Chapter Thirty Seven
"How is he?" My master asked as I prepared the table to serve breakfast. Luna sat beside him as she petted Koruru who has gotten quite excited at the prospect of eating fish.
"It will take some time to train him." I answered, putting the plate on the table. "At least he's a fast learner. His friends are also helping him learn, so it shouldn't take much time now."
The young master smirked as he sipped his tea. "You're quite good at making people learn though, aren't you?"
"Indeed," I replied, but soon took a more… teasing tone. "Well, that was what I was going to say, but… When I see the young master dance, it appears that my teaching skills can only go so far."
The young master grumbled, recalling the few times he ever danced, as Luna giggled softly. He hid behind the newspaper and after a while, stared at me strangely.
"Is something wrong?"
He turned back to his paper. "No, it's nothing."
I then heard banging noises coming from the hall and the voices of Maylene and Doll, I believe she was called.
"Wait, you can't!"
"The young master is still eating, please-!"
"Don't just-!"
"Hey Earl, My Lady!" Lau entered the room in all of his glory with Ran Mao behind him. "How are you doing?"
"Lau?!"
Luna sighed. "You do know that it is polite to announce your presence before barging in…"
"But that would be no fun!" The Chinese man said playfully. "It's a good thing I came early this time; I was aiming for your breakfast after all. What on Earth could you…?" He turned towards me. "Huh? Say, didn't you just die recently?"
I simply put a laughing poker face.
"Listen when people are talking, dammit!" The young master's temper is quite short, as always.
"So?" Luna sipped her cup of tea. "What brings the two of you all the way to the confines of our manor? I know that the meals we serve here are good… but I'm quite certain that they are not that good."
"It's nothing much, really, just a hospital that revives the dead…"
"A hospital that revives the dead?" Luna asked, her interest now piqued.
"You mean that thing in the paper?" The young master clarified as I served breakfast.
"Yeah that."
"Unfortunately, I have little interest in the occult, so…" My master was interrupted.
"It might not be the occult though." Lau told us.
"What makes you think that, Lau?"
"Karnstein Hospital." The man recalled. "They seem to be doing lots of shopping down at the back docks the Earl has me in charge of."
"Drugs?" The young master suggested between bites of fish.
"No…" Lau drank some water. "People. They come shopping for foreign slaves illegally quite often, but lately the amounts are quite unusual. I highly doubt that a hospital could fit so many."
"Don't they just dispose of them once they're not needed?" The young master asked. "Not that I really care about that…"
"Isn't it bad for a hospital like that to feature in the regular society's news?" Lau gave us a nudge.
"In other words, you're saying there's a possibility that the revival of the dead is occurring as a result of illegal experimentation?" I caught on.
"That's right."
"If that's true, then it's an interference in the regular society by an underground power." The young master summarized.
"I guess that it's also a good thing in a way, since we didn't have many cases since that dinner party and even that had been a bit boring." Luna shrugged. "Well, removing the thorns in advance won't hurt one's hand. You know what to do, Sebastian."
I bowed. "Leave it to me."
I left the mansion as soon as we sent the duo back to London and disguised myself as a doctor to access to more sensitive information. All the while, I kept remembering that instead of her other rings, Luna only wore that white jade one I returned to her recently. Her reaction towards my returning the pair had been… surprising, to say the least. I've kept them as keepsakes for many, many years, and she even lets me keep one of them.
I gazed upon the ring on the middle finger of my right hand. It suited me quite a bit. This also links me to her… My soul mate.
By the time I returned to the manor, Lady Elizabeth was leaving on a carriage. Seeing the look on my master's face, I couldn'T help but chuckle… Lady Elizabeth has indeed made a place for herself in the young master's heart.
Unable to resist the urge to embarrass him, I suddenly appeared in his field of vision. "What are you grinning at?"
The young master, surprise, let out a cry. Meanwhile, Luna, who saw it all, couldn't help but giggled at his reaction. "Come on, Ciel, you can't honestly say that this is the first time he tried to scare you."
"Whatever!" He turned back towards me. "And you! Don't surprise me like that! And what's with that outfit?! And I wasn't grinning!"
I smirked at his words, but replied nonetheless. "Well, as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Moreover, I obtained some rather interesting information." I entered the room by the window.
"It's about the aforementioned Karnstein Hospital, it seems that the upper-rank doctors, including the director Ryan Stoker, have opened an association called the "Aurora Society". The Aurora Society's true face is that of a secret society that consists solely of doctors who have "the complete salvation of mankind through medicine" as their motto… It has been confirmed that the members conduct illegal human experiments within the hospital daily. According to a nurse who squealed, the Aurora Society holds presentations for the results of their experiments regularly and collects donations from nobles."
I continued reading my report. "There was no sign of slaves inside the hospital and there was nothing pertaining to human experiments or the revival of the dead."
"It couldn't get any fishier than this, huh?" The young master said from behind his desk.
"Yes." I replied. "I'm certain there is some definite clue to be found in this "Aurora Society"."
"The only good thing I believe to be quite certain of is the lack of involvement on Angela's part." Luna crossed her arms. "I doubt that she would initiate something like this, not when she cares most about the "purification" of souls."
"That may be so, but we should not dismiss the possibility of her involvement later on." I reminded her. "There is no way for us to know for certain about her movements."
"When is their next meeting?" The young master asked, interrupting our conversation.
"It is scheduled to be on a passenger ship departing from Southampton Port on the 17th of April."
"Hmph, meeting on a ship…" He repeated. "Sounds like something nobles would do…"
"Ciel! Didn't Elizabeth say that the Middleford family will be traveling to New York for three weeks starting April the 17th?!" Luna asked worriedly.
The young master stood up immediately. "What is the name of that boat?!"
"The Blue Star Line's luxury ship…" I read. This is an interesting development…
Needless to say, a week and half later, Lune, the young master, Snake and I were going to board on the famous "Campania".
"So this is the famous Campania!" Finny exclaimed in amazement.
"Sure is huge." Bard commented.
"Please leave your luggage with the clerk." A member of the staff told me.
"Please take these to First Class Suite A00." I instructed the clerk. "And those other ones to First Class Suite A01."
"Certainly."
"Second class over here!" I heard another man yell over the crowd.
"It's so cool Mr. Snake, Mr. Jo and Mr. Dan get to go." Finny told his fellow servants.
"It's because it's part of a footman's job to accompany the master on his outings." I explained. "Since Miss Luna doesn't have an official footman yet, Dan will have to do. So please do your jobs properly when we are gone."
"Yessir!" The trio replied enthusiastically.
Nearby, Luna was giving similar instructions to her own servants. "I expect you to be working well with the Phantomhive servants and to stop them from destroying the manor. Bertha will be in charge, and Doll will be Bardroy's assistant in the meantime. The rest of you may work as usual. However, Jumbo will be taking care of Pluto with Finnian. Is that alright with you?"
"Of course!"
"No problem!"
"Have a nice trip, Miss Luna." Bertha told her mistress.
"Thank you. Do take care." She smiled before joining us.
"Well then… We're off." I announced to everyone.
"We will set sail soon! All boarding passengers please make haste! We'll be pulling over the bridge shortly!"
Having already boarded the ship, the six of us walked on the deck towards our rooms.
"Seems we will set sail shortly." I announced as I looked at my watch.
Looking over the edge, we saw the remaining servants wave at us happily.
"Young master! Take care!"
"Be careful, Miss Luna!"
"Come back safely, Jo!"
Before we were able to make our way to our suite, however, we met a very familiar family. Lady Elizabeth began to sniff as she took in the young master's appearance. He did not know what to say, so he settled with a short wave.
"I thought I'd surprise you."
She immediately leaped on him. "Even though you said that you couldn't come! I'm so happy!"
"Elizabeth!" Her mother's tone was reproachful as usual. "Please do not display such indecent behaviour in public!"
"That's right, Lizzy." Edward Middleford told her. "Moreover…" His tone completely changed. "I still haven't acknowledged you as my brother-in-law okay! So get off of her already!"
Although I do believe that Lady Elizabeth is the one displaying indecent behaviour… and not the other way around.
"Come on, Brother!" Lady Elizabeth whined. "Why do you still say that?"
Meanwhile, Marquis Middleford is staring intently at both the young master and Luna. I am not quite sure how I should take that…
"M-Marquis Middleford…" The young master stuttered in nervousness under his harsh gaze. "I haven't seen you for a while…"
Suddenly, his demeanor changed completely. "Long time no see, my future son!" He hugged the young master tightly, rubbing his cheek on my master's. "You're as cute as ever."
"Dear!" Marchioness Middleford really wanted to reproach her husband…
"Father, that's not fair!" Lady Elizabeth whined. "I want to hug him too…"
The Marquis did stop, but now has his sight set on Luna.
"You look just as beautiful as that day in the Buckingham Palace!" He complimented her. "I also heard that you've recovered your voice, my future daughter!"
Luna coughed nervously. "About that… The truth is…"
"We don't plan to become engaged, Father." Lord Edward finished for her.
I see… Less complications when I take her for my own then…
"You aren't?!" Both father and daughter exclaimed. The Marchioness simply waited for an explanation.
"We've exchanged many letters; however, we found out that we are better off as friends instead of fiancés." Luna told us. "I also have another person in mind, no offense, Edward…"
"None taken. I doubt that you would be happy being married to me, considering our many differences." He replied courtly.
"Aw… And I was hoping to have you as a sister-in-law too…"
"Why don't we continue this conversation elsewhere?" I suggested. "Surely this isn't a good place to talk."
"However indecent you butler is, he is right." Marchioness Middleford admitted. "Although…"
I held in a gulp. I believe that she is the only woman that has the ability to scare me so much…
As expected, the hair of us servants was combed back before the nobles sat down for their elevenses. The former circus performers seemed a bit lost, so I guess that I have no choice but to explain to them later on… It can't be helped.
"So the both of you will be with us for the three whole weeks?" Marchioness Middleford asked.
"Yeah."
"We've never been together so long before!" Lady Elizabeth noticed. "Escort me to the dinner party, okay?"
Probably a bit tired, the young master easily gave his consent. However, that attracted the ire of a certain elder brother…
"I was supposed to escort her!" Lord Edward glared.
"What the hell…" The young master shivered.
"Isn't it alright?" I snickered at his face. "The meeting will be held on the night of the 19th. Isn'T it a good thing to take a rest occasionally?"
"I have to dress up!" Lady Elizabeth cheered.
"Well, I guess it's okay occasionally…" He sighed.
"It would seem that I' the only one without an escort for the party then." Luna pointed out.
"If you want, I can-" Lord Edward was interrupted.
"I was just pointing it out, Edward. I really don't mind. Perhaps it will allow me to mingle easier." She smiled at him reassuringly. "Moreover, I still have a dress to prepare…"