Chapter 13. Chocolate Mousse Cake

"Get away from Young Master!" Willow yelled.

She threw a kick, then knocked Augustine off from his chair. The latter collapsed onto the floor, speechless, and wanted to argue back, "I wasn't the one who got close!" But he found himself unable to defend himself, as Willow rushed to Lucilline's side.

"Are you alright, Young Master?" Willow cared for Lucilline a lot.

She fondled over her Young Master's every detail. She would hate to be useless, and would try to protect him from having a single hair scratched.

"...I'm fine, Willow." Lucilline smiled. "Your bandages and handiwork are trustworthy. See? My injury is all better now." He showed his bandaged up hand.

Willow could only reluctantly lower her head. "But it was because of my uselessness that Young Master got injured in the first place."

Meanwhile, Augustine, who was still collapsed on the floor, "..." I thought that I was the butler in this household? Is nobody going to help me get up?

If Willow were to hear his thoughts, she would've refuted confidently with, "You may be the butler, but in my eyes, you are merely a filthy bug getting in the way."

*****

Willow sighed. She loitered around in the kitchen, preparing a late night snack for her Young Master, who was probably working in his bedroom again. Willow whipped up a chocolate mousse cake, cutting up a slice and setting it delicately on a plate.

A satisfied smile fell on her lips. She can't wait for her Young Master to taste her creation!

All of a sudden, that smile vanished. Willow straightened her back, placing the plate of chocolate mousse cake onto the counter. "What are you looking for?"

The door to the kitchen opened, and Augustine entered.

His face was definite cold yet handsome, giving him off a cool air. "...what are you making?" Augustine was curious. He was merely walking around the manor, cleaning up any dust or spider webs. It was then he smelled something sweet in the air. The sweet chocolate scent had brought him to the kitchen.

"This is Young Master's!" Willow was defensive.

She must protect her sweet from the bug!

"...I know that." Augustine deadpanned. I mean... who else but the great villain would eat that during nighttime?

"What do you want?" Willow sneered.

Augustine froze. He couldn't just tell the maidservant that he smelled something sweet, and then was attracted to it.

"Whatever." Willow dismissed the question. "I'm preparing Young Master's late night snack."

Augustine began to ponder. Now that he thought about it, Lucilline rarely ever ate. Even if he would eat, he barely ate a thing. Now that it's nighttime, Lucilline would eat; and he's going to eat sweets. All in all, Augustine learned that the great villain had a bizarre eating schedule.

"...I also need to prepare Young Master's bath..." Willow began to plan out her events.

Her eyes flashed a strange light. "Butler Augustine." She said sternly.

Immediately, Augustine straightened his back. "Yes?" He still remembered how Willow groomed him into the "butler" look. At that time, Willow had treated him like a dog. She grabbed onto his hair like it was sheep wool, combed through it mercilessly, and dragged his head around. When Willow dressed him... she'd shove clothes onto him, slap cream over his face... and etc.

Just remembering those unpleasant memories made Augustine shudder twice.

"I really didn't want to rely on you," Willow sighed, "But I have to prepare Young Master's bath right now. If I don't get the water to the perfect temperature, Young Master's beautiful skin might swell... or he might get cold if the water isn't warm enough."

She ruffled a hand through her white locks of hair. "Therefore, Butler Augustine, you should serve this slice of chocolate mousse cake to Young Master."

Augustine took the plate of chocolate mousse cake into his hands.

All of a sudden, a deadly aura gushed out from Willow's body, as she deadpanned, "Don't you ever dare harbour ideas of eating that cake!"

Augustine tensed, and rigidly nodded.

Then, the deadly aura was retrieved. Willow smiled, "That's good."

Augustine could finally relax.

"...who would in their right mind would steal the villain's snack..." He grumbled. Augustine carried the plate of chocolate mousse cake all the way upstairs. Upon walking down the hallway, he noticed a grand closed door. He remembered asking Willow about the room behind that door.

Willow had told him to never enter that room. Behind that door was Duke Rubius' bedroom. Inside, Duke Rubius was ill in bed.

Augustine was naturally curious. He'd never seen Duke Rubius before.

However, he did remember one close scenario. In the past, Willow had sent a tray of dinner to Duke Rubius' bedroom, just before the door. Augustine watched how the door creaked open, revealing only a pale and old hand. That sick-looking hand had took the tray of dinner.

Before Augustine had knew it, the door had been slammed shut again.

After learning that, Augustine made a connecton. He noticed how not every single bit of information of this world was written in the novel. After all, nobody knew that Duke Rubius was ill in bed, not even the readers themselves. It was because that the novel was written in the heroine's perspective, and not the villain's.

This made Augustine inquire so much more.

Perhaps, there were many details from the world that wasn't written down. However, that brought a whole another thesis. Is perhaps everything in the novel... not actually the entire truth?

He shook his head. There was no point in digging deeper.

Augustine arrived before the villain's bedroom, then knocked the door.

Lucilline called from inside, "Come on in!"

When the door opened, Augustine walked inside holding the plate of cake. He noticed how Lucilline wore a smile. The villain told him, "I knew it was Butler Augustine. Your knocking pattern differs from Willow's."

Augustine was surprised. Does the villain memorize knocking patterns?

"Willow told me to give this to you." He handed over the plate of chocolate mousse cake.

Lucilline looked at the plate, which was slid across his desk. He raised his head, revealing a small expanse of his lustrous white neck. "As expected, Willow is very caring."

Augustine paused. That goddamn maid... was being praised?

For some odd reason, a sour feeling rose in his heart. No wonder Willow was always trying to get on Lucilline's good side. It turned out that getting praised by the great villain was such a wonderful feeling. He... he also wanted to be praised by him.

Lucilline took a fork, then cut into the slice of cake. He popped a forkful of cake in his mouth.

By accident, some chocolate mousse was smeared on the corners of his lips.

Upon seeing that, Augustine's eyes darkened.

"Butler Augustine," Lucilline noticed the look in his eyes, but had mistaken it as something else. "Did you want to eat some cake as well? Oh, I didn't know you had a liking for these! If I've known that, I would've had Willow make you some too."

Augustine held his breath. The gaze in his eyes intensified, as he eyed the smear of chocolate mousse.

"Hmm... I mean, I wouldn't mind giving you a bite of my cake." Lucilline piped up.

Hearing that, Augustine was alerted. He felt a strange sort of satisfaction rumbling in his heart. Willow gets Lucilline's praise, but he gets Lucilline's cake! Obviously, he got the better end of the deal!

Augustine stepped forward without saying a thing.

Lucilline understood his intentions.

He took out a forkful of chocolate mousse cake, then beckoned Augustine to come over. The latter went over as gestured, leaning forwards.

"Say ahh..." Lucilline told him.

Augustine found his face reddening. He speechlessly opened his mouth, exposing some of his white teeth. "Ahh..."

Lucilline had one hand holding onto the plate of cake, while the other hand was holding onto the forkful of cake. He pointed the fork of cake at Augustine's open mouth, then...

BAM! A plate full of chocolate mousse cake was smashed into Augustine's face.

"Pfft." Lucilline snorted. His beautiful face had a keen sense of mischievousness that could only be found from children. There was also a profound sense of laughter written all over his golden eyes. "Butler Augustine, did you truly believe that I would feed you my food? Maybe next time, if I feel like it."

Then, he plopped the fork of chocolate cake into his own mouth. "It's too bad though. It's such a waste of cake... How am I going to explain to Willow about this?"

Augustine, whose face was covered in the said cake, "..." Then why did you have to go and ruin that cake...

"Butler Augustine," Lucilline gestured. "You should really go and wash your face. I don't think that Willow would be pleasant if she sees her baked goods on your face."

Augustine, "..." And whose fault is that supposed to be?

He sighed, and could only go enter the next door bathroom to clean up. Entering the bathroom and closing the door behind, Augustine was hit with a strong and thick air of humidity. The bathroom was over 10 metres long. The bathtub was large as well, reaching to lengths of 5 metres long and a metre deep. This bathtub was made of white, coagulated, and smooth porcelain.

The water was between a fine temperature of lukewarm and hot. A mist began to arose from the humidity. "This is..."

"This is Young Master's bath!" Willow was proud, finishing Augustine's sentence for him.

She stood up from crouching at the bathtub, then shot a glance at Augustine. Immediately, Willow's face darkened from disdain.

"...I..." Augustine tried to explain.

Willow sighed, "I can't believe Young Master decided to throw the cake at you..."

Augustine was relieved. His eyes almost began to tear up-

"I'm so jealous... so envious..." Immediately, the tears sprouting in his eyes had sunken back. Willow pouted, "Why did Young Master have to throw the cake at you... why..."

Augustine, who still had his face covered in cake, "..." What was going on here?

"Oh, you don't know." Willow perked up. She decided to be a good person and explained, "When Young Master finally accepts a servant by his side, he'll throw cake at them. It is... the tradition in the manor. It's really too bad that the people he'd thrown cake at were kicked out by Grand Duke Rubius in the end..." Suddenly, she held her breath at the last sentence.

Willow hurriedly changed the topic, "Anyways, I remember that day when he threw cake at my face... oh, it was the happiest day of my life. I didn't want to wash it off... but Young Master forced me to. In the end, I managed to keep it on my face for five hours..."

Augustine, "..." What kind of tradition was this? He'd mistaken this tradition anytime for some kind of ancient and evil sorcery!

"Getting back on topic..." Willow rolled her eyes. "Since you have cake on your face... it seems like Young Master has finally accepted you as well."

She gnashed, "But don't think of yourself so highly. Just because Young Master will accept you doesn't mean I will!"

Augustine, "..." He would happily be unaccepted if it means not having cake thrown at his face!

"Forget it." Willow sighed. "Clean up, hurry. Young Master needs to take his bath."

Augustine went to the sink, splashing some water on his face to wash away the cake. After finishing the rinse, his cold face was just as handsome as before.

Then, the door was knocked. "Is the bath ready yet?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes, Young Master!" Willow prepared a towel. "You may enter."

Lucilline entered in the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He wore only a white bathrobe, with the sleeves pulled upwards to his elbows, and the hem reaching to his thighs, which revealed many expanses of his unblemished skin.

Augustine shied away. He really didn't know how to approach the great villain at the moment-

Suddenly, his eyes landed on Lucilline's chest. There was the pattern of a red hydrangea flower, stinging and glowing a crimson red colour on that patch of lustrous skin.

For some reason, Augustine couldn't peel his eyes away.

Perhaps, it was because that flower pattern was too beautiful, or the shock had hit him too hard. Nonetheless, he only came back to himself when Willow ushered him out of the bathroom. She understood exactly what thoughts were lingering on his mind.

"Well then, Young Master." Willow smiled sweetly, "We'll leave you alone to bathe."

Augustine and her left the bathroom, closing the door behind.

At that moment, Augustine was still in stupor. His handsome face had a rare puzzlement and shock embezzled onto it, which made him appear quite dazzling. Any passerby who saw that face wouldn't dare to look directly, but wouldn't dare to pull away.

Willow sighed. "Ask away."

Augustine's first question was, "How come Lucilline is bound by the Sequence Contract?" He felt like it wasn't enough, so he added, "Is he the Master or the slave? Has he suffered?"

Upon hearing that, Willow found a headache forming. She rubbed her temples, "Young Master will never be the slave. He's the Master of the contract."

"...to who is he bound?" Augustine warily asked.

For some reason, he felt like he knew the answer.

Willow's pupils had shaken slightly. She closed her eyes, then opened them. "It's me."

Augustine then guessed, "Then the reason as to why you're serving him-" is it because Lucilline is actually a villain... he's forcing you to serve him by the contract...?

"No." Willow rejected whatever that was about to come out of his mouth. Her locks of white hair was messy from all the work and chores she did, but there was a strong look brewing in her eyes. "I don't serve Young Master because of the contract, but rather, the contract is there because I serve Young Master."

She was fierce. "I will never serve such a great Young Master just because of some... forbidden contract we are bounded by. I serve Young Master because I am his maid."

"The Sequence Contract is merely proof of my undying loyalty."