Chapter 27 – Phase 1, infiltration complete

Hello, hello everyone. It has been a while now hasn't it? I literally forgot that I was writing stories for an entire year lol. But here we are, the next chapter. For all those who are still here, I thank you for your legendary patience and for all those new, I hope that this story is to your liking and that you will continue to support!

I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER

The hallways seemed to never end, twisting around like a labyrinth, with wall decorated with ornate pictures framed in gold. Alice noted key objects and frames that would help her navigate the manor quickly and efficiently.

"Right, here we are. Ran, you will remain here at the laundry room with the other laundry maids. They will direct you to your job. Mey and Xue, you will follow me."

With a quick nod between the trio, Ran Mau disappeared into the laundry room, lost between the giggling and chattering maids. After a little while of walking, Jane lead them to the lobby which looked strangely similar to the one at home.

"We'll start with polishing the banisters. Start from the bottom and I'll start from the top. Xue, you will dust and polish the picture frames."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Alice plucked the closest picture frame off its hook and began to dust. It was a beautiful painting of red and gold flowers in a ornate vase. It seems like this Heathfield guy really likes red and gold.

"Wait, stop! That's shoe polish!"

Alice turned startled by the loud and abrupt outburst from Jane. Mey Rin had looked down flustered at the jar of shoe polish in her hand. Alice smiled to herself. Mey Rin was very good at playing her role as a clumsy, harmless maid.

"I-I'm so sorry!"

"Do you perhaps have poor eyesight? It is quite rare for someone to wear glasses, especially a maid with such a meager salary."

A genuine smile appeared on Mey Rin's face as she gently touched her glasses, the memory of Ciel gifting her with the glasses appeared in her mind.

"Ah, well, my previous employer kindly purchased these for me."

Jane placed her hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side in surprise.

"My, did he now?"

"Well, Mey couldn't exactly perform her duties well if she couldn't see, so our previous master gifted her those."

Jane looked behind her at the white haired girl whom she had almost forgot was there. There was something about these newcomers that piqued her interest. There was more to them than meets the eye, but she didn't have enough evidence to figure out what it was yet, aside from the scars she saw on them while they were changing.

"Quite a generous man for someone who disappeared into the night. Anyway, we'll be here all day if we keep dilly dallying like this. Let's focus on finishing our work."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Within the hour, the banisters and frames had been cleaned and polished until they sparked like gems. This was an easy task for them, especially since they were so used to the meticulousness of the demon butler at home who liked to be a real pain in the ass.

"Alright, we're done. Let's head to kitchen."

The girls picked up their gear and followed Jane into the kitchen. From down the hallway, they could hear all sorts of commotion and chatter from behind the kitchen door. Mey Rin looked over to Alice in a confused look to which Alice shrugged as Jane opened the door revealing maids running around, touching up their make up and uniforms as if they were preparing for a fashion show.

"Hey, someone lend me their face powder!"

"Is this too much lipstick?"

"Goodness, what kind of a girl leaves her eyebrows looking like that?"

"Come now, you think those stockings would impress anyone?"

Ran Mau joined Alice and Mey Rin by the door as they stared in awe at what was happening before them. Jane rolled her eyes and let out a tired yawn.

"Ah, it seems like they're at it again."

Mey Rin turned to the blonde in confusion, a frown adorned her face.

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"The master came home late last night from parliament. The girls just like dressing up a little for the Master."

Alice felt a scowl start to creep onto her face but quickly pushed down the urge as she remembered that she was being watched by many pairs of eyes. She couldn't let her carelessness ruin the mission.

"This is normal? Wouldn't the Master's mood be worse if they do this?"

A small smile flashed on Jane's face as she turned to Alice who was clearly still in awe.

"Not ours. It's a rule that the newcomers must be at the front of the line to greet the master."

Alice couldn't hold back her outburst.

"Wait seriously? Usually we're not even allowed to look up at our masters much less be the first to greet them."

Jane's smile grew. If they were hiding their true nature, these girls were very good at it.

"Like I said, our master is quite different from others."

No kidding. But this is a good chance for us to get closer and figure out what is going on in this place. From the outside, it just seems like a normal household, but I'm sure this place is what we're looking for.

The head maid began to hustle the girls together and amidst the chaos Alice turned to her companions.

"This is our chance to find out if the Baron really is part of the blood collecting gang. We have to be extra careful from here on out."

"Right."

Ran Mau nodded in agreement as the girls were pushed to the front of the line. Despite the many times Alice had been on infiltration missions and gone undercover, there was always a part of her that felt anxious. What if she blew her cover and risked the lives of the others? She had to clench her hands to stopped them from trembling. Maybe it was the fact that this time, she didn't have Sebastian to look out for her and she hated to admit it, but she was beginning to feel a bit lost without him. Thankfully, her thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the large set of doors opening as a tall, middle aged man with medium length hair and a neatly groomed Balbo styled beard stepped into the room.

"Good morning."

Alice was surprised at how relatively normal he looked and sounded, however, she remembered that looks can be deceiving.

"Good morning, Master."

Baron Heathfield turned to Abbie,

"Have there been any changes in my absence?"

The older woman stoically replied,

"Yes, sir. We have hired 5 new maids."

His attention turned to the 5 girls standing at the front and he walked over to greet them. He stopped in front of Mey Rin and placed a hand on her shoulder. The poor girl instantly started to pink at the cheeks at his kind gesture.

"Oho, would that be you girls? Come now, let me take a closer look at you."

One by one the girls introduced themselves and Alice was able to learn the names, Miranda was the dark haired and dark skinned maid while Annie was the blonde haired maid with fair skin and a kind smile. There was a silence before Baron Heathfield stood in front of Annie.

"I have high expectations for all of you and if there are any problems, please make sure to bring it up with Abbie."

Then he proceeded to greet the other staff members and just like that, he disappeared into his office. Alice couldn't deny that he was strangely nice, too nice…

"It felt like the Master really understood everyone's excitement!"

"Right?! Isn't he the best?"

Annie placed a hand over her heart and stared off lovingly at the memory of the Baron's kindness as Miranda cupped her face and blushed.

"How is it that he is still single despite being so wonderful?"

"I can't help but get my hopes up!"

Jane laughed at the newcomer's reactions to the Baron. She never got bored of how the new maids would always fawn over the master.

"How cute. But as if a member of nobility would fall head over heels for a mere maid. You girls have been reading far too many romance books."

Another senior maid smirked and spoke up in a triumphant tone,

"Now that's where you are wrong! It might not be just a little fantasy in this household! You know…there's this one maid who the master would call into his room every night."

There was an uproar upon hearing the news, everyone wanting to hear more about whether this was true or not.

"It's true! The girl who I used to room with slipped out one night and it seemed like she was his favourite for a time. And then she quit for some reason."

Jane seemed not so impressed.

"Well that makes sense. If the Master got bored of her, it would have made things awkward if she stayed here. She probably went back to her hometown."

Almost as if they had the same thought, Mey Rin and Alice gave each other a quick look. Even if it did get awkward, no one would leave such a good job with such generous conditions. Something wasn't right. The door suddenly burst open to reveal an unimpressed Abbie.

"Girls! I can hear your voices from down the hallway! Do you not have work to do?! Get back to your stations at once!"

"Ack! Yes Ma'am!"

The maids dispered like a flock of frightened pigeons, dragging the new girls along with them.

"Wait, new girls. Now that the Master has returned, make sure to avoid poor appearances. In particular your cuffs are a place where dirt and dust can gather and stand out. Make sure to check them regularly."

Abbie quietly left the room, leaving the five girls alone. Alice thought it was weird that Abbie would point something out like that. She understood the part about keeping up a clean and organised appearance but out of all places to point out, it was the cuffs. She saw as the other girls began to check their cuffs, Annie let out a surprised gasp. When the other girls asked her what was wrong, she quickly dismissed them. While walking back to their stations to meet up with Jane, Alice whispered under her breath to Mey Rin,

"That was strange. I wonder what Annie saw."

"Actually Alice, I saw what had surprised Miss Annie. There was a slip of paper inside her cuff from the Baron saying to meet him at 10 o'clock on the 3rd floor of the West building."

"Hmm so that means that they're using secret notes hidden in the cuffs of maid's sleeves to communicate. So that maid wasn't lying about how the Baron meets up with maids in the middle of the night. I don't know about you, but that's gross. What a perv."

"I think it would be a good idea to see what happens. One of us should go there tonight."

Alice nodded and the two went quiet as they approached their station. Together with Jane, Alice and Mey Rin continued to polish frames and clean. Dinner was delicious but it wouldn't match that demon's god-like cooking. It was rather ironic. She smiled at the memory of home, even if it was run by two demons. It was 10 o'clock and the girls returned to their rooms where they discussed what to do next.

"Alright, after what we talked about before, Mey Rin, I will go investigate. If I don't return and anyone asks, tell them that I'm asleep. Thanks you guys."

"Please be careful Alice."

"Take care."

Alice nodded as she lit her candle and carefully stepped outside. It was the 3rd floor of the West building right? She quietly crept through the manor, ducking behind a corner when she saw a silhouette down the hallway. She couldn't make out who it was, but she waited for a moment before continuing towards the West building. Upon arriving at the 3rd floor, she noticed a light peeking out from behind a door that was slightly ajar. This must be it. How stupid to leave the door open. It's like they want to be found out or something. What kind of weird fetish does this guy have? Alice moved closer and heard voices, two to be exact. As she peered between the gap, the light brightly illuminated the blonde who was straddling the man below her. Alice nearly gagged but something rooted her into position. Omg, what is happening? Why am I looking?! Am I a perv?! HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO WRONG. Wait, what is he saying? He wants to see her soul? OMG THIS IS SO WRONG! OH GOD HE JUST SPANKED HER! WAIT, SHE'S BLINDFOLDED? Then suddenly Alice heard a creak and before she could react, a pair of hands covered her mouth and pulled her back. Alice tensed and readied her elbow to strike back when a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

"It's me, calm down."

Shit, I've been found out. I hope I this doesn't ruin everything.

"Oh, Jane. It's you. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Jane placed a finger to her lips and frowned,

"Quiet. This way."

Jane lead Alice to the kitchen where she made two cups of tea and handed one to Alice. Alice accepted it with a nod and took a sip, testing to see if it had been spiked.

"I thought I clearly told you curfew was 10 o'clock."

"Sorry… I got curious."

Jane took a sip and sighed.

"Well, I guess I can't blame you for being curious. The others are a bunch of busybodies and I guess so are you. However, that doesn't excuse you from eavesdropping. It's bad manners."

"I just wanted to know if the maids were lying or not. It didn't seem true that the Master would…you know…"

Alice couldn't fake the blush even if she wanted to. Jane seemed to take notice of this and a bit of the suspicion she had vanished, but she still didn't trust this girl or her 'sisters'.

"Well, now you know. Though whatever you think about him, I can tell you that you are wrong. The master isn't doing this simply for pleasure. He's searching for something."

"Something? Like his wife? He…uh, mentioned a pure soul."

"Hm… well, to be precise he's looking for a replacement for his wife. You see, his wife and child were lost in a carriage accident and since then, he invites maids into his room in hopes to find someone who not only looks like his wife, but has a similar voice, personality, body compatibility and, like you heard, shape of their soul."

"That's oddly specific. I don't want to seem like a downer, but isn't that basically impossible? You know, to find someone similar down to the shape of their soul. Like how do you even figure that out?"

Jane shrugged and stood up from her seat.

"Who knows? That's not for us to decide. Anyway, now that you understand what goes on in this manor, try not to wonder around at night past 10 anymore. I didn't peg you to have peeping as a hobby."

Alice jumped up in embarrassment.

"N – No, that's not it! I'm not a perv."

Alice put her face into her hands to hide her embarrassed face as Jane laughed.

"Whatever you say. Now off to bed."

Alice thanked her for the tea and walked out the door, fully aware of Jane's careful stare. I gotta be more careful. That could have been bad. Jane probably suspects something now. Gotta warn the others. When Alice returned to her room, Ran Mau had fallen asleep but Mey Rin was still awake. Not wanting to wake up the sleeping girl, Alice told Mey Rin what happened and after agreeing to keep quiet for a while, they went to sleep.

The next morning, before heading out to work, Alice and Mey Rin relayed what had happened last night to Ran Mau, ensuring that the girl knew the position they were in. When the reached the kitchen, it was clear that something had happened as the level of gossip had increased. Annie had quit or so it seemed, but Alice and the other two knew what had likely happened. A quick glance at Jane was all the confirmation she needed to know that Annie didn't quit. The maids were then called for morning greetings and after breakfast was served to Baron Heathfield, all the maids checked their cuffs only find it empty. Alice sighed with relief when she found that she hadn't found a slip of paper there. Ran Mau tugged on Alice's sleeve and held out a tiny piece of paper.

"Ran! You were chosen?"

"Oh! This is our chance."

Ran Mau nodded and quickly slipped the paper back into her cuff before anyone else could notice.

"We'll talk more tonight."

Throughout the day, it seemed like Jane was a lot more quiet than usual. Whenever Alice said something stupid or Mey Rin had messed up, instead of her usual snarky comment, they were met with a quiet 'just get to work'. This didn't go unnoticed by both girls. That night, before the meeting time, Mey Rin and Alice went through the plan to ensure that they got all the information they needed to either turn this place into a fiery piece of rubble or leave it as some strange manor with interesting master and servant relationships.

"So remember, do whatever you can to pry information from the Baron or get him to sleep so you can search his stuff. And if you find evidence…"

"Knock out the pervert!"

"Exactly!"

Alice and Ran Mau high fived as Mey Rin mentioned only to do so if she was in danger. With that, Ran Mau left and Mey Rin and Alice were left to wonder if the plan would work.

"Don't worry too much Mey Rin. Ran Mau is very capable of handling herself and there's not much we can do anyway. If we get caught, our cover will definitely be blown. We can't risk that."

"But still, what if she goes missing like Miss Annie did?"

"Then, we'll step in. For now, let's just prepare ourselves and get enough sleep."

Begrudgingly, Mey Rin lay back on her bed and shortly after fell asleep. Alice, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep yet. I really do hope that Ran Mau is okay. While deep in her thoughts, Alice didn't realise that she had fallen asleep until she was awoken by the chirping of birds and the beams of bright sunlight glaring in from the window. She shot upwards and saw Ran Mau's empty bed. Quickly she woke up Mey Rin.

"I knew it. I should have gone last night too!"

"You would have been caught for sure Mey Rin. Look, it's alright, we will find her - "

The door suddenly burst open and the two girls turned, hoping it was Ran Mau, only to find Jane.

"Good morning. Oh? Why haven't the two of you changed yet? I thought I said that we were going to polish the chandelier."

"Our sister, Ran, hasn't returned yet. It's already morning."

Nonchalantly, Jane smirked at the girls' worried glances, especially Alice's who Jane knew was aware of what it meant to be invited by the Baron.

"Well, you two shouldn't be too worried. If all goes well, your sister might become the master's new wife. But it means you might not be able to speak to her for a couple of days. Well come on you two, we have work to do."

Jane left the room as Mey Rin and Alice got changed, neither saying a word knowing that Jane was most likely behind the door. But they fully understood what had happened. Ran Mau was not the type of girl to just become someone's slave, especially if it wasn't under Lau's orders. Something had happened to her. Throughout the day, no matter how hard they tried to find an opportunity to search the manor, it seemed like Jane was there to stop them. Alice knew that Jane was now aware of their business here in the manor and if they were hoping to find something, it had to be now or never. The two waited to act under the cover of night. Hidden in their luggage and throughout the room were the weapons that they had brought with them. Alice holstered her throwing knives to her thighs and slipped two under her sleeves while Mey Rin slipped a pistol to her belt and her rifle over her shoulder. Alice tightly secured two ropes to the beds and wrapped them around her and Mey Rin's waists.

"Let's do this."

And then the two leapt out of the window, scaling it towards the baron's room. Alice made sure to close the curtains to hid their presence as they made their way to the furthest room only to find it empty, neither trace of the Baron or Ran Mau there. Mey Rin stepped in first and Alice closed the window behind them. Mey Rin licked her finger and raised it into the air, attempting to find any drafts that were present. Alice scanned the room, looking for anything suspicious that could be a clue to where they were keeping Ran Mau and maybe the other girls. Shortly after, Mey Rin walked over to the bookshelf where she discovered faint skid marks. With the help of Alice, the two girls pushed it aside to reveal a swirling staircase down into the dark.

Alice and Mey Rin quietly wondered down the stairs, careful not to trigger any possible traps and upon arriving at the bottom of the stairs, they found a small door. With an acknowledging nod, they opened the door to reveal a room filled with beds and girls, most likely the missing maids, hooked onto blood draining machines.

"So then, we were right. We gotta get these girls out. Where's Miss Ran Mau?"

"Ah here-"

Alice ducked just in time as a bullet whizzed right past her head and both Mey Rin and Alice ducked for cover. Almost immediately, Jane came blazing out from behind the dust and swung a hand axe down on where Alice would have been hiding if she hadn't leapt back. Mey Rin shot at Jane who leapt to the side and used her axe to deflect a knife thrown at her shoulder by Alice. The three continued to duck and leap around, attacking each other until there was a sudden pause as they stood in a Mexican stand-off styled halt.

"I knew it. From the moment I saw the three of you change, I knew that you weren't ordinary maids. The kind of scars you bare are ones that only someone who has killed and is used to killing would have. So, I acknowledge your potentials and regardless of who put you up to this, I have a proposition for you. We'll give you double, no, triple of what you've being paid to work for us. So how bout it? Not a bad deal, right?"

Jane held her axe over to Ran Mau and smiled confidently, knowing the position the two girls were in. Mey Rin and Alice didn't look at each other, knowing that if they did, Jane would use that opportunity to attack. Either way, Jane had the advantage even if there was two of them against her. She had Ran Mau as a hostage and if they weren't careful, she could kill Ran Mau before either of them could do anything.

Damn, this isn't good. At times like these, I really wish we had Sebastian here, this would be an easy task for him. Shit…what should we do?

End of chapter

So how was it? It's a real pain that the manga takes forever to update so like, I can't exactly continue on with the story until then. But I hope that this was okay and that you guys enjoyed it! I look forward to seeing you next time! Ciao!