"Hey, Darwin. Looks like I’m checking out. I’m sorry I couldn’t finish out the full month here."

"Checking out, are we?" Darwin smirked. "I’d say I’m surprised but given that Ms. Valentine just marked her territory in front of the whole lobby, I think I can make an educated guess as to why." He leaned in closer, dropping his voice into a whisper. "Are you moving in with her?"

"Well, y’know. I did make a promise to her and all that, haha..." Kurt confirmed, scratching the back of his head.

"I completely understand. If the Crimson Flash told me to pack my bags, I’d be halfway out the before–"

"Huh? What was that? Before what exactly?" Kurt flashed him a dangerous smile.

"N-Nothing! Why would Ms. Valentine ever tell me to pack my bags, haha. Ahaha..."

"Mmhm." The glint in Kurt’s eye vanished as he backed away.

"S-So. How much time do you need? I can send the staff up to help with the heavy lifting."

"Hmm, give me an hour and a half," Kurt said. "I need a shower that’s hot enough to melt skin, and I need to sort through the wreckage of my new wardrobe."

"Understood. Staff will be at your door at the ninety-minute mark," Darwin said, then his expression softened into something more sincere.

"I’m happy for you both, Kurt. Really. But... good luck. You just stepped into the spotlight of the century. Trouble is bound to come your way once the high society types realize their favorite untouchable bachelorette is off the market. They’ll be looking for any reason to knock you down."

"Ooou, sounds fun~" Kurt replied with a grim smile. "I can’t wait to knock down a couple of entitled bitches."

And with that, Kurt took the elevator up, the silence of the lift a welcome reprieve. When he pushed open the door to his room, he stopped dead.

"Urgh... Really Ana?"

The bed looked like a battlefield. The sheets were knotted and dragged halfway across the floor, the pillows were scattered like casualties of war, and the duvet was bunched into a mountain of fabric near the footboard. It was a direct result of Diana’s late-night visit.

Kurt sighed, realizing that while his new roommate could dismantle a legion of soldiers in seconds, she apparently viewed bed-making as an optional life skill.

’She probably doesn’t even know where the corners go,’ he thought, remembering her entourage of personal maids and servants. ’Well... I’m guessing she’s lived a life where things just... get tidy on their own.’

He stripped off his ruined, blood-crusted clothes and stepped into the shower. The heat was divine. He watched the grime and salt of the island swirl down the drain, his accelerated healing tingling as the steam opened his pores. By the time he stepped out, his skin colour shone and his mind was finally clearing.

He had just started pulling his spare shirts out of the dresser when a soft knocking sounded at the door. He checked the clock. Only half an hour had passed.

"Early birds. I’m pretty sure I told Darwin an hour and a half."

He swung the door open, expecting the hotel staff. Instead, he was met with three familiar faces in matching, high-end maid uniforms.

"Bossman!" Sadie let out a bark of laughter. She lunged forward and started patting his shoulder with enough force to rattle his teeth. "You’re finally moving in! I knew you had it in you!"

"S-Sadie! Stop that!" Isabel rushed forward to pull her back. "He is our master now! You must show the proper respect and decorum!"

Kurt waved a hand, chuckling despite the soreness in his shoulder. "It’s okay, Isabel. Really. You three can be comfortable around me. I’m not big on the ’master’ titles."

"Y-You remember my name!?"

"Hm? Why would I forget?"

"Mnnnnnnn..." Isabel, growing shy, hid behind Sadie as she snuck glances at him.

"Hahaha! See? I told you! The new bossman is chill. He’s one of us!"

Yuna, standing behind the chaotic duo, clicked her tongue sharply and stepped into the room. "Ms. Valentine and the Head Maid Wendy are currently occupied with preparing for your arrival. They are... frantic. Therefore, we three were dispatched to facilitate your transition. The carriage is waiting downstairs."

"Really? I thought Diana would be the one picking me up," Kurt noted.

"She wanted to," Sadie chirped, already poking around his nightstand. "But Wendy told her that if she didn’t stop pacing and actually helped decide which silk drapes to use, the room wouldn’t be ready until next year. She sent us to make sure you didn’t ’escape’."

Yuna walked further into the room, her eyes landing on the disaster that was the bed. She turned a slow, judgmental look toward Kurt. "The state of this room is... unacceptable."

"Uh, yeah. That was Diana. She was... a bit rough earlier."

Isabel let out a tiny, squeaking noise and hid her face in her hands, her ears turning bright red. Sadie let out a cackle of pure delight, while Yuna’s entire face darkened into a deep crimson. She clicked her tongue three times in rapid succession and looked away.

"I see," Yuna said, her voice strained. "Information I did not require. Regardless, we shall handle this. Move aside, please."

’I get the feeling I’m being misunderstood, but, oh well.’

Kurt moved to grab a suitcase, intending to help, but Sadie gently but firmly shoved him into a chair and flashed him a wide grin. "Sit, bossman. Watch the pros work."

What followed was a display of domestic efficiency that bordered on the supernatural.

Yuna took point, her hands moving with the precision of a master clockmaker. She packed and categorized. Shirts were folded into perfect, identical squares. Boots and shoes were polished and wrapped in protective cloth.

Isabel followed in her wake, her shy demeanor vanishing the moment a cleaning rag was in her hand. She moved through the room like a ghost, erasing every smudge and speck of dust before Kurt could even register, they were there.

Sadie was the heavy lifter. She threw the suitcases onto the bed (which she had straightened in approximately four seconds) and began snapping latches with satisfying thuds. They worked in a silent, practiced synergy.

In less than ten minutes, the room was spotless. The bed was made so tightly a coin would have bounced into the ceiling, and Kurt’s entire life was neatly packed into the suitcases that came with his clothes.

Sadie wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from her brow and puffed out her chest. "Pretty impressive, huh?

"I... I think you might rival Diana’s teleportation. Thank you. Seriously."

Isabel turned bright red at the praise, staring at her shoes. Yuna simply adjusted her dress and gave a dismissive, "Hmph!" before turning her head.

The descent through the lobby was a victory lap. Kurt stopped at the desk to shake Darwin’s hand.

"I’m off, Darwin. Thanks for all the kind hospitality."

"Anytime, Kurt. Don’t be a stranger now."

They exited the hotel, and Kurt found himself staring at a carriage that looked more like a mobile palace. It was a deep, lustrous crimson with intricate golden scrollwork detailing the wheels and the roof. The horses were two massive, white stallions, their coats brushed to a mirror sheen.

"Bossman, if you please." Sadie said, holding the door open with a flourish.

Kurt stepped inside, his boots sinking into a plush, cream-colored carpet. The interior was lined with velvet and wool, featuring two long soft seats facing each other and a small, wooden cabinet built into the wall.

Sadie and Yuna climbed in after him, sitting on the opposite seat and closing the door.

"Wait, where’s Isabel?" Kurt asked, looking around.

"Taking the reins," Sadie said, leaning back and stretching her legs. "She’s the best driver out of us three. Says she likes horses more than she likes people. According to her, they don’t talk back or make her blush, hehehe."

From outside, a soft, "Giddy-up!" echoed, and the carriage lurched forward with a smoothness that could put any passenger to sleep.

As they rolled through the city streets, the rhythmic clop-clop of the horses the only sound, Sadie suddenly started to giggle. It started as a titter and grew into a full-on snicker.

Yuna glared at her. "Sadie. Do not even think about it. It is highly inappropriate. We could get in trouble."

"What’s wrong?" Kurt asked, looking between them.

Just as Yuna opened her mouth to say "nothing," Sadie leaned forward, her eyes dancing with mischief. "You look parched, bossman. Do you want a little sip of wine to celebrate the big move?"

"... Sure, why not? It’s been a long morning."

"YES! Can I have some too? Just a tiny bit? It’s a special occasion!"

"I don’t see why not," Kurt shrugged.

Sadie practically vibrated with excitement. "You’re the best bossman ever!"

She reached under her seat and popped open a secret hidden compartment, pulling out a dark, elegant bottle with a wax-sealed cork.

Yuna’s eyes went wide. She grabbed Sadie’s wrist before she could break the seal. "Master Rossana, you should know that that bottle is from Ms. Valentine’s private, ’do-not-touch-or-face-the-consequences’ stash. I’m sure you can guess what would happen if she found out it’s been opened by a maid and her lover..." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Kurt’s hand, which had been reaching for a glass, froze in mid-air. He remembered the look in Diana’s eyes when she became truly furious.

"N-Never mind," Kurt said nervously. "Put the bottle away."

"WHAT?! But bossman..." Sadie’s face fell instantly. Her bottom lip trembled, and she looked like a puppy that had just been told the park was closed.

"You heard him, Sadie."

"Fine... but it’s a tragedy. A real tragedy."

From the front of the carriage, Isabel’s muffled giggle drifted through the window. Yuna closed her eyes, regaining her composure, while Sadie leaned her head against the cushioned wall and pretended to cry.

Kurt shook his head with a smile as he looked out the window at the passing city. The madness of the island was behind him, and a different kind of madness was waiting at the end of the road.