Chapter 11

Only a few days had passed since Ciel's birthday. They had all expected a summons for the young Earl any day concerning the execution of Madame Red. However, that was not what arrived that morning. Instead, it was a letter that had the young earl frowning as he immediately set his butler to taking care of arrangements for them to head to London for another extended stay.

Lucienne had no idea what was going on, but all lessons were canceled for the day. They would be leaving for London that afternoon. It was even more strange that she was the only other servant accompanying the earl and his butler this time. The rest didn't make a big deal of it, but she had to wonder why. Perhaps there was still something she had yet to learn about the household. Not shocking since she was still relatively new.

The ride to London was a quiet affair, and the mood was tense enough that Lucienne was reluctant to speak. Instead, she waited with hope that their goal would be explained once they reached the townhouse. Unfortunately, that was not their first stop. Even though it was getting close to dark, the carriage continued to trundle along until it stopped outside the Tower of London.

Lucienne's skin crawled when the earl ordered both she and Sebastian to follow him. Part of her wished to deny him, to beg to remain behind even, but she did not. One look from the demon next to her reminded her that it would be unwise to disobey. She had not pushed her luck since the first time she met him, as her defeat had been thorough. Instead, she focused on keeping her eyes on the earl's back as they headed into the depths.

The walk down was as silent as the death that permeated the walls. Many times things floated by the edges of her vision, but she somehow managed to keep her eyes from flicking to verify what she had seen. She already knew what they were, and looking would only cause problems. By the time they arrived at the heavy metal door, her nerves were already on edge, and she jumped when the hulking guard said, "So the earl finally came. Well, this way. I'll let you see for yourself."

Sebastian spared a querying look for her, but she ignored it. She could not afford to lose focus until they were out of that place. Not even to glare at the annoying demon. Instead, they followed the earl and the guard a few cells down and stopped outside one that looked to have been recently occupied.

The interior of the cell contrasted starkly with the cold steel bars and grim stone walls. The bed was fluffy, and there were all the amenities one could ask for in such a small space. Yet, that was not what drew their attention. In the middle of the room, a sheet looked to have been ripped and formed into some kind of rope. A noose was made from the fabric and hung listlessly from the lantern hook bolted into the ceiling.

That was not all. Blood and other things much fouler pooled on the floor and made the air reek. The smell of death was cloying and thick in the air. Had Lucienne been what she appeared to be, the situation would have made her faint. Perhaps that was why the guard was giving her such an incredulous look. Not that it mattered.

The earl was quick to get his attention. "When was the last time someone was in here?"

The guard jumped to attention and quit looking at Lucienne as he said, "Last night, Your Grace. The guard reported that he left the lady's meal on the table as usual. As you can see, it was never touched. No one has been in the cell since then, and if it were not for her being missing, I would say no one has been out. I give my word that no one passed through the main door."

Ciel somehow managed to glower down his nose at the giant guard as he said, "Are you suggesting that my aunt was somehow spirited away from her cell the day before her allotted execution?"

The guard was suddenly stumbling over his words. He was so flustered he was unable to make any coherent sound. Finally, Ciel huffed in disgust. "No matter. I have seen with my own eyes. If you cannot competently guard these cells, then I will take up the investigation myself."

He didn't wait for a response before he turned on his heel and headed back up the stairs. Lucienne spared one last look at the empty cell and frowned. Something was not adding up. It was clearly the scene of a suicide and would have easily been ruled as such if there had not been one crucial thing missing—a body. Given what she knew, she had no doubt that something outside the realm of human understanding had happened. The question now became, what? And more importantly, would the earl be given the time to find out before this whole disaster blew up in his face?

It was late when they arrived at the townhouse. The mood between the two humans was still somber and silent. It was only broken when Ciel turned to Lucienne and said, "There were two reasons why I was called back to London so soon. We have seen to one already, but we are to meet with someone about the other in the morning. Please be ready to leave as soon as breakfast is finished."

Lucienne curtsied as she gave her acquiescence. That was all that was needed before she turned to find her own room. Though sleep would be long in coming. Even in her feline form.

The following morning, the trio was interrupted during breakfast with a note from the queen's office that a new development had happened that morning, and they were to head straight there. The young earl still looked pensive, but he acknowledged the summons and sent the messenger on his way. After that, breakfast was a rushed affair before they gathered their coats and left to investigate the other reason the earl had been called.

It was midmorning by the time they made it to an area of the city that catered to those upper-class who had a taste for the things from India. They had already heard that there had been another attack on some of the British men that frequented the place. Each had been stripped and hung upside down with a note. That was the extent of their knowledge so far.

However, when they got to the scene, they walked into a rather heated conversation. Lucienne overheard most of the last part, and it seemed the earl did too. He stepped forward with a smirk as he said, "Sorry for being such a brat."

Both men swiveled to stare at the newcomers with frowns. The younger of the two stepped forward and practically yelled, "What are you doing here! This is a restricted area." His eyes then bulged when he saw Lucienne standing there, and his face turned redder as he continued, "And with a lady no less."

The older of the two put a restraining arm across his chest as he stepped forward with a frown. Though his voice was at least quieter, even if the disgust could still be heard as he said, "Earl Phantomhive. Why are you here?"

Ciel had ignored both men as he grabbed the papers from the younger man. He was still reading them as he taunted, "Why else? To clean up the mess left by a pathetic old hunting dog."

He then ignored the rest of the man's sputtering as he finished reading. Lucienne had been trying to discreetly read over his shoulder, so she had the basic idea of what had happened. Ciel then handed the papers to Sebastian before he said, "It looks as though no one was killed, but they did insult her majesty. If it were just a robbery, I would not get involved, but I cannot stand aside while the crown is treated thusly."

The older man started droning on about the upstarts that have returned from India, but Lucienne ignored him in favor of reading the letter that had been pinned to the men. She agreed with the earl when he asked, "By the way, what is this symbol?"

The old officer looked as though he was about to have a heart attack as he yelled, "This person is making a mockery of us British and the crown! What an idiot."

Ciel smoothly talked over the man before he could continue ranting. "Ah, so that is why you called me in. If this has ties to the east end, you and your men would be lost. You need someone that knows those dark streets to find any information you would miss. Very well."

He then handed the letter back to the younger officer as well before he turned to Sebastian and said, "Have you memorized those papers?"

Sebastian gave him a slight bow as he said, "Yes, Master." Ciel then turned to leave with Lucienne and Sebastian tailing him and two dumbstruck officers staring after them.

Lucienne was thankful that they had taken the carriage to get to the other side of town, even if they still had some way to walk to get to their destination. She was not as bothered by the area they walked through as either male had expected. Though she wasn't sure why neither of them considered that she might have seen worse in her long life. That didn't mean she was pleased when they stopped at the top of a long staircase that descended into the depths of a nondescript building. She already knew what they would be walking into would be worse than the filth and drunkards in the streets.

Even though Ciel had asked her to accompany them for the day, he stopped after only a few steps and turned to her with a furrowed brow. "Perhaps it would be better for you to remain out here while we conduct our business."

Lucienne smirked as she said, "Did you forget that you brought me because I can take care of myself? Out here or in there makes no difference. I am sure there is little that I have not seen at one point or another." She then paused and sniffed with a disgusted look as she said, "Besides, I have already met Mister Lau. I'm well aware of what to expect from him."

Ciel frowned at the reminder but finally nodded. "Fine, let us get this over with."

As soon as they entered the building, Lucienne's eyes started to burn, and the stench of burning opium filled her sensitive nose. She wrinkled it in disgust and tried to discreetly breathe through her mouth so it would not hurt as much. She hoped they could be gone before it became an issue. The farther into the building they walked, the worse it got.

Lucienne heard Lau before she saw him, "Ah, look who it is. The little Earl. Long time no see Earl Phantomhive."

She almost laughed when she saw Ciel's eyebrow twitch. She didn't need to be a mind reader to tell that he likely thought it had not been nearly long enough. Still, Lau didn't miss a beat as he said, "You are here for 'that' incident, aren't you."

Ciel gave him a curt nod. "Yes, if you are aware of what is going, we can dispense with the tedium. Let me get straight to the point. Since East End is under your control, you are aware of the number of people that move in and out, correct?"

Lau reluctantly put his pipe down after receiving a reprimanding look from the forboding butler and stood to lead them back out of the smoke-filled room and toward the street from a different door than how they had entered. "Of course. I have done as you asked. The balance between us is what allows me to continue doing business here in Britain."

By that time, they had made it outside, much to Lucienne's relief. They had not gotten far when Ciel impatiently said, "So?"

Lau turned back with that vacant smile and said, "Before I get into that, could you tell me what 'that' incident was?"

Ciel growled in frustration, and Lucienne didn't blame him. Not that she had expected much more from a man that was actively trying to drown out the rest of the world in a haze of opium. She was only shocked that he still managed to be a good businessman most of the time.

Despite their irritation at him, the group continued to walk through the streets of East End while the earl explained what was going on. Finally, Lau smiled and nodded, "Ah, I see. So you want to punish those mischievous people. Since there were no casualties, I assume you are getting involved because they targeted nobility or soldiers? Making an example for the common people. It must be so tiring for you."

Ciel made a frustrated noise as he said, "Nonsense." He then paused and looked around as he said, "More importantly, weren't you supposed to be leading us to a location where the perpetrators might be hiding? Where is it?"

Lau looked around absently before he turned back to them with that same insipid smile. "Ah, it seems as though I was caught up in the conversation and lost track of where we are."

Ciel made a frustrated noise but was not able to reprimand the man. He had just been bumped into and nearly knocked over by a man wearing immigrant's clothing. The man turned back and instantly started making a fuss, as though the young earl had done something to him. A large crowd of men gathered within seconds. Lau had an interested look on his face as he somehow managed to disappear before anyone in the group noticed him.

Lucienne cursed him in her head but didn't have time to do more. The three of them were already surrounded, and the man that had bumped the earl stepped forward and said, "You have some nerve coming around here dressed like that. Probably some kind of noble."

The grumbling around them grew louder as the man thrust his hand forward and continued, "I demand compensation for the damage you just did. I'll let the lady keep her dress, as it would be uncivilized to take it, but all of you strip everything else off and give it to me."

Sebastian tsked as he said, "It seems as though we have run into some unseemly sorts. Shall I—"

He didn't even get a chance to finish before Ciel spoke over him. "Dispose of them right away."

Sebastian smirked as he said, "As you wish." He then started to pull off his scarf so that it would not get dirtied. As he did that, the man in front of the group yelled. "That's just like you selfish Englishmen. You know we all hate the English here. You brought us here and then dropped us like trash. All the English are selfish!" His stirring speech had several others agreeing with him.

The whole crowd was getting worked into a frenzy as they all started shouting their grievances. "We have been forced to live in the gutters with no food and no clothes! Now you'll know what it feels like to be humiliated!" He continued in that vein for several moments, and every point he made had the other's crying out in agreement.

However, somewhere along the way, another voice had joined in, and the men were so worked up that it took them a moment to realize. Finally, they all turned to see a young man in silks and jewels standing behind them. He ignored their stares as he held up a crudely drawn picture that might have been a woman and said, "Excuse me, have any of you seen an Indian woman that looks like this?"

There was incredulous silence for a second before the group leader pushed to stand in front of the newcomer and said, "Get lost! You're in the way, bastard!"

The young man made a disgusted face as he said, "How rude, calling me such impolite things."

However, before anything else could be said, Ciel interrupted. "Well, are you going to be joining the fight too?"

The young man looked past the group, and his eyes widened when he saw Ciel and Sebastian. "You have a butler! You must be an English noble."

Ciel raised one brow as he said, "So what if I am?"

The young man then stood straight and crossed his arms. "Then I must stand with my countrymen. Agni, defeat them."

The silver-haired man that had been standing behind him stepped forward and said, "As you wish. I will use this fist blessed by the gods for my master's sake."

It was less than a second after he spoke that he jumped forward to attack. Sebastian was quick to jump in front of Ciel and easily blocked the attack. Something the other man was not expecting. The demon then gave Lucienne a look that told her to get out of the way as he grabbed Ciel and jumped. She was quick to follow the unspoken order, which had many of the men watching with slack jaws.

She clicked her tongue at their rudeness but did not get to say anything. The silver-haired man was fast and had already continued his attack. Ciel was still in his butler's grasp, as they had not come close enough to leave him with Lucienne. One of the other men tried to jump in as well, but Sebastian ducked in time for the newcomer to punch his countryman in the face. The silver-haired man apologized but was quick to follow the demon butler back into the fray.

The back and forth persisted for nearly a minute before the man facing them paused with a frown and said, "I have hit your pressure points multiple times. Tell me, how is it that you are still able to use your arm?"

Since there was a pause in the attack, Ciel was quick to call out, "We barely stepped foot onto this street when we were accosted by these men. Do all Indians act like barbarians and attack the English indiscriminately?"

The young man that had instigated the current attack looked at the young earl with wide eyes. "What?" He then turned to the men in the group and asked, "Did you lot really pick a fight with this lad for no reason?"

One of the closest looked confused as he said, "Eh? A reason?"

The young man's visage turned angry as he said, "That's not right! It is childish to pick fights for no reason." He then turned to the silver-haired man and said, "Agni, we will be helping this kid now."

After that, it was only a matter of moments before the lot was piled up in the middle of the street, and the silver-haired man bowed to the youth and said, "It is done, Lord Soma."

Lucienne shared a confused look with Ciel, but he obviously didn't know what to think either. Even Sebastian looked shocked, which was rare. The young man bent to retrieve Ciel's hat as he asked, "You lot aren't hurt, are you?" He then finally noticed Lucienne standing behind Ciel, and his eyes widened. He nearly dropped the hat in his hand as he frowned at the downed men once more and said, "And with a lady present. How uncouth."

However, he shook off his scowl and put the hat back on Ciel's head as he said, "You know, this isn't really a good place for a kid and a woman to be walking around. You should probably get back to wherever you came from." He then gave them all one last smile as he said, "Anyway, I am in the middle of a search, so I have to go."

He then bowed to Lucienne and waved at the two males before he turned and said, "Agni, let's go." The group of three was left to watch him leave with bewildered expressions.

A/N: I know it has been a while, but I hope this makes up for it We are well on our way to get started with the Indian Butler Arc and it should be fun. I can't wait to see how Lucienne handles Soma lol. Anyway, thanks for reading, and cheers!