The carriage ride over the next few hours was mostly silent, only the murmuring of the townspeople, the clopping sound of the horses' hooves upon the cobblestone, and the creaking of the carriage could be heard. Mittens rested carefully beside Sebastian unhappily on the bench. The anger towards Undertaker was brewing within him, the hatred resurfacing.

"That damn bastard put me into this stupid cat's body for almost four hundred years. That's completely unforgivable! Undertaker will face my wrath one day!" Mittens let out a small sigh, closing his eyes, feeling the vibrations of the motioning vehicle. Sebastian glanced at Mittens, wondering why he wasn't his usual happy self.

"Is everything okay with you?" Sebastian inquired.

Mittens looked up at him and gave a small nod of agreement.

"Are you sure? You appeared angry with the Undertaker."

The cat let out an angry growl, turning his head away from Sebastian.

"Very well... If you wish to be that way, I'll ask you again later when you can actually talk."

Mittens showed no response to what Sebastian had said, merely gazing at the buildings passing by, their figures blurred by the fast motion of the coach.

Back at the manor, Haricku was performing her duties silently, barely talking to anyone while the other four servants – Bard, Snake, Finnian, and Mey-Rin – were watching her, discussing amongst themselves.

"What do you think happened?" Bard whispered to the other three.

"Who knows?" said Mey-Rin. She gasped loudly. "But I did see Haricku and Mister Sebastian in the bathroom last night!"

"Doing what?" asked Finny.

"Goodness knows what! Haricku said that Mister Sebastian gave her a haircut... But it looks exactly the same!"

"Come to think of it...," Bard said, rubbing a finger along his stubble. "I didn't see Sebastian for about two hours last night..."

"I didn't see Haricku either after they got back from their carriage ride!" Mey-Rin added, standing on tip toe. "Do you think they are together!? …. Maybe they split up!"

"Are you sure? Says Wordsworth. I'm sure Suit was just helping Haricku with something in the bathroom, says Emily," Snake suggested with a small shrug.

"Like what?" Bard said, staring at Snake with a suspicious look. "Makin' doilies together? Oooh, how about scarves? Oh yes. Mister Sebastian totally helped Haricku get a hair cut."

"If Haricku got a haircut," Finny chipped in, scratching his head with a confused look. "He must be reeeeally good at makin' it look the same..."

"You nitwit... It was obviously a cover-up!" Bard replied loudly as he smacked the back of Finny's head. A soft "Ow!" soon followed as the gardener rubbed the now-present bump.

"Oh, please. Says Emily. There's nothing going on between the maid and the butler. That's the most cliché thing ever."

"Oh yeah?!" yelled Bard, puffing out his chest, standing straighter. "How many maids and butlers do you know that get together so often?"

"I don't. I read. Says Wordsworth." Snake shrugged, gazing at Haricku. "Everything has a logical reason behind it."

"How is this logical?" Finny looked up to Snake, batting his eyes a few times.

"It's not." With that, he turned and headed back into the kitchen.

"What a strange fellow," squeaked Mey-Rin.

"Strange indeed. I 'ave no idea why Mister Sebastian and Master Ciel brought him home..."

"He's just a poor soul down on his luck," Finny said assertively. "And us servants must stick together to protect the manor!" He smiled brightly, raising a hand in the air. "Let's put our worries about the butler and the maid aside and have a fun day cleaning, gardening, cooking and-... Whatever it is Tanaka and Snake do!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Mey-Rin and Bard, also pumping their fists into the air. All three hurriedly went about to their stations, working to the best of their ability.

Around noon, Ciel had taken a break from his studies and made his way down for lunch. Sebastian and Mittens had already been back at the manor for forty-five minutes and Sebastian was cooking up a storm, making a delectable dish of freshly sliced beef with a broth, vegetables, and rice, followed by a small helping of boiled cod, a rosemary, butter, and olive oil sauce drizzled on top with a slice of lemon adorning it. When Sebastian was satisfied, he put the dishes on a tray and pushed it out for Ciel, serving him rather quickly.

"Sebastian," Ciel started. "Are you in a hurry somewhere?"
"Yes, my lord. I need to be attending to things elsewhere."

"Such as?" Ciel asked, taking a sip of the tea Sebastian placed in front of him.

Sebastian merely smiled, tilting his head to the side slightly. "You shouldn't worry too much. I'll be taking care of it."

"If you're sure..."

"Indeed, sir. I am."

Ciel glanced at Sebastian, curious about his behavior. "Begone then. If you have more important matters to attend to, I wouldn't want to keep you."

"Thank you sir. You're so kind," Sebastian replied, a hint of sarcasm layered over a blanket of false admiration.

"Hmm... By the way, it seems like I've been hearing a cat that's been meowing its head off. YOU wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? Sebastian."

The butler kept his usual smirk on his face. "Why on earth would I know about a cat?"

"Just the fact that you always go after them whenever you see a mangy feline."

"I apologize for that sire, but I cannot help myself when faced with a cat."

"Whatever," grumbled Ciel as he rolled his eyes with a frowning sneer.

"Shall I take my leave now?"

"Yes, get out of here," Ciel ordered with the dismissal of his hand.

"Thank you, my lord." Sebastian turned around and briskly walked towards the doors of the dining room, exiting, then headed for Haricku's location. "How shall I go about asking her? She could be an asset on investigations, that's for sure. Even though I'm enough as it is... I can't have the Master unprotected while I fight." Sebastian paused a ways away from Haricku, who was cleaning windows in the den. "I suppose I should start by showing concern. Women love being concerned about."

"Haricku!" Sebastian smiled, walking over to her.

Haricku was standing on a ladder, getting the higher glass panes and she quickly turned to look at Sebastian, losing her balance from the sudden motion. The ladder tilted forward towards the window and Haricku was falling backwards, flailing her arms up and down, reaching for something to grab onto. Sebastian moved towards her in an instant, holding out his arms and positioned himself under the fall, catching Haricku in his arms.

The butler gazed down at Haricku and frowned lightly, saying, "Are you okay? That was quite a fall."

"I'm fine," Haricku quickly replied, blushing. She fidgeted in Sebastian's grip a bit, trying to get herself down.

"I'm not so sure I should believe you."

"Listen, if you're talking about what happened in the room earlier-"

"That is exactly what I am talking about," he said, walking towards the edge of the room, placing Haricku into a chair and sat beside her, crossing one leg over the other and smiled at the woman beside him. "I know I've been harsh to you the past few months, but I'd like to start fresh. How about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I realize my mistake in being a complete moron towards you and I wish to start anew, fresh, a clean slate." He smiled reassuring at Haricku. "What do you say?"

"What?... Where the hell is this coming from?" Haricku gave a hard stare at Sebastian filled with suspicion.

"Nowhere. … Okay. This morning I felt sorry for you. I never realized my being aggressively towards you would make you break down."

"Huh?... No... I wasn't... I wasn't in that mood because of you..."

"Then what was it?"

"It's... Just," Haricku started, shuffling her feet around, her gaze towards the floor. "Well... You see. I had two keep sakes from my father..."

"Mhm? … What happened to them?"

"I misplaced them..."

"What were they? Maybe I have seen them?"

"Oh... No... I'm not sure if you would have... It's two small objects and... They are hard to notice..."

"I see... Why are these so special to you? Is your father away on business?"

A lump formed in Haricku's throat and she hesitantly glanced towards Sebastian. "I- … He died with my mother."

"I'm sorry for your loss..."

"It's... It's fine. It happened so long ago anyway."

"It must be hard, though... Was it old age?"

"They didn't pass away normally. They were murdered."

"Is that so? Was the culprit ever caught?"

A sudden spurge of anger welled up in Haricku's chest as she glared at the tiled flooring, her hands clenching into fists. "No... They weren't... They are still at large."

"Is there anything I can do to help for the case?... I'm sure the evidence is still-"

"Just, stop. Please. They died well over fifteen years ago. Nothing can help them... I tried... I tried to help... But I couldn't do anything for them in the end! If you are done with your mind games, I'd like to get back to work!" She stood, turning away from Sebastian, hurrying away with a hand clamped over her mouth.

Sebastian remained in his seat, narrowing his eyes. "That was... Interesting. She said they were murdered and she tried to help... Yet she seemed angry too. Is the guilt still eating at her after all these years? Hmm... I can't make too many assumptions yet. I need to dig deeper. But... Where? More importantly, how?"

"Sebastian!"

The butler was pulled from his thoughts as he stood, heading for Ciel's calling voice. "Coming, Master!"

"Sebastian, I need you! Now!"

A sigh escaped from Sebastian's lips and he hurried faster next to Ciel and grimaced. "I was busy, sir. What is it you require?"

Two males dressed in all white had their backs to Sebastian when he neared Ciel. The teenage boy did not look happy towards the two men and glared at Sebastian when he came closer.

Charles Grey and Charles Phipps turned to greet Sebastian, who bowed towards them with a small smile. One more stoic than the other, and one more happier than the other.

"Hello. What is it I shall do for you?" Sebastian straightened up, a slight malicious smirk on his face.

Grey cleared his throat, grinning widely. "Hello butler. I am here-"

"WE are here, Grey." Phipps corrected with minute annoyance.

"Oh, very well!" snapped Grey with an irritated sneer. "We are here to deliver a message for Earl Phantomhive." He held out an envelope bearing a wax seal sporting the stamp of Queen Victoria's emblem.

"I shall see to it," Sebastian replied taking the envelope, pulling out a letter opener and ripped it through the top, taking out the parchment and held it towards Ciel. The small male snatched it quickly, reading through with a rapid pace and widened his eyes.

"Grey, Phipps. I already took care of the Devini murders."

"Apparently not, hmm? They have been recurring more often, more bloody, more brutal."

"I told you two and the Queen! I took care of it! The murderer is dead! You can even check with Undertaker!" Ciel snarled, throwing the parchment to the ground. "I will not be made a fool of by being accused of lying or not finishing a job. I am Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen's Watchdog! Remember who you are talking to!"

Phipps took a step towards Ciel, holding his sword to Ciel's neck. "Remember who you work for, Earl. The Queen's orders are just and final."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, raising his foot and knocked the top of his polished, black shoe into Phipps' sword, hitting it up and away from Ciel, giving the messenger a placid smile. "You'd do well to remember you are in my lord's manor. You should learn to be on your best behavior around here or else you'll get a time out."

Grey laughed at Sebastian. "Time out? What are we? Four years old?"

"Of course. You're surely acting like it," Sebastian replied coldly, picking up the letter and skimmed through it, placing it into an inner pocket from his tailcoat. "Now then, I shall conduct another thorough investigation immediately."

Phipps retracted his sword, re-sheathing it and bowed slightly, his face emotionless as usual. "That sounds fine. We await the full records, photos, and evidence from your findings. Please finish this quickly, the Queen is highly troubled by this series of tragic events."

"Of course, we're the best after all. This shall be no more than a walk in the park," Sebastian stated, the calm smile still on his face.

"Splendid," replied Phipps. "Come, Grey. Let's take our leave."

"Aww, already?"

"Yes."

"I was hoping we could eat something!"

"We'll stop by somewhere in town," Phipps said.

Both Charles' headed for the door, accompanied by Sebastian who opened the door for them, bowing at their departure. Once they were gone and their voices cut off, Sebastian headed back for Ciel and sighed.

"It seems we have another copy-cat... This situation reminds me a lot of 'Jack the Ripper', master."

"Yes, I know how you feel," said Ciel, closing his eyes and sat in a chair, folding his hands in front of his mouth, deep in thought. "I need you to take care of this matter though. I have... Business I need to tend to with Lizzy."

"By myself, sir? Are you trusting me that much?" Sebastian smirked, chuckling lightly.

"You know I trust you with my life, Sebastian... You're the only one I can rely on."

"Indeed, master. I shall take care of the investigation and recordings at once. Please, do not trouble yourself worrying over this."

"Be sure to take care of it flawlessly."

"You know I always do unless otherwise stated."

Ciel scoffed, falling silent as Sebastian stood beside him, the light outside growing dark. An army of clouds had succeeded in suppressing the sunlight, finally the butler glanced out towards the windows and smiled.

"My lord... Shall I take care of the investigation now? It's perfect weather."

"Perfect weather?..." Ciel opened his eyes, looking out the window, the bottom of his right eye-lid twitching. "It looks ready for rain..."

"That's what makes it perfect."

"You're a strange butler."

"My lord, I am simply one hell of a butler," Sebastian remarked, grinning wider and turned on his heel, heading off towards another part of the manor. Ciel sat in the chair still, watching as Sebastian left and rolled his eyes, placing both hands on the leather chair and pushed up, walking off to finish his studies.

With the day's work done for Haricku, she left the manor, heading towards the forest on foot. The cool weather made her skin tingle, her spine shiver, goosebumps enveloping her arms, and her breath came out in a small wispy apparition in front of her.

"This is peaceful," She thought, trying to get her mind straight and away from the negative agitations of her past. Haricku stopped under a large weeping willow, her back to the trunk and slid down until her rump hit the floor. "It's funny when you put your life into perspective of just two little books because of some promise you made long ago. Who knows how long I'd be even able to keep it a secret? In the very least, I don't know if I'd have the strength to continue without the books. There isn't exactly a sorcerer ready to teach me." Childhood was a long-forgotten memory of Haricku, one that she wished would just erase itself from her mind. Late at night when she couldn't sleep, she could hear those shrill, pained cries of her parents, and remember how helpless she had been to help. Her eyes closed at the memory, deprecating herself for thinking of such things. A voice suddenly appeared and she opened her eyes to meet the image of a young girl about her age with grey-silver hair, bright, aqua blue eyes with a medium height, almost around Haricku's with a more slim build.

The girl's hands were placed on her hips and she uttered a giggle at Haricku, leaning down to meet her gaze with a bright smile. However, her eyes showed a twinkle of hidden intent.

"Hey there!" she happily exclaimed, leaning her head to the, causing the curls to cascade around her face. "Can I ask you a question? Which was is it to the Etluka mansion? I'm a little lost!"

"Oh," Haricku started, clearing her throat and tried to remember her bearings before pointing south-bound. "Just follow the forest out. Once you hit a farm out there, turn left down their road and follow the river down. They live near a lake."

"Aww, darn! I was hoping it was closer!" she complained, leaning back down with a commanding whine. "Ugh, well, thank you!" The girl adjusted her messenger bag and a clink of something hitting against another object came from within.

For some reason, Haricku was on edge around the girl. "Why do you need to head there?" she asked innocently enough.

The girl turned back to Haricku with a little hum, putting a finger to her mouth to think. "Well, I'm a puppeteer. That is, I put on shows and little acts for little children!"

"Little children? Katt is the youngest, but just turned twenty one."

"Really? So she's just a year older than me!" Another giggle and she flashed Haricku a bright smile. "Hey, I know this sounds weird, but I'll see you later. I got a show to put on for her, okay?" Giving Haricku a ruffle on the head, she ran off down the path and she could swear that the girl was almost talking to herself. Or, perhaps, talking to something that wasn't there.

"What a strange woman," Haricku said, shaking her head.

"Deary, are you ill?" asked a voice, low and meek with a slight shrilly tone to it.

Haricku rotated in her spot, glancing at a small, hunched over elder woman. A brown scarf covered her head tightly, the randomly colored rags on her body hanging off in bunches. She stared at Haricku with deep brown eyes that appeared to shimmer... almost like a warm hot chocolate in a pure white mug.

"Uh.. Me?... No... No, I'm fine...," mumbled Haricku, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands tiredly. She tried to force a smile, but the elder woman saw through this and shook her head, pointing at Haricku with a crooked bony finger.

"That girl spells trouble. I'd stay away from her. You look like something's troubling you, though, so what is it?"

"It's nothing, I shouldn't trouble you with my problems, ma'am," uttered Haricku as she bowed, walking past the woman.

"Ahh... So you have troubles?"

"I... Guess you can say that," replied Haricku uncertainly, stopping again to talk.

"Do they burden you? These troubles? Do they make you doubt yourself?"

"Well... Uhm... Yeah, I guess so. Sorry, ma'am, I should really-"

"They don't care, you know."

"Pardon?" asked Haricku with a confused stare at the woman.

"The inhabitants of that manor, they aren't your real friends. That Earl doesn't care for you, the butler loathes you, the maid is jealous of you, the gardener fears you, the cook despises you, and the footman is wary of you. You have no one there, sweetheart."

"Where the hell do you get off saying these remarks?" Haricku challenged, crossing her arms.

"Because I know people."

"You don't know these people, obviously." Haricku turned again in the direction of the manor, striding briskly away, agitated with the statements of the woman.

"I do know people... Let me help you ease your burdens, child." The elder woman snapped her fingers and Haricku found herself to be unable to move.

"A binding spell?" Haricku scoffed. "How cheap."

"Come now... Relax, Minamoto."

"What?... How do you?"

"I told you. I know everything." The woman stopped in front of Haricku, waving a hand over her eyes. "My name is Abigail Devini."

The maid's body felt stiff, her eyes heavy, her vision blurring. The name 'Abigail Devini' rang through her head before she lost consciousness. Rain could be felt on her face as she was falling backwards to the bitterly cold ground, the world around her blackening. The old woman cackled maliciously, snapping her fingers and two men dressed in gray suits hurried over, one grabbing the underarms of Haricku, the other grabbing her feet, dragging her off towards a coach, throwing her in, and all three drove away quickly into the foggy, dark forest.