An early spring chill fell on the Phantomhive manor. The fireplaces were kept stoked so the mansion was kept warm for the young lord. Everyone was lively as they worked on their early evening tasks. Finny was in the green house tending to the plants. In a month they would be moved outside and planted as the flowers returned around the estate. Baldroy was in the kitchen getting the ingredients together for the master's supper. Mey-Rin rung out the master's night gown and the outfit from the day before in the laundry quarters.
Through the long hallways of the Phantomhive estate violin music was heard playing. The master stood in the music room with the instrument in hand as his fingers glided along the wood. The bow hummed upon the tight strings and cried softly as the melody proceeded. A stern looking tutor stood on the other side of a music stand. The tall woman tapped the stand at every missed note or breath as Ciel played. Slender fingers danced upon the neck as the song came to an end. The last piercing note sung out and echoed off the walls as if saying a final goodbye.
A tall butler stood in the doorway and gave a slight smile as he entered the room with a cart. "Well played my lord." he complimented. Tanaka made a noise in agreement from where he sat in the music room. The master had put down his instrument and stared at his head butler. His look seemed to convey that the man's input was unwanted. "Today we have a mandarin orange tea paired with scones and an apricot cream."
Ciel took a seat in a large chair next to a side table so that the butler could serve him. As the boy drank his tea, Tanaka thanked the music tutor and saw her out. "I have brought this quarters reports to your study. I suspect that should keep you busy until supper is served." Sebastian mused as he attended to the young lord. "Also, her majesty's butler left this letter for you." Long white-clad fingers held out a letter marked with the royal seal."
"A letter from her majesty?" The boy's interest peeked as he took the envelope. He opened it up and his eye raced over the page. "Another job assignment." He said quietly as if muttering the statement to himself. "There's a group of elite council men that her majesty suspects of elicit activities in the underground. She requests me to investigate and bring to justice those caught in any illegal acts."
"Sounds rather beneath you if I may say my lord. Shouldn't the queen's police be the ones to investigate the matter?" The demon's face fell as his interest in the case flickered out. Already it sounded too cut and dry.
"I suspect she wants to keep it secret. If the yard got mixed up in this the news papers would have a time of it." Ciel's voice was laced with an uninterested boredom as well. What if he hadn't convinced the queen that he was still fit to be her guard dog in the under world? He winced at the thought of it. Maybe this was her way of saying he was being demoted. Though wouldn't she just cut him off completely?
"Your schedule is clear this evening. Would you like to start on the case tonight after supper?"
"Yes. I would like to make quick work of this. The queen sent a few names with the letter. Figure out where most of them spend their time by tonight."
"Yes sir. I'll make sure everything is ready for tonight." A devilish smile crossed the butler's face as he crossed his heart and gave a small bow to the boy in front of him. A slight red glinted in his eyes before straightening himself. He picked up the dishes and cleaned the table as the master left for his study.
Upon entering the kitchen with the dirty dishes he found Baldroy and a very overcooked meal. The air smelled of burnt food and the walls were scorched. "Heya Sebastian! I had this great idea for how to make the stove cook faster but I guess I still need to iron out a few kinks. Don't worry I'll have everything in order by the time sup-" The blond man was silenced as Sebastian rolled up his sleeves with an exasperated look.
"There isn't much time before supper. You've ruined the roast I had planned tonight." The raven haired butler pulled out some ingredients from the cupboard and icebox. He started to grease a pan as Baldroy angrily mumbled away to himself about how no one else bothered to recognize innovation. "If you're just going to be bitter channel your energy into washing those dishes and cleaning up your mistake."
The chief got to work on the dishes as Sebastian started to mix together eggs, cream, and a few vegetable he had diced. The two men worked in silence as the food was readied. It wasn't until the meal was in the oven that Sebastian left the cooking to the chief. "Keep an eye on it and don't do anything." were the instructions he was left with. Before even leaving the kitchen a sudden scream filled the manor.
Sebastian walked in on Mey-Rin slamming the master's night shirt into the wall and on the floor. A fire blazed upon the fabric. The butler picked up a vase sitting on top of the fireplace and poured it out onto the gown. The once white garment laid upon the floor with burnt fabric, holes, dust, dirt, dirty water, and now flowers on it. "I didn't mean to do it!" Screeched the redhead. "I wanted to be sure the master's robes were ready in time for bed. I know how cold it can get at night and wanted them to be extra warm for him. Yes I did! I thought hanging his clothes next to the fireplace would be perfect. But then it fell off the mantle and into the fire." She shrunk away as she said the last part.
He picked up what was left of the gown and looked it over. "Even I couldn't save this." He mumbled. "I'll have to go to town and pick up another." He frowned and tutted at the mess. "Mey-Rin clean this up." He spun on his heels and walked out the door while adding "and take down the others before the same happens to them." The ditzy maid watched him walk away before hurriedly pulled the other clothes off the mantle.
The trip to town took longer than what Sebastian was hoping. He had gotten there quick enough but the tailor required far too long to sew the clothes together. There was no helping it. The master had a level of quality that couldn't be rushed. He was entitled to it though, after all he was a Phantomhive.
No sooner did the butler step onto the Phantomhive property before he heard Finny crying. He checked his pocket watch and winced as he rushed over to the gardener. The man opened the greenhouse doors and was met with a frightening chill. The whole building was frozen over and most of the plants had frostbite.
"SEBASTIAN!" Finny cried as more tears streamed down his wet face. "The flowers looked a little dry so I watered them but I used too much. I tried to air it out to get rid of the extra water but they accidentally froze! I killed 'em sir!" The little blond boy whined.
"Take this to the master's room. I shall deal with this." The pale man closed all the doors and windows and started to go to work. "Some of the more exotic ones are dead, but these rose bushes seem to be fine. We'll replace the dead ones with these and have a rose garden this year." The dead plants were pulled out and tossed aside for Finny to dispose of later. Sebastian cut off a handful of stems from the living rose plants. It would be quite the process but they would have just enough rose bushes ready to be planted once the weather permitted.
Eventually all the planters were filled and the stems were situated so that they would grow into their own bushes. Sebastian brushed himself off, fixed his outfit, and went to the study to fetch the master. There he found Ciel at his desk writing a letter in response to the reports he had gotten from his companies. "Supper awaits young master." Sebastian informed.