#to show passage of time and just give them all a bit of a change

[sillyghostspace]

"Emerald Chocolate" - Chief x Countess Chelsea

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Author's Note: Before Angell, Countess Chelsea always made me feral and still up to this day, I'm feral for her. I want to be her sugar baby. I want her to spoil me. I'm just so down bad for her :3

Summary: It is Valentine's Day and Countess Chelsea wants to celebrate it with her beloved Chief.

Genre: Fluff, slow romance

Word Count: 8k

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It was a normal day for the chief of the Minos Bureau of Crisis Control. Paper works were towering on the desk in front of them. They had to be careful or one slight mistake, bumping into that tower, for example, would result in a mess.

Again, it was a normal day. But not for long.

In a few hours time, this day would meet its end. And as the time kept ticking, the next day would arrive. And what would that mean?

Valentine’s Day.

14th of February. A day filled with hearts and chocolates, flowers and dates. It was the day when couples leveled up their relationship under the night sky and a comfortable, warm blanket. It also had a magic to create a chemistry between two people that weren’t in a relationship, combining them into a one which would give a birth to something called a new couple. With that, it was enough to say that the anticipation for this particular day was a bit more than the expectation.

At least Valentine’s Day had been that way before the world became ruins lost in the passage of time. If the world weren’t such a mess, Valentine’s Day would be greeted by more people with more welcoming arms. Alas, with the situation of the current world, 14th of February turned into another normal, boring day for everyone to get through. That was what Chief had believed, but something changed his mind in an instant.

The reason? It was because of the presence of a certain someone. Her name was Countess Chelsea.

“Chief, may I come in?” There was a voice coming from outside the door.

“Go ahead,” Chief said.

The sliding door opened to the sides, revealing a woman who was wearing an office suit, or at least what would be called as an office suit nowadays.

“I have something to report, Chief,” Nightingale said. Her green-ish, blue-ish hair was hanging on one of her shoulders. She didn’t wear the usual hat, showing more hair compared to the other days Chief had seen her.

Chief sighed. “Let me guess. It has something to do with Chelsea.”

Nightingale also sighed. Her lips moved. “Yes, Chief. It is not something urgent, but I still believe I should at least inform you of this.”

Countess Chelsea, more known as the woman who was behind the disappearance of the count. Her ability to turn organic matters into gems was, undoubtedly, inhuman. Therefore, there was only one conclusion waiting to be cast upon her, that she was actually a sinner. That power in itself was deadly, and without no doubt, it needed a tight supervision free of holes.

For some reason, though, when the bureau held her as a captive, she agreed without a fight. She did hide herself for quite some time, but after everything was exposed, she let herself being taken into the Minos Bureau of Crisis Control. She became docile. No one really knew why, but some would argue that Chief had a huge role in her change. The frightening monster that turned her enemies into gems as a mere revenge was no longer there, only a girl—closer to a maiden actually—who was seeking for an attention. However, as passive and obedient as she was, a sinner was still a sinner.

And according to how the rules worked, every sinner must be captured and secured within the confinement inside Minos Bureau of Minos Control. If not, and they conducted a well-thought break out plan, one wouldn’t be able to stop them all. Hell, they could do that without using a plan at all. Their powers were above humans, after all. To control them, it would be either by using weapons, especially the ones equipped with hypercubes, or by using Chief’s shackles which had been proven to be effective.

But today, or accurately these past 3 days, the chief might have bent the rules a bit for Countess Chelsea.

“It has been three days since we released Countess Chelsea out of her confinement and there hasn’t been a single report from her. We sent a few people to check on her mansion, but she wasn’t to be seen anywhere,” Nightingale explained.

“That troublemaker…”

For four days, Chief allowed Countess Chelsea to exit her confinement cell and went back to her mansion. Chelsea had to agree upon some condition, though, which made sense since the act of releasing a sinner out of their confinement without a proper reason would be considered as a crime.

One, Countess Chelsea had to make a report for each day she was outside the bureau. She would then send the report back to the bureau to be identified. How would the arrest crew identity that it was Countess Chelsea who wrote it? They made a special paper and ink in which only Countess Chelsea possessed it. Making a forgery out of it was also difficult.

Second, creating a problem that potentially could endanger the lives of other people would be dealt with a harsh punishment. The punishment was still up to a debate, especially considering how severe the problem she would create, in case she created any. It wasn’t a surprise, though. A reasonable condition for these dangerous people to roam around freely in DisCity.

Now, having reviewed these terms and conditions, it seemed Chelsea had already violated the first condition.

“How we should deal with this, Chief?” Nightingale asked. She still stood there, perfect posture as if nothing would ever budge her even an inch.

The Chief leant back on their chair. Their face looked tired. “Let her be.”

“Are you sure, Chief? Doesn’t that sound… quite irresponsible?”

“I can’t really deny that. But Countess Chelsea did ask for a four days long freedom outside the confinement. Let’s wait until tomorrow.” Chief raised their eyes until they and Nightingale made an eye contact. “In case we don’t get any report tomorrow, we will invite ourselves to her mansion.”

“…If that’s your order Chief, I will follow it.” Although Nightingale said that, it was quite apparent that she wasn’t really fond of the idea. She was Chief’s assistant after all. Anything that possessed the ability to be a threat to Chief would take her highest priority.

“Calm down, Nightingale. There’s no need to be worry,” Chief said, sensing Nightingale’s anxiety.

“I-I’m sorry. I think I’m just restless, Chief. Letting a sinner running loose in the city… an A-rank on top of that. If she decided to begin a riot…”

Chief listened to all of that. They stood up and walked elsewhere, leaving the desk covered with an uncountable amount of papers similar to trees in a jungle.

“Chief?” Nightingale asked.

Instead of answering, Chief stopped their steps at a coffee making machine. They grabbed two cups, poured the brown liquid until both cups were almost filled—just a few millimeters before they leaked from the cups’ mouths—and gave one of them to their assistant.

“Take this.” Chief pushed the cup gently, making sure the content inside it wouldn’t drop onto the floor.

“T-thank you, Chief,” Nightingale said. That was a very sudden thing, but she still took it, feeling the warm surface of the cup in her hand.

Chief put their lips on the cup’s mouth before tilting it upward a bit. The brown coffee flowed into their mouth. There was a sigh following that.

“To be fair, Countess Chelsea would be the last person appearing in my head if we were talking about a riot,” Chief said. They raised their eyebrows a little. “Don’t you think the same, Nightingale?”

“Ahhh…” Nightingale, still holding a cup in her hand, finally understood what her chief had just said. A little smile appeared on her face as she also enjoyed the warm coffee pouring down into her stomach. “I guess you’re right, Chief. Countess Chelsea is… more on the peculiar side.”

This particular sinner didn’t possess any threat toward Chief or anyone near Chief. That was a definite fact everyone had already known. Was it that much of a surprise, though? When the sinner wanted Chief to be her sugar baby—and to repeat that, *her. sugar. baby.—it would be safe enough to say no one thought her as a threat, at least for now.

“Let her go loose a bit. Sooner or later, she will come back,” Chief said while placing the empty cup on the desk.

“Okay, Chief.”

They began to close the curtain of their conversation. But at the same time, far from this closed office room, a woman—a bit taller than her peers—was tying her long pink hair into a ponytail. It was quite messy, but as long as it worked for her, it didn’t bother her that much. With what she was about to do, makeup wasn’t needed and yet, her face still radiated the usual beauty and elegance.

“Get me a knife.”

She was talking to a man standing beside her. In a mansion as big as this, having only two people felt pretty lonely. Then again, it was the truth.

The man, who was wearing a suit similar to that of a butler, offered a knife. “Are you sure you want to do this, Countess?”

“There’s no going back now. And since tomorrow is a special day, I want to do something more,” she said. There was a joy in her voice as she took the knife and began to chop a brown-colored block.

She didn’t make clean cuts. The sizes between each piece weren’t exactly the same, and she did hit her fingers a few times. But would it stop her? Absolutely not. She only had one thing in her mind and, like an arrow shooting straight, she wouldn’t stop until her shot hit the target.

It wasn’t a complex procedure, but since it was the lady’s first time, the lack of experience she had made all of it seemed more difficult than what it should have been. She melted the brown pieces using a pot. She stared as their previous shapes were no longer visible. Her butler was standing behind her. He couldn’t take away his eyes from his Countess, making sure that the lady he served wouldn’t accidentally turn the kitchen, or even the mansion, into ashes and “all hell break loose”.

The countess poured down the brown liquid into molds with a certain shape. Sweats were pouring down on her cheeks, and she made sure she wiped it again and again. The last thing she wanted would be adding the saltiness of her bodily fluid into the chocolate she had put her heart into.

“I think it’s done,” Countess Chelsea said. Her ponytail swung to the sides as she walked backward. “Just need to put it in the freezer.”

“Let me do it for you, Countess.” The butler stepped forward.

“Ah, I can do it myself. There’s no point in me making this if I’m asking for a help,” she said with a smile. Her apron was covered with melted chocolate. Her cheeks also suffered from the same fate, but she didn’t care.

The only thing on her mind was to make the best chocolate ever for a certain person. Thinking about them, she couldn’t wipe off that smile of her face.

Countess Chelsea turned her body until she faced her butler. “What about the other preparations? Are they already done?”

“Yes, Countess.”

“Perfect.” Countess Chelsea took a short pause. Her eyes lit up for a moment. “And… what about… ‘that’?”

It sounded ambiguous as if she was saying it in a secret code. The butler, however, understood that, and he—with no hesitation, nodded his head. “No need to be worry, Countess. Everything has been set according to your order. We will do it as soon as you say it.”

“Wonderful.” A grin appeared on the countess’s face. It could be because she had just heard such a good news coming from her subordinate. That or the fact the day she had been waiting from the beginning finally came into realization. “Just wait for me, Chief~”

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The next day, accurately when the sky was blanketed by a black sheet travelling across from one point to another.

14th of February.

Valentine’s Day.

Or rather, one would say it was an uneventful Valentine’s Day. Again, with the ruined landscapes all over the place, an activity called date would be the most depressing thing to do. And since no one had the energy to do it, it wasn’t much of a surprise that they didn’t plan to celebrate it.

Chief, however, had already expected something from Countess Chelsea. Knowing her nature, this Valentine’s Day wouldn’t just be another day. And that moment soon came into reality.

“Chief, there’s someone who wants to meet you,” Nightingale said, already standing inside the room.

“Is it Countess Chelsea?” Chief answered with another question. They believed their hunch would ninety-nine percent hit the mark.

It seemed that they missed that one percent mark since the person entering the room wasn’t Countess Chelsea. Heck, the appearance didn’t match at all. First of all, it was a ‘he”, not a ‘she’, so that was already a very clear indicator. He had his arms on his back, and that standing posture could only be achieved if you had done that for years.

“I know you,” Chief said. The familiarity this man had on his face reminded Chief of someone they saw when they had been abducted in Chelsea’s interrogation process. “That’s why your face is familiar. You are Countess Chelsea’s butler, aren’t you?”

“That’s absolutely correct, Chief.” He bowed. His professionalism oozed from every single movement he made. “I’m bringing Countess Chelsea’s message for you. ‘May I borrow you for today, Chief?’ That is her message.

Nightingale already knew the Chief’s response, but she wanted to confirm that. As her assistant, there wasn’t something called being too worried. “Will you really go, Chief?”

“We know she won’t do any harm to me,” Chief said while looking at Nightingale with a reassuring look. After that, they looked back at the butler. “Do I need to change my clothes?”

“Countess Chelsea said you look wonderful no matter what you are wearing.”

“If that’s the case, take me.”

“Then please follow me.”

The man took Chief outside, walking through several rooms and corridors before exiting the bureau. There was a car outside. Without skipping a beat, the butler opened the door to the car for Chief. It didn’t take long until the car’s engine started, and they took off immediately.

The absence of cars on the road made the trip all the way from the bureau to Countess Chelsea’s mansion go by so quickly. Chief was looking outside the window this entire time when they heard a voice next to him.

“Chief, what do you think of Countess Chelsea?” the butler asked. His hands were still firmly grabbing the steering wheel.

That question felt like it appeared out of nowhere. It made Chief turn their head. They eyes were now on the road. “Countess Chelsea is a pretty difficult person to handle with. Still, at her core, I believe she is a great person.”

“Even though she is a sinner?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

Chief didn’t have to think their answer before responding, Those words came out naturally, and when they reached the butler’s ears, the man let out a smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. Countess Chelsea is really looking forward to today. Please treat her kindly.”

They arrived much sooner than what Chief had thought. The butler parked the car right in front of a large wooden door sandwiched by two large white pillars. Even when the buildings around them were already in a state of dilapidation, this particular mansion stood up. Someone definitely had been taking care of it, looking at how pristine the walls were, and how the stairs leading up to the door were free of any dust, at least the ones that were visible.

“I’m handing over Countess Chelsea to you, Chief. Please take good care of her,” the butler said before Chief entered the mansion.

As soon as Chief stepped a foot inside the extravagant building, a female voice greeted them.

“Chief, you finally arrived.”

That voice was a sly and sultry one, seducing the listener with its tone. It echoed through what Chief would assume as the main hall of the mansion. The footstep sounds they had been hearing this whole time became louder with every passing second, and as soon as it stopped, Chief felt a gentle tap right on their shoulder.

“Good to see you, Chief. I hope the trip coming here was a pleasant one,” Countess Chelsea said.

“Your butler is an excellent driver.”

“Good to hear that.”

Countess Chelsea’s appearance was always eye-catching. For some people, her look would be too vulgar for eyes to feast on. No one could argue with that. She wore an unbuttoned shirt, wearing it as some kind as a cape. The effect, though, was her fully showing her chest for everyone. A dark red lace brassiere covered her bosom, but that was only it. Her skin was still exposed, and yet, it looked as if she didn’t mind that.

At the same time, it was her charm.

The way she wore the shirt like a cape gave a sense of freedom for her admirers. Her confidence was oozing through the way she dressed herself. Besides from looking bold with her choice of clothes, her classy long white pants gave a sense of elegance not many people could radiate.

Of course, she was called a countess for a reason.

She smiled. Every bit of change in her expression was a delight to see as she curled her lips upward.

“Welcome to my estate! Chief…You’re my rare and precious guest, just make yourself at home.” Countess Chelsea lay her right palm flat in the air. Her fingers were hanging on invisible threads. Some of them had small bandages plastered over the skin. Chief had a guess, but they kept it to themselves. “It will be so boring if you’re too nervous.”

Countess Chelsea didn’t hide the fact she was teasing with Chief, and she was natural at it. It wouldn’t be the first time Chief had heard it, though, as their face seemed unfazed. Instead, they took the invitation, placing their hand on the Countess’ smooth palm.

“I’m far from being nervous, Countess,” Chief said.

“You always have a counter for my words. But then again, that’s what I would like to hear.” Countess Chelsea gave a chuckle. She entangled her fingers into Chief’s, gripping them tight as her way of saying she wouldn’t let go of it in a short time. “Let’s come in. Dinner already awaits us.”

Countess Chelsea was leading the way, still holding and feeling the warmth of Chief’s hand. The mansion was spacious, as one would already expect. The corridor hall stood tall, lavished with high-quality paintings held by masterfully crafted canvases. It would beg for a question of how could this building withstood the harsh landscape.

Another thing Chief took into consideration is a cat, or maybe cats, since its plural form would suit what they saw more than before. When they were walking, Chief noticed some kittens following them. One wrong move and one of them would have been squished. But these cats were smart. They could avoid a danger as soon as it appeared.

“Don’t mind the kittens. I let them run around the house. Cute kittens deserve all of my affection,” Chelsea said before turning her head to see Chief. “Of course, I’m planning to make you as my number one kitten.”

“I don’t know whether to be happy or scared.”

“You can be honest all you want, Chief.”

They reached the dining room. It wasn’t as big as what Chief had thought. The walls were much closer to them, and the long rectangular table they had expected before entering the mansion wasn’t there. It got a smaller circular table covered with a beautiful white tablecloth, suitable for two people, placed in the middle of the room. The tablecloth itself had some fancy embroideries around its edges made using the strings with different colors. It was the work of a professional embroiderer, no doubt with that.

Even though the room wasn’t an extravagant one, it felt way more intimate. It seemed out of place compared to the big mansion, yet it didn’t feel weird whatsoever, at least that was what Chief thought. A chandelier hung above them, as it was the only light source in this room other than the candles set beside the table. Dark red curtains were covering their windows, adding another layer onto the wall.

Saying this felt romantic would be an understatement.

Chief walked to one of the chairs. The chair had a soft cushion on it. As the surface wasn’t that hard, Chief had a good time sitting on it. They looked at Countess Chelsea who, instead of sitting in the other chair, was walking toward the opposite direction where another door came visible to Chief’s eyes.

“You won’t be sitting down here?” Chief asked.

Countess Chelsea turned around. “Are you getting lonely?” She made a devilish smile, the kind that only an adult like her could make. “I will be joining you soon, so please wait for me.”

Chief didn’t have a chance to say anything else before Chelsea entered another room and disappeared from their sight. They didn’t know what it was supposed to be, but considering that Countess Chelsea had—most likely—prepared something, Chief chose to stay still. Meanwhile, the food was coming. The same butler brought the cuisine, placed the plates on the table. They exchanged looks but nothing else beyond that.

It was silence for a good few minutes. Chief kept waiting, feeling grateful that the soft cushion made them comfortable. While waiting, their eyes were wandering around, observing the place he was currently in. The flickering light from the candles warmed their body and also gave the objects around Chief a silhouette. Their silhouette also appeared, getting bigger and smaller depending on the direction of the flame.

Time kept moving, and when it almost reached the minute tenth, Chief could hear a sound. It was the sound of a door being opened—the same door used by Countess Chelsea to get out several minutes ago. But this time it was the contrary. The door opened and someone entered the room. It wasn’t just a normal “someone”, of course, as Chief couldn’t mistake that pink lustrous hair with someone else. Her current hairstyle was just a bit different from usual. It was a long braid behind her back, swinging to the left and right like a pendulum every time she moved.

“I didn’t make you wait too long, did I, Chief?” Countess Chelsea said.

What would be the most striking change on her was undeniably the clothes she wore now. Instead of the long white jeans combined with the unbuttoned shirt that showed her tenacious personality, the dress she was wearing touched upon more of her feminine side. It gave a different light, different aura surrounding her, and Chief couldn’t take their eyes away because of that.

Countess Chelsea decreased the distance between them. With each footstep she made, Chief felt their breath becoming heavier. There was no doubt they were in awe.

Having stood beside Chief, Countess Chelsea looked down. Her figure became much more visible than before, including the dress covering her body that Chief had never seen before. The color was a dark red crimson color as well as other variants of red, whether it was brighter or darker. The dress didn’t cover her shoulders and collar, though, as her skin emitted a somewhat alluring, sensual atmosphere.

Her dress exposed her legs from her thighs down to her ankle. The only thing coating them was the black transparent fabric attached to the dress, which would move just from the slightest shift of Countess Chelsea’s body position. With the absence of the sound and ambiance inside the room, Chief could hear the fabric rustling onto each other.

It was enough to say that Chief was stunned once they lay their eyes upon this woman.

“***Ara***… are you getting flustered, Chief?” Countess Chelsea said with a smirk. She bent down, and whether she knew or not, also revealed some part of her cleavage. But for a woman who didn’t really hide her body in daily basis, that wouldn’t be much of a concern. “It had been quite sometime since last time I wore a dress like this. I asked someone to make it, especially for this day.”

Countess Chelsea gave a gentle twirl. The dress followed. Her silhouette also danced along her movement, and the flickering light made her shadow on the wall looked more ether7al.

“So,” Countess Chelsea said as she held her balance using one leg, stopping her twirl, “what do you think?”

“…You look good,” Chief whispered those words. They soon changed their gaze to another direction as a way to avoid eye contact. “Now sit down. You made me wait too long.”

“Don’t be impatient, Chief.” Her grin widened. It seemed she was able to see through the Chief. “I didn’t hear you quite clearly. Would you like to say that again?”

“You definitely heard that.”

“I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I said I didn’t.”

“Bad kitten would get punished, Chief.”

“Who is the kitten?”

“So let me ask you again, would you like to say it one more time?”

Countess Chelsea ignored Chief’s question. Her face was much closer compared to before. Usually at this moment, Chief would quickly say something to stop Countess Chelsea from whatever she was about to do. But this time, they were too dazed, enchanted by the beauty in front of them getting nearer with every last breath they took. Faint red strokes appeared on Chief’s cheeks. At this rate, their lips would be touching in less than seconds. Whether they wanted it or not, it seemed Chief didn’t choose to move and avoid that approaching kiss.

At least not until Countess Chelsea stopped on her own will. Some strands of her hair fell down on Chief’s face, caressing their face with such a delicate touch.

“Your breaths… Chief, you sound just like a kitten.”

As soon as Chief heard that, they became more sensitive and aware of what was happening. They felt Countess Chelsea’s breaths on their cheeks and ears, eyes and lips. Her eyes were vibrant, beautifully crafted similar to that of a gem. That realization made him go redder than before. And when noticing the effect of her little stunt there, Countess Chelsea felt victorious as another teasing smile appeared out of the thin air.

“Don’t be so tense, Chief,” Countess Chelsea said, backing off a bit until she stood with a straight posture. At that height, she could see that her tease was a bit more effective than what she had thought. The moment she saw the red burning blushes on Chief’s face, she felt her face getting hotter as well. “Well, I guess some part of me can be blamed as well. Sorry, it’s difficult for me not to tease you just a tiny bit.”

Chief cleared their throat. It seemed the effect Countess Chelsea gave was too much of a surprise for them. “Just sit down, won’t you?”

“You aren’t mad, are you?” Countess Chelsea finally sat in front of Chief. She pulled her dress, making sure it wouldn’t give a sense of discomfort throughout the dinner.

“I’m not.”

“That means I can be more aggressive later.”

“I hope that is a joke.”

Countess Chelsea only let out a small chuckle, not telling what fate Chief had to encounter soon. She placed the napkin on her lap. Chief did the same, but they were more awkward in doing it. Never had they needed to do stuff like this.

“Shall we have our dinner, then?” Countess Chelsea asked.

After a series of waiting, they finally began to eat the food. Chief had to look at the food one more time just to realize these were several cuisines they had never tried before. Maybe they had seen them once or twice, but tasting them? They couldn’t even imagine how these cuisines would taste like.

“Eat the food as much as you want, Chief. They are delicious,” Countess Chelsea said. She cut a small portion of the steak on her plate.

Even though Chief was a bit skeptical of the food, their tongue had never touched before, the scent was too tempting. The curiosity won over the worry, and soon enough, they already chewed the food. The texture was tender, and the taste immediately coated their tongue.

“How is it, Chief?” Countess Chelsea asked. Her sight was directed at Chief.

“Tasty.” It was the only word Chief said.

“Is that so? I’m happy to hear that.” Countess Chelsea stabbed another food with a fork. “Don’t be shy about trying everything. We have plenty for tonight. Of course, I can guarantee you will be satisfied.”

The sound of fork and knife hitting the plate echoed throughout the entire dinner. Chief, though admitting that their taste buds were no doubt pleased by the cuisines, started to feel the dry throat they had. Coincidentally, Countess Chelsea felt the same, as she reached for a bottle of wine next to the plates waiting to be opened.

“Push your glass to me, Chief. I can’t reach it well.” Countess Chelsea stretched her arm.

As Chief did what was asked, they noticed how the dress Countess Chelsea she was wearing restricted her movement a bit. They guessed the woman in front of them wouldn’t be able to make big movements for a while.

Countess Chelsea tilted the bottle. The dark red liquid came out from the bottle’s mouth into the glass with a pleasing sound. When the glassed reached half-full, she stopped and placed back the bottle next to them.

“You should try it, Chief. It’s hard to get my hand on something like this nowadays,” Countess Chelsea said as she brought the corner of the glass to her lips.

Chief twirled the glass. The wine in it moved alongside the movement, similar to that of a wave brought by the cool breeze in the sea. Soon enough, the red liquid poured down through their throat. The taste stuck in their tongue as they tried to comprehend the flavor.

“You look just like a connoisseur.” There was a faint red mark on the spot where Countess Chelsea had put her lips.

“I heard some people do it when they are drinking wine. But doing it right now, I only feel like I’m being quite pretentious.”

“Not really. People have the right to do what they want. Surely they can’t tell that twirling a glass of wine is similar to being pretentious, can they?”

“You’re not wrong. People like to assume stuff, though.”

“Then let them assume as much as they want. The time they waste is only theirs.” Countess Chelsea did the twirl as well as if she was trying to prove her point. “Enough about that. How is it? Is it to your liking?”

Chief pushed their tongue to their mouth’s ceiling as a way to capture every nuance in the flavor they were tasting. It took him a few seconds to come up with an answer, and it was only one word.

“…Weird.”

Hearing that, Countess Chelsea raised her eyebrows. She surely hadn’t expected that kind of answer, but she didn’t mind it at all.

“In a good or bad way?” Countess Chelsea asked.

Chief shook their head to left and right. “I can’t really explain it. There’s a part of it that I enjoy. On the other hand… I don’t know. I can’t really put it into words. Maybe this is just not for me.”

“That’s understandable.” She sipped the wine before continuing. “Personally I like wine. Red wine gives me that tingling effect I need from time to time.”

“Tingling?”

Countess Chelsea nodded. “Doesn’t red wine speak… sexiness to you?”

“I don’t… I don’t get it. Maybe it’s just you.”

“Maybe. I just like it. It is smooth. It is pretty… sensual. I think you just need to drink more, Chief, and you will get what I mean.”

As soon as she said that, Countess Chelsea refilled the red wine inside Chief’s glass. It was flowing down like a waterfall, and before Chief knew it, the glass was filled again with the dark liquid as if they hadn’t drunk it.

“Thank you.”

“No need to mention it.” Countess Chelsea placed the bottle back with a thud. Then, in a swift movement, she put her right elbow on the table, making a pillar which supported her head as she leant closer. Her eyes were locked onto chief’s, and her lips that were dyed in red stole Chief’s attention. “Or maybe you would prefer it if I gave the red wine mouth to mouth?”

Chief was startled hearing that unreasonable thing. If they were eating something, they would surely spurt out whatever they was chewing on.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Countess Chelsea, who definitely knew it was her doing, cheekily smiled.

“Nothing.” Chief just brushed it off. They felt the woman in front of them wouldn’t stop her barrage of teasing if they said something else.

“Is that so?”

Countess Chelsea kept smiling, a bit pointing at her right side. One would assume she had enough for the moment and pulled her body so that her back would be resting on the chair once more. It was the complete opposite of what was about to happen after, though. She took her fork that had a piece of meat on the opposite end, pulling it up to the air and bringing it closer to Chief’s lips.

“Say ‘ahhhh’.”

Chief’s body froze. They didn’t know what to think of it. The steak was hovering in the hair, waiting for the gate to be opened. Countess Chelsea couldn’t even hide her smirk for any longer. Looking at Chief’s red cheeks was truly an amusing thing for her.

“Come on, Chief. My arm would fall off if you aren’t quick enough,” she said while pushing the fork closer.

At this point, Chief only had one option. They looked at the steak and decided that it was better than nothing. Before knowing it, they already seized the food with their mouth, closing the gate as the chewing process started.

Every bit was filled with flavor that would make everyone salivating. The scent was also arousing. But in this instance, Chief couldn’t focus on the taste. No, their tongue couldn’t even capture the flavor, leaving it as a bland chewed food inside their mouth. They looked up, meeting with Countess Chelsea’s eyes again. They were staring intensely at Chief with a great care.

Then the lips moved again.

“What a good kitten.”

Simple words, but they were effective. Chief had never felt this embarrassed before, and they quickly swallowed the food, forgetting there was a chance for them to get choked.

“Y-you should stop playing with me,” they said. Their breath was a bit disarray.

“Sorry.” Countess Chelsea laughed a bit. “It’s just funny to see your reaction, Chief. I will stop… trying, at least.”

Chief wiped their mouth with the napkin. The dinner continued. Throughout it, though, Chief felt their heart was beating faster than usual. They realized the cause, and that realization only made the beating faster and rougher.

The steaks on both plates were almost finished. The candles kept illuminating their shadows. Countess Chelsea glanced at Chief from time to time. It seemed as if she had something in her mind but waiting for the right moment to say it out loud. For now, mindless conversation was the best she could do.

“So what will you be doing after this?” she asked. Her hands stopped moving after she had cut the steak into last three pieces.

More or less, Chief’s steak wasn’t that different from Countess Chelsea’s in size, only several bites left before the plate was emptied. “Return to bureau, probably.”

“You will be leaving as soon as you finish eating?”

“There’s nothing I can do here after all. I haven’t done some of the paper works. They are piling up on my desk.”

There were only two bites left on Countess Chelsea’s plate.

“The night is still young, Chief. Why don’t you stay a night with me?”

She teased them again. Looking back at how red Chief’s cheeks had become, Countess Chelsea expected the same reaction when she said that. But it went a bit differently, and she wasn’t that prepared for it.

“No can do,” Chief answered, simple and short. “Nightingale will scold me if I do that.”

“But you’re not a kid anymore.”

“I woke up just a few months ago, so that’s up to a debate,” Chief said while putting down the eating utensils in his hand. When Countess Chelsea looked down, Chief’s plate was empty. She didn’t even notice that. “Speaking off going back to the bureau, you will return tomorrow. Me returning now doesn’t mean we won’t meet again.”

“That’s true, but…”

Countess Chelsea didn’t know what to put into her words. Whatever came up inside her mind, it would just sound as if she was desperate. But having been through this, being desperate would be the last concern she had.

“It is just one day….Can’t you stay? We will come back tomorrow. Together.”

This entire time, Countess Chelsea had thought everything was already in the palm of her hand. Her desperation became much apparent than before, to the point it was visible to Chief.

“Countess, as much as I would want to stay here, you know what other people think of you.”

It was an answer that cut deep inside the woman’s heart. The first time it happened since she became something else, something that couldn’t be compared as a human. A sinner.

“…Is that what you think of me, Chief?” Countess Chelsea didn’t have the courage to look at Chief’s face. Everything, for her, was crumbling away. “I can’t blame you. I’m a sinner after all. You saw it yourself… I killed those people.”

Chief was looking at Countess Chelsea. Their gaze stayed there, not even inching away from that straight line. It was an expression they had only seen once on Countess Chelsea’s beautiful face. Chief squinted their eyes before grabbing the napkin on their lap. It wasn’t for them, though. Instead, they got up from the chair, leaving the comfort their chair brought just to reach Countess Chelsea’s cheek.

The countess noticed that. But rather staying still and accepting that gesture, she slapped that hand and backed away. The distance between them increased. Countess Chelsea, who usually pushed her way in into people’s comfort zones, distanced herself.

“Sorry,” Countess Chelsea said, realizing what she had just done. “But you shouldn’t touch me, Chief. I’m a sinner, remember?” She showed a pained smile, much dimmer compared to her usual smiles. “I’m a monster. You’re right. It is too dangerous for you to be here.”

“I have never said that.”

“But everyone thinks that. I have a criminal record for a reason. These hands aren’t innocent anymore, Chief, and I think it will be the best if we create a distance between us. I don’t want to put you into any danger.”

Chief sighed hearing that. This would be the first time they got a rejection from Countess Chelsea. To them, it felt wrong. It felt strange, And of course, no matter what the words coming out from Countess’ mouth were, Chief wouldn’t agree with something made so abruptly. When Countess Chelsea backed away, It was Chief’s turn to push the opportunity. Their hand was much closer to Countess’s Chelsea lips. The napkin touched one side of her cheek gently.

“Stay still, won’t you?” Chief said. They pressed the napkin without too much force before sliding it down as if something was just wiped out. Countess Chelsea was just sitting there, a bit surprised that her refusal didn’t work. “There’s a sauce in your cheek. You don’t want to leave a dirty spot here, do you?”

Hearing what Chief had to say, Countess Chelsea finally stopped resisting, She let the napkin on her cheek. It had been quite a long time since somebody did this to her, or probably the first time. She didn’t really know, but she knew that it was comforting her.

“You’re a human, Countess,” Chief said. “It doesn’t matter whether you are dangerous or not. The fact that you saved me using your power is still here.”

Countess Chelsea remembered that day when Chief had been abducted. It was the first time she showed her power to them. How scary it was for her. It was the fact she brought danger to Chief’s throat that scared her. Even though it wasn’t her plan, just being around her could endanger someone, and thinking that one of the most important people in her life had to deal with that was frightening.

She had to act tough this whole time, teasing and flirting to hide that vulnerability behind that cheeky smile. The last thing she wanted would be Chief hating her.

But once again, Chief betrayed her expectation. They weren’t running away from her. They actually reached their hand just to clean the dirty spot on her cheek. This entire time, they were closer than what she had thought.

“It’s clean now.” Chief sat down again.

Countess Chelsea touched the spot where Chief had pressed the napkin. Her fingers brushed her skin. When she pulled those fingers, the sauce was no longer there. The pained smile from before vanished, and now it became a delighted expression.

“You’re right. It’s clean.” After saying that, Countess Chelsea finished off the last two bites, leaving her plate in the same condition as Chief’s. She made sure to wipe the sauce on her lips. It was only when her lips were all cleaned when she thought of something. “Ah, I should have let you clean it up again, Chief.”

“Now you’re just taking an advantage out of me.” Chief washed down their throat with the wine.

“It’s not like that. And although you said it like that, I have no doubt you would do it again if I asked you.”

Chief didn’t respond. They were concentrating at their drink, or at least they tried to concentrate.

“Chief,” Countess Chelsea said. Her eyes were brimming with light. “I know that my request sounds absurd, but if it’s possible, I do really want you to stay here. At least for a night.”

It was a sincere request. Chief, of course, was taken a back for a bit. “You’re really persistence, aren’t you?”

“Persistence is a part of my life, Chief. From all people, I’m sure you know that the best.” Countess Chelsea gave Chief a wink. Her expression was much brighter than before. “But it’s okay if you—”

“Well, I guess it will be okay if it’s only for a day.”

The quick response from Chief forced Countess Chelsea to cut her words short. “That’s a fast answer.”

“You keep insisting after all. Or what? You want me to answer differently?”

“No. Not at all. That is the best answer I can ever hope for.”

Having talked nonstop without a break, Countess Chelsea took this chance to clean her mouth and throat using the red wine. She would like to say that the drink soothed and calmed her nerve, but that wasn’t the case. After noticing what Chief thought about her, happiness overwhelmed her. At the same time, her heart kept beating fast, and it felt as if her blood was boiling.

Even then, there was one task left for her to do. An important one, or maybe some would say it was the most important event in this entire night. Something that people would do in this particular day.

“Chief…” Countess Chelsea started slowly. Her voice was a lot quieter than what she thought. “You know that today is Valentine’s Day, right?”

“Nightingale told me.”

“Then do you know what people usually do today?”

Countess Chelsea’s hands were restless. For some reason, putting them in one place was almost impossible. Her palms were sweating, and she kept curling her fingers. The sound surrounding her slowly faded away from her attention, gone just for this moment. That made the sound of her heartbeat become louder. She had never felt this nervous before. Her rosy cheeks were prettier and more noticeable now, glimmering as the candles’ light made her look more sparkling.

Her hands were trembling, but it didn’t stop her to reach for something from the pocket in her dress. She pulled it up, hiding it first under the table. The embarrassment was more than what she could imagine, and any longer than this would result in her heart bursting into tiny pieces. Even then, the happiness she experiencing now overshadowed her distress.

At last, she raised her arms. On her palm was a transparent plastic that allowed outsiders to peek at the content inside. At first, the things stuffed inside it looked like chips. They were small, could be easily held using two fingers. She gave the plastic bag to Chief who set their palm flat in the air.

“This is for you,” Countess Chelsea said. As soon as the plastic bag left her hands, she pulled her arms back, not wanting Chief to notice how sweaty they were.

“Thank… you?” Chief was a bit puzzled. It happened out of nowhere. It was at that moment when they looked harder through the transparent plastic. And in that compact present, Chief could see chocolates filling the space to the brim. “I see. So this is why your fingers are covered with bandages.”

“I guess I couldn’t really hide that.” Countess Chelsea showed her fingers, some of them were covered with bandages more than the others. “Do you mind trying it now?”

“Not really. I still have an empty room in my stomach.”

Chief opened the wrapping. They entered their hand through the hole, reaching for one of the chocolates laying down on the bottom. As their fingers touched the chocolate, they could feel the bumps and ridges on it. Countess Chelsea was clearly not good at making chocolates, and the texture Chief was feeling now proved it.

On the other end of the table, Countess Chelsea couldn’t look away from Chief who was observing the chocolates. The thumping sound of her heart deafened her ears. Many questions ran through her mind. The taste, the texture, the look—she had the right to be worried over everything. If the things she made using a lot of effort turned out to be a failure, how painful that would be for her.

However, what Chief had to say after this showed that there was nothing to be worried about.

“It’s delicious,” Chief said while pulling another piece of chocolate and putting it inside their mouth. “Thank you. I really like it.”

Countess Chelsea felt weak. The worries that had been weighing her back disappeared just like that. “I’m glad. I will make sure to make you another one soon, Chief.”

“I will be looking forward to that.” Chief smiled. From their words, it sounded as if the day almost reached its climax. But with a gesture that even shocked Countess Chelsea, Chief pulled out something from their clothes. It was another wrapping, and one could immediately guess what was inside it. “I want you to have this.”

Countess Chelsea took it. Since Chief used the same transparent plastic, she was able to see through the cover. As one would already guess, chocolates were inside it. They were in a much worse state, though, with every piece couldn’t even hold their shapes. Whether they were crushed the moment Chief made them or in the way towards the mansion, Countess Chelsea wouldn’t possibly know the answer. It didn’t matter, though, since those chocolates still painted a sincere, beautiful smile on her face.

“I didn’t ask you to make this, but thank you Chief. I like it very much,” Countess Chelsea said.

“Even when you haven’t tried it?”

“I know I will like it. Sadly my stomach is full, so I will be enjoying your homemade chocolates later.”

“It is a bit embarrassing if you put it like that.”

Both of them were smiling. The burning flame beside them was almost gone, but there was another blaze of passion within those two. As they looked into each other’s eyes… as the darkness blanketed the sky for their night being together.

Countess Chelsea stood up. She walked to the side, approaching the curtain with every step she made. The moonlight was coming in through the gaps on the sides, and when Countess Chelsea turned her body, it turned into a magical sight which mesmerized Chief. Her dress captured her elegance, and her rosy cheeks showed her charm. She raised her arms while still clinging on the chocolate, pressing that present to her chest. It was closer to her heart than ever.

“So Chief, the night is still young, isn’t?” she asked. “What do you say about spending the night with me? Just the two of us.”