Beyond Redemption
Chapter 3: That Voice, Sudden Crescendo
Evangeline left that morning after having agreed to tutor Ciel with playing the violin once a week. Personally, she mentally admitted to herself that he was, a bit of a brat in her opinion and did not want anything to do with him. Sighing, she thought back to the fact that she had a deal with Claude, and she was to see it through despite the consequences. Besides…what else has she got to lose?
"Hey! Everyone listen!," the theater troupe's director called the cast into a semicircle around him. "We have a new production!"
A bunch of "Ohs" and Ahs" erupted from the crowd while Evangeline just smiled. She aimlessly glanced around the theater, nodding occasionally from time and time again until the director turned to her:
"My dear, the public loves you!," he said, having burst into hysterical tears. "No more minor roles or fetching us our tea for you!"
'Wait, what?,' Evangeline thought in that brief moment of silence.
"Um, excuse me?-"
"You've got the lead!," he shoved a heavy book which was her script.
Getting a couple of dirty and jealous looks from the other chorus girls and prima donnas, Evangeline bowed with humility and simply said, "I won't disappoint you, sir."
A feeble applause followed the wonderful news and then started to decrescendo into almost nothing until Ciel Phantomhive himself (of course with Sebastian) made an unexpected visit.
"That is certainly good news for Ms. Clarkland.," Ciel kindly said to the theater troupe, putting on his 'nice noble' personality on. "She deserves it."
The director continued his conversation with the earl as Evangeline then turned away. On the inside, she was quite disgusted with the expectations that the poor Phantomhive heir had to act out in front of her. The foreign, unusually formal language she heard the boy speak towards the troupe almost made her twitch. His way of sugar-coating his speech really was sickening in her eyes. 'Honestly…,' she thought. '…the poor boy, having to take on the role of an English gentlemen at such an age.'
Ciel and Sebastian then gave one last look at her as she was making her way to the exit.
"Goodbye everyone!," she waved toward the rest of the troupe and the theater door slammed behind her. In the distance, she caught sight of Claude in disguise. 'Honestly? Now?...,' she sighed.
Walking into the shadows of the alley, she began, "Just what do you want now?"
"No need for an attitude, Ms. Clarkland.," Claude replied, handing her a neatly folded piece of paper.
"I assume that this is for Ciel, right?," Evangeline asked, glancing at it. "Hm, an invitation."
"Yes, now see to it that he accepts it.," and with that, he was gone.
"No, no, NO.," Evangeline shook her head.
Ciel was obviously pissed, holding up his instrument. "What am I doing wrong?"
She sighed, her hair starting to stand up and out-of-place. Before taking his instrument, she glanced at the clock: only 15 minutes to go… Propping the violin on her neck, she did some fine tuning before playing a more advanced tune.
Looking into Ciel's bored eyes, she said softly, "Play with…feeling…with your soul."
His eyes widened a little at the mention of that intangible thing that was to be Sebastian's when that time came… Then Monti's Czardas (A/N: Look for this on YouTube, it's AWESOME.)filled the room, a rich sound that ringed in the Young Master's ears, even his servants couldn't resist but to peek and see who the fine musician was. The long solo then ended, the friction between the rosin-infused bow and the strings making one last impression on those who had cared to listen. Then all of the clocks hung throughout the mansion rung the hour of three in the afternoon. Of course by now, Sebastian had returned from whatever errands or business that he attended to.
"A commendable performance, Ms. Clarkland.," Sebastian stepped into the room.
Taking a small bow, she handed the violin back to Ciel, and said, "Why thank you, but it is that hour when I must take my leave." She calmly walked past Sebastian, slipping the invitation in his hand whispering, "Oh, and the Trancy Earl simply insists that your Young Master attends his next ball, Mr. Michaelis."
He gave a death-glare at her back at her sly smiling face as she continued to walk away. It was final: he did not like her…not one bit. She was simply too unpredictable at the moment, her true intentions still unknown. Whether this could help or break his Young Master was forever a question. After making sure that she had left the premises, he returned to his master in his study.
"What's this?," Ciel asked as Sebastian presented the neatly folded the envelope.
"An invitation, as it seems…," he replied.
"From who?," Ciel continued, taking it, then he cringed at the name of the sender. "Alois Trancy"
"It seems so. But it was Ms. Evangeline that delivered it. Suspicious, isn't it?," Sebastian asked.
"Indeed, perhaps she's actually working for him, that deceptive bitch…," Ciel crumpled the invitation in disdain. "We could get her to talk next week-"
"Sorry, but we do have other business to take care of for the time being. I'll notify her that for the next few weeks, your lessons will be postponed.," Sebastian interrupted in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Fine, but while you're at it, get me some dessert."
"Ms. Clarkland,
Ciel Phantomhive's weekly lessons will be put on hold due to his duties as a respectable noble. Your services will not be required in the next few weeks or so. I will contact you when he has more leisure time to continue mastering his arts."
'Hmph. Arts my-,' Evangeline mentally retorted.
"Evangeline!"
Evangeline put the note in her pocket as she ran to her current 'Master,' Alois. She sighed, and then tied on her pure white apron, completing her new maid uniform. Carrying a tray down the hallway into the dining room, there was an impatient Alois.
"Your breakfast, Master.," she said without even looking him in the eye and slid the tray in front of him.
Alois then began swishing his eggs back and forth on the plate.
'The nerve of this boy!,' Evangeline angrily thought.
The sadistic, twisted child's actions stunned the woman. Never had she seen such an ungrateful person. Certainly even the emotionless demon triplets, patiently awaiting their master's orders, would've twitched at the fact that Alois didn't even appreciate their efforts!
"Enjoy, Your Highness.," Evangeline said mockingly, bowing, and turned to leave.
"Wait!," Alois called out.
…
"Send Hannah in."
"Certainly.," Evangeline shut the door behind her, Hannah was waiting outside. Giving her fellow maid a quick nod, Hannah went into the grand dining hall, slamming the door behind her.
Scoffing, she went on with her business in the Trancy mansion. Evangeline didn't exactly get along with Hannah, being an angel and her being a demon could only encourage further animosity between them. Personally, it was the demon maid's submissive behavior irritated her.
And it was that very pet peeve of Evangeline's that helped Alois pluck her right eye out.
"What were you thinking?," Evangeline scoffed as she bandaged Hannah's now empty eye socket.
…
"I…couldn't just defy my Master-"
"Hmph, the Phantomhive child is a lot more merciful than this kid.," she retorted.
Hannah gave no reply.
"Anyway, our 'Master' is holding yet another ball soon, and Ciel Phantomhive is coming.," Evangeline explained. "Apparently to him, it's quite important. Claude will be leaving on some kind of business and in that time, we have to continue our duties and preparations for the ball-"
"Will I have to-"
"Yes, apparently you and I are in charge of the entertainment that night.," Evangeline replied.
While Hannah remained inside the Trancy mansion, Evangeline assumed the role of gardener, as the demon triplets already had their hands full with preparing the meals and such. She had finally reached the back of the mansion, a secluded and isolated place, perfect for some self-reflection.
'Have I really made the right choice?,' Evangeline asked herself. 'Trusting a demon, or rather multiple demons, is totally against all that I've previously worked for… Am I really redeeming myself? Or am I really killing whatever is left of me on the inside?'
She was so caught up in her own thoughts, her hands slipped and were pricked by one of the roses that she was trimming. For a moment, Evangeline gawked at the small cut, but resumed working. Years of living among humans had made her imperfect, subject to the same mistakes and temptations of humans more than she ever was before. Evangeline thought of the small cut as a trivial matter, but new liquid bubbles of blood were emerging from her hand, beginning to trickle down. That's when she was caught by surprise as someone took her bleeding hand.
"My, clumsy now, are we?," the voice said in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone, almost mocking.
"I didn't expect for you to be returning from that errand so soon.," Evangeline plainly said, not paying attention to Claude gawking at her bleeding hand. Just how was he able to maintain an emotionless face while mocking her in his speech?
"Seems that your life among humans hasn't done you much good, hasn't it?," he asked.
"Depends on what you define as 'good,' although I don't expect much 'good' out of a demon such as yourself-," she stopped talking mid-sentence as the demon proceeded to lick the blood off of her hand. Both the physical contact and thought of it left her with a stinging feeling. 'Never have I met such an erratically behaving demon…,' Evangeline thought to herself. 'One moment he's completely emotionless, the next he's… well…' Even a former angel could not describe his nature in a single word.
Yanking away her hand, she asked, "Now what is it that you have to ask me? I'm clearly working."
"Nothing, I'm just keeping an eye on the Master's new maid.," Claude replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Well then, tell him that the gardening for the day is almost done, I don't need any extra help.," Evangeline picked up her gardening utensils and was prepared to be on her way.
"Just remember, you can't mess up on that high note tonight while you and Hannah perform.," Claude added just as she was about to step away. "If it goes up just one half step, you'll be jeopardizing the whole plan…"
The ominous warning was trivial in Evangeline's eyes. Perfection? Is that all he wanted? She'll blow the human audience's mind out without even breaking a sweat. "Fine.," Evangeline abruptly said, already walking away.
"You have to be the most interesting angel that I've come across, Ms. Clarkland.," Claude said. "Normally, they're so pathetic, aren't they? But you're different… Maybe I'll keep you around a little bit longer than planned…"
Evangeline had no idea of what the demon meant, but if it meant that she could finally leave him in the garden, she didn't care at the moment.
Hannah had rolled out the demonic instrument into the crowd and Evangeline's voice was ready to accompany Hannah's playing. She didn't need words, she could just vocalize throughout the whole thing and no one would give a damn. Once the pleasant song had started, the first party guests fell under Hannah's spell.
'Hmph, probably the weakest of heart are always the first to go.,' Evangeline mentally scoffed as she smirked on the outside.
Evangeline's vocalizing that harmonized with Hannah's notes only made the effects of the song more effective. Soon, more individuals in the crowd fell into madness at the song's sound. Where was that Phantomhive butler now? What was he going to about it now that Claude had provided a distraction earlier?
As if right on cue, Evangeline spotted the Phantomhive butler with her peripheral vision and shot a glare in his general direction. On the second floor of the huge ballroom, he had glasses filled with water ready, and soon tried to counteract Hannah's playing with his own makeshift instrument.
'I shall not be bested by his poor excuse for an instrument!,' Evangeline's anger burned within her.
She hit a higher note to fight back against Sebastian's countermelody. It wasn't working as more and more of the party guests were returning to normal instead of going into a rampage from the song. Evangeline took a short breath and hit an even higher note, shattering both Hannah's and Sebastian's instruments. The Trancy maid had collapsed as her instrument broke into a million pieces. Sebastian had escaped the melee of broken glass completely unscathed, as usual.
Claude came in too, as if on cue, to calm his own Master. But as the guests began to sort out the clutter and mishaps of the evening, Evangeline managed to catch a dark glare from the Trancy butler himself.
To be continued
