Chapter 91: Bow

In the morning, Lumière entered a meditative state, using his illusory murmurs on the red strands of the abyss to signal the members of the Mythos Garden of an approaching meeting. 

Alerted of this, Nicole had already awoken in the middle of the night and dressed himself, standing at the front door of the monastery. The White Roses had finally settled back into the monastery after their stay at the hospital.

Lumière descended the steps from the top floor, nodding towards Nicole. "Did you remember to bring that card?" He spoke in a low, hushed tone, as to not alert anyone else within the monastery.

Nicole nodded his head gently, and so with preparations made, they adjourned into the night. However, instead of ascending the flowering steps towards the middle borough, they continued walking further into Cobbler's street. 

After all, it wasn't like there was any set entrance for the House of Cards. It was wherever one wanted it to be, wherever one expected it to be.

As they walked, Lumière raised a hand to his face. It immediately caught fire, bright silver flame dancing on his skin. Gradually, Lumière's hair began to turn a bright-white colour, his irises glimmering violet. Noticing this, Nicole questioned the sudden change.

"Why did you suddenly change your appearance, Lumière?"

Lumière looked over towards Nicole, meeting his eyes. His gaze had transformed as well. It was colder, more cunning. It sent shivers down Nicole's spine, and he quickly realised the 'why' of the matter. It was because the Demon of the Garden had emerged.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Demon. I didn't mean to speak out of line."

"It's fine, Capulet. I thought it would be easier for you all to tell if I distinguished myself from the One of Spades. Don't you think so?"

Nicole nodded his head. "It's very thoughtful of you, Mr. Demon. I'm sure the others will appreciate it."

There was a true reason behind the change in his appearance. This was due to the fact that 'Ophelia, Demon of the Garden' could not be distinguished from his base persona. He had to take every measure to flesh out his Demon's character so that he could turn it into a true persona, able to use it in a tight pinch to alleviate madness. While using such an important character to do so was not optimal, he needed every contingency to be prepared for the worst of cases.

They walked until they reached a door secluded from the rest of the street, walking down a long alleyway in order to reach it. As he expected, there was a familiar attendant waiting at the edge of the doorway, a quaint and pleasant smile on his face. 

The two presented their cards, the One of Spades and One of Clubs, before being allowed to proceed into the depths of the House of Cards. Trailing behind Mr. Demon, Nicole began to glance around at the people that had gathered within. He had concluded that there were always at least a few dozen present, although he did not understand why.

No matter who it was that was present, they all seemed to stare in the direction of Lumière Croft. Even if he disguised his appearance, he made it clear who he was by stopping the suppression on his aura, the foul black smog that enveloped a heretic.

'Why is Mr. Joker still not present? Is he away on business, or is it the case that I've just been coming at the times that he isn't here? I would think a convener would be here often, but I suppose not…'

He willingly ignored the malicious gazes of the House of Card's guests, waltzing through one of the doors on the left, the meeting room that had been reserved for him by Mr. Joker. Inside its decadent interior, he noticed that the ornate wooden table in the center had been removed, besides the chairs that had been placed in two rows on both sides of the room. At the head of the room, atop a platform with several polished stairs, a regal high-back throne sat. 

Lumière's eye twitched.

'Why is it that these fools always take the initiative to do something embarrassing?' He sighed inwardly. 

He looked towards the three members of the Mythos Garden that had already taken their seats on either side of the room, nodding his head slightly to acknowledge them. In return, they all stood up, watching patiently as he walked towards the staircase at the head of the room.

Lumière ascended several steps, taking a seat on the ornate high-back throne, leaning his head on his hand casually. 'How did they even change the format of the meeting room? Did they have to make a request to Mr. Joker and exchange something? No, even if that's the case… how were they allowed to make changes to my personal meeting room? Bastards…'

As the Mythos Garden stared at the Demon on the throne, they felt warmth surge up in their hearts. It was as if for the final time, they had been enthralled by the presence and loftiness of the powerful figure. Having seen his prowess acted out through his vessel, the One of Spades, they became wholly sure that his commission was possible. Under his leadership, they could definitely accomplish their goals.

All at once, the members of the Mythos Garden bent down on one knee, bowing their heads towards the Demon of the Garden, Ophelia. 

"What is this?" Lumière questioned in a carefree tone of voice. Despite his acting, he had been flustered by the sudden shown of respect. He had to make a visible effort to control his facial expression.

"We were moved by your actions during the final performance of One of Spades, Mr. Ophelia. Forgive me for saying this… but I was… unsure of your leadership. So many years have left me with so many doubts. But the careful planning and execution that was exhibited… I wish to pledge my true fealty to you, one that transcends this contract of ours." Juno was the first to speak out. The Craziest Merchant of War, a man who had personally led thousands of soldiers to victory across the sea of blood and ash, had decided to serve another once more.

The others echoed his sentiment in unison, "may the Garden flourish."

Lumière scoffed. 'They're attributing my plans to the plans of the Demon. Of course, a being that seeks to destroy the Phantom Syndicate would command his vessel to act out his plans. It only makes sense that 'Ophelia' would be behind turning the orthodoxy against the Phantom Syndicate.'

"You may all take a seat." He responded coldly. This made Juno's heart sink a little bit, but he could understand Mr. Ophelia's sentiment. They were not friends. They were more alike to master and servant. 

'Damn it.' Lumière cursed inwardly as he watched them sit down. 'This seating layout is really pissing me off. Why are they messing with my stuff? Should I punish them under the guise of being a powerful Demon? Fuck, forget about it…'

"Today, we're going to discuss the next step of our commission. Of course, getting stronger should always be a goal on your mind, but I'm going to propose something for us to actively work toward."

This intrigued the members, each gaze widening. 

'Another goal? Isn't defeating the Phantom Syndicate the only goal? Is he talking about something we should work towards in the short term?' Cartwell's mind raced at the thought.

'But what could it possibly be?' Juno had recovered from his rejection by Mr. Ophelia, and had returned to his usual retrospective mood. 

"We're going to actively investigate them."