The tired new money dressed to the nines

The Banquet Hall had been decorated extravagantly for lunch. Streamers and decorations were hung everywhere, and the tables had been rearranged so that they formed a large, long row in the center of the room. There was enough space for everybody to sit around the table and enjoy their company with one another, while Nick and Rose sat at the head of the long table, right beside one another.

That was very critical. Rose had insisted on it.

It wasn’t going to be a big thing. No fancy evening gowns or expensive clothes were required, even though Rose dressed up herself. There weren’t any major activities planned, not even party games, really. To everyone’s surprise, Rose was unusually modest as far as her party went.

Really- it seemed like the only thing she really cared about was having everyone there with her to celebrate together; beyond that, she didn’t seem to mind.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Nick observed, giving her a smile. Rose turned to him and beamed.

“Of course I am,” she replied, her eyes sparkling like sapphires. “After all… it’s my party.”

Nick couldn’t help but smile when he saw the joy on her face.

When she first came onto this show, she was in a difficult spot. She would antagonize and start problems with everyone, in order to get ahead. Those were really big mistakes on her part, Nick thought. But… she moved past that. She tried her best to get along with the people around her, and change. And… I’m so proud that she managed to succeed.

He really was happy for her. Rose had gone from being a pariah to being a woman almost everyone on the island cared about in one way or another. At least to the extent that they were willing to throw a party in her honor.

It brought a smile to his lips. This really was what Rose deserved. Nick believed that from the bottom of his heart.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered low enough that only Rose could hear him. “It was my fault. What you went through. I should have been more sensitive to your needs, Rose. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Rose whispered back through her smile. She didn’t even look at him, she just stared ahead like nothing was the matter. “It’s all in the past now, Nick.”

She reached down and squeezed his hand beneath the table, letting him know that she was alright.

“Let’s just focus on the future, okay?” She murmured.

Then she turned to him and batted her eyelashes playfully. “I hope you’re planning to make it up to me, though, beyond just the party,” she warned him. “Remember- I’m not going to be satisfied if you skip any steps. I hope you’ve got the perfect proposal planned.”

Even though Nick and Rose had essentially agreed to get married already, Rose wanted the cinematography of it all. She wanted her ideal. Her dream.

She wouldn’t be satisfied with some half-hearted ceremony. Mary’s wedding had been massive, and she wouldn’t be upstaged!

After all, Rose was going to be Nick’s second wife. And really, she would be his wife that didn’t get eliminated from the season after the wedding ceremony, so didn’t that mean that she was better than the first wife, and more deserving of respect, if you really stopped and thought about it?

Yes, that was indeed the case. In Rose’s mind, anyway.

“Excuse me, everyone!” Rose stood up and drew everybody’s attention. “Now, I know that we don’t have any wine to toast with-”

“And who’s fault is that?” Gina shot Mary a look.

Mary responded with a cold stare in return.

“Ahem.”

Rose loudly cleared her throat and looked at the both of them.

“…Because some of our guests here are underage, I’ve decided that it just wouldn’t be fair if the party in my honor only let some people drink but not others,” she explained loudly, even though she would have quite enjoyed a glass of wine.

“Also, it’s barely noon, so should we really be drinking right now?” Dawn pointed out, adjusting her glasses.

Rose turned and looked at her.

“…Right, shutting up now,” the cat girl said, sinking down in her seat to look even smaller than she usually did.

Emmy giggled. She knew that it was for her sake that Rose- who was technically her aunt right now- had forgone alcohol. Well, for her sake and for Morgana’s sake as well. The black-haired girl DID look a lot older than her, but apparently, they were the same age.

And Morgana very much wanted to remain sober. So, she was particularly grateful for Rose’s substitution of wine for a bar stocked with every sort of fruit juice you could think of. Cranberry juice was her go-to, because of how much it resembled blood, even if the flavor was a little strong.

“I just want to say…” Rose raised her glass of grape juice and looked out over the assortment of women gathered in front of her.

“…It really means a lot, to have you all here with me,” she said sincerely. “I… I’ve never really had friends before coming onto this show, if I’m being honest…”

“Can’t imagine why that would be,” Dani muttered under her breath.

Kim kicked her from under the table.

“It was always just my brother and I,” Rose continued. Her eyes turned glassy as she stared off into the distance, thinking about Chrys and wondering what he was doing right now. “I didn’t really have the time or energy to spare on making friends with other people. I was so focused on my big break that… I forgot about living my life.”

That was a message that resounded with a few too many people gathered here today. Dawn looked down at her glass of grapefruit juice and tried not to look too disheartened.

“…But that’s all changed, now!” Rose raised her head and smiled, trying to keep her tears from conflicting with the message of her speech. “Now, I have friends. People who… who will be worried about me when they see I’m not doing good. And when they see me crying, they’ll throw a party to make me feel better, and even fight about how they should go about doing so. For someone who didn’t have anyone other than my brother who would even throw a party for me, this… this is something that’s really special to me.”

Rose couldn’t find the words to describe how grateful she was for what everyone here had done for her. If she could, then she would have been a screenwriter, not an actress! All she could do was look out at her friends, and in a few odd cases, her family, and recognize how much they mattered to her.

There were two people in particular that she wanted to acknowledge.

“Before we move onto the eating portion of our party, since I still have the floor,” Rose said, taking a swig of her glass and setting it down before continuing, even though she was still mid-toast (hey, her arm was getting tired, lay off!) and then she looked around the room.

She smiled.

“…There are two- no, wait, three people who I want to thank specifically today,” she declared. She turned and looked at Nick, and gave him a wink. “Well, not including you, of course, mon compagnon,” she tittered. “I’ll be thanking you some other time.”

“Oh boy!” Gina loudly called from the end of the table, getting a couple of giggles and eyerolls in equal measure.

Nick just smiled politely, ignoring what Gina was trying to insinuate, even though he had a feeling that her bawdy response was right on the money.

Rose just laughed and turned back to the other girls. “These three people… are the people who I have to thank the most today. But everyone here has really helped me feel like I belonged, so… thank you, everyone. Please give yourselves a round of applause.”

Awkwardly, a few people started clapping. Ella and Morgana were way too embarrassed to do something like that, and a few other girls were confused. Vivian clapped wholeheartedly, however, glad to celebrate everyone’s hard work, and she kicked things off for the rest of the group in a way.

“…Okay, I think that’s enough, there’s only one celebrity actress here, the rest of you can stop now,” Rose said after a couple seconds. She was still a spotlight hog, even though she appreciated everyone else, too. “Now then, the first person I’d like to thank… is Sylvia.”

Sylvia blinked, and looked up at the blonde. “…Huh? Me? Why me?”

Rose gestured for her to stand up, and Sylvia awkwardly rose to her feet. She looked around the Banquet Hall, clearly confused as to why she’d been singled out specifically.

But Rose was happy to explain. “If it wasn’t for Sylvia bringing me onto this show, I never would have had the opportunity to meet Nick, or all of you,” she explained. “Because of her machinations, I was able to be formally inducted into the harem, and because of that, I have a place at Nick’s side, and people who I can trust. People who I can share my life and my happiness with.”

She beamed out around the room as Sylvia turned red.

“W-well, I mean… I was just doing my job,” Sylvia stammered. She found herself in a difficult position because her morals were fighting with each other. Her instinct as a former host was to celebrate the happiness that had been found thanks to Harem Hotel, but given what had happened in the time since her dismissal and how she’d come to think about her friends and the suffering she’d gone through, it was difficult for her to take credit for the situation and see it as an objectively good thing.

“Even so, Sylvia, the way you manipulated my greed and used my love for my little brother to control me, and get me to do your bidding as your plant and try to seduce Nick… it really changed my life,” Rose explained. Her voice was tender even given the context of what she was saying. “I can say for certain that, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t live the life that I’m living today.”

“…Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Kim questioned. “Because it really doesn’t sound like one.”

“Yeah, it almost sounds like a roast,” Holly agreed.

“Err… le-let’s not quibble over who was manipulating and using who, could we please?” Sylvia forced an awkward smile onto her face and quickly sat back down. “Honestly, Rose, I’m just happy that you’re so happy, really!”

“I really am,” Rose beamed. She wasn’t about to let Sylvia off the hook that easily. “I managed to earn a lot of money for my brother, and all it cost was nearly making everybody on the island despise me. And then, because I was desperate to make amends, since I’m such a good person-”

“Debatable,” Marley said under her breath. Her thoughts were still being influenced by the spoiled brat of a sister she remembered.

Rose ignored her. “…Since I’m such a good person,” she repeated herself, “I gave up the chance of making even more millions, to prove that my feelings were sincere. And it’s all thanks to you, Sylvia. So… thank you.”

Sylvia looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment. Every word out of Rose’s mouth was complimentary in tone, but she still felt like she was being cut to pieces all the same.

Everybody was a little surprised at the ferocity of Rose’s words. They were starting to wonder what else she had to say.

“…The second person I want to thank today is Dawn,” Rose said.

The cat girl jumped in her seat slightly and her ears perked up in surprise. She turned and looked up at Rose, not sure what to say.

“Eh… me?” She scratched her cheek. “This isn’t because I picked you to be my partner when you were the Auditionee, right? Something small like that, that isn’t, uh… I was just being strategic, you don’t need to-”

“It’s not just that,” Rose interrupted her. She shook her head. “I appreciate what you did, choosing me, Dawn. I really do. But more than that… if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to integrate myself into the harem the way I have. You were the first person on the island to look past all the bad stuff I did, and genuinely try to be my friend. And honestly, Dawn… that means the world to me. It really does.”

She placed her hand over her heart and her expression softened into a doting smile. “Dawn, you were the first friend I made on the island. And even though I haven’t been able to properly return all the kindness you’ve given me, know that… I really, really do treasure our friendship. I just wish that we had more in common so we could spend more time together.”

No one commented on the fact that, now that they shared animal features, they had more in common with one another than ever before. It wouldn’t exactly be the most productive statement, needless to say.

Dawn’s cheeks were pink and she looked down, fending off a smile. It wouldn’t do to draw attention to herself, and she hid her joy behind a sip from her glass.

“And lastly, there’s one other person who I want to acknowledge today,” Rose said finally. “She’s someone else whose acceptance and kindness let me make progress when I never would have otherwise. And that’s… Holly.”

“Huh!?” Holly turned bright red. She was more surprised than even Dawn had been that Rose had named her specifically. “Uh… I-I don’t, um… …What?!”

“Holly, I’m serious about how grateful I am to you,” Rose said adamantly. “That first round, when we were both contestants… you and I… it was another great moment that helped me find my place in the harem. Even though I was only acting back then, and you and… …Well, we were able to…”

Rose realized that most of the things she wanted to thank the other woman for were probably best left unsaid. She cleared her throat and looked around, understanding that not everything needed to be mentioned outright.

“…Anyway,” she said, smiling, “because of you, I had the chance to truly become a member of the harem. Your support gave me my spot, and at the cost of yours, as well. I’m sorry you had to go through that, Holly, but I just want you to know, that I did not squander the opportunity you gave me,” Rose assured the other girl. “I made the most of it… and I’m happy now. So very happy.”

“…Thanks, I’m glad to hear that,” Holly replied with a smile of her own. “And I’m very happy myself, Rose.”

The two women beamed at each other. Nick smiled up at Rose, overjoyed to hear so many kind words about the other people in her life- her friends- that didn’t revolve around how great and special and amazing SHE was as a person.

Rose genuinely could compliment others and be happy for them. Nick had always known that was the case, but he was glad to see it from her firsthand.

“…Oh, and I almost forgot, Mary is here too, and she deserves a thank you, I guess,” Rose quickly added. “Thank you, Mary.”

Mary wasn’t exactly overjoyed. She gave Rose a blank, frosty look, and tepidly applauded. “Gee. Thanks, Rose. Happy to have helped you.”

Rose ignored the sarcasm and flashed a beaming smile at her. A few people giggled, knowing how their feud would go by this point.

“Now then…” Rose picked up her glass again, and wiped a tear from her eye. “Let’s toast the close friends we’ve all made, as a result of being a part of Nick’s harem!” She announced.

Carly cleared her throat loudly and gave Rose a sharp look.

“…Or, for those of you who aren’t part of the harem, let’s celebrate you for being the supportive friends you are nevertheless!” Rose decided, moving right past that and focusing on what really mattered, the people who cared about and loved her.

She was glad that she could do this for them. All of her hard work and efforts… supporting her friends really meant something to her.

Everyone drank their toast, and Gina didn’t even complain.

“Now, let’s eat!” Rose sat back down with a bright smile on her face. “I believe the first course is a pasta course, is that correct, Mary?” She turned to the so-called head chef and clapped her hands. “Be quick about it, now!”

Mary gave the other girl a look.

She could have said something about how she wasn’t Rose’s servant and that she had no obligation to go get her food. But she held back.

What would be the point of starting trouble like that?

“Actually, Rose, there’s something else we have first,” Mary said, standing up. “It’s a special surprise for you.”

“Oh?” Rose perked up when she heard that and leaned forward. “Do tell! I so love surprises.”

Holly giggled. “We know you do,” she said. “And you’re definitely going to like this one! Before we start the first course, there’s a very special dish that was made special, just for you!”

“Oh! So, in other words, I get my food first, and everybody here has to watch me eat it, is that right?” Rose asked.

Everybody stared at her.

Sometimes, it was hard to remember why they were throwing a party in honor of someone like Rose…

“…Basically yes?” Holly said, scratching her cheek. “Well… whatever. You’re really going to like it, Rose! Trust me!”

Mary nodded.

Holly got up and headed for the kitchens. She returned a moment later pushing a small cart. Sitting on top of it was a single bowl of soup.

That caught Rose by surprise.

“Soup?” She questioned, raising her eyebrow. “That’s it?”

But when she saw what kind of soup it was, her heart skipped a beat.

“This… this is…” she gasped, her eyes widening. She looked to Mary for confirmation. “Soupe à l’oignon?!”

Mary nodded silently.

Rose still couldn’t believe it. She looked down at the onion soup in front of her and struggled not to tear up. “Mary… you made this just for me? Just like maman used to make it…?”

Mary’s eyes flickered and she shook her head. “I didn’t, actually,” she replied, pinching her lips into a small smile. “I just showed Nick how to follow the recipe, that’s all.”

Rose’s heart straight-up stopped at that point. She turned and looked at Nick with a stunned expression on her face, eyes wide with disbelief. “Nick… th-this is… I don’t… I…”

Could that be true?

“You told me before, that… it was your favorite,” Nick said, feeling his face heat up. “I doubt it’s as good as your mother’s but I thought I could do something for you, to show you I-”

“I-I love it!” Rose cut him off, fighting back the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh… Nick, I… I can’t even…!”

She didn’t care that she was the center of attention or that everyone was watching. She clasped her spoon in her hand and dug in, overwhelmed by the delicious and familiar flavor. It tasted better than she even remembered, because Nick had made it for her with all the love in his heart. The soup she’d cooked with her maman on rainy days…

I barely mentioned it… it wasn’t anything that important, but… he still… he… just for me… oh, Nick!

Rose couldn’t fight back her emotions. She didn’t want to.