Edited 30th March
So because I'm an idiot I began editing this chapter and wanting to post a new one today. I was honestly excited until I noticed this was the wrong chapter...

Why does this happen?

Guess here is the edited version? Caution: Only the first half was changed.

Chapter 37

Once more, Luce traced the cotton wool ball gently along the glass rim and began to carefully clean off any last remains of dust. Not that there had been much to begin with, but rather because Sebastian was just that type of boss. And while some would call it meticulous, she finds it over the top. The glasses had already been perfectly clean but clearly they were not up to his standard. She wondered if it was because his eyesight was just exponentially better than hers. That, now that she thought of it, may actually be the case. Maybe -and here she cracked a small smile- it was similar to Bella's eyesight in Breaking Dawn part 2 and all her other perks as a newborn vampire. Just the thought of Sebastian running through a forest in hunt of an adorable doe made hilarity rush through her. Her smile cracked into a full-on grin.

Passing the demon butler one set of champagne glasses to place on the table, Luce ignored the glance thrown her way. She knew there would be no question or statement to come along with it. After all, they were not alone in the room. And so, as he often did, Sebastian would refrain from voicing his thoughts.

"Eh?" Agni on the other hand didn't bother hiding his surprise. He looked utterly baffled, more so than Luce had ever seen him before. "What did you just say?"

"When the guests are here, would you please leave the manor?" The request itself didn't surprise her but to have Sebastian so callously repeat the words made her scowl. He truly could have worded it differently, or better yet, simply given Agni a task outside of their household. So, the ravenette didn't bother hiding her obvious misstep either.

"Oh, sorry." She apologized drily with a heel still on his toes. 'It's not like this would truly hurt him.' She almost rolls her eyes at the amused gaze turned her way but abstained. The least he could do was speak more politely with Agni. The Indian butler did, after all, keep the idiotic trio at bay today. Luce was at least thankful for that. Admittedly, she still hoped Agni would make more Indian food, but that was secondary.

"Today's guest is the commissioner of Scotland Yard, Lord Randall." Luce silently wondered if the commissioner acknowledged her now working for the little lord. After all, she had been the weird girl, picking up bodies with the even weirder undertaker. Just the thought of her favorite mortician put a delighted bounce into her step. "He is the lead investigator in the suspended Anglo-Indian incidents." The demon continued plainly. His eyes though found interest elsewhere. They followed the thief and her mood swings.

"Could it be he's come to capture me?!"

Sebastian instantly waved away the mere possibility. "Of course not. No one knows the identity of the culprit behind those incidents. Please calm yourself." Yeah, Luce didn't see that happening anytime soon.

Agni looked particularly panicked. "B-but even though I was acting on orders, those were entirely my fault." His brows furrowed, he looked both sad and remorseful. "Shouldn't I be punished properly to make up for my sins?" 'Oh, dear...' Judging just by Agni's face she knew that the demonic butler should have just kept his mouth shut.

Sebastian sighed, looking entirely done with this conversation. "If you were not here, what would happen to prince Soma?" Agni's eyes widened, possibly imagining all the different kinds of trouble Barney could get caught up in. Personally, Luce thought Barney might actually get stabbed in a back alley and robbed of his belongings. 'Who in their right mind walks around with jewels on their neck in a foreign country?' Her nose wrinkled at the sheer idiocy. "Will you break your promise to stay by prince Soma's side?" 'Ah, how cruel~' Sebastian never does hold back – always hitting right where it hurts most. And still, Agni tried to interject. Unsuccessfully, may she add. "Everything is over. And the incidents will not occur again." The demon left him no room to argue. He continued with finality in his tone. "Leave the rest to us. Stay in your room. Is that all right?" Even when it was phrased as a request, he clearly expected to be obeyed. And Sebastian seemed to take Agni's silence as an agreement. Luce on the other hand wasn't so optimistic. Her grey eyes followed Agni's distressed form out of the room, before she turned her gaze onto the demon butler.

"Nice one." Sarcasm layered heavily in both her tone and gaze, "I never imagined you being that daft, but clearly age does not equal wisdom." The demon merely raised a brow at her, seemingly very surprised by her sudden insult. His brows rose further when she poked his chest. "Thanks to you, Agni now wants to turn himself in. And just to be clear, I am not –I repeat: I. AM. NOT. dealing with the consequences."

His lip twitched. "And here I was, under the impression that you would help me with anything." His burning eyes gleamed down at her, the insinuation clear to read. "As you offered only a few hours ago you." To watch the flush spread across her cheeks was tantalizing. He endeavored to do so more often.

'OH MY GAWD!' When was the last time someone flustered her so? She could feel the pitter-patter of her heart. Her cheeks tingled. Her stomach fluttered and something both hot and cold caressed her spine. "I – don- n-no-" she glared at him, cheeks filled with warmth. Why is he chuckling? It wasn't funny. Firstly, how dare he use her words against her? And secondly, that was not what she had meant. Luce spun on her heel and scoffed. "I believe the commissioner will be arriving soon." She ignored the very apparent amusement coming from him.

- At least for a while. "¿Por qué estás siendo malo conmigo?" {Why are you being mean to me?}

"I'm a demon." Was the utterly serious, dry response.

It made her laugh.

.

With one last annoyed glance at the jovial butler Luce breathed in deep and arranged her face into a demure mask. 'Show time.' She thought as the doors opened. With her hands folded before her, she waited for the men to enter. "Don't praise them! And stop looking around!" Lord Randall drilled. Clearly, he was eager to get this all over with. 'Well, he's not the only one.' Luce wanted a bath. Random she knew, but when cravings strike she likes to fulfill them.

"I didn't even want to come to this devil's lair!" 'Ouch' How kind of Fred? Gred? Forge? Ah, no that's the Weasely twins - oops. What was his name again? Also, 'devil's lair'? This manor is not near dodgy enough.

"Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor, my lords." She curtsied, noticing a grimace on Lord Randall's face and a flush on the other gentleman.

"Hello." The younger of the two replied with a wobbly smile. He looked like a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Honestly, she didn't think the expression suited the situation.

"Please wait here for a moment, I shall call my master." Sebastian went to open the door leading to the green parlour room. "Luciana will take your coats."

As if on cue she moved forward-"Not necessary." Lord Randall interjected.

"Very well." She kept her smile, but inwardly rolled her eyes at the rudeness- 'He could have at least said "no, thank you".' -and the unsaid insult. He clearly had no regard for the Phantomhives with how he dismissed common courtesy. 'Or maybe it's just Ciel he hates.' It would make sense. To have a young teen solving cases, when men more than twice his age cannot, that would hurt their pride. She inwardly shrugged. 'Their incompetence, their problem.'

*THUD*

She squeaks, turning wide eyes onto Sebastian as he struggled with the door. He was mumbling something. 'Well, three guesses for who's behind that door.' Luce closed her eyes, utterly resigned and somewhat amused. 'I told him so.'

"Well, well, Lord Commissioner." Ah, it's Ciel to the rescue. "Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor." Did he know about Agni? "The preparations for dinner have been completed." If not, then he had astonishingly good timing. "Come this way."

Luce quietly brought up the rear of the group. She wondered what would happen next.

"The truth is, you probably don't want to dine with me," 'Understatement.' She cracked a small smile. Then again, Ciel probably wanted his peace as well. "but since it is traditional you came anyway." Did that mean she would have to get used to rude guests? "It's rare that you bring someone with you- is he your successor? You're arriving at that age, aren't you." 'Wow, so much for being in civilized company. This is savage.' Luce watched the scowl grow on the commissioner's face.

"If you hadn't appeared at the scene of the crime, it could have ended without him knowing anything!" The two reminded her of a Chihuahua barking at an amused panther on the prowl- unexpectedly, Ciel being the feline in this analogy.

"I don't particularly care if he knows or not, but if this relationship is exposed, they're the ones who will get into trouble, isn't that right?" Luce tuned out the conversation, her interest rather taken by Sebastian's peculiar expression. It flit from shock to annoyance and then resignation. She imagined that Agni was behind her. Gazing back the way they came,- 'Yep, there he is.' A quiet giggle escaped her.

*THUD*

A breeze passed her and suddenly Sebastian was standing by now closed doors. With, dare she say, a very fake smile on his face. Luce didn't bother hiding her grin from him. It definitely annoyed him. 'He's so adorable.'

The demon apologizes to the bewildered three in front. "The door was open, so..." And thus he successfully leaves the unspoken blame on her shoulders. Not that she cared. Luce did tell him; she wouldn't lift a finger.

"Do repair the door if it cannot shut properly." Ciel's dry tone was gold, simply gold. Maybe she wouldn't bother him for a while.

Did you think I wasn't going to upload? Well, I did promise one chapter a month. ;)

Hope you enjoyed reading it. Leave a comment if you want and have time!
And thank you for the great response to the last update.

To louise53: I'm glad that you enjoy the story and Luce in particular. Honestly, there's nothing better than tiramisu.

To Mystic Moon Flower: Not sure if you kept reading despite historical inaccuracy, but I plead artistic license. *grins* Figured since the Campania Arc that historical facts don't really matter. I mean any way I look at it, that's the Titanic.

To Frankie: My darling guest, thank you. *dramatic bow*