Chapter XII: Devil to Gaze At

"Please have a seat."

Gamma's cold, monotonous voice echoed inside the dimly lit room. The pristine condition that the office once had seemed like a distant dream as every nook and cranny of the room instantly became filled with mountains of paperwork that the boss had brought with him.

Sylvia could barely see the pair of bloody red eyes peering at her from behind the table as even Delta seemed to have become even smaller thanks to the ridiculous amount of documents inside the now tiny room.

"H-Hello..." Sylvia squeaked as Delta walked past her in a graceful manner and easily picked up one of the tall stacks of paper from Gamma's table before placing them down nearby the chair in front of him.

"Did you not hear me the first time, Sylvia?" Gamma repeated in a deadbeat tone as he impatiently tapped the table with his fingers. "Please, sit down"

He gestured towards the chair in front of Delta before continuing back to read and sign paperwork in an inhumane speed. What was even more startling was that Delta easily matched him and delivered new documents at an even pace.

"I-I wouldn't want to intrude boss, thank you for the offer." Sylvia bowed her head as she politely declined and stood behind the chair.

"I said, sit down."

"Oof."

A huff of air escaped Sylvia's strawberry-red lips as she all of a sudden sat down on the chair without even realizing that her body had moved. She broke into cold sweat and clenched the edge of her dress as she couldn't help but feel scared of what Gamma was capable of doing just by raising his voice.

"There... It's much more comfortable sitting down than standing up isn't?"

"Y-Yeah... Thanks."

"It's nothing, it's common practice"

A quivering smile accompanied by beads of sweat adorned Sylvia's face as she waited impatiently for the upcoming doom of losing her job. Her eyes darted towards the clock that hanged against the wall above Gamma, wondering why it felt like an eternity had passed every time the thin hand of the clock moved.

"So, Ms. Porfirio."

"Y-Yes sir?"

"How was your first day in the job?" He asked without bothering to look up to meet her eyes. A gesture that Sylvia appreciated greatly.

"It was very wonderful, thank you for asking" Sylvia answered while cautiously looking at Delta who simply smiled at her in a manner that was borderline between being serene and creepy.

"I see, if you can tell me the details then it'll be appreciated."

"Y-Yes, of course" Sylvia whispered before taking in a deep breath to call her nerves. "The cafe is overall an amazing establishment sir, the employees are nice, and the working hours are very flexible thus the job isn't that difficult to perfor—"

"Enough."

"Sylvia, I think you misunderstood the boss." Delta pointed out whilst poking Sylvia's cheeks with her fingers making Sylvia shiver out of instinct.

"M-Misunderstood?" She stuttered before gazing back at Gamma who looked up at her with a disinterested look, yet his hands were still busy at work.

"I asked why the experience was wonderful, not the job"

"O-oh..."

"Of course, there is the possibility your experience wasn't truly wonderful, and you mainly stated what you thought would be the best answer at the moment"

Sylvia couldn't help but stare at Gamma with a dumbfounded expression as dozens of ridiculous ideas began to surface inside her mind.

' Is he a robot? Is he trying to learn human emotions? Wouldn't that spell the end of the world!? '

"W-well... I didn't really lie about it, everyone in the cafe is nice in their own way... Especially Dorotea and Dante."

"I see, are you having any problem with work?"

"T-The maid dress isn't something I'm used with, it would be better if I can add some custom designs on it..." Sylvia trailed off before shaking her head frantically. "I-I didn't know what I was saying, please excuse that!"

"I don't mind, you can customize your working attire as long as you bear the consequences of the attention it may receive" Gamma waved her off. "Although rest assured, I am always watching"

Another shiver went down Sylvia's spine, yet she decided to ignore it in hopes of just ending the confrontation quicker.

"A-are you gonna fire me, boss?"

The reply came in instant.

"No."

".. eh?"

"Whatever happens outside of work, happens outside of work. I do not mean to drag my personal strife and issues into this establishment." Gamma muttered in an offended tone. "Even if it did happen during work, I do not fire people just because they talk back or defend themselves."

"O-oh... I see, sorry if I offended you, Boss"

"It's alright, assumptions are merely uneducated guesses. I do not have the time to dwell on them, you may go."

Sylvia silently nodded and excused herself immediately before walking out of the door. Light shone through the crevices of the closed door, bathing Gamma's tired face and revealing the scar that adorned his face that was hidden underneath the shadows of his hair.

"Delta."

"Yes?"

"Keep an eye on her for me," Gamma whispered as he picked up his pen. "That girl is a free spirit as of the moment, we may never know what she would do."

"I understand, I'll make sure to keep a close eye on her."

"Thank you." A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Things are gonna get busier around here, and something tells me that girl is gonna be the one in the center of it."

Gamma mumbled as he gazed at one of the monitors showing a relieved Sylvia being hugged by Dorotea who busy cuddling was her and kicking Flavio at the same time.

"... Busy."