Disclaimer:
I do not own Pandora Hearts
For Jack did not steal the Queen's tarts
Read and review before you part
For they are treats to the author's heart
Author's note:
Okay, people! I want to believe that I'm the only crazy one here who will think of something like that, but my rationality tells me otherwise. Hmm, so if no one thought of this before, then I'm crazy. Then if someone did, then I'm not rational?
What are you doing? Ignore me and read the story!!! And review!!!
Walking down the corridors of his own mansion, Duke Barma calculates his next move.
He had just invited Yura to his villa. Now, to get the Vessalius Boy to his place… An idea hit him like the bright glare of a light bulb that was suddenly turned on in a dark room. The plan grew strongly in his favour the more he thought about it.
He slapped his closed fan into his other hand and come to a halt. Liam who was following closely behind jumped and froze in his steps.
Duke Barma tilted his head back to glance at him.
It was just a short glance, before he turned back and continued on his way, but Liam was sure… It was that look again.
It had been for quite some time since Duke Barma started eyeing him with that look. It had become more and more frequent these days and Liam did not know whether he should think of it as a bad thing. He did know what to think of it since…
… Duke Barma was always so weird.
Then again, he was not the only weird one around. Talk about a certain white-haired Pandora member… There is still Oz's uncle with a strange need to infiltrate his niece's school… the Rainsworth females, whether young or old, who are all skilled in the art of the paper fan and the knowledge of romance novels… the carnivorous humanoid Bloodstained Black Rabbit… and… and… Simply put, he was surrounded by weird people to the point of wondering whether he was normal himself. Okay, so maybe he is a workaholic, but… But!
That is not the point!
The point is…! Duke Barma had been eyeing him with that look!
His inner ramblings distracted him greatly, so when Duke Barma abruptly stopped and turned around, he was so surprised that he yelped and fell on his behind.
"Go prepare four new servant uniforms." Duke Barma ordered, pointing the tip of his fan at him.
Liam perked up in attention.
"Are we bringing in new servants?"
"Temporarily. Go and get them made."
Slapping the fan back into his palm, he turned and continued on his way.
"Uh…" Liam stumbled back onto his feet. "May I know who are…"
With a flick of his hand, Duke Barma opened his fan and used it to cover the lower half of his face. Liam knew this without needing to see because it was Duke Barma's signature pose.
Duke Barma seemed to be pondering over something, as he turned to eye him for a bit, with that look, then tilting his head away for a bit, then facing him once again to give him orders… Liam jotted down the instructions and details diligently… well, at least until he realized what he was writing…
"Wha-What!?"
Duke Barma ignored him and opened the door to his favourite room. It was a large room with huge windows and beautiful willowy curtains. The bright sunlight shone in, illuminating the room. In that room, there were high cupboards that reach the ceiling across the stretch of wall facing the windows. There was a sliding ladder, which allows one to open the glass doors of the highest shelves. On the red carpeted floor were smaller glass display cupboards.
Needless to say, this is where Duke Barma kept his whole collection of fans.
He comes here every once in a while, most especially when he feels discontent… occasionally selecting a fan of a different design to replace the one he had been using, perhaps to bring a change in mood…
Liam could only wonder what Duke Barma is upset about…
Getting the new servant uniforms made was not a problem. All he needed were their sizes and Lady Cheryl was very cooperative. It seemed like she knew what was going on…
Liam wished he knew what was going on as well.
The other task was much more of a headache. How do you let that same group of four know about Duke Barma's schedule without telling them outright? So, he gathered enough courage to leave his precious notebook on the table unattended and managed to be engaged by some passing low-ranking Pandora members who needed his help, but it would not have been half successful if Raven himself have not come by to peek at his notebook.
It seems that Duke Barma already knew that they would try to pry out information about his schedule…But still…
Why a maid's uniform!?
Perhaps it is just a prank that Duke Barma is playing on them. He had always been quite a prankster. Yes! That must be it! No need to put too much of mind to it!
With that, Liam went off about his duties once again. He is a very busy man after all. Moreover, he has responsibilities over Xerxes's paperwork as well.
Time to get to work! Get to work!
Duke Barma knew where the B-Rabbit and the white-haired clown were. Of course, they were in the next room, listening in to his conversation with Yura. He opened the door.
"Don't you think it's time for you to come out too?"
What he saw did not surprise him at all.
"… You're no fun. You're not even wearing a disguise. I even took the trouble to prepare a uniform with your size…"
"I'd rather not play your little games."
Yes, of course he knew. He who probably knew Liam inside out would of course know that the brunette would never make a mistake as to inadvertently let someone take a peek at his notebook.
"… I can't trust him either…" Duke Barma unconsciously spoke his thoughts aloud.
"Oz-kun realized it too, only… He decided to play along with you."
"Hmm…" Duke Barma wondered how he should get the B-Rabbit away so that he could speak to the Red-Eyed Ghost alone. "What about you, B-Rabbit? Don't you want to go back to your contractor?"
And besides, she was ruining his ornaments…
"I'm here to make sure this clown doesn't pull anything!"
Break gave an inaudible sigh. Alice may not know about his eyes, but Oz does, and he made it a point to keep a look out for him. Now, there is no need for such a thing, is there?
"Please go, Alice-kun. I think… Oz-kun might be needing your help soon."
Alice raced out of the room.
"Well… It's not like he'll get hurt. After all, that man… He's a passionate Jack Vessalius fan."
"Huh?"
Although he was slightly irritated that Xerxes Break was playing with his stuff, he let it pass. There were more important things that should be handled right now. It is not the time for private talk either. Yura, as he had expected, was freaking out the Vessalius boy.
"Well… we'd better put an end to this…"
In silent agreement, Break followed Duke Barma out of the room… and to the red-haired duke's annoyance, with one of his collection items balanced on his head.
"The three of you may go and speak with Yura. I wish to speak to… Kevin Regnard…"
They locked eyes.
"But Break…" Oz started, obviously worried about whether Duke Barma would attack Break when he was left alone with him.
"It's fine. I have something I wish to ask you as well, sir Duke Barma."
And so, they were left alone.
Duke Barma flicked his fan open and covered the lower half of his face. It was that look.
Break had heard from Liam not too long ago that the idiot duke had been giving him weird looks, and whenever he does it, he would never show him his full face. It was either covered by his red hair when he looked back over his shoulder or covered by his fan when he is facing him. Break supposed that what he was seeing now… or rather… feeling his gaze with his gut feeling… was that look.
Ugh… He could not even see the upper half of his face! How is he going to figure out the lower half of his face!?
'Hey…'
'What is it Mad Hatter?'
'He's pouting.'
"HUH!?"
Duke Barma tilted his head to the side, surprised by Break's sudden outburst.
"What is it?"
"No… nothing…" Break said, sitting down again with a hand covering his face to hide his face. He was on the verge of laughing out loud.
Duke Barma… pouting…?
Well, even though he will never admit it out loud, that idiot red-haired duke does have pretty facial features, and if you put a pout on that face, no doubt he will look very cute.
Ha ha! Duke Barma… with a cute pouty face…?
Oh no! He might really break out laughing!
Duke Barma wondered what was wrong with Break, but he let it pass. He might be feeling unwell. He had heard from Cheryl that he was not doing very well physically. Actually, he was sure he was not doing well mentally as well. He is a fearless knight, that Kevin Regnard, served the Sinclair family, became the Red-Eyed Ghost, killed 116 people, and now acts like a clown and calls himself Xerxes Break. In any case…
"Why…?" Break asked. "Why a maid's uniform?"
Break pulled out the pieces of clothing from behind him. Rufus Barma could only begin to wonder where he hid them in the first place.
"Ah yes…"
He had specifically asked Liam to get maid uniforms done for all of them, with exception to Gilbert Nightray who was too tall and would be immediately singled out to be a infiltrator. The B-Rabbit is a female and the Vessalius boy is pretty enough to be mistaken as a girl. As for Xerxes Break, he was very sure he could at least pass off as a very ugly old woman…
Really, he could not understand why, of all fetishes, he would… Ah, never mind…
"I knew you would not wear it."
To ask Liam to get a maid's uniform done for the white-haired clown was just a strategy to find out his size. He did not expect Break to wear it, but of course, it would be fun if he really did, so he left it with the rest of the uniforms in such an obvious place – an isolated rack in the changing room - there was no way they would miss it.
"Then why…" Break asked.
It was not that he could not figure out a reason why… but that reason was so scary, he did not dare to think it.
"…To make this." Duke Barma said, and opened a door to a walk-in wardrobe. There was a mannequin and on that mannequin was a beautiful dress of lavender and white – mostly lavender – complete with ribbons and lace. There was even a wig of long white hair provided.
"Wh-Why…?"
Duke Barma looked away.
"Because there is someone here who has a fetish for albinos."
Without his mind's consent, his mouth became agape. His eye was wide with shock.
'Could it be…?'
Break felt as though his mind was spinning… and spinning…
'Lady Cheryl…'
'Xer-kun… Am I right to say that Liam had taken over your workload because you can no longer see…?'
'… Is Duke Barma upset?'
'Hmm… Because you and Liam are spending so much time together, Duke Barma could not help but feel a little… jealous…'
Almost the entire chapter is with reference to Chapter 48. The last part is a flashback with reference to Chapter 46 where Xerxes Break was talking to Lady Cheryl.
Yes, yes… I'm having way too much fun…
A Duke Barma with a cute pouty face and a collection of fans, a confused Liam, a worried Oz, a hinting Lady Cheryl, an albino fetish, a maid's costume, and a pretty dress! What else could go wrong for Xerxes Break!?