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—
"It's just that you've been so very busy lately, young master." Sebastian said, flashing Ciel a reassuring smile. "I didn't want to trouble you with trivial matters like letters from a suitor."
It was difficult to tell who appeared to be angrier, Ciel or Alois.
Ciel grit her teeth at Sebastian in irritation as she hissed, "My schedule has been full, yes, but Sebastian, from this moment forward, you are to present me with each and every parcel of mail that arrives at this house. That's an order! Do you understand?!"
"Yes, young master." Sebastian said with a polite bow, placing his hand over his chest.
"My agenda is rather full this afternoon, but I can spare a moment. Would you like to come in for some tea?" Ciel asked Alois with a pout.
Alois's ocean blue eyes widened with joy and Sebastian felt his chest burn with rage at the sight.
"Oh, would I!" Alois exclaimed. "Of course, Ciel! I'd do anything with you!"
Alois was careful to glance over at Sebastian as he spoke those words.
Ciel, in her naivety, didn't under Alois's implied reference, but Sebastian certainly did.
While Ciel led Alois inside the house, Sebastian stood and watched.
Sebastian's blood was close to boiling at how the afternoon's events were transpiring.
"I thought we had an arrangement." Claude spoke calmly, adjusting his glasses.
"I never said differently." Sebastian huffed, walking quickly past Claude to follow after Ciel.
Sebastian's plan involving Alois's letters may have failed, but that didn't mean he had resigned himself to defeat yet….
Sebastian had meant what he said when he listed to Alois the conditions of the relationship that he would allow the blonde to have with Ciel.
And per those conditions, there wasn't the slightest chance that Sebastian was going to willfully leave Ciel alone with Earl Trancy.
—
Alois followed Ciel into her study and Sebastian quickly served the couple some tea and biscuits.
Sebastian stood vigilantly in the background, dusting a bookcase while Ciel sat and chatted with Alois.
"I apologize for the inconvenience." Ciel said to Alois in her formal tone. "You came an awfully long way just to ask about your letters."
"It's no trouble! I would do anything for you, Ciel!" Alois declared happily with a sweet smile.
Sebastian peered over at the couple with narrowed eyes.
Ciel scowled at Sebastian and he looked away, turning back to his work.
"I'm just glad to hear that you haven't changed your mind." Alois replied.
"Changed my mind about what?" Ciel blinked.
"About us~." Alois purred.
"Oh….." Ciel said, clearing her throat. "Right…...yes, I certainly would have responded if I had been given the opportunity to receive your correspondence, Earl Trancy."
Sebastian could feel Ciel's icy scowl of anger cutting into his back, even from where he was standing, all the way across the room.
"That's alright." Alois replied with a soft smile. "I'm just happy to be with you again."
Ciel blinked as Alois reached over, took her hand into his, and went on, "I'm a bit glad that you didn't get my letters if it means we can spend some time together."
Sebastian sneered in disgust at the blonde's words, careful to keep his back to Ciel.
Ciel's cheeks turned pink when instead of letting her hand go, Alois kept it held tenderly in his own, stroking the back of Ciel's palm with his long, elegant fingers.
Ciel looked at Alois and Alois gave Ciel a smouldering stare in return.
When Sebastian heard Ciel and the blonde stop talking, he turned around.
Ciel caught him and she scowled again as she yelled, "Sebastian! Leave us for a moment, will you?! The bookshelf is surely clean by now!"
Oh no!
Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Alois, who flashed a toxically sweet smile at him in return.
That was the glaring flaw with Sebastian's plan of imposing stipulations on the blonde…
Sebastian could tell Alois not to be alone with Ciel, but if Ciel commanded otherwise, then what could he do?
Sebastian was obligated to obey Ciel's orders.
Sebastian had no choice but to honor his master's wishes.
"Of course, master. Please let me know if you need anything." Sebastian said with a slow bow.
Ciel scowled as Sebastian walked towards the door but before he left the room, Sebastian turned back around and narrowed his eyes at Alois warningly, "I can assure you, I'll be very close by."
Sebastian left and closed the door behind himself and Ciel turned back to face Alois.
"Perhaps we can continue now without any more interruptions?" Ciel asked, taking another sip of her tea.
Alois watched the subtle movement of Ciel's pink lips and he smiled, "Of course, Ciel. You'll have to forgive me, though…..You look so lovely this afternoon, I don't hardly know what to say!"
Ciel haughtily ignored Alois's compliment.
"Well, what did you say in the letters?" Ciel blinked.
Alois smirked at Ciel, then he giggled and the noise grew into an outburst of laughter before he managed to quiet himself, letting go of Ciel's hand.
"Is something funny, Earl Trancy?" Ciel asked with a scowl.
"Yes, I was just imagining the blush on your face if you'd been able to read some of the things I wrote to you." Alois said, his eyes growing half-lidded as he looked at Ciel.
Despite how much she hated it, Ciel's cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
To cover her arousal and embarrassment, Ciel pretended to be offended.
"I hardly think that is appropriate, Earl Trancy. Perhaps it was best that Sebastian did dispose of your letters if all they contained were ramblings of your lascivious fantasies." Ciel spat.
"Ciel, you're hurting my feelings!" Alois pouted. "There's nothing lascivious about declaring your love for someone, is there?"
Ciel's cheeks stayed red but she tried to stay calm and not appear flustered.
"I suppose that would depend on how it's written…..." Ciel replied.
Alois rose from his chair and walked over to kneel in front of Ciel.
Ciel watched as Alois looked up at her with sadness in his gaze as he said, "I remember my favorite letter…...I was devastated when you didn't reply."
Ciel blinked as Alois took her petite hand in his once more and she asked, "Oh…..Why is that? What did it say?"
Alois slipped off his Trancy seal ring and held it up to his love as he asked, "Ciel Phantomhive….will you marry me?"
Ciel looked down at Alois in total shock.
Outside the door, Sebastian's eyes widened and he snarled in rage.
Sebastian put his gloved hand on the knob to wrench the parlor door open when Claude suddenly clamped his own hand down over Sebastian's and stopped him.
Sebastian looked up and both butlers eyed each other with furrowed brows.
"What are you doing?!" Sebastian hissed at Claude.
"Helping you honor our agreement, Michaelis." Claude replied.
Claude wanted Sebastian to keep his word.
Alois wanted an answer from Ciel, gazing up at her with a sad pout, but Sebastian….
Sebastian just wanted to charge inside the room and rip Alois apart.
