Previously:
"Thanks," Chêne said, smiling at him. She took her first bite of the bloody ice and started chewing. As she ate, her expression became blissful. "Ahh, that's just what I needed~" she said as she relaxed, sounding extremely relieved. She smiled brightly at her husband, full of gratitude. "Thank you, Sebastian!"
"Is that all you need?" Sebastian asked, smiling at her with affection. Chêne nodded.
"I'll be fine now," she said. "You should get back to Ciel, in case he needs you." She didn't like the idea of him being alone in a place where something fishy was happening.
"I suppose you're right," Sebastian said. He leaned down and kissed her deeply. The ice began to melt. "Til we meet again," he said, looking at her with glowing eyes as he gently touched her cheek.
"I hope it's soon," Chêne said lovingly.
"I'll come whenever I can," Sebastian promised. He kissed her again then disappeared back to the school.
That Butler, In Disguise
"Oh, my dear Chêne! What has he done to you?" Nina cried when she saw how tight Chêne's uniform was, glomping her before she could dodge.
"I'm only pregnant," Chêne said wryly, sweat-dropping. "And please keep your hands on my upper back!" she added with a vein throbbing on her head, chagrined when Nina took advantage and copped a feel. She wrenched herself out of Nina's grip.
"Yes, but childbirth can be dangerous, you know," Nina said, looking genuinely concerned. "Also, there's a chance your merveilleuse figure might be ruined! It might never recover."
"I guess that's a chance I'll just have to take," Chêne said, sweat-dropping. She really hoped that didn't happen, but there was nothing she could do about it now. "Anyway, what I need is a new version of a maid uniform, dresses, nightgowns, and a robe that I can wear as I get bigger. Also, I'd like to request that they all be something I can wear without a corset, because I think wearing one would be bad for the baby. Ah, speaking of which, I almost forgot that I'll need new undergarments, too."
"Ah, right. Those wonderful 'brassieres' you came up with should offer even more freedom of movement than the liberty bodice, but I'll make you some of those, too, since they're designed with buttons along the bottom that petticoats and a skirt can be attached to, so that the entire torso can support the weight of the petticoats and skirt, not just the waist. I'll include extra fabric in the seams so you can let it out as you grow," Nina said.
"Thank you. I think that should work," Chêne said.
They went to Chêne and Sebastian's room, and Nina took her measurements and made some guesstimates on how much fabric she should use to allow room to grow. Nina took Chêne's request for that seriously and designed long, wide, loose-fitting dresses with plenty of pleats to gather the extra fabric in front and give the dress some form, so it wouldn't just look like she was wearing a tent. Her favorite was made with mint green fabric that had a floral pattern with a collar, bow accents, and trimming on the sleeves in emerald green. Her new maid uniform also had pleats in front with a variation of her usual apron that tied just under her bust and hung loosely around her waist.
"Thank you very much!" she told Nina with a grateful smile as she walked her to her carriage. It had taken quite a while for the tailor to finish making everything. "These should be perfect."
"Of course they will be, " Nina said proudly. "Take care of yourself, Chêne." She gave Chêne a peck on the cheek as they parted. Chêne waved goodbye to her and went back inside to put away her new clothes. She found Lacey in her room, examining the mint green dress.
"Hmm… So this is what Victorian maternity dresses look like…" Lacey mused.
"Well, they're what mine look like," Chêne said as she started putting her new underwear away. "I think most women usually just wear wider versions of the usual fashions with a corset underneath."
"That part about the corset sounds really unhealthy," Lacey said.
"Well, there are laces so it can be let out as the baby grows, but I don't trust it," Chêne said.
"You should wear what makes you comfortable," Lacey said. "It's hard enough being pregnant as it is."
"Yeah," Chêne agreed, sighing tiredly. She wasn't as exhausted as she had been, thanks to Sebastian's blood, but her fatigue hadn't completely disappeared. "How was it today? Did everyone behave themselves?"
"More or less, though there's a stain in one of the carpets that I'm not quite sure how to get out..." Lacey said.
"What kind of stain?" Chêne asked.
"Wax," Lacey said.
"We'll need a damp cotton towel and the iron," Chêne. "The heat will draw the wax out of the carpet and into the towel."
"Then how do we get it out of the towel?" Lacey asked.
"One thing at a time, okay?" Chêne said with a sigh.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{A few days later…}
Sebastian walked past Ciel and McMillan. They were going in opposite directions under a covered walkway.
A housemaster is a master who lives in a public school dormitory and provides the students of the house with guidance. Starting with the housemasters, the four houses of Weston College have a handful of employees—housemaster, who manage the running of the houses; cooks, who prepare the meals; and footmen, who serve at table. However, housemasters are the only teaching staff among them. In the morning, housemasters go to the school building along with the students and teach classes on the subjects of which they are in charge. At night, they return to their houses along with the students, and in their free time, they review the work of those who wish to study. In short… a housemaster is a demanding profession, in which one must devote the better part of one's day to one's students.
"And yet, despite that… when it comes to the young master..." Sebastian said, sighing with his brow slightly furrowed as he held the three new notes that had been left for him to convey Ciel's orders, which said things like 'Organize Clayton's bookshelves!', 'A button's come undone from Clayton's jacket. Sew it back on!', and 'Make golden syrup sponge pudding for Clayton's afternoon snack today! That goes for me, too!' Obeying his orders, Sebastian went to Clayton's room. "He accepts all manner of errands too readily because he thinks he can have me take care of them… Thanks to that, I've had no time to visit Chêne again..." Sebastian said, sighing heavily. Lacey had better be taking excellent care of her in his absence. He opened the door to Clayton's room. It was filthy inside, with books and clothes strewn everywhere. Sebastian furrowed his brow as he sprang into action. He removed his academic robe. "I too!" He organized the bookshelf at the speed of light. "Am!" He sewed the button back on in the blink of an eye. "Busy!!" he said, annoyed, as he quickly whipped up the requested dessert and set it on a table in the room, along with a knife and fork, teacup and saucer, a teapot in a tea cozy, and a little pot of extra syrup with a small serving spoon. Sebastian clapped his hands together to brush them off as he looked at the result of his work. The neat and orderly room was sparkling. "I expect this is good enough…?" he said. "Now, I must be off to the school building to teach the first-formers. Ah, so busy, so busy." He pulled his academic robe back on and hurried back to his work as a teacher.
=†=†=†=†=†=
Ciel and McMillan sat in two desks that were near each other while they talked. The other students in the classroom were chatting as well.
"Phantomhive, you have so many errands to run for Clayton. It must be hard," McMillan said sympathetically. "I use up all my fag time just sewing a single button back on for my senior. Clayton doesn't have a fag of his own yet, so that's why he keeps ordering you to do so much."
"Well, it's no big deal," Ciel said with a smile as Sebastian entered the room. "There's a way to get through errands quickly. A trick, you might call it." Sebastian heard that and paled a bit, sensing an even heavier workload in his future.
"Eeeh!? Let me in on it next time!" McMillan said earnestly. He looked anxious as he spoke, but then he smiled. "You really are something else. You aced the quizzes too, right?"
"I just happened to come prepared for class," Ciel said.
"I hear all the seniors who have yet to select a fag are talking about who'll pick you," McMillan said. "Someone might ask you before long." He moved closer and whispered into Ciel's ear behind his hand. "Personally, I think it'll be Clayton!"
"Heh. Heh… If that's so, it would be an honor," Ciel said, smiling. 'Hmph! It better happen, or else!" he thought, smirking on the inside. 'I will become Clayton's fag, no matter what!!'
"Everyone, I'm starting class now—" Sebastian said, clapping his hands to get their attention.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{Swan Gazebo…}
Nestled among the thick and lush boarder of flowers that lined the grounds along the banks of the river, between a bridge and a pier where two boats were moored, was a tall gazebo with a swan on top. Inside the gazebo were sofas, chairs, a bench, and a table that held desserts and sandwiches to go with tea. All members of the P4 and their fags were present. Edgar Redmond was lounging on one of the sofas, Lawrence Bluewer was sitting in a chair, reading. Gregory Violet was sitting on another sofa, pouring and combining various drinks into a teacup. Herman Greenhill was lifting weights. All of the fags stood near the senior student they were tied to.
"Redmond, would you care for another cup of tea?" asked the fag standing near him, a beautiful boy with shiny blonde hair and soft eyes with lovely long lashes.
"Yes, I would," Edgar said. "Your tea really is the very best… Maurice," he praised his fag.
"Th-Thank you so much!" Maurice said with a gentle smile, blushing a little bit.
"Come to think of it, I hear the new kid's quite the talent," Herman said without pausing in his exercise.
"Ohh… You mean the 'cutie-pie' over at Lawrence's house, right? I'm curious about him as well," Edgar said.
"Don't address me by my first name… Doing so is against the rules," Lawrence said strictly.
"Haha! Ever so formal, Bluewer!" Edgar said carelessly with a smile while Gregory carefully added two more drinks to his odd concoction. "Only we prefects are allowed here in the Swan Gazebo. No one will come and scold us, I promise! Clayton. What do you think of the new chap?"
"..." Clayton held his chin as he considered Ciel. "He is extraordinarily talented. He is efficient and thorough in his work. Above all, the tea and light meals he prepares look and taste as if they were made by a French chef." Maurice held his had near his mouth, surprised to hear such high praise.
"Wasn't he s'posed to be an earl? How can he do all that?" Herman asked, furrowing his brow slightly.
"Well, he said it was a hobby of his..." Clayton said, though he also found it a little strange.
"So that makes him an earl who's like a butler," said Gregory's wild-looking fag, the same boy who had led the mob that chased Ciel away from Purple House. He wasn't sure what to think of that.
"Hmmm… He's a strange one..." Gregory said, adding another two drinks to his teacup. "I wonder if he came to visit my house because he's an eccentric himself..." he mumbled. But Lawrence heard him.
"What?" Lawrence said, furrowing his brow.
"He came to Purple House during 'fag time' earlier. And all alone, too…" Gregory said, using a straw to blow bubbles in his mysterious drink.
"Perhaps you mistook someone else for him? The workload I gave him hardly left time for a leisurely stroll, I assure you," Clayton said.
"He was wearing that eyepatch of his, so I'm sure it was him..." Gregory said. "What was he doing at Violet Wolf House…?" The rest of the P4 had furrowed brows and seemed concerned. Then Edgar put on a confident smile.
"If he is as skilled as you say, I would dearly have loved to take him on over at Red House," Edgar said. "His status befits my house as well… being the head of a distinguished earldom at that age and all."
"Eh!?" Herman's fag said.
"What is it?" Herman asked him.
"Greenhill, may I speak?" his fag asked.
"I can't hear you!! Try it again!!" Herman roared fiercely with a small vein throbbing on his forehead.
"Yes, sir!!! Will you grant me leave to speak, sir!!?" his fag requested loudly, yelling to make sure he was heard.
"Do keep it down..." Lawrence muttered with a vein throbbing on his head, sticking a finger on his free hand in his ear to try to block them out.
"Now that's more like it!!!" Herman shouted. "I give Edward Midford permission to speak!!"
"Thank you very much, sir!!" Edward said, whipping his hand up to his head in a sharp salute. "The name of this new boy you've been talking about… It wouldn't happen to be Ciel Phantomhive by any chance, would it?"
"Oh? Do you know him?" Edgar asked.
"Yes. He's my cousin and Lizzie's—rather… my little sister's fiancé," Edgar replied. "Well, I'll be. I didn't know he'd enrolled at this school..." he said, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow as a bead of sweat slid down his face. What a completely unexpected move.
"Come on… Well-to-do young men from all over England end up here. 'Snothing to be awed by," Gregory's fag said. "You didn't even get a letter from him? Maybe he hates you?"
"Not long ago, we were both sailing aboard the ill-fated Campania..." Edward said.
"Ohhh! The sinking of the luxury passenger liner! I'd love to send for him to come to the Swan Gazebo and tell us all about it!" Edgar said.
"Eh!?" Maurice said.
"You're being indiscreet, Redmond," Herman scolded him. "So many lives were lost in that incident."
"I merely want to hear all about the cute-pie's travels!" Redmond said. "I've grown tired of looking upon the sane dowdy faces day in and day out. And tell me you lot aren't the least bit curious about his illustrious tea and cakes?" Maurice seemed slightly taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled.
"I didn't know of him, but… he sounds like a truly amazing boy!" Maurice said, holding his hands in front of him so the tips of his fingers were touching together. "But if we invite a new boy to a place full of seniors, he might feel too nervous to—"
"You needn't worry. I'm always of a mind to be harsh on him because we're related..." Edward said, clenching his fist. "… But… having seen him succeed the role of earl and family head with such grace at such a young age… I respect him as a man."
"If you speak so highly of him, I've got to agree," Herman said, smiling at him.
"Greenhill..." Edward said, touched by his faith in him.
"What say you, Violet?" Edgar asked.
"Sounds intriguing enough. Invite him, why don't you?" Gregory said, slurping his drink up through his straw.
"Then it's decided! You don't mind, do you, Lawrence?" Edgar asked.
"No, as long as you stop with that," Lawrence said with a sigh, annoyed.
"Well? When shall we invite him?" Edgar asked, smiling.
"Tomorrow should be fine, right?" Lawrence said.
"Then let's make it tomorrow at 2 P.M.!" Edgar said. There was a merry atmosphere in the gazebo. They were all looking forward to it.
"In that case… they say to strike while the iron's hot… so I'll go tell him now!" Maurice said pleasantly with a lovable smile that could make flowers bloom. "Tomorrow, 2 P.M., right!?"
=†=†=†=†=†=
Inside the school building, a boy from Blue House was walking down the hall when someone stopped him.
"Hey, you there. I'd like you to get someone for me, if you don't mind..." Maurice said. The boy blushed and loved nervous when he saw who was talking to him.
—^—^—^—
Ciel and McMillan were in a classroom when the boy from the hall came dashing into the room.
"Ph-Ph-Ph—Phantomhive!" he shouted with pink cheeks. "Cole's sent for you!" A clamor arose in the classroom at those words.
"Eeh!? As in Maurice Cole!?" McMillan asked, shocked, blushing and sweating nervously. This was big! "Hyaaaaah!"
"Hunh? Who's that?" Ciel asked, furrowing his brow, completely clueless.
"Maurice Cole, fag to the prefect of Scarlet Fox House. Don't you know this!?" the boy delivering the message said excitedly. "He's the most beautiful boy in this school!! How'd you get acquainted with him?"
"No, I've never even met him..." Ciel said. "Why are you getting so worked up over a pretty boy?"
"Never mind! Just go quick!!" McMillan said and he and the message deliverer shoved him to make him move.
"O—! Okay…!?" Ciel said, startled. He peeked out the classroom and saw a boy with curly blonde hair standing in the hall. The blonde boy turned around and gave him a smile.
"Are you Phantomhive?" Maurice asked. "How do you do!? I'm Maurice Cole, fag to Prefect Redmond."
"I am Ciel Phantomhive," Ciel said. Maurice was holding his chin and staring a little intensely at the young earl, as if he was sizing him up. "…? Er… May I help you with something?"
"Ohh! That's right!" Maurice said with a sunny smile, clapping his hands. "You see, the prefects and their fags often get together at the Swan Gazebo, which is reserved for us alone. Well, we got to talking about the brilliant new boy..."
"I… see..." Ciel said, wondering where he was going with this.
"… And ended up deciding that we should very much like to meet you and talk to you at least once!" Maurice concluded. "So, Phantomhive! Won't you come to the Swan Gazebo tomorrow?"
"!!" Ciel said with a slightly wide eye, surprised. 'This is… my chance to get close to the P4 in one go!!' He smiled and placed a hand over his heart as he brightly said, "Of course I accept!" Ciel smirked on the inside. He had this in the bag.
"Really? I'm so glaaad! Then… We'll be waiting at the Swan Gazebo at 4 P.M. tomorrow!" Maurice told him with a sparkling smile. " 'Kaaay! See you laaaater!" he said, waving as he disappeared around the corner as Ciel nodded at him.
STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.
Ciel looked over his shoulder just as he was swarmed by his classmates, who all seemed to be incredibly excited.
"You're amazing, Phantomhive!!" McMillan said.
"I'm so jealous! I wanna go, toooo!" another boy said.
Sebastian heard their chatter as he passed them. They were making quite a fuss over Ciel.
"Only the P4 and their entourage are allowed in the Swan Gazebo!!"
"Awesooooome!!"
"You'd better give us all the details later, 'kaaay~!?"
"Let's be friends!"
=†=†=†=†=†=
Sebastian opened the door to his office after a long day at school to find his wife and Lacey waiting inside for him. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. He was a little taken aback to see them there. It was quite a dangerous thing to do. It was a good thing he had locked the room, or just anyone could have stumbled upon them. He was going to give them a scolding for it, but Chêne looked so happy to see him that couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Sebastian!" Chêne said brightly, glomping him. Sebastian smiled a little ruefully as he held her.
"One moment," he said, and he let go of her to lock his door to keep out anyone who might barge in without knocking. "What's this all about? Why are you here?"
"It's been several days since I last saw you. Didn't you want to see me?" Chêne asked with sad kitten eyes, wilting a little bit.
"Of course I did," Sebastian said with a sigh, hugging her again. "I've simply been incredibly busy. Between my duties as a housemaster, teaching, and completing the young master's fag work for him, I really only have spare time when you would already be asleep; and I know you needed your rest," he explained, caressing his wife's cheek. He was surprised to see that she and Lacey were both staring at him with wide eyes.
"Wait, go back… What was that about 'fag work'?" Lacey asked. "Is Ciel whoring you out?"
"I beg your pardon?" Sebastian said, raising an eyebrow.
"Damn," Lacey said, looking at her friend with pity. "I knew weird stuff happened in all-boy schools, but this..."
"H-Hold on, Lacey!" Chêne said nervously. "In England, doesn't 'fag' refer to a cigarette? Otherwise the action of 'lighting up a fag' would be unbelievably cruel..."
"I'm clearly missing something..." Sebastian said.
"Well, in America, 'faggot'—often shortened to fag—is usually used as an offensive term to refer to gay men and boys," Lacey explained. "So when you said Ciel had you doing 'fag work', that was the first thing that came to mind. I assumed he was making you have gay sex or something." An idiot hair popped out on Sebastian's head.
"Please do not make such wild assumptions!" he said, feeling extremely irritated and fed up. Of all the things... "Here the verb 'to fag' means to tire or weary by labor; and in this case, it refers to how younger students are required to do menial chores for their seniors."
"Ohhh," Chêne and Lacey said, relaxing.
"That makes much more sense," Chêne said, relieved, while Lacey nodded.
"I'm glad Ciel isn't pimping you out..." Lacey said. "But what's this business about forcing younger students to work for older students? That seems really annoying. No wonder Ciel pushed it onto you."
"It's tradition. And the older students are supposed to take care of the younger students who act as their fags in return," Sebastian said. "It's said to be like a brotherly relationship."
"Oh, kind of like Big Sister Little Sister," Chêne said.
"What is that?" Sebastian asked.
"It's a sort of mentoring program they had at Cabrini," Lacey said. "An older girl and younger girl are paired up so they can befriend each other and the older girl can show the younger girl the ropes."
"I see," Sebastian said. "Putting all of that aside, I have an important question regarding this visit: What if someone saw you? It's risky for you to be here."
"That won't happen," Lacey said. "We appeared right in this room, and I drew the curtains and made sure the door was locked."
"How did you know to appear in this room?" Sebastian asked.
"I have my ways," Lacey said mysteriously with a shrug. "Anyway, we had to come. Chêne's having a severe mood swing, and she's feeling incredibly lonely and insecure. Since she's mainly missing you, she was super depressed before I offered to bring her here to see you. So do me a favor: hold her and tell her she's pretty."
"You should know that without me having to tell you," Sebastian said to Chêne, holding her closer.
"But… I really want to hear it from you," Chêne said, clinging to him.
"!" Sebastian said as he furrowed his brow with concern, distressed to see that she looked like she was going to cry.
"She's very emotional right now," Lacey said. "Trust me, she needs to hear it. I've said it, Mei-Rin's said it, Finni's said it, and Bard's said it, but it's not enough." It irked Sebastian a little that Bard was saying such things to his wife behind his back, but as he was simply trying to cheer her up, he decided to let it slide.
"Chêne," Sebastian said, making sure she was looking at him. Her mint green eyes shimmered with the threat of tears. 'Really, this girl...' he thought affectionately. It must be a truly terrible mood swing. "You're beautiful, especially when you smile. So please stop worrying and try to cheer up." He gave her a reassuring smile.
"… Okay. I'll try," Chêne said, putting on a small smile for him.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"And that's out cue to go," Lacey said. "Sorry, Chêne, but it's time to leave." Chêne hugged Sebastian tighter.
"Just a few more seconds… I'm almost done recharging!" Chêne said earnestly.
'Recharging…?' Sebastian thought wryly, a little amused. Well, he could understand what she meant. He was also hoping to get enough to hold him over until he could see her again.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Chêne kissed her husband goodbye and hurried over to Lacey, taking her hand. Lacey cut a hole in the fabric of space with her death scythe (which happened to appear in her hand the moment she needed it, making Sebastian wonder where she'd kept it until that instant, though he did notice a small distortion of space around her hand) that connected to the manor and ran into it with Chêne. The hole closed up behind them, and Sebastian went over to his door and unlocked it.
"Yes?" he asked, smiling politely at the student who wanted his attention. There were quite a few of them queued up already.
=†=†=†=†=†=
"This, you should translate as 'at first' instead of 'from the beginning,'" Sebastian told the boy he was currently helping. He was around Ciel's age and wore glasses. "Take care, as it is easy to err in places like this. Can you manage the rest?"
"Yes, sir! Your explanations are always so easy to understand, Mister Michaelis! Thanks ever so much!" the bespectacled boy said sincerely, looking happy as he gathered up his books to leave. "Goodnight, sir!"
"Yes, good night, now," Sebastian said with a kind smile and wave. The boy left and closed the door behind him.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Mister Michaelis! There's a bit here I don't quite understand. Won't you please explain it to me?" a familiar voice said pleasantly through the door.
"… Come in," Sebastian said. The owner of the voice opened the door and stepped inside.
"Hmph!" Ciel said with a cynical expression, leaning against the door as closed it. "Why, now, don't you seem to be awfully popular, Mister Michaelis?" he asked a little wickedly.
"Indeed," Sebastian said, standing up. "They all praise my easily comprehensible explanations and my kindness."
"Ha!" Ciel said, tossing the books he had brought with him as part of his cover onto Sebastian's desk. "You're just copying Chêne. If only I could show them what your actual teaching methods are like. I was invited to a P4 gathering tomorrow at 4 P.M.."
"I have heard," Sebastian said, helping him remove his jacket.
"This is a rare opportunity," Ciel said, plopping himself down in Sebastian's chair as he loosened his tie. "I must get the P4 and their inner circle to take a shine to me. So first, I must have tea cakes."
"Quite right, Sir," Sebastian said, pouring some tea for his master.
"Why in blazes do I have to do something so inane like hand out cakes to children…?" Ciel said with a grimace, deeply annoyed.
"Is it not adorably novel though?" Sebastian asked slyly, looking over his shoulder at him. "You can win them over with real sweets instead of the monetary kind." He served Ciel his tea. "However, I am due to coach cricket tomorrow at 4 P.M…. Which would you have me prioritize? If you order it, I can lay in wait nearby."
"I highly doubt we'll be coming to blows. I'll be fine on my own," Ciel said, sipping his tea. "But, in exchange…" He set his teacup down and looked up at his butler with a smirk. "… I command you, Sebastian. Make me something that knock the socks off the P4!"
"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said, bowing to him.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Mister Michaelis, I've come across a part I was hoping you might explain to me," the boy on the other side of the door said.
"Come in," Sebastian said.
"Pardon me," the older boy said as he opened the door and looked into the room. Sebastian was now sitting in the chair while Ciel stood in front of him.
"Thank you so much for tutoring me!" Ciel said brightly.
"My pleasure," Sebastian said with a kind smile.
"Well, then, Mister Michaelis," Ciel said, looking down at him with a sly expression as they parted.
"Phantomhive," Sebastian said coolly.
"Goodnight," they said to each other. As Ciel left and the new boy came in to sit down, Sebastian remembered he forgot something important.
'Ah… I forgot to inform him of Chêne and Lacey's visit...' He thought. He had meant to ask to be allotted a little time to visit his wife so she wouldn't feel the need to come again.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{The next day…}
"Eh!?" Ciel said, startled when he saw the harsh looks he was given upon the moment of his arrival. He froze there holding up the basket of treats he had brought. There seemed to be a dangerous atmosphere around the older students.
"Two hours late!? Are you having us on, Phantomhive!!?" Clayton yelled angrily with a vein throbbing on his forehead as he pointed a finger at Ciel.
"Eeh!?" Ciel exclaimed, genuinely shocked. '!?' he thought, startled. "I-I was told to come here at 4 P.M…." There was the hint of a smirk on Maurice's lips before he turned around to face him. "Eeeeh? But I told you quite specifically, didn't I?" he said innocently with his brow slightly furrowed, holding a finger to his chin. "That we would be expecting you at 2 P.M.!"
'!!' Ciel thought, gritting his teeth as his expression darkened. A bead of sweat slid down his face. 'Oh, so that's how it is! … Why, you!!?'
"Making excuses at this stage of the game only makes you look like a poor sport, Ciel!" Edward said, stepping forward.
"Edward!" Ciel exclaimed, surprised. His future brother-in-law was giving him quite a fierce glare. 'I knew he was here at the school, but… I never guessed he was fag to a prefect!'
"I was a fool for having even a little faith in you..." Edward said, trembling with his fists clenched. "You…! You've betrayed my expectations, as well as those of my seniors!" he said through gritted teeth with the angry expression of someone who had been betrayed deeply. "Get out!" he shouted at Ciel. Maurice smirked as he watched from the shadows.
=†=†=†=†=†=
"Damn!! I've been had!!" Ciel yelled, throwing down the basket of goodies in Sebastian's office. "This is why I loathe verbal agreements!!" he roared as he sank into Sebastian's chair with a terrifying expression and multiple veins throbbing on his head, clutching at his hair. "Give it to me in writing!! UGAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Heh! Heh! Dear, oh dear, Young Master," Sebastian said, amused. "You let your guard down because you were dealing with a student. Humans envy those who excel… It is not as though you have never experienced such envy aimed at you."
"…..." A vein throbbed on Ciel's head and he glared at the demon butler as he brought over a tray with a cup of tea and a strawberry shortcake for a snack.
"Have you explained yourself and apologized to lord Edward?" Sebastian asked.
"Doing so would be lost on someone of his ilk. And I did in fact break the appointment," Ciel said as he began to eat his strawberry shortcake.
"Then will you leave things as they are and simply cry yourself to sleep tonight?" Sebastian asked.
"I think not!!" Ciel said, stabbing a strawberry with his fork. "Whatever it takes, I will find a way to make the prefects bring me into their circle. And I'll also settle my accounts without fail!" He ate the strawberry. "I'll make you regret squandering my efforts… Maurice Cole!" Ciel said deviously with the tips of the fork's tines still in his mouth, smirking evilly.
