After a while, Lilliana was finally released from "training" to go back to the mess tent and get whatever food was left. She wasn't expecting much since she was told the performers usually fought for their food, but luckily, she wasn't that hungry and if there was absolutely nothing left, she could just munch on the chocolate Eris gave her. She wondered if Eris got any food since she was taking a while getting ready, but she assumed that since she was technically a first-tier performer, she had no problem with feeding herself. Luckily, the air was getting slightly warmer and even though she wasn't cold, she still feared for her young master's health. Now that Sebastian was ordered to be not as attentive to his needs, there was a chance he would be forced to fend for himself, especially if that Freckles kid was following him around. She wished she could watch him struggle being a regular kid, but this was more important.
On the way to the mess tent, she saw William, who seemed a bit lost in his thoughts as he headed to the main tent. She walked up to him and said, "So, I've been meaning to ask you—." However, when he looked at her, he was a bit startled. She looked at him with a confused expression and asked, "Everything all right?"
He paused a bit, trying to find the right words to say. It took him longer than he hoped to act natural, but eventually said, "When did you change your outfit?"
"What do you mean? I haven't changed from this outfit. It's too cold to wear the scanty one they gave me."
"But you did earlier."
She arched an eyebrow as she said, "No I didn't. Are you sure you're all right?"
William returned the confusion as he said, "I'm fine. The real question is if you are all right. We were talking not too long ago about a mission you were assigned to."
"I have no fucking clue what you're talking about."
"Mind your language, Ms. Kiliamo. We were talking about Grell being released from rehabilitation-,"
"Oh no, not that bastard. Can he stay there for a few more weeks? I'm sure he'll need it."
"That's funny coming from you, but we were going to discuss it further when you were done with your training with the snake charmer."
"Will, you're not making sense. We never talked!" she said, her anger slowly building, but when a thought crossed her mind, her eyes turned red with anger. "Please tell me that you did not confuse Eris for me! I already have to deal with that shit constantly and I don't need it from you."
He was a bit frightened by those eyes. Whenever she got angry or was near blood, her eyes would turn that demonic red that showed what she truly was. "I'm positive it wasn't her. Her eyes are purple and the Lilliana I spoke to had green eyes."
"But we never fucking talked! I would remember doing so since anything you said could be beneficial for us," she said, her anger no longer being hidden.
"Language," he said, trying to calm her down, but doing the exact opposite.
"Fuck the language. I'll say whatever I fucking want, especially you're calling me crazy despite I'm right!"
"I never called you crazy," he said, still trying to keep his composure, but failing.
"It's in the way you say things. Remember, I'm the monster that everyone fucking fears at the office. I'm the one who has devoured souls in the past because I was raised by demons. I'm the one who has to deal with whisperings about how I should be disposed of since I'm going to betray the Association! You have no idea the bullshit I have to go through just to be called a Reaper!"
"Lilliana, calm down. You're letting your emotions get the best of you."
"Oh right, because you're the perfect Grim Reaper who can't express his emotions at all! Do you even have emotions anymore or can you blame me for that?"
"What do you mean?"
"That the one time you made yourself vulnerable to me, I took advantage of that and nearly cost you and Grell a passing grade, so you vowed never to do that shit again."
"That is not true at all. It's just that a Grim Reaper must have minimal emotions conflicting with their work. It could compromise their decision making about a soul's chance for a second life."
"Oh, sure it is. That's what you keep telling yourself."
"I'm being serious, Lilliana. If you weren't so easily influenced by demons, maybe you would understand that!" William snapped. He didn't mean to, but it just came out. His anger was building as well toward her, just not at her level. However, she took it harshly as she slapped him on the face. It was enough for him to make him lose his footing a bit, but not to make him lose his balance and fall. He covered his red cheek as she watched her try to breathe deeply to calm down, but could see tears filling her eyes a bit.
"You're such a fucking idiot. Of course you wouldn't know anything about how other people feel, so why bother trying to empathize or even sympathize with others, human or not? I can't believe I thought it was a good idea to stay here with you in this fucking circus rather than collect souls in other parts of London," she said in a loud, but not yelling tone before she rushed to her tent, leaving William pained in more ways than one. What was wrong with her? She usually could control her anger very well, even around Grell, and never lashed out like that. He had to wonder if something was truly messing with her because of the unusual and drastic shifts in personality and it was starting to frighten him. Now, he had to keep his guard up in case there was another unusual encounter. He went through his thoughts again to make sure it was indeed Lilliana he spoke to earlier and remembered her green eyes vividly. There was no mistake it was her, despite how similar Eris was. She can't just change the color of her eyes to match hers, right?
William sighed before walking into the main tent, hoping that he could get this mission over with and everything would go back to normal. Though, he felt guilty about the argument, especially the last thing he said to her. He let his anger get to the best of him and said something he knew wasn't true. She wasn't easily influenced by demons, but rather refused to conform to the Reaper Association. He didn't blame her; she is just an unfortunate victim, but eventually she had to learn and that's what he's been trying to do for about a century now.
William didn't see Lilliana at all inside the main tent during practice, probably because she couldn't face anyone when she was emotionally compromised. He did notice that her brat of a master and his annoying dog were looking for her, expecting her to gain any clues toward their investigation, but were surprised when she wasn't there. However, Sebastian had to show off his talents by trying to one-up anything William did, just to spite him and it got very annoying. The other performers were impressed by anything they did, but William did not have to work this hard to get a spot in the cast. He had to remind himself that he set the bar high for them when they auditioned. Eventually, Sebastian stopped and went out the tent, leaving Ciel alone with Freckles, who seemed to be dragging him everywhere without his consent.
After some time, he decided to leave and proceed to Lilliana's tent to both apologize for what happened earlier and to clearly tell her what she had to do when Grell was released. He failed to do that earlier for obvious reasons and he needed to make sure she understood completely what to do. He just hoped that no one, especially Sebastian or Eris, was with her so they can have a private conversation. Sadly, that wish was not granted as he got closer to her tent and heard a familiar voice, "That bastard really thought I was Eris and called me crazy when I said I never talked to him."
"I understand, but that's usually something that doesn't rile you up this much," Sebastian said. "You're usually calm and collected in the face of hostility."
"I know, but I don't know what came over me. Maybe I was just finally fed up with his bullshit, but I couldn't control myself. My eyes were even red the last time I checked. Have they changed back?"
"When I arrived, yes, but when we started talking about this, they turned back red."
William thought about turning around and just going back to his tent since it was clear that she wouldn't be able to talk, but stopped when he heard, "The show doesn't start for a few hours and Eris said I should wear my outfit since I need to get used to how I move in it and avoid any accidents." He swallowed before he looked inside through the slit of the tent and could see Lilliana in the costume, looking at herself in the mirror. She didn't wear any of her makeup yet, but she was messing with her hair.
"I agree with her," Sebastian said as he kept a bit of distance from her, but she could see his reflection in the mirror, eyeing her.
She chuckled. "Of course you do. If you had your way, you would have me wearing this all the time."
"Maybe not all the time, but definitely when you're done with your duties and I have you all to myself," he said as he got closer to her. "Besides, it's arousing seeing this mark on you without removing your clothes," he said as he put his hand on the Mark of Lust on her lower back. However, it was sensitive with even the simplest touch and she let out a shudder, making him chuckle.
"I'm glad you enjoy my misery," she said, trying to keep herself together.
"You shouldn't be suffering. You're not self-conscious about your body, so why do you hesitate in showing it off? You have a beautiful body to do so," she said as he started to rub her mark, making her moan a bit before covering her mouth. It was as if he was touching her most private areas of her body.
"I-I have my reasons," she said, hoping he would stop, but also hoping he would take it further.
"Well, whatever reasons you have to not show it to others, I hope it doesn't apply to me," he said as he removed his glove with his teeth. He then placed his bare hand on her mark and made circular motions, clearly getting a reaction out of her. "After all, this mark proves that you are mine and mine alone. Not even your Reaper Association can change that."
William was appalled by what he was witnessing. It was breaking Reaper Law to be in close contact with a demon, but they knew that they had to make an exception with her. After all, she found a way to take her morning job with the promise that she would save Ciel's soul before it would be devoured, but even she knew that it was a slim chance. However, they made it clear that she could not be at all intimate with the demon, no matter how tempting it was. Now, here she was, being manipulated into his conniving scheme and clearly this wasn't the first time. She could get in a lot of trouble for this if she reported this to Upper Management, but . . . he couldn't look away.
"Bold words for a man who is only contracted for a limited time," she said, trying to gain a bit of dominance, but he took it right back when he put more pressure on her mark and rubbed a bit faster, making her moan.
"Indeed, but until then, I'll keep proving to you over and over again that you are mine, understand me?"
"Y-Yes," she let out weakly.
"Yes what?"
"Yes sir," she submitted. Unbelievable, William thought. This was the woman who would never be submissive even if she was playing a role. Now, she was giving herself to a demon who was clearly using her. Fight back or something! Don't be manipulated!
He chuckled. "That's a good girl," he said as he took his hand away from her mark, relieving her a bit, but he soon moved his hands up her body to her breasts and started playing with them through the thin fabric. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying not to express how much she wanted this. "I much prefer you in a corset, but this is just as good."
"Wh-What if Eris comes in," she tried to protest, but at this point, she wanted it more than she didn't.
"If she is just as good as you say, then she should already know what we are doing," he said as he started to untie the lace of her top until eventually, it loosened and her breasts were exposed. He then started to fondle them, but she shuddered as she felt his cold hand on her skin. "Oh, that was quite the reaction I got out of you. Perhaps I should stop and warm up my hands—,"
"No, please, don't," she begged, eyes red with lust. He smirked, knowing she truly wanted it now. She won't protest now.
"Are you sure? Even if I touch you here, skin to skin," he teased as he put his hand under her skirt and started rubbing her through her panties. She moaned freely, letting herself enjoy the pleasure. As much as she usually played hard-to-get with him, she would like this to happen more often than it has. The only thing stopping her was sleep and work. So, whenever this happened, she would give in fully and not hold back, that is, after she was slowly dominated with his sweet words and subtle actions.
"Yes, sir, I want it," she plead. He obliged as he slid his hand under her panties and started to tease her pussy with his cold hand. She practically jumped at the contact, but his other hand held her in place as he bit her neck, hard enough to draw some blood from her. He was a demon after all and liked the taste of her blood.
William couldn't pull away even if he wanted to. He was hypnotized by this submissive Lilliana, who allowed her body to be played with. As much as he hated Sebastian for his demon nature, he soon became envious of him. He wanted to be the one that she was like this to. He never got to meet her and wanted to get to know her more. How dare he be the only one that gets to have her.
Once he released his bite, Sebastian whispered into her ear, "I'll help you forget about your anger, even if it's only temporary. Besides, you need to remain calm in case he has information helpful for us," he said as he guided her to the table and sat her on it. He then got on one knee in front of her as he said, "Let me release all this tension inside of you." He proceeded to remove her panties and absentmindedly threw them on the floor close by. He then inserted his slightly warmer fingers into her teasingly slow, making her whimper in anticipation. He looked up at her and saw those eyes that were begging for more and he smirked. "Would you like me to go faster?"
"Mhm," she said, hoping that would be enough, but it wasn't.
"Use your words. Tell me how much you want it," he said as he started to pick up the pace slightly, her juices slowly starting to coat his fingers.
"P-Please go faster, sir," she said, slightly moving her hips a bit to match his rhythm to get more pleasure out of this.
"If that's what you want," he said as he curled his fingers inside her and moved them faster. She moaned louder and even flung her head back. She was lost in lust and didn't care if anyone heard her moans or saw her in this position. William, however, made sure he wasn't being seen, both by them, or anyone around him. If anyone approached him and asked what was happening, they would immediately stop and act like nothing happened. Luckily, most of the performers were still practicing or taking a shower, so no one was around to call him a pervert. Even though he couldn't see what exactly he was doing to her, he had an idea since he observed humans doing many sexual actions to the point that it wasn't exciting anymore, or at least, he thought.
However, he got a clear idea when she asked, "Please use your tongue there."
Sebastian looked up at her as he said, "I love a girl who knows what she wants." He obliged and started to eat her out, savoring the taste of her juices.
She flung her head back again and arched her back a bit. "Mmm, fuck." She started moving her hips to maximize the pleasure, but he held her down as he rubbed his tongue against her slit and circling her clit, his nails digging into her skin. She was fortunate he was skilled at this and his tongue could have her cumming quickly if he so wished. If he truly wanted to be a sadist, he wouldn't be as aggressive and watch her squirm and beg for more, but since they couldn't take long, he made sure to be aggressive.
After a bit of time, he could tell that she was about to climax by the high pitch of her moans. She even put her hand on his head and gripped his hair a bit, not too forcefully. When he knew she was close, he put his hand on her clit and put more pressure to ensure she would cum quickly. Sure enough, her moans turned into desperate whimpers in no time. She even tried to pull away so his tongue and hand wouldn't feel so fucking good, but he pulled her back. "Ah ah ah, if you want to cum, you have to tell me."
"P-Please," she said in between moans. She was at her limit and knew she couldn't last much longer.
"Please what? You know you can't cum unless I tell you to."
"P-Please l-let—," she repeated, but couldn't get her words out before she came with a loud moan. She was shaking as she came and once she was done, she was breathing heavily, but she knew she was in trouble.
He clicked his tongue. "That's a naughty thing you did, Lily. You know what happens when you disobey me."
"I'm sorry, sir," she said in between breaths.
"Apologizing isn't going to make you learn your lesson. Turn around and bend over on the table," he ordered. She pouted, but did as she was told with her face looking towards the slit of the tent. If she looked closely, she could have seen William still watching them, fixated on her and the way she behaved. "Hands behind your back." She did as she was told and folded her arms behind her, knowing exactly what he was going to do, but excitedly waited for it. Without warning, she spanked her hard enough to make her yelp in both pain and pleasure. She moved her hips a bit to ride out the sting, but he would spank the other cheek if she moved. She bit her lip with every smack to her ass, but as she opened her eyes, she thought she saw someone outside the tent.
However, before she could say anything, she could feel something hard slip inside her roughly and moaned loudly. In no time, he was fucking her roughly, not allowing her any time to think or process what she thought she saw. He held onto her arms with one hand and held on to her hip with his other. She was in ecstasy with all this pleasure and completely forgot about what she saw earlier. At this point, if someone was watching, she would put on a show.
Suddenly, a gust of wind hit the tent, causing the slit to open up more unexpectedly, showing that William was outside. He tried to hide himself, but unfortunately, she saw him despite Sebastian not paying attention. Once she saw him, she started to get up and told Sebastian to stop. He was confused, but pulled out of her and didn't force her down despite wanting to keep dominance over her. She quickly tied the lace of her top to cover her breasts and quickly put on her panties before rushing out to catch who it was. It couldn't be who she thought it was. No, it couldn't . . . Could it? She rushed outside before any human could escape, but there was no one there. She took a deep breath, but noticed more performers were lurking around the grounds. "Everyone must be done with practice by now. We should probably get back to Ciel in case he might need our help," she said as she walked back in.
"But I have been given orders to not attend to him as often. He should be fine on his own," he said in protest. He wanted to continue and never cared about what humans saw or think.
"Still, we know he is not in his element right now and his roommate might exhaust him. We should at least see how he is doing."
Sebastian sighed. "All right. I'll locate him," he said in defeat as he walked out of the tent. "I hope you are at least feeling better."
"I am. Thank you," she said as she kissed him and he left the tent. She didn't care if someone saw him leaving her tent, even if they viewed her as a slut. She believed that a good number of these girls did the same and without much thought anyway. However, if it was who she thought it was, she could be in so much trouble, but why would he be watching?
William quickly ran to his tent, afraid that either Sebastian or Lilliana would come in to confront him. His nerves were starting to get the best of him, even having to take deep breaths to calm himself. He got caught! Although the wind didn't show him fully, it was still enough for her to possible recognize him. He hoped she didn't, but it was enough for her to stop. Maybe she didn't want to get caught by anyone, but then again, her moaning was a bit loud for someone who didn't want to catch any attention. Quite the submissive girl she became. She was a lot different from earlier today when she . . .
He looked down and cursed at himself. Not again. This was a very rare instance; nothing got him aroused, not even watching people have sex. He thought he was immune to it, but today proved him wrong. Granted, this is not the absolute first time he got an erection, but it was the first time in about a century or so. However, he usually could wait it out and it would go away, but he knew this wouldn't be the case. He had a strong stimulus and he couldn't get it out of his head.
He sighed as he walked toward the corner of the tent near the front so people wouldn't see him if they peeked in. Plus, it gave him a few extra seconds to hide himself if anyone barged in. It would be very unprofessional if anyone, not just Lilliana, saw him like this. When he knew he wouldn't get caught, he took a deep breath before he unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he spat in his hand and reluctantly started to stroke himself. He let out a little moan since it was sensitive, but made sure to keep quiet. He hoped to make this quick, but it wouldn't happen unless he thought of something that truly aroused him. Despite every fiber of his body telling him not to, he swallowed his pride and thought about what happened earlier with Lilliana.
The girl he saw in that tent . . . she was so unlike herself. If anything, he was used to the more dominant girl he encountered earlier today, but he never saw her submit to anyone fully like she did with that demon. He was jealous of him, as much as he hated to admit it. He hated him so much more for having her to himself and touching her body the way he did. She was even begging for him to touch her, something he couldn't believe she would do for anyone. She is a strong-willed girl who never cared for the preying eyes of men and might even punch them if they got too physical with her. Around William, she acted coldly, which he accepted, but he wondered how she would react if he did try to act . . . like that. When they first met, he was enthralled with her and vice versa, to the point that they started a very short-lived romance. They kissed, but he stopped her because he was inexperienced and though she was too, which he found it hard to believe, she could have taken it further if they wanted to. Oh, what would have happened if they did? They would have probably had an awkward, yet intimate moment together. Now, he has observed many sexual acts through Cinematic Records and she clearly has had practice now. Perhaps if they slept together now, it would be quite pleasurable, especially on his end.
He stroked a bit faster, imagining how she would if given the chance. He imagined her hand on his cock, rubbing the tip before sliding her hand up and down his shaft. Would she be the dominant tease she was this morning or the submissive girl she was this afternoon? Either way worked for him, but he did admit that he would like to see her submissive side more often, begging for him to touch her warm skin. He feared he wouldn't be enough to satisfy her, but she could always teach him. Would she be willing? Eventually, he imagined her mouth wrapped around him, first swirling her tongue around the tip. At this point, he moaned a bit louder, just imagining the pleasure her mouth would give him. Up and down her head would go, not giving him a break. She probably would want him to lose his composure so he could enjoy her fully. Her warm mouth, her wet tongue caressing his cock, her pleading eyes that wanted to taste every drop he had to give her. She would probably be desperate to make him cum and he wouldn't hold back. She must want it badly, or at least, she must want his cock inside of her, making her cum over and over again. Despite what that demon said, he would make her his for the night.
With that last thought, he felt himself climax. "Oh, Lilliana," he said with a moan and finally let out his semen, making sure to aim for the ground and not on the tent, where it could stain. William took a few breaths, relieved it was over. He couldn't believe where his thoughts took him, but he had to do whatever it took to release this tension. Still, he felt a bit shameful for what he did as he got dressed and went out to wash his hands from this. Luckily, there was a pond close by the circus grounds, away from everyone else. He quickly dipped his hands in the cold water and scrubbed, but jumped when he heard a voice. "You know we have showers, non?"
He turned around quickly to whom he thought was Lilliana, but luckily, it was only Eris. It was clear with her purple eyes and the slim purple dress. He got up and said, "Y-Yes, but I only wanted to wash my hands."
She pouted. "Suit, if you're self-conscious about washing with other men, it's fine."
"I'm being serious. I will catch an illness if I shower in this weather," he explained calmly.
"Trust me, we're not big fans of the weather either, but we need to keep ourselves clean, especially after practice. Besides, it looks like you had an intense workout just now," Eris said as she crossed her arms, her right eye twitching a bit. William was confused, but wiped his forehead and sure enough, it was moist. He didn't break a sweat when he practiced in the main tent earlier.
"I-I'll take one later today," he said before placing his hand back in the water to wash it.
"Bien, but do keep in mind that it'll get colder when the sun goes down. This is probably the warmest it will be all day," she said as she turned around and walked away. He sighed in relief, glad that he didn't give any hint of what happened earlier. However, with her back turned, Eris smirked as she put a hand over her right eye. "My, my, his interest in her has gotten stronger. Never imagined he would do that and think about her so vividly. Makes my job easier."
Lilliana and Sebastian were helping dry off their young master, who was soaking wet in the freezing weather since he had an accident in the communal outdoor showers. He refused to take a shower, not only because of the cold weather, but because that would expose the branding mark on his back from the worst days of his life. He didn't want anyone to see that, so he managed to run away from Freckles and his servants found him and dried him off. He truly was about to give up and just go home, but with some encouragement, his pride returned and they discussed the next step in their plan. "Once we search the first tier tents, we can go home. I thought we would be able to work our way up the ranks, but with these retched conditions, I simply cannot last that long. I'm already approaching my limit," Ciel said as he began changing into dry clothes with Sebastian's help, of course.
"You and me both," Lilliana said to herself, but still loud enough for them to hear.
"Personally, I would find brute force easier than infiltration. The Reaper keeps me from moving freely at night," Sebastian said before looking at her. "Plus, I hear he is become quite a nuisance to you, Lilliana"
"Indeed. Along with Eris. With those two, I don't know if my sanity will last."
"Unfortunately, the fact that he's here isn't enough to prove the circus guilty of anything, so behave yourselves for now. Any information gathered could still be useful," Ciel said before Sebastian put a jacket over him.
"We know," she said, still feeling a bit frustrated in more ways than one.
"The time to strike is during a show, when we can expect them all to be away from their tents. Before anything, I need to find a way to slip free of that clingy, freckled chap who tails me everywhere. If I can't move freely, there's no point." Ciel said.
They decided to split up from their meeting, but Sebastian can still sense Lilliana's uneasiness. He walked up to her and asked, "Are you sure you're feeling better?"
"As good as I can be here. Once we finish this investigation, I will be so happy to return to a place where things make sense. Still, I have to talk to Will. Apparently, I'm assigned a mission that is outside of either investigation," she said, conveniently leaving out a very important, flamboyant detail. "But since we argued earlier, we haven't been able to discuss it."
"Well, just remember to keep a level head when you do. Last thing we need is for you to get in any kind of trouble."
"Too late for that," she said before walking ahead of them to her tent. She had to be alone for a bit and think things over.
Minutes before the show were frantic as the performers got their last minute props and costumes ready. The second tier performers had to gather everything the first tier performers needed, like headpieces and knives, and do so in a frantic pace. Everything had to be perfect and tested before everyone arrived. Some performers were lucky enough to perform, but there were some who weren't able to get the chance, including, luckily, the trio and William, who was keeping his distance from Lilliana. She noticed this, but decided it was for a good reason. Right now, her priority was her young master's mission.
Soon, all the performers that were needed for the show ran to the main tent, leaving the costume/prop tent vacant except for the four of them. This was their chance. "Sebastian, Lilliana, I managed to lose Freckles somehow. Let's check the tents while we have the chance. We should only need ten minutes or so."
"Of course, yes, my lord," Sebastian said and she nodded her head.
They went out in a hurry, but Lilliana stayed a bit behind to quickly tell William, "After this, we can talk about that mission earlier." William nodded and she proceeded out the tent to follow them. However, she noticed Joker, who was carrying Wendy on his back, and Peter talking with the duo. Can nothing go right?
When she walked up to them, Joker lit up as he said, "Hey, Lily. I was just asking Black to fill in for Wendy since she twisted her ankle. Perhaps yeh would like to perform as well or at least stay to the sidelines as a spotter?"
"Oh, no thanks. I'm afraid I am not that talented with trapeze. There's a reason why I haven't tried it yet," she said.
"Very well then. There isn't much time for the act, Black, so yeh have to be quick about it," Joker said as the three performers ran to the infirmary tent.
Sebastian turned to his master ad said, "He's left me with little choice. My lord, I must attend to this. We'll find another chance."
"We don't know if there will even be another chance. Freckles follows me around every second of the day. You may be needed in the show, but I should have some time. The only trouble is the snakes," Ciel said.
"Leave that to me, my lord. Due to a conversation earlier, I have gained the trust of a couple of those snakes and can keep them away as you search," Lilliana said.
"Then I believe it would be fitting for you to watch our young lord until I return."
"Of course," she said with a smile.
"All right, let's move quickly."
"Yes, my lord," the two servants said, as the two of them ran to the first tier tents and Lilliana walked in first, hissing for them not to attack. The snakes aimed their heads at the other two performers, but she must have hissed something back to comfort them since they proceeded to slither toward her.
"So, she can speak to snakes?" Ciel asked.
"Quite. It is a common animal language for demons to acquire and she is no exception," Sebastian explained as they watched her enter Snake's tent with the snakes following her. Sebastian made sure that no tricky snake was slithering around as a guard dog before saying, "All clear, my lord."
"According to the program, your act starts at 7:50 and the encore is at 8 o'clock. If that schedule is correct, then that should allow you roughly a ten-minute window to free the snakes before having to return. I'll take the opportunity to look through their tents," Ciel explained.
"But are you sure you shall be all right by yourself? You don't even have Lilliana to protect you," Sebastian inquired.
"I'll be fine. Hurry on back to the show. They'll be getting suspicious."
"Very good, my lord. At once," he said as he rushed to the costume tent, put on his costume and makeup, and rushed into the tent. However, nothing could prepare him for this shocking detail Joker omitted. "I don't understand. I thought Wendy was the only one injured," he asked as he looked at Suit, who was not happy at all with this scenario.
"Well, yeah, but you can't very well expect Peter to hold your weight, can you?" Dagger explained. "If Lily had agreed to help yeh, then you could have performed with her."
"Of course," Sebastian said, regretting both their decision for her to stay with Ciel. Though, even if she agreed, then the snakes would have been slithering around.
"And this was the best solution? I can't begin to express my distaste for this bad idea," William said with more-than-unusual anger heading toward the demon.
"While I don't much care for it, either, what option do we have?"
"You could get Lily to perform with you since you two seem to be more compatible," he said with some bite in his speech.
"I'm afraid she is not as skilled as you and I are. She would much prefer staying close to the ground," he lied, trying to stay consistent with what she told Joker earlier.
William knew he was lying, but figured that he had a reason for it, especially since she and the young boy were not by his side like usual. He sighed as he said, "Working with vermin like him. How could I have sunk so low?"
"Now, come on, you two! You're up," Dagger said as he pushed the two deities out into the main stage, where Joker introduced them as the crowd cheered. With reluctance, they climbed opposite poles up to the trapeze and took hold of the swings. They swung down, Sebastian showing off his skills to make a good show. However, after some time, they had to do some tricks by catching each other, but William was not giving him a cue to let go, or at least, if he did, he wanted him to fall. "What precisely are you doing? Stick out your hands already," he asked in frustration.
"They can tell me to perform with you, but I would sooner die than take your filthy hands, vermin. I fear they might rot off," William said. The hands that got to touch—he had to focus.
Meanwhile, the other performers watched with displeased looks from backstage. "They're just swinging up there! What are they doing?" Beast commented.
"This won't make for a very good show," a feminine voice said from behind them. They turned around and saw green-eyed Lilliana with her costume and makeup on. She acted confidently in her outfit as she looked up at the pitiful act. "At this rate, they'll be laughed at."
"I thought you didn't want to join, or at least, that's what Black told me," Dagger said, confused as to why she was here.
"At this rate, I have no choice," she said before hearing a tiny tear sound ad saw that Beast's bodice was ripped.
"Ah, this was my favorite one too," she said in annoyance.
However, Dagger got flustered and quickly shouted, "Nothing to see here! Everyone look away!"
"You should get it fixed. Eris should be able to sew it back," Lilliana said, trying to distract them.
"No, I have a spare in my tent. I'll be right back before the encore," she said as she started to leave, making sure to put a small blanket around her to cover her top.
Lilliana sighed. "I guess it can't be helped," she said as started walking to the middle of the stage. Nobody knew what she was doing, especially the two deities who were certain she wouldn't be here. She walked up to the middle and yelled, "Oi, Suit, mind helping a lady up with your stick?" The audience laughed, but they were still very confused. However, William did lower his Death Scythe so she could hang on as he retracted it back and she even gestured the crowd like a true performer. The crowd cheered wildly as they watched her cling onto William before she flung herself so Sebastian could catch her.
"What on earth are you doing here? I told you to care of our master while I was-," Sebastian tried to say, before being interrupted.
"I don't think we have enough time to discuss this," she said before she let go so William could catch her, but he was a minute too late and she started falling to the ground, making the audience gasp collectively. However, with his quick thinking, he extended his Death Scythe so she could catch it with ease. The crowd cheered louder than before as he retracted it back up. However, when she reached to the top, she climbed up to him so they were facing each other at eye level. She smirked and held onto him tightly, making him flustered. However, when Sebastian looked at her mark on her lower back, he noticed something weird: despite being the same color and similar look, it wasn't exact. That was impossible: it should be an exact replica of the one on his hand. Something was wrong. She whispered in William's ear, "Don't get too excited, Will." With flushed cheeks and a cue from her, he flung her back in the air toward Sebastian, who caught her and with that, they flung themselves into the air toward the landing pads up on the poles, ending their routine. The crowd cheered loudly as Sebastian and Lilliana smiled and waved to the audience. William, on the other hand, was relieved that this was over and he could go back to his tent.
The performers descended down and a crowd gathered around them to congratulate them on their act. However, Sebastian kindly excused them from the crowd so he could talk to her in private. Though, even with her mischievous smile, he said to her in a serious tone, "You're not Lilliana."
She lost her smile and said, "What are you talking about? Of course I am."
"You may look like her, but even you can't perfectly replicate another devil's marking," Sebastian said as he walked up to her and touched the mark, only to get no reaction. He would grab her by her throat to get his answers, but they were still around people and he couldn't. "Now answer me, who are you?"
She chuckled as she closed her eyes. "I should have known better than not assume that a demon would figure me out. Well done monsieur," she said as her left eye turned purple.
"This explains a lot, but why take on this form? Who are you after?" Sebastian said with frustration boiling in his blood.
"Black, I don't think you have time to get all the answers you want. Besides," she said smugly as her right eye turned blue. "I think there is a certain young boy who requires your attention."
As much as he wanted to figure out why this bitch was here, she was right and used his super speed to rush to his young master before Beast could return. Knowing his luck, he was in Beast's tent. Eris smiled as she watched him rush off and then looked back at the main stage as she watched Joker announcing the final act. As he walked back, he looked at her and noticed her multicolor eyes before her eyes turned green. "I thought you were loyal to Doc. I didn't think you would feed off another person," he said rather nervously.
"I wouldn't have to if he fed me more often and with more passion. I'm getting pretty hungry. Besides, I think I found someone who will fill me quite nicely."
"I'm pretty sure Doc would be mighty upset if he found out his girl was cheating on him."
"Like he has time to be away from his work. He and you both know the type of girl I am and better accept it," she said rather angrily, scaring Joker. She took a deep breath. "Je suis désolé. I'm just hungry. Don't worry, I'll satiate it very soon."
How does William feel for Lilliana? Why was she so angry with him earlier? Who is Eris? Reviews are appreciated!