Hello, my followers,

I have many things to inform you of as of what will be happening starting this week coming up:

1. I begin college on Monday (not excited but yeah lol). You should know this means less time to update.

2. I also begin my job again, so even less time to work on fanfic.

3. I got an official artwork done for Rina. If you would like to check it out, please search up the artist's name on Instagram and leave a like for their hard work, she turned out very well done (should be the most recent art on their page)! Artist is: dismiazs

That's pretty much all bad news and one good news lmao. I might spend this weekend trying to wrap up the Murder arc asap because I don't wanna leave y'all hanging for a while and you forget what happens. No promises though, I got stuff to do this weekend too, unfortunately. I would've had this chapter up sooner if my power didn't go out because of that Midwest storm and my internet being on the fro lately.

Anyways, thanks for the support, guys, truly. I am going to try to update as often as I can. Please be patient with me!

(also special thanks to those who pointed out things I missed or messed up by accident, I went back and fixed those, I appreciate it!)

Till next time, y'all!

Recap of the last chapter:

"Y-You killed Mr. Phelps!" the older man stands and shouts. Irene's boyfriend joins in, also standing, his figure shaking with anger. "You bastard! You searched for the Earl's room just now, didn't you?! Are you sure you weren't just destroying evidence?!"

I tap in my chin thought and don't find Lau to be lying. He really isn't the type to do that. He doesn't kill people unless there's a purpose. So, I seriously doubt he did kill Mr. Phelps. In fact, I don't think anyone in this room did. Mr. Phelps wound reminds me of a snake bite. I am very lost on the matter of how a poisonous snake got in. There's no other cause of death I can think of. Who owns a poisonous snake? I do not know these people well. From looking at my brother, I feel he does not know either. Which only tells me one thing, there's more than one murderer.

o0o0o0o

Lau's lips curl further, giving him this very amused look. I lean back my seat, ready to hear his reasoning. I know he has an alibi, these people forgot already. You must not assume so quickly who did what. Lau's laugh makes the older guest pause in his accusations. "How do you think I could make a locked room murder from that far-off walk-in closet?" he asks. "There is no door going outside there and even though we're Chinese, it's not like we can just pass through ventilation shafts or something." he points out as well. I hold back a snort at his claim. Did he have to mention his race? Very funny.

"Do I really need to hear that from you, who suggested my confinement?" Ciel asks with a distasteful tone.

"But aww the earl is such a bully. ~ You don't need to take revenge on me now, you know?" Lau practically teases my brother. I sweatdrop at his behavior, this man is a handful sometimes. "And I have an alibi for the time Lord Siemens was murdered anyway." he mentions last second.

I watch as my brother picks up the teacup and attentively takes a small sip. "Well, in any case, there's no one who could have killed all three even if they teamed up with Sebastian." Ciel offers. "I was just teasing you." Ciel tells Lau.

Arthur shifts next to me; I catch him flipping through his notebook until he comes to a rough sketch of a chart with our names on it. I spot the male guests' and Irene's boyfriend's name; I mentally note that down before I forget. I continue to peer at the barely visible columns curiously after filing that info and find it to be an alibi list. Man, he didn't create Sherlock Holmes out of pure luck. I smile at the thought, finding similarities between what I remember from the books I read in middle school and him now. He fills in the gaps and outlines the boxes. He creates filled in dots and x's to show who had an alibi at the time. "That's true!" Arthur shouts abruptly while thoroughly examining the page when he finishes.

"What are you talking about?" Irene questions.

"If I put it in a simple chart," he starts off and examines it once more to make sure he has it right. He nods to himself and holds his notebook up to everyone, "It'd look like this." he claims. "The only one who could have killed lord Siemens at ten past one was earl Phantomhive and lady Phantomhive. The only one who could have killed Mr. Phelps at two thirty-eight was Sebastian. And anyone but me, lady Rina, and the earl could have killed Sebastian at ten to three. So even if they worked with Sebastian...it's impossible that a single person could have caused this string of murders!"

Mr. Woodley, the older male guest, lurches forward with his hand clasped tightly into a fist. I stare at him dead on, watching him slowly panic. Is this why Ciel likes to play these games? I do find the humor in them now. This man jumps to conclusions too quickly and becomes upset easily. How annoying. He looks like a desperate type. "If it's impossible to do alone then the people who came as a pair are the criminals!" Mr. Woodley shouts.

Mr. Grimsby jumps up in anger, ready to fight with tense shoulders. "Are you kidding me!? On top of being trapped in here, I'm being treated as a criminal?!" he snarls at the older guest. Irene grabs her boyfriend's legs, trying to get him to sit down. "Grimsby! Calm down!" she cries.

"Yes, please calm down!" Arthur agrees in a hurry. "Also, I'm not saying it comes down to two people, it's not something as simple as tha—" he tries to dissuade.

"Simple or not, I don't care." Mr. Woodley states and I watch as he begins to sweat profusely. I wrinkle my nose in disgust. His face contorts into something ugly which I note as panic. His other hand closes into a fist and he slams them down together on top of the coffee table. The teacups raddle and some guests jump at the random outburst. I grab my tea and take a sip, I cross my legs, getting comfy. This man is sad to watch, a true pity. "I've had enough!" Mr. Woodley declares with a trembling figure. "Like I'd stay in this place anyway!"

He stands up from his seat, his face downcast with gritted teeth. I sigh through my nose, I'm tired of this person already. "Where are you going?" Ciel asks quietly. "Under these circumstances, I'd like you to refrain from acting on your own."

I glance at my brother; I can tell he is also irritated by this man's behavior. I grab a spoon of the table nonchalantly, stirring my tea in thought. I probably look evil right now. "You're saying that to me?!" Mr. Woodley asks, sounding offended now. "You're the one that's—"

Ciel props his elbow upon the arm of the chair. He rests his cheek against a closed fist, appearing very bored. "I'm what?" he asks.

Mr. Woodley grits his teeth once again as if he is struggling from bursting out a thought. That or he feels threatened right now. My brother just wants to dangle the bait in front of him, doesn't he? Ciel is definitely mocking the man. Mr. Woodley 'tchs' and raises a finger at my brother. "I...I know!" he states. This man doesn't even seem confident. This is such a joke. "It was really you who planned this all along, wasn't it?"

I don't stop the smirk from crawling across my lips nor does Ciel. This man really walked into that trap. What a dumbass. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say, but please calm down." Ciel says.

Mr. Woodley begins to perspire more, and I wonder how nervous he is. The veins on his forehead sure show his frustration as well. "You wanted to finish us off from the beginning and gathered us here to do so, right?!" he screams at Ciel and jabs his finger at him again. "You, the queen's dog!"

I don't miss how Ciel's eye narrows at Mr. Woodley in a dark manner. The room is silent, and I stop stirring my tea. This man is stupid enough to show his true colors. I'm sure my brother knew the truth about him anyway. But I find this incredibly hilarious, as he tries to put the blame on him. Everyone watches as Mr. Woodley rushes to the back of his chair, clutching onto it like a shield from my brother.

"I'm going home!" Mr. Woodley informs us. "Like I'd let myself be killed!"

I take another sip of my tea, waiting for someone to stop him. I find Arthur standing in the corner of my peripherals with his hand out toward the man walking away. "Please wait!" Arthur shouts at Mr. Woodley and chases after him. "It's impossible in this storm! You should stay here to avoid suspicion as—"

I did not expect Mr. Woodley to swivel around and knock Arthur to the side. He hit him with such a force, Arthur lands on the table, knocking everything off it and I hear a crack from the weight. I feel my eyes widen at the man who did this, "I don't take orders from a mere doctor!" Mr. Woodley shouts.

I feel anger burn inside me; I'm pretty pissed that he treated Arthur like so. Arthur struggles to get up, clearly in pain from the force of the fall. I glare at Mr. Woodley as he breathes harshly. "Woodley," Ciel speaks up in a deadly calm voice. I can hear the power behind it though. "The one who's telling you to sit down is me. So, sit down already."

I laugh at his face and lift my hand to smother the sound. Woodley's face turns a bright red at the humiliation he is experiencing. He walked into this one all on his own. His eye twitches when it catches my own. "Truly, if you leave, we'll all wonder why you left in such a manner. I mean, why are you so worked up?" I mock with a humorous tone. "Sit down, won't you?" I repeat with a sickly-sweet smile.

His teeth clench at my words and his eyes move between my brother and me quite quickly. "D..." he utters. What is his next move? I ponder. I catch sight of his fist clenching rather tightly. I narrow my eyes at it as it raises in my direction. Oh, so he plans on hitting me. I'm surprised he picked me over my brother, as that is his real enemy. "Don't you order me around! You're just a filthy bitch!" he snarls at me. His fist rises higher and he lurches at me. I don't move an inch though. It all happens in slow motion for me. So, I simply take a sip of my lukewarm tea carelessly.

"Lady Rina!" Arthur shouts, panic dripping from each syllable. I remain calm as a streak of black flashes in the corner of my eye. Tanaka grabs Mr. Woodley by the wrist and elbow. He twists his arm, but not fully breaking it; he slams the man onto the ground in a vice grip. I whistle, I impressed by how well Tanaka can still fight. Everyone gasps in shock at the action. Mr. Woodley makes a noise of pain still pinned to the ground by Tanaka's firmly placed knee.

"Please excuse me, Master Woodley," Tanaka apologizes. "If someone means any harm against the young master or the lady in this mansion," he continues and twists Woodley's arm more. He releases a shout of abrupt pain and I smirk inwardly at the sight. "...no matter who they are. These servants will not have mercy on them." he informs Mr. Woodley. "Please understand." he smiles.

Mr. Woodley glares at Tanaka, "What the hell is with this place." he sneers. "Damnit."

"W-What was that just now? I didn't see him move at all." Arthur stutters and stares at Tanaka in awe. I smile and set my tea down on the table. I stand from my seat and help Arthur up. "It's a form of martial arts." I inform. He stares at me in confusion, but sends me an appreciative nod, "What kind?" he asks.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's Japan's 'Baritsu'." Lau chimes in. "Bar...Baritsu?" Arthur repeats, trying to pronounce it. "I've never heard of it. Sorry, but please tell me more about this Baritsu in more detail!" he exclaims to Lau, with his notepad and pen at hand.

I sit back down with a slight smile. He's such a boyish person. "Tanaka," Ciel addresses while taking a sip of his tea. "You can leave it at that." he orders

Tanaka lets go of him and he smacks his hands together to get rid of any dirt, "Mr. Woodley," Tanaka says, "you'll obey our orders, then?"

Mr. Woodley slow sits up with a grimace, "Tch," he voices again. We take that as a silent agreement, and he comes back to sit down. Arthur sits down next to me again. I notice the corner of his lip is swelling and a bit red from the injury inflicted upon him. "Does it hurt?" I ask him out of nowhere. He blinks at me and reaches up to touch where the wound is. "Just a bit."

"I would give you treatment, however, that may have to wait."

He blushes slightly and scratches his cheek, "It's fine, it's not so bad."

I smile cheekily and poke the wound. He winces and I shake my head, "Liar."

The sound of a teacup tapping a plate distracts me. My eyes drift toward the noise and I find Ciel staring at me with a 'can I talk now' look. I blink in confusion until I find everyone's eyes on me. I lean back shyly, fighting a blush from blossoming on my cheeks. Why is everyone staring at me? Ciel clears his throat, "Well then," he begins and changes the topic. "Currently, the only one who really couldn't have been the criminal is Mr. Wordsmith. I think it'd be safest and fairest to put Mr. Wordsmith in charge of deciding our actions from now on." Ciel suggests.

"I second this notion." I agree.

"Me?!" Arthur cries in surprise and looks at us in question. "Yes," Ciel confirms with a sigh. "I really don't want a criminal prowling around in my manor."

"I feel the same but—" Arthur starts to protest but Irene cuts him off. "Well...us, too right?" she asks Grimsby. He does not reply but does sweat drop, appearing to silently agree cautiously.

"Then, it's decided." Ciel states. "There's plenty of time until the storm dies down anyway. Let's thoroughly corner this criminal." he smiles with his hands intertwined underneath his chin. It's the most innocent smile I've seen on him. This is nothing compared to the one at the circus he gave. I refrain from gushing at such a smile. "...right, Mr. Wordsmith?" Ciel questions.

Arthur looks at everyone until he succumbs to my brother's words with a small sigh. He takes out his notepad and begins asking us questions. Stuff to do with what we know, what we need to know, and what exactly are we missing to solve these murders. "As a result of my conversations with everyone, many things have become clear, however, the thing I'm stuck on is the whereabouts of the key to the earl's bedroom," Arthur mentions, clearly lost on the matter. "According to the original scenario, the only one that could have been able to kill Mr. Phelps was Sebastian. But if we consider that the key could have been passed onto a third party, it becomes a whole different situation."

"So, in that scenario, I would be right in thinking that the person who currently holds the key and killed Sebastian is the criminal?" Ciel asks.

"Yes." Arthur answers.

"Well, first, let's confirm whether or not the butler is carrying the key himself," Charles suggests. "Even though it would mean our theory ends there."

"You're right." Arthur agrees. "Also, from now on, whenever we move, I'd like us to move as a group. Since it would be difficult asking a woman to accompany us to the corpse storage room, I'd like Miss Irene and Lady Rina to stay with Mr. Grimsby."

"Yes—" Irene answers but I interrupt her immediately. "What? No, I'm going." I inform Arthur. He stares at me in surprise, "Lady Rina, I do not think that would be best."

I scowl at him and cross my arms, "I'm not leaving my brother alone."

Arthur sweat drops and I hear Ciel sigh next to me. "Fine, she's coming with us." Ciel states.

Arthur appears to want to argue more about it but decides not to. He glances at Mr. Woodley with a guilty look, "Also I'd like Mr. Woodley to stay too..." he suggests.

Mr. Woodley looks away and closes his eyes, "Hmph." he voices.

"I'd like you to allow me and Ran Mao to enjoy some tea over here." Lau says and Ran Mao nods in agreement, curled up in his lap. Charles stands with an arm raised, "Since I've got nothing to do here, I'll just tag along! ~" he sing songs.

Arthur nods and turns to look at Ciel, "Please excuse me, earl, but would you mind guiding us through the manor?" he asks.

"Not at all." Ciel agrees to the idea. "The servants are more familiar with the bottom floor though, so let's have them guide us instead. Is that okay with you guys?" he asks them.

"Yes, young master." Finnian says.

Ciel nods and looks at Mey-Rin and Tanaka next, "Tanaka, Mey-Rin, can stay behind and take care of the guests."

Mey-Rin and Tanaka bow, "Certainly." they obey.

"Then, let's get going," I say and stand from my spot. Time to go to the basement, I haven't been down there in forever; not since I used to be a nanny in fact. Ah, those were the good ol' days. We follow Bard and Finnian to the doors which lead to the bottom floor of the mansion. Bard opens them and we follow one by one down the stairs. I walk next to my brother as we go down the spiraling staircase. It's very dark in here and I can feel the temperature drop the further down we step. Our footsteps echo in a haunting way as the lantern in Bard's leading light flickers repeatedly.

"This place has that kind of atmosphere where one might expect a ghost to pop up at any moment, doesn't it?" Arthur comments out of nowhere in front of me.

I sweatdrop at that mini jump scare scene in my head. "Will you cut that out!" Charles cries from behind me. "There's no way there'd be a ghost! I only believe in things I can cut with my sword!" he shouts and clutches onto my brother suddenly. I stare at him, flabbergasted. This is an act, right?

Ciel sweat drops also at his behavior, "So you can walk on your own then?"

By the time Ciel says that we reach the bottom of the stairs and Bard leads us to a door not too far down. "I thought you might be scared; I was being kind as to—" Charles continues before we arrive at a pair of doors. The double doors are closed, and I frown on what is inside. I know Sebastian's alive, but the thought of him dead really troubles me. "We're here, folks." Bard tells us.

I glance at Charles, knowing he's down here to check on Sebastian. I'm not blind enough not to notice his intent. Bard reaches for the handle to the door and opens it slowly. It groans as he pulls it out. My eyes adjust to the darkness that lurks inside. I can see all three bodies inside, covered by sheets. I almost gag at the smell of decay but somehow contain it. The smell doesn't seem to trouble the others so much and I forgot my nose has been sensitive lately. I pinch my nostrils together with hand, but I can still taste the stench in the air.

"Put these gloves on when you touch the corpses, will ya?" Bard asks Arthur, handing him a pair and my brother one also. "You're well prepared! That saves us some trouble." Arthur compliments. We step inside the place and I follow along, holding my hands close to my chest. This scene is just depressing to look at.

Ciel tightens his gloves whilst staring at the sheet which holds Sebastian underneath. It's a hard gaze that tells me he knows Sebastian isn't truly dead. However, I knew it too obviously, I can feel him from here no matter how repressed it is. I still don't know why I am able to do that. I'm such a weird human ever since coming to this world. Arthur sighs dejectedly and bends down, reaching down to grab the sheet. "Well, excuse me then..." he mutters and pulls the sheet away from Sebastian's body slowly. "He's wet?!" Arthur shouts in shock.

I come a little closer and examine Sebastian due to curiosity. Indeed, he is very wet. In fact, I can smell the rainwater coming from him. It smells nice with his original scent. I shake my head at the thought; now isn't the time for such thoughts. Bard peers upward, toward the ceiling, "Looks like a leak in the roof caused it." Bard notes.

"Poor Mr. Sebastian! Please move him!" Finnian begs behind me. "We should if he's wet his body will decay faster as well." Arthur informs us. "De...cay?" I hear Finnian mutter under his breath, sounding horrified. I turn around to find a devastated look take over his features. I frown at him, knowing how he is feeling. I walk up to him, but he does not notice me advance. I better calm him down before he makes a scene, I know how fragile he can be. He cares about Sebastian and us a great deal.

I place a hand on Finnian's slightly trembling shoulder, and he stiffens at the touch. He whips his head to look at me, his eyes filled with tears. My heart literally drops at such an intense look. "Lady...Rina..." he whispers. I smile sadly and pull him into a tight hug. I know how inappropriate this might look to those of a higher class, but I consider Finnian to be another brother of mine. He makes me miss my younger and more innocent brothers. He stays frozen in my grip and I place my hand on the back of his head.

That gets a reaction from him and I hear a tiny sniffle come from him. He buries his head in my chest and I feel my own tears emerge. Stupid eyes, stupid emotions, ahh Finnian, I'm going to cry if you cry too. I feel my lip wobble as he cries silently into my chest and clutches the back of my dress tightly. I pat his head softly, trying to comfort him. I let my own tears fall, knowing no one is behind Finnian. They can't see me cry. I pull away slightly and smooth out Finnian's hair. He wipes at his tears, attempting to calm down it seems.

"Finnian, please let them do what they can for Sebastian. I know it looks cruel and disturbing, but we have to catch this horrible person, do you understand?" I whisper to him. He hiccups slightly and nods sadly. "I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to act so—" he begins to apologize.

I put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Don't worry about it, trust me I know how hard it is." I smile.

He stares at me with newly glistened eyes before he slams them closed. He appears to be struggling to hold them back and he let's go of me. "I know...I know. I'll try my best to behave, for Mr. Sebastian."

I nod and cup his cheek lovingly. "I know he would appreciate it."

He opens his eyes slowly, staring at me with wonder. I feel someone cup my shoulder and Bard steps around me. "You guys alright?" he asks.

"Right as rain." I smile, knowing it's fake and so does he. I glance back at Sebastian's body with a soft sigh. Time to act even more so. I walk away with a last wink at Finnian and wander over to my brother's side.

"Find it?" I ask them.

Ciel peers up at me, "It's not here, it seems."

I frown and squat onto my knees, "How unfortunate."

I stare at Sebastian sadly, hoping he can feel my depressed gaze. Of course, I'm simply acting, trying to get back at my brother and him. I'll make them regret not telling me their plans. I want to be included in everything after this! No more being looked down upon for 'safety' reasons.

"Couldn't it be in his bedroom?" Arthur asks.

Ciel nods, "Let's go look."

0o0o0o0o

Bard leads us to Sebastian's bedroom and opens the door for everyone. I've never really been inside Sebastian's room before. Now that I think about, I wonder if there's anything inside. Ciel steps forward first and Arthur follows along. "This is Sebastian's room." Ciel points out with a slight frown. I walk behind them, marveling at how boring the room is. Honestly, I'm not surprised it's so bare. It's not like he needs anything like a human does. Not to mention, this isn't his real home either.

"It's pretty spacious." Arthur comments. I wander around the bedroom and lightly touch the barely used desk. I don't find a speck of dust when I rub my fingers together. It hardly smells like him in here as well. I drift over to his bed and find a faint scent of him. I wonder if he lies down from time to time when the manor is quiet at night.

"It's because he's a senior servant." Bard explains, resting his hand on his hip. "Can't you guys think of a place where he might have hidden it?" Ciel asks the servants. Bard glances away and scratches the back of his head, "Actually, it's our first time in here..." Bard admits.

"I've only been in here twice since I gave him this room as well." Ciel admits in thought.

"In any case, let's search in places one might keep valuables." Charles inputs. After that, we all search throughout Sebastian's room. Finnian and Arthur look underneath the bed. Charles rummages through the drawer. Ciel checks the desk and Bard scopes out the fireplace. I stand awkwardly until I find no one is going through Sebastian's closet. I walk over to it curiously and open it. A bunch of cat's spring from it and I fall onto the ground. Tons of fluff smothers me, some cats decide it's fun to dig their claws into my dress.

"Why are there cats?!" I cry out as they dart off across the room. Some decide to stay on me and cuddle in my lap.

"Cats?!" everyone screeches in shock.

"Woah, the kittens are so cute! ~" Finnian gushes while holding one up. Ciel steps away, covering his nose with a panicky look. "That bastard! He hid these from me!?" Ciel snarls in horror. The cat's meow in sync, happy to finally have attention. I smirk and hold one up toward my brother. "But Ciel, look how adorable they are!" I cheer deviously.

He scowls and takes another step back, his face slowly morphing into one of struggle. "D-Don't do that! You know what they do to me!" he cries, his face becoming a red hue. I stand up with the cat in my hands and walk toward him. This is what you get for leaving me out! It's payback time. I chase after him with the cat and he runs away. I catch up easily and pretty much smother the cat in his face. He tries to fight me off, but I pull away. He instantly starts to sneeze like crazy, his eyes leaking tears. I laugh evilly, watching his torture.

"Young master!" Finnian exclaims, concerned for him. I continue to laugh and hug the cat close to my chest. "What a good kitty, maybe I should take you in. ~" I coo at the tuxedo cat in my grasp.

"Like hell," Ciel cries and glares at me intensely with red eyes. "why did you—" he pauses before another sneeze flies out of his mouth. He sniffles as he rubs his eyes. "...do that?!"

I set the cat back down, still smirking. "Revenge, little brother." I remind him. I take another step closer and he takes four back in fear. "Don't come near me!" he shouts. "You know I'm allergic to cats!"

He sneezes loudly again, and I laugh some more. "It seems I forgot temporarily." I shrug innocently. His glare turns harsher, "That's complete bullshit..." he mutters as a tick mark pulses against his temple. I whistle and walk away from him. That was funny, thank you for that Sebastian. I decide to help Finnian round up all the cats. We place them on the bed as the others continue searching the place.

"He really doesn't seem to have any personal belongings," Charles comments after a while. He appears bored as he looks through Sebastian's drawer. "Wouldn't it be nicer to at least have some things from your original home? Where did he come from?" Charles continues to ponder out loud. I glare subtly at him, knowing all he wants is information on him. Did the queen order him to kill Sebastian? To find out his true whereabouts...? I have a hunch it is something along those lines.

"Who knows, none of the servants know where he is from. Or what he even does on his days off." Bard mentions. I put a finger to my chin in thought. Even I, did not know what he did on his days off. He disappears usually. But his days that are off, are very rare as it is. Ciel makes him work twenty-four seven. Nothing the demon can't handle. However, does Sebastian even do anything for fun? I should ask him later. "The only thing we know is that he was ridiculously good at his job, the perfect butler." Bard continues.

"Perhaps, the young master knows something but—" Finnian begins but is cut off.

"I don't know either." Ciel states for me. He sniffs as his nose is still irritated. "Where he came from, what master he served before, or what he had been doing in the past. I never had any interest in it personally, it was fine with me," he mutters darkly. "Back then, anyone was fine. As long as they would be devoted to me and grant me wishes. Anyone."

Charles looks at my brother, "Back then?" he questions seriously.

Ciel stares at him, his face devoid of all emotion. I could tell though, that Ciel is inwardly speculating him. "If we can't find it after all this, it's probably not here." Arthur interrupts them while rolling his sleeves up.

"Then how about we check everyone's luggage?" Charles suggests, holding his chin thought. "Especially Mr. Woodleys..."

Arthur sweat drops, appearing unsure, "Naturally, don't you think they'll refuse that?"

Charles gains a somewhat cocky smirk, "I have more public authority than the Yard, so if they don't want to show me, it will be okay for me to force them. ~ Come on, let's get going!"

We silently follow him back to the drawing-room. No one speaks on the way there. I can only think that we are all too busy trying to piece these murders together. When we arrive back at the drawing-room, Lau is lying on the couch with Ran Mao in his arms. Mr. Woodley, Grimsby, and Irene sit next to each other on the other couch. Mey-Rin and Tanaka were standing at the ready as they should be. I need to remind myself to thank Tanaka later for saving me from that punch. Arthur explains that we found nothing on Sebastian nor his bedroom to them.

Arthur clears his throat, and all of us look at him, "Thus, we would like to view your rooms and belongings." he announces. "The woman's luggage will be checked by another woman, so we won't see it."

I didn't think this through until he says that. Women would be including me...right? I feel my face pale. Oh no, what if they go through my diaries?! No, no, no! They won't do that...right? My palms begin to build up nervous sweat at the thought. Would they care about my weird clothes? Chances are negative, probably. Wait! WHAT ABOUT MY ADOPTION PAPERS?! I nearly grabbed my hair at the thought. FUCK!

"Is that okay?" I hear Arthur ask. I glance nervously at my brother, having no proper way of asking for a solution. What if they find out we're not really related? I bite my lip, knowing how it will turn out. Society will look down at the Phantomhive family for not only lying but taking in a poor commoner. The only reason Lady Midford kept her mouth shut about it is because of the relationship already distinguished with the family. Not to mention, she personally likes me and treats me like a daughter but that's not the point! Ahh, I'm getting off-topic.

"I understand." Irene acknowledges. "Go ahead." Lau says after her. "Do as you please." Mr. Woodley agrees without looking at anyone. No one asks for my confirmation though. I am a bit confused; I look around, but I'm not even being gazed at. Does everyone assume I'm naturally innocent? Arthur didn't even ask for the servants to comply. Is it because I am a woman? No one really suspects me to be the murderer without any hard evidence. I mean, I wasn't there when the first murder took place. I have no alibi for that time. Maybe...it's because of my status as a noble. I decide to play dumb though because I'm not trying to be suspicious. I need to watch my actions from here on out and act with every fiber of my being.

We split up into groups based on gender. Mey-Rin, Irene, Ran Mao, and I head on over to Irene's bedroom first. Mey-Rin opens the door to it, and we follow her in. I observe how the room is pretty much bare besides the luggage which lay on the floor. "Alright guys," I say to catch their attention. "Ran Mao, go search through those boxes over there," I instruct and point to some boxes which sit next to the bed. "Mey-Rin go to the closet and look through it. Irene, you just stand there for the time being." I order and point at a spot on the floor.

She complies and does as I say. I decide to examine the bedroom in more depth. I mean, anyone could be the murderer, right? But I don't really get that vibe from Irene nor Grimsby. I can't be too sure though. Just like my aunt, they could be hiding something. I sigh silently at the thought of her, I do miss her from time to time. It's going to be lonely when my brother is gone. All I'll have is the Midford family. It's not like I have any close relatives in this world; at least I don't think so. I pop out of my thoughts when I come across Irene's bed. I look under the pillows and such for Sebastian's key. But I don't think it's in here honestly. I don't remember smelling any blood or scent of Sebastian on them.

"Oh no, I left that out." I hear Irene say across the bedroom. I glance over at her and find her walking towards Mey-Rin. A bit curious, I saunter on over to find out what Mey-Rin found. I notice a photograph in her hands, and I find the couple in it. I smile at the picture, thinking they look cute together.

"I hadn't heard you two were lovers, so I was surprised yesterday." Mey-Rin admits.

"I'm sorry, I don't really talk about it publicly or anything." Irene replies with an awkward laugh. "I and Grimsby have been separated for twelve years already, so it's kind of embarrassing to tell people..."

Mey-Rin and I gawk at her in shock, I wasn't expecting that reply! "It doesn't look anything like that at all though!?" I practically shriek. "Yes, indeed!" Mey-Rin agrees as well.

Irene simply blushes shyly, "My. ~ Thank you very much."

I shake my head and continue my search. I'm not really finding much though. I kneel and check underneath the bed, but I don't anything. I frown, really wondering where the hell that key is. Technically, Sebastian should still be carrying it. So, where on Earth did he place it beforehand? He knew something was going to happen to him...didn't he? Or else the key would be on his person still. I doubt someone took it so easily from him. More like over his dead body...but Ciel may have ordered him to give up the key. I scratch my head in thought and stand back up. Didn't Mey-Rin say he made her deliver an owl? Does that have the key? I mean, he would not want someone random to have it, right?

"Kya! You shouldn't put that on your head!" Irene screeches suddenly. I am broken out of my thoughts because of it. I find Ran Mao putting Irene's drawers on her head. I facepalm, wondering if Lau even teaches the poor girl of woman's fashion in Britain. "Miss. Ran Mao!" Mey-Rin shouts in horror and dashes over to the young Chinese woman.

"Okay, let's finish this up, girls. I don't think we'll be finding anything here." I speak up before this situation gives me a headache. I just want to find this damn key. "Come on, the men are probably finished by now."

All of them follow me out of the bedroom. I lead us back to the drawing-room. The door is already open and have them follow me back inside. The men are already sitting down, waiting for us with hopeful looks. I shake my head, "We couldn't find anything." I state sadly.

Arthur sighs in disappointment, I feel bad for letting him down slightly. "It wasn't here after all," Arthur utters.

"Even with all this, Sebastian could have hidden it somewhere else." Ciel suggests with a small sigh as well.

"That, or he could have thrown it out the window." Lau chimes in. "Since it's so small, if it was carried off or buried, in this storm, we aren't going to find it."

"Excuse me!" Finnian interrupts abruptly, surprising me. I look at him as confusion stirs in the forefront of my mind. "I'm going to search outside!" he informs us.

I feel my eyes widen and Mey-Rin moves forward with determination. "I'm going too!" she announces.

"Certainly, finding it would give us a clue towards the killer, but you don't have to go out of your—" Ciel starts to say nonchalantly with a shrug. "I...want to solve this case!" Finnian interrupts in a burst of emotions. I stare at him in awe and find his determination refreshing. He must really care about Sebastian. It almost makes me tear up. "Because I'm dumb, I can't find the killer by thinking it over as the young master. But if it's a key I might be able to find it. If the key can lead to solving this even a little, I want to find it!"

I watch him nod at Mey-Rin; his eyes steeled with will power. He takes off before even my brother or I can have another say in the matter. Mey-Rin follows him without hesitation. "Hey—You guys!" Bard shouts and looks back at us. "I'm sorry, I'll go after them!"

"Wait—Bard!" I shout after him, but he's already gone, chasing after them. I look over at my brother find him with his arm raised, his eye wide. He eventually sighs and relaxes, letting them do what they want. I'm not okay with this though! What if they get hurt? But...I feel like they need these. To do something to help. I grit my teeth and travel over to the window. The rain continues to pour like crazy. When will it stop?

I can hear them faintly outside, talking about how Sebastian helped them become like a family here at the manor. I frown at the glass, my reflection copying me. I find Ciel walking up to my side and I watch him through the glass. He peers down at the ground, probably looking for the servants. "Are you...okay?" he asks eventually in a hushed whisper.

"Do I look okay?" I ask, my tone biting a little. "Seriously, this game went too far and now Sebastian's gone. What will you do? Hm?" I ask, pretending to think Sebastian's gone for good. Ciel frowns up at me, appearing a little guilty. "You shouldn't be upset he's gone." he remarks not long after, his frown turning into a sneer.

I feel my eyes widen, not expecting him to say such a thing. "...what?" I murmur.

"You heard me." he states with a narrowed eye at me.

I stay frozen, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. I feel my arms wrap around my chest unconsciously, not liking his gaze. "What are you saying?" I ask after a second, my thoughts running around in circles of the meaning of such words coming from his lips.

"You care about him, don't you? Don't even try to deny it."

I open my mouth to rebuke but find myself not being able to. "So, what if I do?" I mutter. "He's nowhere near as important to me though compared to you. I find him nice to talk to and decent company in this depressing place." I admit but tears well in my eyes anyway. I know there's more to my statement than that. I love and care for him, just as much as my brother before me. The love may be different, but I won't be able to choose in the end. It'll just tear me apart.

His eye narrows further as if he is trying to decide if I am lying or not. I tear my eyes away from his, not wanting to be judged more. I stare past the blurry tree lines in the distance. I hate myself for falling in love with the enemy. God, my heart is such an idiot.

"Hey," someone perks up and that distracts our conversation well enough. Everyone is staring at my brother. "it's a little suffocating to stay quiet like this, why don't we play a game of cards?" Grimsby suggests and stands from the couch. "I brought some cards, so I'll go get them from my room."

"Please wait, if you're going, we should all go." Arthur informs. "I'll be right back." Grimsby mentions with a sweatdrop. "It's safest to move in groups since we still don't know who the killer is and more importantly, I don't want to see any more victims be made." Arthur reasons.

"That'd be the best action if the killer is amongst us." Lau puffs, a filter of smoke leaving his mouth from his pipe. I wrinkle my nose at the smell emitting from it. "Though, only if he is." he hints.

"What are you getting at?" Grimsby asks seriously.

Lau smirks, "Nothing in particular. It's just my opinion."

"If he's not amongst us, where is he?" Charles asks. I simply deadpan and stare at the white-haired man. What an innocent question, good way to deter that you're the actual killer of at least one of the victims.

"You mean the killer arrived before the storm but is hiding outside...or something?" Grimsby asks.

"Even so, isn't it unlikely he would be able to wander around the mansion and into a locked room without leaving footprints if he had been in that storm before?" Ciel questions.

I nod, agreeing with his point. It's impossible almost. "Wouldn't your 'unlikely' become likely with the existence of a thirteenth person?" Lau challenges.

I stare at him, noting how that is very likely to happen. I forget how smart Lau can be sometimes. "How foolish! There's definitely no chance of that happening!" Mr. Woodley argues.

"Definitely?" Lau questions his response. "The one thing that doesn't exist in this world is 'definite'. If you reverse the 'definite' then anything could be lurking in this castle. If he's lying in wait for a chance to attack, aiming for our lives...he might not be that far off anymore." he explains theoretically. "This thirteenth person who shouldn't exist."

"And what if they appeared?" I ask him. "What will we do then?"

Lau smirks at me, "We'll know when the time comes, little lady."

I blink at him but jump slightly when I hear a bang. What was that? That did not sound like thunder...