A/N: Well, talk about cutting it close! Sorry for the wait, but another monthly update for you all. Also, a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! Plus, got myself a job, too! Took long enough honestly. Plus, my first semester went incredibly well. I passed with all A's, so, I'm very pleased with the results. That being said, I plan to have another update soon shortly to celebrate. Hopefully my laziness doesn't impede that. As for the holiday omakes, I decided to hold off until the storyline caught up with the months, that way it flows along easier. Anyhow, thanks again for the support, silent or not. Your presence is much appreciated. Onto the reviews!

For our reviewers, much thanks to steph557, 8shadesofmadness, Guest 1, Guest 2, and Guest 3. Silent readers are, as always, appreciated.

steph557: A pleasant surprise, but for your sake and other readers, perhaps I will. Especially considering how "fun-prone" Undertaker, Vincent, and the kids are, they'll especially love the games part of iphones. I'll definitely see to that.

8shadesofmadness: Lmao, I'm glad to see you got your thinking cap going. But remember, Rachel is very immature in terms of emotions. She can identify and recognize (some of) them, but it doesn't mean she'll always act on it. Usually. I guess you'll have to see in the next chapter, tee hee~ But I hope you continue to enjoy the story. But trust me, there's better places than Hell, my friend. Especially in the afterlife, and I'm not talking purgatory, because believe me, no one wants to spend forever waiting. That's just plain boring.

GENERAL AUDIENCE: If at anytime the quality begins to decline, I'd appreciate it if anyone alerted me. I'd hate to be those kinds of authors to let down readers simply because of quality. This goes for anyone who happens to read this.

P.S. I don't know who is who, but I'm going "in order" of reviews meaning bottom-up. Since that's technically chronological order. You'll figure it out.

Guest 1: Yes, I hope so for this chapter and the next one. This one is kinda part one to solving the mystery. The next chapter will wrap it all up. Hopefully.

Guest 2: Good to know you're enjoying the story! Hope you'll continue to stick around. Thanks for dropping by!

Guest 3: I do not know French, but I made do with Google Translate which came out to this (?): "I can't wait to read more." Lol. Anyhow, again, much thanks for dropping by, and hopefully, I can crunch out an update quickly.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 10
Rachel's POV (1st)
There was something incredibly off about this mansion. Moreso than just the blue-clad noblewoman's predatory glances or the absence of males throughout the duration of our stay, with the exception, of course, of my current company. Something lingered here that kept me on edge, and being noticed as much by the Undertaker, informed Vincent which prompted him to gather for an impromptu meeting. Which brings us to the present a couple days later. However, a rundown of what occurred after our arrival would perhaps make the most sense before continuing my cognitive dissonance.

After having been introduced to the intricate labyrinth that was the manor, we were all assigned different rooms. Matters didn't help much that I was designated a different wing from the men, but it could potentially be supporting evidence for why she seemed to have an affinity to the same gender. If the others had noticed it, they didn't say anything between now and then, but considering that we had arrived around lunch time, we were given time to rest and settle. Being separated from my companions probably didn't mean much to anyone. Maybe I was overthinking it.

"Miss, your room will be here. If you are in need of assistance, don't be afraid to ask one of us." The maid interrupted my thoughts, causing me to assess her appearance again.

Demure. Astute. Plain. No grandiose traits that would normally attract a person of such high stature, yet, the majority of these attributes could apply to any of them.

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you." I took my luggage, walking in through the door she opened to the guest bedroom. Nothing to particularly take note of considering my social standing. However, before I could dismiss her, she continued with, "The Madame would also like some time alone with you whenever you deem fit. Simply notify any of us of the time and date, and she'll plan accordingly." Leaving it at that, she bowed her head before closing the door.

Left once more at a baffled state of mind, I considered getting situated to pass the time. Opening the suitcases provided by the Earl, I already dreaded on wearing the frilly stuffy nonsense the stereotypical Victorian women dress in, yet, to my surprise, it seemed that the wear matched my drawings. Even moreso, the style was tailored to my taste while yet subtly blending in to this era.

Huh. Was this planned by Undertaker and Vincent? I scratched my head before shaking it off. It shouldn't be a big deal, I had clothes to wear at least. At least, that's what I thought until I came across the undergarments. No bra, no panties, only a corset, drawers, and whatever else these heaps of clothes were meant for. Dear God.

Busy mentally stressing out over my outfits, I almost missed the creak of the opening door and my head snapped around to see two glowing eyes peering through the crack. On instinct, I yelped, snapping the case shut before flinging a kunai so it landed next to his head.

"Oi! A little privacy, if you wouldn't mind!" I seethed at him, wishing that my aim was a bit off to land /on/ his head rather than next to.

"He he he~" He swung the door open, careless of his transgression as he made himself at home.

In my room.

"I just wanted to check on my dear assistant~ Seems the Madame is quite taken with you, she is," he retorted. His oversized sleeves flapped with the movement as he spread his arms wide to the side as if to challenge me with /what are you going to do about it?/

I narrowed my eyes, quirking my mouth. "So it seems."

His grin widened. "So, what do you think?"

I hummed before shrugging. "Too soon to say, but it's noticeable her affinity to the fairer sex. She doesn't seem to care for men nor their business. By the way, are we under some sort of alias? Does the Earl have some sort of plan concocted? And was this planned by you and the Earl to have it done this early?" I pointed accusingly at the "offending" assortment of clothes enclosed within my suitcase. Not that I wasn't thankful, but if you knew Undertaker, there's always something up with this loon.

His grin took up half his face by the time I finished my interrogation and it took every ounce of self-control to not throw a pillow in his face. Argh, he's so annoying.

"My, my, quite the first time to ever witness a mouthful coming from you~" He giggled, it's high-pitched sound feeding the fuse.

"Your point?" Why? Why did he make it a point to point out every single little thing I did? What was the point? I hated people like that. It's so annoying whenever people need a reason for every little thing I do. I mean, goddamn, just shut up and go with it.

My eyebrow twitched at my internal rant given how he was staring at me amused. I must've been too obvious. Or… I may have just said all that aloud.

I don't care to know.

"Well?"

"Hi hi, settle down, now, love~ The Earl has everything sorted out. More importantly, your role." He joined me, sitting down on the bed and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I raised an eyebrow, leaning away for some sense of much-needed-personal-space. "That being?"

"Bait!~" He said that as if it was the greatest honor to be bestowed upon anyone.

"I see… Well, figured as much." I rubbed my chin before turning to him back to him. "So, what is it he needs me to do?"

"Why, whatever gets her to spill her secret~" he smiled as charmingly as he could manage.

"You call that a plan?" Are they for real? They must be joking. They have to be.

"Heh, I'm sure the Earl can trust in your skill to improvise, no?"

I crinkled my nose. "He sure as hell ought to considering I'm the wild card he intends to play."

"Attagirl~"

I glared at him. But before I could say anymore, there was a knock and the door to my room opened, revealing Lady Evans, much to my surprise.

Ironically, the noblewoman seemed to share my feelings, but more concerned for the current nuisance at my side. I must've been so preoccupied to not have noticed her presence. However, that didn't answer what she was doing here and why so soon.

She schooled her face, registering the unwanted presence with a dry look. "I came by to check in on you personally, but it seems as though someone has beat me to it. However, I did want you to know that preparations for a late lunch have been prepared. The Earl was gracious enough to have his staff aid with such, and I sent servants to notify everyone as such, but it seems I shouldn't have had to for /him/. All that aside, you may join us at the dining hall."

"Very well, my Lady. We'll rendezvous then." Despite my suspicions that she was up to something, I decided to play along for now. However, she could've sent a servant to me, as well, for such a mundane action.

She nodded stiffly, curling a lip at Undertaker with narrow eyes. With that, she turned her back, and with the /click/ of the door, she was gone.

I only had to sniff to tell. /Liar/. She wanted to do more than just notify me, but I suppose Undertaker's presence foiled that attempt. A glance to the side confirmed by deductions based on Undertaker's grin. He must've come to the same conclusion I did.

His giggle pierced through my thoughts. "Well, my dear, how 'bout it? Will you aid the Watchdog in this game of chess?"

I snorted. He had to ask? "You bet I will."

…

Dinner was uneventful. But really, when the main topic centered around gossip and recent events of Victorian-aged England, for someone of my case, particularly an anomaly, I suppose that would explain the majority of my boredom. However, particularly of note was the noblewoman's behavior. Especially around me.

Ever since the incident in my room, she'd been avoiding me. No passing glances, no hungry eyes, nothing. Not even special treatment, although I wouldn't know what to expect to begin with. I was treated the same as the other men, but the lingering scent of lust confused me. Perhaps it was just more than me? I've smelt it in rooms I hadn't occupied but also in rooms where the men have dwelt but not I. Which was odd.

Either way, I could safely assume the cold shoulder was due to being caught by the Undertaker. Perhaps she was thinking that she'd be taken off the spotlight by retreating. After all, she must've had something up her sleeve to have come so soon. I didn't know what it was she wanted though. Yes, lust was self-explanatory in itself, but she had plenty of maids to satiate herself. It had to be more than that. It had to somehow involve the death of multiple bachelors.

Was it maybe a sort of comeback? A rebellion against Victorian tradition? Maybe she swings the other way? Well, obviously, yes, but the mass of which the death toll accounted for couldn't have possibly come from her alone. Maybe it has something to do with her maids. Perhaps the maids themselves have more to say than they show.

For sure, there was a missing puzzle piece that Vincent was keeping from me. Maybe this was a test? Or was this on purpose to not distract from the real objective? I'm not sure, but I'll have to question the Earl myself on this matter.

Back to the maids, however… They showed a loyalty to Lady Evans. They were secretive, never spoke ill against her character, nor were they concerned for the mystery shrouding the woman. If anything, contentment radiated from them. Perhaps this was their new way of life? An escape from reality? To be situated so far away from civilization but yet sustain themselves in this bubble of theirs was queer, as Undertaker would put it.

I sighed. Maybe I was just overthinking it. Anyhow, if you were wondering how we were still alive by the third day if Madame Evans is notorious for poisoning her guests, then it's comforting to say that Vincent foresaw this problem with the solution of preparing food beforehand as well as integrating his own staff with hers. Therefore, chances of poisoning were somehow decreased, and me, having heightened senses, can affirm that the food was indeed untampered with. But probably temporarily.

I sat up from the bed on which I was currently contemplating. We were now approaching the third day. I'm sure that Lady Evans must've suspected Watchdog activity based on Vincent's arrival, but I'm not sure it she's put one and one together yet. Our aliases were supplementary to our arrival, but that didn't explain the real reason. Aside from me being bait, the Evil Noblemen had the investigation underway. However, what was Earl Phantomhive doing there? If leaked to "proper" society, it may appear scandalous, but arriving with a company of men would dim that suspicion. Surely he had something up his sleeve. He must have.

I rubbed my face. Worrying incessantly over the Earl's affairs wasn't helping. Maybe I just needed a walk to clear my head. For now, that seemed like a temporary relieve, but the upcoming impromptu meeting ought to have sufficient information for our supposed plan. Perhaps that would settle my nerves.

Oh well, one could only hope.

I got off the bed, clad in now one of the tailored dresses made for me, on behalf of Undertaker's wishes. True, the style came mostly from me, but the design required integration to normal society. It's whatever. Having clothes on my back was more than enough for me anyway. The damn corset always required an extra hand, though, and Undertaker had to be the one to do it since Vincent and Diedrich couldn't do such for obvious reasons, and the women were too weak to do it correctly. However, it was more than enough reminder of what a pain in the ass it could be from all the respiratory corrections I had to incorporate to accommodate the damn nuisance.

Meandering the halls, I went down a long corridor before taking the stairs down to find the garden. It wasn't anything hard if you memorized shit easily, but I was pretty much on my own at this point. For the past two days, I'd accompany the men anytime we interacted with the noblewoman. I'm guessing this was a private event, but considering how alienated from society she was, I don't think anyone cared to give a damn. Well, unless if you fit Vincent in the picture. But alas, nothing.

But now, I was on my own. For whatever reason, Vincent and Diedrich took off leaving Undertaker and I, but with the former nowhere to be found, here was lonely me. Thus began my trek through Lady Evan's gardens, and lo and behold, I found none other than the owner.

She straightened up, a wry smirk on her face. "Well, isn't this a surprise."

There was no doubt in my mind that she planned to take full advantage of this unexpected rendezvous.