So…I'm back! Feels like it's been forever. Wow…I'm really late on this update…I'd like to thank all those who reviewed, followed, and favorite-d! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Pitiful

"So? How long are you guys planning on staying here?" Ciel asked Soma as he drank his tea.

"What's up with that? Even though I went through the trouble of staying here to spend the winter holidays with you!" Soma whined.

Celeste stifled a giggle while Esmeralda only shook her head and sighed.

"Especially since I'm going to beat you at chess today!" the prince continued.

"Sorry, but I've got work today. Let's go Sebastian." Ciel stated as he got up.

"Yes." Sebastian said as he pulled out Ciel's chair.

Esmeralda and Celeste quickly began to clean up the mess.

"Feh! You said that yesterday and only played one game with me."

"Why don't you polish your skills by solving some chess problems while I'm working? You have too few countermoves."

"Hmph! Damn! I'll remember this! Agni, come on, we're doing some intensive training!"

"Jo Ajna!"

Celeste smiled and Esmeralda smirked at the pair while Ciel walked away, muttering about work.

"I'll take this to the kitchen, Celes, I think Ciel is waiting for you." Esmeralda said as she looked at Ciel, who had stopped walking to stare at Celeste.

"Oh, okay! I'll see you later Esme!" Celeste said as she went over to Ciel's side.

Esmeralda gave her a smile and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

.

Esmeralda walked in the kitchen, noticing that it was only Mey-Rin and Bard who were in there.

"Sigh~ I can't relax with this kind of weather. It'd be better if it waited until the washing has dried." Mey-Rin muttered to herself, staring worriedly at the weather.

Esmeralda silently agreed with her as she began to clean the dishes.

"Jeez, this country really only has stormy weather." Bard complained as he peeled potatoes.

Esmeralda stiffened as she heard a noise outside the door. She stopped washing and began to move away from the door, while beginning to get into a fighting position.

"If it's always this kind of heavy weather I'll get all gloomy." Bard continued.

"Watch out!" Esmeralda yelled, just as the door exploded.

"I'm coming in! Is Earl Phantomhive in?" the man with the sword asked as he walked in with another man right behind him.

"Who the hell are you?" Bard demanded as he and Mey-Rin got into fighting positions.

"What? You'll play with…me?!" the man with the sword asked as he began to attack the two servants.

The two servants dodged his sword as he attacked them.

"Fast!" Bard cursed as their attacker turned to swing at him, only to be stopped by a barrage of bullets being shot at him.

"Wow! Double guns are so cool!" the man said as he dodged the bullets. "But…" just as he ran to attack Mey-Rin, he was stopped by a whip wrapping around his sword.

The man looked shocked as he stared at Esmeralda, who used her whip to pull the man and his sword away from Mey-Rin and towards her. Keeping a tight grip on her whip, Esmeralda leapt up and tried to kick the man, but he dodged, managed to get his sword out of the whip, and began to rush at Esmeralda, who landed and turned around, whip at the ready, to face him. Before the man could get within three feet of her, Sebastian appeared, with a tray full of food in hand, and used it to block the sword from getting close to Esmeralda. The man slid back as he stared at his sword, which now had a pastry on it.

"It's a custard choux cream made from the eggs of our own Phantomhive territory's poultry. Please take a bite." Sebastian said a pleasant smile on his face.

Esmeralda had to roll her eyes at his protective demeanor, seeing as he shifted in front of her, so that she was blocked from the man's view, and he was blocked from hers.

"Hm…so-so I guess. Kinda like the lowest passing mark?"

"Hey, Sebastian! What the hell are these guys?!" Bard exclaimed.

Sebastian gained a nearly exasperated expression. "These two are…"

"Oh yeah, we haven't met you guys before." The man said, cutting off Sebastian, placing his sword back in its holder. "My name is Charles Grey."

"My name is Charles Phipps" the other man said.

"We're codenamed Double Charles. We are her majesty the queen's private secretarial officers, and butlers. Nice to meet you." Holding up a letter, Grey smiled. "And today we are the messengers delivering a letter to the earl."

Sebastian nodded as he motioned for them to follow him. As the queens butlers passed her, Esmeralda stiffened as she locked eyes with the two of them. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something…off about the two of them.

.

The servants were all assembled in Ciel's office, looking at him curiously.

"We will be having a party in two weeks' time, and I want everyone to start preparing for it, understood?" Ciel asked, eyeing all of them.

"Yes!" the servants answered.

"Good, dismissed." Ciel watched as they all bowed and began to exit. "Except for you Celeste."

Celeste stopped walking and turned to face Ciel, while Esmeralda shot Sebastian a questioning look, which the demon ignored and ushered her out the room, closing the door behind him.

Once everyone was gone, Ciel addressed Celeste.

"At this party, instead of going as a maid, I want you to go as my fiancée."

"Eh!? Bu-but?!" Ciel smirked at her flushed and flustered expression.

Standing from his chair, he walked towards her and grabbed one of her wayward hands. Smirking at her red face, Ciel lifted her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her hand. Not removing his lips from her hand, he glanced at her.

"I thought I'd use this party to properly introduce you as my fiancée." Ciel said, as he brought up his other hand and slipped a ring on her ring finger.

Esmeralda help up her left hand and gasped, staring in awe at the small, but extremely elegant, diamond ring.

"Oh my…Ciel!" Celeste threw her arms around the boy, giving him a tight hug.

Ciel smiled as he hugged her back. "I was also going to say that I did not want you participating in your maid duties anymore, seeing as you are no longer a maid, but my betrothed, but I know you would never agree to it."

Celeste giggled as she pulled away from her, nodding her head.

"You would be correct!" she said.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ciel quickly kissed her lips before pulling away, smiling mischievously at her tomato red face.

"I-I-I...I sh-should ge-get b-back to wo-work," Celeste stuttered as she turned and fled the room.

Ciel snickered and shook his head in amusement at her, before returning to his work.

.

Sebastian cornered his mate, eyes beginning to glow, his irritation growing.

"Let me see."

"No." Sebastian sighed in exasperation.

"Just let me take a look at your hand."

"No! It's only a little cut. Besides, it will heal on it's own without you looking at it!" Esmeralda said as she cradled her injured hand.

She had gone back to the kitchen to clean the dishes, and while she was washing them, she cut her hand on a knife. Sebastian had appeared just when she had taken her hand out to examine the damage and well…that's how she found herself cornered by him. Honestly, he probably would have left her alone if it was not for what had happened earlier.

Sebastian sighed again.

"Honestly…for an angel you sure are an unreliable klutz. I thought angels were the epitome of grace, but I guess not in your case."

Esmeralda's face burned with anger as she raised her injured hand up to slap him.

"How dare y—?!" Sebastian quickly grabbed her hand and brought it closer, examining it.

"Well it would seem as if you are right. The cut is already healed."

"I told you! Now release my hand!" Sebastian smirked at her indignant expression

"Ah, but…we still need to get you cleaned up." He lowered her hand to his lips and began to lick the blood off of her hand, never breaking eye contact with her.

Esmeralda blushed from her roots all the way down to her toes. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to comprehend and find the words to deal with the situation.

"Un-un-unhand me!" she cried, pulling her hand away from him and his ministrations.

Sebastian smirked, a predatory gleam in his eyes. Stepping away to give her space, he had to smile in satisfaction at the way he affected her.

"Try not to have any more accidents…but if you do…I'll be more than happy to assist you." And with that, he left.

Esmeralda's legs gave out and she slumped to the floor, holding her previously injured and bloody hand to her chest.

'Darn it…he got me…'

Sorry this is short but hopefully you still enjoyed this chapter!

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