Jaune had a number of thoughts before seeing what Salem had prepared for him. He figured that she would probably set up some sort of trap or attempt to lure him into something like she always did. What he found instead was a complete surprise.
The giant table had been decorated with candles and fancy plates for two. There was a chandelier hanging above and the smell of freshly cooked food filled Jaune's nostrils.
"Greetings, Mister Arc," said Watts. He was wearing a blue tuxedo and fancy spats. The tuxedo looked like he had worn it years ago and never touched it since.
"What is this?" asked Jaune.
"A dinner date. What does it look like?" Watts asked. Even though his appearance had changed, Watts hadn't dropped his sarcastic personality.
"But…" Jaune began.
"You expected something more…sinister?" asked Watts, moving his face uncomfortably close to Jaune's ear. "Salem always fulfills her promises. Now sit down while the rest of the staff attend to you."
"S-Staff?"
"A-AHEM!" said a gruff voice from behind.
Jaune nearly fell forward from surprise at the startlingly loud noise.
"Allow me to pull out your chair," said Hazel. He was also dressed in a tuxedo, but it was so tight that it looked like it rip at the seams if he moved too much.
As if Jaune were a toddler, Hazel slowly pulled out the chair and motioned for Jaune to sit on it. Jaune did as he was told and waited for whatever came next.
"Salem would like me to inform you that while we were able to steal—uh, I mean…confiscate—the chandelier and plates from Schnee Manor, the same cannot be said for food."
"Wait WHAT?" Jaune shouted. He thought that these were things Salem had lying around her place. Did they steal all that stuff while he was getting dressed?
"I know," said Watts. "I too was looking forward to seeing you stuff your face with healthy food. Luckily for you, we've got plenty of Pumpkin Pete cereal. Chefs Neo and Tyrian have prepared multiple meals for you and Salem."
Jaune tried hard not to curl his nose at the news. He liked Pumpkin Pete, but it didn't exactly make a good ingredient for anything else besides cereal.
"Where's Salem?" asked Jaune.
"She's preparing herself for her moment with you," said Watts. "Now please shut up and wait."
"I'm ready," said a distant voice.
Jaune slumped a little more in his chair. He was expecting another one of Salem's minions to surprise him in some awkward way. Instead, Mercury and Emerald both walked out. They were wearing the nicest clothes out of everyone else Jaune had seen so far. Mercury swapped his normal attire for a traditionally black tuxedo. Unlike Hazel and Watts, Mercury's seemed to fit him well and looked brand new. His hair had also been combed to the side, removing the somewhat messy look he normally had on.
Emerald had also been dressed up in a long teal-colored dress that exposed her shoulders and hid her legs behind the dress. She wore heels that made her appear taller and looked a little self-conscious while wearing the dress.
Most surprising of all was Salem herself. She had taken her cape off and wore nothing but the black dress. Her frame looked much smaller without the cape. Even more surprising for Jaune was her hair. It'd been let down and nearly reached the middle of her back. The long aond white color of her hair reminded Jaune a lot of Weiss Schnee, and he didn't have a problem with that as well. Salem's red eyes even managed to look somehow more charming as they fixed their gaze on him.
"Surpised?" asked Salem.
Jaune had his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water.
"Your expression says it all," she said with a smirk. "Mercury, Emerald. Please excuse us."
Mercury and Emerald bowed before walking away. Salem walked elegantly with slender legs that Jaune forgot she even had. It usually looked like she was moving on a one wheel because of how her legs never appeared to move.
"As promised, here is our little moment together," said Salem. "How do you feel about this?"
"I-uh-I…..um…well…" Jaune still couldn't find the right words. This all felt like some kind of dream he'd been trapped in. It was the kind of dream that he hoped would last a while.
"Please wait until you're able to speak," said Salem playfully.
"Meals have arrived!" Tyrian shouted. He came running into the room with Neo right behind them. Both were wearing chef outfits and carrying large plates with strange looking food on them.
"Madam and sir," said Tyrian. "It is with great pleasure that I present to you our homemade meals. I initially wasn't prepared for such a task, but then master Hazel gave me the greatest huff of dust. One inhale was enough to turn me into a chef master beyond compare. It is for this reason that I proudly reveal the first and—"
"Just serve the damn meal!" Watts shouted.
"Right," said Tyrian with a scowl. "Your meal."
He put his plate down in front of Jaune while Neo put hers in front of Salem.
Jaune looked down at his plate and saw a Pumpkin Pete sandwich next to Pumpkin Pete crisps and mashed Pumpkin Pete chunks. He'd been expecting the food to look revolting and struggle to even touch it, but somehow Tyrian and Neo had managed to make it look appetizing. Jaune poked at the food a bit with his fork and then took a bite. He tasted not only the cereal, but also a strong flavor of something sweet. Jaune took another bite and then another. Who knew that Pumpking Pete could be used to make so many other kinds of food?
"So have you been enjoying our time together so far?" asked Salem.
Jaune noticed the lack of food on her plate and felt embarrassed. He'd enjoyed the food so much that he probably made loud noises like a pig as he ate. Meanwhile, Salem was so quiet that he didn't even know she had eaten.
There was something different about Salem at that moment. The vengeful woman Jaune had known her as was no longer there. Instead he saw a mature but scarred woman who yearned for companionship while lacking the trust to commit. She almost seemed sympathetic.
"Um….thanks for this," said Juane.
"Don't thank me," said Salem. "I merely carried out a promise."
"But you could have always refused…. yet you still did it," said Jaune. "Thanks again.
Salem said nothing and stood up from her seat. "I think it's time you went to sleep."
Jaune nodded and stood up. He could have sworn that he saw a smirk on the corner of Salem's mouth before walking away. Jaune smiled to himself as he went back upstairs. Maybe the paring wouldn't be as bad as he thought.