Phew! All right, people, thanks for the wait! Here it is, the next chapter of Hellfire!
This probably won't be the most EXCITING chapter in the world, but it paves the way for the rest of the story, so please bear with me. I hope you like it!
Oh, and for those of you concerned about the romanized names of Ciel's servants, that's how the English version of the manga lists them. I think it's weird, too, but I'll just go with it for now. Just in case:
Baldroy / Baldo = Bardroy / Bard
Mey-Rin = Meirin or Maylene
"Kuroshitsuji" © Yana Toboso. All other original characters and plot elements owned by Genesis-VIII. This rewrite is for private and entertainment use only, and no profits are being made. Please support the official release.
"So where did she come from anyway?"
"Who knows?"
"Mr. Sebastian said he and the Young Master found her in that haunted village."
"And she was the only one who survived? How terrible!"
"Poor thing…"
"Ho, ho…"
"Sucks to be her, all right. And I heard she's got amnesia, even. Can't remember her name, or where she comes from, or nothin'."
"Really? So how are we gonna figure out who she is?"
"Sebastian's looking into it. The Young Master told him to recover whatever he could from that village that might give him a clue. Hmph – honestly, I don't see how anyone, even Sebastian, could do that. The whole place was burned to the ground; all that's left are bones and blood."
"R-really? That's scary…"
"Mr. Sebastian can do it! He can do anything!"
"Yeah. Sometimes it's like the guy isn't even human."
"I guess…hey, this girl's kind of cute, isn't she?"
"Huh? Oh, sure…"
"She's adorable! I'll have to be careful and make sure she doesn't become my rival for Mr. Sebastian!"
"Okay, Mey-Rin, it's never gonna happen in a million years so give it the hell up already, and Finny, why does it matter that she's cute?"
"Well, uh…you don't think the Young Master would toss a face like that out in the cold, do you? Especially since she's got nowhere else to go. And there's plenty of room here…"
"True, but this is the Young Master we're talking about – OW!"
"Baldo, you can't say things like that! What if someone hears?!"
"Look, I'm just saying that the Young Master won't help her unless there's something in it for him. And what could a poor, orphaned, memory-less girl offer him?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…um…well, there is –"
"Not like that! Jesus, he hasn't even hit puberty yet!"
"Ho, ho, ho…"
"Ooh…I just had a disturbing image…"
"Wipe your nose, Mey-Rin. Seriously, though, what could she do to earn a place to stay?"
"Well, we'll think of something! We can't just leave her alone, can we?"
"Yeah! Let's talk to Mr. Sebastian and – oh, look, she's waking up!"
The girl let out a little moan and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision blurred for a moment, but she blinked a couple of times and looked up to see four people standing in front of her, staring. The first was a young man with orange-yellow hair and wide blue-gray eyes. He wore red pins in his hair, and a straw hat hung in the back from his neck. He also wore a plain white shirt with a red fringe, yellow-and-orange plaid pants, black boots, white gloves, and a brown fanny pack. He was smiling the widest out of all of them.
Next was a woman, perhaps in her twenties, with dark red hair tied into two pigtails and covered with a white mobcap. She was wearing a dark blue and white dress with a white apron, along with tan lace-up boots. The girl couldn't see her eyes, as they were covered by large, slightly cracked spectacles.
The third person was a man, older than the other two, with straw-blond hair and light blue eyes. He wore a white shirt, white pants, a white apron around his waist, and black boots. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, and a pair of goggles hung from his neck. He wasn't smiling, unlike the others; he regarded her coolly and somewhat cynically.
The last person she could barely see, as he was so short. He was an old, old man, probably in his seventies. He had thinning gray hair and a gray moustache, and a pair of glasses rested on his nose, a thin chain running from the edge of one frame to a spot behind his ear. He was wearing a dark green tailcoat over a brown vest and white dress shirt, white gloves, pinstripe gray pants, and black dress shoes. He was holding a mug of tea in his hands and chuckling softly – to the girl, he didn't seem like he was all there.
"Good morning!" the younger man exclaimed, his smile getting, if possible, even wider. "You're finally awake! Are you feeling better?"
"Uh…yeah, I think so…" the girl said quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ears. She looked around, squinting in the strong light. She was lying in a wonderfully soft bed, with clean white sheets and two fluffy pillows stacked beneath her head. It was a four-poster bed, and the satiny, wine-red drapes were tied off to the corners of the bed with gold rope. Glancing around the room, she saw a fancy mahogany chest of drawers, a matching desk and bookshelf, a nightstand with an unused candlestick resting on it, and an elaborate grandfather clock in the corner. The walls were a pale, soft green, while the carpet and window curtains were far darker. Sunlight streamed through the open window, and a light breeze played with her dark brown locks – it must've been late morning or early afternoon.
The girl looked back at her eager bedside companions. "W…where am I?"
"You're in the Phantomhive mansion, near London," the older man replied.
"It's our Master's home!" the woman added.
"The Young Master brought you back to his mansion after he found you in Clarkson," the orange-haired boy piped up.
"Ho, ho, ho," the short man chuckled.
"Young…Master?" the girl echoed. She sat up, clasping her hands together tightly. "Is he…is he the man in black?"
"Huh? Man in black…?" the woman repeated. Her face suddenly turned bright red. "O-oh! You must mean Mr. Sebastian!"
"Mr. Sebastian?"
"Sebastian's a servant like us," the older man explained, taking a draft of his cigarette. "He's the house butler, and a real Superman, too. It's hard to believe he's only human."
"Oh…okay. But who's the master? You said he rescued me, but I only saw the man in black…"
"Our master is Earl Ciel Phantomhive, who heads up the Funtom toy company. It's understandable that you missed him, seein' how he's so short and all."
"Baldo!" the woman gasped, hitting him in the back of his head. "Don't say that! You'll get in big trouble!"
"Ow!" the older man, Baldo, yelped, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, it's true, isn't it? The Young Master's only twelve!"
"Yes, but he'll be angry with you if he hears you say that!"
"How come? It's the truth, ain't it?"
The girl's eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly. "He's only twelve? And he owns this big mansion?"
Baldo nodded. "Yep. He's one hell of a kid, that's for sure."
"And if he's the master…" She smiled slightly. "Are you all the servants?"
The younger boy nodded. "That's right! I'm Finnian, the gardener! I love to be outside in the sun!"
"I'm Mey-Rin, the housemaid," the woman said, curtsying politely. "I'm very clumsy and far-sighted, so I'm not very good at my job, but I hope to serve you as best I can!"
"And I'm Baldroy, the head chef," Baldo finished, sticking his thumb into his chest. "You can call me Baldo. If you're hungry, leave it to me!"
Finnian lifted up the short man with the teacup by the back of his tailcoat. "And this is Mr. Tanaka, the house steward." He smiled apologetically. "He acts like this a lot, but he's really a capable servant!"
"Ho, ho, ho," Tanaka laughed again.
The girl bowed her head courteously. "Nice to meet all of you. I'm –" She stopped and frowned in consternation. "I…I'm…" She ducked her head forlornly. "I-I'm sorry…I really don't know…"
Mey-Rin gasped. "Really? So it's true you don't have any of your memories?"
She shook her head sadly. "Yeah…I can't remember a thing…only that man, Mr. Sebastian, saving me…" She looked up hopefully. "Do any of you know anything?"
Finnian shook his head. "I'm really sorry, but we don't know anything either. Mr. Sebastian is trying to find out, but – oh!"
The door suddenly swung open. "What's going on here?" a young voice demanded. "Why are you all standing about?"
The three servants gasped and bowed so that their upper and lower bodies formed a perfect right angle (Tanaka just stayed as he was). "Young Master, please forgive us!"
The girl looked up in alarm. "Young…Master…?"
Standing in the doorway was a young boy, perhaps twelve or thirteen. He had short gray-blue hair, pale skin, and one beautiful, ocean-blue eye. His other eye, frighteningly enough, was covered by a plain black patch. He wore a fancy, forest green jacket-and-shorts ensemble with a dark blue bow tied around his neck, along with a white shirt beneath the jacket and dressy brown shoes. He was only a child, but the disapproving frown and the look in his eye made him seem like a bitter old man. The girl unconsciously shrank back from his gaze. Only this person could be the Earl of Phantomhive.
Behind him stood a much taller, shadowy figure – the man who had saved her that night. Now that the fire and blood were gone, she could see him clearly. He had a handsome, chiseled face, framed by midnight-black hair. His eyes, red as blood before, had now turned into a mild orange-brown color. He wore the same outfit as Tanaka, except that his tailcoat and pants were black. His expression was carefully blank, but he had a strange smile, as though he were secretly laughing at something.
The girl blinked a couple times, swallowing hard. "Are you…?"
"Ciel Phantomhive, the master of this house," the boy answered shortly, striding into the room. Sebastian followed, never more than a step behind.
The girl bowed her head and leaned forward as the other servants were doing. "Thank you so much, Master Earl, for your hospitality and kindness. I'm sorry to have been a burden." Ciel grunted and turned away from her. The girl looked up and smiled at the butler. "You saved me. I owe you my life."
The man smiled and bowed, placing a hand over his heart as he did so. "My honor and privilege, My Lady. Sebastian Michaelis, at your service." The girl smiled back, quite won over.
Ciel glared at him over his shoulder. "Quit messing around, Sebastian. Be serious."
"As you wish, Young Master."
Ciel looked back at the girl. "You've been asleep for two days. Have you returned to full health?"
"I…I think so, Master Phantomhive," she answered, frowning. Was I really sleeping for that long?
Ciel turned and walked over to stand beside the bed. "Good. Maybe now you'll be able to tell me what happened to that village."
She blinked. "W-what do you mean?"
Ciel's good eye narrowed. "Do you know anything about the killer?"
"What killer?"
Twitch. "The one that's been slaughtering citizens of Clarkson for the past month."
"Uh…I-I don't think ever heard of anything like that. I can't remember…"
Ciel sighed heavily. "Well, do you at least remember how your village was destroyed?"
"N-no…sorry…"
Ciel glared at her. "Useless girl…what was the point of even bringing you here?!" He raised his hand, palm open, as though to slap her. The girl gasped and shrank back in fear…
Quick as a flash, Sebastian's hand shot out and gripped Ciel's wrist. "Young Master, please control yourself," he admonished gently. "The young lady is suffering from a serious medical condition. Do try to be a little more understanding." Ciel jerked his hand out of his butler's grasp and grumbled something unintelligible. Sebastian bowed again to the girl. "I apologize on behalf of my master for his rude behavior. He is a little frustrated at the moment, as he is unable to find any leads on his assignment. He was hoping to learn something from you upon your awakening, but it is no excuse for physical violence."
"I-it's okay," the girl stammered, still leaning away from the glowering child. "Um…what do you mean by 'assignment'?"
"Sebastian…" Ciel said warningly.
"I see no harm in telling her, Young Master. The gravity of the situation may jog her memory, and if she had been one of your enemies, I doubt she would remember who to speak of this to or what would be considered important."
Ciel looked at him for a moment, and then sighed and folded his hands neatly behind his back. "…very well. But this is on your head, Sebastian, if this comes back to haunt us."
"Of course, Young Master."
Ciel regarded the girl with a critical eye. "You will keep this to yourself? You won't tell a soul what I'm about to say to you?"
"N-no, Master Earl, I won't tell anybody. Cross my heart." She traced a t-shape over her heart. Something flashed briefly in Sebastian's eyes, but he remained as passive as ever when the others turned to look.
"Fine. I'll hold you to that." Ciel cleared his throat and pulled himself up to his full height – not very impressive, but the girl got the message. "The Phantomhive household has been working in Great Britain's underground for generations. As the Earl of Phantomhive, it is my duty to put away major criminals and investigate strange happenings on behalf of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria."
The girl's eyes widened. "So…are you like a secret agent?"
Ciel rolled his eyes. "A rather childish way of putting it, but yes, that's the general idea. Her Majesty entrusted me personally with special tasks only the most capable and trustworthy nobles can perform. Our most recent assignment was to investigate the serial murders at Clarkson Village up north – one victim each night for months, mutilated so severely and so cleanly that is was believed to be the work of spirits." Ciel let out a humorless, unsmiling chuckle; he must've thought the idea of ghosts ridiculous. The girl and the three servants, however, shuddered in fear, while Sebastian and Tanaka remained impassive.
"We arrived at Clarkson two nights ago," Ciel went on, ignoring his audience. "The entire village was on fire, and all the citizens were killed. The corpses were torn to pieces, battered and bloody, and oftentimes there was no flesh remaining on the bodies – calling cards of our Clarkson killer." He gave the girl a hard look. "We didn't find the killer. Instead, we found you."
The girl stared at him, her face pale. "You think…you think I did it?"
"I doubt it – this was a highly efficient and ruthless killer, and you're only a little girl." The girl didn't really think it was fair of him to say that, seeing as how he was pretty short himself and size didn't matter anyway, but she wisely kept her mouth shut. "But we can't rule out the possibility. After all, you were the only person left alive, and you were covered in blood even though you weren't wounded –"
"I didn't kill those people!" the girl cried, looking as though she would burst into tears. "How could I hurt people like that? I didn't even know them!"
"How are we to know that?" Ciel responded firmly, unmoved by the display of emotion. "You have amnesia. You told us you couldn't remember a thing about your life before the time Sebastian saved you." His good eye narrowed and he leaned forward slightly so the two were at eye level. "Were you lying to us?"
"No!" the girl answered quickly, shaking her head vigorously. "No, I-I wasn't lying! I really can't remember a thing, I swear! I've tried, I really have, but…" She shook her head helplessly. "I just can't."
"Nothing at all?"
"Nothing…"
"If I may, Young Master," Sebastian cut in respectfully, inclining his head. He strode forward from his place behind Ciel and met the girl's gaze evenly. "Please be at peace, My Lady. The Clarkson murderer is abnormally barbarous in his killings, almost bestial. He appears to slaughter anyone he comes across for no ascertainable reason – he kills for the sole purpose of killing. It is extremely unlikely that a lovely creature such as yourself would bring such chaos upon that village. In fact…" He paused, and for a split second, the girl thought she'd seen a flash of red. "…one could so far as to say that no true human could commit such heinous crimes."
There was a beat of silence. Ciel's hand twitched slightly as he thought back to his conversation with his butler three days earlier upon receiving the assignment. The girl stared at Sebastian, frozen in fear and confusion. What could he possibly mean?
Baldo finally broke the silence, his face a bit paler than usual. "So…are you sayin'…it really was a spook?" Finnian and Mey-Rin shrieked and clutched onto each other fearfully.
Sebastian's eyes flickered over to the cook. "Not at all. I merely believe that we cannot rule out any possibility –" His glance came back to the girl. "– until we solve the mystery of this young mistress." His eyes fell from her face and rested on her heart.
The girl suddenly felt a sharp pain and clapped her hand over her heart, groaning. "Agh…"
Finnian gasped. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah," the girl puffed, hunching her shoulders against the pain. "I'm fine…it's just…hurting me again…"
"What is?"
"My heart…it's been hurting for…I don't know…a while." Sebastian looked away, a corner of his mouth turning up slightly.
Mey-Rin suddenly let out a little shriek. "What happened to your hand?!"
The girl jumped in surprise. "Wha –? What is it? What's wrong with it?" She looked down at her hands, and her look of horror turned into one of bewilderment. "I don't see –"
"Your nails," Mey-Rin whispered, pointing a shaking finger. "They're…they're…!"
"Blood red," Baldo finished in wonder, his cigarette almost falling out of his mouth.
The girl looked down at her fingernails. Sure enough, all ten were a bright crimson. "Oh," she said, relaxing a bit. "Is that it?"
"What d'you mean, 'is that it'?" Baldo challenged. "Fingernails ain't supposed to be red! That's not normal!"
"It isn't?" the girl echoed, looking down at her nails again. "Oh."
"Are they painted?" Finnian asked, looking mildly interested.
"No. Well, I don't think so. I think they're just natural. They've been like that for a long time…I guess…what color are other people's nails, then, if red isn't normal?"
"Pink," Finnian replied, taking off a glove and wiggling his fingers cheerily at her. "Or white, sometimes. But I think it's cool that you have red nails! It makes you…what's the word…unique!"
She smiled. "You think so? I…I thought I was like everyone else, but okay."
"And what was it that made you think red nails were normal?" Sebastian asked calmly, not looking at the girl.
"I…" The girl struggled to remember, feeling the strain on her memory. "I think…I knew this woman…who had red nails."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, and his smile widened slightly. "Oh?"
The girl fought through the fog of her mind, reaching out for the memory just beyond the haze. "She…she had red hair, too…it was really long and pretty…"
"And her eyes?" Sebastian prompted gently. Ciel shot him a look.
"Brown. Dark brown, like…like chocolate."
"What did she most often wear?"
"U-uh…was it…I think…" The girl put her hand up to her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "A…white dress. Not fancy…but it was nice. She wore one every day."
"And what was your relationship to this woman?"
"…" The fog seemed to clear up for a second, and she saw the woman clearly, arms outstretched and with a smile on her face. But in that same instant, the memories flew away just as quickly as they had come. The girl shook her head again. "Sorry. I don't know."
"I see," Sebastian replied. His smile grew even wider.
"Sebastian, what is the meaning of this?" Ciel demanded, looking angry. "Tell me right now."
"As you command, Young Master. It was your wish, upon returning from the remains of Clarkson, that I discover all I am able to concerning our new charge, was it not?"
"Yes. Did you find something?"
"But of course."
Baldo's jaw dropped. "No flippin' way! You said that that town got burned down to nothin', didn't ya?"
"I did. And it was."
"Then how were you able to find anything?!"
Sebastian smiled coolly. "I am a butler of the Phantomhive household. It is only natural that I should be able to do such a thing."
The girl looked up hopefully, her eyes bright. "Do you…do you really know who I am?"
"I cannot say with one-hundred percent certainty, but I examined the remaining corpses and procured some documents that point me in the right direction, and your description of the red-haired woman has only increased my confidence in this theory." He pulled a piece of charred paper out from behind his back (where did he get that?), unfolded it crisply, and held it out to her. "Is this the woman?"
The girl took the paper and examined it. It was an old photograph, the subject barely visible through the grime and ash. It was a young woman, perhaps in her late teens, with dark hair and eyes. She was of average height and very slender, and her skin looked to be as pale as snow. She was wearing what appeared to be a wedding dress and veil and was holding a bouquet of roses; on closer inspection, her nails seemed to be unnaturally dark. She was smiling widely, and her cheeks were flushed with laughter.
The girl frowned and squinted at the picture. "I…I think so. She looks kinda familiar, but I can't really tell…I can't remember…"
"That's quite all right," Sebastian replied gently. "Please take your time, and do be careful not to strain yourself. Now, do you recognize the other person in the photograph?"
The girl realized that her thumb had been covering the other subject and quickly adjusted her grip. This person was a man, about five years older than the woman, who had his arm around the woman's waist. He had dark hair, too, but not as dark as the woman's. He was about a head taller than she was, and very muscular, although much of his physique was hidden beneath a tuxedo suit – he must've been the woman's new husband. He was smiling, too, but it didn't seem quite as happy as his bride's.
The girl shook her head. "No. He doesn't look familiar. Sorry." She handed the photograph back to Sebastian. "Who are they?"
"Your description of the red-nailed woman matches precisely to that of the woman in the photograph, one Circe Tucker," Sebastian began, taking the photograph from her and smoothing out the edges. "Her husband, Jonathan Tucker, was a farmer and the head of the village of Clarkson. They had been married for nearly twenty years and had had one child. Because Mrs. Tucker stands out so strongly in your mind, it is my belief that you are in fact that child."
The girl tilted her head slightly to the side. "You…you think so?"
"But Mr. Sebastian, that doesn't mean she's their child just because she remembers Mrs. Tucker," Mey-Rin pointed out. "They could be related in some other way."
"Indeed, but there are other factors as well. Yesterday, while our guest was asleep, we asked the family doctor to come take a look at her. Besides diagnosing her with retrograde amnesia, she estimated her age to be seventeen years, the precise age of Circe Tucker's daughter. Also, although most of the corpses were rendered unrecognizable, I was unable to pick out any possible matches for Miss Tucker's body. Along with that…" He held out the picture to Ciel. "…there is quite the resemblance, is there not, Young Master?"
"I suppose so," Ciel answered languidly, barely looking at the photo.
The other servants peered over his shoulder, looking between the girl and the photo. "You know, now that you mention it, she does kind of look like the guy in the picture…" Baldo said thoughtfully.
"No, no, just her hair!" Mey-Rin insisted, shaking her head vigorously. "Otherwise, she looks just like Mrs. Tucker. Oh, Mistress, could you please smile for us, so we could compare?" The girl grimaced, and Mey-Rin frowned disapprovingly. "No, no, not like that! Please put some feeling into it, like this woman!"
"Uh…o-okay." The girl took a deep breath and grinned as wide as she could, trying to make it look natural and happy.
The servants gasped. "Wow, amazing!" Mey-Rin said in amazement.
"They're both so pretty!" Finnian gushed, eyes sparkling. "They look like twins!"
"Except for the hair," Baldo prompted bitterly.
"Ho, ho, ho."
"It appears they are related after all," Ciel observed, eyes lingering for a second on the girl's face before flicking over to his servant. "Sebastian, what do we know about this daughter? Are there any records?"
"Very few, Young Master, but I was able to discern several critical pieces of information."
"Get on with it, then," Ciel grumbled, brushing a bit of lint off his jacket.
"The girl is named Lilith Tucker, oftentimes called Lily, aged seventeen. An only child, born April 1st, 1871, and assumedly accustomed to hard work, as she is the daughter of a farmer. Forgive my rudeness, but I notice there are a few calluses on your hands," he added to the girl, who looked down at her rough palms in wonder. "The only other material came from a few newspaper clippings, one from four years ago and another three; apparently she was to marry a young man named Drocell Keinz who suddenly went missing some time ago. No word has been heard of him since."
"Any other notable family members?"
"Paternal grandparents, two uncles, one aunt, and five cousins. All were residents of Clarkson, and all have been killed."
"So she really does have nowhere to go…" Finnian said sadly, looking imploringly at his master.
"Lilith Tucker…" Ciel murmured thoughtfully, playing with his bow tie absentmindedly. He glanced coolly over at his charge. "Does that sound about right, then?"
"I-I wouldn't know," the girl stuttered, wracking her brain for any recollection. Lilith Tucker…she didn't think she'd heard it before, but there was something…"It's a pretty name, though."
"Well, whether you were or you weren't, that's what we're calling you," Ciel said dismissively, speaking in a way that heralded the end of the matter once and for all. "If it turns out the real Lilith Tucker is discovered dead or alive, then we'll think of something else."
"Th-thank you, Master Phantomhive!" the girl newly christened Lilith said joyfully, her eyes lit up. "I-I'm honored to have such a name! I'll bear it with pride!" She was so relieved; she wasn't just a nobody anymore!
Ciel turned back to Sebastian, ignoring his guest completely. "Did Madame Red say anything else?"
Sebastian smirked a little. "Besides her usual extravagance and declarations of devoted care towards the Young Master?" Ciel was silent. "According to the Madame, retrograde amnesia (or the loss of all memories prior to a specific incident) is caused one of two ways: either external or internal disturbance to the brain. An external disturbance would be caused by a forceful blow to the head, accidental or otherwise; however, upon examination, Miss Tucker's skull had no impressions or blemishes, and as such, the Madame does not believe she was physically harmed.
"That leaves an internal disturbance, indicated by blocking out a particularly painful series of memories that could potentially cause harm to the body. Psychological trauma of that scale may have been initiated by the slaughter of her family, the disappearance of her fiancé, or perhaps through her own encounter with our runaway murderer."
"And exactly how long is this going to last?" Ciel asked somewhat impatiently.
"The Madame does not believe the trauma is permanent, but depending on the level of the mental disturbance, it may take quite a while for Miss Tucker to recover her memories."
Ciel's eye narrowed dangerously. "Sebastian, need I remind you that we have been ordered by Her Majesty to eliminate this killer?"
"I do not believe 'ordered' is the correct word, Young Master, but yes, I remember."
"And you realize that the only lead we have is this girl, right?"
"Yes, at the moment."
Twitch. "Then what are we supposed to do till her memories come back?!"
Sebastian was unfazed by his master's anger. "If you are willing to take the gamble that Miss Tucker may have seen the killer, then the only thing to do would be to keep her here with us until her memories return."
"'Willing to gamble'…I don't have a choice! But I refuse to have dead weight in my manor, Sebastian, I refuse!"
"Young Master –"
"I won't have this trash become a burden on my plans!"
"Young Master, you are being very rude," Sebastian said firmly, looking deadly serious. His smile returned, however, when he turned to Lilith, who was looking more and more horrified by the minute. "I must apologize once more, Miss Tucker, for my master's behavior. It is nearly lunchtime, and I imagine his hunger is making him cranky."
SLAP.
Lilith gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. Ciel, teeth grit and eye flashing, had reached up and slapped Sebastian across the face. The other servants (excluding the oblivious Tanaka) had jumped, and Mey-Rin let out a little squeak, but were otherwise silent. Sebastian himself stood still for a moment, his head turned from Ciel from the impact and his expression unreadable, before facing Ciel and bowing. "Please forgive my impertinence, Young Master." Ciel grunted and flicked his wrist – apparently a sign of forgiveness. Sebastian straightened up and turned back to Lilith, smiling serenely once more. "Is anything the matter, Miss Tucker? You look dreadfully pale."
"I…I'm okay," she answered weakly, her voice no louder than a whisper. "A…Are you okay?"
"Certainly," Sebastian answered, his smile lessening a bit. "Why would I not be?"
"You…you were just…" She swung her hand back and forth, too scared to voice the abuse.
Sebastian seemed unconcerned. "I was insolent in front of my master – the worst crime a servant can commit. I most definitely deserved the punishment."
Lilith wasn't so sure. What had Sebastian done wrong? Trying to cover up his master's bad behavior…wasn't that a good thing? Shouldn't Earl Phantomhive be grateful? Why punish him? But I still really don't get what's going on. I can't remember my old life, but it doesn't sound like I was very rich like Master Phantomhive. Maybe in this world they do things differently. I shouldn't say anything if I don't know what I'm talking about.
She was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts by Sebastian's hand tilting her chin upwards – his touch was gentle, but it had the effect of a gunshot by her ear. "Your complexion is still rather pale, My Lady. Perhaps you would like to freshen up while we continue our discussion? There is a washroom down the hall."
"O-Okay," Lilith answered shakily. She was starting to feel dizzy and imagined she must've been kind of a mess after two straight days asleep – she should probably splash some cold water on her face, and maybe find something she could use to brush her hair.
Sebastian nodded. "Very well. Mey-Rin," he added, turning to the maid, "please escort our guest to the washroom, and be sure that she is comfortable."
Mey-Rin's face turned red as she saluted military-style. "Y-Y-Y-Yessir!" She approached the bed, holding out her hands and wobbling slightly on her feet. "C-C-Come with m-me, M-M-Miss L-Lilith." She looked like she was about to faint.
"Um, a-all right," Lilith replied, folding back the covers neatly and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Slowly, carefully, she lowered her feet to the floor and pulled herself off the bed. Her legs buckled beneath her and she almost fell, but Mey-Rin and Finnian each grabbed her by an arm and hoisted her back to her feet.
"Are you okay?!" Finnian gasped, looking worried.
"Yes, I'm fine," Lilith replied softly, sighing a bit and smiling wanly. "I'm just a little dizzy, is all…sorry to cause trouble."
"No, no, it's not any trouble for us!" Finnian assured her, positively beaming.
"You're our guest," Mey-Rin added. "We're honored and happy to serve you – it's our job, after all!" She put a steadying arm around her waist and took one of Lilith's hands in her own. "I'm sorry for this unwanted contact, Miss, but I don't want you to fall and get hurt…"
"No, no, it's fine," Lilith said earnestly, smiling. "Thank you very much, Miss Mey-Rin."
Mey-Rin blushed crimson again – it was like she wasn't used to being treated so nicely. "O-Oh, y-y-you're w-welcome. N-Now please c-come with me – the washroom's right down here." She lightly pressed her hand against her charge's back and slowly led her out of the room.
As they passed Ciel and Sebastian, Lilith ducked her head and whispered, "Th-thank you so much for your kindness. I'll try not to cause any trouble for you."
Ciel just grunted and turned his back, but Sebastian's smile widened as he bowed once more. "It is no trouble whatsoever, Young Mistress. As my fellow servants have said, we are thrilled to serve you." At that, Ciel snorted loudly, poorly disguising it as a cough. Lilith blushed and increased her pace.
As Mey-Rin was closing the door behind them, they heard Ciel's voice ominously carrying out of the room: "This will be on your head, Sebastian, if she ruins us the way she ruined Clarkson."
Lilith strained to hear Sebastian's reply, but Mey-Rin snapped the door shut and moved to stand in front of it, smiling too broadly. "Please come this way, Miss. We're nearly there." She took her by the hand and waist again and gently led her down the hall.
And what a hall it was! Lilith's eyes widened in wonder and her neck nearly cracked trying to take everything in. It was simply enormous – the roof had to be at least twenty feet above her head, and the walkway seemed to stretch on forever. Countless ornately-carved doors lined the hall, with no two carvings alike and doorknobs made of brass polished so well that it hurt Lilith's eyes to look at them. The wallpaper was colored with wine-red and creamy white stripes, and several paintings adorned the space between the doors – here a blond girl playing on a swing, there a sunny seascape. There were even a couple suits of armor set up between doors, painstakingly polished and standing eternal watch over their manor's secrets.
"What a beautiful place," Lilith said in awe, eyes shining. "So many rooms – is this the entire house?"
Mey-Rin looked surprised. "No, of course not, Miss. This is only the East Wing – the mansion is much, much larger than this small section."
Lilith stared at her in amazement. "Really? A house that big for only five people?"
"Well, the Young Master does entertain guests often, and he sometimes holds parties for his business associates. But yes, only the Young Master and the servants live here all the time."
"Really…I'm sorry for not knowing these things. If what Mr. Sebastian said about me is true, then I must've come from a poor family. I've never seen a big, rich house like this before." At least, I don't think I have. "But," she went on, frowning sympathetically up at her patient protector, "it must be a lot of work for just one housemaid to clean a place as big as this."
Mey-Rin's face turned red yet again. "Oh…y-yes, I suppose it is a lot of work. But, um…you see…Mr. Sebastian does most of the cleaning."
Lilith frowned. "Really? By himself?"
She nodded sheepishly. "Yes. I know it's my job to do the cleaning, but…well, I'm really far-sighted – I can't see things if they're up close."
"Really? Even with your glasses?"
"These glasses are really old, so they don't work so well anymore. And because of that, I often trip over things and drop dishes, or misread labels on cleaning solution and end up making a big mess…"
"Well, why don't you just get new glasses, then? You'd be able to see better and get all of your work done, right?" She reached up with her free hand to remove the glasses…
Mey-Rin shrieked, gripped the sides of the lenses, and scrambled backwards, knocking against the door of the bedroom they'd just left. "Oh, n-n-no, I couldn't, Miss, please don't! These glasses were a present from the Young Master! They're very important to me!"
Lilith quickly retracted her hand, looking wounded. "I…I'm sorry, Miss Mey-Rin. I didn't know…I just wanted to help you…"
Mey-Rin slowly shuffled back over to her, wringing her hands nervously. "Uh…M-Miss Tucker…? P-Please don't get upset. I-I'm sorry I raised my voice – it was really rude if me, and to a guest, too…you're right, there's no way you could've known. Please cheer up. I'm so sorry."
"No, it's…it's fine," Lilith replied, a bit taken aback by her reaction. "Really, it's okay, I was the one who overreacted. I understand that they're special to you – I'm just…I'm having trouble adjusting, is all," she finished lamely, rubbing the back of her head self-consciously.
"Oh…well, don't worry, Miss Tucker. I'm sure you'll get used to the manor quickly – the Young Master can't just throw you out in the streets, after all! And your memories will come back soon, too, don't you worry!"
"You really think so?"
Mey-Rin nodded. "I know so. You heard Mr. Sebastian – this won't last forever. Everything will be okay." She held out her hand. "Now please follow me, Miss. The washroom's not much farther." Lilith took her hand, and the two started off down the hall again, all forgiven.
After passing several more doors and a couple suits of armor (Lilith shuddered – she had the feeling they were watching her), Mey-Rin paused in front of a door with a voluptuous mermaid carved into the surface. "This is it, Miss Tucker. Please go on in, and let me know if you need help with anything, okay?"
Lilith nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much, Miss Mey-Rin. But, uh…there is something I wanna ask you…"
"Eh? What is it, Miss Tucker?"
Lilith winced. "Th-that…why are you calling me 'Miss Tucker'? I'm nothing special."
Mey-Rin tilted her head to the side in confusion. "But…but you're a guest here. We have to treat you with respect."
"Well, I appreciate the thought, but can't you respect me and call me by my first name? 'Miss Tucker's' way too impersonal for me." She smiled shyly. "And if we're going to be friends, couldn't you call me Lilith?"
Mey-Rin jumped a bit in surprise. "F…friend?"
Lilith nodded timidly. "If you want."
"Y…Yes, I'd love to be your friend!" Mey-Rin gushed, her grin as wide as Finnian's. "But hey, if I'm calling you Lilith, then you just call me Mey-Rin, all right? Not 'Miss Mey-Rin' – I'm only a maid, and not a very good one, either, so I shouldn't be respected."
"Okay, Mi…I mean, Mey-Rin. But you know, people shouldn't disrespect you just because you're a maid. People are people, no matter how important they are. Everyone should be treated equal – WHOA!" While she had been talking, she'd absentmindedly opened the door and was only now seeing what was inside. The bathroom, like the hallway, was overly large and elaborate, with royal blue wallpaper and two gold statues on either side of the sink, both of them coy-looking mermaids. But what had Lilith transfixed were the ordinary things – namely, the sink, toilet, and bathtub. Her head snapped back and forth between them, eyes wide and mouth agape. "M-Mey-Rin…what are those?"
Mey-Rin frowned. "What are what?"
"Those. Are those things the rich people have? I mean, I know that's a bathtub, but it's huge…and why is it inside? How do you get the water into it if it's all the way up here? Shouldn't you – wh-why are you laughing, Mey-Rin? I'm sorry I don't know about rich people like Master Phantomhive…I'm just a farm girl, and I don't have any memories…please don't laugh, I'm really sorry…"
Mey-Rin clutched at her sides, trying to control her giggling fit. "Oh, I…I'm sorry, Lilith. I'm n-not laughing at you…I just had the same reaction when I started working here! I just think it's so f-funny!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Please don't be upset, Lilith – a lot of people don't know about this. You see, wealthy people like the Young Master have enough money to install water pipes under their houses and make it so the washroom always has water in it. You don't have to go to a river to get drinking and bathing water anymore – it's always right there in the tap. It's called indoor plumbing. It's so useful – I don't know how we ever got along without it!"
Lilith blinked up at her quizzically, always the eager student. "Really? How does it work?"
"Here, let me show you." The two girls walked into the bathroom, first heading towards the bathtub. "What you have to do here is first plug up the drain with the stopper, so that the tub will fill up and the water won't go down the drain." She stuck the pearly-white stopper into the drain to demonstrate. "Next, you turn these knobs for water like this, see? The right knob gives you cold water, and the left gives you hot water."
She turned both knobs, and to Lilith's amazement, a steady stream of water jet out from the faucet into the tub. "Wow…where does all that water come from?"
Mey-Rin smiled weakly. "Uh…wherever the pipes go?"
"Oh…okay…?"
"Um…anyway, Lilith, could you please stick your hand under the water and see if it's a good temperature? I think a nice, hot bath will do you some good."
"Okay." Lilith obediently put her hand under the stream. "Hmm…it's a little cold. Can we make it any warmer?"
"Of course…here, how's this?"
"…that's perfect. Thank you, Mey-Rin."
"You're welcome. Come on, we'll let this fill up while I teach about the other things. Now, this thing over here is the toilet. It's like a chamber pot, only you don't need to go out and dump whatever's in it."
Lilith smiled bashfully. "I like it so far."
"I know, right? Anyway, you use it like normal, but when you're done, you clean yourself up with the toilet paper, and then you pull this lever and –" She pulled the lever, and with a roar, the water swirled down the drain only to reappear a minute later. "– it all goes down the drain!"
"Wow," Lilith said softly, impressed. "Rich people are so lucky…"
"They sure are. And when you're all done, you come over to the sink and wash your hands. The knobs here work just like the bathtub – right for cold water, left for hot water. Rinse your hands, then lather them up with the soap – and don't be stingy! Sing 'Happy Birthday' to yourself while you scrub so that you can get all the germs off! Then rinse and wipe your hands with a towel for maximum cleanliness!" Her determined face morphed into a cheerful smile. "Any questions?"
Lilith put a hand up to her spinning head; understandably, she felt more than a little overwhelmed. "U-Um…yes, actually…but, um, it's not about the washroom…"
Mey-Rin deflated. "Really? Then what is it?"
"Um…" She plucked at her dress – a light blue-green nightgown that was much too large for her. "This isn't mine, is it?"
Mey-Rin shook her head. "No, it's my old nightgown. Your old dress was too messed up to wear – all torn and b-bloody and everything – so Mr. Sebastian said he had to burn your old one. I'm sorry if it was important to you…"
"Oh, it's okay. I can't remember if it was all that important to me or not, but it's only a dress, right? Thank you very much for lending me your nightgown. I'm sorry if I caused any inconvenience."
"It's okay – it's only my old one. There's another one that I've been using. Isn't the material nice and soft?"
Lilith nodded, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. "Yeah, and it's so warm, too. I really appreciate – eh?"
"What's the matter?" Mey-Rin asked, noticing that her new friend's brow was furrowed and her cheeks had turned pink.
"W-well…I was sleeping for two days, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"I didn't wake up at all."
"No."
"And…your nightgown was put on me before I woke up today, right?"
"Yes…"
Lilith's flush spread across her face. "Were you…did you put the nightgown on me yourself?"
Mey-Rin thought for a moment, and then gasped in shock. "N-No, I didn't! It must've been one of the boys! How scandalous – seeing a woman's pure and untouched body before her marriage and without her permission! Those two are the sickest and most disgusting –"
As Mey-Rin ranted on and on, Lilith's face grew redder by the minute. A man had actually undressed her in her sleep! An older man she didn't know had seen her naked! How embarrassing! She'd never, ever be able to look at any of them again.
"– absolutely horrible!" Mey-Rin was saying, waving her arms around furiously. "I can't believe how anyone could ever do something like that – unless…" She gasped and clasped her hands together excitedly, a grin stretching from ear to ear. "Ooh, what if it was Mr. Sebastian? Wouldn't that be amazing? Oh, you're so lucky, Lilith! I wish he'd see me naked…"
"M-Mr. Sebastian?" Lilith echoed uncertainly. Was he really the one who did that to her? But that didn't make sense…he'd been the one who had saved her, and he'd been so nice to her before…it just didn't make sense. But then again, there was something weird about the way he was looking at her back there…would he really do that? No…no, he wouldn't. "He wouldn't do that," she said out loud. "He wouldn't."
"Well, I certainly hope he wouldn't," Mey-Rin replied, a blush of her own coloring her cheeks. "That would make you my rival, and I wouldn't my new friend to become a rival!"
"Uh, y-yeah," Lilith stuttered, getting more and more uncomfortable by the second. "Um…Mey-Rin, could you please step outside for a moment? I need to think."
"Oh…okay, Lilith. I'll be right outside if you need me, okay? Please don't hesitate to call."
"All right."
"Oh, and be sure to get into the bath, too," she added, turning off the water in the near-overflowing tub. "It'll get cold before you know it."
"Right. Thanks, Mey-Rin." Mey-Rin curtsied and hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Lilith sighed heavily and leaned forward against the sink, suddenly exhausted. What a day…she'd woken up from her mini-coma, been given an identity she wasn't sure was hers, learned about the wonders of indoor plumbing, and learned that one of the men of the house had undressed her in her sleep. No wonder her head was aching. Without thinking, she looked around the room…and instantly did a double-take when her eyes skimmed over the mirror in front of her.
This was her. This was Lilith Tucker.
She leaned in closer to the glass, drinking in every little detail. This girl, Lilith, had wavy, dark-brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. Her eyes were the same chocolate color, and they were big and bright with underlying emotion. Her skin was smooth to the touch, with no visible blemishes or freckles, but pale as snow. She had full, pale pink lips, and her teeth were pearly-white and beautiful, although her canines looked unusually sharp. Her hands were small and calloused, and her crimson nails were getting to be a little long. She was a little on the short side and very slender, but there was this sense that she was strong, too, in a wiry sort of way. Fascinated and wanting to learn more about this new body of hers, Lilith undid the buttons of Mey-Rin's nightdress, letting it drop around her ankles –
What's that?
Her body looked normal and fairly healthy, but there was something weird…right over her heart, the exact place that had been burning her, was a strange red mark. It looked to be a five-pointed star within a circle, with another jagged circle surrounding it. She pressed her finger against it; the heat pulsed beneath her touch, and she winced a bit. What was it? A tattoo? A birthmark? Curious, she traced the outline with her finger…and suddenly felt a searing pain stun her whole body. Whimpering, she sank to the floor, hand pressed down over the mark.
Hungry…so hungry…
"U-ugh…"
Let me eat…let me kill…
"N-no…"
Yes…kill…
A pounding on the door. "L-Lilith? Are you okay in there?"
"H-huh? Oh…ah, y-yes! I'm fine!" Lilith gripped the edges of the sink and unsteadily pulled herself to her feet, breathing hard. "I-I'm just…I'm getting into the bath!" She staggered over to the bathtub and hauled herself over the edge, gasping at the shock of the steaming water. She sat there in a ball for a few minutes, tense and trembling, before unclenching her muscles and sinking back against the tub, letting the hot water wash away her pain. She let out a little sigh. This feels nice…
The door opened, and Mey-Rin poked her head in, looking worried. "Are you sure you're okay, Lilith? I heard a noise…"
"It's fine," Lilith assured her, trying to appear nonchalant. "I was just a little surprised at how hot the water is, but it's okay now. It feels really good after sleeping for so long," she added truthfully.
Mey-Rin smiled, relieved that nothing worse had happened. "Isn't it, though? I love a nice, hot bath after a stressful day. Do you want me to wash your hair for you? I can braid it, too, if you'd like."
Lilith nodded weakly. "Y-Yes, I'd like that very much. Thank you." Mey-Rin scurried back into the room, grabbed bottles of fancy soaps and perfumes, and set down to work.
While the housemaid prattled on and on, rubbing creams into her hair and pointing out different scents of soap, Lilith's traumatized brain was moving in full gear. Most of the pain was gone, thanks to the relaxation of the bath, but she was still worried…how was it that when she touched the mark, it burned her? What kind of mark was it? Had someone maybe sealed an evil spirit in her? Or did it tap into some ancient voodoo power? And that voice…it was soft and hissy, and it had scared the hell out of her. But there had been no one there when she looked, and it didn't seem as though Mey-Rin had heard anything…had she just imagined it? But it had seemed so clear in her head…and almost…familiar. She could've sworn she'd heard it somewhere before, but she just couldn't remember. It was right on the tip of her tongue…
Mey-Rin had wrapped a towel around her new friend and was just finishing braiding her hair when they heard another knock on the door. "Huh, I wonder who that is," Mey-Rin said to herself, going to answer it. Lilith shrank back against the wall and out of sight, wrapping the towel more tightly about her.
Mey-Rin opened the door to reveal a gray-haired, elderly man wearing spectacles and a clean suit. He was holding a good-sized white box in one hand and a steaming cup in another. "Good day, Miss Tucker," he intoned, respectfully bowing as much as his held objects would allow (obviously he'd seen her; she blushed crossed her arms over her chest).
"G-Good day," she faltered nervously. "Um…I don't believe I've met you before…?"
"I am Tanaka, the house steward," the man replied, smiling slightly. "It is a pleasure to meet you once more, Miss."
"O-Oh, Mr. Tanaka!" Lilith said in shocked realization. She ducked her head in embarrassment. "P-Please forgive me. I didn't recognize you…you seem…a little different…"
"It's quite all right," he smilingly assured her. He turned to Mey-Rin, holding out the white box. "Sebastian has asked that she wear these for the time being. When she's finished changing, please bring her to the Young Master's office."
Mey-Rin accepted the box gratefully. "Thanks, Mr. Tanaka. I'll be sure to – hey!" Lilith had grabbed her by the arm and yanked her over to the corner where she'd been hiding. "What's the matter?"
"Is that the same Mr. Tanaka from before?" Lilith asked under her breath. "He looks so strange…"
"Sort of," Mey-Rin whispered back. "That's Real Tanaka."
"R…Real…?"
"Yeah. Mr. Tanaka got injured a few years ago, so he's not able to do much work, but sometimes he gets enough steam to start moving around like normal. The steam only lasts about three minutes, though – oh, see, there he goes now."
Lilith looked back over at Tanaka. To her astonishment, the man was visibly deflating, steam leaking out of his pores. The steam cloaked him entirely for a moment, and when it cleared, the smaller, tea-sipping Tanaka was kneeling in the threshold. "Ho, ho, ho."
Lilith's jaw dropped. "Huh – what the…how did he…?!"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Tanaka!" Mey-Rin said happily, seemingly unconcerned with the steward's shrinkage. "We'll be there in a few minutes!" With that, she shut the door in Tanaka's deformed face; Lilith could still hear him chuckling even with the door shut. "Okay, shall we see what Mr. Sebastian's picked out for you?" Lilith, still stunned, could only nod mutely. Mey-Rin placed the box on top of the sink, opened it up, and…"Huh? That's weird…"
"What is?"
Mey-Rin pulled out a calf-length navy blue dress. "This is the same kind of thing I wear. Look, the apron and cap and everything is in there."
Lilith took a look in the box – sure enough, white lacy fabric was folded neatly inside the box. "Hey, you're right…that is weird. Maybe it's the only thing around?"
"Or maybe the Young Master is going to let you work here!" Mey-Rin gushed excitedly. "Ooh, that'd be so great! We could use another hand around here, and I'd love to work with a friend!"
Lilith looked up at her hopefully. "You think so?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out! Let's get all this on…"
Ten minutes later, Lilith was looking over herself in the washroom mirror, impressed. She was now wearing a the navy dress, a lacy white pinafore, knee-high lace-up boots, and a frilly white mop cap over her braided hair. "Wow…this looks great!" she murmured, turning around to catch every angle of herself.
"Yes, you look really professional!" Mey-Rin agreed, hands joyously clasped together. "It's a great look for you, Lilith!"
"Everything was a perfect fit, too," Lilith recalled out loud, frowning a bit in consternation. "I wonder how Mr. Sebastian knew…"
"Maybe he measured you when he dressed you in the nightdress," Mey-Rin said jokingly.
Lilith groaned and hid her reddening face in her hands. "Please don't say things like that. It's really embarrassing…"
Mey-Rin giggled girlishly. "Sorry, Lilith. Come on, we need to get to the Young Master's office." Taking her by the hand, she led her out the door and down the hall, passing by the still-deformed Mr. Tanaka ("Ho, ho, ho"). They went up and down several flights of stairs, through countless hallways, and even what appeared to be a secret passage behind one of the suits of armor. By the time they made it to the too-large mahogany door leading to the office, Lilith was quite out of breath.
Mey-Rin knocked on the door, looking a little nervous. "Y-Young Master? I've brought Miss Tucker back…"
"Send her in," Ciel called out shortly, "and then get back to work."
"Y-Yes, Young Master!" Mey-Rin stuttered, saluting.
"Uh, Mey-Rin, he can't see you behind the –" But Mey-Rin had already rushed off. Lilith sighed softly, straightened her pinafore, and cracked the door open anxiously. "Uh…M-Master Phantomhive…?"
"Come in."
Lilith obeyed, looking around the room discreetly. The office was fairly large and quite cozy, thanks to the roaring fireplace (wasn't it almost summer, though?). One wall was covered in bookshelves housing thick encyclopedia-like volumes; the far wall wasn't even a wall at all, just white curtains covering an enormous window. There was an enormous painting hanging over the fireplace, showing a handsome, well-dressed young man with black hair riding a chestnut-brown horse. A large, neatly-organized desk was set up by the window-wall, behind which Ciel was seated in a fancy red-leather chair, looking through a stack of papers. Sebastian was standing behind and slightly to the left of the chair, waiting for an order.
Lilith approached the desk and curtsied clumsily. "Y-You wanted to see me, Master Phantomhive?"
Ciel shuffled the papers together and took a sip from the teacup placed next to him. "Have you remembered anything else?" he asked, eyeing her sternly over the rim of his cup. Sebastian raised an eyebrow in interest.
Lilith shook her head sadly. "No…nothing yet."
Ciel sighed exasperatedly. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. We're just going to have to keep you here until you do remember. We can't afford letting you out of our sights and risk the killer getting his hands on you." His stare became cold, and Lilith felt herself shiver. "However, this is a place of business. I won't stand for dead weight in my mansion."
Lilith winced. "Y…Yes, Master Phantomhive, I understand…"
"There was a suggestion presented to me –" He glared at Sebastian out of the corner of his eye. "– that since you are accustomed to work and four of my servants are complete imbeciles, I should hire you as a second housemaid."
Lilith's eyes widened. "You…you really mean it?"
Sebastian stepped forward, his red-brown eyes twinkling. "As the maid of the Phantomhive manor, it will be your duty to ensure every aspect of this mansion is in perfect shape. Your main tasks will be cleaning and washing, but you may be called upon to help Baldo in the kitchen or Finnian on the grounds. When guests arrived, we will look to you to see that everything is trim and spotless so as to impress our visitors and preserve the Phantomhive name. It will be a difficult task, to be sure – much pressure shall be put upon you, especially since some of our other servants are…shall we say…less than competent. However, we will provide you with food and protection from those who wish to hurt you." He smiled. "Is that favorable to you, Miss Tucker?"
"O-Oh, yes!" Lilith replied, eyes lit up in happiness. "Thank you so much! I promise I'll be a good maid! You won't be disappointed, Master Phantomhive! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Ciel glared impatiently at her. "Wait. It's not like I can just wave my hand and hire you like that; my last three employees proved to be the biggest flock of idiots I've ever met, and I'm not going to make that mistake again. The Phantomhive family is the best of the best, and as such, will only hire the best. Starting tomorrow, you'll go through a training period in which you learn everything you need to know about serving me. At the end of the training period, if you have proven yourself to be competent, then you may stay. However, if it turns out that you're just as much of an idiot as the others, then investigation or not, you're out. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Lilith Tucker?"
Lilith swallowed thickly. "Y…yes, Master Phantomhive."
He smiled humorlessly. "Good. Work hard, then, and prove yourself worthy to serve the Phantomhives. Sebastian, take care of her training – I don't trust the others with something this complex."
"Yes, My Lord." He turned to Lilith, his ever-present smile widening slightly. "Well now, Miss Tucker, it appears I shall be your mentor for the next few weeks. I'm afraid I must warn you: I am not a very patient teacher."
"Th-that's okay. I'm a quick learner…I think. And I won't let you down, Mr. Sebastian, I promise."
"Excellent. Your training shall begin tomorrow, when you have fully recovered." He bowed low and took one of her hands in his. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you into our noble service, My Lady." He brushed his lips against her hand, and Lilith's cheeks once again flared red. Ciel merely rolled his eye.
And just like that, that nameless, faceless girl had a purpose. Until the time came in which her memories returned, she would train hard and become a maid worthy of the noble Phantomhive family.
Next chapter, we'll get into Lilith's training and maybe so far as to reach episode 1. Reviews?