"Honestly, how do you expect me to learn this piece when my fingers are cramped?" The bow held tightly by the boy was slammed angrily down to the desk. Ciel retreated to his chair as Sebastian stared on.

"I'm done with lessons for today." The boy declared as he shoved his face into a nearby newspaper. He couldn't begin to express his hatred of learning the composition for the bloody useless instrument. Truly, what was the use of such a skill?

The butler felt a smile come onto his face as he placed down his baton as well. The man removed the glasses from his eyes as he looked towards his Lord.

"Master, the of learning of an instrument is what any noble man or woman of your position would do. It is a symbol of intelligence and diligence of hard work. If the violin is not the instrument you-"

"I will take my lunch in here, Sebastian." The young lord cut the man off from his sentence without a single look up from the paper held in his hands. It was an obvious signal to drop the entire conversation, and the butler took the hint. Sebastian collected the bow and rosin as well as the clean-shaven instrument itself. With a great deal of care, he placed all objects into the case next to the array of musical notes on paper.

"Yes, my lord." It was best not to argue anymore with the stubborn boy. They would continue with the lesson the next day, so any complaints by the man could be voiced then. Perhaps his master would finally accept the fact that he was tone deaf.

"Ah, yes. My lord, a letter has arrived." Sebastian was reminded of the piece of mail recently delivered. The butler reached towards his pocket to extend the letter towards his master.

Ciel placed down his newspaper as he accepted the note.

"I had expected as much. You're aware of the recent string of odd deaths, are you not?" Indeed, the letter was a long time coming. Scotland Yard was as useless as ever.

Sebastian gathered the violin case as well as papers as he shook his head.

"Odd deaths, you say? I hadn't heard of the sort." When wasn't there unexplained activity, though? The demon was always hearing of odd events in which humans were involved. They never ceased to entertain him.

Ciel smirked.

"Of course you haven't. Scotland Yard has only been releasing information on the deaths of certain individuals, saying they were simply murders with a guilty party. That's not true at all." Ciel placed down the cover of the newspaper towards the butler. The headline, "Murder in Western District" was written in rather annoying bold print. The smile on his face hinted of a certain sick pleasure in the mystery.

"Apparently the culprits are all close friends or relatives of the victim. There is no reason for the murderer to kill them, yet they are usually found in brutal deaths. Even stranger, the suspects have no recollection of the atrocity they had committed and all act completely innocent."

Sebastian gave a rather confused look to Ciel.

"Couldn't they just be acting? A brutal murder almost always results in the death penalty. They could be trying to avoid death." It was a common practice among the humans. They were all so afraid of death that any excuse to get out of it would be accepted.

Ciel shook his head.

"No, I don't believe so. One of the victims was a two month old baby. After finding out of what they had done, the parents..." The boy's eyes drooped slightly at the image going through his mind.

"The parents killed each other in hysteria over what they had done."

Ciel shook off the thought as he opened the letter sitting in his hand. He skimmed over the refined handwriting of the queen as her voice appeared in his mind.

To my cute little boy,

I am sure you have been made aware of the deaths spreading around London. The atrocities being committed are far worse than I have seen in years. Parents killing children and siblings turning on one another is not what anyone would wish for. I ask for your help in solving the peculiar murders in this fair city. A recent victim, Everetta De Ferreis, a young lady of a similar nobility to yours has survived an attack by her cousin. I believe she holds the answers all of London seeks in solving this case.

With Love,

Victoria

Ciel folded the letter back down to half it's size as he stood from his chair.

"Master?" Sebastian watched as the boy strode across the room. His eyes lie affixed to the door in the distance a he walked forward.

"Prepare a carriage. We have somewhere to be."