Right *wipes head* that's all of them some of them if you read TheLadyofMusic will be longer while she has shorter but more chapters. So I would like to ask you dear readers what do you prefer? More but shorter chapters or longer but fewer chapters in both of them you won't be loosing anything or gaining anything this is just purely to see what people like more as when I look at stories after I've read a summary I look at the word count then the chapters but it's the word count that makes or breaks it for me haha but please comment and tell us what you think and thank you for reading this story I'm just so happy with people reading it and following it so thank you all again

Chapter 15

Lily served the pie and milk to the four of them, smiling softly at she sat on the counter, her usual book in hand, listening to them eat, lapping from her own glass of milk. She looked up, watching the sunset, when she saw an all too familiar shadow.

"How lovely, Sebastian and the lord have returned," she turned to face the other servants, "I feel it'd be only fitting for us to greet them, no?" She asked, earning nods as they all rose to their feet. "Although, Bard, for your comment earlier… I would appreciate it if you washed up, only the dishes you lot used of course, thank you." She said, as she led the two outside to greet the pair, Lily trailing behind slightly, scanning her surroundings as they walked.

"Master, welcome home sir!" Finny said as they approached the pair, Lily watching with mild amusement the butler carrying their lord, though kept silent.

"Oh dear!" Mey-rin gasped, the pair leaning into their lord.

"Master Ciel, you're injured," Finny commented.

"I just tripped and fell, it's nothing to worry about…" When they continued to gaze up at him, he carried on, "what? You don't believe what your master tells you?"

"Oh no, we do," Mey-rin began

"It's just, you look so cute being held like a baby and all," Finny finished. Their master's face flashed red before he ordered.

"Put. Me. Down." Sebastian obeying, though the two kept their expressions locked as he was put on his feet. "Stop looking at me like that, honestly!" Lily sniggered to herself, shaking her head, watching as Sebastian knelt, his right arm over his heart, head bowed.

"Master, I'm so terribly sorry. I've committed a blunder unacceptable for a Phantomhive butler. How could I ever atone, I hang my head in shame. Dinner is not ready." At this Lily cleared her throat, walking over to their master, hands folded behind her back.

"Sebastian is mistaken, my lord, I took the duty of preparing dinner on when I realized how late Sebastian may return." She bowed her head, placing her right hand over her heart, "dinner is prepared and ready when you are, master." Her eyes flashed open, a small smile on her lips, as she saw Sebastian stand up.

As the housekeeper and butler tidied the kitchen after their lords dinner, Sebastian glanced at her, before looking back to the task her was performing.

"I must say, Lilith, it does make a pleasant change,"

"What does, Seb?" She asked, looking up at him, her hair falling on her face slightly. He turned to face, as she did the same to him.

"Well, to have someone reliable to fill in during my absence. Though how you predicted it would be required is slightly puzzling…" He said, lightly brushing the strands from her face, behind her ear. She raised an eyebrow at him smirking, shaking her head as she sighed.

"Oh, Seb, I have told you before, I am simply one hell of a housekeeper," she said, with a dramatic flip of her head for emphasis, making the butler chuckle softly.

"But of course, Lilith."

"Though, I have to ask Seb," she said, turning back to cleaning the dishes, as he did the same, her brow creasing, "does something live in the woods around here?"

"But of course, the natural surroundings invite and are home to many different species of animals…"

"Do any ever approach the manor though?"

"Not overly, though the odd deer has been seen grazing…"

"No, no, not a deer… Something with red, black and white ha… Fur…" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You mean a fox?"

"No… I don't know what I mean…" She said, hanging her head, closing her eyes tight, her whole body tensing. "Seb… I sme… Saw something today, something I haven't since I was very young, but I have never forgotten a single detail of that… thing." She said, her voice unusually serious, "that thing, if it is what I hope it is not…"

"What do you mean, Lilith?"

"If it is here, I have to kill it, Seb… Blood for blood, it is how my family and people have always worked, especially for such crimes as it committed."

"What crime was that?"

"Murder… It… It killed…" She clenched her hands into fists, her body shaking with the building rage within, "killed my mother." She said, barely above a whisper.

"Oh Lilith." Sebastian said simply, having watched her as she spoke.

He recognized the same burning longing for revenge as he sense in their master. This answered some of the questions he had, had about her since first meeting her, why her soul had a similar odor to that of his young lord, not as powerful, but not easy to ignore. Yet she was only from travelers, circus folk, nonetheless, her soul held its own temptations.

"I'm sorry…" She said, her voice bringing him back to the here and now, "I didn't mean to seem so… Pathetic, possibly crazy…"

"I understand, Lilith… I can see to the rest of what needs to be done, you are dismissed for the evening." She looked up at him, a weak smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Sebastian… I shall see you in the morning then," she said, leaning up, she lightly kissed his cheek, catching him slightly by surprise. "Good night Seb, sleep well," she walked past him, out of the kitchen.

"And you as well, Lilith," he said, smirking slightly.

Once he had ensured that Lilith had retired to her room for the evening, Sebastian took a wrapped piece of meat from the kitchen, before making his way out to the woods at the back of the manor. He walked on, turning when he needed to, till he came upon the area he was looking for; a section of trees had been pushed and pulled by the winds, till enough had woven together to form a shelter. Sebastian approached it, crouching down slightly as he unbound the paper the meat was held in. He looked into the dark, sighing slightly as he rose to his feet. A few moments later, from the back of the darkened trees came sniffing, as a young woman walked out on all fours, slowly. Her hair was reddish orange, tatted with dirt and foliage, on her head two pointed ears, matching her hair, with black and white sprinkled through it.

"Ah, there you are, I thought I might have missed you…" She looked up him wearily, edging towards the meat. "I was hoping to see you, you seem to have garnered unwanted attention from one of the other servants…" He said, as she pulled the meat towards her, sniffing it slightly. "I thought it best to warn you, as I said one of the others knows you're near, and has every intention of hunting you down. Apparently you have some history with her, and her family." He raised an eyebrow at her, as she tilted her head in confusion, still watching him. "I wonder… Does the name Lilith mean anything to you?" He asked her, examining his gloves slightly, ensuring they were clean still. Her eyes widened as she backed away from him slightly, suddenly fearful. "I see it does, well for your own good, I would ensure that you two do not meet, alone at least. Do you understand, Kit?" She nodded, though her brow was still creased.

"Why warn?"

"Well, it seemed only fair, and besides you may have further use. You do owe me for keeping your presence a secret after all."

"Not secret…"

"Well, no, now it isn't, because you wandered too close to the manor. I have warned you of this before, have I not?" She reluctantly nodded, "so, you will stay away, less I call for you… Am I clear, Kit?"

"Yes," she grumbled. He nodded slightly, before turning away, making his way back towards the manor.