Chapter 4 The room

Chapter 4

Another staff member entered the room, carrying three pairs of shoes. He bowed slightly and held them up.

"Sir Ross wants to know which one you prefer among these-kitten heels, stilettos, or wedges?"

I gaped at them. Just by their appearance alone, I could tell they weren't cheap. Could I even wear something like that?

"Uhm... What do you think would suit me?"

"Any of them would, my lady, but Sir Ross wants you to choose whatever you're most comfortable with."

I swallowed hard.

"I guess I'll go with the kitten heels? So they're not too high." I pointed to the second pair.

The staff smiled and placed them on a small table in the corner.

"Please put them on," my companion reminded me.

And so, after getting dressed, they focused on my hair and makeup. It didn't take long.

"Sir Ross was right-you look stunning, my lady. The palette he suggested suits you perfectly."

I stared blankly at the mirror. I could see myself, but I looked so different from what I was used to. Was I... actually beautiful? Why had I never thought of fixing myself up like this before? I was always stressed and overwhelmed with problems. I had completely forgotten to focus on myself.

I suddenly felt self-conscious. It hit me-how embarrassing I must have looked when I first met Gunther. Had I even brushed my hair that day?

The staff in the room were staring at me in awe. One of them even took a picture of me.

"You're so lucky, my lady. Sir Ross really went all out for your makeover. He picked everything himself."

"That's right. The other women he brought here before were just left to choose whatever they wanted. Sir Ross didn't seem to care and even looked bored with them. But with you... he's different."

I tensed at what they were saying.

"Did you know? He's been pacing outside for a while now. He's excited to see you," another one added.

"Should I go out now?"

"If there's nothing else you'd like to adjust, then yes, we can head out."

My knees started to shake-I was nervous. I was wearing a brown halter beaded gown. It was backless and had a slit at the chest. Since I was quite flat, there wasn't much to see, but it still felt uncomfortable.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the room.

I forced a smile as I faced Ross. He simply stared at me, scanning me from head to toe. A few seconds of silence passed before he finally stepped closer and walked around me.

"Perfect," he whispered in my ear. Then, with a smirk, he brushed a few strands of my hair between his fingers. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, this dress is beautiful," I admitted. "It just feels a little... unfamiliar." I rubbed my arms, feeling the cold from the air conditioning.

Everything they had me try on earlier-the dresses, shoes, even the bag and jewelry-I liked them all, even though most were a bit too daring for my taste.

Ross took my hand and led me to a life-sized mirror.

"I love your hair, your eyes, and your skin. They're all screaming for my attention. I will make sure to take care of every little detail of you," he murmured.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Let's call it a welcome gift-from the most handsome butler in the café." He grinned. "It would be a waste if your beauty didn't get the attention it deserves."

"T-Thank you," I said with a small smile.

"Don't mention it. We should head back to the café now. Gunther prepared a welcome party for you. Are you ready?"

The way things were unfolding was unpredictable, and I still felt like I was dreaming. But I wasn't going to be a killjoy. I'd just go with the flow-for now. Who knew if I'd ever get another chance like this? Whatever the price of all this was, I'd think about it later.

"Where's Prim?" Troj asked in confusion as he arrived at the café. The place was already crowded with guests, and no one had informed him about this.

"She's with Ross," Indigo replied.

"Is there a problem?" Gunther asked.

"Don't forget, Prim is still a student. She's not like the others-"

"Why are you being so sensitive about this, Troj?" Clev interrupted.

"They're on their way. Ross just called me," Indigo said. "Whatever you're worrying about, forget it. Ross is still more decent compared to some people here. Now, if it were Clev with her, then maybe you'd have a reason to be concerned."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Clev said sarcastically.

"Troj, just do what you need to do. Besides, she's already here. There's no turning back," Gunther added.

Troj said nothing and simply walked out of the café. He wasn't in the mood to celebrate with them. The guilt was still eating at him-guilt over Prim getting involved in all this.

The truth was, the one they originally planned to toy with was the daughter of a doctor-a model Ross had worked with before. She was a terrible person, abusive toward employees, and used her connections to escape complaints. She was arrogant and materialistic.

Prim, on the other hand, was nothing like her. She was just a teenager they had accidentally found alone at the park. She was innocent and had never stepped on anyone. To Troj, it was unfair that Gunther decided to drag her into the butlers' schemes.

While waiting outside, Troj heard applause from inside.

"Did they go through the back?" he murmured.

He had been keeping an eye out for Ross and the others. Standing up, he walked toward the entrance. His eyes immediately landed on Ross, and he quickened his pace, intending to confront him for not taking the girl straight to the café.

But just as he reached the crowd, Prim appeared. His gaze swept over her from head to toe.

He hadn't expected her to be dressed like that. She was stunning. Completely captivated, he stood frozen, simply staring at her.

However, the moment was quickly ruined when Gunther tapped his shoulder.

"She's prettier than I thought," Gunther remarked.

"Are you really going through with this?" Troj asked irritably.

"Ross already started, so why should I stop them? It's obvious she enjoys being spoiled. Do you see how wide her smile is? Just like our previous muses."

"She's different, Gunther," he emphasized. "You can't compare her to them."

"You never cared before, no matter who we chose. What makes her so special? She's human and a woman-easily swayed by material things." Gunther paused. "She doesn't even have a family. Who would look for her if she disappeared?"

Instead of responding, Troj grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"She's innocent! As far as I remember, the law only allowed your twisted little game because your so-called 'prospects' were worthless, exploitative women. But her? What did Prim ever do wrong? She just needed a place to stay!" Troj snapped.

Gunther smirked. "And what are you going to do? Arrest us?" He sneered. "Even if you're part of the Vampire Police, you're still an assassin. You don't discriminate as long as you're paid. Are you sure every vampire you killed was truly evil? One of them might have been innocent, too. So what's the difference if Prim gets caught up in this? She's not important. Don't lecture me-I own this café, and I make the decisions."

Gunther pried Troj's hand off his collar and patted his shoulder before turning away. Troj clenched his jaw as he watched him leave.

There was nothing he could do.

He couldn't rescue Prim. If he tried, Gunther wouldn't hesitate to kill her-or any of them. That was part of the rules.

Leaning against a wall, arms crossed, his eyes remained locked on the princess of the night.

Ross stayed close to her, never leaving her side. That made it impossible for Troj to approach. His job was to ensure her safety outside the café and enforce the rules of the game. But that was easier said than done. In past years, the muse never lasted long-because the butlers always lost control.

No biting the muse until she has made her choice.

One of the game's objectives was to test their restraint-their ability to control their thirst for blood.

It was a challenge for the butlers, pushing the limits of their patience as vampires. Troj wasn't worried about Tangent, Indigo, or Empire. But Ross and Clev? They were aggressive and struggled with self-control.

None of the butlers were allowed to drink blood while Prim was here. That made things even more difficult. Gunther's initial bite-the one that marked her when they first met-had intensified the scent of her blood.

She was even more irresistible now.

Even Troj felt its pull, especially since he was always trailing after her.

As long as she was inside the café, she was relatively safe-provided the butlers could restrain themselves long enough to win. But outside? There was a high chance she'd be attacked by other vampires.

The guests weren't an issue. While they could smell her presence, they wouldn't take an interest in her.

What really irritated Troj, though, was Ross's behavior. He was too close to Prim, constantly sneaking in whiffs of her hair and neck.

A moment later, Prim's eyes found his.

Straightening up, Troj watched as she smiled and waved at him.

She started to step away from Ross to approach him, but Ross stopped her, pulling her close by the waist and kissing her cheek.

The other staff continued serving guests as if nothing had happened.

Then, Troj noticed a familiar face-Camilla! The girl who was originally supposed to be the café's muse.

"Lady Camilla?" he asked as he approached.

"Oh, hi! You're one of the butlers here, right?" She smiled meaningfully.

"Yeah..." he replied. "I just wanted to know-who invited you?"

Camilla let out an exaggerated laugh.

"I did," Empire's voice cut in.

"Hmm, he told me you were against the new muse Gunther picked," Camilla added, glancing at Troj.

"Really?" she mused. "I wonder how you guys choose your muse and... where do they go afterward? Like, where is last year's muse?"

Troj turned to Empire.

"Do you want to be the muse?" he asked curiously.

"Of course! Who wouldn't? I've always wanted to be the princess of this café. But you guys keep choosing someone new every time." She crossed her arms, her expression smug. "Speaking of muses, compared to her, I think I'm more deserving."

She flicked her hair back confidently. "I'm successful and popular. And look at her. She's not even pretty."

To Be Continued..