Lilliana was walking toward the townhouse, making sure to take her time. As much as she wanted to be away from the circus as soon as possible, she didn't feel like interacting with anyone, especially those jovial Indians. Knowing them, they would ask her why the three of them were gone for two days and then she would have to explain as much as she could without giving them the full truth. She hoped Sebastian and Ciel would return soon, especially since it seemed they had enough information to stop snooping around the circus, but since Ciel was sick, she didn't know if Doc would allow them to them to leave so easily. The sun was barely rising when she returned, but she hoped that the two occupants would still be sleeping. She needed some more time to clear her head about . . . things with William. There was no way she could have imagined everything. He was . . . he was about to . . . if she didn't stop him . . .

Knowing that Eris was a succubus cleared the air for them. Neither of them was crazy, thankfully, but the discovery was quite a shock for multiple reasons. She wondered how far Eris pushed her agenda on him before last night so he would be in the mood to sleep with her. She thought nothing would seduce him, but it was clear that she was very wrong. Apparently being a submissive version of her was enough. She blushed at the thought, but felt her anger building. She couldn't explain why she was so angry. She wasn't jealous of Eris, but she was angry she took her image. This whole time, she thought that if Eris took her image, she would go after Sebastian, but it wouldn't make sense since demons don't fill each other up like humans do. It was like a light snack compared to a meal and a Grim Reaper was an all-you-can-eat buffet. She would never imagine that she was going after William . . . and succeed, for the most part. She knew how succubus behaved and what their powers can do, but nothing could prepare her for what she witnessed. It was bad enough that Eris seduced William, which would have been enough blackmail to make him go easy on her, but she took her form. All this time, did he . . .

"There you are, Lilliana," a familiar low voice said followed by a higher-pitched cough. Lilliana returned to reality as she turned around to see Sebastian holding Ciel in his arms. He looked a lot better than he did yesterday, but still looked weak. "I'm surprised to see you here. Weren't you supposed to return after you spoke with your superior?"

Shit. She forgot about that completely. "R-Right. I was assigned to a mission last minute, different from the one I mentioned earlier. I had no choice in the matter," she lied.

"I understand. He told me the same thing when I tried to run an errand. He refused to let his guard down, so I had to improvise. Fortunately, we have the information we need to move on with our mission," Sebastian said. She released a subtle sigh of relief. At least William did the one thing she asked him to do. Though, she understood completely why his guard was up. "We do need to have a little chat together to talk about things."

"Of course," she said as the three of them finally reached the townhouse. Lilliana opened the door for them, but just as she predicted, Soma and Agni were awake and vigilant.

"Ciel! Where have you been? You left for two whole days without even bothering to tell anybody! If you were gone for a little while longer, I was going to call the police!" Soma said with anger that a strict parent would have, which was ironic coming from a carefree teenager.

"It's very good to see you," Agni said with a smile.

"It's none of your business," Ciel said before coughing.

"What is wrong? You look as pale as a ghost-," Soma observed.

"It's nothing, I'm fine. Leave me be," Ciel said as the two servants walked in and headed upstairs.

"It sounds serious! I think you're lying. You've obviously caught a very bad cold. Do you have a fever, too?" Soma said as he followed them up the stairs with Agni by his side.

"No, I don't have a fever."

"You're lying again!"

"No I'm not!" Ciel cried out as the two servants reached his room and politely closed the door on Soma's face so he wouldn't pursue them any further. Sebastian placed their young master on the bed so he could rest a bit more while Lilliana prepared hot water, a bowl, and a towel.

"I'm surprised, my young lord. You're a bigger keeper of secrets and lies than I'd thought. To think you've been chronically ill since infancy and I had no idea. That is quite the secret to keep," Sebastian said.

"You could have asked me. I know everything about his life," Lilliana said. They turned to her and she continued, "What? I checked his Cinematic Record before working with him. I got to know a few things about my employer before working with him."

"And yet you were still as concerned as I was when he had an asthma attack," Sebastian countered.

"Well, he hasn't had an attack in a while, so I thought he was practically cured. Besides, your uncertainty is what frightened me the most."

"I'm curious as to why the young lord didn't tell us."

"Neither of you asked, so I didn't tell. It's as simple as that. And I've grown out of it, anyhow," Ciel explained.

"Still, there's no harm in being cautious, is there? We'll acquaint ourselves with the latest medics, texts on asthma, just so this doesn't happen again," Lilliana said as she put the towel in the bowl of hot water and ringed the excess water out. "We don't want you dying on us."

"A proper butler is prepared for any situation that arises," Sebastian said before he knelt down to help his master undress.

"If we're done talking about my health, perhaps you can report to me what you learned from your research this morning," Ciel said.

"There is a coat of arms that matched the seal. It belongs to the Baron Kelvin," he reported as he started using the warm cloth to wash Ciel's skin.

"Kelvin?"

"Do you know him?" Lilliana asked.

"Well, we certainly don't have a close, personal acquaintance, as I don't fancy 'philanthropists'. But I think we may have been introduced before at a party the previous earl took me to. Regardless, his name is the only thing we really require." Once Sebastian was finished washing, he proceeded to dress him in his nobleman outfit, something Ciel never thought he would miss desperately. Once he was fully dressed, Ciel continued, "We're going out."

"Yes, my lord," the two said in unison as Sebastian opened the door for them to leave, but were surprised to see Agni blocking the door, determined to not let them leave.

"Not so fast, Ciel. Do not think you will escape it so easily. This townhouse is under my supervision," Soma said from behind him. Ciel showed utter annoyance, really not wanting to deal with this, especially right now. "Whatever you say, I know you've caught a nasty cold. As viceroy of this estate and your dear friend, I cannot allow you to venture out in your current condition."

"Don't be daft! Since when are we 'dear friends'?" Ciel said as he tried to leave the room.

"Agni, do not let Ciel pass you!"

"Jo ajña," Agni said.

"Now see here, you bloody simpletons: I have important work to do! I haven't got the time to play these infantile games!" Ciel said with a raised voice, but proceeded to cough. "Now step aside!"

"A sick person's only job is to stay in bed and be looked after," Soma lectured.

"I have a stronger constitution than you! I can manage on my—," Ciel said before coughing again. At this point, Lilliana found it amusing how much he wanted to prove he was all right while failing miserably.

"Lord Phantomhive," Agni said as he ran to the sick lord. "I beg you, please return to bed. Your symptoms suggest that you suffer from asthma. You cannot possibly be well in this state!"

"Sebastian, Lilliana, get these two out of my way!" Ciel yelled, finally letting his frustration show.

"Very good, my lord," they said in unison as they proceeded to go through with the order.

"You two should hang your heads in shame," Agni said, making the two servants confused. "You call yourself Lord Phantomhive's loyal servants? I speak as a fellow khansama, and more, as your friend and one who respects you both. The health of our master's is our first concern! Don't you think you are bound by duty to stop Lord Phantomhive for the sake of his health even if doing so goes against his orders?"

"But he'll be fine. The symptoms are dying down-," Lilliana explained.

"He is still sick! We ensure our master's remain in good spirits and good health, no matter what we have to do. As you know, that is the servant aesthetic!" The two were in shock. It was rare that they were scolded for what they were doing regarding their jobs. So, this is how the other three servants felt.

After a moment of silence, Sebastian said, "I've long considered my role to be the fulfillment of my young lord's wishes, but you make an excellent point. Perhaps there is something to your way of thinking after all."

"Why are you agreeing with them? Don't let him turn you! My orders are—," Ciel yelled.

"Now that that's sorted, let's get you to bed," Soma said as he dragged Ciel back to bed, but he strongly protested. "Nursed to health by a crown prince? You should be flattered, Ciel. Agni, make some porridge and some herbs."

"Yes, at once," Agni said with a bow.

"No, you can't just—," Ciel protested.

"Ciel's khansama, bring fresh new clothes and ice packs."

"Yes, of course," Sebastian said with a bow.

"Ciel's maid, make sure that he doesn't move from this bed."

"Certainly," she said as they finally guided him to bed.

"Is anyone listening to me?!"

After a lengthy two days of caring for the young master, everyone was exhausted. Ciel had been sleeping practically all the second day, but that was to be expected, especially when he had little rest at the circus. He must be very relaxed in a warm bed and taken care of like a true nobleman. His complexion and breathing seemed to be a lot better, which relieved everyone. Sebastian got Ciel's clothes ready for when he woke up while Lilliana cleaned up anything that needed it. Soma could barely keep his eyes open and Agni carried his prince on his back. Sebastian and Lilliana left the room to not disturb Ciel's slumber, but as they walked down the hallway, they heard Agni say, "Sebastian, Lilliana, may I have a moment?" When they acknowledged his request, he continued, "I wanted to apologize for yesterday, for getting carried away and raising my voice to you."

"Nonsense. I'm glad you did. I found it to be very illuminating," Sebastian said with a genuine smile.

"But I would never presume to give either of you advice. I have always believed you to be servants without equal. It is I who should be learning his lessons from you."

"Except you should learn to be nicer," Soma said in a low voice, trying to imitate Agni. Lilliana chuckled a bit while Sebastian gave a slightly confused look.

"You're Highness, I'm sorry. I thought you were asleep after you stayed up all night tending to the Earl."

"I am asleep. You're the one who's talking now. Go on. Move your lips. He's too scary to talk to," Soma said in his regular voice that was clearly tired. Agni sighed, but did as he was told. He moved his lips like a puppet as Soma said in the low voice, "You're not as nice to your master as I am. You should be a kinder khansama. At least Lilliana tries, but she too could learn some lessons."

Lilliana couldn't help, but let out a little laugh that she tried to suppress. Sebastian looked a bit sad as he said, "I'm not kind enough. Is that so?"

"Yes. Ciel is still only a boy. He should get to lie about all day being spoiled by his parents when he falls ill. Except . . . he doesn't have parents." Soma started to crawl down from Agni's back before continuing in his own voice, "Well, I didn't exactly have my parents around either, so I know what it's like. However, I had Mina and an elderly servant to look after me and spoil me." However, he gained the strength to look at Sebastian directly and no longer be hidden by a shield in the form of Agni. "So you should stop being such a cold khansama and coddle Ciel! Be nice! Is that so hard?!" When he finished, he immediately ran away so he wouldn't be able to feel Sebastian's wrath. Still, he wasn't done lecturing the butler as he said from around the corner, "Don't forget what I said!"

"My prince! You are possessed of a beautiful soul," Agni said with praise and tears in his eyes. The two servants could only shake their heads as they watched him follow his master to their rooms.

"Well, that was entertaining," she said as the two of them started heading to their shared room.

"For you, maybe. Should I take their advice and spoil our young master?" Sebastian asked.

"You can try, but I doubt he'll like it. He hasn't been treated like a child for years, so he might not know how to react. Though, I'm curious what a demon like you would do."

"I would assume he would find it unsettling."

"I wouldn't blame him," she said with a smile, but a telephone ring caught their attention.

"I'll go get it. Wait for me in the room," Sebastian said as he quickly walked to the phone. Lilliana sighed a bit, but walked to their room and closed the door. It was almost time for her to leave and meet with Grell for their mission and she did not look forward to it at all. Still, she had to do it, or else she would feel the wrath of William . . . Not the best time to be thinking of him. She took a deep breath before letting her hair down from the bun and taking off her maid dress. She made sure to be quick before Sebastian came back, fearing he would want to fool around now that they had the privacy, and she was nowhere near in the mood to do so. She started putting on her Reaper uniform and checked herself in the mirror as she buttoned up her shirt. She got a quick look at the Branding Mark on chest and was reminded of what Eris said.

"What did she mean by that? 'The people we least suspect' . . . ," Soon, she could hear Sebastian's footsteps on the other side of the door and swiftly finished dressing before he opened the door. He looked a bit disappointed to see her fully dressed, but remembered she had work to do in a couple of hours.

"I should have expected that outfit," he said before closing the door behind him.

"Well it's either this or the dress and you know which one I prefer," she said. She looked up at him and continued, "And before you say it: no, I don't enjoy wearing that costume."

"Fair enough," he said as he walked up to her. "But I did want to talk to you about something that you might find interesting. Now that we know that Eris is a succubus, that helps explain some things about the circus and who is behind it."

"Yeah," she said in a bitter tone.

"I have made some assumptions based on what we've learned. Eris must be contracted with a human, though it is not entirely clear who. Since we know that Doc and Eris met each other through our target, it is plausible that she is contracted to either of them if not both."

"Demons of Lust are tricky beings. They rarely form contracts with humans since their main source of nourishment is through sexual energy released during intercourse. Souls can fill them up more, but some humans will prevent them from feeding on other humans, meaning that it would practically starve them if the contract isn't fulfilled quickly or they don't have sex often."

"Then she must be starving unless she is allowed to feed on others. It is more likely she's contracted with Doc if that's the case, but it's quite possible our target allowed her to feed off of Doc for some reason. I cannot find an end goal for the contract, but I guess we'll uncover it once the mission is over."

"Well, you two can report back to me what you learn while I'm gone," she said as she sat on the bed.

"Indeed. Also, there was another thing I wanted to discuss with you. I believe I have found a reason for your peaked anger lately."

"What, really? What is it?" she asked with open ears.

"Did you eat something that Eris offered you?" he inquired.

"She did offer me some suspicious chocolates and they tasted, in lack of a better term, sinful."

"And you ate them despite your suspicions?"

"Well how was I supposed to know they were laced with something? Drugs don't work on Reapers like they do with humans and I'm a lover of chocolate. Give me a break," she said with crossed arms.

"Good to know," he mumbled under his breath before continuing, "However, there is something that could work on all beings, even demons. Sinful Spices."

"Sinful Spices? What are those?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you out of all people don't know about it."

"I can't possibly know everything regarding demons. I just learned the things that were beneficial for me, like the effects of Reaper blood and advanced combat techniques."

"That would make sense. After all, Sinful Spices are rare even for demons that produce them. Only high level demons can obtain them. There are seven spices altogether, each representing the seven deadly sins. Whenever they are consumed, they make the consumer more susceptible of the respected sin. For example, if you ate the Gluttonous Spice, you would eat and eat without feeling satisfied."

"So what does that mean for me?"

"Judging by your inability to control your anger, I would assume the chocolates you ate had the Wrathful Spice mixed in them."

Lilliana was shocked by what she learned, but took a deep breath and released a heavy sigh. "So all this time, I was under the control by a stupid spice. That makes sense, but is there a way to get rid of it? I don't want to accidentally kill William the next time he makes me angry."

"You might have to," Sebastian said nonchalantly, but caught her attention. "In order to release a spice's control, you would have to exhaust your body of it. For you, you would have to release your anger fully, usually through combat."

"Huh, well if I ever get mad, I could always fight you. You would make a good sparring partner," she said before remembering something. She wasn't the only one who ate chocolate from Eris. She saw her feed one to William. Could it be . . . "What about a Lustful Spice? Knowing Eris, she would have those on hand if she has Wrathful Spice on her."

"That would usually be the case. It would heighten one's lust for someone once it's stimulated and you can imagine what the release is."

"Yeah, probably masturbation and the like."

He chuckled a bit. "You could try masturbation, but it would be a very weak release unless you planned to do it all day."

"Shit, that sucks if you can't get someone to fuck you," she said in her usual tone, but was hiding her complex feelings about William and Eris. This helped explain some things, but not everything. If she wanted the full story, she would have to talk with William, which she dreaded, but knew it had to be done if they were going to go back to their usual relationship.

"Now, we should probably return to the young lord in case he wakes up. There is something we need to tell him. Besides, I believe we should put Prince Soma's advice to the test," Sebastian said with an innocent smile. She smiled too. This was going to be fun.

After a few hours, Ciel finally began waking up from his long sleep, noticing the other two servants were cleaning up around him and had a cart of food ready for him. However, he was not expecting the room to be so dimly lit. The last time he was awake, it was definitely daytime, so how long was he asleep? "It's dark in here," he said in an adorable sleepy tone, but nearly jumped out of bed as he asked, "What time is it?"

"It's just after seven in the evening, my lord. You slept soundly," Sebastian said as he looked at his pocket watch and then put it back.

"That late? Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"We felt it was keeping to our duties as your servants to prioritize your health, so we let you sleep," Lilliana said before wrapping a small blanket around his shoulders. "Besides, you looked adorable when you sleep." Ciel glared at her, but she only smiled.

Sebastian walked to the cart of food as he said, "For tonight's dinner, we have a creamy three-mushroom risotto and a pork and wine pot-au-feu. And for pudding, we have a delicately spiced of warm apple compote with yogurt." Ciel looked at the food; even when they didn't have a full kitchen like the manor, Sebastian never failed at serving high-quality food for him. Surely Lilliana helped get any ingredients they needed, but knowing the Indians, they always had something tantalizing in the kitchen. "Now, if you will, say 'ah'," Sebastian said as he tried to feed Ciel like a young child, who was utterly shocked by this sudden fatherly behavior.

"Wait! Just what the devil are you playing at?!" Ciel yelled.

"Oh, is it too hot? How very thoughtless of us. I'll cool it," Lilliana asked as she started to cool down his food by blowing air, but that only sickened him more.

"Goodness me, look at you looking like a spoilt child," Sebastian commented.

"And you two are being positively revolting. I order you to stop immediately!" Ciel said forcefully.

"We were only doing as Prince Soma advised. He told me that sick children should be lavished with kindness. You don't care for it, my lord?"

"I can do without that kindness. It makes my skin crawl."

"Well, we certainly can't have that. So sorry, it shall not happen again," Sebastian said with a bow.

"So much for that idea," Lilliana said with a playful shrug. They proceeded to have dinner as usual and Sebastian helped Ciel dress while she rolled the cart away to the kitchen and cleaned the dishes.

"By the way, Tanaka called around 4 o'clock and I took a message. He says Lady Elizabeth is visiting the manor."

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ciel asked.

"We didn't want to interrupt your meal," Sebastian said before continuing, "It appears that her intention is to remain there until you return and Tanaka asked if that might occur sooner rather than later,"

"Good grief, what a mess. You've been able to locate Kelvin's estate, correct?" Ciel asked as he put on a jacket.

"Yes. I had time while you were convalescing. The Baron Kelvin's manor is roughly a day's travel from London, my lord."

"You could get us there in under an hour, could you not?"

"If you ordered it."

"We're needed back at home. Let's get this over with."

"Quite, but I must inform you that Lilliana will not be accompanying us."

"Pardon?"

"Unfortunately, since she had been exempt for her work during our time at the circus, she has to make it up with a new mission. She never disclosed any details, but it is something she cannot ignore."

"Why am I not surprised. Those Reapers always seem to have perfect timing, don't they?"

"Right you are, my lord," Lilliana said seemingly out of nowhere as she closed the door to their room, making Ciel jump a bit. She chuckled before her face turned somber. "I'm sorry for being secretive about the mission, but I have to be or else it's my ass on the line. I hope you can understand. However, once I'm done, I'll stop by the manor to check up on Lady Elizabeth and the other servants. Hopefully she hasn't killed them with adorable . . . things." Ciel found this all suspicious, especially when she mentioned going back to the manor afterwards and not heading back to them. Did she expect them to return immediately once they were done with their work or is the mission going to last that long? He couldn't just order her to tell him what the mission was since she has no obligation to tell him the truth, unlike Sebastian. Hell, Ciel didn't even know she was a Grim Reaper until the Jack the Ripper case.

"Then I need you to keep this in mind: remember why I hired you," Ciel said.

"Of course, my lord," she said with a small smile and bow.

"Well, this is pretty boring," Katia said from the rooftop of Baron Kelvin's manor. Her assignment was to analyze the demon situation with the two contracted souls and determine if they can be saved, meaning if she could kill the demons who have a grip on these souls. She never doubted her strength against multiple demons, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a close match. When she has little information about said demons, she cannot coordinate an attack plan against them. Plus, she had to figure out how to arrive on the scene without causing too much trouble. Any retaliation could be bad for her, but it was inevitable at this point.

William was supposed to do undercover work at this circus to find out who the demons were and hopefully provide some useful information to help her. She did receive something, but not as much as she wanted. He said there was one demon: a succubus by the name of Eris Melania, who acted as a lover to a man nicknamed Doc. She did see her appear almost out of nowhere before another human arrived and she took her breath away. She was quite beautiful, which was common for succubus and incubus, but Katia had to remain vigilant. They can take the form of any person their meal desires, which would be bad for her if she confronted Eris directly. She would most likely take the form of Lilliana.

However, her boredom seemed to end as she saw two people arrive at the manor that she recognized very well: Sebastian and Ciel, her former coworker and employer. There was a time when she had to work for them since Lilliana was injured pretty badly and had to recover. She asked her to do this favor since Katia had a lot of free time, which she agreed to, foolishly. Unfortunately, that ended very badly when Ciel learned she was a Grim Reaper and fired her. That little brat got on her nerves even now, but she couldn't imagine how Lilliana put up with him, especially when he knows she's a Grim Reaper as well. Maybe she gained his trust over the years, but who knows. Sadly, this was bad news for her since now she would have to deal with three demons instead of two. Even if they were against each other, a fellow demon would make sure another demon's contract was fulfilled, especially if threatened by a Grim Reaper. She sighed, knowing this mission was going to be complicated and sent a carrier pigeon to HQ to deliver the message, hoping to get William's help if at all possible.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Ciel walked up to the front doors of the Baron's manor. They made sure to keep their guard up in case of something unexpected, especially since Lilliana wasn't around to ensure their safety, but at the same time, she would tell him if he was in danger. That would be against her Association, but she liked breaking rules whenever she could. Once they were close, the doors opened before they could knock. "Welcome to the Kelvin estate. The Baron has been expecting you, Lord Phantomhive," a familiar French voice said. Soon, a strange woman with purple hair appeared in front of them. However, she had purple eyes that looked familiar. "Or should I call you Smile and Black instead?"

"How do you know our names? I don't think we've met," Ciel said.

"Ah, right. You've never seen me in this form," she said before her purple hair turned black, her body type became less curvy, and her face seemed to change completely. "You're probably used to this form, non?"

Ciel was shocked by this transformation, but Sebastian was not. In fact, he felt relieved that Lilliana wasn't with them so her anger wouldn't flare at a time like this. "I haven't had time to inform you, my lord, but the fortune teller we know as Eris Melania is a demon; a succubus to be more exact."

"A demon? What business would you have here?" Ciel asked.

"I guess you'll have to wait and see, my lord," she said as her right eye turned red. "Though, I'm surprised our dear Lily isn't around, but I guess that's to be expected after-,"

"We don't have time to chit chat, Eris. The Baron is waiting for us," Joker said in a somber tone that was nothing like his usual jovial voice. Honestly, he sounded like a completely different person.

"Well then, I guess we'll talk later. If you'll please follow us," Eris said as she changed back to her normal form. Ciel was expecting to get a reaction out of Joker, but he seemed to be unfazed by it, as if this was a regular occurrence. Maybe it was. Sebastian and Ciel proceeded to walk inside and Joker closed the door behind them, leaving them in complete darkness. Soon, they could hear a snap and a small flame sparked, but soon traveled up to light any candles in its path. Once the room was lit, they could see a room surrounded by human-sized dolls, some incomplete, some suspended by strings like a marionette puppet.

"What is this?" Ciel asked in discomfort. However, he was ignored and Joker and Eris continued guiding them to the dining hall.

Huddled close so they couldn't hear, Sebastian asked, "What do you wish to do, my lord? Shall we kill them now and rescue the children from this place?"

"No. If the children are still alive, it's probably best if we take Kelvin into custody instead. We won't be able to fully report to Her Majesty without knowing the whole situation or his motives. Besides, you'll be dealing with a demon that is ordered to protect him. It won't be an easy match," Ciel whispered back.

"Right you are, my lord," Eris said seemingly out of nowhere, startling them. "I already know your motive just by looking into your eyes, meaning if you prevent my master from achieving his goal, I will have to stop you."

Joker started to laugh, not by what Eris said, but by something else. "It's really true what they say. You can't judge a person by their looks. You don't look like a villainous to me. How'd a little tracker like you get to be called the Queen's Guard Dog? Musta worked hard, eh, Smile?"

"That's Earl Phantomhive to you. I don't tolerate servants speaking so familiarly."

"Oh, a feisty little one the Baron has his eye on," Eris said as her right eye turned blue.

"Nobleman through and through. If you'll come with us, my lord, dinner is ready in here," Joker said as they reached the dining hall door and opened it. There, they saw a long table with a plate set for two, one for Ciel and one for the Baron. Opposite of where they were sitting, there was a small stage with its curtain down, most likely for entertainment. Joker pulled back Ciel's chair and he sat down, with Sebastian remaining close by.

Soon, they heard a wheelchair creaking from the other side of the room through a door. It soon opened, followed by two children who held the door open as a disfigured man wrapped in bandages was wheeled into the room by a blonde man who looked very familiar to Ciel and especially Sebastian. His hair was blonde and he had a muscular-build that was hidden underneath his tuxedo. He wore white gloves, much like Sebastian's and his eyes were blood red. However, what stood out to them was a similar face that reminded them of Lilliana. "It's you," he said angrily as he took out his demon sword and aimed it toward Sebastian. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Bastille," Sebastian said. Bastille has always been overprotective of his little sister, Lilliana, but never could get close to her due to both the Reaper Association's tight scrutiny and Sebastian's presence. It doesn't help that Bastille knows of their relationship and has viewed Sebastian as her defiler, ironically. He even placed a Branding Mar k on his poor sister so he could track her, but it can only do so much without causing her pain.

"What are you doing, Bastille?! Don't point that thing towards our dear Lord Phantomhive!" Baron Kelvin said in a panic. "He is truly here at last and I won't have anything ruin that."

"But my lord, this man has—,"

"I don't care what he's done! As long as Lord Phantomhive is here, you're not allowed to harm a single hair on either of their head. Understand?"

Bastille gritted his teeth, but regained his composure. "Yes, my lord."

"I would never imagine that I would see you doing contract work. If your sister were here, I'm sure she would find this rather hysterical." Sebastian commented.

"I'm surprised she isn't with you, but I guess it's for the best. I wouldn't want to get in her way. Has she finally gotten tired of you manipulating her?"

"No, she hasn't grown tired of us. At least we can see her in between her missions, unlike you. Besides, she has her Reaper duties to take care of."

"It feels like a dream having your noble presence so close to me," Baron said passionately, ignoring the demon banter, as Bastille wheeled him to the table. "Though, I must admit, I'm quite embarrassed to meet you looking as I do."

"I assume you're Lord Kelvin, then?" Ciel asked.

"Yes, that's right! Though, you needn't be so formal. I hope you'll join me. I've prepared a feast for you." Kelvin rang a bell and in no time, Joker, Eris, and various children dressed in servant outfits walked into the room with food trays in their hands. However, they acted like soulless robots with dead expressions on their faces. They placed the food on the table in a decorative fashion.

Soon, Eris started pouring some wine into Ciel's glass as she said, "This is a very special 1875 vintage. I'm sure you recognize your birth year, my lord." When she placed it on the table, she said quietly to him, "I believe he's gotten a little too far with all of this. And don't you fear about being poisoned. He wouldn't harm you."

"I've no desire to eat a meal hosted by a filthy rat. The police's information was clearly incomplete. There were more victims than they knew. And the look on their faces—,"

"Oh, I know! A meal without entertainment will be positively boring, won't it? Joker, won't you be a good lad and put on a show for us?" Kelvin said enthusiastically.

"My show?"

"Just do it, understand?" Kelvin threatened.

Joker was hesitant and Eris sensed it, so she stepped up and said with a grey right eye, "I can do it for you." He nodded and she proceeded onto the stage. She changed her appearance so she would look like Joker in female form and said in his usual jovial tone, in fact nearly copied his voice, "Welcome, Lord Phantomhive! I hope you're ready! Tonight's a night like no other. We'll whisk you away to a word of enchantment and great feats of daring." Soon, the curtain lifted to reveal even more children dressed in colorful circus costumes, but kept that same dead expression on their faces. Kelvin started giggling and clapping like a child while the others proceeded with caution. They didn't know what was to be expected, except for Joker and Bastille. "For our first act, we have our tightrope walker and yeh'll notice there's no safety net. It's an authentic battle for life or death, folks." The girl started to walk on the thin rope with no fear, but she had no balance and quickly fell and landed head first to the ground, cracking her head open and killing her. Ciel looked in disgust, Joker couldn't watch, and Baron Kelvin was as giddy as a child, while the demons looked on indifferent.

"Well that's unfortunate," Bastille said. However, he had a sense that someone was watching them and he couldn't shake it off. Through a window, Katia made sure to be hidden. Out of all the demons to be here, it had to be Bastille Kilia, Lilliana's older brother. This man was the reason why she came to England in the first place; her mission was to kill him since he was deemed a "rogue demon", but she soon realized that he was labeled that just because he wanted to see his sister again and keep a close relationship, which was strictly forbidden. It's tragic for anyone with any sense of emotions, but Reapers don't let their emotions distract them from their work or Reaper law.

One of the costumed children dragged the body off the stage as four more pushed a cage to the stage with a boy and a lion inside, separated by a removable wall "Next up, our lion tamer! Watch as he masters the savage beast," Eris exclaimed. Once the wall was removed, the lion wasted no time in ripping the boys to shreds, who had no reaction to his mutilation. Baron Kelvin giggled loudly at this carnage and it was making Ciel sick. "And now, our deadly-accurate knife thrower," Eris said as two children wheeled in a target with a girl tied on it. Another boy walked out with knives in his hands, ready for the cue. "What'll become of this fair maiden in his talented hands?" The boy took a knife in hand and aimed it toward the target, but Ciel had enough.

"Stop him!" he yelled. Luckily for the girl, Sebastian caught the knife in time before it could pierce her skull. Baron was confused how he managed to stop it in time, but was also disappointed that the show was over.

Sebastian removed her mask and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This appears to be a girl who went missing in Cornwall, Ellery Nixon. There's no doubt about it."

"Abducting children and forcing them to perform for you. Despicable. Had to find some way of bringing the circus home, did you?" Ciel said, trying to keep his composure despite witnessing such a sight.

"I'm sorry. This show isn't to you taste, then? Joker, Bastille, clean this mess up at once!" Kelvin said.

"We're finished here. I never realized there was a form of life even more vile than a rat," Ciel said before slowly approaching Kelvin.

"What? I don't understand."

"This will do for my report to the queen, 'I found this vulgar, unsightly, perverted brute, hidden away in his foul nest. And I saw fit to dispose of him'," Ciel said as he pulled a gun on him. Joker tried to defend him and pulled out a knife to Ciel, only for Sebastian to quickly pull a knife on him. However, Bastille aimed his demon sword on Sebastian and although regular weapons can't harm demons, a demon sword can.

"Joker, Bastille, what do you two think you're doing pointing those dangerous objects at the earl?! Lower your weapons at once!"

"But Father, I—," Joker tried to explain.

"Surely you won't disobey me, especially you, Bastille." Both of them gritted their teeth at the idea, but did as told and lowered their weapons. Ciel and Sebastian were confused why he would say this, but used it to their advantage. "My loyal servant, Bastille, would you do me this one favor? Would you find Eris's master? I want everyone to be here to meet the young lord."

"You cannot be serious—," Bastille tried to say.

"But he already has," Eris stepped in, trying to break up the standoff and help the Baron, even if he didn't want it.

"Foolish girl, he did not meet the true Ciel Phantomhive! Bring him to our specially prepared room! Hurry," Kelvin ordered.

Bastille was reluctant, but bowed as he said, "Very well, my lord. Come, Eris." She nodded and bowed before the two of them left the room, leaving both the Baron and Joker in mortal danger. "I can't believe how idiotic that man is. He's willing to sacrifice his life and all we've worked for just to please that brat."

"Well, there's not much you can do. We're under obligation to follow our masters' orders, no matter how ridiculous they are. Besides, he's finally achieved his goal," she said as she changed back to her usual form.

"You're right about that, but you know as well as I do where this will lead."

"Afraid so," she said as her right eye turned red. "But the good news is that we'll be rewarded soon enough for our hard work."

However, her stomach growled and Bastille chuckled a bit. "Hungry?"

"Well what else would it mean?" she asked playfully. "Now I could try to get one last meal out of my master, but knowing him, he's too busy for me, like usual. I'm afraid I'll need something much quicker."

Bastille sighed as he said, "We'll have to make it quick."

"That's never the issue for me," she said as the two of them quickly walked into a guest room.

BANG! The sound rang throughout a room that traumatized Ciel. This bastard had recreated the memory that tormented him for years: a stone altar placed in the middle of a round theater room with cages filled with lobotomized children that had not been deemed useful for service or entertainment. Apparently, the Baron had it recreated to relive the day he had missed years ago. Ever since he met Ciel when he was younger and his father, Vincent Phantomhive, he had an obsession with them. However, he missed the fateful meeting due to his injuries from botched surgeries. Since then, he vowed to make Ciel his and die by his hand. That's when Ciel pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest. "Father," Joker yelled as he pushed Sebastian away and pulled out his knife hidden in his prosthetic arm, but Sebastian slashed his good arm clean off. Joker fell to the ground and yelled in pain.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to please stay out of my young lord's way," Sebastian said coldly.

"It's hurts, my lord! Oh, the agony! Kill me! I'm ready to die. Give me the same death you gave them! Is that asking so much?" Baron begged as he wiggled his body closer to Ciel, but he was introduced to Ciel's boot in his face.

"You want the same death they had? Then you'd better prostate yourself like the worm you are and beg a demon to kill you," Ciel said as he aimed the gun at his head.

"Bastille! Eris! Where are you?! Help Father!" Joker yelled, but they were still missing. "Bastille has to hear us! He was sworn to protect Father no matter what!"

"But it seems that Baron Kelvin wished to die by Ciel's hand. I'd say he is following orders by not getting in the way," Sebastian said with a smirk.

Joker crawled to Ciel as he begged, "Please don't shoot him!" Let him live! I beg you! Whatever else he may be, he's still our savior! Abandoned by our parents and ignored by the State, we lived each day in fear of starvation before he came. And there are young ones back at the workhouse still; our brothers and sisters who rely on his support. They'll die without him!"

"I see now. That's why you kidnapped all the children. You were only too happy to obey this man and sacrifice others' lives to save your own skins," Ciel said.

"You're right. You nobles might not see it, but England is a living Hell for people like us. We had nothing—no money for bread, not even whole bodies to protect our friends. Then Father came. He rescued us from the streets and gave us limbs we needed to make our own way. That's why we agreed to do what he wanted, even if another Hell is waiting for us with open arms. I've never once doubted that what we were doing was wrong, but I—,"

"In my opinion, it wasn't wrong. You fought to protect the only world in which you felt safe. Really, justice is nothing more than a fine line drawn by those in power to serve their own ends. No one gives a damn about anyone else; it falls to each person to look after his own. You see, there are only two people in this world: those who steal and those who are stolen from. Today, I am the person who has come to steal your futures away from you."

Joker looked down, not wanting to hear those words, but after some time, he started to laugh, which alarmed the both of them. "And I can't stop yeh. But you know . . . you'll lose something precious tonight, too. Even as we speak, the troupe is on its way to your manor. Surely you don't think it was pure luck that we managed to abduct all those children without getting caught? No, you see, all the witnesses disappear. If anyone crosses our path on the job for any reason, we eliminate them. Everyone, even the servants. I wonder how many will be killed while they search for you."

Sebastian chuckled and Ciel smirked as he said, "My servants? Killed? Your friends are in for a surprise. They're not just any servants. They're Phantomhive servants."

What does it mean to be a Phantomhive servant? Why are Eris and Bastille contracted? How will Lilliana and Grell handle their mission? Reviews are appreciated!