His Butler, Speculating

"What do we have here?" Claude asked dully, pulling the girl closer to better scrutinize her. She had a young face defined by sharp, aristocratic features, blue-grey eyes, and light blond hair.

"L-let go of me!" She demanded, trying to escape his firm hold. Her struggling was useless against the demon, who simply waited patiently for her to stop. Judging by her elevated accent, he guessed she was highborn.

"So, you killed Lord Trancy," he said, his monotone voice betraying no emotion.

The young woman in his hold frowned, her sharp, stormy eyes meeting his. Suddenly, she didn't look so innocent anymore.

"Why would I kill my own Uncle?" She demanded, her insulted demeanor seeming far too insisting to be genuine. "I'm not a murderer."

So, she is a relative of the deceased, he thought. "It would not be wise of you to lie to me," he warned, pulling her even closer and flashing her a glimpse of his pink demon eyes. "Besides, I have no interest in punishing you," he told her, their faces mere inches apart.

The young lady gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth to cover her shock. The revelation nearly caused her to collapse, but Claude had her propped up well enough.

"You really did come…" she breathed, her eyes wide as she remembered the boys in the dungeon talking about how to summon fairies who grant wishes. One of them must have actually conjured one. Perhaps it was the boy she found in Lord Trancy's room when she left the tea tray. "You are no fairy, though," she said, giving the handsome devil before her a distrusting look.

He let out a smug laugh. "No, I'm not."

"A demon, then?" She concluded, far calmer than expected.

The spider demon closed his seductive golden eyes, a pleased grin tugging at his lips as he nodded. When their eyes met again, he loosened his hold on her.

"Forgive my rudeness earlier, my Lady. I am Claude Faustus," he introduced himself.

The woman gingerly rubbed the area where he had grabbed her, thinking his last name wasn't in the least bit short of any irony. Though she was face-to-face with a demon, she was no longer intent on escaping him.

"I am Viola Druitt," she answered.

The demon before her bowed gracefully, "A pleasure, Miss Druitt."

Viola nodded curtly, thinking this was all quite bizarre. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to get a better grasp on the situation.

"My master ordered me to kill Lord Trancy. How did you come by doing it before me?" And before anyone else for that matter, he thought.

"My parents sent me here for the summer so they could go to Capri. I always thought Uncle was a reclusive, boring old man… tch, how wrong I was," she spat bitterly. "I knew he would never suspect I'd do anything to him. I was just a silly girl, not capable of anything. He expected me to be quiet and obedient- though I may have been the former, I refused to be the latter. That is how I killed him."

Claude knew her story didn't even scratch the surface as to what went on in this manor. She kept quiet about the details and he knew that was where the devil hid. There was something about her that piqued his interest. It wasn't her beauty; he has seen his fare share over the centuries to no longer be swayed by something so transient. Perhaps it was the mystery surrounding her; she seemed like a woman who wasn't going to give up her secrets easily. Maybe it was the promise of another high-grade soul after he was done devouring his master. Whatever it was, something about her kept him from killing her. Despite his slightly selfish reasons for staying his hand, he figured she could turn out to be of some use.

"The boy in Lord Trancy's room… is he your master now?" Viola asked. Claude could see the wheels seemed to be turning in her head as well.

"Yes, my Lady," he nodded.

Viola pursed her lips together, pausing for a moment.

"Is he alright?" she asked, a look of concern fleeted across her pensive face for but a moment.

"He will be," Claude assured her.

"Good," she nodded concisely. "I would like to meet him. There is something I would like to discuss."

The demon nodded, his golden eyes studying her briefly before leading her out of the attic. After all, he was a humble butler, who was he to refuse the request of a Lady?

AN: Review, favor, follow! Thank you so much for all of you who reviewed and have begun to follow my little story. I'm glad to hear you all expect big things because that's what I hope to deliver. Next chapter maybe Claude can glean a bit more from the precocious Viola Druitt. Also, of course, she meets Alois.