Wuthering Waves: I Was Hired by Carlotta Montelli

"Greetings, Lady Cantarella."

Inside the guest room, Phrolova or rather, Phoebe, bowed slightly and offered a perfectly standard salute to the woman seated on the sofa.

As an observer dispatched by the Order, she had been tasked today with witnessing the meeting between the two great families.

Of course, the Order had not sent her alone; others had come as well.

It was just that…

For some reason, the head of the Fisalia family had specifically requested to see her in person.

Though the girl appeared perfectly composed on the surface, inside she was, in truth, more than a little uneasy.

No one could remain entirely unruffled in the presence of the woman who held half of Ragunna's power in the palm of her hand.

She had seen her a few times before back at the Order, but that had been long ago, and always from a considerable distance. They had never truly met, not in any meaningful sense.

"May the Sentinel watch over us, and may today's banquet proceed without a hitch."

She lifted her lashes, her voice still carrying a trace of youthful innocence.

"Might I ask why you have summoned me? Is there something you require of me?"

Cantarella set down her teacup, her wisteria-hued eyes tracing the contours of the girl before her, that cascade of sunlight-gold hair, those faintly quivering lashes, and those eyes that held a barely concealed unease.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, a faint smile gracing her lips.

"You truly are an adorable child. No wonder he's so fond of you."

"Eh… he?"

Phoebe blinked, her thoughts snapping like a plucked string, utterly unable to grasp the meaning behind those words.

Instinctively, she tilted her head to the side, her pale golden hair slipping over her shoulder, her eyes filled with nothing but pure confusion as she gazed at the elegantly poised matriarch.

"Forgive me, I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean. Could you… please be a little clearer?"

Seeing this, Cantarella merely let out a soft, low chuckle from her throat and gently shook her head.

"There's no need to worry. Don't be impatient. You'll understand soon enough. Come now, have a seat first. Do give this a try, it's a special reserve black tea exclusive to House Fisalia. You won't find it anywhere else in the world."

As she spoke, she lifted the teapot with practiced grace and poured the clear, orange-amber liquid into a porcelain cup.

Then, she nudged the cup in Phoebe's direction.

Phoebe was quite taken aback by the gesture. She hurried forward, carefully accepting the cup with both hands, her tone a touch flustered.

"Th-thank you."

"Don't be nervous." Cantarella studied the girl's poorly concealed awkwardness, her voice gentle and reassuring, a flicker of something deeper and more meaningful passing through her eyes. "I am nothing at all like a certain two-faced smiling tiger. We are completely different. After all, in the future… I imagine we will have plenty of opportunities to spend time together."

"Eh?" Phoebe let out another brief, questioning sound, still unable to fully grasp the hidden meaning in the other woman's words. She simply did as she was told, obediently perching herself on the edge of the plush sofa, taking small sips of the hot tea.

The warm black tea slid down her throat, its unique fragrance soothing her inner disquiet, if only a little.

And then

Knock, knock.

A steady knock at the door broke the quiet of the room.

The curve of Cantarella's lips deepened almost imperceptibly. She turned her gaze toward the closed door, her voice remaining as unhurried as ever.

"Come in."

The moment the words fell, the door swung open in response.

"Why do you want to see me right now? If the Young Miss finds out— Phoebe? What are you doing here?"

The moment Ray pushed the door open, his gaze froze solid the instant it landed on that familiar figure in the room.

The golden-haired girl sitting on the sofa was equally stunned by this unexpected intruder. The teacup in her hands hung suspended in midair, her eyes wide and round, perfectly mirroring the equally startled expression on his face.

"M-Mr. Ray?!"

Phoebe froze for a brief moment, then shot up from the sofa like a startled little animal.

No, wait. Why am I even nervous?

Mr. Ray and I… we're already… that kind of relationship…

Ray, for his part, appeared far more composed. He turned his head toward Cantarella, and from the subtle smile playing on her lips, it wasn't hard to figure out, she had definitely arranged this on purpose.

He shook his head in resignation, walked over to the two of them, and sat down beside Phoebe.

"So, you set this up on purpose?"

Cantarella tilted her head with a noncommittal smile.

"I wouldn't exactly call it deliberate. More of a whim, really. After all, sisters ought to meet each other at least once, don't you think?"

"S-sisters?" Phoebe murmured the word under her breath, lowering her head. Suddenly, a thought streaked through her mind like a flash of lightning, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth, her cheeks instantly flushing to a shade of sunset crimson. "D-does that mean… Mr. Ray and Lady Cantarella, you two are also…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but her gaze kept darting back and forth between the two of them.

She had already come to terms with the fact of sharing Ray's company with Carlotta.

But now this…

After all, she was still a member of the clergy. Something like this was still rather a lot for her worldview to take in.

"Exactly as you imagine." Cantarella rose from her seat with a light laugh.

Under Phoebe's astonished gaze, she walked slowly over to Ray, and without warning, reached out and gently pushed him back against the sofa, leaning her whole body against him in turn.

"That's why I said," she lifted her eyes and cast a deeply meaningful look at the dumbstruck Phoebe standing to the side, "in the future, we'll have plenty, plenty of time to get… well acquainted."

"Eh? Th-this… I…" Phoebe could feel her cheeks burning. Even her words became a stammering mess. "Th-then… what about Lady Carlotta? Does she know? If it's the three of us together… th-this… wouldn't this truly go against the Sentinel's guidance?"

Cantarella countered with a question of her own.

"Does Phoebe think it's any less of a transgression when it's just two?"

"Th-that… I…" Phoebe was instantly at a loss for words.

"There now, don't worry." Cantarella's voice softened. "You've simply made a choice that follows your own heart. Trust me, the Sentinel will not fault you for it. And if anyone is to blame...."

Her fingertip traced lightly along Ray's jawline.

"....blame this fellow right here."

So saying, she leaned in closer to Ray, gazing into his eyes as though interrogating him.

"And what about you? Do you not feel even the slightest shred of guilt over this? You really are a heartless one, aren't you?"

Ray let out a soft sigh and replied,

"All I want is for everyone to be happy. What's so wrong about that?"

"Is that so?" Cantarella licked her lips. "In that case, I need to feel a little happiness. Right now."

No sooner had the words left her lips than she leaned down and pressed her mouth to his.

She didn't kiss him gently. Her mouth moved against his with slow, deliberate pressure, her tongue sliding past his lips to claim him thoroughly.

One of her hands came up to cradle the back of his neck, fingers threading into his hair as she tilted her head and deepened the kiss even further.

Ray's breath hitched, his hands instinctively settling on her waist as she pressed closer, her curvy body warm and soft against his.

When she finally pulled back, a thin strand of saliva connected their lips for a brief second before it broke. Cantarella's wisteria eyes were half-lidded, a satisfied little smile curving her mouth.

"Mmm… You taste as good as I remembered," she murmured, voice low and husky.

Before Ray could catch his breath, she leaned in again, this time bypassing his lips entirely. Her mouth brushed along his jaw, then lower, pressing slow, open-mouthed kisses down the column of his throat.

Her fingers moved to the buttons of his formal shirt, deftly undoing the first few with elegant ease. She pushed the fabric aside, exposing the warm skin of his collarbone and upper chest.

Cantarella's lips followed immediately. She kissed the newly revealed skin, then dragged her tongue lightly across it, leaving a faint, wet trail. A soft groan vibrated against his chest as she continued downward, pressing another kiss just above his heart before nipping gently at the spot.

"ugh… Cantarella…" Ray's voice came out rougher than he intended, one hand sliding up her back.

She didn't stop. Her mouth continued its lazy exploration kissing, licking, and occasionally sucking lightly at his skin as she worked another button open, spreading his shirt wider.

Her hair fell like a dark curtain over one shoulder, brushing against his bare chest with every movement.

From the side, Phoebe watched with wide eyes, her face burning crimson. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her dress. She could feel her heartbeat hammering in her ears. The sight of Cantarella so openly claiming him, so shamelessly tasting his skin… it stirred something hot and uncomfortable in her chest.

A sharp pang of jealousy.

She bit her lip hard.

Then, before she could second-guess herself, Phoebe stepped forward.

"W-wait…!" Her voice came out smaller than she wanted. She cleared her throat and tried again, louder this time. "N-not fair… You can't just keep him all to yourself, Lady Cantarella!"

Cantarella paused, lifting her head slightly from Ray's chest. She glanced sideways at Phoebe, amusement flickering in her eyes, but she didn't move away. Instead, she pressed one last slow kiss right above Ray's collarbone before finally straightening up, though her hand remained resting possessively on his thigh.

Phoebe didn't wait for permission.

She moved in quickly, almost stumbling in her haste, and cupped Ray's face with both hands. Her lips crashed against his messy, eager, and a little desperate.

Where Cantarella had been teasing and controlled, Phoebe kissed like she was trying to prove something. Her tongue brushed clumsily against his at first, then grew bolder as she pressed closer, practically climbing halfway into his lap.

Ray made a low sound against her mouth, one hand coming up to steady her at the waist.

When Phoebe finally pulled back for air, her cheeks were flushed dark, and her breathing was uneven. She didn't go far, just enough to rest her forehead against his for a second before she turned her head and pressed a shy but determined kiss to the side of his neck, right where Cantarella had been moments ago.

Cantarella watched them with a lazy, entertained smile, one finger lightly tracing circles on Ray's thigh.

"My, my," she said softly, almost purring. "So greedy already, little observer. How adorable."

Phoebe shot her a flustered glare, but didn't pull away from Ray. Instead, she kissed his neck again then lower, brushing her lips along the edge of his open collar where Cantarella had already exposed skin.

Ray let out a quiet, helpless laugh, his head tilting back slightly against the sofa as both women leaned into him from either side.

"…You two are insane," he muttered, though there was no real complaint in his voice.

Between the two of them, Ray's formal attire was rapidly becoming undone, and the quiet guest room was quickly filling with the sound of soft breathing, occasional low chuckles from Cantarella, and Phoebe's increasingly bold little sounds of determination.

…

…

"That's strange. What's that Cat's Eye up to? Why isn't he answering my call?"

In another room, Carlotta was muttering quietly to herself.