I own nothing but my OC.


That Butler, Capricious 4


For the purpose of this chapter, Chêne's fake British accent and Ciel's 'girly voice' will be underlined whenever they speak with them.

'thoughts'

"speech"

"Demonic speech"

[speech heard over telephone]

{setting/stage directions?}

*sound effect* I've decided that from now on, sound effects will just be in Small caps because my comp keeps trying to do weird stuff whenever I add asterisks.

An entire sentence like this, without quotes, is narration for dreams or stuff like written letters.

=†=†=†=†= scene shift/time shift


Previously:

"Right this way." Viscount Druitt said, lifting a tapestry on the wall to reveal a hidden door.

"!" Ciel said, surprised. He clenched his fist, determined to get this over with, and followed the viscount into the secret passage.


"Once I have made my way into the closet, Sir... please listen to my assistant's instructions on how to secure it tightly with this chain." Sebastian told Lau as he handed him a long metal chain.

"Then, please employ these swords... to pierce the closet." Chêne said, smiling, as she stepped forward and displayed an array of swords. The audience began talking nervously and excitedly amongst themselves when they realized what a daring act they were about to witness. Lizzie gulped nervously.

"I shall return alive form its skewered recesses. There are no tricks involved." Sebastian said, smiling as he entered the cabinet. "I hope you all enjoy this unique illusion." Chêne closed the doors and helped Lau secure the chain around the cabinet.

"Sir, you may begin whenever ready." Chêne told Lau as she stepped aside to give Lau room.

"Ahem! Right, then here I go." Lau said, looking a little nervous as he took a sword.

'Good.' Chêne thought. 'He knows Sebastian's inside, so he's being cautio—!?'

Lau suddenly flipped into the air and slammed the sword directly through the center of the top of the cabinet, right where Sebastian's head should be. Chêne's jaw dropped as she and the rest of the audience turned blue with shock. One man's glasses even cracked because he was so freaked out.

'He aimed directly at the head first—!?' They all yelled internally.

"Haaaaah!!" Lau yelled as he continued to stab the swords into the cabinet, rapid fire. He was so fast, you could only see a Lau shaped blur as he moved. There was an intense gleam in his eye as Lau focused on turning the cabinet into a deadly pincushion. "Kaaaaah!! Haaaaaaah!!" Lau suddenly stopped when he ran out of swords, wiping his brow as he smiled brightly.

"I suppose that will do." Lau said calmly, smiling as though he hadn't just committed an outrageously violent act. Chêne sweat dropped. That was the understatement of the year. The cabinet was chock full of swords. There was barely any space left on the cabinet that hadn't been pierced with one.

'Maybe I shouldn't have 'borrowed' so many swords from the viscounts collection... even if Sebastian is a demon, being stabbed has got to hurt...!' Chêne thought guiltily. Well, this whole thing had been Sebastian's idea anyway...

"Well... what do you say? Is he still alive?" Chêne asked the audience, smiling wryly as she tugged on the chain, and it fell to the floor with a clang.

Creeeak.

A few of the swords also fell from the cabinet as the doors slowly creaked open. The audience gulped nervously, wondering if they were about to see a miracle or a blood bath...

"Ta-daaa~!" Chêne said, smiling brightly when Sebastian emerged from the cabinet, completely unharmed, and smiling. She was so relieved that he was okay after all of that. The audience cheered enthusiastically.

"Wooooow! Amazing!! It's a miracle!! Bravooo!!" The crowd roared as Sebastian and Lau smiled and waved to the crowd while Chêne did 'jazz hands.' The three of them took a bow as their audience applauded them, and Sebastian picked up the cabinet, hoisting it over his shoulder, like it was nothing, as he and Chêne retreated before the curious audience could approach them.

=†=†=†=†=

"... Are you sure you're all right?" Chêne asked Sebastian as they returned to the ballroom after discarding their masks and the props they had 'borrowed' from the viscount's home.

"Of course. You know I am a demon, Chêne. I will not die from something as trivial as that." Sebastian said, smirking.

"Trivial, you say..." Chêne mumbled, sweat dropping. "But even so... it must still hurt to be stabbed, right?" Chêne asked, frowning slightly in concern. Sebastian's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he glanced at Chêne. She really was a strange and interesting girl... no one would normally be concerned for a demon in such a way.

"Oh? Were you worried about me?" Sebastian asked Chêne, smirking deviously, as he leaned in closer to her and caressed her face. Chêne blushed and pushed his hand away, taking a step back.

"Why do you keep messing with me so much lately!?" Chêne demanded indignantly. Ever since Sebastian had found out her feelings for him, his teasing had been taken to a whole new level, and now included stuff like this. He was also increasingly using more innuendos whenever they were alone, much to her chagrin and embarrassment. There was only so much a girl's heart and nerves could take!

"Because I can!" Sebastian said, smiling brightly at her.

"Ugh... You're lucky that I'm too short to slap you without standing on a stool, or my handprint would be tattooed to the side of your face by now." Chêne said, chagrined. Maybe she should start carrying one around with her for times like this... Sebastian smirked, clearly amused.

"Don't you smirk at me!?" Chêne yelled indignantly, blushing, as a vein mark throbbed on her forehead. The fact that Chêne couldn't help but think how handsome he looked when he smirked like that just added to her frustration from having her weak point (aka Sebastian) being used against her by the person himself.

"My, are you two perhaps having a little lover's spat?" Lau asked as he approached them.

"Don't even joke like that!" Chêne snapped as she glared coldly at Lau. Lau flinched in shock. Chêne was usually such a happy and sweet girl, that it was all the more disturbing whenever she was upset.

"Uwaah... who knew Miss Chêne could be so scary..." Lau said, smiling nervously as he sweat dropped. He much preferred Chêne's usual hotheaded retorts to this frightening ice queen that had suddenly appeared before him.

"That was wonderful, Sebastian! And Chêne, you made such a lovely assistant!" Madam Red praised them as she walked over to join them.

"Madam." Sebastian said, greeting her. Chêne exhaled, deciding she should probably calm down for now. They were still in enemy territory, after all.

"Thank you, Madam Red." Chêne said, smiling politely.

"You're normally so innocent and naïve, but it looks like you can be seductive when you try~!" Madam Red teased Chêne, nudging her in the side.

"I-I was just copying the behavior of the assistant I saw when I took my sister to a magic show." Chêne said, smiling wryly. She was feeling a little embarrassed now. "Besides, Sebastian had the hard part..." she added, sweat dropping.

"Indeed! The closet was like a pincushion. Hahaha!!" Lau said, smiling brightly as he clapped. "I thought maybe I'd really killed you!"

"If you really think that way, then you should do us all a favor and learn the meaning of 'hold back'..." Chêne deadpanned. Was Lau trying to become a murderer?

"It did hurt a bit. I did not think you would begin with my head." Sebastian muttered, absentmindedly touching his head, where he'd been stabbed. "Anyone else would've died." It was too low for the others to hear, but Chêne did since she was right next to him.

'So he really did get stabbed...!?' Chêne thought, paling slightly.

"So? How did you do it?" Lau asked curiously.

"You didn't know, but you went and used all those swords anyway!?" Madam Red yelled, appalled, and turning blue with shock. Was that something a normal person should do!?

"..." Sebastian and Chêne said, staring at the Chinese man. They seconded that emotion. Lau was quite frightening... in his own way.

"... I believe I explained as much earlier? That there were no tricks... involved." Sebastian said, smiling mysteriously as he glanced at Chêne, his eyes glittering in amusement.

'I think most people would consider using demonic powers cheating, though...' Chêne thought, sweat dropping and smiling wryly.

=†=†=†=†=

{Meanwhile...}

"The guests seem to be having fun in the hall." Ciel observed as he followed the viscount through the secret passage. He could hear the crowd cheering. 'What are they doing?' Ciel wondered, sweat dropping. Knowing those two, it was probably something sensationally ridiculous.

"Hmph... you will have much more fun at the splendid place we are going." Viscount Druitt said, grinning at Ciel as he opened another door.

'What's this? This room smells awfully sweet...' Ciel thought as he stepped into the room with the viscount. "A splendid pla—!?" Ciel asked, startled when he was suddenly overcome with extreme dizziness, and he had to struggle to stay standing. 'Damn!!' Ciel cursed mentally. He remembered now. During one of his science lessons with Chêne, she had gone off on a tangent about how certain chemicals had distinct smells, and could be used to paralyze a person or render them unconscious. 'I have to get out of here...' Ciel thought as his vision started to fade. '... Quickl...' Ciel completely blacked out as his body slid to the floor.

"Yes... Oh yes. A very splendid place indeed... my little Robin..." The viscount said ominously as he loomed over Ciel.


Author's Note:

I had funny dream last night where Sebastian, Ciel, and Chene somehow ended up back in her time/world, and met Chene's family... and Lacey !XD I'm thinking it might be entertaining to share, so I might write a chap like that once I'm done with this arc. Let me know what you think! (^-^)