The red tinted liquor gracefully poured down into the cup of Earl Ciel Phantomhive sitting at the head of the large table. The manor was big enough for there to be multiple dining rooms, yet Ciel seemed to prefer this one for breakfast as this was the third morning in a row he had invited them to come to this particular room.
The four daughters of Earl Thompson sat in a row along the long table, heads bowed as they waited patiently. One of their stomachs growled, and she looked up at the opposite side of the table where Eleanora was sat, holding the infant in her arms as she did her best to make the little thing take to the bottle, after a day and a half, the poor thing still didn't like the feeling of the bottle. But her mother wasn't present to help… and neither could Eleanora help.
Smiling, Eleanora winked at the little girl, who bit her lip to keep in an embarrassed chuckle. The room was completely silent, and it had sounded louder than it was.
"Please." Ciel gestured to the food standing ready on the table, and all four daughters perked up. Though none of them moved.
Mr Thompson did instead, beginning to dig in at the small buffet. He didn't help neither of his children reach for the food out of their reach. Ciel glanced between the Earl and his daughters. Sebastian finishing pouring the tea did the same before simply moving over to Mr Thompson's side to pour his tea, rolling the cart along. It was filled to the brink with equipment, but it was the top side holding cups and a large pot of tea steaming that was important to him now during breakfast.
"Help." The word came out quietly, but loud enough for Eleanora to hear. The blonde girl, Rose, stared over at the demon with wide eyes.
Mr Thompson continued to ignore his daughters, not even acknowledging Sebastian had finished pouring his tea.
Conflicted, Eleanora looked down at the infant in her arms still refusing the bottle and then the little daughters sitting there without food.
"Mr Thompson?" She hopefully turned to the man, wanting him to take his newborn for just a little while so she could have both hands to help the girls.
Unfortunately, Mr Thompson did no such thing. As Sebastian moved his cart with tea over to the four daughters to start pouring their tea, the only thing that filled the silence that appeared after Eleanora's question, infant stretched out to the father, was the squeak of the wheels of said cart, and Mr Thompson's chewing.
Ciel had yet to grab food even, too occupied watching the scene before him.
Slowly, Eleanora pressed the infant back against her own chest, Mr Thompson not even having looked her way. As a matter of fact, Mr Thompson had not said a single word to her since the ordeal. She assumed he knew what she had done to him, but whether he was blaming himself for being foolish during the making of their covenant, or whether he was blaming her, she didn't know yet.
Placing the glass bottle down on the table, a little harsher than necessary, Eleanora stood up, placing the baby on one arm so she had a hand free. Rounding the table, she glared daggers at Mr Thompson, Ciel following the frame of Eleanora intriguingly. That small human was another male Eleanora could not read ever, and what he was thinking right in that moment, she could not decipher.
Sebastian didn't move to help, not even looking at her, and Eleanora shifted her glare to that demon.
Keeping the baby pressed against her, Eleanora began placing food on the girls' plates. With one hand it took long, especially seeing as she could not use her speed in the presence of Ciel – the boy didn't know she was a demon as far as Eleanora knew.
"Sebastian." Ciel's voice penetrated the silence so abruptly that Eleanora glanced over at him in surprise. "Help the governess."
"Yes, my lord." He approached her with his gloved hands reaching for the baby, and Eleanora immediately knew this was his way to challenge their deal, to see how far she trusted his word. She wasn't stupid. He detested those who made multiple deals, like herself, and so this deal of him staying away from the infant was clearly just a promise. But promises, unlike covenants, could be broken.
And so her immediate instinct had been to step away from him, clutching the baby tightly to her.
Sebastian watched her, an intrigued look in his eyes that made her scowl. He wasn't just checking how far she trusted his words, he was also investigating her… her goals… her morals…
The bastard.
Smiling, he tilted his head to the side and kept his gloved hands held out towards the baby. Her eyes flashed purple, and she hoped Ciel hadn't seen it. "Help them with their food."
Rose turned in her seat, staring at Eleanora with wide eyes. Sebastian clearly noticed this.
"No, baby girl…" Eleanora pushed past Sebastian, pressing a hand to Rose's blonde hair. "I will help you."
"Governess Eleanora!" complained the youngest, pouting.
Her eyes shot over at the girl, seeing the other two equally as unhappy about Sebastian helping them as Rose was. Confliction appeared within her.
Mr Thompson continued to eat.
Ciel continued watching.
And so she clenched her jaw together and twirled around to face Sebastian. "Support her head."
A smirk appeared on Sebastian's lips, stretching his lips devilishly. "I see."
The reply made Eleanora glare, but she gently offered the baby over to Sebastian anyway. She stood staring for a while as the baby rested in Sebastian's arms, cuddled up against the breast pocket of Sebastian's attire as the demon clutched the baby. Much to her amusement, the baby shifted her lips against the pocket, searching for a place to feed.
The poor thing was most likely famished.
Turning to help the girls, she noted Ciel nod at Sebastian. It was a tiny little movement of his head, but she had seen it nonetheless. Perhaps Ciel was aware of more than Eleanora originally thought.