鳥なき里の蝙蝠

Tori naki sato no koumori.

"Danna-sama."

I breathe his name softly as I lay against the Darthmouth green of his elegant suit. Soft fingertips trace the cherry blossoms sewn along the edges of my furisode—a sea of dark blue. We are sitting in his office chair, hidden from the rest of the manor behind a set of rich mahogany doors. It is mid-afternoon, and the room is stuffy. Occasionally, a breeze would come through the open window to cool the stagnant air around us.

There are numerous stacks of white pages on the vast surface of the rich oak desk that is just within reach. My gaze washes over the round ink swirls imprinted on their surfaces owlishly. It is fascinating that the English alphabet consisted of only 26 letters.

The sun shines against the side of my face. Tilting my head, I spot the corner of an unopened letter that sits conspicuously to one side. It is from Lady Elizabeth. The bright wax seal imprinted on its surface gleans abruptly against the light. Furtively, I look away and lace my fingers through the Earl's navy blue hair.

Danna-sama pauses, delicate fingers shifting the thick pages of the Futom Company's quarterly financial report. The pages rustle rhythmically against the wind. There is an entertained twinkle in his cerulean eye as he makes an effort to follow my previous line of sight. Then, the Earl chuckles and strokes my cheek with his ringed hand. I open my mouth to feel soft lips brush against mine, warm and tender.

He tastes like blueberry scones and lemon tea. I lean into his delicate shoulders, a ringed hand pressed to the small of my back. For a moment, everything is still. The sound of our breaths mimics the quivering of butterfly wings in the still air.

Across the room, the grandfather clock strikes 4:00pm. It is Wednesday. Lord Chlaus would arrive later this evening.

"L-lady Sadayakko." I hear Meirin shuffle nervously at the door.

"Hai, chotto matte kudasai." I reply as danna-sama dips the damp surface of his lips against my neck. When I leave the room, there is a small but conspicuous red bruise near my collarbone.

The water is cool as I submerge my body inside the marble tub. Perfumed petals drift languidly between the floating strands of dark tresses that roll past my shoulders into the deep. I cup a flower in my hands, and stare unblinkingly at the short-lived reflection that peers back at me from the glossy surface.

"Y-you're so pretty, Lady Sadayakko." Meirin turns to me, putting away the comb that she had used to wash my hair.

I release the fluid weight from my palms, water cascading downwards like the trickle of a stream. She quivers as I reach out and push the glasses from her nose with a fingertip.

"So are you." I reply, looking into her eyes.

She blushes notably and I smile.


There are so many gold kogai in my hair—each of them a little sword resting snugly in its sheath. The wind grows stronger, and the metal strips of my bira-bira twinkle pleasantly in the cool evening breeze. We are sitting in the courtyard, surrounded by an ornate karesansui while Sebastian-san woos Lord Chlaus with an elaborate story about donburi. I resist the urge to snicker as our guest happily dishes out compliments. If only Chlaus-sama knew just how unceremoniously I had been interrupted earlier this afternoon from my bath for the sake of Phantomhive hospitality.

Danna-sama looks at me curiously from his seat at the head of the table. I give him a closed-lip smile and continue to pluck at the strings of my shamisen. The music is melancholic, varied and unmatched but ultimately befitting of the occasion.

Lord Chlaus tastes the usucha that I have prepared, and smiles widely. "This is excellent, Ciel!" He proclaims with a sweeping motion befitting Italian gentry. He is so caught up in his excitement that he does not see Meirin spill the wine or notice Sebastian-san snatch the soiled cloth from the table's surface.

The Earl, masking his surprise, produces a credible explanation and dinner conversation resumes smoothly. Acting as if I had not seen or heard the commotion, I continue to play until Tanaka-san escorts them into the manor at the end of my third piece. Sighing, I lean the instrument against my lap. After such a lengthy performance, my left hand throbs with pain.

A gloved hand cups my chin. I raise my head to meet a pair of ruby irises that smile down at me. "You have done well today, ojou-san." Sebastian-san says and presses my fingers to his lips. They are horribly red against the pristine white that covers his hand.

"The last line was not well-played." I admit reluctantly as he lifts me into his arms. My legs have gone numb from sitting in the same position for so long.

"It was beautiful, ojou-san." The perfect butler assures me in the same velvet voice that I am used to hearing. His beautiful face is close to mine, the tips of his dark hair brushing tenderly against me like soft black feathers.

Exhausted, I rest my head against his chest and close my eyes. Slender fingers slowly caress my jawline. "Please forgive me for subjecting you to such a troubling experience today, ojou-san." Cool lips murmur next to mine. "To require your assistance for tonight's dinner preparations, I have failed in my duties as the Phantomhive butler."

"Rakka eda ni kaerazu." I wrap my arms around his neck and say. (1)

A small laugh resonates from his throat.

"Kappa mo kawa nagare (2) desu-ka…" He supplements, kissing me.


Author's note:

1) Fallen blossoms do not return to the tree (meaning: what's done is done)

2) Even a water-spirit can be carried away by the river (meaning: even experts make mistakes)

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