Hey!

Here is the new chapter guys. Hope it is good enough! Poor Rina, her cold is getting worse :( But I think a lot of unexpected things will happen in this chapter. Let me know if it's too much, then I shall revise.

Thanks for the comments and follows! I appreciate you all!

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Sniffling, I tug the comforters closer to me. Taking a quick glance outside, I find the moon has risen even more. Letting out a soft groan, I grab another tissue and blow my nose. Seriously, why did I have to get sick? Stupid Sebastian and his teasing, my immune system sucks ass. I cough lightly and let out a sigh afterward. My eyes were watery, and my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. It's so late into the night I don't want to even know the time. Where's some NightQuil when you need it?

There is a sudden knock on my door, and I hope to god it isn't Soma. I had to move all my clothing and stuff here temporarily. More like Sebastian had to as I was too busy asleep. I didn't even know he entered the bedroom.

"My lady, pardon the intrusion but may I come in?" Sebastian's voice cuts through my thoughts.

To let the bastard in or not...I don't want to be rude. "Yeah, you can."

The door swings open and he walks in with a tea cart. Not sure if the tea will help me much but keep more awake, depending on which one he made. He stops by my side and begins to pour me a glass of warm milk. A bit baffled by his random appearance and the choice of drink, I remain my spot as I observe his actions curiously.

"Any specific reason as to why you made me warm milk so late at night?"

He gives me a side smirk, "The young master requested I watch over you tonight."

I smile softly at the notion of my brother wanting to take care of me and I watch as he puts two drops of honey in the milk. "I suppose I will have to thank him in the morning then."

I take the cup from him when he offers it and I sit up in the bed, setting my back against the bedframe. I blow on the steam to help cool it down. Sebastian begins to move it again until I catch sit of what he was doing. My eyes widen when I catch a spoonful of medicine he is suddenly holding.

"H-Hold up-" I start to protest and try to scoot further back.

"This medicine should help that weak body of yours." Sebastian states with a slight smirk.

I pale a bit and set the teacup on my nightstand quickly, "No! I refuse to consume that stuff!"

"You must get better."

I shake my head no multiple times and cover my mouth with my hands, "No!"

He sighs and kneels onto my bed with one knee, his arm with the spoon stretched out. "Stop being a child. You are worse than the young master."

I continue to hold my hands in place and shake my head again, "I will not have that type of medicine in my body." I speak through my fingers which makes me sound muffled.

He simply grabs my wrists and forces my hands away from my mouth. "Please stop being a nuisance and open your mouth for me."

"It tastes like poison though! It's bad for me clinically!" I argue while staring at the spoon with a face full of fear.

He sighs and grabs my chin with his other hand, "My lady, it will not kill you and I can assure it is not poison."

"I don't trust medicine from here!" I object again and knock myself out of his hold. I start to cough again, and I wince at the feeling.

"Why would you not trust the substance? It is made to cure you, humans, right?"

I eye it fearfully, "Yes! But not this kind!"

He blinks owlishly, "But every other human uses this medicine when they are sick."

"Not me! I'm different!" I cry out and turn my head from him.

He sighs again but more loudly, "Fine. Be stubborn." he mutters, appearing irritated, and gets back up with the spoon in hand. He dumps the contents back into the container. "The young master will be most displeased."

"Sorry, not sorry. I'm not dying, I can handle the cold you gave me."

He stares impassively at me and takes hold of the tea cart. "Perhaps, you should not play around like a child and take your so-called 'mature self' more into account to prevent such misfortunes."

He starts to pace away with the cart and all I could do is gawk at his back until he is out the door. What the-was he mad at me just now? That was very strange behavior indeed, almost foreign. The guilt eats at my heart a little bit. I didn't mean to be a bitch about it. But the medicine is this era is not exactly the safest. Grabbing the milk, I set down earlier, I take a small sip and hum at the warmth as it soothes my irritated throat. The night sucks, and not being in my own bed is also a struggle. Finishing my milk quickly, I flop back down into my blankets with a tired sigh.

0-0-0-0-0-0

A gentle knocking perturbs me from slumber. I crack my eyes open slowly, not fully registering the sound. I lift my head up and peer at the door, but I lay back down the minute my head feels heavy. Uhh, no, I feel worse than yesterday. My joints hurt too, fuck me. I didn't realize I fell asleep last night either, it took me a long while.

"Com-e in." I shout slightly with a gravelly voice. I could really use some water.

The bedroom is dark, but I left an oil lamp on by my bedside last night and forgot to turn it off. Though the morning light streams through the door as it cracks open.

"Lady Rina?" someone calls out. I scrunch my eyebrows together, not really recognizing the voice. The person opens the door wider and steps through into the bedroom.

I move in my blankets to turn towards the person more. "Who is it?" I ask roughly.

The closer the person comes, the moment do I realize it is Soma's butler, Agni. A bit confused I stare at him warily.

He smiles at me and proceeds to walk over the curtains. He opens them and I hide automatically, not wanting the sunlight. He chuckles lightly and I peer over my blankets to find he only opened them a little bit. I'm used to Sebastian whipping them open without caring about what I want.

"It is me, Lady Rina. I have come to check on you as you said you did not feel well yesterday." Agni greets warmly.

I felt like I was being showered with a kindness I have not felt for a very long time. A small smile makes its way onto my lips, being affected by his kind warmth, "Ah, I appreciate it, Agni."

"How did you sleep?" he asks while coming to stand at my side.

I rub my eyes in response while letting out a small yawn, "Not very well. I still feel bad."

He puts a knuckle to his chin in thought and raises a hand to my forehead, feeling it. He pulls back a small gasp, "My! Your head is very warm! It's a fever."

I sag in my spot with a sigh, "Great, it probably got worse overnight."

"Mister Sebastian is almost finished preparing breakfast. He wanted to know if he needed to make less in case you did not arrive."

I scowl at that, that bastard! Is he still peeved about last night!? Dragging a hand through my messy hair I contemplate what to do. "I'm not sure if I want what he is making, whatever it is."

I cough and sniffle with an ugh at the end, feeling like absolute shit. Agni frowns down at me with actual concern and it really makes me happy. My brother usually hides any feelings such as concern even though I can tell when he is. Sebastian is an emotionless walking stick and the servants are always overdramatic about anything.

"I could grab you some medicine. We need to get that fever down before it gets worse." Agni offers politely.

I shake my head and cough some more, "No, no thank you. I don't really like our medicine here."

Agni stands in silence as if he were thinking of something, "Would you prefer an Indian recipe for a cold? It is a great dish that treats the common cold back home."

I felt my whole body brighten up at the kind gesture, "Really?!" I ask in awe, my voice adding a little squeak which makes me clear my throat. "What's it called?"

"Masala chai as a remedy for the cold and khichdi is a common dish to help sooth you in these times." he explains and claps his hands together.

This sounds exactly like what I needed! I don't really like chai though. I'll have to suck it up though if I want to feel better. A bit excited, I pull the covers off myself with a tiny smile. "I shall try it! It sounds amazing, Agni! Thank you so much."

He smiles with me until he switches gears and begins to push me back down into the bed. "You must rest! You have a fever, this is serious!" he informs sternly.

I pout slightly but I did not want to argue. "I'll be okay. I need to greet my brother anyways."

Agni sighs a little until he nods, allowing me to get up. He helps me up, especially when a coughing fit takes over. He clutches my shoulders to keep me from swaying, yes, I am quite terribly sick. Seriously, fuck this fever. He grabs my robe for me, and I mumble out my thanks. Pulling it on, I slip on my light blue slippers and we head out the door.

Man, is it just me or is it hot in here? "Agni, I really appreciate you coming to check on me."

He leads us down the hallway, and I follow along although he kept a hold on my wrist to make sure I don't trip. "It is nothing, Lady Rina."

"But surely you must be attending to Soma, right?"

He nods, "My prince is bathing at the moment, he does not need help."

"Ah, I see."

A silence overcomes us but it wasn't awkward. Once we arrive at the dining room, he opens the door for me. I find my brother already his seat, reading the daily newspaper. I can only assume Sebastian is still preparing breakfast.

"I shall go assist Mr. Sebastion then, I will be out with your dish when breakfast is served." he tells me with a slight bow until he is out of the room.

I travel to a seat next to my brothers and plop down in it with a slight groan. My damn head is so hot and stuffy.

I hear the paper crinkle a little and I turn to look at Ciel, to only find his eye trained on me already. "You look terrible, you could've at least brushed your hair for our guest." he scoffs.

I scowl at him, not in the mood for his bullshit attitude, "Did Sebastian follow through with my punishment?"

He glares his single eye at me, fueled with annoyance. "No. Your plan failed as I ordered him directly to bring me some."

I smack my hand against the table, not losing this fight with him. He jumps in his seat slightly, not expecting that reaction. "Brother. I am not putting up with your attitude. You will do what I say, do you understand me? You need to learn. When I am all better, I will deliver a very harsh punishment for disobeying me, do you hear?" I growl out, trying not to raise my voice.

He glares back, but it held some hesitance until he huffs and hides behind the newspaper again. Why this little brat! If my mother was here, she would've put him in his bedroom without any breakfast or lunch for such things. I stare at the white tablecloth, in hopes it would ignite with my heated gaze.

Suddenly, the doors open once more and Lau walks in. Oh god, here comes my headache increaser I think and grab my hair in irritation.

"Oh, look, everyone's awake." Lau observes us with that stupid smile of his.

"Aren't I just lucky?" I ask sarcastically while staring at him with a tired look.

He decides to take a seat opposite from me, "You're beautiful as always, Lady Rina."

I scowl at him and run a hand through my tangled hair, "You have broken eyes, maybe you shouldn't keep them closed all the time." I strike back. I really am not in a great mood today.

He chuckles and leans back in his chair, "Feisty as ever, it makes me want to keep you."

"I'm not a pet, touch me and your hands are gone." I threaten darkly with a twitchy eye.

He laughs again, finding this way more amusing than me. "Noted."

I pour myself a glass of water from the pitcher resting on the table. I gulp it down greedily, finding myself thirstier than I thought. Stupid cold.

Soma enters the dining room next with an overly cheery smile and I groan again at his appearance.

"Good morning, everyone!" he cheers loudly.

My brother and I wince at his voice, but I don't have it in me to reply.

"Morning..." Ciel replies while folding the paper down.

"Good morning." Lau greets as we all watch Soma sit at the far end of the table.

The doors open again, and Sebastian enters the room with a trolley full of breakfast items. He begins to set the food on the table, stacking it on pastry tiers and plates. Agni enters after him as well, with another trolley as he helps Sebastian stack the table. Wow, he actually accepted Agni's help...interesting. Sebastian usually denies any help from others unless it's the servants; but then again, it's their jobs.

Sebastian gives everyone a meal beside me as my plate is currently empty. I give him a heated glare, knowing he did this on purpose. He ignores me altogether. I cough into my elbow abruptly and pull away with a sigh. Unexpectedly, a hand touches my shoulder and I follow the hand to be met with Agni by my side. On his other hand, he held the dish he spoke about earlier. He smiles as he sets it down in front of me. I instantly recognize the rice in it.

"I got them done just in time." Agni mentions and grabs the teacup next, setting it down as well.

Smiling like an idiot, I pick up a fork by my side, "I can't really smell it, but I hope I can taste it. It looks amazing." I compliment.

"Oh! Is that khichdi I smell?!" Soma exclaims looking at Agni and me.

"Yes, it is, my prince! Lady Rina is feeling very unwell. I thought a good Indian dish such as khichdi would help her feel better." Agni gushes.

"Good suggestion, Agni! You're the best bulter!" Soma encourages with a bright grin.

I smile at their relationship; it is very warm. I decide to take a bite and my mouth explodes with subtle spices. It is almost as good as Sebastian's food! I hum out my pleasure of encountering such a wonderous food, "This is so good, Agni!" I exclaim.

I take a couple more bites, enjoying this meal very much. It reminds me of homemade chicken noodle soup; this brings back memories of my mother making that soup when I was a child. I feel someone's eyes on me, and I find Sebastian glaring. Confusion muddles my mind until I follow his eyes to Agni's hand on my shoulder. Does he not like Agni or something?

"I am happy you enjoy it." Agni comments with another smile. He takes his leave to go stand next to Soma and I continue to eat the food. I really was feeling better while eating this. I remember the chai tea and take a slow sip. Very bitter, but it is something I can handle. I am beginning to feel a little better, but I know my fever is still present.

Everyone eats after our exchange. It wasn't until a little while that my brother breaks the silence. "How long do you two intend to stay at my house?" Ciel asks with a bothersome look.

"We'll leave once our work is done." Soma informs while stuffing his face with bread.

"And that is...?" Ciel asks with a tick mark.

"Aren't you two looking for someone?" Lau persists.

I briefly recall that they were and remember for drawing Soma had.

"So, what if they are and why do you need to stay here also?" Ciel grumbles in irritation.

I snicker quietly, "Maybe I should make you spend the day with Elizabeth as punishment?" I ponder out loud.

His face pales drastically, "Anything but that!" he cries desperately.

I smirk evilly and simply take another sip of my tea again.

"Oh yeah! We're looking for a lady." Soma explains with a mouth full of food. I cringe at his manners, even I have standards; even though I do that but it's not to that extent. "This lady!" Soma exclaims and pulls out a piece of paper with the ugliest drawing I've ever seen. I choke on my food as I was mid-bite and start to cough because of it.

Soma gives the drawing to Agni, who gives it to my brother. Lau and I got out of our chairs to get a closer look at the monstrosity. Sebastian leans over my brother's chair also trying to get a look. We all stare at it with the same sweat drops, a bit baffled.

"Her name is Mina. She was a maidservant at my palace." Soma continues.

"This is..." Ciel utters.

"I drew that. I drew it so good that once you see her in person, you'll recognize her for sure. Isn't she a beauty?" Soma points out.

"Sebastian, can you find her with this?" Ciel asks seriously.

I lightly snort by his side, trying to cover up my laughs. "Yeah, Sebastian, can you? You have such keen eyes, ya' know?" I mock.

He glares at me a little, "Even for me that's...I'll try my best then."

I take my seat again and sniffle a little as Lau takes the drawing from my brother. "Meh. She bests you in beauty, Lady Rina." Lau comments with a smirk.

A tick mark settles at my brow and I chuck a piece of bread at him which he dodges effortlessly.

"Of course! She is the most beautiful lady in my palace!" Soma exclaims while clapping his hands together, thanking us for the meal. "Lady Rina is quite a gem too though for an English woman." Soma decides to comment afterward with a slight smirk.

If my face got any redder, no one would know from my already flushed face. That compliment caught me off guard, but I am a bit concerned about his definition of beauty.

"Of course, she is." Ciel agrees with a blank expression. "She's my sister after all."

I flush a bit more, not expecting my brother's compliment at all for one! Oh my god, he called me beautiful I squeal in my mind. So cute how he tries to hide any emotion from it! Wait. Why did he compliment me? The bursting joy in me diminishes to complete suspicion and I stare intensely at him. Was he trying to get on my good side again? Hmph, it'll take more than compliments to be forgiven.

Still, I shall bask in the glory of being called beautiful.

Clearing my throat, wanting to get past this bashfulness I ask, "So, why is this woman in England? If she's originally from India."

However, before I know it the sound of prayers in a different language greets my ears. I stare incredulously at Agni and Soma as a random statue of Kali stands in the same room and they pray in hymns on their knees. Okay, what the actual fuck? So random.

"Listen!" Ciel shouts, his voiced strained with aggravation.

We all stand up and travel to the praying pair. I eye the Hindu goddess in awe. It's not every day I see a different God besides the Christian religions in London.

"What the hell is this all of a sudden?!" Ciel shouts in confusion.

Frowning, I release a tiny cough, "I'm more interested in its random appearance."

"It seems they are praying but that's such an awful, surreal figure of God." Lau observes.

"A figure of God..." Sebastian mutters under his breath while holding his chin in deep thought.

I smile at the sight of the religious figure and walk closer to it, "It's been a while since I've seen Kali."

"You know of her, Lady Rina?" Agni asks in surprise.

I nod as I examine the pretty statue, "I've learned about her from one of my foreign classmates."

"Classmates?" Ciel asks in confusion. "You never went to schooling."

I smack a hand over my mouth and with a nervous chuckle, "What? Did I say, classmates? I meant, um, workmates in the manor. You don't remember them because you were a baby and they quit before you could officially meet them." I explain in a word babble.

Ciel gives me a weird look and Sebastian stands stock still by his side, not believing my bullshit lie for a minute. I begin to sweat nervously at his suspicious gaze.

"It is nice to know the English society is becoming aware of the Hindu religion." Agni states with a smile.

I appreciate Agni distracting everyone in the room briefly with his statement.

Sebastian returns his gaze back over to the statue, "It's just a statue of a woman who holds men's heads, wears men's heads as a necklace and happily dances on a man's stomach. That's how I see it..." he describes.

"This is a statue of Kali from the Hindu religion we have faith in as Lady Rina mentioned before."

"So, it's a god from India?" Ciel asks to clarify.

I nod, "Yep! One of the many anyway." I acknowledge with a slight grin. As much as I don't partake in religion it is still interesting to learn about. There are so many different perceptions of it.

"Our Kali Goddess is the wife of our God Shiva and is also the Goddess of power." Agni informs. "A long time ago, a demon recklessly challenged the Goddess to fight him. Of course, the victory went to Kali the Goddess. However, since then her destructive urge has not settled. The Goddess became absorbed in destruction and massacres." he informs all of us with deep emotion settled over his face.

"That's surprising. The damage that the Goddess caused was worse than what the demon did, eh?" Lau asks.

However, he is simply ignored by Agni who delves deeper into the passions of his religion. "Other Gods couldn't stop Kali the Goddess, so they decided to destroy this world at any cost. At that time!" he exclaims. We all sweat drop in response, unsure of how to react to such an event. Even if I already knew this, saying it out loud sounds a little crazy. Yet, Agni continues his preach, "In order to protect this world, the God Shiva who is her husband lay down at her feet."

"Ah! So that's why he is being trampled on. Of course, it's just a matrimonial quarrel." Sebastian realizes while hitting his fist into his hand.

"I bet you'd like that but by a woman in general." I snort slightly.

Sebastian gives me an offhanded look, not sure how to respond to such a dirty comment. "Are you requesting this, my lady?" he asks eventually with a devilish smirk.

I think my fever just got worse because heat encases my face, "D-Don't be stupid!"

Ciel interrupts at us with another sweat drop, "Maybe he should have done it before so many people were killed." he comments.

"After she had trampled on her husband with her dirty legs, Kali the Goddess returned to us and this world returned to its peaceful state. In other words, Kali the Goddess is the great Goddess who defeated the demon after a time of struggle." Agni summarizes and ends with his hands in a prayer stance.

I smile at the story, finding it a lot more interesting than the Bible's works. Human minds are really creative I forget. "She is holding the head of the demon she defeated as proof." Sebastian observes in deep thought.

"So, you say..." Ciel thinks out loud, also noticing this detail.

"If such a strong person exists, I should be careful when I go to India." Sebastian notes down.

I sweatdrop and Agni stares at Sebastian slightly confused as to why he said that. Wait, how many Gods/Goddesses are there really? Are there as many as every religion? Holy shit, just thinking about it makes my headache. Maybe I should ask later when he's in a more complying mood.

"So, I have finished praying now," Soma states while standing up, brushing any dirt from himself off. He walks over to us and grabs my brother, looping his arm around Ciel's neck with a grin as my brother makes a surprised noise. "Let's go out, midget! You'll be my guide!"

I chuckle as my brother begins to struggle in Soma's grip, "Why me?!" Ciel shouts. Soma walks away with Ciel in his arm still, "Besides my name is not a midget, my name is Ciel."

"Then Ciel, I order you to lead the way." Soma commands.

Crossing my arms, I enjoy the interaction between the two. I don't see my brother get so flustered very often unless it's with me. He needs more interaction with others, even if I don't particularly like Soma; he wouldn't be so bad for my brother. Soma may be annoying, but he is a bright figure. Someone who will challenge my brother in social ways.

Before Soma could drag Ciel away, Sebastian stops them with a hand in gesture. "I'm deeply sorry but it has been already scheduled for the young master to study and work today."

I scowl beside him, "Couldn't he spend a little time with Soma?"

Sebastian gives me his signature smile, "My lady, I believe you should be resting instead of interfering with the young master's affairs."

Anger quickly builds inside me, what the hell is his problem?! Seriously! I felt like I was about to explode, so fucking hot in here and the temperature is rising. I flash Sebastian a pretty fake smile, "Maybe you should be doing better at your job instead of standing there criticizing me." I rebuke in a sickly-sweet tone.

His eyebrow twitches for a moment but Ciel breaks us up, "You two, stop!" he then turns to Soma and starts to walk away. "As you can see, I'm busy. If you want to look for that person, then do it yourself."

Sebastian follows my brother obediently until they disappear out the door. I whip my forehead, realizing I was beginning to sweat for no reason. Perhaps I should do as Sebastian says and go rest. I curtsey to Soma and Agni, giving them a brief farewell.

I had an appointment with my bed to get to.

0-0-0-0-0-0

I'm not sure how long I slept but I want to say it is most likely afternoon. I felt better than I did this morning thankfully. Sliding out of my bed, I sniffle constantly because my nose was plugged up. I decided to somewhat dress myself up and take out a fluffy white sweater and some baggy soft pants. I don't care if they yell at me, they can have this sickness if they want it. Slipping on my robe and slippers again, I think some water would help me greatly and make a beeline for the kitchen.

Once I arrive, I grab a glass and fill it. I should probably go back to my bedroom and I continue to walk towards it. However, the sound of voices distracts me briefly in one of the rooms. Coming up to it, I find the door already pushed open a little. Curious, I open it further when my brother yells a compliant. I find Ciel holding a fencing foil, along with Sebastian, Lau, Agni, and Soma in the room as well. I go inside calmly as I want to see if my brother got better at the sport. I could tell he was really irritated with the young Indian prince.

"I can't concentrate!" Ciel yells with multiple tick marks decorating his face.

Wow, I haven't seen him this perturbed in a long while.

Soma is lying on the floor with a bored look, "And just what the hell are you doing?" Soma asks.

That makes my brother explode again, "Arrrrgh! SHUT UP!" he snarls with raised arms.

"Oh, calm down." I call out to him as I walk on over to Soma's side.

Ciel glares at me next, "You! Be quiet, I don't need your lectures!" he shouts while pointing at me.

I raise an eyebrow in response, "Who shoved a stick up your ass today? Geez, this only earns you more points on why to discipline you." I mention with a 'tsk'.

That only infuriates him more and I shake my head at his attitude; most be the puberty I think in humor.

Before Ciel could yell at me again, Soma interrupts with a pouty face, "No need to get mad."

"Okay, I get it..." Ciel bites and swipes the other foil out of Sebastian's grasp. "If you want my attention that much, then be my opponent."

Ciel tosses the foil at Soma who catches it expectantly. My brother's dumb, why make someone who doesn't even know what the sport is, play? He really is a child...

Soma starts flinging the foil around and I have to back away to not get whacked. "I have only studied martial arts like kalarippayattu and silambam though..." Soma informs.

"Meh, have it your way." Agni comments with crossed arms. I find Lau with his own fencing foil playing with it by himself.

"So, if I beat you, you will play with me?" Soma asks with a slight smirk.

"Only if you win." Ciel replies with a domineering look in his eye and preps into a stance. "If you lose then you must stay quiet and keep out of my way."

Soma walks to face my brother provided by some distance; their foils raised at each other. Sebastian backs away to stand in the middle of them to coach their hits.

"Five bouts in three minutes. The one with the highest score wins." Sebastian explains the rules. "So... let's start!" Sebastian exclaims while raising an arm to signify the match has begun.

I bite my lip anxiously, knowing my brother is only playing with Soma. Ciel is a really cocky brat and I forget that sometimes. Man, if Vincent saw his son now, I would like to think he is proud, and Racheal would be furious. Soma dashes forward with a smile and brings the foil behind him once he is close enough to Ciel. My brother keeps a calm and collected stance which is the right action here. When the opponent is charging at you, analyze their movements and form a plan.

"Take this!" Soma cries with a giddy smile, already thinking he won. Soma's an idiot, I mean I knew this already but it's just more obvious now. He's taking on a Phantomhive, it means a lot to even hold that last name.

Soma aims for Ciel's leg, but my brother does not move. When the foil bends against his leg, Soma stares at in confusion. I pinch the bridge of my nose, wanting to cringe watching this. My brother stands with a cocky smirk targeted at Soma, "That is not a valid point in fencing!" Ciel announces.

I know my brother likes to play games, he is conceded, nothing new over the two years I began to learn about him anew. But there's this thing called karma, and it's going to bite him back for being so levelheaded.

Ciel strikes back at Soma with a small sadistic grin with a perfect stance, "Too bad!" he exclaims. Soma barely dodges the hit to his side with the foil with a shout.

He continues to strike Soma relentlessly but somehow the prince dodges most of my brother's moves in a panic. "What the hell are valid points?! You coward! I don't even know the rules!" Soma cries out.

While my brother's stance is flawless and so are his attacks, I am a bit disappointed in him. This situation is very unfair, and I do not approve of his pointless flaunting.

"It's your fault that you don't know the rules. A match is a match." Ciel admonishes, his lips curled upward still.

Soma barely manages to dodge my brother's next advance. Soma tries to fight back eventually, tired of being pushed around. He tries to block an attack but the foil acts oddly by swinging around unnaturally. Foils aren't meant for such abrupt directions because they are meant to pierce not fling. Well, pierce as in balanced to hit someone with the tip.

"Huh! This sword is hard to use when swinging left to right!" Soma shouts his frustration.

I stare at them in exasperation, this fight is a waste of time.

"Thrusting forward won't do you any good, Soma. Don't swing side to side." I call out to him.

Ciel gives me a quick glare for revealing the technique and I glare heavily back. However, when his focus is turned back onto the prince, he finds the prince vulnerable.

"Your torso is wide open!" Ciel exclaims and rushes at him with his foil out.

Soma isn't going to be able to dodge in time and before I know it someone rushes towards them in the corner of my eye. I find Agni standing in front of Soma abruptly with his arms out, face scribbled with panic, "Prince! This is dangerous!"

I saw the move coming before anyone else, more like I predicted Agni would use his special technique to cut off Ciel's nerves in his arm holding the foil. Ciel cries out at the sensation and falls to the floor, clutching his numbed arm, the foil dropping by his side. I don't rush up to him because I know he will be better eventually.

Agni begins to panic again, but for a different reason. "Huh?! Ci-Ciel, sir! My deepest apologies!" Agni exclaims, feeling extremely guilty. Sebastian walks over to Ciel and crouches down next to him as my brother tries to raise his quaking arm. "My body moved on its own when I thought the prince was going to lose! Are you okay?"

I stand in silence, quietly assessing the situation. Ciel deserves this, this is his own fault. I cross my arms, content to know he got what he asked for.

Agni is interrupted by a laughing Soma as he grabs Agni's shoulder, "Agni! You have protected your master like me really well. I praise you! Agni is my butler, he's all mine! In other words, I won!"

I sigh to myself, not believing the situation one bit, really this escalated to ridiculous heights.

Ciel starts to protest, but he is cut off by Soma. "Now you shall play with me!" Soma cheers with a grin.

"Oya! Oya!" Lau randomly comments while holding the foil Ciel dropped. "Here you should take reprisal for your master."

He tosses the foil at Sebastian who takes it easily enough while on the ground still with an impassive glance.

"What are you doing?" Soma asks curiously with a smile.

"Ciel's butler?" Agni questions with a slight sweatdrop.

I hear Sebastian sigh a little bit and that catches Ciel's attention briefly, "Indeed, it's because you were being mean to a novice who didn't know the rules. However, when the master is injured like this..." he starts while he stands up and flicks the foil to his right. Dare I say he looked quite badass and hot as hell doing so. "As a butler of the Phantomhive family, I can't ignore it."

"Sebastian, if you lose, I'll personally see to it you are punished." I state with my own smirk. When my family's title is on the line, I can't be gentle about such a matter.

He smirks slightly at me in response, "Yes, my lady." Though his facial expression switches quickly to one of pure seriousness, "Moreover, we are behind the planned schedule by ten minutes."

I facepalm in reaction, not believing the demon in front of me; his obsession with time is unhealthy.

"That's your real motive, isn't it?" Ciel asks with a tick mark as he rises from the ground.

"Interesting this is good; I shall allow the duel." Soma declares with a side smile and hands Agni the foil he was holding.

Ciel walks over to my side as Agni pulls his arm back, holding the foil at a slant with a dead calm look. His position is odd, I observe. He must have learned it back in India I conclude shortly.

"Agni! In the name of Kali, the Goddess, you can't lose!" Soma orders.

Sebastian gets into his own stance, appearing quite stoic.

"Sebastian. This is an order! Silence that brat!" Ciel commands.

"Jo Ajna. (English: As you command)" Agni vows.

Sebastian smirks, appearing quite amused, "Yes, my lord." He watches Agni adeptly as they were at a still, waiting for one to make the first move. "Now then, please kindly go easy on me."

"Here I go!" Agni shouts while making the first move with a lurch, with the foil pointed at Sebastian.

Sebastian dodges with a loud 'hmph' and bends down slightly, lurching towards Agni's lower torso with his own foil tip.

The foil comes to an inch in front of Sebastian's face and the tip of his foil an inch from Agni's torso; they stay in that stance momentarily until Agni decides to switch gears. He crouches into the ground with his hand flat on the tile, bending lower than where Sebastian's foil was directed at him. He tries again to hit Sebastian with determination reflecting in his eyes.

Sebastian simply twirls around, effectively dodging the attack and has his back to Agni suddenly. He whips out the foil from behind and directly marks it on Agni's bindi.

Holy shit, these guys are super fast! I never saw a human move just as quick as Sebastian. I watch in slight awe at the dance between the two. I peer down at my brother subconsciously to find his eye trained on Sebastian intensely.

"One week." I state crisply with a small cough.

Ciel turns his gaze up to me momentarily, "What?"

I keep my eyes trained on the fighting demon and human, "One week of punishment." I clarify.

"What?!" he shouts with a heated glare.

"You won't take me seriously. So, the more you act up, the more I will extend the period of your suffering."

I turn to look at him then intently, not backing down the slightest with my stern gaze. He adopts a deep scowl and he grabs my dress abruptly, "I'm not going to listen to you."

I stare at him in surprise, what is with this disobedience? Why didn't I notice it sooner? This little brat of a brother...

Before I could talk some sense into him, the sound of a snap interrupts my train of thought. Ciel unclasps his hands from my dress as we both stare at the butlers in shock. Sebastian and Agni were still in their final stance also shocked by the outcome. I catch sight of the foils that were still in their hands, now broken as the pieces fly into the air.

Sebastian catches his piece with a sigh, "Oh my, the sword's broken."

Sebastian...lost? No way, it was a tie! What the world?! I think, feeling quite flabbergasted. My eyes narrow on the man who helped me this morning, what is he? I wonder suspiciously.

"This means that it'll be impossible to compete anymore. So, this match ends as a draw?" Agni states, holding his own broken piece that he caught.

"Ciel's butler is also pretty strong." Soma compliments with a nonchalant smile as Agni wanders over to Soma's side. "Agni is the strongest fighter in my city! This is the first time somebody has drawn with him!"

I gawk at both the butlers, there is no way Sebastian has an equal opponent that is human!

"I'm impressed! Ciel's butler, seeing that you are so skilled, we shall stop for the day." Soma continues.

"It is my honor." Sebastian replies with a bow and a hand on his chest.

"Mr. Sebastian, thank you for exchanging blows with me." Agni smiles with his hands pressed together in thanks.

"I feel the same way. Mr. Agni has a really fast learning pace." Sebastian compliments. I couldn't tell if it was fake or not though. "I can't say that the results will be the same if you are not a novice."

"No, that's not the case!" Agni exclaims, appearing a little embarrassed.

I walk up to the duo with a smile, "Good job, you two. Don't think I've seen a duel so interesting." I compliment.

Agni blushes slightly and scratches his cheek, then proceeds to bow to me. "Lady Rina! I do not deserve such praise from you."

I blink owlishly, not expecting that reaction. Sebastian grabs my elbow subtly and produces a fake smile towards Agni, "If you'll excuse me, I must speak with my master."

Agni understands and wanders over to Soma and Lau who were talking. Sebastian still held a grip on my elbow, and I become irritated a little, "You can let go anytime."

He glares down at me, "Please refrain from interacting with the guests. You are not quite the society standard to a lady."

I gawk at him again, surprised by his snide. I try to push his hand off me, but it doesn't work. Curse his demon strength. "What is your problem?!" I whisper shout to not alert the other's or my brother who stands in deep thought behind Sebastian not far.

"..." he replies stoically with narrowed eyes.

I scoff and I finally heave up a sigh, "Seriously? Come on, Sebastian. If I did something to upset you, please let me know so I can fix it." I plead as I press my hand against my temple.

He doesn't say anything but ignores me and opts to drag me to my brother. He lets go of me immediately the minute I was by Ciel's side. What exactly did I do to make him such grump? For some reason, it did kind of hurt the way he was treating me. Not to mention my brother isn't the nicest person either right now. Why can't I talk to Soma and Agni? I don't understand, is there something bad about them? I wonder as I turn to look at them talking in the distance. If so, Sebastian is only confirming something I thought of earlier. Could Agni have been the one to hang the bodies? His strength is immense.

However, my brother's voice brings me back when he calls out Sebastian's name. "That guy...what exactly is he?" he asks, his voice laced with suspicion. "Don't tell me he is that 'kind' again..."

I immediately think of Grell with a shiver. I don't want to see him ever again.

"No, he is human." Sebastian reveals with a side smile.

"Oh really..." Ciel sighs in what I believe as a relief. I spot Soma running up behind my brother and I smirk when he grabs him from behind.

"Hey, Ciel! We should compete again too!" Soma exclaims with excitement.

"What?!"

"I won't lose this time!"

"How many times do I have to that I am busy?!" Ciel shouts with a tick mark.

I smile at the sight of my brother's torture because I am such a great sister. I look at Sebastian again and my smile turns into a frown, "Has there ever been a human as strong as a demon?" I ask him curiously in a slight whisper.

"He is just an ordinary human. However, he possesses abilities that we do not have." Sebastian relays with a mysterious lilt in his eyes.

"Well, whatever he is, I am impressed to say the least. Even if he becomes our enemy..." I think out loud as theories bounce in my head. The bodies, no normal human could put them up there without struggles or a lot of help.

Sebastian's lips curl into a smirk directed at me, his eyes now twinkling with what I want to say as delight. "My lady, you still surprise me despite how I am feeling at the moment." he acclaims.

"And that would be?"

His smirk broadens, "Can't say."

0-0-0-0-0-0

After lying in bed for a while, I ended up taking another nap. Napping and drinking a bunch of water is helping me greatly. I wish this stuffy nose would disappear as I find it difficult to breathe. My coughs have lessened greatly. Perhaps, I have to thank Agni again for the meal because it seems to have worked like a miracle. My fever is barely there, but I still felt shitty but nothing I can't handle. I stretch with a yawn as I get out of bed again today. It is evening now, and I wasn't too hungry for a big dinner.

I plan to snack on something in the kitchen. Following that train of thought, I head out the door to go there. Letting out a tiny yawn, I walk down the foyer stairs and keep on my track to my destination. I come to a stop at the door where I can slightly smell food coming from. Pushing it open, I find something so surprising I might think I was still dreaming.

Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny were in the kitchen...cooking. Do my eyes deceive?

"I'm dreaming..." I mumble to myself and Finny looks up at me.

"Lady Rina!" he exclaims cheerfully.

I didn't even realize Agni was in the kitchen until he turns to look at me. "Ah! Lady Rina! It is nice to you again."

"What...is going on here?" I ask with a twitching eyebrow.

Nothing is broken, everyone is working without something blowing up.

"We're helping make dinner, yes!" Mey-Rin chimes.

Agni chuckles lightly as he walks over to me, "I asked for some help and the servants said they could help. More hands the better, right?"

"..." I don't say anything due to how shocked I was until I snap out of it. "Agni...you're seriously the most amazing person I've ever encountered!" I gush as I survey the servants helped prep.

He blushes again, he probably doesn't get many compliments. "Lady Rina, I don't deserve-"

I put a finger on his lips with a grin, "Say no more! I am impressed that the servants are useful for something besides breaking or blowing up something! Truly a feat to be proud of." I turn to the servants with a sparkly smile, "Good job, guys! I believe in you!" I give them a thumbs up.

"Mr. Agni, how are things going? Can you cope?" I hear Sebastian behind me enter the scene.

"Yep! There shouldn't be a problem." Agni grins as he returns to his spot to roll some dough.

"Mr. Sebastian! Look! The potatoes that are going to be in the pie are smashed by me." Finnian blurts with uncontained excitement.

I turn to look at the said butler, wanting to see his reaction. His eyes were wide with disbelief and it takes everything in me to not laugh.

"As for me, I was the one who chopped up the onions. I am now preparing the side vegetables." Bard announces.

"I have already prepared the cutlery." Mey-Rin blushes a little.

"Thanks to everybody, we will be having a really delicious meal tonight." Agni states joyfully.

"..." Sebastian replies as he walks over to Agni, looking at everyone like they were aliens.

"Mr. Sebastian?" Agni calls out in confusion due to the dead silence coming from Sebastian.

Sebastian sweat drops in exasperation, "It's nothing, just that it's amazing how you're actually able to let them be of some help!"

"Everyone is a good person who works really hard."

"Yes...they are not bad by nature...but..."

Agni smiles and claps his hands together as in prayer, "Everybody is born with different abilities and purposes in life. With our calling and life being guided by God. Us humans just need to abide by God's will, naturally and slowly. In order to complete what we have to do." he informs wisely.

I stare at Agni in awe, it feels so nice to be next to someone who doesn't suck the life out of you psychologically and emotionally. Nothing but positive emotions, it is awesome.

"I don't know how to put it across, Mr. Agni, you're a really capable person."

"That's not true!" Agni tries to brush off Sebastian's claim.

I laugh a little, it sounds more like a wheeze though. "But you're like a miracle worker! You're so awesome!"

He blinks at me and shakes his head, disagreeing wholeheartedly. "Before I met the prince, I was an idiot that can be said to be hopeless. What I own him can never be repaid in this lifetime. My family was Brahmans, and in the caste system, we belonged to the highest possible caste that is said to be able to serve God. However, things are not what they seem and the me who grew up seeing my father swarmed by material goods and desires had totally no faith in God. I took advantage of my social status and committed sins every day. I kept hurting people and going against God. That was me whose sins and crimes keep piling up. Finally, the day when I had to pay for my crimes came..."

I watch with some pity for him. To think this man is the same one is talking about is hard to think about. "In front of me who has no lingering affection with the world. The me who has zero faith in God...In front of me who has already decided to throw away everything I had. Then God appeared, he allowed me to realize that God does exist inside of me. That day, I definitely saw a God emitting holy light inside the prince's body."

That...is such a raw and inspiring story. To think that a bratty prince is seen in such a light, I will never understand. I gather Agni's hands into my own, "That is such a moving story. I am glad you were saved, Agni." I smile warmly.

"Rina." I hear Sebastian call flatly behind me. I felt a bunch of sparks ignite all over my back and my heart speeds up. He's never called me by my name before, EVER. "Could you please grab me a towel? The pot is boiling."

I walk robotically over to one on the counter and try to hide behind my hair. My body won't calm down, I felt even warmer now that I was next to him. I give it to him, and he snatches it out of my hands rudely. I watch him wipe up the water that spilled over and Agni comes to stand beside him.

"I served the prince ever since that day. The prince is my kind and God." Agni finishes with a smile. "Even if it costs my life, I will do anything to protect the prince who gave me a new lease on life. I hope to help fulfill his wishes in any way I can!"

Sebastian grabs a ladle with a disinterested look, "Eh, but the Gods, in reality, are all useless in a sense..." he mutters under his breath, but I could hear him easily enough.

"Eh? Did you say something?" Agni asks.

"Nope, I didn't say anything!" Sebastian confirms.

Agni walks away to continue his work and I stick next to Sebastian's side, appearing a little annoyed. I cross my arms with a slight frown, "Want to explain why you decided to call me by my name?"

"You would not listen if I called you by your title."

I blush a little and blow a raspberry, "Give a girl a warning when you say her name suddenly."

He gives me a side smirk, "Any particular reason why?"

I raise my nose in the air with a 'hmph', "Nope."

He chuckles lowly, "Liar."

I blush more and hug myself instead to comfort my embarrassment, "Fine, I'll admit my name sounded nice to hear from you. Happy now?" I fume slightly.

I feel his fingers cup my jawline suddenly as a spoon is shoved into my mouth. I let out a gasp in surprise as a warm liquid brushes my taste buds. Soon enough I recognize it as chicken noodle soup, but it tastes much better than the canned version and dare I say my mother's own recipe. I swallow the contents happily and he takes the spoon out of my mouth, wearing the same stupid smirk.

"You shouldn't confess to a demon." he whispers so only I could hear.

He sets a bowl down beside me filled with what he made. "And you shouldn't shove food down other's throats either." I rebuke as I take the spoon from his hands.

"I don't hear you complaining."

"Neither do I. Is this the dinner for the night?" I ask curiously, I doubt he would make something so simple.

"I looked up recipes that do not require medicine and help with sickness. This was the top recommendation in all the books."

I look down at the soup beside me and smile gently. Ah, he looked that up just for me? Wow, talk about a nice gesture. Perhaps, I should be nicer as it seems his mood has improved a little bit towards me. Smiling with that thought, I decide to be a little bold. I wonder how many times he can be surprised within a span of a single day? I stand on my tippy toes and give his cheek a thankful peck with my lips. He freezes at the action and I step back, hoping my face wasn't too red. I grab the soup and set the spoon inside it.

"Thank you." I give him a small genuine smile. All I got was silence and a wide-eyed look back. I backtrack out of the kitchen as my heart beats rapidly. Man, talk about nerve-wracking. Why did I even do that? I carry the bowl to the bedroom with a list of thoughts mainly consuming said butler. I want to stop thinking about him and I decide to shift my focus on ways to punish my brother. Yes, that I can definitely think of for the rest of the night.