A/N:
Hello from your author,
First off, I hope you guys are doing well during this quarantine. I was hoping to get more writing done for this fanfic during this time but stuff started to come up and mess up my plans. I will be finishing my semester very soon, so expect to see more chapters popping up for the next couple of months!
Second, YAYYY WE'RE AT THE CIRCUS ARC. LOTS OF IDEAS FOR THIS, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY YOU'D LIKE TO SEE LET ME KNOW. I'm always open to new concepts for Rina and the scenarios she is put into. I like reading your guy's theories, that is very fun!
Third, I know you guys notice these subtle hints I drop about something affecting Rina. These are all things that will be explaining somewhat in the future. So please hold on to your thoughts and theories about that!
Fourth, so, I have old chapters written up for when I asked you guys about whether Rina should be captured with the twins or not. I have some incomplete chapters about a continuation of where she does get captured with the twins. I'm not sure if you would be interested in reading those, please let me know in the comments and I will post the side story but it will be incomplete. This is something for you are super bored during these times of quarantine.
I believe that is all the announcements I have, sorry for being away for so long. Please leave a comment on anything you like, I really appreciate it!
Enjoy the chapter!
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Sweet bedroom, I'm back!"
I dash in with a giant grin and flop onto my bed. Soma and Agni moved out once I explained that they were sleeping in my bedroom. They understood and moved in into the guest room I was staying in. Laying spread eagle on the bed, I could briefly smell the two Indians on it. I could hear someone shuffling in through my door and I catch Sebastian moving my stuff back in.
"Do you need help putting these away, my lady?"
I shake my head, "Nope. I'm good, thanks though."
"If you need anything else, let me know." he says with a small bow.
He exits the room, closing the door behind him on the way. Standing up again, I start to unpack everything. I have so many clothes, I would donate them if my brother let me. Smiling at the thought, I hum a song while I put stuff away. It takes me around a solid hour before I was mostly done. Someone knocks on my door when I am organizing my makeup stand.
"Come in." I holler.
"Lady Rina,"
I look over to my right and find Agni standing there with a sheepish grin. I smile back and place the perfume bottle I am holding, down.
"Oh, hey."
He walks further into the room, "I was going to ask if you needed any more help with unpacking. However, it seems you are done."
"Yep! But I appreciate the gesture."
"I also want to apologize for kicking you out of your bedroom."
I frown and put a hand to Agni's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. You already apologized."
He offers another smile to me, "Yes, but I am deeply sorry for it still."
"Stop feeling guilty. It's no big deal."
"Lady Rina, you are too kind."
I shake my head with a tiny smile, "It's been a while since someone's called me kind."
A laugh escapes me at the thought, finding it a bit funny. I don't receive compliments most of the time. Not from family anyway...
"Been a while? I find that hard to believe."
"Eh?"
"Lady Rina, so far you have been very kind. You are a pleasant person to even be around—"
Abruptly, Sebastian enters my bedroom without even knocking. "My lady, the young master wishes to see you."
A bit shocked by his appearance, I glance at Agni with another smile. "Alright. Well then Agni, we shall speak later."
I give him a small curtsey and walk out of the room with Sebastian in tow. He walks in front of me, perfect stature and all. Narrowing my eyes at his black-covered back, I pick up my pace to match his long stride down the hallway. He doesn't even spare me a glance; however, his eyes looked a bit glazed with something. I wonder why he didn't knock and more like barged into my room?
"Do you want to tell me why you entered my room as so?"
"I do not know what you mean, my lady." he replies after a beat.
I grab his wrist quickly before he could notice, and I bring us to a halt. He doesn't show any emotion besides a brief flicker of annoyance in his eyes.
"Bullshit. You know what I'm talking about."
Silence fills the air around us, each of our eyes staring at one another. I don't know how long we are like this, but I speak up.
"Sebastian?"
He takes my grip off his arm and continues to walk off, not a glance back. I stay behind for a moment, lost in my rapid thoughts before I jog up to his side again.
"So, what. You're just going to ignore me?"
"No."
"No? That's all you have to say?"
"I do not know what to say."
"Huh?"
He gives me a side look as if debating something. However, our little moment is broken when we reach my brother's study. Sebastian opens the door for me, and I walk inside, giving his form one more look. He appears frustrated but I can't tell why. Not that he'd let me know. I barely ever see Sebastian like this. He hides it well though, but for some reason, I can tell he is still feeling so.
"Rina."
I smile at my brother, "You needed me?"
He nods and sits up his chair, "Mr. Randall from the Yard is coming here at six."
"Oh? I see. Thanks for letting me know."
"He is most likely coming to talk about the Indian incidents."
I put a finger to my chin in thought, "What are we going to do about Agni and Soma?"
Ciel sighs, "I do not know. But they must be hidden from sight. Who knows what that prince will babble about and spill by accident."
I snort, "You are not wrong. Very well, I shall help keep an eye on them."
"Perfect. That's all I had to say. You can leave, I got work to do."
"Have fun."
I quickly exit the study, not sure what to do now. Passing a window, I find Finnian in the backyard. He is probably gardening. I make my way outside when I reached the bottom foyer. I am about to call out his name until he breaks a tree in half. I jump in my spot. I didn't expect that to happen.
"Ahh! It fell. W-W-What do I do?!" Finnian starts to panic.
I run to his side, "Oh my god, Finni. Are you okay?"
"Miss. Rina!" he cries and latches onto my body, "I-I didn't mean to do it."
He starts to sob, and I pat his head, "Ssh. It's okay, Finni. I know."
"Sebastian's going to be mad again!"
"He's always mad."
"Boy! Miss Rina! What is wrong?" Agni asks through a window.
He disappears suddenly and comes outside with a fast pace. "Finnian broke a tree." I state, pointing at it.
Agni stares behind me, "Oh, I see now. What were you trying to do?"
"Yeah, what were you trying to do?" I ask Finnian in confusion.
Finnian smiles sheepishly and picks up a broom he dropped earlier. "Sebastian asked me to clear the trees of snow, but I couldn't reach. So, I thought about hitting it...and it accidently broke."
I facepalm, "That's how you broke it. Seriously Finnian, you need to learn how to control your strength."
He nods slightly, "Yes, Miss. Rina."
Agni chuckles a little and puts a hand on Finnian's shoulder, "Don't worry, boy. I shall assist you."
"How? You're only a couple inches taller than him." I point out.
"Boy, get on my shoulders." Agni commands while kneeling on the ground abruptly.
"Eh?!"
"Finnian, he won't drop you." I state.
Finnian nods reluctantly and climbs onto to Agni's shoulders. Agni shows no sign of weakness and supports Finnian's weight well. Finnian raises the brush end of the broom to the tree and starts to dust off the snow.
"How's this? If that's the problem, you should speak up more quickly..." Agni advises.
Finnian gives us a giant grin, his cheeks sprinkled red. "Wahh, so tall!" The snow from the trees falls to the ground as he dusts it all off. The green pine needles begin to stick out more. "I don't know my own strength, so I'm always just making mistakes."
"Finnian, I should try to help you." I hum in thought.
He glances at me from Agni's shoulders, "What do you mean?"
I put a knuckle to my bottom lip, "I know you have this problem. I'm not sure which one of us is stronger. But I didn't always have this strength. Through training, I was able to start to control it. Maybe I should train you to be able to control yourself."
He blinks at me until his face brightens, "You'd do that for me?!"
I nod with a small smile, "Of course. I'm always tired of you breaking the plants. They keep getting a horrible fate by your hands."
"Thank you, Miss. Rina," he says. He looks back up at the tree in front of him, "If I can control my strength as you said. I can help everyone too! I feel like I can do it."
I continue to smile, and I find Agni grinning at me too. "Lady Rina, you are a very kind person indeed," he focuses back on Finnian with a questionable look, "By the way, why did you become a gardener?"
I watch Finnian carefully. I know the story behind Finnian. Ciel told me how they found him and why. I always feel a sense of pity when it comes to Finnian. He never knew what a family was, what sunlight even felt like. How can I not pity him? No human should go through the kind of stuff he did. He got tested on and went through a lot in that place. Then again, I think, why does so much fucked up shit happens in this world? Not to mention the people around me in general? By chance, I peer up at the window and find Sebastian staring down at us.
My gaze catches his own and he appears to be unhappy. But then again, when is he ever happy? I frown and try to understand why he appears almost pissy. I couldn't stop the thought that crosses my mind about bad luck surrounding the people around me. Is it because a demon is nearby? Does Sebastian have such a quality? I feel my brows dip in confusion. But that wouldn't make sense because Sebastian and Ciel saved most of the people working in the manor. They were all desperate to live in anyway.
His eyes flicker behind me and he turns, walking away from the window. I watch him until he disappears from my view. Something tugs my sleeve and I find Finnian next to me.
"Miss Rina?"
"What is it?"
He points at the door leading inside the manor, "You should go. It's cold out here."
A bit in a daze, I silently agree and find myself doing as he said.
0-0-0-0-0-0
I went to take a nap and woke up in the afternoon. I let out a yawn as I travel down the hallway. I had a weird dream. It wasn't about Sebastian, but it was way out of the world. I was traveling in a rundown city and apparently there was a zombie apocalypse. For some reason, Ciel was in the dream and I saved him from being bitten. After that, we hid in a large chest as we waited for nightfall. Before I know it, I woke up and the ceiling above me greeted me back to reality.
I rub my head a little, the dream having a lot of detail. It was so weird. I miss the cheesy zombie movies, I think sadly. I come to the stairwell and Mey-Rin wiping at it. Upon closer attention, I see the railing to the staircase smothered in black. She is humming a tune as she wipes away, thinking everything is perfect in the world.
"M-Mey-Rin?!" I cry out in shock as I fumble down the stairs toward her.
She looks up and stops humming, "Lady Rina?"
Someone else's voice from the bottom chimes in, "Miss Mai-"
I catch Agni in my peripherals but ignore him temporarily. I bend down and take the container that Mey-Rin is using to 'clean' the staircase. I examine it and find it's shoe polish. I facepalm with my other hand. "Mey-Rin," I start off and hold the shoe polish out to her, "Please tell me why on Earth you are using shoe polish to clean the railing."
She gasps and stands up, taking the container out of my hand to examine it. Agni climbs up the stairs behind her, seeming curious.
"I did it again," she cries out and sinks down onto the step while holding her face in her hands, "I mistook the shoe polish for the wax."
I pat her shoulder, "Don't worry about it. We'll clean it up."
Agni chuckles a little at the both of us, "Miss Maid it would seem you have bad eyes."
I take a closer look at her glasses, knowing full well they are the wrong prescription. "Her glasses aren't right for her." I point out with a small grin.
Mey-Rin smiles back, "I-I'm extremely far-sighted. As Lady Rina mentioned, these glasses don't really fit anymore."
"Then why don't you ask for a new pair—" Agni starts to suggest but Mey-Rin cuts him off immediately.
"No-NO," she shouts and reaches up to touch her glasses, "These are the precious glasses that the young master bought for me." She grasps her skirt next with a clenched fist, "These maid outfits as well. Before I came here, I'd never worn anything like a skirt. I'm so happy I'm a maid now. Besides, if I wear my glasses, I can see far away really well. So, it's okay!"
I smile and pinch Mey-Rin's cheek, "You're so adorable sometimes. Did I ever tell you that?"
Mey-Rin grins and I let go of her cheek with a laugh. She doesn't comment and opts to cover her sudden blush. I find Agni staring at the both of us with his own smile as well. "It seems everyone here really loves this manor." Agni says.
I look around the place with a drawn-out sigh. Despite the shit that happened here, I can't say I don't love it still. I grew up here for most of my life. I've been here longer compared to the other world by a couple of years. Mey-Rin nods beside me, "Yes!" she replies.
"I think I have more of a hate-love relationship with this place." I murmur.
"Why do you say that, Lady Rina?" Agni asks curiously.
I glance at the black railing as a memory dances into my thoughts:
I was running to the stairwell and Vincent was pacing behind me. My extremely girlish Victorian dress flaps in waves of light pink behind me as I giggle. The hallway paintings zoom past me as I run full force. We were playing tag and he was 'it'. Well, my version of this whole exercise is called tag. In his eyes, it's more like I stole his cane and he's trying to get it back.
"Catch me if you can!" I pant in a shrill voice.
He scowls behind me, "A lady is not supposed to run." he scolds.
I giggle louder as I dodge him when he tries to tap me with his palm. "You're so skinny! How can you not catch me?" I ask.
He glares at me lightly, "You better watch what you say."
I turn the corner and the stairway is in my sight. I sprint towards it and glance down. There are a lot of stairs. Bigger than they look. I start to panic as he turns the corner, breathing hard. His hair is messed up and winded. I try not to laugh again. I never get to see him with such a disorganized appearance. He's usually clean and put together. He stops for a minute, leaning over with his hands on his thighs. He tries to catch his breath and peers up at me through his bangs. He points a shaky finger at me.
"You better get back here. I really need to go."
I shake my head and stick my tongue at him, "Nope! Not till yea' catch me."
He stands straight again and runs toward me abruptly, "Come here little brat."
I shriek and pace in my spot. I didn't want to fall down the stairs while running. I am clumsy sometimes in these heels Rachel makes me wear. I glance at the railing as an idea sparks my thoughts. I smirk and dash to the railing. I hop up onto it with some struggle since the cane is in my hand. I keep myself steady and hold myself still. Vincent catches onto what I was about to do. His eyes go wide, and I let out a small laugh. I take my hands off the railing and I start to glide down. Panic crosses over his face as he starts to follow me down in a quick manner.
I try to keep myself steady as I go down. This is harder to do than the movies made it seem. I almost fall backward, and I let out a small scream. I grab onto the railing unconsciously, letting go of the cane in the process. The railing makes a squeaking noise as my sweaty hands rub against it. They began to throb, and I try not to cry due to the burning sensation. I close my eyes as I suddenly lose my balance altogether. I wasn't very far down from the railing as I wasn't going super fast.
"Rina!"
I feel the gravity start to take me by the back and pull me down again. I squeeze my eyes tighter together as I let out a small shout. I'm going to die; I think with fear. Something grabs the front of my dress abruptly and pulls me forward. I gasp loudly as the air leaves my lungs at the movement. My face lands on something solid and moving. Something warm embraces the back of my head and I hear pants coming from above. I could still feel myself on the railing, but I am halted there.
"Stupid girl! Why did you do that?" Vincent scolds.
I try to breathe, but the air gets stuck in my throat. I start to wheeze and cough. The last cough releases my airway and I start to heave in gulps of air. It is hard though because my face is smushed up against Vincent's chest. His hand starts to drag his fingers through my ratty hair, and I start to cry like a baby. I almost got hurt and made Vincent mad, bad combo. I raise my hands to his jacket and clench my hands into the fabric with a sob.
"I-I'm sorry, Vincent." my muffled voice echoes.
He is still breathing hard as he hugs me tighter to him, more like my head. "Don't do that again. That's extremely dangerous. What if you hit your head from that fall? You could have died!" he rants heatedly.
I shake my head against his chest. I try to peer up at him with a blurry gaze. I find his eyes are closed; his face is taut with stress. I feel more tears build up in the corner of my eyes as I let out a sniff. "I'm sorry," I repeat.
His body is tense, and I know I scared him probably. I reach up and pat the side of his cheek gently. His eyes flicker open. They are filled with anger and concern. I internally wince at the look and decide to give him a weak smile. "I won't do it again." I promise.
"Liar." he mumbles as he lifts me up. He sets me down onto one step. He holds me steady as if he is afraid, I will fall again. "Just try not to do it again. I don't need another heart attack like that."
I nod sheepishly, "I won't try to..."
Agni waves a hand in front of my face all of a sudden. I blink rapidly at the random motion. "Lady Rina?"
I shake my head and clear my throat, "Sorry, I was stuck in dreamland," I recount and start to walk down the stairs. "I better go, I'm feeling a little peckish." I tell them as my hand slides down the railing in a familiar manner.
0-0-0-0-0
Before I know it, it's dinner time. I dust the imaginary dirt and dust off my skirt. My brother said Randall is coming over for dinner this evening. I don't want to participate in greeting him. Randall does not like me much. Apparently, I act too unladylike in his eyes. 'Unladylike' my ass, he can go shove his foot down his own throat for all I care. I huff to myself and exit my bedroom.
Coming to the stairs eventually, I find Soma coming from the opposite side of the hallway. He appears a bit distracted. I walk closer to him, "Soma." I call out.
He looks up at me then and smiles after a second, "Rina!". He paces up to me, "What are you doing?" he asks.
I point down to the floor below us, "Going to dinner. Aren't you?" I ask.
"Sebastian said I should eat my room today. I wonder why?" he mentions in confusion.
I facepalm and rub my forehead to reduce the sting. I totally forgot I said I would help keep Soma and Agni out of the way. Oops. I laugh lightly as I move my hand away from my face, "Oh yea, I forgot! We are not dining tonight. Silly me!"
Soma laughs too, "It's okay! We can eat together."
I chuckle nervously and get ready to respond. However, voices enter the area from below us. I peer over the edge of the railing to find Randall, a man beside him, Ciel, and Sebastian. Soma becomes curious and comes to stand beside me. His eyes light up recognition when he finds Ciel. "Heyyyyy, Cielllll!~," Soma calls out with a wave and a smile. "I'm bored with that box! Let's play a card gam-"
Sebastian freezes on the ground, ready to make a move. Instead, I move quickly for him and grab Soma from the back. I smack my hand against his mouth as he struggles in my grasp. He tries flinging around and I put more strength into detaining him. I drag him behind a foundation pillar and keep us there. "Soma!" I whisper-shout in his ear, "Please listen to me, you need to keep quiet and go to your bedroom. Do you hear me?" I hiss.
He nods quickly against my neck and I slowly let go of him. He slides down the pillar and sits on the ground with a scared expression. I bend down with a scary smile and pat his head, "What a good boy. If you do as I say, I will give you a reward."
That catches his attention and he nods again. He stands back up and runs back to the direction he came from. I let out a sigh and put a hand on my hip. Seriously, all the two Indians do is cause more trouble than a fortune for us. I glance down to find everything else seems good. Sebastian opens the door for everyone to enter the dining room. He looks up at me with a thankful nod. I do the same back and start to walk towards the staircase.
The sound of another door opening catches my attention. My eyes follow the sound and I find Agni panting where the door opened. I feel my eyes widen in panic and Sebastian's expression almost matches mine. The noise captures everyone's attention by that point. But before everyone could turn to look, Sebastian disappears from the door and the room becomes dark abruptly. I freeze mid-step on the stair. My eyes try to adjust to the darkness around. Instead of adjusting, they begin to burn awfully bad. I slam the palms of my hands into my eyes with a low hiss of pain. Holy hell, it burns all the way to the back of my skull.
I ignore the questions being exclaimed by everyone in the room. My eyes were starting to water and tears seep out from them. It hurts so fucking bad. I hunch over from the pain exploding where my eyes are. I feel a light touch my eyelids, but it is subtle. The voices in the background lesson their panic.
"My apologies. It seems the lights have gone out." Sebastian's voice echoes throughout the room.
I am afraid to even open my eyes right now. The pain is lessening if only slightly. My body is shaking a little and I try to hug myself.
"The wind or something, Sebastian?" Ciel asks.
"Yes. Not the wind, but 'or something.'"
I realize he is talking about Agni and quickly dismiss it.
"Rina?" I hear Ciel call out to me.
I don't open my eyes an inch for him. "Yes?"
"What is wrong?"
"I'm not feeling the best suddenly."
"Sebastian." Ciel says.
"Yes?"
"Take the guests inside, I will be in momentarily."
"Yes, young master."
I hear them scoff around and walk inside the dining room. Ciel approaches me after they enter, his heels clicking against the tile.
"Rina, why are you crying?" he asks, voice stern.
I reach up to my cheeks and wipe at them, "I don't know why...but my eyes burned as the sun set them on fire when the lights went out."
"What?"
He starts to walk up the stairs. Once he reaches me, he grabs my dress and lowers me down. His fingertips brush my cheeks until they come across my eyelids.
"Open them," he orders.
I flinch and shake my head, "I don't want to."
He sighs, "Stop being stubborn, I'm sure they are fine."
I bite my lip and debate in my head. He is technically right. Maybe my eyes are getting old and are super sensitive? But that doesn't make much sense. It would make sense if that happened because the light is too bright. I sigh loudly and decide to do as he says. I carefully open one eye and flinch at the dim lighting from a candle. It didn't hurt much but it made my head pound oddly. He brings my face closer to his and examines my eye.
"Does it hurt still?" he asks.
"A little. How does it look?"
He hums under his breath, "It appears irritated. It's red."
I open my other eye and blink a couple of times. The light in the room not becoming as bothersome as before. "I'm starting to feel better."
"That's good. Come on, you seem fine so let's eat."
He takes me by the hand and drags me into the dining room with him. I sit down beside my brother, who sits across the long table from Randall. The other man sits beside Randall. Who is that? I don't recognize him at all. I didn't bother introducing myself to the men as I don't care. One already knows about me. Sebastian sets out the dishes and drinks in a timely manner.
"As everyone has settled down, shall we move on to the main topic?" Ciel offers.
"That's right. I never want to visit this sort of eerie doghouse." Randall mentions and takes a letter out from his jacket.
Sebastian leaves our side and travels down to Randall. He takes the letter from Randall with a bow when he shows it him. Sebastian carries it back down to us and offers it to my brother. Ciel takes it with an inaudible sigh and proceeds to open it, "Well, that degree of case is this kind of thing?"
I pick up my fork and stab the fancy salad dish Sebastian prepared. I already know what is inside the letter. It's our check for helping the queen. I eat some of the salad slowly as the man down from the table gasps loudly when he sees the banknote. Randall must have no told the man what we do for a living. How entertaining.
"That's-" the man exclaims.
"The lord successor doesn't know yet?" Ciel asks Randall, cutting the man off. "The commissioner has been used by the queen for ages." he explains with a sly smirk. Randall glares at my brother from afar and I eat a small tomato in boredom. This game gets boring after a while. "He purposely brings the bait to the doghouse. In general, the Phantomhive's are a secret committee that carries out special orders. Because of that, the funds for their activities and their rewards cannot be included in the national budget. The matter of the fact is, we cannot raise such a large sum of money. It's you, the police." Ciel explains as his expression becomes cynically twisted.
Randall's face is red with fury I assume as I lean back in my chair. I examine the fork Sebastian polished god knows how many times to make it shine like so when the chandelier hits it. I decide to offer my own piece on the matter. "On paper," I start off and point at the banknote with my fork, "it could be 'reward money'. It's the same as a police dog. In the end, it's genuinely bribe money."
The man stands up from the chair, his face overcome with shock. "That can't be! Isn't that as though it's bribe money-" he shouts but Ciel talks over him with a hard voice.
"It isn't 'as though'." he restates. The man sits back down and Ciel continues, "It's a long-standing tradition...now, to commemorate the today's settlement of the case, I've prepared some champagne." Ciel gestures to the bottle of alcohol that Sebastian holds with a smirk still sitting on his lips. "Won't you celebrate with me?" he asks.
The man stands from his chair again, ready to protest. "But the culprit hasn't been arrested—"
"That's enough, Abberline. If her majesty and the Phantomhive's say it's over, then," Randall says until he pauses with a slight glare in my brother's direction. "The culprit no longer exists."
Oh, so his name is Abberline? I file that information for later. I hear heavy footfalls suddenly and someone panting outside the door. My eyes flicker over to the noises and the doors slam open. Agni stands there, panting hard as broken rope hangs off him. I feel my heart gear up with panic and look at every one. All of our eyes were wide at the scene of him.
"The truth about that case is, I—" Agni yells but is cut off by a popping sound and something flying across the room. For some reason, I can tell what it is and glance at Sebastian in the corner of my eye. The cork to the champagne bottle hits Agni right in the center of his forehead. I wince because I know that has to hurt. Agni falls backward onto the floor and I watch with a sweatdrop. The cork bounces off Agni's head like a trampoline and lands back in Sebastian's hand.
I must admit that it is pretty badass and horribly hilarious. Sebastian stands with a slight smirk, "My...I apologize. Are you alright?" Sebastian asks Agni. He doesn't reply and quakes on the ground. A moment of silence takes over the room until Soma appears in the doorway next. I sigh and palm my forehead, rubbing it as my small headache from earlier grows.
"Aah, I'm hungry," Soma grumbles. "Before they find me, I should..." he trails off when he spots all of us here. While everyone simply stares at him, I send him a heated glare. He notices and shrinks back a little. What a dumbass! Did he forget my warning or what?! He walks over to Agni's side, who still sits on the ground. "Who are these people?" Soma ponders out loud.
"They're...Indian's?" Randall observes, dumbfounded.
"Lord Randall, I apologize for the fuss," Sebastian states with a smile.
"These two are...this is the prince of Bengal, Soma, and his servant, Agni," Ciel informs Randal and Abberline. "They're my good friends who are staying here while they study English culture."
I hold back a snort at the word 'friends' knowing full well he does not mean it. My poor brother and his terrible social skills. I glance at Soma to see his reaction and find a blush blooming on his cheeks. He dashes past me and glomps my brother with a giddy smile. I watch with my own smirk, admiring the scene before me.
"Ciel! You finally admitted it!" Soma squeals like a little girl. "You really do think of me as a friend!"
"Who's a fri—" Ciel starts to say but is cut off as Soma tightens his hug. My brother struggles in Soma's grasp. I raise a hand to cover my mouth and laugh into it. "Stop it! It hurts!" he cries out in pain.
I laugh a little more until I decide enough is enough. I grab the back of Soma's shirt and pull him away. "Off my brother, please," I tell him. He listens surprisingly as fear flickers in his eyes for a second. I smirk a little, happy to know my threats are still effective. Sebastian comes by and fills our glasses with champagne. Before he could fill my brother's though, I snatch it out of his hands. Sebastian gives me a confused look, but I ignore it.
I grab the empty glass in front of Ciel and fill it with a tiny amount. Only a sip worth is all he's getting. He glares at me and I smile sheepishly.
"Give me more." he demands.
"How about," I pause for a minute, acting as if I were really debating it. "no." I finalize.
He does not persist; I can tell he is too tired to even counter back. "Then, for resolving a conflict once again," he raises his glass and we all follow along. "Cheers!" we all toast and take a sip of the champagne.
0-0-0-0-0
Randall and Abberline do not stay for long and leave after they finish their drinks. I sit back in my seat and relax. There are no prying eyes now. We glare at the two idiots in the room and they notice. Immediately, Soma and Agni get on their knees to apologize to us.
"I'm so very sorry!" Agni cries out and Soma begins to tear up like a child. "If Mr. Sebastian hadn't stopped me, then—"
I rub my temples in frustration, "Seriously! You two! If you guys turned yourself in here, did you not think they would connect us to this case as well?!" I shout at them with a thunderous look. They both whimper and I stand from my chair. The two of them utter apologies and I glare down at them.
"That's right, Agni. Don't trouble my friends." Soma comments randomly with a put-off look.
Another tick mark pulses against my temple, "You can't say jack shit, Soma!" I explode and point at him in emphasize.
He cowers under my finger with a sudden tearful expression, "I'm sorry, lady Rina! I was hungry..." he murmurs at the end. He sees me about to rant once again and stops me by hugging my legs. "I said I'm sorry, please forgive me—us!"
I pinch the bridge of my nose as I let out a long sigh, "Alright, I'll accept it in return for you two not turning yourselves in. You got that?" I ask.
"Jo Ajha." Agni accepts with a smile.
I look at Soma and he nods after a pause. "Good. Now," I state and grab Soma's hands from around my legs, "get off me, please."
He detaches himself from me and sits next to Agni again. This headache is about to split my god damn head open. I sit back down in my chair and rub at my head. I've said my piece, Ciel can deal with them.
"Then, since we've received permission from our dear friend Ciel to stay here, let's go to bed." Soma mentions while looking at peace.
"Yes." Agni agrees, appearing the same way.
Ciel stares at the two in thought until he sighs as well. "Fine. I'll let the two of you stay at my manor." he agrees. "However! People who don't work cannot stay."
"Work? Me, a prince?" Soma questions.
"Indeed," Ciel replies. "In return, I will pay you. In other words, that is money you will earn through your own work. You want to become a great man free from your parents, right?" Ciel asks with a calculating look.
I hum under my breath in thought. If these two stay to work, they might be able to help. Agni is the most capable man next to Sebastian. I am sure he would appreciate the help around this place. While my brother's idea makes sense, I can't help but wonder what else he is calculating underneath that face. What other use could they become for him?
"That's right! What should I do?" Soma asks, happy to do as he's told.
Ciel puts a knuckle to his lip with a smirk, "Let's see...how about managing my townhouse in London with Agni?" he asks.
I did not expect that to come from my brother's mouth. I mean, it's not a bad idea. But what's the reason for them staying there? It can't be to clean, right? I think about it for a moment and wonder briefly if he is doing that to keep them away from him. I frown at the thought of not seeing them often. They are what keeps my life lively nowadays. "It's a very difficult job. I wouldn't ask anyone else. Can you do it?" Ciel continues.
"I'll do it! Leave it to me!" Soma cheers.
I smile as Soma becomes excited to have a job to do now. Even though it's really not as important as Ciel says. I stand up from my chair, my vision becomes a bit dizzy. I steady myself by placing my hand on the table. No one notices I don't think. I release a short breath before starting to walk away. I turn around and find Sebastian watching me. I smile and raise my hand, "Good night, guys."
We say our goodbyes and I head upstairs. I take my time as my vision becomes wonky here and there. The hell is wrong with me today? This has never happened before. Maybe I'm getting sick again? Maybe it's this god-awful headache from it. The hallway is dimly lit by the candles on the walls. But it isn't as dark as I thought it would be. That barely makes sense when I think about it that way. I dismiss it and travel towards my bedroom. I'm tired from today.
0-0-0-0-0
It is around the afternoon as I step outside. The sun greets me, but it is partly cloudy outside. Shadows of passing clouds decorate the lawn and the carriage that Sebastian has set out. Ciel comes to my side and eventually walking past me to walk down the stairs. Sebastian is by my side now with our suitcases. We both watch him.
"What a splendid job of clearing things up, young master. It's wonderful weather for a circus, don't you think?" Sebastian asks.
The wind caresses my hair, blowing it behind me. I smile at the nice weather, "I agree. The weather is gorgeous."
I start to go down the stairs toward the carriage as well. Sebastian follows and we both arrive at it. "From today on, the young master, the lady, and I will be staying in London for a little while." Sebastian informs the servants who stand by us. I open the carriage door for my brother since Sebastian's hands are full. Sebastian packs the suitcases in the back. I turn and look at the servants with a small smile.
"Young master, lady, be careful!" Bard says with a smile as well.
"Take care.~" Finnian says.
"Be careful." Mey-Rin advises.
Tanaka waves in the background and I wave back. I walk up the trio and put my hands-on Finnian's shoulders, "Don't break anything if you can help it. When I get back, I promise to train you on how to use your strength properly."
He nods happily, "Don't worry, Miss Rina! We'll be waiting here for you!"
I glance at Bard and Mey-Rin. Both of them give me sincere smiles and I feel a bit more comfort. "Thanks, you guys. Be careful, try not to destroy the manor while we're gone, please." They all salute to me and I giggle, "Oh! Take good care of Tanaka too."
I turn around and find Ciel staring down at me. I raise an eyebrow and he doesn't respond to the gesture. He swaps his gaze to the servants behind me and tips his hat. "You guys," he says as he steps up into the carriage, "While we're gone, I leave the house in your hands."
"Yes, my lord!" they chant together.
I go in after my brother enters and Sebastian closes the door behind me. "So," I start off as I get comfy in my seat, "I wonder if there will be cotton candy at the circus."
"What?" he asks, perplexed.
"If you don't know what it is, then never mind." I sigh out in disappointment and slouch into my seat. This will be another long ride to London.
