"Are you being serious?"

The voice of the young Earl rang throughout the study, and it was only accompanied by the endless pattering of rain that beat down on the decorative glass panes. He held his head in one of his hands, resting his elbow on the desk in front of him. The other hand continuously tapped in rhythm against the polished black wood that was covered in stacked papers and quills. A look of utter disbelief was set on his mature face, and his single showing eye simply stated that he could not comprehend what he had been told.

"As serious as Sebastian is about cats." I replied, smirking widely, to which the only response from Ciel was him groaning. My possibly annoying sense of humour had served me well for most of my existence, and it was not going to leave me now. The sound of extremely discreet chuckling from behind me was heard by my sensitive ears, and I realised that Sebastian himself still appreciated my optimistic and slightly childish view. He would never admit it of course.

His knew name still felt strange on my tongue, but I had to admit, it suited him rather perfectly. It screamed formal, snobby, and just plain out boring, yet with a hint of charm. The way I knew him, that summed him up to a T. Of course, before meeting me, he had probably had many other names, but I had to say, I preferred this one the most, even more over the one he had when we were first acquainted. It already felt rather natural; though I wondered if there was a story behind it, like everything else to do with him…

"Are you alright, my Lord? You look as though you are struggling to understand what Miss Mandetta has told you. Would you like her to repeat it?" A single gloved hand fell onto my shoulder, yet I did not tense. There was no point in acting hostile – Sebastian would not think about hurting me, not now that he knew my identity. As though reading my mind, I felt his velvet fingers begin to massage the skin of my shoulder very softly; enough so that my heightened senses picked it up, but not enough for his Master to notice.

"I'm fine, Sebastian." Ciel replied, waving the comment off. He groaned again, running a hand through his dark navy blue hair, his eyes closed in thought. "Ugh, you would have thought that after making a contract with you Sebastian, I would believe anything. But this is just, just….." His sentence drifted off into nothing, and another yet more playful smirk tugged on my lips. This boy had dealt with demons and murderers, yet he could not trust my words.

Composing himself, the Earl sat upright in his chair, holding himself like a noble of his standard should. Brushing a strand of stray hair from his eyes, Ciel set his gaze upon me, folding his hands on top of each other in a regal position. I could see that words were coming to his mind, but he could not find the right ones to say.

"Just once more, please, Miss Mandetta." He finally said, all disbelief gone from his face for the moment. Instead, a look of determination was carved into his features, as though he had set himself the target of seeing through all of my horrible, nasty, deceiving lies.

He really was quite foolish, wasn't he?

"Oh, fine, I'll say it again, just for you." I spoke in the most mocking tone I could manage, and yet I could still feel the smirk of Sebastian though I could not see it. The boy may have been his Master, but that simply meant that Sebastian himself could not insult the Earl, as much as he may want to. That was going to be my job during my stay here, obviously. "Like I've already said; I'm part of a mythological underground network of Vampire Assassins that the nobles of this city often use against each other. My employer was given the task of having you eliminated, and I was chosen for the job. Being over five hundred years old, it would have been an easy feat. However, I was not counting on the fact you had Sebastian here as your personal butler. Had I been aware of that fact, I would have bought a kitten with me to distract him with. We're old friends, him and I." The hand on my shoulder tightened, but my smirk stayed on my face. I continued despite having said everything; I felt I had to simplify it for the boy.

"In short, Mr. Phantomhive," my mocking tone returned "I was sent here to kill you. Put you down, dispose of you, remove competition, however you want to put it. You were meant to die tonight, and I was meant to be the one who's hand it happened by."

The boy just stared at me blankly.

"Any more questions?"

An oak door flew open, slamming against the wall, and I was shoved both harshly and unceremoniously into a room that I had no intension of staying in. Flailing my arms in a desperate attempt to keep myself upright, I succeeded in keeping my dignity – that was until my legs were swept out from underneath me by an unknown source, and I face palmed the carpeted floor.

"Ever the gentleman, Sebastian…" I growled into the thickly scented rug, my words almost going unheard, yet I still got a response; a low, throaty chuckle that made my lips twitch in annoyance. Rolling over, my eyes met with Sebastian's smirking form, his eyes shut in some look of innocence that did not at all fit him. Slowly, as though his butler façade was returning, he reached out a gloved hand and held it in front of my face, offering me assistance in standing.

Yeah, right, like I was going to fall for that.

Groaning as my knees clicked, I forced my aching body to stand, brushing down my creased clothes. My fingers snagged on a few tares and holes, but other than that I was unscathed. Glancing over at Sebastian, my anger at the familiar demon bubbled at the sight of his flawless attire. He had gotten through our little fight without as much as a flaw on his clothes. A few cuts were on his face, along with a few bruises beginning to show, but no, his clothes were absolutely perfect. Unbelievable.

"I really don't understand why I have to stay here Sebastian. You and I both know that if I wish, I can just leave here whenever I wish to. By putting me in here, you're just putting some brick in my way." Trying as hard as I could to sound confident, I put a hand on my hip, jutting it out to the side. In all honesty, I was feeling ever so slightly uneasy. My initial plan had gone horribly wrong, and I was now trapped in a confined space with a demon butler who could kill me if he wished – I wouldn't go down without a fight, but there was still that slim possibility that what I had done in the past may have some consequence on the subject of my existence.

And it wasn't like I could just go back to The Silencer's with a dry blade and the Earl still breathing – not even a recruit of my standard could get away with letting a contract this big go unfulfilled. It wasn't often such a thing happened; as I mentioned before, our organisation was of the highest standard, so when such things did occur, the results and consequences enforced upon the unsuspecting failure of an assassin were usually….. gruesome. Basically, I was in stalemate – either stay here and have the probability of being killed constantly waving at me from afar or go back to my fellow killers and have death greet me eagerly like an old friend.

A knowing smirk was plastered arrogantly on Sebastian's face, and that worried me slightly. He knew exactly what was going on in my head, or at least, that's what came across. He knew that any chance of survival or being unharmed if I left was slim, and that I had no choice but to comply to his Master's wishes. He knew I was powerless, and he liked this position oh-so-much. I, on the other hand, not being the most submissive person in the world, hated it. And he knew that too.

"You're not exactly in a good position to argue, are you, Miss Mandetta?" The words that left his mouth did so in a sarcastic drawl, my name leaving his lips with just a hint of menace.

"Oh, stop boring me with formalities, Sebastian." I snorted, crossing my arms. "You and I have been through enough together – you don't have to keep the whole 'butler' act up for me." He chuckled again in reply, smirking even wider.

"Of, course, Esmeralda." Glaring at him, I turned around sharply, taking in my surroundings with a hint of surprise and a raised eyebrow as I continued to speak.

"What's with the new name, anyway? It suits you, don't get me wrong, but it seems to plain and dull for someone like you." Looking over at him as I observed the room, I frowned. "Shouldn't a demon take such a thing as an insult?" Again, with that damned smirk. Was that his answer to everything?

"Would you prefer to call me by the name you are familiar with, my sweet? I do remember the way it left your lips being rather…delicious." I rolled my eyes, examining my nails.

"In all honesty Sebastian, I've been had so many since you I can't even remember it. You don't really think that the last name to leave my lips was yours, do you?" At this he frowned slightly, his expressionless mask gone for the briefest of moments, allowing me to see that just for a moment I had struck a nerve. Smirking, I forced my attention away from teasing the butler, and back to the room. He had actually trapped me in a rather appealing room. Dark purple, almost black drapes covered the windows, preventing the light from the moon being seen inside, though the light from the iron chandelier above should suffice. A bed of darkened wood was pushed into the corner, covered in royal purple satin sheets. Next to that was a wooden bed side table of the same colour, on top of which was a silver candelabra. In the opposite corner was what appeared to be a wardrobe, probably adorned with clothes that cost almost as much as the room itself. The mirror on the wall was positioned at head height, and was decorated with golden swirls that screamed expensive. All in all, the room was actually, as much as I hated to admit it, rather appealing to my tastes.

That made me very suspicious.

"Why such a pretty room, Sebastian?" I asked, both curious and slightly insulted. If the Earl though he could win me over with some pretty trinkets, he had read me all wrong. Luxury like this was a daily occurrence for me – the only difference was the location.

"Must there be a reason to treat our guests with kindness, Esmeralda?" Throwing him a look over my shoulder, a small frown tugged on my lips.

"There should be when one of them just tried to kill your master." Was my retort, and I noticed his eyes flickering pink for just a moment. But then, he was back to his stoic usual self. A hand placed behind his back politely, he made his way over to me, posture perfect and rehearsed, addressing me as he would nobility; an act that quickly began to bore and annoy me.

"Firstly, the reason for your rather…. Exquisite accommodations, at least for someone like you and in your position, is because my master is interested in you, and wishes to treat you in a way that might result in you trying not to kill him again. He wishes to construct a civil relationship with you, despite the circumstances – you could prove to be useful to him." He raised a gloved hand to his mouth, and delicately bit down on the tips of the material. In a fluid movement, he had pulled it off gracefully, and proceeded to do the same with the other one, before he began speaking again. "Secondly, my master saw your little 'display' and now, due to your little revelation, he knows what you are. As a result of that, he wants me to keep an eye on you, and for that reason, I have conveniently placed you just down the hall from my own room." He took a stride towards me, smirking more softly now, and pushed a stray piece of hair from my face. "And lastly," he continued, his voice no more than a whisper, "someone like you deserves the best things available." His finger stroked the outline of my cheek bone, and his ruby eyes were locked on mine; though, I noticed they were gleaming slightly at such close proximity.

"Flatterer," I snarled, slapping his hand away and taking a step back. His eyes remained on my ever so slightly smaller body, yet I broke his gaze when I walked over to the wall, reaching behind my head to grip the handle of my sword and remove it from its place. But my hand only met with air, and I a sudden wave of panic swept through my body. An empty feeling coursed through me, and a deep frown appeared on my face. Feeling vulnerable and exposed, my feet span round of their own accord and forced me to face Sebastian, who was smirking once again. I was about knock that smirk right off of his porcelain face.

"What did you do with my sword, Sebastian?" I growled, trying to keep my temper. Without that weapon, I felt like a small animal – weak, defenceless, and easy to take advantage of. Though I hardly ever used it, what with my strength being my main asset, it had been with for so many years that it almost felt like a part of me. And it had been a gift from…. Someone special.

"Oh, don't worry about it, it is perfectly safe. I picked it up from my master's room floor after our little fight, and I can assure you, it is in safe hands. No damage will come to it, although," he paused, looking up at me from under his messy raven hair, "I did not know it meant that much to you." Mumbling several curses under my breath, I sent him a death glare, before my hands reached up to my head and ran themselves through my hair, the tension and stupidity of this whole situation only just beginning to effect me.

"This is unbelievable," I groaned, falling face first onto the bed. Breathing in, I took note that the sheets smelt of lavender, showing that this was, as Sebastian suggested, a guest room of the highest standard. Royal colours, decorative furniture, and now scented sheets? Ugh, nobles…

"What is, my sweet? The rather unusual situation you have found yourself in, or the simple fact of seeing me after all these years?" Without even looking up, I knew the butler was now standing right besides me, and the shifting of the sheets and added weight of another body on the bed was proof of my suspicions.

"Both," I grunted without looking up, my face buried in the sheets, the flowery smell burning my nose by this time. There was a laugh from next to me, and I tilted my head to the side, one eye peeking out from under my cascading hair. Sebastian was smiling, not smirking, and his eyes were glowing pink, though I saw no menace.

"Oh, you will be amusing to have around the place, Esmeralda." He stopped laughing when he spotted my confused expression, and his smirk was back. "What, you didn't think that you were going to be leaving anytime soon, did you?" Another chuckle escaped his lips as he rose from the bed, and walked away towards the door. "My master has spared your life by not handing you over to the authorities; in exchange he expects a few things from you." He spoke without looking back at me, though when he reached the door, he spared me a glance. "You start at six o'clock. All the clothes you need are in the wardrobe, and another maid will be in to assist you to the kitchen, where I will brief you on your duties. We need someone like you, Esmeralda. It will be fun having you around for a while." And with that, he closed the door.

Suspicion aroused within my head, and I sat up on the bed. What duties? What maid? And what clothes? Did he expect to just go along with this without asking questions. Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I stood up and went over to the wardrobe, wondering what its contents were. Was I going to be paraded around in a fancy dress, maybe? Or take care of important business such as I usually did? Either job seemed like something that would fit to my standards. Grasping the handles, I pulled both doors open, wanting to look at my new 'uniform', as I saw it. My eyes adjusted to the dark space inside, and my smirk fell to an expression of utter anger. There were no fancy dresses. Nor were there any clothes suited to a person of business. In actual fact, there were no clothes fitting of a noble inside at all. But there were clothes.

Servant's clothes.

Oh, Sebastian was so dead.

Sebastian walked the lone corridors back to his Master's study without the use of a candle, shrouding himself in darkness. His footfalls were the only sound that echoed through the shadows, just as his glowing eyes the only source of light. Reaching his desired destination, Sebastian knocked twice on the door quickly, waiting for his master's reply.

"Come in," the voice answered, tiredness laced within its depths. Turning the handle, the butler entered the room, his usual smirk once again on his face and his butler act returning as he stepped onto the imported rug. He admitted he had let it slip in front of Esmeralda, but he could not help it. It had been like the pair of them had been transported back in time.

"Master, Miss Mandetta is in her chambers, and has agreed to serve the Phantomhive household to return her debt to you." He lied smoothly, knowing his Master would believe him as long as he said what he wanted to hear. Though she had not directly said it, Sebastian knew Esmeralda would comply with what he had and would ask of her – not to return the debt she had to the Earl, but to return the debt she had to the butler of the estate. And it wasn't exactly like she had a choice either; that Sebastian was certain of.

"Well, that's a start." Ciel replied, resting lazily in his leather chair. There was an expression of confusion clear on the boy's face, and Sebastian took notice of it. He guessed it was probably regarding their new guest.

"Is there something wrong, My Lord?" Sebastian asked, bowing slightly. The Earl glanced up at him from underneath heavy eye lids, and he raised an eyebrow. Pushing himself into an upright position, Ciel stared at his butler, trying best to read his stone-like expression, but he once again failed to do so. Sighing, he spoke his thoughts.

"I've been wondering, how do you know someone like Miss Mandetta? What business would a demon butler have with a vampire assassin?" Sebastian could hear the question in his master's voice, but he was not at least surprised by it – the question he was asking was very legitimate. The curiosity was only natural in this situation.

"It is a rather complicated tale, My Lord; one that would be easier to tell with Miss Mandetta present. It takes place many years ago, and is a rather amusing yet interesting story, if I may say so myself. But I can assure you, she and I are firm acquaintances." He bowed his head, and then added in no more than a whisper, "Very firm."

Ciel did not heard Sebastian's added comment, so he did not say anything more. He was sure that he would learn more when Miss Mandetta was more co-operative. She and Sebastian may be good friends, but that did not mean he would not keep an eye on her. She was still a threat – at least, for the moment.

"Very well Sebastian." Yawning, Ciel rose from his seat, and strolled over to the door, walking past his butler without so much as a second glance. "I wish to go to sleep now," he said, hands behind his back. "And make sure there are no more….interruptions."

Sebastian smirked, his eyes glowing pink in the shadows.

"Yes, My Lord."