Chapter Four:
Curious Boy

The horses snorted as they pulled up in the front of the modest home of that little girl. Sebastian stepped out quickly and helped down his young master. He then gave an instruction to the driver and the driver nodded and said he will return in an hour. The driver cracked the horses with a whip and yelled. The beasts, obeying, moved away from the property, leaving the pair behind.

Ciel scowled when his butler gave him a secretive smile. Somehow, Sebastian had gotten an idea in his mind that Ciel may like this Kagome Luscius-Higurashi slightly more than an acquaintance. After all, he dressed a little more engaging than usual, especially since it was only a dinner. Honestly, was he not allowed to make his own fashion choices?

The little girl did save him from being trampled in half after all.

Sebastian knocked on the door and wait for someone to open the door. It opened immediately by the Higurashi's butler, the smile large and cheerful upon his face, "Welcome!"

The intriguing sapphire-emerald earrings gleamed from under the light, as they noticed that Shippou had indeed neatened himself up. His long hair was in up-knot, rather than its earlier low ponytail, and he made sure that most of his fringe were away from his face. This new fashion choice made his earrings more visible than usual.

The redheaded butler allowed them inside and led them to the diner room, where the young girl awaited.

"Ah, here we are." Shippou smiled, as he opened the door and allowed the pair to enter before him. Ciel blinked at the sight of Kagome sitting at an end of a long table, looking quite dainty. Sitting right next to her was a tall, thin elderly man with long precisely combed white hair in a low ponytail. His pressed dark-colored suit made him look younger than he really was. Ciel absently noted that he was not of English origin, but instead from Eastern.

The old man looked at them, cold curiosity shone through his aged eyes, as he was raking his trimmed silver goatee thoughtfully. He stood up and approached them, his hand out to him for a handshake, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Phantomhive. I've heard many things about you. I'm Mr. Alden Lusicus-Higurashi, my darling Kagome's grandfather." That chilling, thoughtful look was gone from his face, only to be replaced by a cheerful look, similar to what Shippou often employed.

"It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Luscius-Higurashi." Ciel politely accepted his hand and shook it.

The old baron shook his head, "Oh, no. Luscius-Higurashi is rather mouthful at times, so I'd insist you call me whatever you feel comfortable with, Mr. Phantomhive." He smiled as he let go of the smaller hand.

"Alright then, Mr. Higurashi." He nodded, just as the old man turned to his butler.

"Ah, you're Mr. Michealis, the butler, correct?" Ciel thought Mr. Higurashi had a cold look in his eyes but it vanished so quickly that he thought he must have imagined it.

Sebastian smiled warmly as he nodded, "Yes, but as I'm a mere butler before someone of high-ranking, it'd be more proper to call me something less formal, Mr. Higurashi." The old man had rather strong grip for his age, he thought, when he finally released him from the shaking.

"I understand." The old baron smiled so warmly, the grandfatherly nature finally came to him. Ciel felt all fuzzy at that as all young children, no matter how damned they were, would under a loving grandparent. Pity he never had one, as all of his own grandsires died before he was born.

Mr. Higurashi then quickly hustled them to their seats, Ciel sat right next to his quiet granddaughter and his butler sat next to him (though Sebastian protested and insisted he'd stand, as he was of lower-ranking. The baron had none of it and forced him to take a seat, as to avoid to being rude to their host-Ciel agreed.). Ciel took a full glance at the tiny child and wondered on her new odd outfit.

He never saw that type of clothing before and the closest he ever saw to it was a Chinese kimono that a certain someone took a liking to wear on special occasions. It looked very good on Kagome and he complimented her on that, as a gentleman should.

She seemed to flinch at that slightly but otherwise remained quiet. Her skin again flushed with pale red. Her eyes were down casted to the table to were her cat toy sat.

Of which it reminded him...

"Ah!" Ciel gestured to his butler to give him something from a bag Sebastian had with him. The older man obeyed, pulling out an item from it, and handed it over to his young master, "Ms. Higurashi, I've gotten you a gift." Ciel showed her a white cat, a total opposite to the one that sat in front of its owner in colors.

Kagome perked up after she glanced to the item.

"I ordered a swift production on this one, since it was no longer in the making. The newest and the final White Valentine Cat, for you." Ciel hummed, watching the small girl closely for reaction.

Kagome shifted somewhat before she picked up a hand that was once on her lap and reached over to pick up her newest addition to her collection. The Funtom's owner was utterly surprised when the girl actually spoke to him, "Thank you." Her voice was hard to hear, being as it was very low and weak, yet her grandfather beamed at that. The redness of her skin turned few shades darker.

"That's a surprise." Shippou commented out, at which Ciel had to look up, "How so?"

"Well, I did tell you that she was not very fond of strangers, did I not? It would take months for someone to hear the little miss to actually speak. This was the fastest response I've ever heard from her to someone she was only in acquaintance with." The red-haired butler explained.

Mr. Higurashi was giddy; he got up and hugged Kagome like a plush animal, squealing in a foreign language to her. Kagome was slightly annoyed but otherwise blank-faced, only seemingly interested in the newest toy she had been gifted with. She placed it next to her black cat and compared it. She ignored the arms that surrounded her as doing so.

Ciel and Sebastian blinked at the old man's antics. Shippou merely let out a sheepish chuckle. "Is this the norm of Mr. Higurashi?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes. He's very devoted to milady. Mr. Higurashi always tried to get her to open up but she was always quite…" There the foxy butler seemed to struggle to find a perfect word, "unapproachable at times, preferring her companions, often Kirara, than to meet with friends and strangers." He enlightened. Ciel shuddered at the fact that they had a tiger as a pet in their home.

He quickly scanned around the room to see if that animal was nearby. So far he hadn't seen any tail or fur from her. He was thankful that that huge cat didn't bother to show up or was put up elsewhere, otherwise his allergies would act up.

"May I ask why she was so…unapproachable?" Sebastian was curious. His master was too, but wasn't sure it was something to ask. The old baron didn't seem to be listening, his squealing most likely blocked his hearing from doing so. The girl still stared at her new gift with rapt interests instead of paying attention to everything that occurred around her. She seemed very oblivious to the fact that the old man was practically squeezing the life out of her in her seat.

Shippou gave them a cold smile, "I should get to the meals. Please pardon me." He completely avoided the question into the favor of serving them their dinner. He bowed to them then he quickly disappeared beyond the door, his tailcoat whipped soundly into the air into his rush.

Sebastian's bright eyes narrowed with curiosity at the fact of the male's quick avoidance to his question.

Ciel frowned, glancing at the tiny child and wondered at any reason why she was so…'unapproachable', as her servant put it. He didn't really think her like so, just assumed she was rather shy or perhaps she was mute. He only met her, he could not judge until he knows more.

Now that he thought about it…Her eyes were always down. Her face was literally impassive. Her body language were often about avoidance.

And she reminded him of himself…

Ciel's eyes widened a notch and wondered if there's something in her life that made her to be that way. But as it was their first meeting and possibly the last they will ever encounter each other again, he can't judge.

But oh how he hated being curious.

The old baron finished squealing over his granddaughter and went back to his seat, a huge smile on his weathered old face, "I must thank you, Mr. Phantomhive! I'd never seen my darling to be so taken to someone so quickly!"

"Ah…I don't think I deserved it, Mr. Higurashi. Perhaps it was just over the Cat I gave her in return for saving my life the other day." He coolly stated.

Sebastian smiled, "Ah, so modest. Perhaps she took a liking to you, Young Master."

Mr. Higurashi nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, that must be it! She never had taken to anyone that quickly!"

"Ah…If you insist, Mr. Higurashi."

"Oh, no. You can call me Grandfather, if you like. Everyone younger than me usually does and I don't mind." He encouraged.

"I think it'd be better to be formal."

The baron shrugged, the smile still plastered on his face, "So…Anything you like to discuss about? Kagome is sure to listen in but she won't say a word into anything, I don't think."

Sebastian had few questions, "I'm curious about the young miss' age, if I'm not intruding on anything…She looks awfully young yet she behaves mature for her age, albeit rather quiet."

"Ah, she recently turned twelve. Her birthday is in December, the sixteenth." The old man answered cheerfully.

Ciel blinked at that, it was two days after his own birthday! Sebastian was also fascinated at that fact and made it known, "Ah, Young Master's birthday is a mere two days before that!"

"Isn't that very interesting, Kagome-chan?!" The grandfather exclaimed out to his soundless granddaughter. Kagome merely nodded in response, her eyes still lingered on her newest plush toy. It was totally opposite of her black one. What was blue on Damien was green on the white one, including the eyes.

"Kagome-chan?" Ciel blinked at that foreign saying.

"Oh, it's just an affectionate way to call them as your cute one, I supposed. You see, I was born in Japan and my granddaughter is part Japanese, so our culture is slightly different from what you usually see today, with the other nobles." Mr. Higurashi explained. He still had a huge smile on his face.

"Ah." Ciel nodded; it was a very interesting information. No wonder the young girl was such a beauty-hardly anyone would have such a luscious black hair, dark colored eyes, or very fair skin as hers. Japanese women were known very well for their petite beauty for hundreds of years.

However, there were some traits not associated often with her Asian heritage; such as the color of her eyes, which were very dark blue (though it's hard to tell at times but if one looks closely enough…he'd thought it dark gray or even black), which were a rare find in any of those with Japanese blood running through their veins, and her curling hair where most had only straightest of hair.

She was still quite a beauty. He looked away and listened in the chat between the old man and the surprisingly talkative Sebastian. Some he was amused at, others he was already bored of. Most of the time they were talking about him, Kagome, on their hobbies and such.

He was surprised that Kagome would give a reading, a tarot reading, to people that asks nicely enough. Ciel mused over the fact that maybe he can ask sometime, just for the curiosity's sake. The old baron actually ran many of local and chain stores and markets, especially in foods and fashion.

He then decided to join in the conversation, asking business questions, always making sure to take a glance at Kagome when he could.

Shippou appeared with cart filled with food and drinks, apologizing for the slight delay. He swiftly set up the meals on the table. He then filled each of the plate with the food of their requests and filled their cups. Shippou stood back with the cart, smiling.

They said their gratitude to him before they went to savor the meals. Kagome was quiet and carefully took a bite at a time. Ciel realized that the meal was pretty good, something definitely a match to Sebastian's cooking. An inhumanly match that is. As he ate, he grew to wonder if there is indeed something very off about this tiny family in the small manor.

Time passes in silence as they completed their dinners and it was time for dessert.

"Ah, this is Raspberry White Chocolate Angel Food! I sincerely hope you enjoy it!" Shippou exclaimed, after he finished serving each of the member their dessert. Kagome was first to dig in, slowly and dexterously, with a small bite at a time. She definitely seemed to be fond of this sweet. Ciel and Sebastian agreed, both liking the taste of this cake (then again, it was hard to tell exactly on how Sebastian felt about it). Mr. Higurashi smiled and praised Shippou for his wonderful meals he served them.

In mid of halfway finishing his cake, Ciel heard a commotion outside and stopped, "What's going on?"

Mr. Higurashi scowled when he recognized a screaming woman's voice and stood up from his seat, chucking down his napkin on his plate angrily, "That cursed woman! Does she not know the meaning of not being welcome?!"

He stormed out of the diner room. Shippou frowned and turned to follow the older man. Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other and found their curiosity to be greater than their patience to wait it out, and stood up to follow. Ciel looked back and saw Kagome frowning, plucking the pair of her Cats off from the table and settled them on her lap.

She hugged the pair, looking very lost and unsure.

He didn't want know-he didn't know her. Ciel looked away and trailed behind his butler as they went out of the door.

Kagome looked up, seeing only empty spaces, and released a heavy sigh.

"What a cruel woman she is, my little lady." Damien spoke out, sympathy in its' masculine tone.

"So she is." The nameless White Cat agreed; her voice feminine and soulless, "That woman does not deserve to exist."

"Yes, Lilith, I very much agreed with you." The Black Cat stated out. Kagome's frown went deeper. She pushed back her chair and got up, and followed everyone's lead with both of her Cats in her hands.

THELOVELESS

Ciel and Sebastian stopped a staircase as Shippou and Mr. Higurashi raced toward the intruder. There was a blond woman struggling against the tall, rough-looking male whose hair color is equally as rough and odd. She shouted, angrily demanding, "Let me go! I need to see her!"

"Oh, yeah? To beat her into her death? Back off, lady! You ain't welcome here, and you know it!" The pale-haired male complained, as he twisted the lady's arms into her back, painfully, to keep her from struggling against him farther. There was a snarling long-furred black dog standing beside him, looking so much like a wolf hunger for lunch.

The woman snarled, "You fool! Don't you know that she bring curses?!" When she made an eye contact with Kagome few feet away, she glared. Kagome flinched. Ciel saw and his lips slightly curled to down, unsure of what was going on.

Mr. Higurashi ran to her , grabbed her upper arms and thrust her violently out of the door, "Don't you dare to call my lovely child a curse! Kikyou! Sic her!" The dog barked, obeying the master, and bolted out of the manor to chase her off the property. The woman screeched out from the fright and ran to the door to outside. She threw it open and raced to the awaiting carriage beyond the gate, with the dog nipping on her heels.

The animal stopped before the gate, barking feverishly at the runaway carriage, thick white drools easily flowing from the teeth. The dog soon calmed and trekked back to the home when it was sure that the trespasser was gone. "You're a good girl, Kikyou." The pale-haired man cooed when he kneeled before her and petted her affectionately. The huge black dog wagged her short, stub-like tail as the attention was bestowing down to her.

"Yash, what happened? How did she get in?" The old baron was unhappy and he wanted answers.

The rugged male frowned (he had a red bandana over his head, Ciel noted), "I was working on clearing out some bad weeds when I saw her breaking in, boss." He gestured to a broken window, irritated.

Mr. Higurashi nodded, frowning, "Good job, Yash. Shippou, see to it that Kagome's okay."

"Yes, sir." The red-haired male bowed to him, turned to the staircase, and climbed up the stair slowly and steadily. Weight was noticeably showed on his shoulders.

On that name, Ciel looked next to him and blinked when her presence was gone, absent. He snapped his head upward and saw her disappearing in the darkness in a hallway upstair, "My, my, was that a little harsh, Mr. Higurashi? Sending a dog after her?" Sebastian commented out, not moving from his position next to his young master. He found it absolutely hilarious.

Mr. Higurashi looked up, a deep frown on his face, "I'm so sorry that the good mood was shattered. That woman wouldn't stop-so the hard lesson was needed." He then walked up the stair when he saw that Shippou was gone to where Kagome had disappeared to.

"Who was she?" Ciel couldn't help but to ask.

"…No one of the importance, Mr. Phantomhive." The old man stated. He then checked the grandfather clock close to them, "Oh, isn't almost time for you two to go home?"

Sebastian nodded, "Ah, so it is! May we at least bid our farewells to the little miss? I'm sure that Master will like that." Ciel blanched at that and glared at him. Sebastian merely smiled.

"Ah, I'll lead you there. Yash, please go back to work. I'll make sure that Shippou will serve you your dinner in a moment." Mr. Higurashi called out to the man down below.

"'Course, boss." He complied and called for Kikyou to follow him back outside. The animal obeyed and pranced with a proud gait behind him.

The baron of Higurashi gestured the pair to follow him as he lead them to a room where he was sure Kagome was in, "Ah, here we are." They stopped before a closed door in a hall. Mr. Higurashi knocked on the door, "Kagome? Mr. Phantomhive and Mr. Michealis would like to bide their farewells to you."

Ciel swore he heard something odd before the old man knocked the door. He waited to see Kagome, making sure to remember to share this tad bit of information with Sebastian when they're back to their carriage.

The door opened and Shippou stood between the doorways with the knob in his hand, "If you pardon the…mess, milady wouldn't mind seeing you off." He moved out of the way and gestured the pair to enter the room. Ciel gaped at the sight of his products, his creations, his plush animals he created within his company, were every-bloody-where. The huge Sourbear was backed against a corner to the tiniest SpicyMint mouse perching on a shelf against a wall. They practically swallowed the entire walls of the room (though they are actually organized and not exactly a mess like the butler referred it as, at least he was kind enough to try and warn them).

"Wow, it seemed that the young miss is quite a collector, Young Master." Sebastian commented out. Ciel mutely nodded. He had heard of collectors, but never would he think that Kagome actually collected practically every single thing he had ever made (except the porcelain dolls and anything that resembled humans, he realized).

"Well, yes, Kagome adores the stuffed animals." Mr. Higurashi stated out as he walked past them and sat before Kagome. Her tiger curled around her on the canopy bed with the cloth suspended so to not conceal her from their views. Kirara growled, looking directly at them, with Kagome's fingers raking throughout her bright, striped fur. The child's dark eyes watched them wearily.

"Ah, ehm, it was very nice of you to invite us over for the dinner, Miss Higurashi. Thank you." Ciel bowed to the little lady. The tiger purred in the response for its' mistress, the tail swishing from the bedside. Kagome nodded before setting her head on the animal, her Cats laid in a heap on a corner of the bed. They were almost disguised by the suspended cloth.

Sebastian bowed to her too, told her how nice it was of them to invite the duo over for dinner and that dinner was delicious. He twitched, wanting to pet the tiger so badly when he saw her yawned cutely, with the tongue rolled back and giant fangs gleaming. He wished he were in Kagome's place, to be able cuddle up with her so freely.

"Sebastian, we're leaving now." He snapped back to the reality when he heard Ciel's voice and realized that he was now following Mr. Higurashi, leaving the butler behind. He looked back sadly at the tiger before went to catch up to his young master.

"Looks like he is very fond of tigers, it seems." Shippou sniggered, watching him vanishing from his view.

"…" Kagome had the tiger's large head on her lap with her face in her furs, "…Why are they so cruel?" She said nothing more. Her shoulders staggered.

Shippou closed his eyes, "I know, milady. I know…" He sighed.

THELOVELESS

Mr. Higurashi bided them farewell when their carriage left the property. Ciel shifted in his stiff seat and looking outside again, "Did you catch the rest of what that man says before we entered Ms. Higurashi's room?"

From the opposite side of the carriage, Sebastian looked at Ciel and nodded, "Yes. He was saying, 'I'm sorry, milady, but I'll see to it that she'll realize what a true curse is.'"

"This is getting more curious by the second, Sebastian. That girl is…" Ciel wasn't sure of what to call her but Sebastian chipped in, "Mystifying?"

Ciel glared at him, "Yes, she's quite puzzling."

Sebastian chuckled, "Well, we won't solve that puzzle for a good while. You're a very busy master after all."

"Tis' a pity…Don't you find her perplexing as well?"

"Of course. Her soul…is something I'd like to savor as well. I'm sure you'll be very interested to know that the there are many cracks in her soul. Just like yours." Sebastian smiled darkly.

Ciel's eyes grew wide and he snapped to him, "You don't mean…"

The demonic butler refused to say anymore, his smile still dark and sharp.