Chapter VIII: Loser's Reward

"Mhmm, ey Flavio. Give me another."

"You got it." Flavio chuckled with a wink as he effortlessly flicked a playing card towards Dorotea who grumbled beneath her breath yet caught it mere seconds before it reached the floor.

"...What are we playing again?" Sylvia mumbled while watching the two and gazed towards the ace of hearts and ten of spades that she held.

She then faced Flavio who merely smiled at her while putting a hand in front of him to hide his own pair of cards. They had already gone past four rounds and each round she had lost.

"You don't really get out much, do you Sylvia?"

"You didn't have to point it out Dorotea..."

Dorotea couldn't help but giggled as Sylvia attempted to hide her pout behind her cards. The overall atmosphere of the Vele Bianche cafe was warm, a clear contrast to the cold breeze and the sound of rain drops tapping on the glass panes of the establishment.

"I know I don't need to remind you guys, but don't slack off on the job."

Dorotea and Flavio turned towards Salvatore with a disinterested look on their faces and merely shrugged. Sylvia chuckled nervously at their reactions and nodded.

"Don't worry, we won't."

"At least someone is taking the job seriously." Salvatore wistfully sighed leaned back on the open doors of the building, inviting the cold air inside.

"Oh? Salvatore, are you inviting the rain inside?" a voice even colder than the night air echoed inside the room making Salvatore gulp from nervousness and immediately closed the door.

"I'll... Go get the mop." the redhead mumbled with a quivering smile while feeling the unnerving gaze of the lavender-haired woman that stood behind the counter.

She had dropped the maid dress and instead wore an elegant sleeveless dress that hugged her body nicely. It wasn't a fancy dress that one would wear to events yet it wasn't one that you would wear normally.

"Thanks for taking the night shift, Sylvia." Delta giggled as she gently pats Sylvia's head who had been caught staring at her dress intently making the raven-haired girl blush from embarrassment.

"N-No problem! I wanted to experience how the cafe did at night anyway!" she peeped and averted her eyes back to the game.

"I-I'm playing!" she declared and clumsily slammed the cards on the table, revealing what's on her hand.

Silence soon followed as even Delta stared at her cards in disbelief. Flavio soon broke the silence with his hyena-like cackle.

"W-Why are you laughing?"

"Th-This is the fifth time in the row!" Flavio replied while gasping for air. "We're playing blackjack!"

"WE WERE!?" Sylvia shrieked making Flavio erupt into laughter with Dorotea soon joining him.

"What did you think we were playing?"

"I-I don't know??" Sylvia whined while pouting at the giggling Dorotea. "I don't know how to play card games!"

Salvatore couldn't help but chuckled before looking at Delta who seemed to be struggling to keep a smile from adorning her porcelain face.

"Alright, don't break the tables now." Delta giggled with a composed smile and tapped Flavio's shoulders. "You wouldn't want the boss upset, now do you Flavio?"

Her words seemed to have struck a chord inside Flavio's head as the man suddenly froze mid-laugh like a statue before scrambling back to his chair with a cough.

"You're right, I'll be careful."

"Good." Delta nodded and faced Dorotea with a nod before facing Sylvia. "We'll be going now, take care."

Delta waved goodbye as Salvatore opened the door for her and nodded at the three of them before opening the umbrella he had before walking away with Delta.

Sylvia's eyes remained glued on the corner of the building where she had last seen the unusual pair before pushing away the new pair of cards that Flavio had dealt her.

"What's wrong?" Dorotea asked.

"So... What's the boss like?"

Flavio and Dorotea glanced at one another then to Sylvia who stared back at them with curious eyes. "How do we put it...." Dorotea whispered while scratching the back of her neck.

"What do you mean..." What's the boss like? " " Flavio asked while putting on air quotes.

"Uhh... His personality?" Sylvia answered while tilting her head to the side.

"Well... The boss isn't someone you would ever want to mess with."

"Mhmm." Dorotea hummed in agreement. "He's pretty strict about business, but then again, he is the boss."

"Well, yeah that's a given"

"What else can we say about the boss." Flavio whispered while packing away the playing cards that he had.

"Is it really that hard to talk about him?"

"No, no not at all." Dorotea denied. "It's just... He's someone you can put a label on easily."

"I see..." Sylvia nodded and leaned back on her chair in deep thought," Does he have an office here?"

"Yeah?" Flavio answered. "Why?"

A mischievous smirk found its way on Sylvia's face as she stood up," Can we go inside?" She suggested to the two of them.

Their replies didn't last long.

"Are you crazy!?"

"That's a good idea!"

Flavio then stared at the two of them and strongly shook his head as he walked backwards. "No, No, No, No!"

"Oh, come on Flavio, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Are you crazy Sylvia!? That's the boss we're talking about!"

"Oh, come on, I thought you'd do anything for me?"

"I MAY BE A SIMP DOROTEA! BUT I'D RATHER BE THE 'ALIVE SIMP WHOSE BODY PARTS ARE STILL INTACT'!" Flavio proudly exclaimed while banging his fists on his chest.

"... I'll let you touch my breasts." Dorotea deadpanned.

"Come, let us go." Flavio answered with the same deadpan making Sylvia heave an exasperated sigh as Dorotea snickered.

"Oh? You guys are breaking in?" a new voice echoed inside the room as the silhouette of a man caught their attention.

"And what room exactly?" the newcomer asked while pushing his eyeglasses back to place, the light from the flash of lightning behind him covering his body in a terrifying manner.