A Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) Fanfiction: Phantomhive meets Croft

by CroftButler21

Basically the same story we fans know, but includes a new character: Coraline Croft, a thirteen-year old who's had her share of supernatural experiences (both good and bad). Of course, nothing could've prepared her for the adventure she was about to involuntarily embark on...See my profile for full plot and OC character description(s). NOW UNDER EDITING! Chapters up to 18 complete!

35. Chapter 34: Book of Murder, Part 1

Alright, finally done creating this next chapter!

Broke my personal word count record again; over 19,500 words! Woo-hoo!

Anyway, here we get back to the Kuroshitsuji story, specifically: The Book of Murder Arc.

As my fellow fans know, this arc will have some pretty eye-widening twists and turns...not to mention the appearance of a younger famous mystery novel writer (Oh my gosh, I love his work!)

But enough of my blathering. Enjoy the first part of the Book of Murder Arc!

---

Time moves steadily along, and we now enter March, with early Spring beginning to reach its peak throughout London...Of course, today's weather conditions didn't reflect the sunny disposition of the new season, which Mey-Rin would point out while looking out the scullery kitchen window:

"Haaah...I can' say that I'm overly fond of this weather."

Bard comments while he peels some potatoes,

"Well, tha's just how it is here, isn't it? Always gloomy. I tell ya, it's enough to make a man feel like-"

(BOOM)

"Uh!" "Auh!"

Before Bard could finish his thought, the kitchen door was blown open, courtesy of two intruders...Although contrary the usual thugs that dare to try and enter the Phantomhive Manor, these gentlemen seemed different:

"Hello there, top of the morning to ya. Don't mind us; we just dropped by for a little chat with the Earl..."

The first man (the speaker) had white hair cut into a style that bobbed in the front and sides with a medium tress in the back, gray eyes, and carried a semi-playful but serious demeanor. The second man standing behind the first also had white hair and gray irises, but his hairstyle was all short and neat, and held a demeanor that was all business.
Both wore immaculate suits of white and black, the first one's jacket unbuttoned and cropped with a long black vest showing off and a white bow-tie, while the second one wore a long fully-buttoned coat with a black tie. Each man also carried a sword strapped to their waist belts, the first holding his out...

Bard and Mey-Rin are immediately on the defense, glaring while the former asks in a low and edged tone,

"An' who the hell migh' you be?"

"Me? Why, if ya don't like my answer, (Charge) what are you gonna do about it?!"

Just as the first man in white comes at the two servants:

(Clang)

Mey-Rin uses the stew pot to block the sword blade! But, as Bard would mentally note watching the continued swing of the intruder, the fight had only just begun:

...Damn.

(Bang, bang, bang...)

Before the swordsman could bring his blade down on the chef, Mey-Rin brandishes out her twin handguns, causing the former to freeze...Yet, this only seemed to excite him:

"Oh my. Two guns, is it? How spiffing!"

He begins circling around the room as Mey-Rin continued to try and shoot him. The man then grabs a pan to block the bullets, and starts heading straight for her, before:

"(Gasp)"

(SLICE)

...One of her handguns is cut right down the middle!

"But the advantage is mine in a close-quarters fight, (Swing) ya see?!"

It was then Bard tries to attack with a kitchen knife, so the swordsman is forced to change tactics, kicking off of Mey-Rin and over Bard:

"Ah!"

"Behind you~!"

(SWIP)

...Luckily, before the chef could get skewered, Sebastian comes to the rescue (well, sort-of) by forcing a dessert tray between the men, and having the blade stab through a pastry instead of Bard's flesh!

"Ah...!" "U-Uh..."

"(Stands, smile) Custard Cream Puffs. The filling is made from the eggs of our very own Phantomhive chickens and is of the highest quality. We would be honoured if you'd try one."

The swordsman hms, before taking a bite out of the pastry puff that slid down his blade:

"...Hm. (Snide smile) I suppose it's passable, if you go in for that sort of thing."

As the other man in white checks up on Mey-Rin, Bard asks,

"'Ey, Sebastian, who are these blokes?! Why the hell are they here?!"

The man who attacked begins introductions with a more coy upturn in his mouth:

"My name is Charles Grey. It's a pleasure and all that." The second man then introduces himself:

"And my name is Charles Phipps. A pleasure."

"We're often known as the Double Charles. Our work for Her Majesty is part-butler and part-secretary, based on what's called for."

Small Time Skip

As soon as Ciel was informed of the arrival of the Double Charles, he had Sebastian set up tea and refreshments in the Sitting Room before he sits down to find out what on earth Her Majesty wants of him this time. Also in attendance was Coraline (dressed in her brown dress to semi-coordinate with Ciel's suit), who was curious about these butlers:

It's strange...I could've sworn that the butler from the Curry Exhibition, Ash, was Her Grace's main butler. Maybe he wasn't available?

She stares back and forth between the Double Charles and the red-wax sealed letter in Ciel's hand, before the young earl spoke:

"A dinner party at the Phantomhives?" Phipps answers,

"Yes, with a particular guest of honour: His name is Georg Von Siemens, a notable German gentleman of distant relation to Her Majesty. His interests include England's Industries and Popular Literature. Her Majesty is of the opinion that you are uniquely suited for inviting guests that will entertain him."

"But won't he find it a bit disconcerting to be surrounded by complete strangers on his visit? I know I would be."

Coraline nods her head in agreement, and Ciel adds while putting the letter down,

"Perhaps some personal reception from Her Majesty would suit him better."

Grey takes a sip from his cup, before asking slyly,

"Refusing? Is that such a good idea? Her trust in you isn't so overly high at the moment; she harbours certain doubts in the reports of the serial kidnappings."

Ciel looks at Grey in a mix of surprise and confusion, and the latter adds,

"According to you, the perpetrator died, and you subsequently disposed of the children you were supposed to save, (Glance) save one that your fiance was able to help escape..."

Coraline begins to shake a bit, clenching her fist to try and calm herself of the memories threatening to resurface:

Just breathe, Cora. Just breathe...

Sensing her discomfort, Ciel places an arm around her, and guides her head to rest on his shoulder:

"Excuse me, but my lady is rather sensitive about the incident. Could you please get to your point?"

Grey was slightly taken aback, but does so:

"Somehow that account in the events doesn't read as entirely accurate. Her Majesty has some questions about your reliability. If I were you, I would consider this as an opportunity to repair the damage done to your relationship."

Ciel stares at Grey, then glances at Sebastian, and finally down at Coraline...before deciding to take back the letter:

"Of course. The honour would be mine." Grey's smile extends a touch before replying,

"I shall be attending...to make sure everything goes smoothly. I trust that shan't be a problem."

"No."

The Double Charles stand up, and Phipps says,

"Good, then we'll be on our way. We'll see ourselves out."

Just before they exit, he adds,

"You have a fortnight. I'm certain that should be enough."

(Ka-chank)

...As soon as the white-clad butlers were gone, Coraline lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in, before taking a soothing sip of tea. Ciel asks her,

"You okay?"

"Yeah, things just got a bit intense for me...I don't trust those butlers, especially that Grey person. This is obvious blackmail."

Ciel smirks a bit at her description:

"I thought you'd say something like that. Don't let them get to you, though, okay?"

He then kisses her cheek, causing her to smile a bit:

"Okay."

Ciel then looks to Sebastian for a second, before rising to a stand:

"You heard them, Sebastian: Let's get to work. I want you to find everything there is to know about this 'Siemens' fellow, down to the very last detail."

"(Smile) Of course. Yes, my lord."

Zooming out briefly to the outdoors, as the Double Charles walk away from the manor, Finny suddenly appears in front of them:

"There was a lo' of noise comin' from the kitchens earlier. And something tells me it's 'cause of you two."

Phipps narrows his eyes a touch in thought:

He had good instincts...and yet...

"(Whirl) You leave yourself open!"

(Fwip, fwip, fw-fw-fw-fw-FWIP)

Suddenly, before Finny could blink, Phipps speedily...sews a red tulip design onto the former's straw hat?(!)

"Disheveled clothes reflect a distracted mind. Remember that."

As Finny gapes back at his hat, Grey asks Phipps,

"Where'd you get the needle?"

"A first-rate butler is prepared for any event of opportunity."

Once Finny's shock wore off, he turns to wave at the butlers while calling,

"Thank you! That was righ' nice of you! Looks lovely!"

Phipps smiles proudly:

Indeed it does...

By this time, back in the manor, Ciel has finished reading the letter from Her Majesty, remarking,

"There's another level to this...There must be. Her Majesty is clearly dropping a hint that she wishes to test me again. I think we must assume that she will be judging me based on my loyalty as her Guard Dog and my capability for the role. We shall have to be very careful of how we handle this situation. One wrong move can lead to my utter ruin."

Sebastian bows to his lord, as the young earl is approached by Coraline:

"Whatever has to be done, (Deep breath) I'll do my best to help."

Ciel nods, pulling her close:

"That's good to hear...because I have suspicions that Her Majesty might be testing you too." Coraline's eyes widen:

"M-Me? Why me?"

"Well, you have been lending a hand in my work in the underworld, plus there's our relationship, and the fact that Her Majesty does not know much about you still..."

"True...Do you, think she'll ever figure out that I'm from another dimension? I'm just worried that could cause problems..."

"I doubt it, but I agree: Keeping your origins a secret is best."

Ciel lays his forehead on Coraline's before adding,

"I'd rather that Her Majesty does not use any sort of information against you to force your loyalty..."

She smiles, softly replying,

"Tch, my loyalties only extend to people I've connected with and have earned my trust...And in this situation, my loyalty is only to you, my Ciel."

And the young redhead leans in for a kiss, to which the bluenette gladly returns...

Time Skip

As the days roll on, invitations to the upcoming Phantomhive Dinner Party would be sent out, guests including Lau and Ran-Mao, a diamond company head, a shipping branch manager, and even an opera singer...

We zoom in on one particular guest's residence, a place called 'Arthur's Clinic', as the owner reads over a different letter from a publisher he submitted a manuscript to:

"(Sigh) Another letter of rejection..."

He lightly tosses the parchment onto his desk with a discouraged frown, before picking up the next letter, that had a curious blue-waxed seal:

"...Hm? What's this? The Earl Phantomhive?"

Unknown Narrator

"It was early in the Spring of 1889. The last chill of Winter still hung in the air. At the time, I had a lowly ophthalmology practice, and a writing career one might generously call...struggling. I say career, but the truth is I had only sold one book so far, and it paid barely farthing from that. I had begun wondering if I ought to give up ophthalmology and take leave to the country somewhere in search of greener pastures...That's when I had received an invitation in the past. Yes, an invitation...That was how it all began. Unusual though it was, I had no way of knowing the true import of that letter. But the events that happened at the Phantomhive Estate, would change my humdrum life forever..."

Evening, Phantomhive Manor, Coraline's POV

"Gh. M-Mey-Rin, is this corset absolutely necessary? My bra can - dammit - work just as fine..."

"Sorry, Miss Coraline, this is just how the style works, yes it does."

"Haaah, fine. But I don't - gyah - have to like it."

It's now about twenty minutes before the party, and I'm getting ready with Mey-Rin's assistance: This time 'round, I'm wearing a light fern green taffeta dress with cap sleeves, a-line with a lace decoration sewn over the shoulder-neckline, some around my waistline, and ruffled layering in the skirt. My hair is styled down with a small waterfall braid going around the back of my head and downward in the middle back, and three small white flowers tied in the middle. I also wore dress-matching low-heel pumps, long white gloves with black lacing at the openings, no makeup (I wanted to go natural this time) and emerald earrings that I borrowed from Lizzie's jewellery box (She's since given me permission to do that since I don't have any fancy jewellery)...

As I stared into the vanity mirror, I felt some oncoming butterflies in my stomach:

Good lord...I don't look like myself at all. I mean, it's pretty, but, it seems too pretty for me...

"Miss Coraline?"

"Hm?"

"Are you alright?"

I give Mey-Rin a small smile:

"Yeah, I'm fine. I, guess I'm just a little nervous. This will be my first party I'm going to dressed so elegantly without hiding my identity, and, where I'll be introduced as Ciel's fiance...I, just feel like I'm pretending to be something I'm not, like the pauper playing a princess."

Especially when I'm a far cry from being a noble lady...

"Did I really just hear that?"

"Huh?" "Uh?"

We turn towards the doorway, and see Ciel standing there, brow raised with an amused smile:

"You're really worried about your own appearance? Heh, that's not like you at all..."

"C-Ciel..."

I feel a small blush creep onto my cheeks, half in embarrassment, half in adoration regarding his current attire: A fern-green suit that was a shade darker than my dress, with a light-green vest, white shirt, a white ribbon with red stripes tied into a bow around his neck, black gloves, black stockings with two white stripes at the top, and black low-heel shoes.

He then glances at Mey-Rin:

"You're excused to your other duties this evening, Mey-Rin."

"(Bow) Y-Yes, sir."

She exits the room, a small knowing smile on her face...Now it's just me and Ciel. I take a breath in but kept my head down to hide my reddened face, and I hear Ciel sigh a bit, before walking over to me and taking one of my hands into his:

"You look breathtaking in your dress...though you're always a beauty to me no matter what you wear."

"(Giggle) Thanks. I wish my stomach felt the same way. I feel so nervous..."

"Whatever for?"

I look up at him with an insecure expression:

"You know I'm not a fan of high sophistication atmospheres: It just feels like you're suppose to act all high and proper, like, everyone's forgotten how to be young at heart and let go of your cares. I...just don't want to become a mask, or be made fun of for not being able to pull it off. (Looks down) Sorry if that sounds ridiculous..."

...I feel gloved fingertips gently tilt my chin back up, and Ciel smiling softly at me:

"You'll be fine, love. You're more of a lady than half the women in London, and I prefer a girl who speaks her mind and doesn't seek to conform."

He kisses my cheek, adding,

"It makes you unique, like a rare black rose..."

...Damn him and his charm...but he's right.

I smile back, and lightly hug him in appreciation:

"Thank you, Ciel. I needed that."

"Heh, no problem. Now, shall we make our way down?"

"Yes."

We part, and Ciel takes my hand into his, our blue diamond rings sparkling alongside one another...

Entrance Foyer, No POV

Moving down below, we see the entrance to the manor already filled with the arriving guests, the next to arrive being the Arthur chap from the clinic. Getting a better look at him, we see that he's relatively young (close to his thirties), has short brown hair with a slight red tint, dark-brown eyes, and was wearing a muted brown suit with a red tie.

Judging from the nervous look on his face, it seems that Coraline was not the only one worrying about appearances:

I have no business being in company like this...

(Bump)

"Oh."

Arthur is then bumped lightly by Ran-Mao, who was wearing a dark blue short Chinese dress and black boa, the cut of the neckline showing off her, well-endowed breasts quite a bit, to which the former would notice with a blush:

"A-Ah! U-Uh, uh, pardon. I'm so terribly sorry."

Lau, who was wearing a muted dark blue Chinese-style suit with a turquoise sash around his waist, replies,

"No need, the fault is ours. (Glances at Ran-Mao) You must remember to look where you're going. Now do apologize, darling."

Ran-Mao says in a soft monotone,

"I'm sorry."

Arthur replies with a nervous smile,

"Ah-uh, not at all..."

"Please allow me to make our introductions: I am the lowly branch manager of a trading company. My name is Lau, and this is my sister, Ran-Mao. And what do you do, sir?"

"O-Oh. I'm an ophthalmologist, and I do a little bit of writing from time to time."

"Oh, do excuse me: We shall have to call you Doctor then."

Arthur waves his hands in front of himself modestly:

"O-Oh, please don't; it's just ophthalmology. I have no idea what I'm doing at such a fancy party, none at all."

Lau laughs lightly and replies,

"One can never tell with our Earl: He can be so finicky."

"Oh. Is he really that difficult to please? You have me worried now."

Lau's dusty dark-hazel irises peek out as he smiles mysteriously at the brunette:

"Fear not. If nothing else, you can rest assured that something interesting will happen at this party, I promise."

Arthur looks at him confusingly, before asking,

"How else, would you describe the Earl? What kind of person would you say he is?"

"Let's see...How would I describe the Earl? He is extremely proud and his face only seems to display two emotions: Anger and Disdain."

Arthur starts to become rather panicky, but Lau continues anyway:

"There must be a story behind the eye-patch that he wears, but I'm afraid I cannot tell it."

As Arthur lets out a yelp, a familiar young voice breaks in:

"I would appreciate it if you'd stop teasing my guests."

Attention is turned to the top of the staircase, where Ciel, Coraline and Sebastian stood, the young earl occupying an annoyed glare directed at Lau.
Arthur was obviously taken aback by the earl's appearance:

"U-Uh, he's so, young..."

Lau comments in a light joking tone,

"Surprising, isn't it, that a small child would bear such a large title?"

Ciel's glare grows a touch as he calls down,

"We can do without the small, thank you!"

Coraline giggles a bit, while the young earl clears his throat, and calmly makes his introduction:

"(Smile) Hello, and welcome. I would like to thank you all for coming to my little party. I am the Earl of this estate, Ciel Phantomhive. (Turn) Accompanying me is my lovely fiance, Lady Coraline Croft."

"(Curtsy) It's a pleasure to meet you all."

As the young teens and butler make their way down, Ciel adds,

"I shall know we'll have an excellent time. I look forward to greeting each and every one of you once dinner begins, whether we are acquaintances of long-standing, or someone I'm meeting for the first time."

Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, he and Coraline would notice that someone was missing:

"...I don't think I see our guest of honour."

"Neither do I..."

Sebastian bends down slightly and replies,

"He has not yet arrived; it seems the inclement weather has delayed him."

Coraline whispers to herself,

"Yet another reason to dislike storms," while Ciel says,

"That's unfortunate. What do we do? I can't very well keep everyone waiting in the hall..."

It was then that Mey-Rin arrived on scene:

"Pardon me master, but the guest of honour is here."

They turn their heads to the front door, as Tanaka (in full form) bows in greeting the new arrivals, Charles Grey and Georg Von Siemens, the second a gentleman of middle-age with short grey hair, side-burns and beard, wearing an immaculate black suit with a white vest, shirt, bow-tie and gloves. Ciel, Coraline and Sebastian approach Grey and Siemens, the latter making introductions with a thick German accent:

"A pleasure to meet you, my lord. Georg Von Siemens, at your service. Thank you for your kind invitation."

Grey waves his hand in greeting:

"Hello. All set for a capital evening, eh?"

Ciel raises his right hand to shake Siemens's:

"You've come a long way. I'm so happy you could make it. I am Ciel, Earl Phantomhive, (glance) and this is Lady Coraline Croft, my fiance."

"(Curtsy) Greetings, Von Siemens."

Siemens takes Coraline's hand and lightly kisses her knuckles:

"Likewise, Lady Croft."

As their hands disconnect, Ciel then says,

"You must be hungry. Well, we've prepared a feast for you; it's buffet-style for conversation. If you will follow us this way."

Wrapping an arm around Coraline's waist, the young earl and redhead began leading the small group out of the room...Sebastian stays behind to announce the rest of the arrivals:

"Pardon me. I will announce those who remain. As I do, please proceed to the dining hall. First, we have a Mister Patrick Phelps..."

A young man with short blond hair and gray-green eyes wearing a black suit steps forward:

"Uh, that's me."

He moves to the dining hall...

"Mister Karl Woodley..."

A man with graying dark-brown hair slicked back, stubble beard, and light-blue eyes, also wearing a black suit steps up:

"Hmph. A pleasure to meet you all."

Next:

"Mister Grimsby Keane, and Miss Irene Diaz..."

Arthur mutters in surprise,

"Ah, goodness, the famous opera singer..."

The pair to step forward was a man with yellow-orange hair, lime-green eyes, and wore a suit of black with a red/white polka-dot bow-tie, accompanied by a young woman with long blond hair styled half-up, half-down with lilac flowers woven in, light purple eyes, and wore a beautiful eye-matching gown.

Sebastian would then announce our Chinese-descent pair:

"Mister Lau, and Miss Ran-Mao..."

They walk past Arthur, with Lau chiming,

"Well, we'll see you inside."

And as the brunette began asking himself discouragingly,

Why am I here? Why, in the world am I here?

"Finally, we have a Mister Arthur Conan Doyle."

"O-Oh! Yes..."

Small Time Skip

Everyone was now in the Dining Hall, chatting and having their fill of the food and drink offered on the tables set up. As Coraline finishes her small plate, she turns over to the tall windows, noticing Arthur sitting by himself in one of the chairs against the wall, looking down in his lap with an expression of deep insecurity.

Hmm, poor guy. He looks so uncomfortable...Though it's cool I'm actually able to gaze at the younger Arthur Conan Doyle!

...I wonder if he knows of his bright future in mystery literature?

She decided to walk over and strike up a conversation with the man, who lets out a sigh of discomfort...

"Ahem. Um, good evening, Sir Doyle."

"Hm? O-Oh, Lady Croft!"

"(Gentle smile) There's no need for formalities, my friend. Coraline is just fine."

She moves to sit on Arthur's right, who was gazing at her with awe:

"U-Uh, are you sure?"

"Positive. I don't believe in being called a Lady. It makes me sound old...So, I'm guessing you must be feeling butterflies in your stomach similar to mine?"

"Huh?"

"It's okay if you are...(Nervous smile) I'm not much of a fan for fancy gatherings myself; so many ridiculous pressures...I think it would be nice if everyone could be themselves without having to put up such a posh front, you know what I mean?"

"Uh...(Small smile) Mm, yes, I agree. This is my first fancy party, and I'm already worried about making a fool of myself..."

"Heh, I wouldn't worry, so long as you avoid consuming too much alcohol."

Both man and girl laugh a bit, just as Sebastian comes by with a tray of wine:

"Would either of you care for a drink?" Arthur takes one with a sheepish smile:

"Uh, very much, thanks." Coraline smiles and shakes her head:

"No thank you, Sebastian. I already had my fill of water."

"Of course, my lady."

Arthur takes a moment to gaze at Sebastian's appearance:

Oh my. So handsome, and such a commanding presence, like a character Oscar Wilde would write.

I suppose the best families would have the best servants...

He then glances at Coraline:

And this young lady, while quite a beauty, does not act at all like someone of nobility: She seems, more casual and open-minded...

"Pardon me. May I sit next to you?"

"Oh, sure. Be my-"

Arthur suddenly jumps to his feet when he sees Ciel sitting in the chair on his left!

"O-Oh, my lord, please excuse me!"

Coraline giggles at his reaction before saying,

"Easy, Sir Doyle. Let's not go into a panic. (Glance) Hello, Ciel."

"Hello, love. (Focuses on Arthur) I hope the party is to your liking so far..."

"Ah-uh, yes, of course..."

"Heh, please Doctor Arthur, there's no need to stand."

Arthur moves to sit back down again and replies,

"Actually, my lord, it's only author. I'm just an ophthalmologist; I'm not a surgeon or anything..."

"But it pleases me to address you that way, so why shouldn't I? (Small smirk) Would you rather I'd not, Doctor?"

A tiny blush appears on Arthur's face while he smiles nervously:

"Uh, no. I-I don't mind. W-Whatever you like...Um, my lord? Do forgive me if I'm being rude but, may I ask why you invited me today? I must confess, I find myself at a loss."

Coraline smiles mischievously and says,

"Funny, I was tempted to ask a similar question regarding my attendance, but then again, the Earl shan't appear without his more social lady..."

Ciel smirk-glares at her:

"Hush, you."

Coraline just laughs, while Ciel shakes his head, before pondering Arthur's question:

"Simple, Doctor: I was reading your novel the other day and I found it quite enjoyable. The one that appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual."

Arthur was taken aback:

"U-Uh! A minor magazine like Beeton's, read by a high-ranking nobleman like yourself?"

"My customers aren't nobles. It behooves me to read a wide array of publications. Heh, indeed, I even read Punch. But we were talking about your work: Your protagonist was so full of wit and quite appealing."

The brunette jumps out of his seat again:

"Ah! Y-You did?!"

He then laughs sheepishly and says after sitting again, sipping his wine with a sad smile,

"Unfortunately, you may have been the only one who liked the book. It was such a dud, I don't plan on writing another..."

Ciel rests his cheek in his palm with a small pout of disappointment:

"How could someone not see its novelty? That doesn't say much for our country's sophistication, does it?"

Coraline hms in agreement:

"I guess that's just the literature taste of the public right now, but who knows? It could change in the coming seasons...(Smile) I wouldn't give up yet, Sir Doyle. I have a feeling people will begin appreciating your work sooner rather than later..."

Arthur replies,

"That's kind of you to say. To be honest, I'd prefer to sell historical novels, but the publishers seem to hate the idea since they wouldn't sell well, I guess..."

"Well perhaps they're not selling to the right people. I certainly would buy such a novel from you: I'm a big history fanatic."

Arthur looks at Coraline in surprise, before turning to Ciel when he says with a smile,

"Don't despair: You can always wait until you're famous and publish them then. Many authors trade on their reputations like that. People will buy any rubbish with the right name attached."

"Indeed! Well said, my lord!"

The three chair occupants look forward, as Grimsby approaches, leaning in towards Ciel with a finger raised:

"Remediable state to the affairs. We have that sort in our industry as well. So much dead weight, is you ask me..."

He straightens up and becomes more passionate in his speech:

"All they do is read lines! True artistry is about so~ much more, wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh, yes, of course. (Smile) Just take your productions: With their detailed sets and sumptuous costuming."

Grimsby spins back with a beaming smile:

"Do you know how rare it is to find someone who understands? I say, it would be an honour to stage a production with a discerning promoter such as yourself."

He wraps his arm around Ciel's shoulders:

"Well, my lord? What say you? It could also serve as a romantic evening for you with your dear fiance..."

Ciel replies with an awkward smile,

"Sounds, capital. Someday, I'm sure."

It was then there came a heated shout from Grimsby's partner of the evening, Irene:

"I told you to desist! I won't stand for this anymore! Keep your hands off me!"

As it turns out, Siemens went a little~ overboard with the alcohol, and was harassing the poor opera singer, red-faced and clearly not in his senses:

"But my dear, just look at how you're dressed! How is a man suppose to help himself, uh~?"

As he embraces Irene with a drunken laugh, Phelps says with a worried look,

"Goodness. Somebody please stop him; he's out of control!"

(Slap)

Irene furiously backhands Siemens across his face before saying angrily,

"You should be ashamed of yourself, you cur!"

"(Glare) How dare you speak to me like that, you strumpet!"

Siemens then picks up a glass of wine to dump at Irene, but:

(SPLASH)

Ciel rushes over to block Irene and took the hit of alcohol!

(Collective gasp)

He remains calm and says sternly,

"Please, this a party. For the sake of our other guests, I ask you both to step away-"

"You disgusting old codder! I'll teach you to touch what doesn't belong to you!"

In a fit of rage, Grimsby grabs and throws a wine bottle at Siemens!

...However, Sebastian would be the one to stop this attack, catching the bottle at mid-travel, before:

(Pop, fizz...)

He pours the drink into a pyramid of wine glasses from atop a step stool (just as he did once before), the guests and hosts admiring the display in awe:

"Here we have a rare vintage wine from the village of Bvlgari in Southeastern Moldavia. We do hope you'll all enjoy a glass with us this evening."

Siemens mutters,

"How stupendous...What is this winery?" Phelps asks,

"And when did he arrange it?"

Siemens then takes in the scent of the wine:

"My goodness, that is a sweet scent, as if we are in a field a-bloomin'..."

As Arthur and Coraline look to the pyramid in surprise, Grey and Siemens step up for a glass:

"It smells wonderful. I'll take a glass."

"I will as well."

Lau's not for behind:

"Save one for me."

Coraline's POV

Yet another crisis averted by our master/butler duo...

As everyone is served a glass of the wine, Sebastian comes over to where Ciel, Sir Doyle and I are with a towel to dry the former:

"That was quite the dunking. Are you alright?"

"Another champagne tower? Really?"

"It worked beautifully the first time, my lord..."

Ciel takes the towel, drying his hair while commenting,

"Yes, well, at any rate...Cet homme semblait si austère, mais cela de savoir comment il se comparte, après quelques verres? De l'appearence des choses, je dirais quil est tout à fait le récidiviste."

(Translation: That man seemed so austere, but this is how he behaves after a few drinks? From the looks of things, I'd say he's quite the repeat offender.)

Huh? Is that, French?

Sebastian replies in kind,

"Cela se peut, mais à en jugar par son absence totale de i'auto-discipline, il est sait tout à fait stupide ou parfaitememt éhonté."

(Translation: That may be so, but judging from his complete lack of self-discipline, he's either a complete fool or perfectly shameless.)

Yep, definitely French...and though mine's a bit rusty, it sounds like they're talking about Siemens.

"Je dirais qu'il souffre d'une maladie que le docteur ne pourrait jamais espérer guérir."

(Translation: I'd say he's suffering from a condition no doctor could ever hope to cure.)

I burst into a small giggle fit on that line, and I hear Sir Doyle laugh a little too, so he must understand the French language as well. Unfortunately, we weren't quiet enough to escape Ciel and Sebastian's ears, and they turn to us, before my boyfriend holds a finger to his lips with a sneaky smile:

"Shh..."

I blush deeply in embarrassment, and mutter,

"Crap, busted..."

He just chuckles at my rosy expression, and comes up to me to ask in interest,

"So you know French, do you?" I smile sheepishly and reply,

"Mm, more or less. My friend/sister Gwen is originally from France, so she speaks fluent French and English. I got to learn the language from her. Heh, 'course, my understanding is a bit imperfect, but I get the gist of most conversations."

Ciel hms with a small smirk, before leaning in to softly whisper,

"Well, that just makes you all the more unique, mon chérie."

O-Oh geez, now he's French-talking me?! Hoh boy, the room's getting warm...

Ciel pulls back and chuckles at my flushed face:

"Goodness, aren't you rather flustered."

"...Shut up."

Suddenly, I hear a familiar melody softly echo into the room:

Huh? Is that...Nancy With the Laughing Face, by Frank Sinatra?

(Note: I do not own that music reference. I thought this would be the prefect slow jazz piece for our couple to dance to.)

I look over by the tables, and see Sebastian with a smile, gesturing to my Mp3 player:

"(Smile) Heh, Sebastian. Should'a known...(Turn) Though I'm guessing this was your idea?"

Ciel doesn't deny it:

"Heh, perhaps..." He then holds out a hand to me:

"Will you not grant me this dance, my lady?"

"...I'd love to, my lord."

Taking his hand, Ciel leads me to the blank space provided in the dining hall, and moves to grasp my waist in one hand and my left hand into the other, while I held his shoulder with my free right. As we slowly swayed across the floor, I ask him,

"So why a Sinatra song?"

"Heh, well, I suppose you could say I've gotten hooked on Sinatra after borrowing your Mp3 player a few times...As for the song...I can't help but think of us whenever I listen to it."

"Us?"

"Mhm..."

Ciel twirls me before saying,

"You're the tomboy who managed to slip her way into my heart, and these days I find it hard to picture a future without you..."

I blush at his words and reply lovingly,

"Oh Ciel..."

"Coraline..."

The song ends, and he places a hand on my cheek, before leaning in for a short but sweet kiss, his cerulean iris reflecting a deep love...

(Applause)

"Huh?" "Hm?"

As it turned out, we had a captive audience, namely, our guests of the evening. I felt a new blush of embarrassment come to my cheeks, and buried my face into Ciel's chest to hide it:

"Oooh man, why did everyone have to watch...?"

Ciel chuckles at my muffled whine, wrapping one arm around me, the other reaching to pet my hair:

"My shy lady..."

Small Time Skip, No POV

Soon it was eleven o' clock in the evening, and after some more dancing, eating and socializing, one of our guests, Siemens, fell into a drunken sleep, as pointed out by Grey and Phelps:

"Oh dear. Our honoured guest has fallen asleep."

"Certainly seems that way..."

Ciel, who was standing with Coraline, Lau and Irene, turns to his butler and says,

"Help him, Sebastian. He'll be more comfortable in his room, and Coraline and I shall be turning in shortly as well."

As Sebastian moves to get the snoring Siemens, Lau asks,

"You and your lady are leaving us already, my lord?"

"Yes, well, it is bedtime for children such as we..." Coraline lets out a small yawn:

"I know if I don't get a proper amount of sleep, I'll be a wreck in the morning..."

Ciel smiles at her and nods, before taking her hand to lead them out of the room. Before the door closes, Ciel adds to everyone else,

"Do please enjoy the party for as long as you'd like."

(Ka-chank)

Grimsby then suggests a game of billiards, to which some would wholeheartedly agree to, while Grey eyes at the closed doors suspiciously...

Meanwhile, as the two teens and butler (carrying Siemens) move down the corridor, Sebastian says to Ciel with slight mock,

"You're aloof to be seen as a child until it's convenient."

"Shut it, you."

Coraline looks at the sleeping Siemens and comments,

"Hoh boy, he really got wasted tonight..."

"Wasted?"

Coraline replies to Ciel's funny look,

"It's a slang term equivalent to describing someone as really, really drunk...I'm just glad Siemens isn't like some of the stupid drunks I can think of back home, otherwise things would've gone sideways real fast."

As they approached Siemens's guestroom, Coraline forms a small frown as she thought about the German gent's earlier behaviour:

"I feel really bad for Lady Irene and Mey-Rin: Perverted Drunks are the worst...Maybe I should've tried to step in and help."

"Tch, and have that drunk direct his undressing eyes on you? I don't think so."

Sebastian comes back out into the hall, and as they moved towards Ciel's bedroom, he says coyly,

"Goodness. Protective of your lady, are we, young master? Or could it be that your thoughts are already beginning to fantasize about one day 'taking that step' with Miss Coraline and don't want any other man thinking similarly?"

...Both teens blush heavily, and stutter aloud,

"S-Sebastian!"

He just chuckles darkly at their innocence...Eventually they reach the bedroom, and after changing into their sleepwear, Ciel and Coraline would crawl into bed, the covers tucked over their bodies by Sebastian:

"Sleep well, my lord, miss."

Once he was out of the room, the teens would immediately turn to one another, and snuggle up into eachother's warmth, Coraline's head resting into the crook of Ciel's neck.

"(Kiss) Goodnight, Ciel."

"Heh, (Kiss) goodnight, Coraline."

And they fell asleep, loving smiles on their faces...

Small Time Skip

It's now about one o' clock in the morning, and we jump down into the kitchen, as Sebastian, Bard and Finny finish cleaning up from dinner, while Mey-Rin sat on the floor against the wall with her face in her knees, moaning in self-shame from being (cough) assaulted by the drunken Siemens:

"Oooh, I'm ruined! Who will marry me now?!"

(Ring, ring)

She snaps out of her woeful state when she hears one of the servant bells go off, but her mood only got the more fearful when she saw which room it was:

"It's Georg Von Siemens's room!" Bard comments,

"Probably woke up with a splittin' headache and wants some water."

"I don't wanna go; the man was pawin' all over me earlier!"

As she lets out a nervous wail, Sebastian says to the panicky maid,

"I'll come with you."

Mey-Rin smiles gratefully with an adoring blush:

"Oh, you're worried about me, Sebastian? That's awfully kind of you."

"No, actually, it's our guest I'm concerned about: He ingested a bit more wine than it's generally advised for a person..."

Eventually, he and the servant trio (Bard and Finny tagged along likely to protect Mey-Rin) reach Siemens's room:

(Knock, knock)

"Georg Von Siemens? You rang for assistance?"

(Glass shatter)

"Auuuuuugh!"

Mey-Rin gasps before calling,

"Are you alright in there, sir?! We heard a crash!"

She then tries to open the door, but found it locked, so she switches to pounding her fist on the hardwood:

"Georg Von Siemens!"

The noise would catch the attention of our party guests, who came running over with Grey in lead:

"What're you doing to that door? What's all the fuss about?"

Sebastian then says to Mey-Rin,

"Stand back. I'll handle this."

(Kick...KICK, crash)

Sebastian smashes the door down, and looking inside...we see a figure slumped in a plush chair...

Lightning flashes from the storm, illuminating the figure as a dead Siemens!

Irene lets out a shriek, and Phelps faints from the sight, caught by Woodley...Arthur then lightly pushes past into the room:

"If I may...!"

He then approaches Siemens, and checks to confirm if there's a pulse or not:

"...This man is dead."

Woodley asks stunned,

"H-How can that be?!" Irene comments tearfully,

"Oh, how awful..."

It would be then that Ciel (dressed with a robe over his nightshirt) and Coraline arrive with Tanaka:

"We heard screaming. What's all the commotion about?" They then see,

"Uh! Von Siemens!"

"Oh god..."

Ciel holds Coraline close to him, as his eye secretly shares a gaze with Sebastian's...Arthur then presents his findings:

"A chest wound. I would say that the most likely cause of death is exsanguination."

Grimsby says,

"Um, we best not move anything until the Yard arrives, yes?"

Bard wipes some oncoming perspiration from his forehead and replies,

"Normally yeah, but is i' bloody hot in here to anyone else?" Sebastian explains,

"I did warm the room in advance to his arrival...but perhaps he was feeling chill."

"...It may be indelicate to say so, but at this temperature he'll star' to decompose. Even if we ou' the fire, it'll still be warm at the hear'..."

Irene asks with a slight rise in pitch,

"Did he say 'decompose'?" Arthur agrees with Bard:

"I agree: We should move him to a cool, dark place until an expert arrives to give him a more thorough examination."

Sebastian replies,

"As you say. The cellar is likely the best place for him. We shall move him there for the time being. (Turn) Finny, fashion a stretcher."

...Once Siemens's body was removed from the room, Lau comments while looking out the window,

"I doubt we can expect the Yard to arrive anytime soon. The storm is quite raging. We're cut off from the rest of the world for now. It's also likely that the murderer is still somewhere in the manor."

Everyone shudders, and Irene and Grimsby utter,

"Still with us?"

"Heavens..."

Grey steps up with a frown of indifference:

"Think for a moment, everyone: It's only logical that one of us is the perpetrator."

Grimsby and Woodley shout,

"Wait, one of us you say?! That's positively absurd!"

"Total rubbish!"

Arthur asks aloud,

"What would be the motive, though? Most of us haven't even met before," followed by Irene wondering,

"And doesn't it seem strange to anybody that else that the door was locked before we arrived here?"

Mey-Rin says to her,

"You make a good point, my lady."

"So it seems to me, that they entered the room through the window, bought time to escape by locking the door, and escaped the same way that they entered."

Coraline looks to the outside and comments,

"They would've been pretty gutsy to do it with the crazy storm going on tonight," cuddling closer to Ciel...

Grey walks over to said window and says,

"Rain means mud, so the intruder would've left footprints if they came in from the outside. Besides which, the window appears locked..."

Grimsby ponders,

"It seems then the only explanation for us is that the culprit locked the door from out in the hallway."

Sebastian disagrees:

"That would be impossible, for none of the guests were actually supplied with keys to the rooms, you see. The doors were fitted with dead bolts: These allow each guest to lock his or her room from the inside but not out. No keys were distributed to anyone."

He straightens up from examining the door:

"As you can see, the fittings were broken, indicating that the door was locked when I kicked it down...In other words..."

Lau finishes,

"We have a Locked-Room Murder on our hands." Woodley scoffs,

"That's preposterous! This isn't a mystery novel!" Ciel yawns and remarks,

"Or not a very good one. I have to imagine that the solution would be far too obvious for today's discerning reader. (Turn) Would you not agree, Doctor Arthur?"

"Uh? Gah! Indeed. That little trick would explain it all..." Lau asks,

"What now?" Ciel answers,

"...The Needle and Thread Trick."

Everyone gasps, minus Coraline, who tilts her head in confusion:

"Odd. I've never heard of that one before. How does it work?"

"It's simple really: First you thread a needle through the latch of a door. Next you pass the thread through the door before exiting the room. Then you only close the door and carefully pull back the thread to release the needle."

"Huh. Interesting..."

Reminds me of the Bobby Pin Trick Freeman taught me. Heh, or the Credit Card Trick Gwen sometimes does...

"It's so often used in mystery stories, it's become a clique. The killer probably isn't trying to copy a novel: It's just the only explanation that seems realistic in this case."

Lau puts a finger under his chin in thought:

"Hm. That answers the locked room question, but it doesn't narrow our suspect pool..." Arthur agrees:

"That's true: The trick is so simple, anybody could be responsible. (Glance) Though I suppose Lady Croft may be excluded since she's never heard of the trick until now."

Everyone tenses, before Grimsby says insistingly while putting a protective hand on Irene's shoulder,

"Well we certainly didn't do anything! You'll have to look elsewhere!" Woodley argues back,

"Not at me, I hope! After all, you are the most likely suspects among us: You were fighting with him earlier, for goodness sake."

"Oh please! What does that have to do anything?! I wouldn't kill for such a trifle!"

Lau raises his hands with a calm smile and chides,

"Gents, there's no need for shouting. Let's sit down and calmly sort out our alibis, shall we? The murder happened after he had retired to his room. We can narrow it down further by adding the time between when he had rang for a servant and when they had heard his call. So, where was everyone during that time?"

Grimsby speaks first:

"Well I know Irene and I were in the Billiards Room." Irene confirms, as does Grey:

"Yes, that's right."

"Yes, I was there too." Arthur adds,

"And so was I, along with Mister Phelps. None of us had left the room." Ciel asks Lau and Ran-Mao,

"And the two of you? What were you doing at the time?"

"Uh, (Smile) us, my lord? We were drinking in the lounge with Mister Woodley, weren't we, Ran-Mao?"

Woodley confirms:

"He's right: We were there until we heard all of the shouting."

Mey-Rin then speaks for herself, Sebastian, Bard, Finny and Tanaka:

"As for us servants, we were all together, seeing to the cleaning and such like." Grey then says,

"That's not quite everyone," his gaze turning to Ciel and Coraline...It would be Lau to ask the question:

"If you'll pardon the question, my lord, but where were you and the young lady at the time?"

Ciel stiffens a touch, gripping Coraline a bit more tightly, before calmly answering,

"We were asleep in my bed," with Coraline adding quickly,

"And before anyone wonders anything indecent, I'm scared of thunder storms and Ciel didn't want me to sleep alone."

Lau says,

"Ah, understandable, my lady...but can anyone prove that the two of you were in bed?"

Both teens reluctantly answer,

"...No."

Grey comments seriously,

"Goodness me. It would seem that the two of you have become our prime suspects, my lord, what with a lack of an alibi and all."

He ends with a somewhat taunting smile, while the young teens only glare at him, the room falling into a suspicious silence...

Small Time Skip, Arthur's POV

How? How did this happen? How did I end up here?

I'm now sitting on the edge of my guest bed, one of my wrists shackled to a long chain going under the bed-frame and to the soon-to-be chained Earl Phantomhive. He's currently being prepared for bed by Sebastian, obviously no more thrilled than I was by this new arrangement:

"Honestly, what a ridiculous mess this has turned into. I must apologize, dear Doctor: It seems their blaspheme suspicions of me have lead you to this trouble, and for that I'm most terribly sorry."

I turned to him with a partially nervous but reassuring smile:

"It's alright. I am glad that your fiance was spared from scrutiny..."

Though I feel bad she'll have to sleep by herself in her own room during this weather, since she has trouble sleeping during storms...

He also seemed rather apprehensive in letting her go.

I wonder: Have the young earl and lady been sleeping in the same chambers for some time now?

I let out a breathy sigh, as I hear Sebastian say to the Earl,

"Young lord, Mister Phelps said that he would prefer not to sleep in a room adjacent to a murder scene."

"Not surprising."

"Your chamber was the only one in a fit enough state, however, so that is where I had installed him. I hope that is alright."

"It's fine."

I hear Earl Phantomhive sit on the bed before saying,

"It will be chilly out tonight. Take care that none of the fires go out. Their host may be absent, but our guests should still be offered high hospitality."

"Yes, I understand, my lord."

"Also...I want you to check on Coraline at some point this evening...make sure she's sleeping okay by herself."

...Oh my...He really cares about his fiance deeply.

"Heh, of course, my lord. Now, if you'll forgive the liberty..."

I hear the click of the shackle's lock, signalling the binding between Earl Phantomhive and I to be complete...

"Shall we retire? It has been quite a long night, hasn't it?"

"Oh! Yes..."

We both settle down under the covers, before Sebastian says,

"Well then, I bid you both goodnight," and blows out the candelabra, before exiting the room...

As the storm lets out another clap of thunder, I find myself resisting slumber...and it seems I'm not the only one:

"Such a storm. Are you asleep, Doctor?"

"...No, sir." I turn to face him and ask,

"I'm sorry. Forgive the question, but, do you wear a patch both night and night?"

He takes in a short breath and answers,

"...Yes."

I sit up and say gently,

"This might be a bit forward of me, but, you should remove the patch and let air onto your eye as you sleep."

I slowly reach my arm towards him:

"Here, allow me-"

"Urh!"

(FLAP)

But just as I move to do so, the young earl sprang upward, giving me a distraught glare! He quickly realizes what he did, and calms down before apologizing:

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I sustained this injury when I lost my family...I, prefer it to be covered."

I flinch back, realizing my mistake:

"O-Oh! I had no idea; I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright...(Sad smile) It's this storm: It brings back memories...Aside from my fiance, I haven't shared a bed with someone for a while. I think I can remember the last time, actually. It was another stormy night like this one: The thunder and lightning frightened me, so I crawled into my parent's bed...I was very young then..."

...Oh Earl...

I felt this sudden urge to comfort the boy before me, so I, placed a gentle hand on his head...Although my action seemed to confuse him:

"...Uh, what are you doing?"

...Oh shoot!

I jump back with a yelp:

"O-Oh, my lord, I am so sorry! There are ten kids in my family, see, and one of my brothers is about your age, so I-uh..."

"Your brother, eh?"

"I wasn't patronizing you or anything; I wouldn't dare, I-I..."

He just smiles sadly and lays his head back down on the pillow again:

"Why don't we go to sleep now?"

"Uh? (...Sigh)"

"Goodnight, Doctor Arthur."

As he shuts his visible eye, I relax and reply,

"You too, my lord."

Small Time Skip, No POV

A few hours later, we see Sebastian roaming down the corridors, candelabra in hand...His destination was that of the murder scene, aka, Georg von Siemens's Room. He walked in front of the fireplace:

"...To work, then. Allow none of the fires to go out...Such was the order."

He bends down onto his knees and begins cleaning the fireplace...before finding an unknown object:

"Uh...As I suspected...This is..."

...If only he looked behind him a few seconds earlier...

(WHACK, STAB)

Earlier...

"Bard...Bard."

"Gyh!"

(Flap, Whap)

Bard springs up to a sitting position ready with a gun, only to be stopped by Sebastian...

"Oh, it's only you. You gave me a turn; could've killed ya."

As the chef puts his gun away, Sebastian says,

"I would like to review tomorrow's menus with you," to which Bard sleepily replies,

"Righ', sounds good. See ya in the mornin'."

But Sebastian doesn't let him go back to sleep quite yet:

"No. I meant that I wanted to go over them now."

Seeing the seriousness camouflaged in red irises, Bard replies more awake,

"...Alrigh', I'm listenin'."

Sebastian brings out a piece of parchment, fake smile abundant:

"On this slip of paper, you will find menus for the next three days. Also, there is a list of components I have already prepared. You will also find instructions for heating."

Bard frowns in annoyance at that last sentence:

"Always love to be thorough, don' you? Anyway, I don't see why you couldn' have told me tomorrow-"

"(Yawn...)"

It was then that Finny stirs awake:

"I'm confused, it's late. Wha's Sebastian doin' here?" Said butler turns his head to the gardener:

"As for you: This storm should keep you out of the garden for a while. Starting tomorrow, you're in charge of replenishing the coke for the fires. You're to see to it first thing in the morning...understood?"

"(Tired) Yes, siiir..."

Just before Sebastian exits the room, he adds,

"Get some sleep. You'll have quite the busy day tomorrow, chef. Goodnight."

"Yea'..."

(Ka-chank)

...As soon as the butler was gone, Bard does a double-take on the title Sebastian referred to him as:

"Wait, Chef?!"

...Moving along, Sebastian stops over at Mey-Rin's bedroom:

(Knock, knock)

"Mm...mm. Yes, coming. One moment."

She trips on herself, before reaching the door:

(Ka-chank)

"Sorry for the wait. What is it?"

"I apologize for waking you."

"Sebastian?! Owah, wh-what brings you here?! At this time of night, it can only mean one thing...!?"

"Please calm yourself. There is something I want you to do first thing in the morning."

Mey-Rin snaps out of it, a sheepish smile on her face:

"Oh, right. Silly me; that makes sense too..."

Sebastian then gestures to the gilded bird (A Snowy Owl) in his hands:

"Please set this bird loose as soon as the sun rises. There's a letter attached to it's leg. Remember, you must do this first thing...understood?"

"Uh, yes?"

Mey-Rin takes the caged owl, and Sebastian begins heading down the stairs...before stopping to say one last thing:

"A word of advice: Don't be so keen on opening your door without knowing who is on the other side."

"Heh?"

"(Turn, smile) You are a young woman after all..."

And as Sebastian continues on his way, Mey-Rin replies in an oddly calm tone,

"...Absolutely, sir."

...His next stop would be Coraline's bedroom:

(Knock, knock)

Inside, our poor redhead stirs from an uneasy sleep, for stormy weather was never a friend to her at night. She sits up, and her eyes glow ice blue in the shadows, before she lets out a breath and pads over to the door:

(Ka-chank)

"(Yawn) Hey there, Sebastian. Is everything alright?"

"Heh, I was about to ask you similarly, Miss Coraline. Young Master ordered me to check on you at some time during my rounds...as he worried you would be having trouble sleeping do to this unpleasant weather."

Coraline smiles faintly:

"...I'm doing okay so far. My nerves are a bit high, but that's more to do with recent events...I still can't believe Siemens is dead. I mean, he was a horrible drunk, but, his Aura spoke of more character than that."

She looks up into Sebastian's red irises:

"Are, Ciel and Sir Doyle doing okay, since they're sleeping in the same room?"

"Yes, both young master and Mister Doyle have settled comfortably."

"That's good...I feel bad that Ciel's been suspected, and I'm also surprised that everyone dropped their suspicions against me, but I guess they trust Sir Doyle's word. (Frown) Although Grey kept eyeing me before I went to bed. I still don't trust that man; he's only making my inner danger sirens ready to start blaring."

"Heh. I suppose that's just a sign of having good instincts...Now, perhaps we should get you back to bed, miss?"

"Mhm."

Coraline settles back under the covers, shivering a bit from the sounds outside...Just before Sebastian leaves:

"...Sebastian?"

"Yes, Miss Coraline?"

"...Is something bad going to happen in the morning, worse than the recent murder?"

Sebastian gazes at Coraline's form in mild surprise, before forming a mysterious smile:

"...Only time shall tell. But do not let such thoughts plague you, miss. After all, young master will worry for you if your health is jeopardized."

"...Okay. Goodnight, Sebastian, and...be careful."

"Goodnight, Miss Coraline."

...We jump back now to Arthur's room where he and Ciel were currently sharing, as our dear author/ophthalmologist continued to have trouble cutting a deal with the sandman:

...I can't sleep.

He turns his head to look at Ciel's sleeping form with a fond smile:

"Hm, a child's long lashes...He looks almost cute when he's sleeping: A bit more like Ciel, and less so like an Earl."

"Doesn't he, though? It all changes once those eyes open up, (Sigh)."

Arthur jumps to a sitting position, startled by the newly-arrived Sebastian! He frantically whispers,

"You! When did you get here?!"

"And why wasn't it sooner?"

"Ah! (Turn) I-I didn't realize! My lord, you're awake?!"

Ciel ignores the panicking Arthur, and holds out his hand towards Sebastian:

"Give me my pillow this instant."

"Uh? A pillow?"

Sebastian smiles slyly and replies,

"Not just any pillow: You may call it a security blanket of sorts."

Ciel retorts to the mocking tone as he flops back onto the bed,

"No, actually. I would just call this a comfortable pillow."

"Is there anything else? A soothing lullaby perhaps, or should I bring you an item of Miss Coraline's if the pillow is not enough?"

Ciel barks with a small blush dusting his cheeks,

"Hush, you! I have never asked you to sing to me, not even once!...But speaking of Coraline...I trust you've checked on her already?"

"Yes, my lord. Aside from being a little startled by the sounds of the storm outside, she appears to be getting an adequate amount of sleep...She's mostly worried for you, however."

"I see...Alright, enough of your foolishness for one night. You're a nuisance, go back to your room. I'm sleeping now."

"My apologies, my lord. I shall resume my duties immediately."

Sebastian pulls the blankets up a bit more over Ciel..and a few seconds later, the young earl was fast asleep, surprising Arthur:

"Already?!"

Sebastian bows to Arthur with a smile and says,

"Doctor. You have been terribly inconvenienced; I'm so sorry."

Arthur smiles reassuringly:

"No worries...The poor Earl: He's truly only thirteen? It must terrify him to be mixed up in something like this, especially since he's now separated from his fiance, Lady Croft."

Sebastian looks up at him surprised:

"Oh? So you don't believe him to be the murderer?" Arthur replies seriously,

"Not at all. I simply cannot imagine him doing something so cold-blooded anymore that I don't believe Lady Croft to be responsible."

"(Smile) Hah. I must say I'm glad to hear that. Well, Doctor, I shall leave him and the young miss in your hands. I'm sure you will look after them."

With that, Sebastian leaves, the author/ophthalmologist watching him go in confusion...

Time Skip, Arthur/Ciel's Room

"...Doctor...Doctor."

"Mm...muh?"

"Please, I need you to wake up now."

Arthur blinks the fatigue from his eyes, and sees Ciel hovering over him. He sits up and says,

"Oh. Good morning, my lord."

But while the ophthalmologist/author smiled, the young earl held a look of unease:

"Something is wrong. I don't know what, but I'm sure of it. It's long past time when Sebastian would wake me, but he hasn't come...That is unheard of."

"Uh..."

Before Arthur could respond:

(Knock, knock)

"If I may come in, master."

(Ka-chank)

...But instead of our usual butler in black, it was Tanaka standing in the doorway!

"(Bow) I apologize. My tardiness is inexcusable."

"Tanaka? (Widens eye) Why are you here; where's Sebastian?"

As Ciel and Arthur run down the corridors, convinced that something's not right, we jump to Grimsby and Irene dressed and awake, gazing at a disturbing sight within Siemens's Room:

"What the devil is going on in this place?!"

"How dreadful!"

Grey is in the room too, a look of indifference on his face:

"Well this is a shock I never expected..."

Near him stood Lau and Ran-Mao, who were holding Coraline, as her body shook with quiet sobs from the scene, her face hidden in Ran-Mao's torso:

"(Muffled) No...No...!"

Mey-Rin and Finny were also crying:

"Whatever will we tell the young master?"

It was then Bard sees Ciel and Arthur coming into the doorway:

"Master, we..."

But, Ciel was immediately struck with tunnel vision, when he sees...Sebastian's bloody corpse!

"...Sebastian?"

...He starts to slowly move towards the body, but Mey-Rin grasps him from behind in protest:

"Wait, master! You don't want to go any further, I promise!"

"Unhand me!" Finny joins in with the cherry-haired maid:

"Please, just listen to us!"

"I give the orders around here!"

(Shove)

"Uh!" "Ah!"

Ciel steps up to Sebastian's body, his foot splashing in the thin pool of blood:

"That's quite enough. Stop this playacting. I can't imagine you're very comfortable laying like that...You've had enough fun for one day, but the charade is over."

...There's no response...Bard mutters,

"...I'm so sorry," but Ciel doesn't give up:

(Step)

"Just stop this; I know you can hear me. I'm telling you to wake up."

...Still no response...

"(Grit) Damn it!"

(SHOOM)

In a burst of blind rage, Ciel pulls out the fire poker in Sebastian's chest! Arthur was shocked by the action:

"My lord!"

After tossing the object aside, Ciel goes to his knees, gripping the sides of Sebastian's coat tightly, shaking him:

"This is an order: You will wake up immediately! You think you can ignore my order?! (Slap) Who gave you permission to die?! (Slap) I won't allow it! Wake up at once!"

(Grasp)

"Young master."

"Uh!"

Bard stops Ciel from smacking Sebastian's face again, a grim look on his facial features:

"Please stop. It's time to leave him be...He's gone now."

He releases Ciel's wrist, and goes on one knee, muttering,

"...Sebastian is dead."

...Ciel turns back to look at Sebastian's body in disbelief:

"...Impossible...It can't be."

He touches the side of the butler's face, his tone becoming more timid and wobbly:

"...You're not really dead...are you, Sebastian? You, can't be dead. I simply won't allow it. You hear me? You, aren't allowed to die. You're suppose to be with me until the very end..."

He dips his head next to Sebastian's, muttering something incoherent, his mind slowly cluing into the grim reality...As Bard rises to a stand, Grey says,

"His body will start to decompose if we leave him here. Perhaps we should move him sooner than later."

"...I agree."

Mey-Rin tearfully steps to Ciel, knowing he has to move off and away from the body:

"(Sniff) M-My lord, come with me."

As soon as she seized him, the bluenette immediately broke into a tantrum, not wanting to believe Sebastian was dead:

"No! Let me go! Don't leave me behind, Sebastian! Do you hear me?!"

He manages to rip off the butler's silver pin, his voice rising in raw agony:

"That's an order! An order! AN ORDER!"

"My lord, please!"

"SEBASTIAN!..."

Coraline moves her face from Ran-Mao's torso, and stares at Ciel's thrashing form with tears in her eyes:

"...C-Ciel..."

As Ran-Mao comfortingly pets the redhead's hair, Lau says to Arthur,

"The Earl couldn't have committed this murder: He was chained to you and locked away in your room when it happened...My, how the plot thickens..."

Arthur widens his eyes...before relaxing into a pitying look:

"...The poor boy."

At the Same Time, in the Phantomhive Townhouse...

Soma sat by a window watching the heavy rainfall, as Agni brushed and styled his purple locks:

"So much rain. Bengal doesn't even get this much, even in monsoon season."

"Indeed, my prince."

"And we never see a glimpse of the sun...We'll lose Vishnu's protection at this rate...I feel sure that something is wrong."

As Agni slips Soma's red vest onto him, the latter adds with a concerned look,

"I don't like that we had to leave Ciel and Coraline. Party or no, I'm worried for them, especially after what happened to her not too long ago..."

Agni looks at Soma with surprise...before smiling at him reassuringly:

"All will be well, you'll see. You needn't worry. Lord Phantomhive and Miss Coraline have Sebastian after all. He will look after them both."

Back to the Manor, Coraline's POV

How...How could this have happened?

Sebastian's a demon: He should be able to sense anyone who dares to try and jump him...shouldn't he?

I don't know what to believe...

I'm now watching with everyone else, as Sir Doyle does an examination of...Sebastian's body:

"Seems he's had a blow to the back of the head. It's possible someone struck him from behind as he was tending to the fire."

Bard adds in his insights:

"And when that didn't do the job, what did they do? Stabbed him with a poker to make doubly sure that the deed was done."

Grey says,

"Or he made two different attacks without checking for signs of life between...Two blows kill more assuredly than one, it's simple arithmetic."

I side-glare at him, not liking the tone he used to describe...Sir Doyle disagrees with his judgment:

"No, I don't think so. I would wager that there were two different, separate attacks. Even if we were to assume that the blow to the back of the head wasn't enough to kill him, it's quite a switch to stab him from the front instead...which is why I think..."

"There were two killers instead of one, yes. Hm, that does make more sense." Lau chimes in,

"One killer or two, we can say this much: The attack shows no signs of hesitation or mercy. And whoever killed that butler must've known a thing or-"

"He ain' even cold!"

I dart my eyes at Finny, who had angry tears in the corners of his eyes while holding Ciel:

"Don't even talk like tha' with the master here! He doesn't need t' be listenin' to tha' rubbish!"

"Finny!"

Mey-Rin bows in apology on his behalf:

"Sorry. He didn't mean no harm." Grey then says,

"The boy does have a point, though: We should move the body and have this talk over a nice meal instead of a corpse."

Lau agrees:

"Yes, I always think better on a full stomach."

"Then it's settled. You servants clear that ghastly thing away...(Turn) And when that's done, see to breakfast, will you?"

"Right."

I grit my teeth in anger at Grey's careless words against the dead, but I chose to hold my tongue...for now. Everyone leaves the room...but I stay behind, wanting to comfort Ciel in any way I could:

"...Ciel?"

He looks up at me, calmer than he was earlier, but I could see some sadness hidden in his expression. I walk over to him, and put my arms around his body, whispering,

"...I'm sorry. I'll help you through this horrible turn, and make the one responsible pay dearly. I swear."

He remains quiet...before putting an arm around me:

"...Thank you...Those two had the right of it, however."

"Uh?"

I look at him confused, until he said to the others,

"Take Sebastian to the cellar...I apologize for losing control." Mey-Rin and Finny reply respectively,

"We don't blame you!"

"No' at all."

Giving me a look, I pull back from his body, before he directs his vision to Tanaka:

"...Tanaka."

Ciel walks over to the elder steward:

"Sebastian won't be coming back. I shall need you to take his place as butler. I leave management of the estate and servants in your hands."

He holds out his palm containing the silver pin:

"Take this pin. I'm returning it to you."

Returning it? Oh, right: Tanaka was head butler of the Phantomhives back before Ciel was even born...

(Sad smile) I suppose he's the best-experienced candidate...

"The major domo's pin...It brings back memories. But are you sure I'm qualified, sir? I'm no young buck anymore."

"It's only until I find a replacement."

I speak up softly:

"Plus age is only but a number, Tanaka. Experience is what really counts." Ciel nods, and Tanaka replies,

"Very well. As you wish, my lord. I humbly accept this great responsibility."

(Click)

Once the pin was fastened to his coat, Tanaka turns to the servant trio:

"(Clap, clap) Now then, everyone: I'll need you to prepare the morning baths first thing. Mey-Rin, heat the water. Men, you will carry it up to the master's and Miss Coraline's bedrooms. Naturally, this is to be done after you have dealt with Sebastian."

"Yes, sir."

Tanaka then says to Ciel,

"Pardon, young master, but we should really see to your attire. The Head of the Phantomhives mustn't allow himself to be rattled by the death of a mere servant. It would be most unseemly, I'm afraid. I can tell you with the upmost certainty that the previous Earl wouldn't have lost his composure over such a trifle as this."

Ah yes...There's nobility images that need to be sustained...

Cruel as it sounds, any sadness or mourning must be tucked away for later.

Ciel responds with a small smile,

"I see that you're going to be as strict as ever. Eh, old man?"

Small Time Skip, Dining Hall

I'm now sitting on Ciel's right, he wearing a black-dominating suit, and I the simple brown dress with black low heels and a ribbon-tied ponytail, gazing at my plate of food, but with no appetite...

"It was fortunate that Sebastian was able to make preparations in advance."

I nod numbly, my throat a bit too sore to talk...Grey seems to be looking on the bright side:

"Yes, my stomach agrees with you. Let's eat, shall we?"

I felt Ciel's stare, before he grabs my hand from under the table:

"...Are you alright, love?"

"...I'm hanging in there. I just...seeing what we saw...my mind's wandering back when, father died. The, scenes look similar to one another."

I feel Ciel grip my hand tighter, rubbing the back of it with his thumb...Just before Grey's silverware could touch his plate, Sir Doyle says,

"Wait a moment, please. Who are we missing?"

I look up, my mind no longer distracted by the past, seeing that the seat on Irene's left was unoccupied, as does she:

"But I thought we were all present. Who hasn't joined us?...Oh! Yes, of course: Mister Phelps is absent."

Grimsby replies,

"Oh. He's so quiet, it's a little hard to notice," followed by Woodley:

"Overindulged, last night, did he? Hahaha..."

That's when I realized,

"...Wait. (Gasp) Oh no." Ciel turns to me and asks,

"What's wrong?"

"I just remembered: Mister Phelps wasn't present in, the other room...And given that we have an unknown murderer on the loose...What if he..."

Sir Doyle rises from his seat:

"Indeed. The young lady is right: Given what has happened so far...We should go check his room."

We're now running up the stairs and through the corridors, heading for where Mister Phelps supposingly was:

"Where was he sleeping?" Ciel replies to Sir Doyle,

"He didn't want to sleep next to Von Siemens's room, so we moved him to my chambers."

We reach the double-doors, and Sir Doyle begins knocking on the hardwood frantically:

"Mister Phelps! Mister Phelps, if you're in there, please answer!"

He tries to open the door:

(Jiggle)

"It's locked. We'll need the key."

"Well as my butler, Sebastian was the one in charge of the key: Only he knew where he kept it. Even I don't know where it is...and with him dead..."

(Step)

"Best step aside."

Next thing we knew:

"Aaah!" "Crap!"

(Slash-slash-slash-slash, CRASH)

We barely dodge Grey's sword as he cuts the doors apart!

"Do you think we can hurry this up a bit? I'm still waiting on dessert."

I stand up and bark,

"Hello! What the hell kind-of warning was that?! That was incredibly reckless; you could've killed us!"

Moving along, Sir Doyle leads the charge to where the bed was:

(Slam)

"Are you in here?!"

...But what we found...was our third victim.

"...Mister Phelps?"

His body was sprawled on the floor face-down, his head positioned sideways revealing a frozen look of immense pain and drool pooling from his mouth. I shudder, clinging to Ciel, who puts a protective arm around me, just as shocked:

"...What is this?"

Sir Doyle takes a closer look:

"Rigamoratus has set in. He's been dead for some time. He doesn't have any visible wounds like the others..."

He pulls back Phelp's shirt collar, noting something strange on his neck:

"These look like puncture marks on his neck. Maybe, from a needle. (Turn) This could be a poisoning."

I then hear some shuffling coming from the other side of the room:

"Huh?"

I move back to the doorway, and look to see Lau and Ran-Mao, going through Ciel's wardrobe?

"Ooh, I must say, you have lovely chambers, my lord." Ciel comes up beside me and glares at Lau:

"You git! Don't rummage through my property!" I sweatdrop, quirking mentally,

Those two have the weirdest hobbies...

Lau's then holding up a short Chinese dress that was dark pink with cherry blossoms decorating the top and bottom:

"Ah-ha-ha, so you kept this little outfit, did you? Worn it yet?"

I barely bite back a laugh as Ciel retorts with a tick-mark,

"I most certainly have not! Now as I said-Why do I even bother...?"

I pat his back with an amused smile:

"Easy does it, Ciel. Just take a breath...Hm?"

Lau then turns to me, before holding the dress up to my body:

"Hm~. On second thought, this would look quite lovely on you, dear Coraline. What do you say? Want to switch up your outfit? I'm sure the young lord would love to see you in this little number~..."

I feel my entire face go red, before shouting in embarrassment,

"Oh hell to the no! I wouldn't be caught dead in a skirt that short, not to mention that it's pink!"

Ciel wraps his arms around me, shooting a glare at the Chinese man:

"Do not tease my fiance with such vulgarity. Now put that thing away."

"Hahaha, alright, milord. No need to get testy. I was only joking."

I lean into Ciel and whisper gratefully,

"Thank you."

"No problem. (Pecks my cheek) Now let's get back to the Doctor."

"'Kay."

We move back where everyone else was, as Sir Doyle says,

"It sounds odd...but it's possible that these were made by teeth." Irene asks,

"A bite mark on his neck? Is it possible he was attacked by Carmilla?"

Carmilla?

Ciel asks Irene,

"Are you referring to Le Fanu's vampire character?"

"Yes. Have you read the book?"

Ciel nods, while I hum in thought:

Must be a vampire story before Bram Stoker's Dracula. Might've even helped influence the future story too...

(Note: Don't own that literature reference!)

Woodley scoffs to the supernatural claim:

"You're not suggesting he was killed by a vampire? Preposterous! This is the nineteenth century: Something so unscientific can't possibly exist!"

I turn to him and dryly reply,

"The world is full of mysteries that we humans have yet to learn about, sir; some of which take a different understanding than science can provide. But I agree with you: This isn't likely the cause of a vampire. Sir Doyle's earlier guess of a needle injection is more accurate...Either that, or there could be a wild animal running loose in the manor alongside the killer."

Sir Doyle turns to me with a puzzled expression:

"A wild animal?"

"Mhm. Something could've slipped within the manor when the guests all arrived, and has been roaming around before coming into this room while Phelps was sleeping and bit him. Poison may not have been the cause: There are deadly diseases and pathogens that animals carry which are harmful to the human immune system, especially if transferred into the bloodstream."

"Uh...(Impressed smile) I suppose that may be true, but if that was a wild animal that killed Mister Phelps, there would've been more damage to the body and/or the room."

"...Oh yeah."

"Your hunch is on the right track, though, so good try."

I smile appreciatively and nod, as Sir Doyle notices a broken clock on the floor:

"The clock reads two thirty-eight. Most likely, Mister Phelps broke it during his death throes. It stopped when it fell to the ground."

Ciel walks over to stand by Sir Doyle:

"The clock is a clue: It probably marks the approximate time Mister Phelps passed away."

"Yes."

Sir Doyle stands up again, clock in hand:

"I think we all need to sit down together and sort some things out, like the order in which all these men were killed, and who could've been responsible."

"That's a fine idea. Tanaka, show everyone to the Drawing Room."

"(Bow) I would be happy to, my lord."

Drawing Room, No POV

With everyone gathered, Arthur begins his report on everything so far:

"Putting together everyone's accounts, we can say Georg Von Siemens was killed first, that much is clear. His time of death was approximately one-ten. The second victim was Mister Phelps, at approximately two thirty-eight. Which just leaves Sebastian, who's the third and final victim."

He was jotting the details down in a small notebook as he went, sitting on a sofa with Lau and Ran-Mao, while Grimsby, Irene and Woodley sat across from them on another sofa, and Grey occupied a chair at one end, while Ciel and Coraline sat on a small love seat together across from him in front of the windows.

Lau was a bit surprised by the time slot results:

"Hold on. Really? The butler was the last to go?"

"Yes. It's confirmed."

Finny speaks up next for himself, Bard and Mey-Rin:

"That's right, it was confirmed by us: We all saw him last nigh'." Bard adds,

"Way late last nigh'; it was around, two-fifty." Ciel asks,

"What could he have possibly have wanted at that hour?"

"He wanted t' go over some menus with me. And 'e told Finny to see that the fireplaces stayed lit."

Mey-Rin then says,

"Uh, and then he instructed me to, uh, release, uh...well, a carrier owl, I suppose?"

"Carrier owl?"

Bard explains:

"Pigeon would never be able to make i' in this storm. An owl could do i', though. Sebastian never overlooked anything..."

Grey asks,

"So what did the letter say?" Mey-Rin replies,

"I didn't read it. It wouldn't have been my place." Arthur then suggests,

"It's possible that he was writing to the police about the murder." Ciel agrees:

"That would make sense: The phones wouldn't work in this storm."

Coraline softly speaks up:

"Um, Sebastian also came to my room, somewhere around three o' clock."

Everyone looks at her, and Lau asks,

"And whatever for?"

She smiles faintly and replies,

"He was checking to make sure I was sleeping okay as per Ciel's order. As I've already mentioned, I, don't usually sleep well during storms by myself."

Coraline turns to Ciel and adds,

"It was really sweet of you and he to worry about me," and pecks his cheek, causing the young earl to blush a bit...

Arthur is then seen scribbling more frantically in his notebook:

"If you'll just give me a moment: I'm creating a timeline based on the alibis supplied by everyone..."

(Ruffle)

"Here it is: The only person who could've killed Georg Von Siemens was Earl Phantomhive. Since Sebastian was the sole person with the keys to the Earl's chambers, only he could've killed Mister Phelps. And as for Sebastian, other than the Earl, Lady Croft and myself, basically anybody could've killed him. In other words, this proves it was impossible for one perpetrator to have committed all of the murders."

...A tense silence falls through the room, aside from the calm sipping of Ciel as he took in some tea...Grimsby finally asks,

"So...what happened? Who killed who?" Woodley utters,

"It's clear to me: If no one could've done it alone, then the most likely suspects are the ones who arrived as a pair!"

Grimsby jumps to his feet, not pleased with what Woodley was implying:

"Trapped here with a murderer, than branded as criminals ourselves?! Unacceptable!"

Irene wraps her arms around his waist, trying to still the man's rising temper:

"Please, you must calm down, Grismby!" Arthur holds his hands out defensively:

"Yes, calm yourself! And just to make myself clear, I wasn't suggesting that these murders were done by a pair-"

(Slam)

Woodley beats his fists on the coffee table, his own anger reaching its boiling point:

"I've had enough! I refuse to be held here!"

"And where exactly will you go?" He turns to Ciel, as the younger calmly states,

"Given the situation, I cannot allow you to go gallivanting about."

"Lord Phantomhive. This entire mess is your-"

"My what?"

Woodley hesitates for a moment, before following through with his accusation:

"Your doing! I know about you. Yes, that's it: You had this planned from the beginning, and you likely roped in your fiance to help! You're to do away with us all, as the Queen's Guard Dog!"

Ciel's visible blue iris narrows:

"...Woodley."

Said man cringes a bit from the stare, as the bluenette sternly orders,

"There is no need to begin frothing at the mouth. Now be a good boy and sit."

"Gh! You presume to give me orders?!"

As Arthur calls,

"Please, stop!"

(GRASP)

(Collective gasp)

Coraline sprang to her feet, stopping Woodley's incoming fist with her own two hands! She glares at the man and says in a strong tone,

"Sir, please. There's no need to resort to pointless violence that will only make you more guilty than the rest of us in this whole situation. Now why don't you do as my fiance said and sit, down."

Ciel looks at her with surprise at her action:

"...Coraline..."

Woodley was momentarily stunned, but then grinds his teeth at the young redhead and barks,

"I'm not about to take orders from a little girl either! Unhand me, you wretch!"

(Shove, bang)

"Agh!"

"Coraline!" "Lady Croft!"

Coraline was then pushed to the floor by Woodley, landing on the floor beside the love seat on her side and elbow hard...As she looks back up, her eyes flash ice blue for a split second, which the other somehow caught:

"Ah! Your eyes...! You're not just a wretch, but you're a conniving witch!"

Just as the older raises his fist against the younger:

(Grab, toss, slam)

"Gyaa-ah!"

Tanaka suddenly springs to action, grabbing Woodley's arm and throwing him to the ground! As he held the man down by the arm and one knee pinned in his spine, Tanaka states,

"You're clearly in some discomfort. I'm terribly sorry. But in this estate, we do not allow people the habit of striking the young master or lady. Your station does not matter to us, nor your birth nor your age. You will be shown no mercy...(Smile) It's our rule; I hope you'll keep it in mind."

Woodley mutters in a strain,

"What's wrong with this bloody manor? Damn you..."

Arthur stares at the elder steward/current butler in amazement:

"How, did he do that? I never even saw him move..."

Lau replies,

"Oh, that? It's the Japanese Art of Bartitsu, I believe."

"I'm sorry...Bartitsu? (Animated) Tell me more, this is excellent material! (Murmur) B-A-R..."

Meanwhile, Ciel rose from his seat and knelt down in front of Coraline who was rubbing her elbow:

"Are you alright, love?"

"Mhm, I'm fine. My elbow's just throbbing a bit from the impact, so I might have a bruise later..."

He nods, and pulls her up to her feet, moving to sit on the love seat again...only to pull Coraline into his lap shortly after!

"Oh! C-Ciel?!"

"Heh. I think you'll be safer here for now, don't you? Can't risk you falling and hurting yourself again...besides..."

He leans his head to hers and coos in her ear,

"I've been waiting for a good excuse to put you in my lap."

Coraline blushes deeply and whispers,

"C-Ciel, isn't this considered inappropriate?"

"So?"

"(...Sigh) You are exhausting sometimes, you know that? You're lucky I love you."

Ciel chuckles and pecks her cheek, hugging her closer to him...Irene smiles at the romantic display adoringly:

"Oh~, how sweet. They remind me of how we used to interact in the early days of our courtship, don't you think so, Grimsby?"

He nods with his own smile:

"Indeed, they are quite the couple...just like we."

Ciel turns his head to Tanaka and says,

"That will do. Thank you for your assistance," followed by Coraline chiming,

"Yes, thank you for defending me, Tanaka."

The elder nods, and releases Woodley...Ciel then says,

"And as for you: May we safely say we'll meet with no further defiance on your part, as well as apologize to my fiance for pushing her to the ground and that earlier insult?"

Woodley rises to his feet, and looks at Coraline for a moment...before saying,

"I, apologize for causing you harm, my lady, as well as calling you a wretch and a witch. I don't know what brought about that last one..."

"(Nod) Apology accepted, sir. Please, have a seat and we can move forward."

As soon as Woodley sat down again, Ciel spoke up again, shifting his hold on Coraline a bit so they were more comfortable:

"Now then, back to business: The only persons we're certain are innocent are Doctor Arthur and Lady Croft. Therefore, I believe the safest and fairest way to proceed is to allow them to determine our course of action."

Arthur looks at the young earl in surprise:

"Me? Are you sure?"

"I'm quite sure...Coraline?"

"I actually rather Sir Doyle take lead, (Smile) but I'll chime in whenever I can."

"Alright...Does everyone find this agreeable?"

Grimsby replies,

"I believe so. Seems trustworthy enough," followed by Irene:

"Yes, that sounds like an excellent proposal."

Ciel grows a smile that was on the borderline of becoming a smirk:

"Well, that's decided. I don't think we need to worry about this storm letting up anytime soon. So, let's make certain our investigation is thorough. (Glance) Don't you agree, Doctor?"

"My lord, you..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Ah...nothing, never mind. Forget I said anything."

Ciel hms, and turns to focus on Coraline, her head tucked into his chest and eyes closed in relaxation, before softly kissing her head, running his fingers through her hair...

Unknown (Now confirmed as an Older Arthur) Narration

"I couldn't say it aloud, that he looked like a cruel imp enjoying the outcome of a trick he had played...or a mischievous child, reveling in a new game...And yet at the same time, he displayed such a tenderness to his young fiance. They clearly loved one another very much, and it seemed the Earl was ready to protect her, like she was his most precious treasure...no matter what the cost."

No POV

With the decision of who's to take lead in this multiple murder investigation made, it was time to take the next step in solving it...

"What will it be then?"

Arthur snaps out of his thoughts at Ciel's call:

"Oh, uh, sorry?"

"(Smile) We're all awaiting your orders. What shall we do?"

"Oh, uh, (Clears throat) to begin with, I'd like to take a look at the cellar, if that's alright."

"Certainly, but could you tell me why?"

"You said that Sebastian was the only one who had the key to your chambers. I would like to see if I could locate it."

We jump ahead now to a darkened spiral staircase, illuminated by a lantern that Bard was carrying as he lead Arthur, Ciel, Coraline, Finny and Grey down to the cellar where our three victim's bodies currently laid. As they slowly made their way down, Arthur comments,

"It's so spooky down here, I wouldn't be surprised to see a ghost-"

Grey immediately protested to that thought:

"Now don't joke like that! Ghosts and Ghouls aren't real; I only believe in that which I can cut down with my sword!"

"If that's the case, then kindly release my arm, sir."

Seeing her glare, Grey quickly retracts his arms from Coraline's:

"U-Uh, I was only looking out for you! I thought you might be frightened!"

The redhead clicks her tongue in annoyance:

"Please. I happen to embrace the idea of the existence of the strange and unexplained. (Smirk) Perhaps your rising anxiety is karma teaching you to respect the dead, specifically for slandering Sebastian's body earlier..."

Before Grey could retort:

"Here we are, if you're ready."

Everyone focuses back up front, as Bard opens the cellar door: Inside and between the tall shelves of wine bottles, were the three bodies of our unfortunate victims, laying on the brick floor with a white sheet underneath each of them and a second covering over top.

Arthur slips on a pair of gloves before stepping forward:

"Sorry. I must look closer."

(Flap)

"Uh. His face is wet."

Bard looks up at some pipe work on the ceiling:

"Guess there must've been a leak up there. No' too surprising, really."

Finny exclaims,

"Tha' seems real disrespectful, doesn't it? We should move 'im somewhere dry!" Arthur agrees:

"Yes, that's a good idea. Moisture will accelerate the rate of decay."

"Decay?...Righ'."

Coraline comments more to herself,

"That's the problem with natural preservation in a moist environment: Because temperatures and climate can change conditions very quickly, it can be difficult to preserve that which is prone to biodegration, such as flesh, wood and even bone. The only exception I can think of is peat bogs, where oxygen is lack and can't interfere with the natural acidic compounds in the water."

Arthur looks at Coraline in awe:

"Amazing. How is it that you know such fact?"

"(Smile) My father was an archaeologist, so I grew up learning all kinds of information about the past and techniques of unearthing and preserving such evidence. I, actually want to follow in his footsteps when I'm older."

Grey scoffs a bit with a mocking smile:

"A woman archaeologist? That'll be the day..."

Coraline shoots him a glare:

"Hey! There's been plenty of women who've contributed to archaeology, like Jane Dieulafoy and Hilda Petrie. Before you go and make your sexist comments, check your facts first!"

Ciel puts his hands on her shoulders to calm her down:

"Ahem, if we can focus back on the current situation, please?"

Coraline and Grey hmph childishly and mutter,

"Fine," as Arthur focuses back on Sebastian:

"I'd like to examine him, but it'll be a job taking his clothes off. Riagmoratus has made the body stiff. Let's turn him over."

"No!"

Finny suddenly rushes in front of the brunette and shields Sebastian's body from him:

"He's no' some thing, he's a person, even if 'e is dead! And 'e deserves better: He was important to us!"

"Finny."

"Hn?"

He turns to Ciel, who says to the other in a stern tone,

"If you're going to behave like a child, you can leave. You're in the way."

Finny takes in a short breath of shock...before sighing quietly and slowly walking over back with Bard, who pats his head sympathetically...Ciel then says,

"We can relocate him later. The key comes first. Doesn't seem to be on his coat."

Grey suggests,

"Maybe he wore it around his neck," followed by Arthur:

"Let's take a look."

...A couple minutes later:

"(Sigh) It's not there. Coraline, you can open your eyes now."

She lets out a breath of relief and uncovers her irises:

"Thanks. There's only so much I'm willing to see, and overexposure of the male anatomy is not one of them."

"Heh, right..."

As Arthur finishes re-buttoning Sebastian's white shirt (it having bloodstains from his mortal wound), he wonders aloud,

"Where else could he have hidden it? In his quarters, perhaps?"

"Let's go look, shall we?"

Sebastian's Room, Ciel's POV

(Ka-chank)

"Here we are: These are Sebastian's quarters."

As everyone files in, I notice that Coraline's face was still a bit pink from earlier...I smirk, before walking over to her and placing my arm around her torso:

"Heh, I see your blush hasn't dissipated quite yet, love." She whispers irritably,

"Shut up. There's some sights a girl shouldn't gaze at until they're a certain age...plus there was no consent on his part..."

I chuckle a bit and whisper back in a playful mock,

"Aww, does that male body scare you that much? Or do you just wish it to be my body as your first peek?"

Her face erupts into a brighter red than before:

"C-Ciel!"

I let out a laugh and peck her rosy cheek:

"Easy now. I was only teasing."

"...I hate you so much right now."

"Love you too."

Alright, that's enough teasing for now, Ciel. Focus back on the task at hand...

Getting back to reality, Doctor Arthur comments on the room size:

"More spacious than I would've expected." Bard replies,

"He might've been a servant, but 'e was a high-rankin' one." I ask him and Finny,

"What do you think: Do the two of you have any ideas as to where Sebastian might've hidden the key in here?"

"Can't say I do; I've never been in 'ere before." Finny also shakes his head...

"I won't be much help either: I've only been in here twice since I gave him the room."

Grey then says,

"Let's look anywhere that looks decent enough to store away valuables."

Panning all through the room, there wasn't any sign of the key...But as I turn away from his desk, I looked towards Sebastian's wardrobe, having this strange feeling like something was in there that shouldn't be...

"Hmm..."

Coraline comes up beside me on my right, also curious about the wardrobe:

"...You take one door, I take the other?"

"Right."

(Crrreak...)

(Cats meowing)

"Huh?"

Next thing we knew, at least six or seven cats came barreling out of the wardrobe!

"Waah!" "It's full of cats?!"

Grrrh, god dammit, Sebastian!

I shout in heavy irritation,

"That beast! I did not sanction the housing of these cats!"

I hear Coraline facepalm beside me and mutter,

"Should've seen this coming," while Finny holds up one of the black-furred creatures:

"Ooh! Look at this one! I think he likes me!"

It was then my allergies took over:

"Ah, Ah-choo!"

"My lord?"

"Step back! Get it away from me! My allergies!"

"What was tha', master?"

"Ah-choo!"

Coraline places her hands on my shoulders and turns me towards the doorway:

"Come on, Ciel. Let's get you outside the room for a few minutes until your allergies cool, okay?"

"Ah-choo! (Sniff) R-Right..."

Once the cats were dealt with, we continued searching for the key, though I'm now forced to stand by the door with my handkerchief over my nose to prevent anymore oncoming sneezing...Grey comments while looking in a drawer,

"I haven't come across a single personal item in here. So where is he originally from, anyway?"

Bard turns to him and replies,

"Don' know. He wasn't exactly the kind of guy you go' chummy with. All I knew was that 'e was better at 'is job than anyone I had ever seen. A perfect butler in every way you can think of."

Finny adds,

"I know nothin' either. I suppose the young master migh', though."

They turn to me, and I reply,

"No, I don't actually. I'm as much in the dark as any of you. I don't know where he came from, what he had done, or who he had served...nor was I interested, for that matter. I simply didn't care. I would've accepted anybody of that time, provided that they were loyal to me, and help me achieve my goals."

I feel Coraline wrap her arms around me, knowing the full details of said goals and the deal I made, and I place one of my hands on hers, leaning my body back into hers:

And she accepts it all, because she understands...which makes her one of the few people in my circle I can fully trust.

Grey narrows his eyes suspiciously at me:

"And those would be?"

I stare at him, saying nothing, just as Coraline softly replies,

"I'm afraid something so personal between butler and master must remain silent. Respect on both sides, ya know?"

Grey was taken aback, and I turn to her in surprise...before smiling and nodding at her. Doctor Arthur stands up from the ground again and says,

"I think it's about time to admit defeat. We aren't going to find it in here."

Grey replies,

"Then the tour continues. Where to next?"

Drawing Room, No POV

"Everyone. We have been searching for the key to the Earl's chamber as you know. I would like your permission to search through your belongings and rooms. Would that be alright? Naturally, the ladies shall check eachother's things, so propriety won't be an issue."

Irene agrees to Arthur's request:

"That sounds suitable. I don't object." Lau calmly accepts the terms:

"Go right ahead." Woodley just says,

"Just do what you like," not wanting to cause another scene...

So then everyone goes through each room and eachother's belongings, the men taking care of themselves, and the same for the women. So far, no new changes...We zoom in on Irene's Room, where she stands by the vanity as Mey-Rin, Ran-Mao and Coraline go through her things in search of the key...

As Coraline rose from looking under the bed, Irene comments,

"I must say, Lady Coraline, I'm quite surprised to learn that a young lady such as yourself carries an, army knife under her pillow..."

The young redhead smiles faintly and replies,

"It used to belong to my father, so it's become an important keepsake...Well that, and it's a good form of self-protection. I do apologize if it startled you; I swear it hasn't been used recently. It's more a symbolic gesture to show an attacker so they'll back off or risk getting hurt."

"Oh, of course, I understand. Considering how dangerous today's world is for women like we...If I may be so bold to ask, though, with your father gone, are you..."

"An orphan? Yes...But, I've made lots of friends since then. (Smile) And then there's Ciel..."

"(Smile) Ah yes. (Giggle) You and Earl Phantomhive are quite a cute pair, if I may say. I can tell that you love one another very much; I hope you both live happily together in the long haul of life..."

"Thank you, Lady Irene."

It was then that Mey-Rin comes across an old photograph of Irene and Grimsby:

"Oh, goodness. I really must be more careful with that..."

"He gave the game up yesterday when he go' so protective of you. Quite surprised, I was."

The opera singer blushes a bit and says,

"I daresay he did. I am twelve years his elder, so we don't like to tell people. I'm sure you understand; it's a trifle embarrassing."

"Twelve?! You must be joking; you don't look it at all!"

"Oh my, you are too kind..."

Mey-Rin quirks to herself,

Stage performers must know every anti-aging trick in the book!

Coraline comments amusingly,

"Numerical aging doesn't always reflect how our bodies develop: Some people look older than they really are, while others look younger. Haha, even I've had people tell me I look like an overdeveloped eleven-year old thanks to my young image, height and B-cup breasts!"

Irene lets out a laugh at Coraline's description:

"Oh my goodness, that's rather blunt of you to say, dear!"

"Hey, we're all girls here, are we not? And we're not in public either..."

As the two ladies laugh, Mey-Rin spots something in the corner of Irene's open suitcase:

"Hm? Oh, hello, what's this?"

It was a round, clear crystal bottle, filled about halfway with a strange, red liquid...Mey-Rin's hand begins to shake, as she remembered the earlier suspicion regarding vampires:

"No...surely not, blood...?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by Irene's yelp, and she turns to see Ran-Mao, wearing a pair of bloomers on her head!

"That's not how they're intended to be worn!"

"Miss Ran-Mao, what mischief are you up to?! (Sigh) Oh, I'm coming..."

Coraline places a hand on Irene's arm and says with an awkward smile,

"Forgive Ran-Mao, Lady Irene: I don't think she's ever worn that style of, women's undergarments before...Ahem, anyway, since the key's obviously not in here, shall we go join the men?"

Soon everyone was back in their seats in the Drawing Room again, with no master key on hand.

"Well that was an exercise in futility..." Ciel replies to Arthur,

"We may have to assume that Sebastian hid it someplace other than the manor." Lau comments,

"Yes, that could be. Of maybe the murderer just threw it out the window. Given its small size and this storm, it's a fair bet that we'll never find it..."

"I'll look. Please, let me go ou' and look for it."

Mey-Rin joins Finny on the offer:

"I would be happy to look for i' as well." Ciel replies,

"At this point, we need any clue we can lay our hands on. Still, I can't ask you to-"

Finny interrupts:

"Master, jus' let me do whatever I can to help! I'm no' real brigh', so I can't use my head to help solve the murders, bu' I can do other things! And if finding the key will help even a little bit, well then I wan' the chance to try."

He turns to Mey-Rin, and they nod, before bursting out the Drawing Room for the outdoors, much to Bard's protest:

"You lot can't jus-Sorry, my lord. Please excuse me."

And Bard takes off after the other two...Ciel smiles amusingly at their determination to help, while Coraline whispers,

"They better be careful out there's all I can say..."

Outside the Manor

As the heavy rain kept coming down in sheets, Mey-Rin slips off her glasses and calls to Finny over the noise of the storm,

"I think I'll start by looking ou' in the garden!"

"Righ', sounds good!"

But before they could start their 'needle in a haystack' search, Bard arrives:

"Wha' are you lackwits thinkin'?! No chance of findin' it in this weather! Get back inside. We don' even know for certain if the key's out here!"

Mey-Rin counters,

"But we don't know if it isn't either!"

"...Go back. You'll freeze to death ou' here. It jus' ain't worth it, okay?"

Finny heavily disagrees:

"No' worth it? How can you even say such a thing?! None of us would even be here now if it wasn' for Sebastian!"

His head dips down, eyes shadowed by his bangs:

"...Before this...we didn't have anything: No home...no friends...no freedom...Remember? The young master and Sebastian took us in and gave us all those things. And now, we'll never see Sebastian again...He's gone forever..."

With that, Finny drops to his hands and knees, letting his tears mix with the rain...

"Enough! Quit cryin', Finny! Crying isn't going to bring him back!"

And yet, despite her words, Mey-Rin couldn't hold in her own emotional pain, and dropped to the ground sobbing as well...Bard says to them,

"Alrigh', you two. Now listen up..."

They continue to sob, and the chef clenches his fists, remaining strong:

"I said listen!"

Finny and Mey-Rin snap out of it on the second call, and Bard kneels in front of them:

"What did Sebastian hire us fo'? We guard the house and the master: Those are ou' primary duties. Don' forget. We can't waste our time on some wild goose chase."

His tone softens a bit more:

"Remember when they first brought us here? We were alo' different then: We didn't know anythin' bu' how to kill...(Gentle smile) We've come to learn a thing or two. Sebastian could've done everythin' on his own: He didn't need our help takin' care of the manor. So why do ya think he spent all tha' time teachin' a bunch of gits like us? It was so that if somethin' had happened to 'im, the master will still have people to take care of things. Heh, plus, there's Coraline who also needs to be looked after and protected as long as she's here. Her presence has really changed the atmosphere in the manor these past few months. If anythin', she's become our second beacon of hope..."

Bard finishes his speech by saying firmly,

"There's jus' one place we should be righ' now and it's no' out in the rain."

(Step, step)

"Indeed. Well spoken."

"(Turn) Tanaka."

The elder was standing before the sevant trio with two umbrellas, one over himself and one shielding Bard from the rain:

"And do you know what Sebastian would say if he were here right now? I think he would say that a Phantomhive Servant who can't handle a minor crisis like a triple murder isn't worth his salt."

Their reaction?

"Uh...Right!"

Back Inside...

As Ciel and Coraline stood over by the window looking outside, they turn back to the group upon hearing Arthur say,

"H-Hold on, where are you going?"

Grimsby, whose now on his feet, calmly replies,

"Easy now. I just need to fetch my supplies. I'm on a deadline with this script. I'll return shortly."

"Please wait a moment. Since we don't know who committed the murders, it's safest for us all if no one goes off on their own right now."

Lau takes in a drag from his pipe and replies,

"I wholeheartedly agree. Doctor Arthur's way ensures that the killer can't strike again...if he is among us."

Grimsby narrows his eyes in confusion:

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, precisely what I said. I thought it was fairly clear..." Grey comments,

"We've been all over the manor. Where else could the killer be?" Irene ponders,

"If it's not one of us, he could be outside, couldn't he?" Ciel replies,

"I'm afraid that wouldn't explain how he can come and go at will from locked rooms or how he could wander about the manor without leaving muddy footprints behind."

Lau retorts,

"We can't write something off just because we can't explain it. There could be a fourteenth man at the heart of this crime."

Woodley scoffs,

"Oh, that's preposterous. Simply impossible; stop wasting our time."

"I think not."

"Hm?"

"On the contrary, my good man, it's the absolutes that which are impossible. At this very moment, there could be someone lurking around the manor ready to overturn your absolutes, waiting in the shadows for the chance to kill us all. Why, he could be biding his time just beyond that door..."

"The door, huh? Funny, I was thinking more the walls."

"Huh?"

Everyone looks toward Coraline in puzzlement, as she taps the wall behind Lau, Ran-Mao and Arthur:

"As already mentioned, we have no way of knowing of how the Unsub is traveling throughout the manor without leaving some sort of evidence behind indicating their presence."

"Unsub?"

"It's short for Unknown Subject, a term used by detectives from where I come from. Anyway, I can't help but remember some readings I've come across that spoke of old architectures such as castles and large mansions that held secret catacombs or passageways only a scarce few are aware of, or the spaces between the walls of a home that rodents use to avoid being spotted and killed on the spot...This is going to sound a bit farfetched, but, what if the Unsub is following in the footsteps of rats and is somehow using the crawlspaces within the walls to travel throughout the manor?"

Everyone widens their eyes, and Arthur hms in thought:

"That would depend on how thin their body is...but that is possible..."

Woodley of course remains skeptical of both Lau and Coraline's claims:

"Hmph, simply ridiculous. I don't know who would believe either of your poppycock."

(Slam)

"Master!"

Suddenly, Bard (carrying a bag) and Finny charge through the doors of the Drawing Room:

"We've apprehended a suspect!"

"Uh!"

"(Turn) Come on then, get 'im in here!"

And stepping into the room, bound by rope around his wrists and torso, was an unknown man with pale skin, shaven-short black hair, dull-brown eyes, wearing a black suit and vest, white shirt, and simple black tie!

Everyone was stunned, with Grey shouting,

"You mean there really was a fourteenth man?! Where's he been hiding?!"

Ciel mutters,

"Uh...Quite unexpected..." Woodley was the most flabbergasted:

"Wait: Who is this man?! Is he really our killer?!"

Lau smiles and rises from his seat to address the new arrival:

"So you reveal yourself at last, you dinisin of the shadows, doer of dastardly deeds. I must say, even I'm a bit surprised..."

He then claps a hand on the arrival's shoulder and asks,

"So...who are you?" Ciel gets a tick-mark and irritably mutters,

"This routine again?" Coraline just sighs and quirks,

"Typical Lau: All talk but no actual structure between his words..."

The stranger turns to Ciel with a smile and answers Lau's question:

"...I believe the Earl can tell you." Ciel replies,

"Been a while, Jeremy. How are you?"

"Oh, another surprise: You know this old fellow, my lord?" Jeremy looks at Lau in mild irritation:

"Old, is it?"

Coraline comes over to the three men, and lightly slaps Lau's arm before saying in a scolding tone,

"Lau, where are your manners? Even a suspicious character deserves some respect regarding their age..."

Ciel sighs, almost laughing at Coraline's scolding, before answering Lau's question:

"Yes, indeed I do. (Gesture) This man is the vicar, Jeremy Rathburn. A beloved counselor in his local church, he's become rather well-known for his good deeds."

"Do call me Jeremy. No need to stand on ceremony with me, (Smile)."

---

Whoooa, what a twist!

Who's this Jeremy Rathburn, and what does he have to do with the string of murders?

Is he the killer, or could he be the one that Sebastian tried to contact via carrier owl?

And is Sebastian truly gone for good?

Stay tuned for Part Two of the Book of Murder Arc to find out!