Previously:
"—Mmm..." the young earl said, finding it delicious. He found the sweet scent of the warm milk comforting. Sebastian sighed. His master had finally been pleased. Sebastian waited until Ciel had finished the milk. Once Ciel was done, he took the cup back and began to push the serving cart back out of the room. "Sebastian." The butler paused. "The warm milk… was good." Sebastian was a little surprised his reticent young master would praise him so openly.
"I am glad to hear it," Sebastian said, smiling slightly.
"And one more thing..." Ciel said, clencing his nightshirt in his hand. "I won't forgive you if tomorrow's breakfast tastes as foul as what I had earlier this evening," he stated with a strong tone of disdain and a look of obvious contempt. "I don't much care to live on warm milk for every meal like a puppy." The new image Sebastian had of Ciel being kind cracked.
"… Very well," Sebastian said with a shit-eating grin as he left the room. "Good night, Young Master." Sebastian shut the door behind him. "…! Why, that little bloody knave."
That Butler, In Training
RATTLE. RATTLE. CLUNK. CLUNK.
A noisy cart was making its way down the road, when one of its passengers spotted something amazing.
"Grandpa! Look, Grandpa!" the boy said, shaking the old man driving.
"What is it? T'ain't nothing but ruins over that wa..." the old man said, trailing off as he turned his head to look and saw what was so important. "Well, I'll be… Am I dreaming…?" Where there had only been ruins the day before, there now stood a stately manor house. It had been restored to look exactly as it did before the fire.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{Later that morning…}
"Ultimately, this morning's breakfast was foul once again," Ciel stated as Sebastian cut his hair.
"I beg your pardon, Sir," Sebastian said. "I am following the recipes word for word..."
"Don't you taste what you prepare?" Ciel asked.
"My palate is different from that of human's, so..." Sebastian said, snipping off more excess hair. "… If you instruct me in how my dishes offend your sense of taste, I shall work to make the necessary improvements."
"In the meantime, I can make some backup meals so we won't starve," Chêne suggested. She was sitting in a chair, watching.
"Can you cook that well?" Ciel asked.
"My usual repertoire may not be as fancy as what you're used to, but I can promise it'll taste good," Chêne replied.
"Do it, then," Ciel said. He was tired of feeling hungry. "Anyhow… we have a great many things to do from today on. There are far too many things I don't know about us Phantomhives… since the previous earl passed away before he could teach me."
"You must learn about the family, of course. But as head of this house, you must also acquire the knowledge and education that will allow you equal standing amongst the best of the adults," Sebastian added. "Polite society os full of evil spirits more disagreeable than even I. A child like you is their ideal prey, Young Master. Languages, economics, marksmanship, riding, to name a few… there are mountains of things you must study. Last night, I discovered governesses had previously been retained for you, so shall I interview and engage new—"
"No," Ciel said. "I don't want to let anyone in the manor right now."
"..." Sebastian and Chêne said. They could understand why.
"While it may be presumptuous of me to ask, would you allow me to stand in for your governess?" Sebastian asked.
"You?" Ciel said, looking back at him.
"One does not live as long as I have to gain only years," Sebastian said, turning Ciel's head back around. "But I am quite strict, I shall have you know."
"I can help, too," Chêne said. "I tutor my little sister all the time… Though it's probably a good idea for me to stay away from the sciences and history, so I don't accidentally teach you something that hasn't been invented yet."
"I can also teach you how to be a proper maid," Sebastian told her.
"Somehow, that gives me an unsettling feeling… but I don't think I can say 'no'," she said, sweat-dropping.
"That works for me," Ciel said. "As earl, butler, and maid… you two and I are still nothing more than imitations." Sebastian put a medical eyepatch on Ciel. "We have to fashion ourselves into the real things quicker than has ever been done before."
"As you wish, Sir," Sebastian said, removing the sheet they had been using as a barber's cape. Ciel stood up, ready to take action.
=†=†=†=†=†=
"Yet another mistranslation," Sebastian said, reading Ciel's work. He was wearing glasses to look the part. "You should translate this as 'at first' instead of 'from the beginning'. Have you already forgotten that you made the same error yesterday?" Sebastian set the paper down and picked up the riding crop he had on the desk. He smiled. "Now then. Put out your hands. Please remove your rings." Ciel removed his rings and timidly put his hands out. He could guess what was coming.
SMACK!
Sebastian whacked the riding crop on Ciel's hands.
"Ngh!" Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip as he flinched at the sharp pain he felt. Sebastian had him sit back down at his desk and brought over more books.
"Hey!" Chêne said incredulously, having poked her head in just in time to see it. She had a tray with a plate of apple slices for a snack. "What are you doing!?"
"Disciplining him," Sebastian replied as if it should have been obvious.
"Can't you do it without that?" Chêne asked. "That's child abuse!"
"Chêne, don't interfere," Ciel said firmly.
"But—" Chêne argued.
"It's nothing I can't handle," Ciel told her.
"Even so..." she said.
"The person in question has no objection," Sebastian said. He turned back to Ciel. "Now, about those ten Latin poems I asked you to transcribe ten times each… Do it over again!" the butler said, dropping the books on the desk with a heavy thud.
—^—^—^—
"Today's tea is darjeeling from Mariage Frères," Sebastian announced as Chêne practiced serving the tea. Ciel picked up the cup and took a sip.
"Which one of you made this?" Ciel asked.
"It was Sebastian this time," Chêne answered.
"Sebastian, let's have your hands," Ciel said.
"?" the butler said, holding out his hands. "Urgh!" He was shocked when Ciel poured the scalding hot tea right on his hands. He grimaced. He may be a devil, but he could still feel pain.
"!" Chêne said, startled.
"This isn't tea. It's tea-colored water," Ciel said coldly. "Make it again!" He set the cup down with a loud clunk.
"You two..." Chêne said, sweat-dropping. She walked away to get something to clean the floor with.
—^—^—^—
"I don't understand," Sebastian said as they finished returning the dirty dishes to the kitchen. "I let it steep for the appropriate time."
"Did you add an extra teaspoon?" Chêne asked.
"No. Should I have?" Sebastian asked.
"You should always add an extra teaspoon for the pot," she told him. "My grandma taught me that." Sebastian considered her for a moment. Perhaps he should let her teach him.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Outside on the manor's grounds, Chêne watched Sebastian adjust Ciel's posture as he taught him how to shoot a hunting rifle. Sebastian stepped back.
"Please pull in your chin and aim with care," Sebastian instructed Ciel.
BANG! BANG!
Ciel fired two shots in quick succession. Neither one hit the bull's-eye. They barely even hit the board it was painted on. Sebastian sighed. He took the rifle and assumed the correct posture to demonstrate.
"Your lower back is too loose. And your flanks are too weak," he told Ciel, aiming for the center of the bull's-eye. "If you keep this up, hunting on horseback will remain but a dream of a dream!" He pulled the trigger and hit it perfectly in the center of the center circle.
—^—^—^—
"Chêne," Sebastian said, getting her attention. He held up the gloved finger that he had just run over the surface she finished dusting.
"… I don't see anything," Chêne said.
"There are three particles of dust on my finger tip," Sebastian informed her.
"Seriously?" Chêne asked. That seemed clean enough to her. Sebastian cracked his riding crop in the air. Chêne flinched.
"Do it again," he ordered her.
—^—^—^—
"My fork is tarnished," Ciel said after sitting down to dinner. He was holding it up, inspecting the silverware. Chêne was surprised when Sebastian actually flinched. "Do you intend to allow your master to sup with dirty silverware?" He dropped the fork back onto the table.
"I beg your pardon, Sir… I will replace it at onc—" Sebastian said.
"Also!" Ciel said. "Sauce is staining the rim of the plate. Even if the dish tastes good, it is ruined if it does not look impeccable."
"It shall not happen again," Sebastian promised.
"I won't eat a thing until I can get to eating the moment I am seated, are we clear? Do it again!" Ciel ordered. "What did you prepare, Chêne?"
"Lasagna," Chêne answered, placing the plate in front of him. It wasn't fancy, but it was neatly plated. "It's spinach with ricotta cheese and ground beef." Ciel tasted it with a new fork.
"Passable," he said and continued to eat. Chêne exhaled a sigh of relief.
—^—^—^—
"You're definitely getting better," Chêne told Sebastian, finishing off the meal Ciel had refused to eat.
"If only he would eat it," Sebastian said, making preparations for the next day's meals.
"Well, he'd probably still find something to complain about," Chêne said wryly. "Ciel seems to be aiming for a Michelin five-star restaurant standard. You're still at about three stars. Ah, you're doing the mango now? Let me show you the easy way to cut it into cubes." She stood up and walked over to take the mango and knife from him. He watched while she stood the mango upright with the stem pointing up. "The goal is to cut as much of the cheek off from the white pit in the center of the mango. It's best to cut from the widest and more flat sides of the mango first to obtain the most flesh. Position the knife near the center of the stem, cutting along the sides of the pit. That will give you two large oval pieces of fruit. Then you cut the two small sides off the mango to remove the flesh from the seed. There will be four total pieces of fruit. You can cut the remaining mango flesh attached to the seed, but I usually just eat around the pit for a snack. Next, you score the flesh. Holding the mango steady on the cutting board, make long slits lengthwise to create multiple parallel lines of desired thickness. To make cubes, turn the mango ninety degrees and cut similar sized lines perpendicular to the other tracks to form a crosshatch pattern. Be careful not to cut the mango skin. Score the two smaller pieces similarly for slices or cubes. Here, you try it now." She handed the knife back to him and watched while he scored the other pieces. "Right. Next, you scoop the flesh. The first method is called the 'hedgehog'. You hold the scored mango cheeks with two hands. Then, placing thumbs on the flesh side of each end, use the middle and index fingers to push and invert the skin. You can use the paring knife to remove the pieces. This technique only works well for mango cubes. The second and easier method is to hold the mango cheek in your hand. Then use a large spoon to scoop out the fruit, scraping as close to the skin as possible."
"Seems simple enough," Sebastian said. He tried both methods and was successful.
"Piece of cake, right?" Chêne said with a smile.
"Yes. If only your dusting skills were as exceptional," Sebastian said with a sigh.
"Excuse me for not being up to your Nazi cleaning standards," Chêne quipped.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Ciel sat on a horse, gripping the reigns tightly. He was nervous.
"Straighten your back! Pick up the rhythm with your body..." Sebastian instructed him.
"Ah. Aaargh," Ciel said, finding it hard.
"Relax, Ciel," Chêne said. "There's nothing to be afraid of."
"I'm not afraid!" Ciel snapped.
"Well, you sure aren't calm," Chêne retorted.
"To begin, please nudge the horse's abdomen gently with your heels," Sebastian said.
"Uwah!" Ciel exclaimed when the horse neighed and suddenly reared up. He was thrown from the horse, but Sebastian caught him.
"Easy, easy," Chêne said, calming the horse. It snorted at Ciel.
"When up against a beast, the slightest hesitation on your part means you've already lost," Sebastian told Ciel. "Conduct yourself with dignity, for you are the master." Sebastian helped him back onto the horse. "Now, look forward with purpose and try it again!" Sebastian slapped the horse's hind quarters.
—^—^—^—
THUD! BLAM!
"GYAAAAAAAAH!"
CRACK! BANG!
"UWAAAH!"
"—Hrngh!" Ciel groaned with a vein throbbing on his check as he lay in bed that night, trying to sleep. He couldn't take it anymore.
SLAM!
Ciel threw his window open.
"Keep it down, Sebastian!!" Ciel roared angrily.
"Pardon me, Sir," Sebastian said standing on the ground below, surrounded by dead bodies. "There were many intruders, so it took me a fair bit of time."
"I can't tolerate this night after night!" Ciel yelled. "Can't you clean up more quietly!? And how many times do I have to tell you to keep one of them alive so we can find out who sent them!?"
"Aah! That slipped my mind..." Sebastian admitted.
"I'll make you pay if you forget the next time!!" Ciel declared with a vein throbbing on his head. He slammed the windows shut.
—^—^—^—
Sebastian was walking through the halls when he encountered a sleepy Chêne wandering around in her nightgown.
"Did you hear that, Sebastian?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "It sounded like Ciel yelling… Is he all right?"
"He is just fine," Sebastian replied. "I spoke with him a moment ago."
"Ahh, that's good," Chêne said, yawning. "Good night, then..." She turned and started back the way she came.
"Was that all you heard?" Sebastian asked.
"Hmm? Yeah… Why?" Chêne asked.
"It's nothing," Sebastian said. In a way it was impressive that she could sleep through all that racket and only wake up when she heard Ciel's voice. "Good night."
" 'Night," she said with a sleepy smile and continued on her way.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Still, he awakens nightly even when there is no such clamor.
Sebastian was sitting at his desk, writing by the light of the oil lamp he kept on it. He twitch when he heard something. It was barely audible even to him, but he heard it.
"Aaaah… Gyaaah..." Ciel cried. Sebastian put his coat back on and went to see what was the matter. He paused outside Chêne's room, wondering if she would make another appearance. She didn't. It seemed Ciel's cries weren't loud enough to wake her that night. Sebastian continued on his way.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Sebastian knocked on the door and opened it. He poked his head in, holding a candelabra.
"Young Master, are you all right?" he asked.
"… Who's there…?" Ciel asked shakily, wrapped up on his comforter.
"It is I, Sebastian. Your butler," Sebastian replied.
"… Sebastian..." Ciel said.
"Was it perhaps another bad dream?" Sebastian asked, walking toward the bed.
"Everyone's dead over there… and they're glaring at me..." Ciel said, trembling as he gripped his comforter tighter. "Sebastian… Nothing's happened today?"
"No, Sir. It is a quiet night," Sebastian said. He reached his hand out toward Ciel. "Now lie back down and..."
"Don't touch me!!" Ciel snapped, slapping his hand away. "Don't..." He was shaking underneath his comforter, glaring out at him with wide, terrified eyes. "Don't touch me..."
"… Shall I fetch Chêne then?" Sebastian asked. She seemed to have more success comforting their young master on these nights than he did. "She is sleeping now, but I can wake her."
"No..." Ciel said with a wavering voice. "No… I don't need..."
"Then I shall take my leave, but if you have need of anything..." Sebastian said, bowing.
"… Stay..." Ciel ordered. "Stay… there… until I fall asleep..." Sebastian straightened up.
"Yes… my lord," Sebastian said. He blew out the candles and stood sentry at the foot of his master's bed.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Spring had come. The flowering plants around the manor were putting out fresh buds. Inside, Sebastian was grading some of Ciel's work.
"Young Master," Sebastian said. Ciel jumped a little. "Marvelous!" the butler said with a smile, showing him the graded paper. A flower had been drawn on it. "You have earned full marks."
—^—^—^—
"I have prepared Mariage Frères' darjeeling for tea today," Sebastian said, serving the fragrant tea. Ciel took a sip.
"Not bad," he said.
"You are too kind," Sebastian said, bowing. Chêne smiled.
—^—^—^—
Ciel pointed his hunting rifle at the sky, took aim, and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The bushes rustled nearby. Sebastian appeared with a bird in each hand.
"Splendid!" he praised Ciel with a smile.
—^—^—^—
Chêne stood nervously in the middle of the room while Sebastian inspected her work.
"Excellent!" Sebastian praised her. "Not a single speck of dust." Chêne grinned proudly.
—^—^—^—
"Your hors d'oeuvre, Sir," Sebastian said as he served Ciel an appetizer later that evening. Ciel cleaned his plate.
"What have you for today's main dish?" he asked once he had finished.
"A roast of the duck that you shot, Young Master," Sebastian replied.
"And dessert?" Ciel asked.
"Gateau chocolat, your favorite," Sebastian answered with a smile.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Ciel was riding his horse with Sebastian and Chêne walking along beside him. Sebastian was holding a picnic basket.
"I think I'll head to the hilltop today," Ciel said.
"We shall accompany you," Sebastian said. Ciel grinned.
"Only if you can keep up!" he said. "Hah!"
WHAP!
Ciel urged his horse to go faster, leaving his servants in his dust.
"Dear, oh dear," Sebastian said wryly and took off like a shot.
"..." Chêne said, staring after them. Was she really expected to keep up with that? She sighed and started running. "These guys are going to kill me!"
—^—^—^—
A man with a scarred face wearing a scarf waved his gun to signal to the men following him. He turned back around to face the manor house. Someone grabbed him from behind, pressing his scarf against his mouth and holding a cold knife to his neck.
"My dear sir, this will never do," Sebastian told him. "Guests are received at the front entrance. And… they are only welcome during my child master's waking hours." All of the man's cohorts had been defeated quickly and silently without him noticing. Blood spurted into the air as Sebastian slit his throat. Sebastian let the body fall to the ground. Ciel and Chêne slept through the whole thing.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Ciel was sitting behind his desk in the Study, reading, when Sebastian entered the room to bring him the mail.
"Young Master, a letter has come for you," Sebastian announced. It had the royal seal on it. Ciel opened the letter. It read:
To Lord Ciel Phantomhive…
Firstly, I should like to offer my deepest condolences on the passing of your family. And I solemnly thank God for your return. As such, I would like to confer upon you the dignity of earl and restore to you your estate, which had temporarily reverted to the crown due to the absence of the lord. On the morn of the seventeenth day of march, at 10 o'clock, a conferment ceremony to honor you shall be specially held at Buckingham Palace.
I look forward to seeing you.
—Victoria
"My, my… We must have you fitted for a suit at once for your audience with Her Majesty," Sebastian said.
"Looks like all your hard work paid off," Chêne said with a smile.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Nina Hopkins was called in to make the suit. She took the measurements and completed the project there in one day. While Chêne saw Nina to her carriage, Ciel checked his scar from the cult's brand in the mirror.
"Does it still hurt?" Sebastian asked him.
"… No," Ciel replied. "More than pain, it brings to mind burning rage."
"So it is everlasting fury that has been seared into you… is that it?" Sebastian asked with the hint of a smile. "Fu-fu." He helped Ciel put on the court dress Nina made him.
"In that case, this hideous scar is not a bad thing to have," Ciel said, slipping his arms through the sleeves. Sebastian buttoned up his jacket, and Ciel pulled on his gloves. Sebastian placed the tricorn hat on his head.
"You look quite the picture, Young Master," Sebastian said, holding his ceremonial sword.
"Hah! Learned to flatter your master like a proper butler too, have you now?" Ciel asked.
"I am not deserving of such praise," Sebastian said humbly. "But I did not speak false, you know."
"Hmph!" Ciel said, taking to sword and fastening it to his waste.
"Ready to go?" Chêne asked as she returned. Ciel grabbed his coat.
"Come along, already, Sebastian!" he said.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Chêne stayed behind to mind the manor while Sebastian accompanied Ciel to court. The chandeliers sparkled above them in the grand room where the queen received him. Chairs had been set up so other members of the peerage could be an audience. The Marquess and Marchioness Midford were among them.
"Why is a mere boy receiving such grand honors?" one lord asked.
"He may be descended from a distinguished line of earls, but..." another lord said. Queen Victoria smiled at Ciel. The Marquess Midford draped a ceremonial cloak over Ciel's shoulder's. The queen herself placed a livery collar around his neck.
"Welcome back, Earl Phantomhive," the queen said. "I rejoice to see you returned to us." Polite cheers filled the air. Sebastian watched from the hall.
"You might have watched from nearer by," Madam Red told Sebastian, walking up to him. "To Ciel, you are already like family."
"It would be impertinent of me to consider myself as anything even resembling family," Sebastian replied. "For I—am merely… on hell of a butler."
—^—^—^—
Ciel was walking down the hall with Sebastian trailing behind.
"Now you have formally become an earl," the butler said with his eyes closed. "Status, wealth, a beautiful fiancée—it is all yours." He opened his eyes. His pupils were slitted. "Why not cease aspiring to something as foolish as vengeance and simply live a happy life from here on?" His teeth sharpened.
"..." Ciel considered it. Sebastian reached for him, partially transformed. "That's not a bad idea either… but!" Ciel turned his head to look back at him. Sebastian withdrew his hand, assuming his human form before he could see. "I didn't come back 'here' for happiness." Ciel turned to face him fully. "I returned for the sake of waging war." He looked at the family ring on his thumb. "Now that I carry this name, the name of Earl Ciel Phantomhive… moving forward is the only option left to me." He held that hand over his heart. "I swear upon this baneful name of mine that I shall have my revenge!" he pledged strongly. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly, and his pupils became slitted.
Ohhh.
Ciel turned his back on his butler. His cloak flapped around him. Sebastian watched him walk away.
The sight of him turning his back on the light without the slightest hesitation… and plunging ahead into the abyss at a noble stride… how very beautiful and foolish that is.
"I command you, Sebastian," Ciel said, stopping again. "Become my sword and shield…" he turned around ripped off his eyepatch, "… and bring me victory!"
"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said, kneeling before his master. He took Ciel's hand. "I shall certainly bestow upon you the crown of triumph—" Sebastian kissed his signet ring.
At the very moment the crown, adorned with despair, touches your head… your soul will surely be… at its most mouthwateringly delectable.
Sebastian smiled a little at the thought, flashing a bit of fang as he drew away from Ciel's hand, still holding it
∞—End Sebastian's Cinematic Record—∞
Sebastian gasped. His red eyes were open wide. His young master's hand was so close, yet he couldn't reach it.
"Sebastian!!!" Ciel yelled. He was flying through the air. He would be falling soon. Sebastian was also in the air, reaching for him despite the terrible wound he had just received, spurting blood.
"!" Sebastian furrowed his brow and gritted his teeth as he continued to reach for Ciel. "UWOOOO!" he shouted with desperate determination, forcing himself forward as his teeth grew into fangs and his eyes glowed. Blood came out of his mouth.
WHAP.
Sebastian grasped Ciel's hand.