Chapter 1

The three servants stood before him with fear in their eyes. It didn't matter how hard they tried to hide it and keep their composure. The look on the butler's face said it all: they had screwed up, and this time it would not be so easily forgiven. Expensive items, broken. A once-beautiful garden that had been abundant in blooming flowers and healthy vegetation was now without a single living plant. And now the kitchen and every bit of food in it was now burned to a crisp, black shell.

"We're so sorry, Sebastian! We didn't mean to!" the three servants cried.

The butler shook his head. Of all the mistakes they'd made, these were—by far—the worst. They would take hours, if not days, for the able butler to repair all the damage, and that was time they didn't have. And of all days to mess the manor up, today had to be the worst.

"Really, now . . ." Sebastian muttered, "Lady Elizabeth and her family will be here within the hour for the Lady's birthday. These mistakes will not go unnoticed."

Finnian, Mey-Rin, and Baldroy nodded with their heads hung low. If they weren't going to be fired by their master, they were definitely going to be punished severely. They would probably have darts thrown at them or they were going to be beaten senseless.

"Sebastian!"

There was no bell; no notification from the house steward, Tanaka. There was only the angry shouts of the head of the house, Ciel Phantomhive. This definitely was no simple request for a sweet treat or to retrieve something. Ciel only yelled like that when there was a punishment to be had.

Sebastian sighed, "While I go tend to the young master, I want you three to clean up as much as you possibly can before lady Elizabeth arrives. I will help you clean up when I return."

The three servants nodded and dashed off and began to clean as if their lives depended on it, which they most likely did.

Meanwhile, Sebastian hurried to Ciel's study; where the angry shout had come from. He wasn't looking forward to whatever punishment he was about to receive, but he knew it would grow worse for him the longer he kept his master waiting.

"Sebastian!"

Another shout, and it was louder and angrier this time.

Sebastian hurried to the door and knocked on it abruptly.

"Get in here!" Ciel growled from beyond the door.

The butler entered his master's study and stood before him.

His master was no older than thirteen years old, but he held a great amount of power. It all might have been coming from his title as the Earl of Phantomhive and the Faustian Contract mark that was placed on his right eye—giving it a soft shade of purple in the color of his iris while the other was a demanding shade of blue—but it didn't change the fact that he was Sebastian's master and, therefore, the teens wants and need came before his own.

Simply by looking at him, Sebastian could tell this was going to be a long conversation. Both eyes held the flames of rage in them and his mouth was drawn into an inhuman snarl. He might have been half the butler's size, but his aggression he showed was enough to force him—a demon—to cave to his dominance.

"You idiot! How could you let this happen? Today, of all days, Sebastian!"

Ciel spat the words with a potent venom that weakened Sebastian's composure bit by bit. But he straightened his posture and lifted his head as he replied.

"I am sorry, sir. Those three have never made mistakes that were this bad. We're working on the clean-up and repairs, as we speak."

Something stung the side of his face. Ciel's hand made contact with the butler's cheek in an aggressive slap. The sound echoed throughout the room and the force of the blow left a light bluish-black mark there.

"One hour!" Ciel hissed, "Elizabeth is coming over in less than one hour, and there is nothing for her. The garden's a wreck, the mansion's a mess, and we don't even have any matching tea sets left. What do you expect to do about this?"

"I'm not sure, master," Sebastian confessed, "But I can assure you things will be ready in time for Lady Elizabeth."

Ciel delivered another slap to the butler's face and grabbed him by his tie, yanking him to his eye level roughly.

"One. Hour . . . You have one hour. I swear, if I have to deal with another temper tantrum from Elizabeth because of this, you will be punished."

"Understood."

Sebastian bowed once and left. His hand strayed to the marks left by the slaps he'd received. The marks were most likely caused by the rings Ciel had been wearing. He had never imagined the teen would strike him with his ring-hand, only making the message clearer that he was to correct these errors without fail.