The Condition

Chapter 3

Tanaka Persists

Not a single dust particle was present in any corner of any room, in any object there was in the manor. Nothing changed. Not a single bit. The furniture was the same and even placed in the same manner as they were since he could remember anything. Sebastian did a good job yet again.

"Can't you remember, Young Master?" The demon butler's voice rang in his head. What was it he cannot remember? He was getting tired of having his memory lost. Sebastian obviously was not allowed to tell him and was only giving him hints. Well, this was a game. He knew he was good at games. And he was going to find out. On his own.

Now that Lizzy did not need any saving anymore, he had fewer problems.

As he walked through the many eerie halls of his home—or what was the replica of it—he noticed the vibe of…something. There was something else in there. Wasn't this mansion empty?

Suddenly, as he strolled down the hall with the many guestrooms of his property, he heard a ruffling sound behind him. He stopped his steps and took in all the things in his peripheral view and behind him. Having been a demon, his senses were sharpened. He felt so energized that he did not even need to sleep anymore. He did not need to rest. In fact, he felt restless all the time. He felt his inhumanity. And he knew it was real.

The noise was getting louder. And, anon, he realized that noise was actually footsteps. Almost dragging. So, it was not just Sebastian teasing him.

"Who is there?" He asked, hearing the footsteps getting louder and…nearer. He turned around and identified the sound to be coming from the door on left wall. His eyebrows crossed as he caught the sight of the doorknob turn and the door open. Like letting him hang in suspense, the owner of those footsteps showed himself quite slowly.

But when Ciel finally saw him, his facial expression switched to something that displayed shock and awe. It explains the dragging movement.

Tanaka, his father's butler. The one who risked his mortal life for him. He was still here.

But he looked so weak now. Even weaker than before he announced his "death". He seriously needed a cane but he did not use one. Well, he was pretty old. And the stab he got…

"Tanaka," Ciel called, feeling his feet getting stuck on the ground. The old man carefully turned his head towards him and smiled. Despite the fact that he was left alone in this huge, lonesome manor, he had the strength to even throw him his little sign of happiness. Of which Ciel never showed him.

"Oh!" the butler exclaimed, starting to bow as low as he could. For the first time ever, Ciel wanted to tell him not to. But he could not bring himself to say it. It was like he was frozen. What was happening to him?

"Master Ciel, you are here!" He continued, rising back up. "I was just cleaning that guestroom for Lady Elizabeth's next visit here in case she stays overnight."

With this, Ciel was left stunned. What was he talking about? It was like he was living the same day all over again. He could prosaically remember that day in his childhood when he saw Tanaka come out of the same room and telling him the same thing. He and Lizzy were playing hide and seek at the time and he was left looking for her all over the whole manor. She was quite good at playing games. And that left him challenged all the time.

When Ciel finally snapped out of it and was able to find his deepened voice, he told his butler, "Why don't we take a seat first," turning around to walk to the lounge room, now with his back to him, he informed him, "I have questions."

"Yes, Young Master," The older one said, placing his hand on his chest and bowing—just like Sebastian did.

Again, Ciel just wanted to stop him from doing that.

Clean the library: Check. Checked the plumbing: Check. Renewed the candles: check. Next up: tea for his Young Master.

Sebastian considered himself to be a very patient butler ever since he was given the name he had now. He followed his master's orders, practically raised him, protected him, cleaned up his mess, cleaned up the other servants' mess and took care of the manor with all his demonic might. And now that they have returned to the mortal world, he was going to resume doing those. But this time he was up to something else. Something that was not an ordinary opportunity for butler who came from hell just like him. He was somewhat torn between that opportunity and his duty to Ciel because of that opportunity's rules. Yes, it was the game that Ciel was playing. Sebastian was going to get even now. After everything he went through to get his soul…

Yes, there was a rule saying that he was not allowed to get very involved. He was to remain the gamekeeper, the referee. Sebastian was about to get his awaited rest as the demonic butler and be the normal butler.

Oh, Ciel was going to taste it now.

"W-where are the others?"

They were now in the lounge room where he wished to conduct their conversation. They arrived there from a long walk with the young Earl walking briskly while the old butler did so in a limited and stiff manner. When Ciel offered him a seat instead of letting him stand up like servants are supposed to do, he hesitantly accepted it and thanked his superior.

The adolescent boy found the task more difficult than what he thought. Tanaka was not coordinated anymore and he did not tell him the answers that he needed. This was not particularly his fault though. His mind was deteriorating and his memory was slowly being wiped out by age. It took a many a moment and a number of sighs from Ciel before he thought of possible things that could rouse the old man's latest memory back. Or rather, his memory three years ago.

"Tanaka, do you even remember them? Mey-rin, Bardroy and Finnian?" he asked, but Tanaka merely cocked his head to the left and looked really clueless. Ciel sighed yet again.

"I am afraid not, My Lord." He answers. Ciel manages to conjure up another trick question from his sleeve yet again.

"Do you remember Madam Red's funeral? Her death?"

"Oh, I did not know she has departed. I thought I saw her just a while ago in the garden with Lady Rachel…" His voice drifted off as Ciel looked away. The boy shook his head and continued.

No. This is not the time to be contemplating something out of the mission at hand.

Alas, it was not working. It was as if his loyal butler had remained stuck in time when the original Phantomhive mansion was still standing and not this imitation. Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was not progressing at all. He knew he had to do this all on his own. Sebastian was now out of the picture. Yes, he knew that. So, he it was just damn necessary to get Tanaka to tell him where the others were. Or at least tell him what happened.

As the saying goes, the unexpected always happens. Tanaka began chuckling. Ciel just looked at him, thinking that maybe the old man just thought something cheerful. But all of a sudden, that chuckle became a laugh. And it got louder and louder as if he was the most hysterical thing in the world.

Ciel's hand slowly shot to his side, carefully feeling for his trusty gun. This was probably just a hoax. Another dark crime that was not usual. Like that Bizarre Dolls case. And whoever the culprits are, they were using his most trusted butler. That made him hesitant to even point the weapon to him. Just perfect.

But then the laughing stopped and cries of anguish replaced it. Not for long, it got so hard that the old man fell from the settee and onto the carpeted floor. He knelt there, covering his wrinkled face with his pristine clean white gloves.

"Tanaka," Ciel whispered starting to get desperate. He was starting to run out of ideas as to how to deal with the situation. But like the butler answered the call, he looked up to Ciel with his hands shaking vigorously.

"I c—could not," he said, his worn out voice shaking just as excessively.

"You could not what?" he coaxed. He was getting there.

"I could not save them."

That gave him slight idea of what really happened. But he wanted more. So he asked, "Save them?"

"I cannot wake them, My Lord!" he exclaimed, tears falling down from his eyes that were shut close. "Something—something unnatural made them do it. They just walked away—lifeless! Like the dead. I did not know what to do, nor do I know what happened. But their eyes were literally blank. I—I tried to hold them. But each one of them pushed me away. Time has weakened me and I am afraid I am useless now, My Lord. Forgive me."

"No."

Tanaka opened his eyes and looked at his lord. Ciel was looking at him intently. A look that reminded him of someone. It was a look that the former head of the household, Lord Vincent, would give him or anyone else.

It just came out of his mouth. He was not even aware of what he was doing. He was getting out of character, alright.

"You are not useless, Tanaka. Sit back down. Tell me, why did you stay?"

Obeying his order, he sat back down and wiped his tears using a handkerchief he pulled from his breast pocket. And with the greatest timing anyone could have, Sebastian, clad in the darkest butler uniform the Phantomhive servants could ever wear, strutted inside, pushing the food cart with the tea cups, tea pot and the finest pastries England has before he could utter a thing.

Ciel sighed, closing his eyes as Sebastian placed the sliced brown delicacy in front of him. "For this afternoon, Sir, we have Gateau au Chocolat et aux Amandes also known as the classic Chocolate Cake with Almonds. And," he went back to his cart and got another small plate with another slice and delivered it to the person his master was talking to. "For you, Mister Tanaka."

As what was expected, the servant just stared at the higher ranking servant serve him. Not long after, his eyes shifted from the man serving tea to the man sitting forward facing him. That man was sitting up straight, closing his eyes as he sipped his Earl Grey. This man was not someone he entirely knew. But somehow… he thought he already did. His eyes were reverted back to the other man as he received the offered cup and saucer with the same content as his master's. He muttered, "Thank you," before seeing the other butler smile at him, stand up straight and stand behind his superior. He remembered doing this before.

Ignoring the meticulously sweltered pastry and finishing the strongly brewed beverage, he handed the china to the waiting butler behind him and gestured, "Go on," to the person he was talking to.

"Yes," Tanaka cleared his throat and continued, "You see, Young Master, I made a promise to your father."

There was a pause. Neither he nor Ciel—and especially not Sebastian—said a word. But that moment passed. And the youngest person in the room asked, "And what was that?"

Ciel saw a kind smile grace the old man's face. "I will never leave your side. I will stay loyal to this household and its head for as long as I live. I vowed in God's name and I vowed with your father's presence. He trusts me beyond his death. And I do not intent to disappoint him. And you."

It was not a very big shock for Ciel anyway. But he could not help but look away and breathe deeply. His thoughts were rallying to his mind for a few moments but like how the losers fell as the victor ascended, just one thought emerged to his psyche.

"Then there is an order I have for you."

Sebastian smirked as he sensed the absence of his name in the sentence.

Hi! Thanks for reading. I should say that as I write chapter after chapter, it gets more difficult every time. And I'm loving it, alright.

I love Tanaka so much. Is it obvious? Hehe. His character is by far my favorite.

I hope you like it! Please review. :D