Author's Note: I know I have a habit of ending stuff in cliffhangers, and then vanishing for days together, but when you have stuff like Bio, Pure maths and Physics coming to kill you together, you'll understand my sorrow and helplessness. -_-

Chapter 4: Their Mistress, Aesthetics

"Get the fuck out."

I thought these three were top-notch maids, then why the hell haven't they learned to knock before entering a room?

Marisa looked like she could faint when she barged into my room just as Sebastian was tying my corset and Claude was doing my hair. Yes, the day of the party is here.

"Where the hell are your manners?" I yelled as the girl trembled under my stare.

"Lady Martinez sent me to help you out with dressing yourself…" the girl stuttered.

"Well, why would I need another person to help when I have two butlers helping me? Go tell Aunt Vivian of that." I spat out.

And with that, she was off.

"My, my. You were quite rude with the poor girl…" Sebastian said, as he finally finished securing the last strings into place. I could feel Claude get over with my hair.

"If you feel so bad about it, then you're quite welcome to go give her a nice screw when you have the time!" I snarled. "But as for now, your hands are quite full."

That silenced Sebastian, though the goddamned smirk did not falter at the least.

-bittersweet vengeance-

It was a fine spring evening, and the melodies of the cellos and violins floated into the soft, cool breeze, as the guests entered through the huge double doors. The ceiling hoisted three large and elaborately designed crystal chandeliers, which illuminated the whole room. The polished floor of ballroom was practically glittering in the light. The guests were all standing in small groups all over the huge ballroom, chatting and sharing the latest gossip. The food was laid out in a long buffet table at one side, while the musicians stood in small balconies on either side of the ballroom. The large staircase covered in a red carpet had its foot at the centre of the room; its gold banisters diverging outwards as it came down.

Aunt Vivian stood at the bottom of the stairs, while her daughters eyed the guests impatiently.

"Mother, why do we have to wait for Azalea to get downstairs-" Clarissa began, just to be cut off by Aunt Vivian.

"If you don't have the common sense to figure out why, then don't you dare call me your mother!" Oh yes, she's angry.

Louisa and Clarissa exchanged frightened looks.

-bittersweet vengeance-

"What are those?" I asked, noticing Claude take some papers off my dresser before I could grab them. Sebastian held me down; he was busy lacing up my shoes and stockings.

He looked up and smirked. "It's nothing much, my Lady. I'll handle it while you attend the party. You can see through them later."

"Who's the servant?" I snapped.

Sebastian smirked, while Claude made no response.

"Do you really want to look through the-" Sebastian was saying, as he finished doing the laces, but I cut him off. I walked up to Claude.

"Hand them over." I outstretched my palm.

Claude knew he was cornered, and I gave him the most demanding look I could muster.

As soon as the brown paper-wrapped papers were in my hands, I looked through them to get to know why Claude had been reluctant to hand them over to me. The note on the brown wrapping said it had arrived just now from Joseph Frederickson, saying that a large number of ships bearing their imported raw materials were about to arrive at the dock tonight. The number of ships was the same as always, but the board of directors was worried about the whole illegal import issue. I read through the five-page document in five minutes.

"And you didn't think I had to know of this as quickly as possible." I said in monotone to both of my butlers.

"Your highness, you have a party to attend to. I didn't want to give you an additional thought to ruin your mood for the party," Claude said.

"You," I looked at Claude, "You know full well that I have no whatsoever mood for parties. Ever."

Claude didn't reply.

"Get out of my sight…" I said, tired of him. "Change into something presentable, and wait for me outside."

Claude turned and walked off.

I now turned on Sebastian.

"As if one jackass wasn't enough, I have two on my hands." I spat. "'It's nothing much, my Lady. I'll handle it while you attend the party. You can see through them later',"I mimicked him. "Bullshit!"

Sebastian almost looked surprised, before returning to his previous, serious demeanor.

"So, what do you plan to do, oh my absolutely genius butler?" I was so pissed; I didn't really care that these guys are demons.

"If my lady permits," Sebastian bowed down to hide that goddamned smirk of his, "I would like to go to the port and personally investigate the area near to the docking site and our warehouses located there."

I looked at him questioningly, urging him to carry on.

"Oh, and as per your orders, my Lady, I shall not kill or cause any commotion while investigating. I shall wait for your decision, and then, we shall decide how we can bring this possible society down."

I glared. "I know that, you sore loser." I got up and walked to stand directly in front of him, not caring about his height which towered to almost seven inches more than mine; and then spoke in a voice that was almost a hiss."You wouldn't dare mess things up."

As I turned away, I suddenly found myself pinned face first to the wall. A cool breathe washed down the side of my neck, while two strong hands held my fists to my sides, against the wall. A rock-hard chest was up against my back.

"Miss Azalea, if we talk about what I dare to do, then let's just say I'd leave it to you to figure out the endless possibilities. Please remember, that while you are a human and we are under contract, you are still weak, and the contracts we hold are those of dead people. Contracts are not holy vows, so if we felt like it, we have all the power to hurt you or cause you pain beyond measure."

The chandeliers of my room went off, as if by some otherworldly force. The wall in front of me was illuminated in a bright purple, telling me that demonic eyes have been unleashed.

You think I'm losing my calm, you idiot of a demon? I thought. Well, you're wrong.

"To you demons, contracts are aesthetics.' I chuckled humorlessly. "You have been ordered to ensure I am out of harm's way. Bringing me harm with your own two hands, as you claim to do, would be a breach of that contract now, wouldn't it? And even though no one's going to sue you for it, you will still bear in mind that you did not abide by your aesthetics. That much is enough to make you sue yourself. So, I'm the one who gets the profit. Meanwhile, you rot in your own twisted thoughts which will chime: 'you failed your contract on purpose. You insulted your aesthetics, you destroyed your pride.' Hurts, doesn't it?"

Sebastian's smirk had almost disappeared by now, and I felt his grip loosen slightly.

"After all, conviction and loyalty means nothing to you demons. All you have are principles, and aesthetics."

Sebastian chuckled deeply.

"The fact that you are so utterly amusing makes this contract worth it. Following aesthetics even after your contract holder is dead can be so tedious at times, as you can see in my case…having to work alongside someone like…the one your fiancé called Claude."

"So you are saying that you are staying because you find me amusing." I stated.

"Very much so, my Lady."

We remained silent for some time.

'You see why I find you amusing? All this time, you have been trying to wring your hands out of my grasp, knowing that I am a demon and you shall not accomplish the feat, yet you do not order me to release you." Sebastian pondered aloud.

"That's because a dastardly demon who has no contract with me is not obligated to follow my orders. In any case, if you choose not to release me, you shall not do so. You won't attempt to break my wrist, yet you can keep me in this stance for the rest of eternity, can you not?"

"Very much so, my Lady," Sebastian chuckled yet again.

"Besides, I am a woman with much faith in my personal strength, so I wouldn't sink so low as to ask for freedom-" and with Sebastian taken off guard for a split second, I managed to bring my sharp stiletto crashing down onto his toe, while I swung my other leg to his side to knock him off.

Plan 1: pass.

Plan 2: not so much.

Sebastian cringed, before grabbing hold of my leg. He transferred both my wrists to one of his own huge palms, elbowed my waist down, and grabbed my knee and pulled it back. One side of my face was now firmly shoved up against the wall.

"My, my. Never before has a human been able to accomplish such a feat, my lady. You must be exceptional in the world of humans." Sebastian applauded me with words. "It actually stings slightly, almost like an ant bite."

"That's the only difference, isn't it?" I chuckled, even though the way he had bent my knee backwards hurt me quite a bit, and I was holding back from groaning in pain. Not to mention that the bare skin of his cold palms were in contact with my thigh, which was not acceptable to me one bit. "Whereas a normal human's toes would have been crushed, and bled like crazy, you still stand there in your previous stance."

"With a greater advantage over you, if I may add." Sebastian smirked. "You see, it is a bit far-fetched to think that you would be able to pull of such a feat twice in a row."

"Girl can dream…" I smirked lightly. 'But aren't you going against your aesthetics now?"

"I wouldn't consider this an inconsideration of my aesthetics if you do not accept this as your defeat and submission due to absolute agony." Sebastian licked his lips subtly. "Since you don't consider this painful even though it is…" he whispered in my ear as he bent my leg further backwards. I bit down on my tongue."…you have not been harmed. Your pride remains as it is, since you are a- what was it now –a strong woman with much faith in your personal strength, so you wouldn't sink so low as to ask for freedom. Mentally, you keep yourself unimaginably calm and unhurt in human standards."

"Toying around with each other's lines, are we?" I replied, smug.

"As well as each other's double entendres, if I may add." Sebastian said, as he let go off me. "Just keep in mind that you live in a house, all alone with two demons, and everyone else you know would be happier if you were dead."

My leg seemed so numb, I couldn't even move it.

Sebastian bowed down low. "I am sincerely sorry, my lady. My approach towards you was utterly unacceptable."

I snorted. He was back to 'devoted butler' mode. Devoted…the sweet irony.

A/N: So, whatcha think?! Let me know by filling up that box at the bottom and I'll be glad to improve my writing and new ideas are always welcomed!

Important Author's Note:

I'm gonna pull back and relax after this!

Nah, I don't have time to relax. But there's a high chance it'll take time for me to update any of my stories due to my workload.

I promise to update multiple chapters for each and every story once I return.

So whatcha think? You guys got a hell lotta time to review, so the more reviews I get, the harder I'll work on updating sooner!

Rosalind: REVIEWS = LOVE!

Sebastian: And it also helps my mistress work faster.

Rosalind: Yeah, of course it does!

Sebastian: So, kind readers, instead of simply following and/or favouriting, please leave atleast a few words for my mistress to feel motivated!

Rosalind: SEBASTIAN's asking you!