was surrounded by twelve chairs, made of a fluffy material that resembled clouds. The table stood on a platform which was surrounded by ivy-covered Corinthian pillars.

They're so comfortable! Rosaleya thought, trying one of the chairs. I guess this material only comes from this realm, because I've never felt anything so soft! It's better than a pillow because it is equally soft and firm!

Then, there was the house itself. Except that it was, quite literally, a castle.

She walked around the castle, going into each and every room, visiting every floor except for the one that was below ground; the lowest level which was forbidden. She didn't run into anyone as she explored. When she reached her room, she was delighted to find her costume, and put it on eagerly. She did her hair into two cute ponytails. The style was similar to what Crystal had done with her hair the day that they went to London's Eye with Aislynn, except that it took her longer to perfect. It looks so perfect! Rosaleya rejoiced. I'm going to start cleaning soon, I just have a few questions...

"Eric, I summon you." Rosaleya said dramatically.

"What can I assist you with, Ms. Rose?" Eric asked, bowing elegantly. Of course, Rosaleya didn't know Alastair well enough to tell that Eric was emulating him. She simply thought that he acted that way by nature.

"Oh my, you look like little Len Kagamine!" Rosaleya exclaimed. "You're so cute and well-mannered!"

"Do you think so?" Eric asked. He was wearing an outfit identical to Nova's, without the rose.

"You know who he is?" Rosaleya asked, surprised.

"My occupation requires me to have extensive knowledge of both the Demon and Human realms." Eric replied modestly.

Rosaleya was quiet for a moment, visibly impressed. "Oh...I had a few questions for you." she remembered.

"Ask away." Eric smiled cheerfully.

"Firstly, can you identify every stone demon above the courtyard fountain for me?" she asked curiously. "I feel like I've seen one or two of them before, but I cannot remember where..."

"Yes, please come with me." Eric replied elegantly, turning to the door.

In the courtyard, he began by naming everyone while gesturing to their respective statues. "Lord Alastair DiVilliers, Asmodeus, Diana, Reign, Celeste, Dante, Nova, and Satan."

"Could you please tell me more about them?" Rosaleya asked, a look of curiosity in her eyes.

Eric started with Alastair, explaining his position in the Demon Realm and his undeniable love for his sister in the Human Realm. He briefly expressed how terrible and tyrannical Lucifer had been while ruling, and his gratitude for the current King.

Wow...to think that there was a king in Darkest Creatures all of those times...If Dad knew, he would have rolled out the red carpet.

Then, he explained about how Diana and Nova represented their respective 'sins'.

"This is Envy's representative. Her alias for the Human Realm is Celeste. Her twin brother also represents Envy, and his name is Dante." he gestured to Dante's statue. "It is a representative's job to represent their respective sin however they see fit. Envy represents her sin by being a strong advocate for monogamy, while Dante has to talk himself out of killing any man who tries to steal his precious sister away...."

A sister complex? Can't be sure...Maybe Eric is exaggerating?

"...This is Reign. He represents Sloth by sleeping in most days, and not cooking or cleaning for himself. Although..." He explained about how a part of him acted as bookkeeper, gardener, and maid in the form of a lady. And how he didn't really have a need to cook because of his 'garden'.

"His home sounds to wonderful...But I think that's it's funny how he's cheating the same way Nova is..." Rosaleya laughed. "...I think that sloth would be the hardest one to represent, for me at least." Hmm...That's interesting. It's like he has a personal assistant so he gets to relax more, but it's still him doing the work. I wonder how the details work...When he is on Earth, can he see what's going on in his home? Can she leave his home? What about-

"This is Asmodeus, the king's uncle. He represents lust by-"

"-Nonononononono, I don't want to hear it." Rosaleya interrupted quickly, putting her hands to her ears and shutting her eyes tightly.

Eric laughed heartily, then tapped her on the shoulder. When she opened her eyes and took her hands away from her ears, he continued. "-by refraining from acting like Satan, wrath's representative. Satan continues to soil Hell's reputation by doing everything under the sun. Everything disgusting and sinful." Eric said in disgust. "Moving on...Asmodeus is basically Satan's polar opposite.

"Thank you for the information." Rosaleya nodded. "I have another question. . . Nova made it sound like this place was filthy, but this place looks like it was cleaned two days ago. Besides some dust in the lesser-used areas of the kitchen, and the sink full of dishes, and the few piles of laundry lying in the hampers...Well, this is just a very small mess, not filth."

"Nova hates a sloppy home, so for him, this is filth."

Rosaleya laughed. "He made it sound so much worse."

"Regardless of that, you still agreed to clean it?" Eric asked, surprised. "You must be very optimistic."

"I'm not...It's just that I clean all the time, so it's no big deal for me." she shrugged. "Well, thank you very much for answering my questions. I'm going to get started now."

"Feel free to summon me whenever you need assistance, or have any questions. " Eric smiled, bowing elegantly before running away at the literal speed of a bullet.

Rosaleya summoned him again.

"Do you all demons have special abilities like yours?" she asked, impressed by his super-speed.

"Yes. Every demon has one or more special abilities. Although some of us have the same powers, no two demons have the same combination of powers."

"What are your powers, besides the speed, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I do not mind at all." Eric smiled. "The 'jumping' ability is the most common, as everyone possesses it. The difference is that some of us can do it better than others. For demons, there is a fifty-percent chance that we will have the ability to be able to transport items from this realm to the other, and I do have that ability. I am also able to be summoned, which is a rarer ability, and I can make people do what I want."

"What do you mean? Like mind control?" Rosaleya asked, wondering if his cheerfulness was a facade.

Eric smirked. "Each power has a name. This one is called 'Marionette'. Clap your hands." he ordered.

Rosaleya clapped as if she had just seen a spectacular play.

"Stop that." Eric ordered.

"Wow...That was amazing; I didn't even think twice." Rosaleya said in surprise. "Does it work if I don't know how to do the thing? Like...can you order me to play 'Music of the Night' from Phantom of the Opera on the piano, if I have no piano-playing skills?"

"Yes." Eric replied. "Would you like me to order you to clean this house quickly without getting tired?"

"No thank you." Rosaleya said quickly. "I'm fine...Thanks for not using it constantly; you could easily be ordering me around in a very mean way."

"I won't use it unless I am asked. To tell you a secret-" he lowered his voice a bit "-Celeste also has this ability. She just tries to keep it hidden."

"I like how open you're being with me, even though I'm a boring human." Rosaleya said gratefully. "And thanks for being so patient with all of my questions."

"You're not boring, and you don't have to be human if you don't want to. If you want, you can become a demon." Eric suggested. Although she's already...

"I feel like we could talk all day and I wouldn't get bored." Rosaleya said, putting an immediate halt to their conversation. "We will talk later." she promised herself. "Bye, for now."

"Farewell." Eric bowed, then sped off again.

A demon...That sounds so nice. Rosaleya thought, heading back inside. I'll start with the laundry, that way it can dry as I'm cleaning the kitchen. Episode One: The Demon Realm. I met a cheerful demon named Eric, and a humorous demon named Nova.

From his bedroom window, Stephan discreetly watched Rosaleya. He had avoided her while she was exploring the castle, which had been easy because she hadn't visited the same room twice.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Well...I liked them all, I just cannot decide right now. I might purchase another time," Aislinn replied honestly. "Which one are you going to purchase?"

"I took a liking to this one." Alastair pointed. There was still the look of fascination in his eyes. He truly appreciated just how much the artist understood his feelings.

She nodded.

"Excuse me, Sir, are you looking to purchase that one?" A young man asked.

"Oh, I didn't know that you were here." Alastair said in surprise. "I thought that you had left Rouen already. Good day to you."

"Good day."

"My lady-" Alastair turned to her "-this is Dante. Dante, this is Ms. Monroe."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms." Dante said elegantly, with the polite nod of his head.

"A pleasure to meet you too," Aislinn replied politely, looking curiously at Dante. ...I do not remember seeing him at the Summer Feast... She thought with a frown. ...Perhaps Dante and Celeste are not familiar with Reign and Nova, that they were not sitting at the same table? But on the other hand if Alastair knew that they both were there, why did he not introduce me to them?..

When Alastair had purchased the piece of art he had requested, which he purchased for free because Dante did not take any payment from him, Aislinn and Alastair immediately flew away to the Spa in Hong Kong.

The spa was beyond her expectations. It was a large place. The exterior was designed like a Chinese house.
The main entrance led inside a long and wide corridor. with dark wooden floor, walls and ceiling. Chinese lamps in red and golden colors hung from the ceiling. A couple walked from the end of the corridor, making their way towards one of the sliding doors, which hosted their suite room. They were wearing towels and bathrobes and Aislinn blushed deeply for a second, wondering if she and Alastair could have separate rooms. …I do not feel ready to share room with him yet or wearing a towel or bathrobe in front of him... She thought, her face redder than the lamps that hung from the ceiling. To the left there was a reception where young ladies dressed in red Chinese dresses with golden details and wore their shiny black hair in buns and had instinct red lips, stood and waited to serve both guests who arrived spontaneously and guests who had already booked. In spacious place in front of the reception hosted comfortable furniture for the arriving guests who needed to wait on their turn. It looked like an open sitting room which had large glass walls on the south and east side giving the view of the Chinese gardens outside. The ladies smiled towards both Alastair and Aislinn and greeted them in Chinese. Aislinn looked confused and turned at Alastair, looking hopefully at him.

...He must know Chinese, mustn't he? She thought, as she tried to remember the list of languages, he once told her that he knew.

"Sure," Elias smiled. "As you wish, my lady," He did not argue with her, especially when she looked out at the waves, complemented the music.

...As long as she enjoys it, I do not mind…However she knows she has a choice if she changed her mind... He thought and munched on his meal.

As soon as they had finished their three dishes; the soup, the main dish and the salad, the dessert arrived. It was as if the butlers mentally knew when the guests would finish their meals.

...She won't mind a dance, will she? He thought as he tasted the dessert. ...Or perhaps she only wishes to remain her for a while and enjoy the view of the sea?

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

The ladies smiled towards both Alastair and Aislinn, and greeted them in Chinese. Aislinn looked confused and turned at Alastair, looking hopefully at him.

Alastair relied with a greeting, spoken elegantly in Chinese. His voice sounded so smooth, as if Chinese was his first language. After one minute of conversation between Alastair and one of the ladies, he turned to Aislynn. "They have every treatment you could dream of here. Which one would you prefer?" he asked.

As soon as they had finished their three dishes; the soup, the main dish and the salad, the dessert arrived. It was as if the butlers mentally knew when the guests would finish their meals.

...The service here is spectacular. Luna thought as she thanked the butler who placed her dessert on the table. I thought that once we came up here, I would wish to dance some more. However, I feel that I have danced enough the day before yesterday. The music and the view of the ocean are all I desire at the present time....

She ate one-third of her dessert, then lay her fork down in the usual way that signaled the waiters that she had finished her dessert. She remained silent until the sun had set, keeping her eyes to the sky and waters. "Would you mind skipping the dancing part and returning to our room?" she asked when the sun had disappeared behind the horizon. "I don't have the desire to dance tonight, but rather to sit with you again, as we did earlier." she admitted, looking away. The edges of her lips twitched upwards a few times, as if she was fighting back a smile.

"Rose, would you like to come to lunch with us?" Nova offered kindly.

Rosaleya, doing the dishes at the time, politely declined.

"You could take a break and come right back." he smiled.

"No, thank you." Rosaleya repeated. "A maid wouldn't eat with her master, it would be improper, right?" she smiled.

"Well, you are only dressed as a-"

"Then I'm good." Rosaleya shrugged. "Besides, if I really want some food, I will ask Eric to bring me something. Don't worry about me, master." she bowed picturesquely. "Have a lovely time." she said cheerfully.

"Very well." Nova said, eyeing her strangely. "Goodbye." he left the kitchens. Is it normal for her to be enjoying this so much? Her aura is extremely joyous and energetic, and her smile is genuine...It feels odd to have her be so pleased to do this. And she is progressing at a very fast rate for a human. I expected her to at least take the afternoon to do the laundry... he thought as he caught sight of the laundry already neatly hung to dry.

Stephan watched discreetly from behind the door frame as Rosaleya cleaned. Her back was turned to him as she washed the dishes, and whenever she turned around to do something he would hide before she caught sight of him. She was singing a very upbeat, happy song, and seemed to be enjoying herself.

Her voice sounds so sweet...I wonder what the words mean...They sound so foreign...But it doesn't sound like Spanish or Chinese...

"I saw you watching her earlier." Nova smiled. "You had this fascinated look in your eyes...So why are you angry with her now?"

"She cleaned the kitchens and folded all of our laundry so nicely. " Stephan praised her work "...and then she passed out on my bed."

"Well, your rooms do look alike, and they are close. So-"

"-did you do that on purpose?"

"-she was probably tired because she had worked so hard. Can you not allow her a quick nap and simply alert her to her mistake when she wakes?" he gave Stephan a look that meant he had to inform her politely.

"I'm not a monster; I was only asking your advice."

"Oh? Then why was there an impatience in your eyes?" Nova asked slyly.

"I just don't understand why she is so happy all the time. It...it bothers me."

"It does not bother me...I simply find it a bit confusing." Nova admitted.

"I have some other questions for you...I haven't seen her use magic while she worked. She did everything like a Muggle, but I distinctly remember you saying that she was magical."

"Yes, I did. You can ask her about that yourself, if you wish." Nova smiled.

"....I..." Stephan looked away, an annoyed look on his face despite his blushing.

"What was your other question?" Nova asked, viewing him with a fond look. He found his shyness to be adorable.

"I heard her singing while she worked. Her voice sounds so soft and sweet, but I couldn't understand the language she was singing in."

"Oh..." Nova thought for a moment. "If you are certain that it wasn't English, then I am almost certain that it was Japanese. But she told me that she was terrible at singing." he said, puzzled.

Both of them sat in silence, thinking.

"Ah; Ms. Thorn said that she often understates her skills!" Nova remembered. "That must be it."

Knock knock

"Enter." Nova called. Stephan rose quickly from his chair, and hid behind the throne on which Nova was seated.

Rosaleya entered the throne room, carrying a cup of strawberry tea. Nova had vanished Stephan's chair, so there was no sign of him.

Nova took the tea that he handed her, thanking her as he set it down beside him in mid-air.

She bowed, and turned to leave the room.

"Rose, may I ask you for a favor?" Nova asked, a sly look in his eyes.

"Yes, master." Rosaleya said, turning around at once to stand at attention, a determined look in her eyes.

"Could you...sing for me?"

Rosaleya's eyes grew wide, then she looked down at the floor. I thought that he left the castle when I was singing...I made sure that no one was watching. Maybe it's a coincidence that he is asking? Of course; no one would want to hear my terrible singing voice. I was only singing because I couldn't play music while I worked, and I was enjoying myself...

"Oh, I'm really sorry, master, but I cannot sing." she apologized, looking directly into his eyes now. "I sound so terrible that my voice would hurt your ears. I only have a knack for remembering lyrics."

You believe that. Nova sighed. But how can I make you sing for me? I would like to confirm your 'lack of talent' with my own ears. Besides, it is difficult to imagine Stephan complimenting someone without them actually having done something to deserve it.

"...If I gave you an order, would you follow it?"

"...Most likely, yes." Unless it's something definitely out of the question.

"Well, then, I order you to sing for me." Nova said. He didn't sound like he was ordering her, but gently making a suggestion.

Rosaleya hesitated for a moment. Okay, it's fun to play this way. And I guess that a real maid wouldn't say 'no', so...I'll just sing a few lines so that he can be convinced. She decided.

She took a deep breath, and began.

"Kisetsu kurikaesu tabi,
hotsureteku kizuna wo.
Tsuyoku, tsuyoku daki shimete,
nakusanu you"

There was a surprised look in Nova's eyes, and from behind the throne, Stephan mirrored Nova's reaction.

"See, it sounds so-"

"Please, go on." Nova insisted happily, not allowing her to finish. "I demand that you sing the entire song."

Rosaleya was visibly confused, but she continued...

"Kakaeta kotoba no omotasani,
ugoke nakunatte.
Tada atatakana yume ni oboreteta,
kizukeba kimi wo miushinai.

Tabane daki shimeteta sugata wo,
Yaoragani chirashite akaku.
Itai hodoni sore wa yakitsuite...

Hirari hirari hirari..."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Eh...I... herbal..." Aislinn nearly stammered and blushed deeply. Her heart was beating slightly faster than usual. She was hoping that they would be together during the entire time at the same time as she was hoping to be for herself and alone the entire time.

"As you wish my lady, " Elias replied, not holding back his smile. He had finished his entire dessert, not living a crumble to contrary to Luna who only had eaten one third of her. "We shall sit as we did earlier..."

When they were back to their suite, he sat down on the couch, occupying the same seat he had before the dinner.

"If I fall asleep, promise me that you will wake me up..." He smiled, meaning that he did not mind if she wished to remain resting her head against his shoulder the entire night.

...an exotic character...mysterious.... full of surprises...and he seems to know everything about me... Melody thought with a thrill. She had saved a couple of the strawberries Reign had given her and taken out all their seeds and made some juice of the leftovers. She was going to plant and grew extraordinary strawberries, believing that they must be exotic strawberries and not any ordinary kind from the muggles. ...They must be magical...exotic like him.... because they taste so rich...

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Eh...I...herbal..." Aislinn nearly stammered and blushed deeply.

Alastair smiled, then turned back to the ladies. At the end of his brief explanation, he made a gesture with his hands that looked like two things moving away from each other. The gesture was similar to two roads forking off in separate directions. The hands started off pressed together, as if in prayer, then curved away from each other.

"I do hope that you enjoy your treatment." Alastair smiled charmingly after the transaction was complete and the money had changed hands. He kissed her on the forehead before turning to follow the lady who was going to lead him to his room.

If one of us is finished before the other, we will see each other again in the waiting room. I won't be too long, I'll be certain not to make my lady wait for me. He thought as he walked.

"If I fall asleep, promise me that you will wake me up..." He smiled, meaning that he did not mind if she wished to remain resting her head against his shoulder the entire night.

"Do the same for me." she nodded meaning that she could foresee them both sleeping like that. She moved to sit the same way she had earlier, but froze before she touched the couch. "If we are going to sleep, then we should brush first, should we not?" she said logically. "And, the couch may pain our backs on the morrow, so an anti-pain potion would also be in order. Excuse me." she laughed, shaking her head as she walked away, muttering something about 'sleeping in uncomfortable clothes'. I'm surprised that I nearly forgot something so important.

Luna sat on the couch when she finished, and continued reading Alastair's book. She was wearing the sleeping kimono that Alastair had gifted her. It was pure black, very comfortable and loose-fitting. "That's much better." she smiled when Elias neared the couch, closing the book and putting it on a nearby table. "Here." she handed him an anti-pain potion. I would just suggest that we should lay together in bed until we fall asleep, but the problem with that is... her head spun with too many unwanted possibilities. ...So, maybe when we have...I don't know, maybe I will feel different about it later? My end goal is to have both of us in the same bed, just sleeping, without me being so nervous that I don't sleep. I don't expect that he will try anything; he isn't that sort of perverted person. I would be more worried that we would both be too nervous to sleep, or that I would take all of the blankets in my sleep...I never wake up in the same position that I went to sleep in, so I don't know what I'm doing in my sleep. What if I punch or kick him in the chest while he is resting and I wake him up? What if... And her head started to spin again.

"What did you say?" Nova asked in surprise, closing the book he had been reading immediately. He had been sitting in the gardens this time, his legs crossed on one of the twelve cloud-like chairs.

"I've finished with the cleaning." Rosaleya repeated modestly.

"You cannot mean that." Nova said incredulously. "Not in five days. There were mountains of dishes and layers of dust. And..." he mentioned a few more items in disbelief.

Rosaleya laughed. "There were only a few dishes. The mopping and dusting are what took the longest, actually, because there was a lot of space. The dusting took a whole day on its own, and the mopping took two days." Laundry and dishes the first day, of course. "And I have no concept of gardening." she finished with a shrug.

"And you didn't break a single thing; good on your part." Nova praised. "One girl broke..." he counted on his fingers "...I believe eight or nine dishes in all, and a vase."

"Well...." she looked down at the grass. "I chipped a glass, accidentally, in the kitchens, but Eric helped me mend it when I summoned him." she admitted.

"Ah; what lovely honesty." Nova smiled. "So, your part of the deal is done. What do you wish to do first?"

"Well...First, I wanted to know if you would mind me taking a day to just read in these gardens? These chairs are wonderful, and to be honest I've always fantasized about reading something sophisticated in an elegant garden."

"Very well. For today, you may rest in these gardens. Eric, I summon you."

"Yes, Lord Nova, and Lady Rose, what may I assist you with?" Eric bowed, speaking in a jokingly dramatic voice. Today, he was wearing a black business suit with a red rose protruding from the breast pocket.

"The young lady has worked quite hard, and deserves respite. Bring her any novels that she desires."

"Very well." Eric nodded, and then turned to Rosaleya. "What would you like to read, Lady Rose?"

Wow! Any book I want? And Lady Rose sounds so cool! Like I'm the King's daughter! So elegant..."I've always wanted to read Hamlet by Shakespeare, as well as his other books, but just for now-"

"Very well." Eric bowed, speeding away.

"Please be seated wherever you wish." Nova gestured to a seat politely. It was four chairs away from his; they would be close, but each have their own space.

"Thank you, master." Rosaleya smiled, her voice conveying her excitement as she took her seat.

"Here you are." Eric said, placing a large stack of books in front of Rosaleya on the table. "All thirty-seven of his plays. I can also bring you all of his sonnets, if you wish?"

"Wow...." she was overwhelmed by the pile of books "...Uhm...No...This is perfect...But, could you please help me take the rest of these to my room before I start reading?" she asked.

Eric nodded, but before Rosaleya could even stand up, he had taken the entire pile away in a hurry, running out of earshot before she could argue.

Rosaleya put a hand to her mouth in surprise, before looking down the one book he had left behind. Never really had an interest in his sonnets, but I've heard so much about this plays...And about all of Shakespeare's other 'books'. I've always wanted to read them, but Dad said that they were stupid and useless, and he didn't let me buy them, nor did he allow Crystal to buy them for me. When I tried to read them online, he banned me from ever reading anything on my computer. 'Do you want to be wearing glasses in two years? That's how people ruin their vision!' I just hope that I can understand how they speak in this book. What if I can't understand Shakespearean? She opened the book, and began reading. Twelve pages in, she realized that she could understand the characters perfectly. She only had to reference who was related to whom a few times, until she remembered. However, there was a word that she didn't understand. She looked up from the page, and summoned Eric.

"How may I assist you, Lady Rose?"

"Could I please have a dictionary? I'm embarrassed to admit, but I don't know what this word means."

"Which word?" Eric asked.

"This one." Rosaleya pointed, showing him the word for fear of mispronouncing it.

"Oh, I know that word. Filial. It means: relating to or due from a son or daughter. For example, a display of filial affection. Did I explain it well enough?"

"Yes...But I don't want to bother you with every word that I-"

"Very well."

He left, and returned with a heavy dictionary.

"T...Thank you. You know, I don't think that I will stop being surprised by your amazing efficiency any time soon."

"No thanks is necessary, Lady Rose." Eric bowed, perfectly imitating Alastair. "You'll have to excuse me, for I am being summoned." he sped away.

I'm really reading this, next to a guy that looks like that, in a garden that looks like this...I would seriously hate to wake up... she thought, still nearly incredulous to the fact that it was real. Nearly.

A few pages later, Rosaleya looked up a word in the dictionary.

Obsequious. Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree . Example: 'They were served by obsequious waiters.' Wow, what a good description. This is a really good dictionary.

After they had been reading in silence for perhaps two hours, Eric appeared.

"Asmodeus is here, and he wishes to have an audience with you." Eric informed him.

"Oh? Lead him to the gardens." Nova replied, closing his book.

Hearing this, Rosaleya closed her book at once, and moved to leave the garden in a hurry. Better get out of his way; I wouldn't want to bother him while he discusses important matters with another one of the representatives...Lust's statue is so handsome, so I wonder what he looks like in real life? She had a vision of herself, peering out of her open bedroom window via binoculars, witnessing their meeting. No, that would be so rude! She quickly dismissed her thought. I'll just have to meet him later...Hopefully.

"Rose, do stay." Nova called after her.

Rosaleya froze, her back to him and her books held under her arms. She was about to explain her reasons for leaving when Nova interrupted.

"I order you to sit." he said, eyeing her knowingly.

Rosaleya turned around, promptly taking her seat again without another word.

When Eric led Asmodeus to them, she forgot to breathe for a moment. Is this real? He seriously looks just like his statue...The long, thin black hair like a wise older lion's mane, and the strong build...I wonder what he would be like in a fight; probably the winner if it was just a test of strength, and I don't even know what his special power is, or are, in the case of more than one. And he looks so strong-willed, like a wolf. . . The look in his eyes...It's like he can change from friendly- He thought as Asmodeus shook hands with Nova, who had risen from his seat to greet him. Rosaleya had followed his example. -to dangerous in just a second. It's like he's scary and mysterious but I want to know more about him at the same time! How can that be?! She thought as Asmodeus turned to Rosaleya.

Although she hadn't been listening, she could tell that Nova had just introduced them, and now Asmodeus offered Rosaleya his hand. A handshake? With the King's uncle? What would that make him...? I don't think there's a Vice-King....Uhm....I don't get it; would he be called a prince? Isn't that reserved for the King's children? Would he be a Lord, then??? Anyway, it's still WAY higher than whatever I would be called in this realm. She looked down at it in confusion, hesitating for a second before offering him a shaking hand in return.

"It is an honor to meet you." Rosaleya regarded the grass nervously, her voice shaking. Damn! Why can't I control my voice or anything else...Why do I always have to wear my heart on my sleeve???

"The honor is mine, to be able to meet the enchanting young lady who both Nova and Reign spoke fondly of."

Reign spoke fondly of me??? I find that more surprising than hearing that Nova spoke fondly of me. But both are still very surprising; there's nothing to speak of about me.

"Thank you." Rosaleya replied modestly. "But you were misinformed. I'm just a human, nothing special."

"I care not." Asmodeus smiled. "All souls interest me equally, excluding, of course, Satan." he said elegantly, pulling out a chair for Rosaleya and gesturing to it.

Once everyone was seated, Nova and Asmodeus began talking about a feast they would share together at that table the following day. She remained quiet, listening carefully to what they were saying while she regarded their expressions. After they discussed the foods, none of which Rosaleya recognized because the names sounded so strange, they moved on to the guest list.

"I would like all twelve chairs filled." Nova said, speaking in a jokingly pretentious voice.

"That brings me back to the comment I made before. Apparently, Miss, you are a candidate for this list." Asmodeus smiled, turning to her. "Would you do us the honor of attending our luncheon on the morrow?"

"...Why?" she looked away. She spoke in a voice so polite that it was forced; she was trying to hide her annoyance. "I don't want to be in your way at all, so I'll avoid this piece of land tomorrow; maybe Eric can show me around a bit. You don't have to worry about me feeling left out; just enjoy your party." she insisted with genuine kindness. "Master." she added respectfully.

"No no, dear me, that is not why I invited you." Nova insisted, surprised at her reaction. "I merely find you to be a captivating character. Please, I would be overjoyed if you attended."

"I agree." Asmodeus said.

"As do I." Eric added cheerfully. He had appeared a minute earlier to stand next to Rosaleya. Now, he bent down to retrieve an item he had 'accidentally dropped'. He dropped a note in her lap, before standing again and putting his 'fallen item' inside one of his pockets. She looked down as if she was considering their invitation, and read the note discreetly. It read:

If you do something strange, I promise that I will order them all to forget that you had even attended at all, if you wish it. It would be a clean slate for you, so you can calm yourself and accept their invitation.

Rosaleya nodded, looking back at them. "I am so grateful to be receiving an invitation. Thank you." she smiled.

I don't have to worry; Eric's got my back. Rosaleya thought in relief, giving Eric a very grateful look when Asmodeus and Nova had distracted each other again with conversation.

"Good day to you as well." Eric replied with a bow. "How may I be of assistance?"

"I don't think that I can wear this maid's outfit to the luncheon." Rosaleya laughed. "Is there anywhere you can take me that has cheap clothes that don't look too bad? I don't have any money because I've never had a need for an allowance-" Because I never left the apartment or the store on my own "-And I don't want to trouble Nova with something expensive."

"Money on earth...I find it all so comical." Eric laughed, highly amused. He was perfectly imitating Nova whenever Earth's system for money was brought up.

Rosaleya raised her eyebrows. "...Does money work differently here or something?"

"Yes, it does. " Eric smiled widely. "Allow me to explain."

Five minutes later...

"So that is why money isn't and never will be a problem here."

"That's amazing." Rosaleya said in surprise. "I can't believe that that system actually works and is actually used here."

"The former king was against the idea, so we couldn't implement it until the current one sat on the throne. It was Asmodeus's idea in the first place, so you should let him know how amazing it is yourself."

"Well, to be honest...I'm kind of scared of him." Rosaleya admitted.

"Really? Why?" Eric asked. He looked to be completely ignorant in what other people saw in Asmodeus, personally regarding him as a kind and gentle person; certainly no one to fear.

"I just...I don't know how to explain it. I just feel so inferior in his presence. Like he's some sort of...." she shrugged, clearly meaning that she didn't want to use the word 'god'. "And when I first met him, I nearly wanted to run away. I don't feel like he means it, but he emits a scary aura."

"When you get to know him better, you will look back at your current feelings and laugh, I'm certain of it." Eric assured her. "Now, what sort of attire do you imagine wearing tomorrow?"

"I'm terrible at describing things...Could we maybe browse through a store that sells-"

"-Excuse me I'm being summoned!" he bolted.

Rosaleya looked out the window, at the beautiful view of part of the hedge labyrinth and the waters. Some of the flower paths were visible as well. Everything is so pretty here...I want to see everything...Everyone is so nice. And the best part is, I have Len Kagamine as my personal assistant. He's so helpful; like a mini-version of the perfect gentleman. Nova is more of the joker character, although his manners are so...

"I have returned, Lady Rose, and I bear an invitation."

"That was really quick...Wait, invitation? Who is it from???"

"Reign."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Mm.." Aislinn mumbled and closed her eyes momentarily when Alastair kissed her forehead. She wished for the moment to froze forever. She sighed inwardly when she watched him walking away. She was almost feeling disappointed because she had nearly wished to share room with him. She followed the other lady to her room.

Aislinn was absent minded, her thoughts scattered and distracted as she enjoyed an herbal bath in a large wooden tube. It was almost dark in the room. There were large windows in front of the onsen bath. The windows gave a view of a Chinese garden. The windows were not ordinary windows. Anyone in the room could view the garden outside, however anyone inside could not view the room behind the windows. The light that came from the windows only reached to the onsen bath. The rest of the room remained in half-darkness where herbal scented candles shed light over the rest of the room.

Aislinn rested her head against the edge of the tube and closed her eyes momentarily.

"Did she fall asleep…?" A woman whispered, entering a small bedroom, meant for a child.

Her husband looked up at her with a smile and shook his head.

A child was sitting on the bed, clutching her father's arm, clearly refusing him to leave.

"Seriously, we have an appointment-"

"Do not worry love, I can always come up with a good excuse-"

"-which we actually should avoid, because the Dark Lord-"

"-won't tolerate any excuses...I love how we fill in our sentences.." He smiled romantically.

"Seriously..." the right corner of her mouth was twitching in a smile. "...We need to leave...Now!"

"Give me another second please..."

"I want a story..." The child pouted.

"Sweetie, I have told you three stories now. If you promise me to wait here for three minutes, I will come back and tell you three more stories..." The man held up his pinky and the child held up hers as well. He entwined his pinky with hers and together they sang the pinky promise song.

Then he tugged her in her bed and when he was about the leave with his wife, the child spoke once more:

"Mummy…?"

"Yes…?" The woman held back a sigh.

"You know the usual..." Her husband whispered with a smile.

"Oh right..." She neared her child, bent down and kissed her cheeks.

Aislinn sat up with a jolt, splashing water around her. Her heart was beating fast and she wondered for a second where she was, not recognizing the place for a mere second. Then she remembered that she was at a spa with Alastair. ...Merlin's beard, did I fall asleep...oh my, have I kept him waiting? She thought with panic and rushed out from the bath tub, splashing even more water around her, that water drops hit the candles and a fizzing sound was heard when some of the lights were put out.

She pulled out a red towel from the neatly piled up and folded red and gold colored towels, making a mess with towels on the floor. In the process she tumbled over a couple of candles, their lights fizzing when they hit the small puddles she had caused when she had splashed water around her. She stepped on some wooden bowls, containing herbal leaves, pastes and soaps. She cursed aloud when her right feet got smudgy with paste and her left feet, which still was wet, got plastered with the herbal leaves and she nearly slipped on the soaps and fell on the table where she had laid her clothes. In that process she tumbled over the table and her clothes fell on floor and she fell above them and caught the table by its legs, the second before it hit her.

Fifteen minutes later, Aislinn was sitting in the waiting room, her heart beating normally. She was feeling relieved that she had not kept Alastair waiting for too long. Her hair was combed neatly, and her clothes looked clean and dry and free from any wrinkles and stains. She looked like she had enjoyed her time without any clumsiness. She was trying to remember the dream she had had when she had fallen asleep in the bath, but she could not remember a single moment from the dream. The dream had been so clear as if it had been a reality, but she could hardly remember anything when she had woken up.

"Eh...?" Elias was visibly surprised that he nearly become speechless. …Did Luna plan this…? He thought confused and remained sitting for a full minute, not knowing what to do next. …She does not want to sleep on the sofa with me…? He thought with a frown. He opened his mouth to speak, but she had already left to brush her teeth. ...I guess she must mean that we will remain sitting on the couch the entire night...otherwise why would she give me anti pain potion anyways...

When Elias had brushed his teeth and walked out to the main room, he noticed that Luna had changed her attire. For a moment he stood far behind the couch wondering if he should change his attire as well. ...I have my night robe...but...eh…I... He turned back and took off his cloak, tie and suit jacket and changed his shoes to a pair of slippers. He kept wearing his shirt and trousers.

"That's much better." she smiled when Elias neared the couch, closing the book and putting it on a nearby table. "Here." she handed him an anti-pain potion.

He took the potion with a smile and drank the entire content at one go before he sat down.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

Alastair had instructed Raven to alert him as to when Aislynn entered the waiting room, so that he did not keep her waiting. He had secured the room magically so that no one could enter before he allowed himself to relax.

He had forgotten the wonderfully relaxing feeling he had gotten the last time he had come, and just like last time, he wondered why he did not come more often. He let his thoughts wander as he enjoyed the herbal bath, mostly focusing on happy memories between himself and Aislynn.

"Your lady has just entered the waiting room." Raven announced at the other side of the door.

"Thank you." I do hope that my lady enjoyed this treatment as much as I.

He entered the waiting room "My lady, I do hope that did not keep you waiting too long?"

"Did you enjoy your treatment?"

Alastair smiled. "The day is still young. What do you think our next activity should be?"

Luna neared him, kissed him on the cheek, and proceeded to rest in the same position as before.

His skin is so smooth...

"I was just going to ask." she smiled when he put his hand on her head like before.

Soon, she fell asleep, neither snoring nor moving in any abrupt or annoying ways. She began a rather amusing dream, in which Elias was too embarrassed to say the 'I do' part at their wedding ceremony, so Alastair stepped in and said it for him, kissing Luna on the forehead when the man said 'You may kiss the bride'. Everyone laughed as Elias stood there flabbergasted and blushing, although Luna laughed the hardest. "We can always try this again tomorrow." Alastair said nonchalantly, patting Elias on the shoulder. "Or whenever you feel up for it. " he smirked.

Luna woke up laughing at seven, clearly remembering her dream. That was so surprising. My imagination gave me a very interesting night. And Alastair's pat on the back to Elias! It was as if he was saying that his performance at the ceremony was effeminate since I was being brave for once. Not a dream that I would share with Elias...Oh, I hope that I didn't wake him up with my noise! She thought suddenly, opening her eyes and looking over at Elias.

"I...I don't know how to thank you for the invitation." Rosaleya bowed to Reign.

He was sitting cross-legged at one of the low tables, playing music with his Erhu. He stopped when she entered the room with Eric, placing it on a cushion beside him.

Eric had been in charge of their short trip via boat, ensuring her safety in entering the painting, and leading her through the gardens to see Reign. Now he bowed, and excused himself, uttering his usual phrase "I'm being summoned".

He's another important person. Sloth's representative. I wonder why he would want to see me? Oh, his kimono looks so amazing, and his hair is tied up just like that time...And his Erhu! He sounded so amazing! He's the reason that I am here in the first place; without him I would have never known about this place. He's the one that paid for my first wish.

Reign stood and bowed as well, "Good day. Please be seated." he gestured to the cushion opposite him, then left the room.

Rosaleya copied his sitting position, folding her hands on the table and looking about the room.

Today, there was a clear blue sky with creatively shaped clouds, and the weather was perfectly cool with a soft warm breeze.

Wow...This garden is like the most perfect Japanese garden ever! It's really interesting how he blends both Japanese and Chinese architecture in such a beautiful way. Wait, are those things on the bushes really...? She looked closer, wondering how she had not noticed them before. Eric told me about that, but it's still so hard to believe! Plus, I forgot what he said until just now...

"Please, enjoy." Reign said, placing a cup of chocolate milk in front of Rosaleya, with three different mini donuts and cupcakes.

"Wow...Thank you! That's exactly what I would have-" Rosaleya laughed, shaking her head. "I forgot." I wonder, does he just see it, or does he actually have to make an attempt to look into the future? How exactly does that work? "These are so tiny and cute; they're just the perfect size so that I can try everything and not get stomach ache. And they taste so wonderful; I've never tasted food this amazing before. Except for the cookies that Damien gave to Nova...He let me taste two, and they were surprising, and so cute."

Reign nodded every so often, gazing at the gardens and drinking his green tea while she talked a bit and enjoyed her sweets. She would express delight in something, then go quiet for a moment, then start up again about something else.

She talks almost as much as Diana, but she does not bother me at all...Why?

"....so I've always thought that the Erhu sounds so spellbinding."

Reign pointed to their empty dishes, then to the next room, as if he was gesturing for the dishes to leave them and go away. The did so, picking themselves up delicately as Rosaleya watched with fascination.

"So...Did you want me for something? I don't think that your house needs cleaning." She looked around. "And I can't do anything related to gardening."

Reign stood and Rosaleya followed. He summoned something in his usual way, and handed it to Rosaleya.

"Wear it at the luncheon tomorrow." He suggested.

"This is..." she put a hand to her mouth. "...So perfect...I can't thank you enough. I wish there was something that I could do for you to repay you...First the wish, and now this? Come on, there has to be something I can do?"

Reign smiled, shaking his head.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"It was lovely," Aislinn smiled happily. ...Even if I messed it up a bit, I still enjoyed the bath...it was so relaxing... She thought.

Alastair smiled. "The day is still young. What do you think our next activity should be?"

"I am hungry, so I would suggest a savory dinner and then you may surprise me with an activity," She replied.

Elias smiled and put his hand on Luna's head just like before.

"I was just going to ask." she smiled.

He remained silent, though he kept smiling, his eyes on the view of the dark sea. He did not fall asleep immediately, because he was sitting straight on a couch. If he had been laying down in a bed, he would have fallen asleep within a few minutes. His eyes fell on the book which she had put away on the coffee table. He was feeling curious about what kind of story was behind its cover. For a moment he felt jealous because he was not able to write any story at all, but then he shook of his fugacious feeling. …I cannot be perfect with everything. No one can. Some are good with some things while others are good with other things...and so on... He thought reasonably.

The moon showed up a bit behind the clouds when they dispersed. Elias closed his eyes and tried to imagine how it would be like in Venice, especially the theater Luna had told him about. His thoughts wandered to Florence and Rome, thinking about the lovely places he would take her to. He did not know when he fell asleep. Surprisingly, it was a dreamless sleep. Though when he heard a faint laugh nearby, he thought he was dreaming. He opened his eyes slowly to find Luna looking at him.

"Good morning," he smiled. He had no idea that she had been laughing, since he thought that the faint laugh, he had heard must had been a dream

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"I am hungry, so I would suggest a savory dinner and then you may surprise me with an activity." She replied.

"Very well..." he thought for a moment. "Does spicy Indian food sound appealing, or would you prefer something more mild like Italian or perhaps Mexican? I'm in the mood to cook something lovely for you today, so I wanted to stop by a grocery store befoFare heading back to London, where we have the whole manor to ourselves, and a gourmet kitchen." he smiled. Since she wants me to choose the activity for this evening, I have had a lovely idea on my mind for a few days now...I am certain that she will love it.

"Good morning," he smiled.

"Good morning." Luna returned his smile. She stood, adjusted her gown a bit, and then walked away to her bedroom. She thought that it was obvious that she was going to shower, so she said nothing.

She found herself giggling in the shower, and again when she was brushing her teeth. I'll laugh now, and try to avoid thinking about it in his presence. It would be rude for me to be laughing at him to his face, even if he didn't know it, right?

She left her room with a smile on her face, wearing the same gown and hairstyle as the day before, prior to their dinner. "Elias?" Luna asked. "Would you be interested in playing a game of chess?"

Rosaleya wore the dress Reign had given her, which came to just above her knees; in her opinion, this was the perfect length for a teenager's 'short skirt', and any shorter would be indecent. White tights and cute black sandals complimented the dress nicely. Eric had helped her put her hair in a simple low bun since she had never used a bun-tool before, and he had left a few strands loose for a cute look.

"Everyone else will be arriving soon." Nova explained after Rosaleya and Asmodeus had exchanged greetings and taken their seats. She hadn't experienced the same fear as before, although she still regarded him in the same manner. "The King is occupied at the current time, so he will not be joining us."

I wonder if Nova was serious about filling all twelve seats for this party? Rosaleya wondered as she noticed Envy's representatives arriving.

Every time a new demon arrived, she stood to greet them, shook hands, and sat back down. Everyone seemed to arrive within minutes of each other, and less than twenty minutes later, everyone had arrived.

There are six; Celeste, Dante, Asmodeus, Nova, Reign, and Diana are some of the representatives. Eric, Damien, Malice, and Stephan make ten. I count as eleven, and if the King had come, it would have been twelve. There are a lot of people here...Not as much as at the garden party, but still enough to make me nervous.

Rosaleya did not speak, choosing to listen closely as they moved fluidly from subject to subject. She began to notice little things, like how each one of the demons seemed to have a different view on everything, and how each seemed to always play a different role in a conversation.

Celeste and Dante didn't speak much unless they were greatly interested in the subject at hand. Reign didn't speak at all unless he was directly asked a question, or if a dispute arose, he would say something that would somehow make everything better. Stephan seemed to speak little because he was shy, and a few times she caught him giving her furtive glances. Diana let slip two comments about her fondness for Reign, regardless of his apparent distance from the conversation. She was sneaking glances at him when she thought that no one was looking. Malice and Asmodeus always voiced their opinions, proud of their views, although the former's were noticeably darker than the latter's. No matter what, Malice refused to hear a bad thing about either Asmodeus, Alastair, or Damien, often defending them with great stories as proof of their perfection. The former, and Nova, seemed to make light of several situations, although it was obvious that Nova was the joker of the group. Eric seemed to love everyone, although she caught some tension between him and Diana. She also noticed that Asmodeus never seemed to take offense to anything that was said; she got the distinct impression that Asmodeus carried a secret about everyone at the table.

I don't know how...But it's like I can feel it. It's almost like I know it.

She didn't think that anyone noticed how she was refraining from joining their conversations until Diana spoke suddenly. "You're very perceptive, aren't you?"

She had relaxed after finding her comfortable place as a spectator in their interactions, yet now she grew nervous as everyone turned to her except for Reign.

Was I doing something wrong? I noticed all of these things, but it's not like I was spying on them or anything...And I don't have anything interesting to say! How could I have joined their conversations? But then, why is Diana looking at me like that? Like I'm a little girl?

"I like perceptive people. Another word for that is vigilant." Asmodeus said, smiling at Rosaleya. "And hardworking people. They are the best."

"That sounds a lot like you, father." Malice beamed at him.

"Speaking of 'hardworking and vigilant', I remember the last time I went to Damien's home. Have you seen what he did to that serial murderer three days ago?" Nova asked.

"Ah, what a splendid time that was." Damien replied, smiling. "The needles were Malice's idea."

And just like that, they had entered another conversation.

Rosaleya sighed in relief. She felt someone's gaze on her, and looked around. Stephan looked away quickly, and she wondered what his role was in the group. Since Nova had introduced him with a warm look in his eyes, she wondered if they were related. Or maybe Stephan is Nova's apprentice in the same way that Malice is Asmodeus's apprentice.

Reign made a gesture to Eric, and he nodded and left the table.

Rosaleya watched him sprint away curiously. Asmodeus and Malice noticed what had happened, but everyone else was deep in their conversation about a game they would be playing afterward.

"...How are we going to split into four groups of three like last time?" Diana asked.

"Why not have five teams of two this time?" Nova suggested. "One of us will prepare the game."

"How will we decide who prepares?" Damien asked.

"We'll draw straws, but Reign will have to take the last one so that last time's problem doesn't occur." Nova stated logically. "Ah, I foresee a beautiful meal in our very near future." he said dramatically as Eric arrived with the plates hovering behind him.

He set the table for everyone, and Rosaleya was surprised to see the large variety of food. There is everything here from salads to Mexican food and Sushi, Indian and Chinese, Italian and wow....It's like a buffet from all around the world! All of this came from Reign's home, and according to their conversation, he prepared all of this beforehand so that Eric could deliver it at the perfect moment...Wow...I just hope that I don't do anything stupid or rude, having had no prior etiquette lessons or-

She noticed how everyone thanked Reign in a different way before serving. Damien put himself a large portion of every sort of Italian food. Diana put herself an even larger portion of a bit of everything, except for the Japanese. Asmodeus served Malice before serving himself, and Dante served Celeste before himself. All four of them had Chinese. Nova offered to serve Stephan, who declined, choosing to indulge in the meat pies and some spring rolls. Nova and Eric went for the Mexican food. Reign didn't even touch the food until everyone had finished serving, levitating what remained of the Japanese food to his plate, and choosing to eat with chopsticks.

No one is paying attention to anyone else...It's not like when I used to eat with Dad and he would criticize every mistake I made...They are too busy enjoying the food. They're still talking, and they're eating politely, but not so stiff and formal like in the movies and books. This is nice. She thought, choosing the delicious looking Indian food, and a few of the remaining Chinese dumplings.

Eric stood to leave once everyone had finished eating, and the dishes followed him as he sped off, returning moments later.

Wow...It's just like Nova said. I'm not stuffed, but I'm not hungry at all. It's like when Crystal says 'Save room for dessert' and I leave a bit of room for a dessert. I can eat more, but I won't really be thinking about food for a while because I feel satisfied. Cool.

"....like last time." Malice said.

"No, that won't happen. But I am excited to see who will win this time." Nova smiled mischievously. "Ms. Rose, are you interested in playing a game with us?" he asked, turning to her.

"Uhm...Sure." she nodded. I wonder what kind of game these important people will play. Is it going to be something like Chess or....

"Let's draw straws, then." Damien conjured a bunch of straws, and everyone stood.

Everyone took one, and Damien ended up getting the short straw.

"I will go prepare the game, then. Select the groups between yourselves. Five teams of two." He reminded them, walking away.

Diana immediately went for Reign, who looked to be too busy admiring the sky to show any possible frustration.

Malice went for Asmodeus as if he were on fire, holding his hand and standing in front of him, as if warning everyone else against asking him. Asmodeus looked down at her fondly, as if this was her typical behavior.

Stephan went for Nova, hiding behind him as if he feared that someone else might ask him first.

Dante and Celeste stood beside each other, as if it was impossible for them to ever be separated, even during a game.

Rosaleya watched all of this, holding back laughter, while at the same time wondering who would want to team up with her as the teams formed so quickly.

"Lady Rose, would you...?" Eric asked, offering her his hand with a perfect imitation of Alastair's charming smile.

"Thank you so much!" Rosaleya said quietly, relief showing on her face. "Can you tell me what this game is??"

"Damien is hiding items throughout the gardens; little plastic hearts the size of a large walnut. Whichever team collects more wins the prize."

"All of this...Wait, these important people are getting all excited about an Easter Egg Hunt?" Rosaleya asked in surprise. "Nononono....You're messing with me, right?"

"This, I would not do." He promised seriously.

"Well...There must be a really important prize, then, right? Or a penalty for the team that brings in the least?" Rosaleya asked reasonably. Maybe they just do this under the guise of a 'childlike game' while there's really an evil penalty or a super-valuable prize! That must be it!

"The prize hasn't been announced, yet." Eric replied.

"Oh...Okay. I'll just have to wait and see, then."

"I have returned." Damien smiled. "I wish you luck, for it is only with the best of luck that you will find them." He said, laughing evilly.

It's an Easter Egg Hunt...There has to be...something important here.

"You have one hour. If you are not back here within an hour, then you are disqualified, no matter how touching your excuse is, or how many hearts you have collected. If two teams tie, then a final game will be played to decide the winner. It has to be a game that both teams agree on. The prize is to be of greater value than last time's prize, but just as last time, the reveal will be saved until a winner is declared. Both members of a team must return for their win to be valid. And, since we have a guest with us today, special powers are not allowed, and anyone using them will be disqualified. " He gave Rosaleya a kind glance before moving on "On your marks..."

That was really kind of him. Now I have a chance of winning! Rosaleya thought happily

This is terrible. Reign was going to be my ace-in-the-hole this time! Diana thought in frustration.

We won't lose, either way. Dante and Celeste thought.

I didn't think of that. Nova thought.

"Go."

Asmodeus picked up Malice in his arms, and jumped off to the west. Dante and Celeste jumped together to the east. Nova and Stephan ran away together, the former laughing childishly in his excitement. Damien took his seat at the table again, his eyes on a miniature alarm clock. Diana ran off with Reign following behind her.

He's a really good runner. I wouldn't have guessed that he is athletic. Rosaleya thought, watching Reign run. It looks like he's going slowly to follow Diana...

"Come; I can get us away quickly." Eric offered his hand to her.

"Sure." She took it. "Let's try the flower beds first. I would hide things there, blending them in with the flowers to make them difficult to see and find!"

"Certainly." He began running, nearly pulling Rosaleya along with him.

"Wow, you're so fast! Hey, isn't jumping a special power?"

"No. That is a common power, because almost everyone can do it. Special powers are the rarer ones that I told you about."

"Speaking of special powers, how does Reign's magic work?"

"It's a bit like....A calculator. You can't solve a math problem simply by picking it up, correct? You have to put in the numbers, and then you get an answer."

"Oh...So he has to foresee each situation individually? With each possible outcome? And he has to do that for the hundreds and hundreds of interactions that he has every day? No..." she held her head to try to stop it from spinning. "That would be such a headache! No wonder he observes more than he speaks! Imagine if I had to calculate the effect of every word I said. I wouldn't talk."

"Here we are." They stopped where the flower paths started. "Ah, I can see one!"

"And another one! Wow..." Rosaleya said in surprise, immediately getting on her hands and knees. "That's six already!"

By putting herself in Damien's place, she didn't really just find a jackpot, did she? Eric thought in disbelief, walking a few feet past her and beginning his search there. Optimistic, hard-working, modest, and appreciative of every little thing. Perceptive and...smart. What a cute girl.

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Indian sounds lovely!" Aislinn beamed, her mouth already watering when she thought of Indian food, which was her favorite kind.

As soon as Luna left the room, Elias stretched out his arms and yawned. He then laid down in the couch and stretched out his limbs as much as he could.

...Another night and we will arrive in Venice...I don't mind another night with her again but how shall I explain for her that I need to rest by laying down, especially in a bed, the rest of the nights of this vacation? I do not have pain thanks to the potion she gave me last night, yet I only managed to sleep less than I usually do....perhaps I should take a sip of sleeping draught as well so that I immediately fall asleep..

He sat up and picked up the book and opened it. He turned over some leaves and was surprised to find the pages entirely blank. Not a single word could he find.

...Weird... He thought and put the book back. ...But she would hardly sit and stare at blank pages, wouldn't she? It must be enchanted somehow...by a secret magical word...when the password is spoken, the pages will reveal its content....

He left the main room and went to brush his teeth and shower. He changed to another simple yet elegant suit with a cloak. When he was fully dressed and had combed his hair, the only thing that remained was to tie his hair with the black ribbon. After countless of attempts and until he felt soreness in his arms, he managed to tie an elegant bow behind his neck.

"Elias?" Luna asked. "Would you be interested in playing a game of chess?"

Elias had just entered the main room to find her reading as usual.

"As long as it is wizarding chess," He replied with a smile and picked up a small golden bell from a small side table. "I am just going to order tea and something light to eat for breakfast, would you love a green and sour apple?" He did not wait for an answer and swung the bell. No sound could be heard. Only the staff who worked in the kitchens could hear the signal and thus knowing when and which guests wanted breakfast served in their own rooms. This opportunity was only available for the first-class passengers.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"Indian sounds lovely!" Aislynn beamed.

"Lovely." he smiled. I was hoping that you would choose Indian. "To the carriage, my lady." he offered her his arm.

Alastair had Raven stop on a rooftop in India, telling Aislynn to remain where she was since he would only need two minutes. He left before she replied, and returned no less than two minutes later with a large shopping bag full of ingredients, mainly spices.

Back in London, Alastair escorted her to the manor, and gestured to a seat at the bar, so that she could watch him cook. He emptied the bag's contents onto the counter "Let the show begin." he bowed dramatically. Half-way through his cooking, he gave Aislynn a piece of fried naan bread to taste.

"My lady, I need only to plate the food." Alastair announced as he tasted one of the curry dishes for seasoning. His announcement came exactly thirty minutes after he had begun. For the number of dishes he had cooked, it would have taken a normal person, working on their own, perhaps three or four hours, if they were highly skilled. "Please be seated in the dining room." he said.

He entered the dining room moments later with all every dish plated elegantly and hovering behind him.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked as the table set itself. Water poured itself into their glasses, and he stood waiting to see if she wanted anything else to drink.

Alastair waited to see Aislynn's reaction to the food, as usual. This time, I have no doubt in my mind that the meal was prepared swiftly, and I am almost certain that she will find everything here satisfactory. I refrained from using garlic on any of the meals, even though one or two usually use garlic. It was never my favorite flavor anyway. I would use something else in its place whenever possible. This food isn't from Hell, but I used every one of my skills to ensure that it was nearly as good.

"As long as it is Wizarding chess," He replied with a smile and picked up a small golden bell from a small side table. "I am just going to order tea and something light to eat for breakfast, would you love a green and sour apple?"

Luna was about to nod when he swung the bell.

Is it broken? Luna wondered, having expected to hear sound. No, it looks like he's waiting for something. It must be some magical explanation. Well, I will go get the chess board. I packed it for this very moment. She left her seat.

She returned with the chessboard, and proceeded to set up the pieces. "Would you like to be black or white?" she asked when she had finished.

"Horse...I mean, knight to C3." she said at her turn. "I used to call it the 'horse piece' when I was young." She explained. "Till this day, it is difficult for me to remember that it is called the knight piece."

"I couldn't care less that I lost." She said when the game was over. "It was fun to play with you for a change."

"Ten. Nine. Eight..." Damien counted down.

Rosaleya and Eric rushed in to join the others in the group. Rosaleya sighed in relief when she heard Damien call the number 'seven' in his countdown.

"Now, if you please..." He gestured to five large bowls, and everyone proceeded to put their hearts inside. Each bowl had a name card in front of it, labeling each bowl for a different team.

Rosaleya and Eric

"This is ours." Eric put his portion in, and Rosaleya did the same. She had more than he did, but seeing as the other bowls looked a bit fuller, she doubted that they had won.

Everyone took a step back, and they watched as numbers appeared on the sides of the bowls.

"In fifth place, we have Nova and Stephan's team." Damien announced.

"We were too busy having fun. We ended up playing a quick game of tag to pass the excess time." Nova shrugged.

"Before we started looking." Stephan sighed disapprovingly.

Damien smiled, finding this amusing. "In fourth place, we have Diana and Reign's team."

"You hid them too well." Diana retorted. "And you said no special powers, or else we would have won..." She added, clearly disappointed.

Damien smirked. "In third place, we have Asmodeus and Malice."

"We spent too much time in the labyrinth." Malice sighed. "It was my fault, because I would have hidden them there. We looked in every inch and cranny, and only found these..."

"But dearest, the labyrinth was my idea, so it couldn't possibly have been your fault." Asmodeus replied, running his fingers through her hair in a comforting way.

"In second place, Rosaleya and Eric's team."

"Yay!" Rosaleya rejoiced. She offered her hands to Eric so that they could high-five, and he did so with a wide smile. "Second place is basically first! It's my favorite, because I don't really care about prizes, so I don't have to deal with them if I'm in second! Plus, first always gets more attention, which I would rather have less of."

"Hmm...I never looked at it that way..." Eric replied thoughtfully.

"And in first place, of course, Celeste and Dante."

They smiled happily.

"This time, there are two prizes; one for the demons, and one for our guest." He smiled at Rosaleya, who smiled back in pleasant surprise. "The demon prize is one human soul."

Dante and Celeste embraced in their happiness, then Celeste walked forward and took the bottled soul, which was glowing a golden colour. She brought it back to Dante and both of them beheld it like two children waiting for their slice of cake at a party.

"The human prize is one item box." Damien handed her a plain white box, made of strong cardboard, with nothing inside. It was large enough to fit six gallons of water inside.

"What is an item box?" Rosaleya asked Eric, taking the box and noticing that it was very light. "Does it summon things, or...?"

"It allows you to take items from this realm to yours." Eric smiled. "Each one can only be used once, and this one is very large, so you can take plenty of items. It is wonderful for you, who cannot take items back on your own. Unless one of your special powers is taking items back from Hell to Earth, then transporting items is quite difficult."

"Thank you for the explanation." Rosaleya said. "Thank you so much for this awesome prize." She thanked Damien, bowing to him.

"No need to thank me. The box was actually Reign's idea." Damien replied, taking a step back.

Rosaleya stood, and realized that Reign had been watching her. She walked over to him and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, for everything. I don't know how to thank you. I don't know how to express it." Why is he being so nice? Why is everyone being so nice? Are they...Is this normal for them?

"Your thanks is not needed." Reign replied kindly. "Your presence is enough."

Sure. She thought disbelievingly as she returned to her spot beside Eric. Is it like in the books, where everyone is nice to the new kid and then as soon as they leave they start bad-mouthing them? Or do they think that this is a one-time-visit for me, so they might as well be nice while I'm here?

She heard Diana mumble something about how Reign was the quintessential gentleman.

"We'll split it." She heard both Dante and Celeste say in sync. "It looks so delicious."

"How can a soul look delicious?" Rosaleya asked. She wasn't bothered by their soul-eating habits. Being of magical descent, and considering there was a law against eating magical souls imposed by a ruler they respected, she had no worries about it.

The other demons started saying their goodbyes and shaking hands.

"The colours range from white to black. The brighter the soul, the better it tastes. A black soul may sound dark and enchanting, but it tastes bitter and horrid. A dark brown is close to black, so it isn't as disgusting, but still, they're generally not eaten. Those souls come from the more disgusting people, you know?"

Rosaleya nodded.

"The more virtuous a person was, or the more cunning, in some instances, the better their soul tastes. Darker shades of green taste less appealing, while brighter shades of green taste marvelous, and so forth. Each colour has a different taste. In some cases, grey is acceptable, if it is a lighter grey, but still a bit...bland."

"I get it...Thank you. How can you tell if a soul is...How can you tell what colour it is before the person dies? Is there a way?"

"Yes. Some people have the power to see it without any effort. Reign and Asmodeus can." Eric whispered. "But most have to get to know the person well before they can tell."

"Which colour is your favorite, if that isn't a rude question to ask?"

"I haven't tried them all. I've tasted dark black-" he made a disgusting face "-bright orange, bright pink, and dark green. I want to try the rest."

"When you do, tell me which you enjoy the most." She shrugged.

"Ms. Rose, do say goodbye to our guests." Nova said, putting on a comically pretentious air of bossiness.

Rosaleya laughed. I love it here...I know it's silly and naive of me to assume that this is their true nature, but for now, I just want to at least pretend that they're all really this nice. I'll let myself believe it until something suggests otherwise.

 

[Hikari Chan]

Aislinn watched breathlessly as Alastair prepared the meal. She hardly noticed when she took the piece of bread from his hand and wondered why he gave it to her. She was hungry so she devoured the entire piece at once as she kept her eyes on him. His elegant movements in the kitchen, the way he prepared every dish so smoothly and charmingly. The way he plated the dishes so flawlessly. She could have been watching him preparing meals for eternity without getting tired of his spectacular way of preparing meals. Even when he told her to be seated in the room, she remained to watch him to plate the food before she rushed away to the dining room and waited for him there.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked as the table set itself.

"Just ice-cold water please," She smiled and tasted a bit from every dish. "Oh my..." She tasted some more and gazed dreamingly at Alastair. "It is...I have no words...so delicious..." She ate some more and then asked him with a laugh: "Did you add some secret spices from your world?, because everything tastes so lovely..."

A couple of waiters walked around with big floating trays in the first class area to serve breakfast to the guests in their rooms. The trays were filled with everything, savory and sweet, fruits and breads, tea, juices and coffee. When the door knocked, Elias opened it and chose one sour green apple and a savory meal which he received in a smaller tray. The sour apple was sliced and plated neatly with a small silver fork. The rest of the meal consisted of omelet of egg and bacon, French baguette, fresh cherry tomatoes, one ice cold orange juice, once ice cold water and one lemonade which was extra sour and a cup of earl grey. Elias had ordered extra in case if Luna changed her mind. The meal was enchanted so that what supposed to be cold remained cold and what supposed to be hot remained hot until it was tasted. Each plate was covered with silver covers. Even the glasses and the cup were sealed with thin seals.

"Would you like to be black or white?" Luna asked when the chessboard with its pieces was prepared.

Elias just arrived with the tray of breakfast hovering in front of him. He placed it on a side table.

"I am fine with any; I will take white..." He replied with a smile and sat down in front of her. He made his first move, commanding one of his pawn to make a move.

"Horse...I mean, knight to C3." she said at her turn. "I used to call it the 'horse piece' when I was young." she explained. "Till this day, it is difficult for me to remember that it is called the knight piece."

He smiled, finding it cute and amusing that she called that certain piece for horse.

As they played, he studied her moves with a frown, trying to understand why she was making such foolish moves. He did not lower his guard, thinking that it might be her tactic to lure him in lowering his guard. Studying her moves, he realized that she was setting up a trap, however she did not set it and instead literary granted him a way to do a check mate. He was surprised but he could not tell if she had done that on purpose or if it was her way of playing chess.

"Oh..." He was visibly surprised that he had won.

"I couldn't care less that I lost." she said when the game was over. "It was fun to play with you for a change."

"Why, thank you. I enjoyed it," He smiled. "We can play another round after the breakfast. I'd like to see you try different moves without the purpose of trying to lower my guard hehe..."

He placed the tray on the coffee table and removed the silver covers.

"Bon appetite, my lady," He gestured towards the plated sour apple. "I have also ordered plenty if you wish to taste something else beside the sour apple," He smiled.

 

[Junko Natsumizaka]

"It is...I have no words...so delicious..."

He smiled adoringly at her, pleased that she was satisfied.

"Did you add some secret spices from your world?, because everything tastes so lovely..."

"No...When we stopped and you remained in the carriage my lady, we were in India. I purchased several ingredients, the most important of which were the fresh spices, and prepared this meal with ingredient purely from this world. You thought that these foods could have been from the Demon Realm? You honor me with your words." he smiled modestly before picking up his fork.

When they had finished eating, he gestured to the plates, and they flew away to clean themselves in the kitchen.

"Excuse me for a moment." he said, standing from the table. "Please meet me outside." He left the room, making his way to the library. He picked up a book, shrank it, and put it into his pocket.

"Are you prepared for our activity?" he asked with a charming smile, descending the front steps "Come." he opened his arms as if to carry her. "We are going to fly, or rather, jump, to Switzerland. The mountains and lakes there are so picturesque."

"Why, thank you. I enjoyed it," He smiled. "We can play another round after the breakfast? I'd like to see you try different moves without the purpose of trying to lower my guard hehe..."

Luna smiled innocently. "If you wish." He didn't want to take the victory? Well, he asked for it.

"Bon appetit, my lady," He gestured towards the plated sour apple. "I have also ordered plenty if you wish to taste something else beside the sour apple," He smiled.

"Everything looks so lovely, but no thank you." She ate her sour apple and nothing else, abandoning the fork and using her index finger and thumb instead.

"Shall we?" she asked when she had finished.

This time, she played so aggressively, that her intensity could be felt even through her flawlessly calm countenance. She called "Checkmate" ten moves in. "Alastair can do it in five." she shrugged. "So unless he wins, I know that he is giving me the victory."

"You have summoned me for what purpose?" Nova said with a bow.

"I want to go out to eat with my husband, but my child won't stop crying. Little Penelope has been fed, washed, and her diaper has been changed, but every time I try to lay her to rest, she will start crying again." the lady shrugged. She had too much makeup on, and she was wearing a cheap, short red dress, five-inch high stilettos, gold earrings and a necklace, and a large fur coat.

"Is that real fur?" Nova asked with a finger to his chin.

"Oh, yes. My husband only gets me the finest-"

"Yes, yes, that's very good to know. But may I also ask, why you summoned a demon when you could have simply hired a nanny for the evening?"

"I've heard that you don't charge much for a wish." the lady replied, examining her long, red fingernails haughtily.

Nova smirked. "I don't."

"That's wonderful. I want you to watch my little Penelope for the entire time that I am away, and make sure that she has whatever she needs. What is your fee?" she asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Tell me what you think it would be like to be sitting happily with the love of your life, when you are captured suddenly and kept in a cage. And then tell me what it would be like for you to be stripped of your skin while you were still alive, to have it made into a coat for some frivolous young lady."

The lady sighed. "You're one of those? Just say that you don't like the way the coat goes with this outfit. Now tell me what you really want." her voice was getting impatient now, and she had rolled her eyes at least three times throughout her last sentences.

"I would like to slap you across your face." Nova replied with a smile.

"You're serious?"

"No. You will owe me a small favor tomorrow."

".....Fine, then. Whatever it is, I'll do it. Just take care of her." she gestured to the baby, who had been screaming the entire time.

"You are free to go, now." he gestured to the door. "Do not worry about a thing."

She left, slamming the door behind her. Outside, Nova heard a man, presumably her husband, talking.

"Honey, why did you slam the door?"

"I just am...so excited to go out to that expensive restaurant with you!"

"Did you hire a nanny like I told you?"

"Why not? After all, you said it would be best, right?"

Nova sighed, gently picking up the infant, who stopped crying at once. Penelope looked up at him with a faraway smile, and he returned her smile. "Poor girl, you're going to grow up to be just like your mother, aren't you? But she said 'whatever it is, I'll do it', so tomorrow, you're coming home with me. Don't worry about mommy, because she will be dead. Oh, dear, she lied. You are so very hungry. How about some mashed sweet carrots, hmm?"

He began singing both parts of Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera as he began magically washing, peeling, and chopping sweet carrots while the water started to boil on the stove. His voice sounded so wonderful, just like an opera singer. He used a different pitch for the two different parts. By the time he had finished singing, the food was ready. He put her in her chair.

"Penelope, they say that infants who listen to Mozart become smarter adults. You are going to become so much smarter as well. We will listen to Mozart tomorrow. And all of the other well-known composers. And you will have many friends. True friends." he said to her as he fed her gently. "And have good taste, and ethics and morals, and so much more. Ah, speaking of taste, I don't like your name at all."

 

[Hikari Chan]

"Excuse me for a moment." Alastair said, when they had finished their dinner, standing from the table. "Please meet me outside." He left the room.

"Alright," Aislinn replied, wondering what the next activity would be about as she left the dining room. She remembered that she had asked him to surprise her with something and was curious about it.

"Are you prepared for our activity?" he asked with a charming smile, descending the front steps.

"Yeah," She nodded excited with a smile.

"Come." he opened his arms as if to carry her. "We are going to fly, or rather, jump, to Switzerland. The mountains and lakes there are so picturesque."

"Oh...fly? is it so close?" She was visibly surprised and wondered where Switzerland was located since, they were going to jump rather than taking the carriage. On the other hand, she did not mind his method of flying because it meant that she would be closer to him. She immediately almost jumped into his arms, placed her arms around his neck and resting her head against his shoulder.

Elias devoured the entire meal and drinks. He had a great appetite this morning.

"Shall we?" Luna asked when she had finished.

He nodded, having only his cup of tea left. He moved away the tray to make room for the chess board on the table.

"That was amazing," Elias praised when they had finished one round which ended a bit quicker than he had expected. "I do not care about losing or winning in a chess of game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It is more enjoying playing with such intensity and aggression." He placed his empty cup in the tray.

Adela looked out at the busy street outside the window. She was sitting in a muggle cafe In London, away from Hogwarts and her brothers and everyone else, enjoying a glass of iced tea on her own. In old days she used to enjoy the company of Faeryn and Endewyne, but lately she had found them both annoying. They did not understand her anymore. ...Or is it me who does not understand them anymore? Adela thought for a mere second. ...Or has my life just become a bit more interesting that they are too jealous to accept it? If I feel happy with someone, why do they just not accept it? It is my life, my choices... She took a big sip of her drink, enjoying the feeling the cold drink going down her throat. Looking out at the busy street, she did not seem to see the muggles or the vehicles passing by, but seeing something else from the recent past, cherishing her memories from the summer party. The time had passed so quickly, and it had felt like mere seconds when Vincent had wished her goodnight and then vanished in the dark of the night. She sighed, wondering if she would see him again.

...I don't know where he lives and cannot send him any owl...but perhaps he does not use owls for sending letters? The only chance of meeting him is to look around in Knockturn Alley or outside in the ruins or the churchyard...but I cannot always be in Knockturn Alley without running into someone else I know...there's a high risk that I might run into someone else like Mulciber....Perhaps I can find Vincent in that distant village which I have seen from the outskirts of Knockturn Alley?..