Bake Me a Mate

Chapter 3：Sugar Test

At night, the bright lights of Manhattan paint the sky in many different colors. Elise was standing in Lucien's huge penthouse apartment, feeling nervous.

The place was decorated simply with black, white, and gray, featuring straight lines and a cold, unwelcoming atmosphere.

Elise felt trapped, as if she could see everything but be unable to escape.

Lucien took her to the study. It was different from the living room. This room was full of books and papers, and it smelled like ink and old books. This made Elise feel a little better because it seemed like someone actually used this room.

Lucien walked over to the desk and took a paper out of a stack of files, then gave it to her.

"This is part of our contract," Lucien said, his voice low and even, like he was just stating a fact. "It explains the 'Sugar Test' in detail." Elise took the paper, her fingers gripping it so tightly they turned white.

"Every night at nine o'clock," Lucien continued, his eyes fixed on Elise's face as if he could read her mind, "you have to... kiss me. Use your special ability to sense how I'm doing, mainly if my mood is stable. This is a condition for me giving you the money."

Elise felt her heart beating rapidly, as if a small rabbit was running around in her chest. She was shocked that the "Sugar Test" involved kissing him. It was way more out there and unacceptable than anything she could've imagined.

"Mr. Black..." Elise's voice changed, and she almost gasped, "I... I don't really understand. How... how is that possible? Just a kiss... can tell you if your mood is stable?"

Elise was practically exploding inside. What century was this? They were doing all this weird, mystical stuff.

Lucien didn't say anything, just stood there like a statue. The study was already dim, with only an old desk lamp on, casting a weak light that made his shadow stretch long and creepy on the wall of books.

"Ms. Elise," Lucien said, his voice low and husky, every word sounding forced, "you just need to do what the contract says. As for why... you'll understand eventually."

He paused for a second, then added, "Remember, this is the condition for you getting the money."

Elise bit her lip. She knew she didn't have a choice. That contract was like a net, trapping her completely.

Right now, she was totally at his mercy. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

"Okay...fine," she said, her voice barely audible, filled with helplessness and a bit of a tremble.

Lucien nodded slightly, and Elise, feeling like a scared little chick, slowly moved towards him. With every step, her heart beat faster, like it was about to jump right out of her chest.

She felt Lucien's eyes on her, and they felt like fire, like they could burn right through her.

Elise stood on her tiptoes, which made her stiff body even more rigid.

She closed her eyes. She was afraid to look at Lucien, afraid of seeing amusement or... something even more unsettling in his eyes.

She took a breath. The air smelled like ink, old books, and that unique scent of Lucien's that she felt like she'd smelled somewhere before, which made her heart race even faster.

Then, Elise gritted her teeth, closed her eyes tighter, and went for it.

She gently pressed her lips against Lucien's cheek, as if a feather were falling into water.

Instantly, Elise felt a rush of heat, as if Lucien's body was on fire. It was a powerful fire that could ignite at any moment and burn everything around it.

The heat traveled from Lucien's skin to her lips, burning her like a hot iron.

At the same time, she felt a strange, indescribable taste in her mouth.

It was a strange taste, like pine trees in a winter forest, fresh and cold, but with an icy edge, like ice blocks from the Arctic, making her shiver. She also felt a muffled rage, like a wild animal in a cage.

Elise yelped and jumped back, as if she had stepped on a cat's tail. Her eyes were wide, and the Lucien in front of her was still Lucien, but Elise felt like he'd changed, looking a little scary.

"Mr. Black!" Her voice was high-pitched, filled with fear, like a little kid who'd been scared. "Your blood... your blood feels really... wrong!"

The moment Elise's lips touched his cheek, Lucien's body stiffened. It was as if he had been frozen in place, unable to move.

His hands, which had been hanging loosely at his sides, now clenched tightly, and his fingernails almost dug into his skin. The veins on the back of his hands bulged, as if little worms were crawling under his skin.

His eyes grew wide, and his pupils shrank, as if he were a wild beast suddenly awakened, ready to attack.

A low, threatening growl rumbled from his throat.

His body temperature suddenly increased, and Elise could feel the heat radiating off him, like she was about to be cooked.

Lucien's already somewhat serious face became even colder, like ice. His eyes were like knives as he stared at Elise, as if he wanted to devour her.

Over the next few days, Elise noticed that Lucien would take a few pills every day at the same time. The pills were in a pretty little silver box. She didn't know what the medicine was for or what it was.

He also sometimes gave himself shots, using a syringe to inject clear liquid. The needle and syringe looked clean and professional, like the kind they use in hospitals.

All of this made Elise even more certain that something was wrong with Lucien's health.

She felt like Lucien was hiding things from her, and these things were probably related to his health, maybe even his life. It felt like there was a big mystery about Lucien that was weighing on her mind.