Monomania

Chapter 16: Questions

Oh look, an update exactly two weeks later.

My parents raised a procrastinator, not a quitter.

JK I did that to myself. Enjoy the chapter.

***

"Emilina!" Klaus shouted, staring at the chaos his wife brought into their home.

"Yes Nik?" She called back, her voice light and her tone unbothered by Klaus's yelling.

"Come down here and tell me what the hell is in my living room."

Emilina rolled her eyes to herself, taking her sweet time coming down the stairs. She trailed her hand down the gleaming banister, her heels slowly clicking on the marble steps. Klaus stood at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest as he watched his wife descend.

"Yes Nik?" She questioned sweetly, her eyes gleaming with sass as Klaus looked at her unimpressed.

"Care to tell me why this place looks like an overflowing department store warehouse?"

"Department store?!" Emilina snapped, her cheeky smile dropping from her face. "What about boxes made of ebony wood with gold trimmings screams 'department store' to you?!"

Klaus grinned when he noticed his wife's nostrils flare in anger. He knew she wouldn't stand for his little jab. He spoiled her with the finest and she damn well knew it.

"I'll have you know, those boxes contain my dress options of expensive custom ball gowns, preserved from multiple different centuries."

"Oh really?" Klaus said as he turned back to the living room, making his way through the maze of boxes toward the couch.

He dropped down on the cushions, snapping for a compelled servant to bring him some champagne. Emilina raised her eyebrow as she watched him, unimpressed with his dramatics. Klaus held his hand out as the man filled a crystal wine glass, nodding his head toward the boxes.

"Well, go on sweetheart. Put on a little show for me."

"Absolutely not. First you decide to yell at me, then you decide to insult my dress boxes by insinuating they're from a department store," she said, smirking as she watched Klaus's cocky expression fall into one of annoyance.

The compelled servant man took the opportunity to quietly leave the room.

"You don't deserve to watch the show."

"Come now love, you know I didn't mean it. Besides, I'm the one who bought you all those dresses."

"Too bad, Nik. Now please see yourself out."

Emilina flounced over to her husband, smirking wildly as she plucked the glass of champagne out of his hand and took a sip. She placed it down on a side table, then pointed to the open doors of the living room.

"Out, now."

"Sweetheart-"

"No pretty pet names are going to change my mind. Now get out of the room, you blew your chance. Go to that office you insisted on having."

"It's my house."

"And this is my dressing room now. What's yours is mine, now go."

Klaus tried a different tactic, lowering his head and looking up at her through pouty eyes. Emilina huffed and turned away from him, making him smile in victory.

"That's not going to work."

Klaus's smile dropped.

"Leave."