Story: A Touch of Color in the Gray
Book 1 : Shading the black.
Date : April 25, 2021
Beta: Nouilleverte
Fandom : D Gray Man
Disclaimer : No, I do not own D Gray Man and I am not making any profit from this story.
Summary : After waking up in the 19th century, Ennaël took the name Eve, became the companion of Tricia Kamelott and decided to make her own opinion on the charac ... people of this new world despite her knowledge of the manga. Little by little, she became aware of the difference in social codes for women of this time and began to fear for the future, especially when Road, the twins, Allen, Tyki, The Earl, Lulubell and Skin Bolic arrived little by little.
While trying to flee the Earl, Eve meets Victor Hugo who gives her a lot of information on the holy war before dying. Eve discovers she has a strange talent for musical instruments and wonders with horror if she could be the 14th. It doesn't help that the Earl has discovered her talents and seems to be more and more interested in her.
She then argues with Tyki who fails to kill her with his Noah powers, begins a correspondence with Conan Doyles and again nearly dies of Tuberculosis. And since things always come in threes, she once again avoids dying by falling into an icy lake after having celebrated Christmas with the Noahs. Yeah, not her best year. But the next will be better!
Kof ...
And in the last chapter : Eve goes to the Earl, and discovers a book about magic in his library. She decides it's quite a coincidence (kof kof) and sets out to study it in secret (KOF KOF).
French version: ...FINISHED !
English version: A moment of silence for Lyra, AxZi, Koneko, Nouilleverte and Fluffyluffy our wonderful past-Beta (... I'm going to think there is a curse)
Fanart: You can see drawings of Eve and some fanart made by readers on my Tumblr (Ennael too). Also, Elogane made a canon side-fic but in french, It's "Nuancer les sentiments"
Italic: french, important thought (or both)
Guess what? We need ANOTHER BETA ! Exam season took away Fluffyluffy unfortunately… This one was betaed by one of the past béta, Nouilleverte, but she can't do it each month ^^' So If anyone would be interested in betaing the last 8 chapters and maybe the rewriting after this, this would be awesome !
I'm beginning to think there is a curse on this story... it will be the 6th béta when I only had one or two on my other stories X')
Anyway, good reading :D
Following my discovery of the magic book, I had literally spent the night cramming by candlelight. Even though the Earl had reassured me over dinner that I could take all the books I was interested in, I really, really didn't want the Earl to discover my sudden interest in magic when he accidentally saw it. If he didn't already know.
...
To be honest, I was infinitely happy with the current status quo and didn't want to disturb it for the world. So if we all had to pretend everything was going perfectly fine, so be it. And if I had to force them to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary by playing the worst idiot in the universe: they were up for a show!
But it needed a little help, that's why I nervously went through the book with my left hand and took notes with my right hand, looking every few minutes over my shoulder as if Road was going to kick my door down with a bang anytime. It wasn't the most inspiring work environment and I was already crying about everything I wouldn't have had time to read after this weekend but very quickly I was becoming completely immersed in it. The material was a bit dry but even the old-fashioned words and convoluted turns of phrase failed to make the reality of learning magic boring.
Friday passed in exactly the same way as the night before with some interruptions, however: the three obligatory meals with Tricia, Road and the Duke as well as a much-needed nap. At dinner time, Sheryl, Lulubell and Tyki joined us with Skin Bolic in tow and given how good they looked, there was little chance that they had had a few hours in the horrible carriage. And then it was night again and even though this time I would allow myself a few hours of sleep so as not to look like a zombie the next day, I kept on reading.
I was so immersed in it, scribbling notes about spells so quickly (making me doubt I could read it again later) that it was a knock on the door that finally made me see the sun shine through the windows. "Merde" I huffed as I grabbed the books and put them on the bottom of another pile of more proper history books. "Yes ?" I asked aloud for a second before opening the door slightly, still in my nightgown.
"Lady Campbell." Stonnely greeted Lulubell and I looked at her with wide eyes. Lady? Hu, she usually called me Miss, weird… Also, I could count on one hand how many times Lulubell (as a human, because she was slightly more cat friendly) had spoken directly to me and never had she come to me on her own, rather accompanying the Earl or Tricia.
"Lady Bell." Perhaps I answered in a voice that was a little too suspicious to be socially correct. "Can I help you ?"
Lulubell opened her lips… before closing them suddenly. Then she opened them again and answered a "Lucie" in a steely voice as if her moment of hesitation was just a mirage.
"...Excuse me ?" I responded by opening the door fully as if that might help me better understand what was going on.
"Call me Lucie." She replied before narrowing her eyes as if she was extremely focused.
"Uh… okay?" I mumbled before Sheryl's good manners snapped inside me. "Um, I mean of course Lucie, call me Eve." And on my words, Lulubell nodded and turned around before heading out into the hallway under my confused eyes.
"Don't worry, Eve, Aunt Lulu is just… a little awkward with huma… people." Said a small voice to my left and I jumped to see Road suddenly by my side. "By the way, why aren't you dressed yet? We're leaving after lunch, you know." Said the little Noah and, indeed, she was already all dressed up in a pretty frilly pink dress that oozed innocence.
A little confused at this unusually pointless discussion, I quickly put on the dress and jewelry Tricia had chosen for the occasion and let Road play with my hair until she felt it was adequate enough. After a quick lunch, we were gone and luckily the trip was not very long as it was starting to get crowded in the cabs. At precisely 3 p.m. we arrived at the Vicomte de Druitt mansion and landed in a crowd of well-dressed people who were hurrying to get inside.
One hand took mine and I looked up to meet Tyki's annoyed eyes, Road holding his hand on the other side. "Don't let go of my arm or we're going to get lost and I really don't want to be alone in this mess." He mumbled into my ear, glancing in disgust at a group of teenage girls in front of us.
Amused, I followed Tyki and Road inside a ballroom which was thankfully much less crowded than it looked from the outside. Indeed, we had lost the others in the crowd but a glance exchanged between the three of us was enough to ensure that no one was disappointed. Following Sheryl around and listening to him talk about politics was not the most interesting thing, so it was fortuitous that the crowd separated us completely by chance.
...
Not that we wouldn't have found another way out otherwise.
"So, what can we do that's fun at this kind of party?" I asked my companions looking curiously around me. It wasn't until now that I realized that aside from this week in London, I had hardly ever been without at least one Noah with me for the past two years. In fact, I was barely out of the mansion so being in a whole new place surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar people made me a little uneasy.
"Not much." Tyki replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Usually I hang out at the buffet, make fun of people and look for a girl for the night." He said, raising a finger each time.
"Isn't that a little dangerous… uh, spending the night with a young lady from a good family?" I was asking, curious. We had already spoken several times about his one-night stands, Road even had a sort of "Who-is-she?" game that we did every time Tyki slipped in from the window, a little too scruffy to be normal. But they were still city girls, bourgeois at best. Even at the two balls held at the mansion for Road's birthday, Tyki hadn't looked for a mate among the noble girls. The first time because of my unconscious passing out and the second because Sheryl had been watching him closely all evening much to his irritation.
"Dangerous?" Tyki asked, surprised. "Why dangerous?"
"You could end up in an arranged marriage." Road replied, shrugging his shoulders. "You're a good match and if one of the girls accuses you of deflowering her, daddy would jump at the chance to get you married."
"He wouldn't dare, would he?!" Tyki asked in horror and Road and I exchanged knowing looks.
"Maybe not two years ago but now that you are of age he only dreams of a good alliance for you.
"Especially since he was elected." I nodded "Haven't you noticed how much he has increased his talk about marriage in recent months?"
"And then the daughter of the Spanish ambassador that he asked you to take a walk with when her father came last time. You were lucky that she already had a lover." Noded Road.
"What girl ?" I asked confused, not at all remembering a time when one of Sheryl's visitors had brought their children back.
"You were in town with mother and the twins that day, Eve." Road replied. Oh, I remembered that time! The twins were home for the weekend and Tricia was feeling pretty well so Sheryl suggested we go out to a trendy new tea room and do some shopping. We had gone to the toy store afterwards and I had watched with as much curiosity as the twins the old wooden toys, the porcelain dolls and brand new toy soldiers. But wait, if Sheryl had sent us there while he was trying to squeeze Tyki in with this girl ... "Now that I think about it, maybe it was to get you away." Road added, confirming my thought.
"He's ridiculous, I'm not even noble, I can't marry you." I rolled my eyes but didn't miss the look the two Noahs exchanged. "What?" I asked suspiciously but Road shrugged.
"Anyway, just to say you should be careful, Tyki, or else you'll end up with a ring on your finger and even the Duke won't be able to help you." I resumed when no one seemed to answer my question.
"Hmm…" Tyki grumbled with a bored expression before looking at a group of young women who were giggling in front of a display case containing magnificent fans. "But as long as Sheryl doesn't know that wouldn't be a problem, would it?" He suddenly said with a sly smile. "So I just need the girl not to say it. Well, then, ladies." He added with a little salute before ducking through the crowd towards the group of guinea fowl who were still watching the fans.
"I can't understand him." I sighed at Road. "What's the point of risking so big for an evening of fun?"
"It is precisely this risk that creates all the pleasure." Road smiled as she slipped her arm into mine and I had to restrain myself from yelling at her that I understood the double meaning of her words.
"I know, but still, it's silly to…"
"Lady Campbell?" Suddenly a nasal voice asked and I turned, Road in tow to find… a strong woman with a sticky smile and a bright yellow dress who was looking at me with little piggy eyes. She knew her… I was sure that I had seen this woman before but yet, I had not met many people since my arrival and if she knew my name, I should remember her! Oh damn, she wasn't talking anymore, she was waiting for an answer, shit, what was I ...
"Madame Drebber!" Road chirped suddenly, squeezing my arm lightly and I looked down at her, still morbidly fascinated by this lunaticism of which she was capable.
Hold on…
Mrs. Drebber?
...
Damn, she was that annoying woman that had made Tricia feel guilty about her lack of children the first time we went to church two years ago!
"Madam Drebber, hello." I smiled, but despite my best efforts, I doubted it could pass for genuinely friendly.
"It's been so long since I've last seen you! I ran into Lady Kaamelott at Church, of course, but I suppose you had returned to your father's house?" She asked and I had absolutely no idea what she was trying to do. She wanted information? But for what purpose? What was I supposed to say to her? And Road wasn't helping me… at the same time she was a "child" and seeing as the woman was royally ignoring her, I doubted she could participate in the conversation. But before I could stammer some panicked nonsense, the hateful woman kept talking. "I don't see your escort, you didn't come here on your own, did you?" She said disapprovingly but instead of making me feel bad, I just wanted to sink my fingers into her piggy little eyes. Woah, it was rare that I wanted to hurt people! It was a strange feeling ...
"No, of course not, we got lost in the crowd." I answered, still with the same frozen smile and my fist itching to use it.
"Lady Campbell, let me have the honor of escorting you back to your father. I'm sure I saw him with your older sister earlier." Suddenly spoke a sweaty little man whom I had not even seen due to the imposing presence of Madam Drebber.
Wow.
There were so many problems in that sentence.
Lady? Why was he calling me Lady? And above all, my father? My sister ?! Well and then the whole problem of sexism too, but unfortunately I got used to it after two years and it didn't shock me too much, at most it created a desire for murder… But a father !? What should I do? Luckily for my overworked little brain, Road chose this moment to pull my arm forward and I looked down at her just in time to see her butt me quickly as if to tell me to move on. Stopping a moan from leaving my throat, I nodded, my lips tight, and started to walk, unaware of Mr. Drebber's outstretched arm without even realizing it. Throwing a quick panicked look at Road, she only patted my hand with a smile that was sure to be reassuring but that didn't reassure me at all.
"Ah, there you are!" Suddenly a voice said as a hand rested on my shoulder. Turning my head, I gave a huge smile of relief when I saw the Earl and Lulubell by my side. It was not often that someone could say that they were relieved to meet the destroyer of humanity but it really helped me here: he could prevent me from doing something stupid bringing me Sheryl's ire. .
"Duke Campbell!" Mr. Drebber exclaimed from behind us. "What a joy to see you here! I didn't expect to see you today and with your two beautiful daughters on top of that!"
Oh
Lady Eve Campbell. Duke Adam Campbell.
He thought I was the Earl's daughter.
The Earl let go of my shoulder with a frown but just as he was about to speak he closed his lips and glanced at Road as if a thousand words were passing between their eyes. Come to think of it, maybe it really was, couldn't the Noahs speak telepathically with the Akuma? Perhaps they could also between them?
"Yes indeed it is unexpected, I go out so rarely, but my good friend the Marquis Kaamelott offered us so kindly and I couldn't say no." The Earl smiled as I slid slightly behind him, next to a seemingly bored Lulubelle.
"I see! What a shame, I didn't even know you had two beautiful daughters until last year, how could you have kept such beauties so long." He continued and his insistent gaze made me shiver with disgust. How could he stare at my chest like that even as his wife clung to his arm? She might have been awful, but he wasn't much better either!
"It doesn't surprise me, Lucie married the late Lord Belle and lived in France. As for Eve, she took after me, I'm afraid, and has too fragile health to go out as often as we would like to. " He said so naturally that if I wasn't the person in question, I would have believed him without a doubt. However, since I was the person in question, I looked at him with wide troubled eyes and it took a nudge from Road to remind myself that it was best to go with the flow for now.
So I coughed lightly to support his words.
Considering how quickly Road hid behind the Earl to ram her fist into her mouth and hold back her laughter, this was not to be my most convincing performance. It must have even been rather catastrophic because I could have sworn I saw Lulubell smile but in the blink of an eye it was gone. "I'm also surprised you know Eve, how did you meet her?" The Earl continued without missing a beat after the couple gave Lulubell their condolences.
"Oh, we met her once at Church with the Marquis and Marquise Kamelott." Mrs. Drebber smiled, her eyes flicking frantically from Duke Campbell to me. No doubt she had noticed the awkwardness within our group and was trying to figure out how to use it.
"At the Church?" The Earl said lightly but his eyes twinkled with amusement and I had to hold back a grimace. He knew how difficult it was for Tricia to pull me into the house of God despite her best efforts. "I am…" he started to say but we will never know what happens next as that was when the host tapped his glass to make a speech.
"The sale will begin, we should find the parents of this young lady." The Duke apologized, putting his hand on Road's hair. Mr. Drebber seemed a little disappointed to see us go but that was nothing compared to the woman who seemed to consider grabbing Duke Campbell's arm to continue the discussion by force.
"Come Lucie, Eve." Cut in the Millennial Earl, already starting to walk away.
"Yes, father." Lulubell replied immediately.
I was there, on the verge of an existential crisis when I felt Road pinch me, startling me. "Um, yes… father." I stammered following them, catching a beaming smile from the Earl as I passed.
Double Merde.
"Road…" I whispered once we had reunited with Sheryl and Tricia and were more or less listening to the speech. Tyki still wasn't there though, and I had no doubt that he was already busy with a lady in a nearby living room. "What just happened ...?" I asked, still a little shocked by the events.
Instead of answering me though, the little plague grabbed the Earl's hand, causing him to lean towards us with a curious look. "Congratulations." She said with a big smile. "It's a girl !"
...
She was lucky to be a bloodthirsty Noah or else I would have stuck her in the wall already.
The rest of the afternoon and then the evening passed without further incident. It was even rather boring… On the one hand, I didn't dare to go alone again for fear of meeting the dreadful Drebber couple and on the other hand, since I was sulking Road on principle and Tyki was not there to distract me there was really nothing else to do but look at the overpriced artwork and listen to Sheryl talk.
A strange thing, however, was that Lulubell spent the evening following me like my shadow, we even exchanged a few words! One would have thought that the Earl's friendly attitude would have made her jealous, but on the contrary, it was as if she took it as an approval. It was strange, but I wasn't going to complain about it ...
If you were wondering about all that dad-and-daughter mess… Road had continued to introduce me like that all evening even as Sheryl seemed to swallow a whole lemon each time. Tricia looked contemplative and it looked like the Earl was taking it as a big joke that had turned half serious.
And me…
I applied one of my best defense tactics: Denial.
Anyway, I was trying to reassure myself, they couldn't create a family tie out of nowhere ... and even if the nobles could adopt children of the plebs, those one could not inherit the title if they didn't have noble blood. So even if they decided to actually do this for whatever reason, it shouldn't really cause me problems or even change my life. I was already practically living like a nobleman as Tricia's companion after all ...
So there you have it: Denial.
I kind of already forgot all about it when we got back to the Earl's mansion that night, (still without Tyki to Sheryl's irritation) and immediately got down to the task of devouring the magic book. Which I did all night, of course. This easily explained why when I stumbled into the dining room a bit late the next morning, and Road immediately jumped on me like a hungry hyena screaming, "TYKI IS GETTING MARRIED!" two centimeters from my delicate eardrums, I could only answer a tied "What?"
"Tyki ~" Road repeated, humming and I could finally see the other family members sitting at the big table with very different faces. Sheryl looked triumphant, Tricia disapproving, the Earl worried, Lulubell annoyed and Tyki… Tyki was there, his head in his hands and looking the most downcast I had ever seen him be. "...is getting married !" Road repeated before suddenly stretching her lips into a smile too wide for a human. "Tyki is getting married…" She repeated a third time and I took one step back, then another, my guts suddenly screaming at me to run, run, run...
"...with you !"
...
... what?
Guess who will attempt a strategic retreat in the next chapter? Eve and Tyki are going to need to talk a bit I'm afraid ... I would like to confirm this is still not a romance, though !
Also, I always need a new Béta. If someone feels up to the task, send me a PM ! :D
Anyway, think about letting a review and see yah next 25th !