CHEERING.
SCREAMING.
MORE CHEERING.
I was going to pass out.
What had I gotten myself into?
More importantly—what was Cassiel Valmont doing here?!
I stared at him, my brain short-circuiting, but he remained perfectly composed, a polite yet unreadable expression on his face. Like he hadn't just waltzed in and completely destroyed whatever shred of sanity I had left.
The crowd, however, was losing it.
"THREE-WAY COMPETITION!" someone shouted.
"NO, NO—MAKE IT A FOUR-WAY! GET LILLIAN IN HERE!"
"IS THIS A REVERSE HAREM IN THE MAKING?!"
"WE NEED BETTING BOARDS!"
WHAT.
Cassiel tilted his head slightly, taking in the absolute circus happening in the café. Then, as if this was a casual conversation and not a completely unhinged situation, he turned back to me with a slight smile.
"Well, Sera?" he asked, his voice as smooth as ever. "Who's your pick?"
I choked on air.
Camille was grinning, watching everything unfold with absolute delight. "Oho~? Cassiel, I didn't take you for the type to get competitive."
Diana, on the other hand, was watching him like a cat ready to pounce. "You know, Valmont, I've never really thought of you as a threat," she mused, her emerald gaze glinting with challenge. "Are you sure you want to enter this battle?"
Cassiel didn't even blink. "I'd hardly call it a battle," he said coolly, before offering me his hand—casually, effortlessly. Like this was normal.
LIKE THIS WASN'T COMPLETELY INSANE.
"I simply figured," he continued, "that Sera deserved more options."
MORE OPTIONS?!
I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE ONE.
I turned wildly to my supposed friends, looking for help—support—SOME KIND OF ESCAPE.
Claire? Too busy laughing.
Tessa? Holding back laughter.
Lillian? Smiling, but very much NOT intervening.
TRAITORS. ALL OF YOU.
The crowd, fully invested in my downfall, began chanting.
"CHOOSE! CHOOSE! CHOOSE!"
I pressed my hands to my face.
This wasn't happening.
It was official.
I was going to die in this maid café.
But at least, I wasn't going to die for Cassiel Valmont.
Because let's get one thing straight—I didn't even like him that much when I read the novel, and I definitely wasn't about to start now.
Before I could even attempt to regain control of this situation, Camille—chaos incarnate, my eternal headache, my doom in human form—clapped her hands together, drawing everyone's attention.
"How about this?" she proposed, her icy-blue eyes practically glittering with mischief. "Instead of making Sera pick, why don't we make her fall?"
I blinked. "Excuse me—?!"
Camille smirked, clearly pleased with herself. "We each take turns trying to make Sera falter—whether it's through charm, words, or whatever we decide. If she blushes, flinches, gets flustered—anything—the person who made her react wins."
The room went dead silent.
Then—
"Oh?" Diana perked up instantly, an unsettling gleam in her emerald eyes. "That's an interesting idea, Camille."
"Diana, no—" I tried.
"No, no—" Diana waved me off, completely ignoring my plea. "Let's hear more. This sounds fun."
NO, IT DOESN'T.
"What happens if she doesn't react?" Claire asked, far too entertained as she leaned forward.
Camille shrugged. "Then the next person gets a turn."
I threw my hands up. "HELLO?! CAN I GET A SAY IN THIS?!"
Tessa chuckled, resting her chin on her hand. "You never really do, Sera."
THE BETRAYAL.
"Well," Cassiel suddenly spoke up, his calm, collected, noble aura standing out starkly against the absolute insanity around him. "That certainly sounds amusing."
I whipped around to him instantly.
Oh, absolutely not.
"Before that!" I interjected, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Cassiel, maybe you sit this one out?"
The room fell silent again.
Cassiel simply tilted his head, completely unfazed. "Hmm?"
"You heard me," I said, determined to make this one victory mine. "You're already handsome and composed and all that nonsense, it's hardly fair."
"Aw, Sera, are you saying you'd fall for him too easily?" Camille goaded.
"NO! I'M SAYING HE'S A CHEAT CODE!" I exploded. "HE HAS MALE LEAD ADVANTAGE."
Lillian, who had been quietly sipping her tea this entire time, finally intervened, her expression still as graceful and composed as ever. "She's right," she agreed, much to my shock and relief. "Cassiel already carries the air of a noble romance protagonist—it wouldn't be an equal match."
THANK YOU, MY ONLY SAVIOR.
"Very well," Cassiel relented with a polite nod, as if he hadn't just casually participated in ruining my life.
But at least I had managed to remove one obstacle.
A small victory. A very, very small victory.
Because now, I had bigger problems to deal with.
I turned back, and there they were—Diana and Camille, standing before me in full maid attire, both completely and utterly determined to win this ridiculous game.
Diana, with her refined elegance, adjusted the ruffled hem of her dress with an air of absolute confidence. Her emerald-green eyes were practically daring me to react. Camille, on the other hand, had a lazy smirk on her lips, her cool, effortless demeanor making her seem way too confident in her ability to make me lose.
I swallowed hard.
No. I had to steel my resolve. I would not falter.
I have to maintain a stoic expression!
"Alright, then," Diana purred, taking a step forward, slow, deliberate, entirely too dangerous. "Shall I go first?"
"You seem eager," Camille mused, amused but not backing down. "Go ahead, let's see what you can do."
Oh. No.
I locked my jaw, forced my shoulders to stay squared, and prepared myself for the worst.
Diana leaned in close—way too close.
I froze.
Her fingertips traced the edge of my jaw, her touch feather-light but calculated, as if she already knew my weaknesses before I did. Her voice dropped into something low and sultry, an almost dangerous whisper.
"Master," she murmured, her lips just a breath away from my ear. "Would you like your tea... sweeter?"
My soul left my body.
NO. NO. NO. DO NOT REACT, SERA. HOLD THE LINE.
I clenched my fists so hard I thought my fingers might snap. Do. Not. React.
Diana pulled away slightly, studying my face. I could feel the teasing smirk growing on her lips. She knew.
She knew I was struggling for dear life.
But I didn't crack. I kept my expression neutral, calm, unaffected.
"Not bad," Camille mused, tapping her chin. "My turn."
I barely had time to process my relief before Camille took three confident steps forward, reached out, and hooked a finger under my chin.
WHAT.
"Come now, Master," Camille purred, tilting my face toward hers, our noses inches apart. Her cool, ice-blue eyes gleamed with pure, unfiltered mischief.
"Surely I'm the one who serves you best?"
SWEET MOTHER OF MAGIC, HELP ME.
This was a nightmare.
I could feel every pair of eyes in the room locked onto us, the crowd waiting, the air tense. Camille's grin widened as she leaned in closer, closer—
And then, without warning, she pressed a kiss to the very corner of my lips.
OH. MY. GOD.
The room erupted.
Gasps. Cheers. Applause. CHAOS.
I froze. My entire brain blue-screened. I was malfunctioning.
Camille pulled away slowly, grinning triumphantly as she tilted her head. "Oh?" she murmured. "Did you just flinch?"
I DID NOT FLINCH.
"Wait, hold on—" I tried, but it was too late.
Claire practically jumped out of her seat, screaming.
"VICTORY FOR CAMILLE!"
Diana, despite her usually composed demeanor, actually looked impressed. "Well played," she admitted, folding her arms. "I underestimated you."
"Of course you did," Camille mused, looking far too smug for my liking.
I lost.
I actually lost.
And worse? I didn't even care about the competition anymore.
I was still too stuck replaying what just happened in my head.
As the crowd continued to cheer, I let my face fall into my hands.
This. Was. A. Disaster.
And somehow… I had a terrible, terrible feeling that this wouldn't be the last time something like this happened.
The crowd was still roaring, voices overlapping with excitement, and Claire—of course it was Claire—had taken full control of the chaos, thriving in it.
"Congratulations to Camille Winters for winning Sera Vandren's heart!" Claire declared dramatically, her voice practically dripping with amusement. "Is there anything you'd like to say to our wonderful audience?"
I whipped my head toward her so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.
EXCUSE ME?! WINNING MY HEART?! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!
Before I could even get a word in, Camille, the absolute menace that she was, placed a hand on her chest, smiling ever so charmingly, as if she had just won some grand prize at a royal ceremony.
"Thank you, thank you," Camille said smoothly, turning toward the crowd with a perfectly executed bow. "It was a hard-fought battle, but I had faith in my ability to make our lovely Sera crumble."
I am going to throw myself into the sun.
"She didn't crumble!" I snapped, pointing at Camille accusingly. "I did not crumble!"
The moment I said it, the entire crowd burst into laughter.
Because apparently, everyone but me was having the time of their lives.
Camille, completely unbothered, turned to me, leaning in slightly. Way too close.
"So, you're saying you weren't affected at all?" she murmured, a challenge glimmering in her ice-blue eyes.
I felt my face heat up all over again. "That's not what I—"
"And yet," Camille cut me off smoothly, "you're blushing."
Damn it!
I stumbled back, waving my arms in a desperate attempt to clear my name. "That doesn't mean anything! It's—it's hot in here!"
"It's winter, Sera."
I turned on my heel, ready to flee.
Only for Diana to suddenly wrap an arm around my shoulders, pulling me back with a mischievous smirk.
"You know, this is all quite unfair," Diana mused. "I was expecting a fair match, and yet, Camille had the absolute audacity to pull a stunt like that."
I WAS ALSO EXPECTING A FAIR MATCH, DIANA.
Camille gave a mock-innocent shrug. "You're just upset because you lost."
Diana, with a completely unreadable expression, tilted her head slightly before letting out a soft hum. "Perhaps."
Then, before I could react—before I even had time to comprehend what was happening—
Diana leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my other cheek.
The crowd lost their minds.
I completely short-circuited.
I could literally feel the moment my soul left my body.
WHAT. WHAT. WHAT.
Diana pulled away slowly, studying my face with a victorious glint in her emerald-green eyes.
"Oops," she said, not sounding sorry at all.
The room EXPLODED.
"ANOTHER POINT FOR DIANA HAYES!" Claire practically screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "WE HAVE A NEW CONTENDER!"
I buried my face into my hands.
"I HATE ALL OF YOU!"
The worst part?
They absolutely did not care.
They were having the time of their lives.
Claire was laughing so hard she was practically wheezing. Camille was basking in her so-called victory, and Diana? Diana looked smugger than ever.
And me?
I was seconds away from digging a hole in the middle of this maid café and never coming out again.
But before I could even attempt to escape, I suddenly felt something soft—no, TWO soft things—press against each of my cheeks at the same time.
"Eh?"
My entire brain short-circuited.
I froze. Stiff as a board.
Slowly—very, very slowly—I peeked from behind my fingers, my heart hammering like a wild animal.
And who do I see?
Lillian.
Tessa.
Both of them had just kissed me. On the cheeks. At the same time.
AT THE SAME TIME.
WHEN DID THEY APPEAR?
"Wh-wh-wh—" My voice refused to work. My entire system was crashing.
"Aw, Sera," Lillian giggled, her warm emerald gaze full of amusement. "You're so cute when you get all flustered like this."
C-CUTE?!
Tessa, on the other hand, just smirked, tilting her head slightly. "You're really bad at keeping a straight face, aren't you?"
WHY WAS SHE LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!
My hands instinctively flew to my cheeks, where the warmth of their lips still lingered.
MY BRAIN COULD NOT PROCESS THIS.
Camille whistled. "Wow. You really are popular, huh, Sera?"
"I AM NOT!" I finally shrieked, stomping my foot like an actual child.
The room erupted into laughter again.
Diana, clearly delighted by the absolute chaos, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at me. "You know, Sera, for someone who says they hate this… you sure are blushing a lot."
I WAS GOING TO COMBUST. RIGHT HERE. RIGHT NOW.
"SHUT UP!" I turned on my heel, stomping toward the back of the café to escape.
"Wait, don't leave, Seraaa~" Claire called, still giggling.
"You can't run forever, my little maid~" Camille teased.
Lillian just smiled softly as she watched me storm off, her voice gentle yet teasing. "She's adorable, isn't she?"
And as I fled—practically sprinting out of the room— one singular thought screamed in my head:
I AM NEVER WORKING IN A MAID CAFÉ EVER AGAIN.