2 — Chocolate Temptation

2 — Chocolate Temptation

The day after he confessed that he would shortly be leaving for a campaign in the kingdom across our southern border, Mr. Fisalis wasted no time going straight to work at the palace, then coming straight home. Granted, I thought that he should have gone out for drinks with his coworkers every now and then, and that his frantic rush to and from work wasn’t necessary.

To be completely honest, it was keeping me from having my dinner with the servants. Er, I mean, part of his job as the leader was to show his gratitude for everyone’s hard work and to provide an opportunity to air complaints and then smooth things over. I was about to try to explain this to him, but his mouth moved faster than mine.

“We all get along fine. There’s no issues. Moreover, the most important mission right now is communication at home, much more than at work! Ah, speaking of work, did I ever mention that I don’t do patrols or anything for my job? So communication isn’t actually that big of an issue! I’m either stuck in a palace office or at the training ground,” he all but blurted out in his excitement.

He had me at the first half, but I had no clue what he was going on about by the end. Could he have picked up on my earlier confusion about where he could have found the time to visit a mistress? Whatever the cause, I had an inkling that my time with Mr. Fisalis was about to experience a drastic increase.

Several days later:

Mr. Fisalis had come straight home from work, as per his new norm, and had stopped in his room.

“Dahliaaa? Mimooosa? Where could those two have gone? I guess Rohtas is with Mr. Fisalis.” I was sure they’d been with me a moment before when I had gone to greet Mr. Fisalis.

I had been waiting in the salon while Mr. Fisalis went to get changed, but now Dahlia and Mimosa were nowhere to be found. I figured Rohtas was with Mr. Fisalis in his room, but where had my maids gone? I couldn’t recall them ever leaving my side like this before.

A different maid had been with me that day in their place, so I tried asking her.

“Dahlia and Mimosa, Madam? I believe Master called for them, and they went to his office with Rohtas. They should be back soon, though—if you don’t mind waiting, that is,” was all I got in response. So he summoned them to somewhere I can’t see, did he?

“Oh, I see. Thank you for telling me.” What could the four of them be scheming? I guess I don’t really care, though.

She then led me to the main dining room, and as we were waiting, Mr. Fisalis came in, accompanied by Rohtas, Dahlia, and Mimosa. Hmm, what have we here?

Rohtas pulled out a chair for Mr. Fisalis, who then sat down, signaling the start of dinner. Servants briskly marched the food into the dining room. What they brought out from the kitchen wasn’t the usual lavish feast, but perfectly reasonable portions for the both of us. Mr. Fisalis didn’t make a peep.

Dinner that night was a light affair made with vegetables from the Ledeau region. I couldn’t help but lick my lips and chuckle to myself at the long-awaited sight of food that couldn’t possibly upset my stomach. When I happened to glance over at Mr. Fisalis, despite the vast distance between us—by which I mean the massive dining room table—I got the impression that he was in a very good mood, as if he was quite pleased with something.

He’d probably just say ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ if I asked, but whatever the reason, his smile was sparkling about three hundred times brighter than usual. I unintentionally made eye contact with him as I inquired anyway about his uncommonly cheery disposition. Crap, he’ll realize I’ve been staring at him. He’s going to think I’m some kind of weirdo. I quickly looked away, but my poker face was nowhere near good enough to fool him!

He smiled gently at me when he caught me red-handed.

“What is it? Something on my face,” he teased in good fun, snickering at me. Oh, crumbs.

“Oh, no, not at all. I just noticed that you seem to be in a really good mood.”

“Ah, you think?” he replied, like he thought I’d said something funny.

“Huh? I don’t know what you mean.”

“Uh huh. Well, whatever the reason, I’m glad you noticed,” he said with a sweet smile and little tilt of his head. His smile was so sweet that it made me feel warm, like molasses. So sweet that it felt like it was going to rot my teeth. These sweet smiles were just play-acting earlier, so by that point I was fed up wi— Ahem, I’d had quite enough sugar for one day, but when he flashed that particular smile at me...

“Oh, okay...” Just as I started to feel like I was getting heartburn, his smile turned a shade more ambiguous.

“I’ve been thinking about tomorrow... my day off, actually,” he said with an air of optimism.

Oh, that’s right, tomorrow is his day off. Mr. Fisalis’ work runs on a shift system so that the whole department doesn’t end up on vacation at the same time. He generally got one day off for every five days worked, so if he worked several days in a row, he’d earn several days off afterward. I hadn’t known this back when he had been living in the cottage, since we’d barely talked to each other, but ever since he had moved into the main house, I had little choice but to take notice.

...Okay, honestly? He just gave me a lecture there at the table.

So the next day was going to be his vacation day. I see, yes, of course. How could I have forgotten?

Ever since he’d started staying in the manor, it had seemed like his days had become a great deal busier, so he was probably due for some time off. Now that I gave it some thought, the day we’d had our dance lesson together had been one of his days off. For him, anyway, the next day would be some well-deserved time to do nothing.

Mr. Fisalis did not seem to be aware that I’d rather spend my time keeping myself busy around the house, like I normally did.

“Tomorrow?” I asked, wondering why he brought it up out of the blue.

“Yeah. Do you want to go out again? It’s been a while since last time,” he suggested with a grin.

“...Go out...” I felt a vein in my temple throb.

A foggy memory rose out of the back of my mind like some creature from a deep swamp: our disastrous date.

You mean you want to drag me around to more luxury boutiques? You want to make me sick with overly rich food again? (Okay, to be fair, he didn’t know about my stomach problem then.)

I swear I could feel my eyes growing damp as the urge to beg him to please not take me on another date swept over me.

“Oh, I know just the place. I didn’t take you to that confectioner’s shop you wanted to go to last time. If you just want to go there, that’s fine, but there’s also this cute cafe next door, too. It’s really popular.” I guess he didn’t see my watery eyes, or maybe he was just ignoring them—but either way, there was a sense of eagerness in the way he said it.

That gosh darn confectioner’s shop!

The confectioner’s shop of my dreams.

I don’t know if we had run out of time or what on our last date, but he never actually took me there. Contrary to my expectations, we had ended up at a luxury boutique and jewelry store, and then he had dragged me to a fancy restaurant—and I had stuck out like a sore thumb at every one of them. Just thinking about that date made my stomach hurt.

And now he’s at it again with the confectioner’s shop! And there’s a cafe next door, too, he says! Is this a trap? Or could it be some sort of lure?! He’s got me good, though—hook, line and sinker!

I was feeling a bit light-headed, what with half my brain now reliving that disastrous date, but I snapped myself out of it and began to formulate a plan to avoid a repeat experience.

“I’d be happy if you just brought me back something from that confectioner!”

He wasn’t going to trap me that easily, just by mentioning a candy store! I slapped on one of my meager twenty dollar smiles, hoping he would just go along with it (he had been very agreeable in the days prior), but there was something different about him that day.

“No, I couldn’t possibly do that. That cafe is dine-in only, you see—no to-go orders allowed. They have to be enjoyed on the premises.”

Is he smirking?

“Urgh...”

Shudder.

I couldn’t make up my mind.

With no hesitation to be seen, and seeming as though he could read my mind, Mr. Fisalis chimed in, “They’ve got this chocolate tart, you know, and they are veeery liberal with their use of the finest chocolate from the Rougy Principality. And then they garnish the crust with powdered sugar...” He didn’t hold back and laid it on as thick as he could.

Oh, heck.

What sort of psychological warfare is this?! (An over-the-top one, that’s what.)

My resolution was crumbling under his attacks.

The Rougy Principality was a small kingdom along the northern border of the Flür Kingdom. They specialized in chocolate production, and Rougy-made chocolate was said to be the highest quality available on the market. In economic terms, it was their hero product. Perhaps that was the reason a pauper like me had never once tasted it; all I could do was drool over the sight of it through chocolatiers’ windows!

What, that wasn’t a very pleasant mental image, you say? My sincerest apologies.

And now he’s saying they use that chocolate liberally!

The sound of my gulping was audible through the silence.

The flavor of that chocolate was said to be beyond imagination. What a pity, then, that it was too fancy for me, and I couldn’t even imagine the taste. Mr. Fisalis continued on, his words raining like blows upon my psyche.

“Their best seller even has chocolate shavings on top. And the shavings are so light and delicate that if you tried to take the pastry home, they would melt on the way. They’re so fine, like snowflakes, there’s just no way they could hold their shape over the journey home. That’s why it’s dine-in only,” he explained to me, never breaking eye contact. I saw my own demise in those eyes. His finishing blow. The urge to agree was irresistible.

It’s like his sweet smile has somehow turned... dark.

I couldn’t look away from his deep brown eyes.

I... I want that chocolate tart!

“So what do you say? Want to give it a shot?” His eyes glittered temptingly.

Mmnph... dine-in-only chocolate tart... No! Cartham could make me the same thing if I asked! But then again, depending on where he got the ingredients, the flavor would be different... I’d never live it down if I went on another fancy date just for chocolate, though, I contemplated, obsessing over the tiniest details.

When I made the mistake of looking up at Mr. Fisalis, he only mouthed the word ‘chocolate’ at me.

Eurgh... dine-in only... I’ll never get a chance to eat it if I never leave the house...

I had made up my mind. I’d weighed the odds.

“...I think I’d like to go...” I managed to squeak, not without a little resignation.

“Alright. Tomorrow it is. I can’t wait!”

“Sure! ...oops!” We accidentally replied to one another at the same time.

Still, in exchange for my surrender, Mr. Fisalis blessed me with a wide smile. I still felt like I had been lured with a tasty treat like some kind of animal, though.

Lured by who?

By the guy who thought to get me to go on a date by tempting me with chocolate and is currently dabbing.