A/N: So, this is my longest chapter to date. No, this isn't the 2nd part of the AU, sorry for those looking forward to it, but I wanted to get this out since you were missing the plot chapters from last month, so I decided to combine it as two-in-one in this chapter (8.4k words for those curious excluding the A/N) that way I'm on track. Otherwise, I can't remember anything else I need to say other than there probably won't be a Valentine's AU considering Rachel's relationship with anyone is a bit too immature with Undertaker and it would just come off as odd. So, most likely next year. Maybe.
Otherwise, onto the reviews:
loveshit: Just in case I didn't respond to your review, but thanks for the feedback. And yes, she definitely can't stay mad long with Undertaker's easy-going nature, but hopefully, with character development, she adapts to it, lmao. I think you'd look forward to this chapter where he does the exact opposite, so have fun reading with this one!
bunnyxstar: No problem, I owe it to you readers for sticking along with my madness for this long. To have lasted this long wouldn't be possible without you guys, so I felt you definitely deserved it. And I'm incredibly happy to see that you still love this story! I figured some of you would like a peek to see what Rachel was like in our time period, so hopefully this hint helps explain her behavior in the 19th Century. And definitely, them knowing the Holocaust is a no no, lmao. Nonetheless, I hope you stay with me til the end, and enjoy this next chapter!
AwesomeFangirlOtaku01: I reread the chapter, and honestly, I have no idea which part of the story you meant. If you can pm or drop a review elaborating which part confused you, I'd be more than happy to clear it up a bit, but still, this surprised me, lol. I hope it doesn't happen too often, though.
skaterrockgirl: Lmao, you're absolutely fine, just glad to see you're still enjoying the story! Yeah, the quarrel thing was the only way I could think of to progress their relationship more since it's a push-and-pull kind of thing, especially because of Rachel's pride, so it's kind of interesting the things I come up with. Hopefully, you see more of that development in this chapter. Still, thanks again for dropping a review, glad to see you're still around! I look forward to your feedback whenever you're able.
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 23 Undertaker's POV (3rd)
September 7, 1885 - Monday
As the carriage bumped its way onward to the Phantomhive manor dutifully, Undertaker couldn't help but observe his assistant's interaction with her close friend, Zero, with a pout. Despite the enjoyable day off they had yesterday, he hadn't expected to get so jealous…
Or perhaps he was getting ahead of himself.
He leaned back, his usual everyday grin slapped on his face as the occupants' exchange faded to the background. He wanted to think for a bit, and with how preoccupied they were for the moment, he didn't think they'd mind.
But, while they still had time, he couldn't help but think that there was more to Rachel than she showed. He felt, despite everything that happened, he hadn't gotten as close to her as he would've wanted. It had almost already been a month!
Yes, a month, indeed~
He'd already known about her suspicious nature; the fact that it was hard for her to trust people. It only made him wonder how Zero seemed to surpass that. Normally, in about a month's time, normal people would already be friends, if not close friends.
Of course, he wasn't so delusional to think that Rachel was most people. After all, her occupation excluded her from that party.
He giggled. He was pretty sure that her personality itself excluded her from most parties… Probably~
He was interrupted from his inner monologue as something colorful was shoved directly into his line of sight.
"Hey, Un, wanna give this a try?" Rachel was holding it out to him while Zero grinned behind her back.
He tilted his head, intrigued. "Ara~ And what's this supposed to be?"
He took the strangely multi-colored cube that seemed to be made up smaller individual units of cubes at a 3x3x3 dimension. When he tried to twist one side of it, a single column flipped over to display a different combination of colors, and his mouth made an "o" shape in surprise. "Ah~ So it's like a puzzle~"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Hmm~" He took his time exploring with revolving different sides before handing it back. "And I believe that all colors are to correlate to the center cube of each side, if I'm not mistaken~"
Rachel nodded, attempting to solve it herself. "Yeah…" She got absorbed with trying to solve it that she seemed to have an adorable pout on her face despite how concentrated she looked. "Argh, dammit, I forgot the algorithms to solve it. I know there's a bunch out there. Do you have them on your phone, Zero?"
"Yeah, gimme a sec to pull it out." He began scrolling through his photo library.
And there it was. That lurch in his gut. He didn't know why, but he was jealous. Well, actually, maybe he did know.
What he knew of Rachel was that she was incredibly exclusive of her relationships with people. If she didn't have business with someone, then she wouldn't bother them. And if someone did bother her, depending on her mood, she would reject them with severe backlash or subtle hints if she didn't want to get to know them.
Now, of course, he knew he already had an advantage considering he was her boss, but if it weren't for his intrusive behavior, she would've been content to keep their relationship professional.
He frowned. That's exactly it. The problem that had been bothering him all along.
If she had her way, they probably wouldn't have crossed paths at all.
He glanced at her, smiling carelessly next to Zero as they worked through several algorithms to solve the puzzle. It was then when she rested on her arm on his shoulder and leaned closer to him with no prompting at all that his gut tugged a bit.
It should've been… me?
He blinked, flabbergasted at such a spontaneous thought. Should it really?~
He grinned darkly, holding up a sleeve so as to not alert Rachel to his sudden mood change. My, such feelings she aspires~ She's a demon through and through~
Yet not~, his subconscious argued. And it was true.
Whether she intentionally did this or not, she wasn't like most demons. No, she wasn't like them at all. She was honest, unlike them. Blunt, kind, caring even, in the rare instance she chose to be. But, most of all, she had heart.
While she did strive for perfection in some cases, she willingly embraced flaws, as well. In fact, she seemed to encourage it in the way she behaved or talked. She didn't care that people didn't like her or not, or that how she behaved didn't fit the norm.
However, she was smart enough to not overstep her boundaries in terms of being a foreigner.
Yet, most interesting of all was how she took offense to people who complimented her appearance, especially those who stressed her beauty. Anytime someone, usually men her age or a bit older, complimented on her appearance, she either had a biting or retort or a bland stare filled with disappointment. Either one never failed to bring a smile on his face.
She was quite the odd one to be so concerned about the substance of people rather than appearance despite the society she now lived in that would love nothing more than to hammer its properness and propriety up the backside. He remembered at one point her stating that it was the norm for women and even younger teens to start wearing makeup.
"They all love to wear chemical masks to make themselves feel better but completely neglect who they are. Then they start to wonder why they never feel like they're enough, as though they're still looking for their identity."
He smiled darkly in remembrance, glancing back at the pair. Now, it seemed that they'd completely moved on from the cube puzzle and were now watching something on those small devices of theirs. It seemed that Rachel got bored more easily than he did.
He snickered. Such short attention spans~
Apparently, his reaction got overheard by said assistant and a narrowing of the eyes was all the response he got before he was promptly ignored.
Yes, there was something about her hating her appearance that just made it all the more appealing to get close to her. Generally, demons were incredibly vain, both in appearance and presentation, and yet here was this little one, completely unperturbed if she looked nice or not (of course, keeping hygiene in mind). Repeatedly, she'd stressed about being one of the few to ever use makeup. And, understandably, her beauty was enough to not need it, but neither did she use it to enhance it either.
Perhaps that's why she had her bangs cut asymmetrically. To hide the scar. But that theory was disproven promptly when Rachel had said the school officials had her do it."They said it was a distraction to other students and too eye-catching." She'd sneered at the thought, he giggled fondly.
But the feeling eventually soured when he saw his assistant and Zero chatting whole-heartedly. He'd felt somewhat annoyed that he'd resorted to getting help from her underling. Although he was grateful for the little push before, now it somewhat irked him. At this point, he shouldn't need to rely on anyone to sate his curiosity. Especially if it concerned someone who lived under his own roof.
His lips curled nefariously. He had ways to get what he want, through any means necessary. While he appreciated the little kickstarter Zero gave him, he had more than enough resources to get close to Rachel, perhaps even closer than Zero could manage.
But, the first step was to make her more comfortable around him. Loosen up more. And that was easily accomplished as displayed the day before anytime she indulged in horror games. She let her guard down, therefore allowing her "true self" to come out. He hadn't imagined such an unorthodox method to be a catalyst for a friendship, but in this case, she was quite literally doing the hard work for him. Now, it was a matter of taking advantage of that to make her more reliant on him.
She was especially vulnerable anytime she lost composure, so for the burden to fall on him to comfort her was quite literally killing two birds with one stone.
His foot started wagging from side to side in excitement from all the ideas popping into his head. He had to be cautious not to make her suspicious or else all his hard work would've gone to waste.
But how is it that Zero got her to let her walls down? He observed the duo as they laughed at something their device was playing as they neared the mansion. Was it because he was personable? Close to her age? But if that were the case, she would have no problem with the majority of people she met here.
He tilted his head in thought. The obvious answer would be because of their occupation. Each had a strong sense of trust for each other, especially since death lingered on them easily like shadows. So, for them to have a strong bond would make sense. But, there was something more. Both of them knew they were expendable, so wouldn't that have made them hesitant to be close?
He tapped his lip with a nail. Maybe it's because they're expendable that they are close. It was a sort of twisted relationship to be intimate because of the looming threat of death, yet it made sense. It made being an assassin less burdensome and lonely.
Hm, what an interesting thought~ Truly, she was one of a kind.
"Hey, looks like we're here~ Ne, Rachel, you didn't forget that basket of goodies, did you?~" Zero leered at her, enjoying her discomfort as she remembered the events that happened yesterday.
She grimaced. "I'm guessing you're talking about Baker Boy who dropped by to deliver these?" She curled her lip in slight disgust at all the sweets contained within the basket.
"Seriously, though, isn't it rude to just give away all his hard work? After all, it's his feelings~ for you," he sniggered.
She bared her teeth at him, even growling a bit in her chest although it wouldn't make him shut up. In the end, she gave up and put the basket next to her. "Rather than throw it away, it's better I give it to someone who'd actually appreciate it, don't you think?"
Zero only raised an eyebrow before nodding his chin towards Undertaker. "What about him?"
She nonchalantly waved her hand. "Oh, he has one of his own. Besides, I already gave him some to make up for a debt."
Then, both Zero's eyebrows rose. "Whoa, you actually had a debt to pay?"
She deadpanned, annoyed. "Yeah, shit happens. So what?"
He snorted. "But this is a first!"
"Shut up!" She smacked his shoulder but he only laughed harder, making her grumble under her breath.
It was little things like this that he wanted to have with her alone. Sometimes, to the point of removing Zero from the equation. But he wasn't stupid enough to forcefully isolate them both, because she would see through it eventually.
However, he did have patience. And he'd make it so that he was the first one she'd turn to, not Zero.
The carriage rolled to a stop, and Zero leaned forward to take a gander and let out a low whistle.
"Ooh, what I'd give to live in a manor like that~ So fancy~"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Sure, just remember to behave yourself."
"I know, I know, PG since there's children around~"
She facepalmed, sighing. "It's not just that, but people aren't as comfortable with it. Just don't overcomplicate it."
He mock saluted. "Yes, ma'am."
The carriage door opened by the footman and Rachel ignored the assistance, basket of goodies in the crook of her arm as she hopped down before Zero followed suit, Undertaker bringing up the rear.
At the front to greet them were the Earl, his wife, Madam Red, the butler, and his German dog, leaving the twins amiss, although probably concerned with studies. Since they weren't nobility, of course, they didn't require the whole staff greeting, but the gesture was appreciative enough in his opinion.
"Hihi, Earl and Lady Earl, Madame Red, long time no see~" Undertaker bowed, removing his hat to add to the flair.
Vincent smirked as his wife smiled good-naturedly in greeting. Madame Red, meanwhile, jumped on Rachel who had been trying to avoid attention, most likely hesitant of attending this social make-over call.
"Ellie~ So wonderful of you to come! You would not believe what we have in store for you!~" She grasped his assistant's hands eagerly after hugging her.
The deadpan on Rachel's face matched the lack of enthusiasm inverse to Madame Red along with her dry retort. "It's not as though I had a choice, but all the more reason to come, no?"
"Oh Ellie, you cutie you~" Madame Red suddenly caught sight of Zero acting normal as per his superior's orders. "Oh, and who's this?"
Rachel swept a hand toward her subordinate. "My Lady, meet Zero, my subordinate."
"Oh my~ And he has white hair. Sir, have you any traumatic experiences in the past or psychological shock that lead to this predicament?"
Undertaker snickered as he saw his assistant sweat drop, amused that Madame Red had so quickly adopted her doctor facade.
"Ah, sister, now's not the appropriate time~" The Earl's wife interjected.
"Oh, so sorry. Doctor's habit~ Now, Rachel, come along, we have much to do and so little time."
"Yes, she raises a great point. Are you ready, Miss Rose?"
Rachel glanced at him flatly before looking ahead. "As ready as I'll ever be."
…
Rachel's POV (1st)
They had started with table manners since that would be one of the easiest to do.
"She already has good posture, but her social interactions are more than lacking~ But we can worry about that later."
Why, thanks ever so much for the analysis, Doc.
"Hm, why not start with food etiquette?" Vincent brought up as Tanaka led us to the dining room.
"Oh yes, after all, it's almost lunch time, no? I'll have the twins get ready."
"Very well, dear, we'll see you in a bit."
The Earl's wife left to gather the twins, and it was then that Tanaka noticed the goods in my arm.
"My Lady, would you like me to deliver that for you?"
I looked down before holding it a bit tighter. "Uh, I appreciate it, but I'll just hold on to it for a little bit longer, thanks."
Tanaka smiled, as though pleased at how considerate I am. "Very well, then if everyone could patiently wait here. Lunch will be served."
We all took a seat, Vincent at the head of the table with an empty space at the right for his family while Diedrich, Undertaker, me, and Zero occupied the left. Madame Red chose to sit at the end so that she'd be able to talk with us while also bringing up the end at her side, leaving the twins between her and her elder sister.
"So, how is it you two met~?"
I deadpanned, not sure how to break the ice. "Uh, I'm not sure it would be an appropriate topic for lunch."
Her eyebrow rose in prospect of a unlikely friendship. "Oh? And how's that~"
"Well, let's just say that we were in unlikely places, we bumped into each other, and ended up becoming friends." I hoped that sounded believable, but unfortunately, Zero chose to be an idiot at that exact moment.
"I'd say we more than just bumped each other, Rachel-san~" He leered at me, waggling his brows suggestively.
I merely kept a blank face, turning to him slowly before smacking the top of his head with the side of my hand. "Shut up."
Madame Red giggled, making me freeze. Crap, we have company.
"Don't believe whatever he just said. Merely that we ended up with the same lot in life, so we decided that we're in for the ride together. That's all." I shrugged.
"Yet, you each have a strong bond of trust for the other," Vincent noted.
"Comes with the job description," I commented lightly, making the other three men chuckle.
And on cue, the twins entered, and I could distinctly hear one of the twins whisper to the other, "The angry man is here!"
Apparently, he wasn't quiet enough which lead to the German's outburst. "Oi! I'm not angry!"
"Yes, try to prove you're not angry by shouting angrily. Well done, Diedrich. You've convinced us all."
He blushed when everyone laughed, but as soon as the twins noticed it was me who said it, they got all shift-eyed and awkward.
I sighed inwardly, trying to decide on the best time to give them the sweets.
Tanaka, then, entered the room, much to my chagrin to announce that lunch was ready. A couple of servers each carried a three-tiered metal holder filled with sandwiches and some salads for all of us, reminding me that they had certain customs they adhered to.
"Definitely your cup of tea, no?" Zero whispered to me.
My brow twitched. He was referring to my "vegetarian" diet. Mind you, I still fancied my steaks as a proper Texan, but when it came to athleticism or any sort of outdoor activity requiring the body's physical performance, meats weren't as beneficial as vegetables were. Especially in terms of endurance.
"Just you wait til I beat you on the track," I muttered back, inciting a snicker from him.
"Today, we have an assortment of sandwiches to choose from, varying from salted pork to chicken. On the side, we have a lightly tossed salad with several choices of salad dressing for preference." As Tanaka informed us, the servers dutifully assorted the foods among us so it was spread evenly.
True to my word, I had a couple of sandwiches with a good serving of salad without the sauce. Zero, Undertaker, and Diedrich all went for the meat while the rest split evenly between both.
"So," began Vincent, "seeing as how you two are close, how long have you both known each other?"
I blinked before looking at Zero. "Couple of years, my lord."
"Only that little?"
Zero coughed, trying to hide a laugh. "Oh yep, it may have been a short amount of time, but Rachel's changed quiiiite~ a bit from when I initially met her."
Predictably, Madame Red, Undertaker, and the twins perked, and I could feel the subtle traces of embarrassment crawl into my stomach. Dear God, not this again.
"Oh~ And what's that supposed to mean, Zero-kun?" Undertaker steepled his fingers, resting his chin on them to display his full interest.
"Well, the young lady sat before you here today is a much tamer version of the little rascal she used to be~"
I felt my brow twitched. Rascal?
"How so?" Madame Red prompted.
"Well, say she met a random passerby who offended her on the street. A couple years ago, she wouldn't have hesitated to leave a mark whereas today, she'd simply glare and comment on it but let it go."
I facepalmed, sighing as my associate simply ignored the subtle signs to shut up. I looked up through my bangs to gauge the reactions of everyone around me. Of course, the twins had fascinated yet slightly nervous looks on my faces. The other women looked politely shocked, Madame Red, however, seemed more amused by the fact that she couldn't see any trace of my former delinquent self… as much as I was ashamed to admit.
The only people I expected to not be as surprised were, of course, the Evil Noblemen. There had to be roots for someone such as myself to be involved in the Underworld, and I'm sure they understood that it was more than just being rowdy from a young age.
"So you were quite the troublemaker, ne~ Ellie~?" Madame Red leaned her elbows on the table to make a resting place for her chin as she leered at me.
I, however, simply stared at my plate. "I suppose…"
The lack of continuation, of course, was more than enough to end the flow.
But, of course, that's why you had people like Vincent to count on.
"Hm, is that so~ Quite reminds me of Diedrich's younger times… Ah, he was quite the rowdy German back at our days in Weston~ Quite difficult to manage, too, now that I think about it." He smirked as his colleague choked in indignation.
"Hey-! I was not! Don't make such presumptuous statements when you were just as much trouble!" He stuffed a sandwich in his mouth with a blush as Vincent shrugged helplessly.
With that, the atmosphere recovered and lunch ended without a hitch with the entirety of conversation mainly being light-hearted gossip and teasing. Of course, as soon as lunch concluded, the lessons began.
…
Madame Red and I were on our way to the music room since Zero had too much fun blathering about my terrible skills in dancing and social interaction overall - among other things - which, now that I think about it, was his way of getting back at me for making him behave, but I digress. Now that absolutely everyone was informed of my weakness, it had been decided what the first task ought to be, obviously.
"Say, Ellie~ I was observing you during lunchtime and it seems as though you'd already adopted mannerisms I'd expect from a aristocrat. Why is that?"
My attention snapped to her, surprised that she managed to pick up on that. "You were able to catch that?"
She smiled coyly. "Doctor's habit~"
Ah, right, she worked in the medical field.
"Well, it would be poor preparation for my manner of profession to not be prepared for any case scenario."
"Even dancing?~" She chuckled as she watched my eyebrow tick in annoyance.
"Generally, in my line of work, we tend to blend in rather than stand out. Although, yes, I will admit, there is a disadvantage - at least in this era - to not know how to dance, we tend to rely on the environment as a cover and not so much the people. The setting is far more reliable because it's always somewhat more consistent, unlike people. But of course, that depends on the context."
She raised a slender eyebrow at me, a smile flitting on her lips. "You're quite adept at your occupation, aren't you?"
I stared at her, nonplussed. "I'd have to be to come this far."
Her smile softened. "It must've been hard."
I stayed quiet, looking at her before continuing on my way to the music room where everyone else were most likely waiting.
Although I could appreciate her efforts in trying to empathize, I didn't need her pity, and she certainly wouldn't want mine. But, I suppose she was trying to establish herself as an outlet for me to confide to, so I'd decided that silence was the better option.
"Ah, Ellie, we're here." She smiled at me before gesturing to the door with the tilt of her head.
I looked at her before nodding. Although the men's voices could be distinctly heard from outside the room, I opted to play dumb.
"-her mannerisms and social etiquette are quite sufficient, so that only leaves - Ah! And here she is! Miss Rose, glad you can join us." Vincent was smiling quite cheekily but in a more tempered manner considering the presence of his wife.
"Glad to be back, my lord." The whole formal greeting was still uncomfortable to me, but all the more to play it safe for the sake of Undertaker's reputation.
Madame Red chuckled and patted my back, mistaking my stiff reply for uneasiness. "Oh, loosen up, dear. It won't be so bad, you'll see."
I looked away, disgruntled. "I'm sure."
"Hihihi, still holding to that basket of goodies, I see~ You know, if you ever change your mind, I'm open to any leftovers~" Undertaker giggled as he approached from the inner circle of men, leering at the gifts basket I was holding.
I held it close to my body, leaning it away from him for protection. "I'm simply waiting for the right moment. I would've given it to them after lunch, but it seemed they had stuff to do."
"Ah, yes, I'd decided that while we helped integrate Victorian customs, we would have the children conclude their studies meanwhile. Afterwards, you may take care of whatever business you have with them."
"Sure, thanks for the heads up."
"Of course."
"Tch, I don't see the big deal. They're just kids." Diedrich huffed as he crossed his arms, as though the thought of children itself were a foreign concept to him.
"Hmph, it's not like I'd expect a German with no child-rearing experience to understand." I busied myself with tidying the basket, not even bothering to give him my full attention.
Predictably, his jaw dropped in shock before he rushed to defend himself. "Child experience?! Phantomhive, remember when I gave your youngest twin some advice about his future?"
Vincent's smile turned sympathetic, which only seemed to make him a bit condescending. "You mean informing him about having to earn a living from scratch at the tender age of seven?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You call that advice?"
"Oi! At least it's applicable!"
"Sure, at least not for the next five years."
Diedrich's face flushed red as everyone chuckled, but I decided to take pity on him and patted his shoulder. "At least, he's aware, and I applaud you for breaking the ice for the Earl. I'm sure it would break every parents' heart to tell their child the bitter truth."
His face still stayed red, but he brushed my hand away. However, this time, he wouldn't look at me, but I chalked it up to his being embarrassed. "So? What's in the basket?"
I held it up. "Oh, this? Just some sweets from a local bakery."
"They any good?"
I shrugged. "They're as good as you'd expect from a commoner's local bakery store." I highly doubted a nobleman like him would waste his time in a place like that, so I stayed neutral.
"Hmph, we'll see."
My brow rose. Or I could be wrong.
A chin suddenly planted itself on my shoulder with a clawed hand resting on the other. "Ara~ Could it be that milord's expanding his tastes on account of my assistant? Hihihi!"
If it were even possible, Diedrich's face seemed to turn even a brighter red as he sputtered before indignantly pointing at Undertaker. "Oh, shut it! As if there's anything wrong with trying out new stuff."
"Now now, while that's all well and good, let's not forget why we came here in the first place," interceded Vincent.
About time he stepped in, honestly.
"Oh ho, Miss Rose is quite competent at carrying out a conversation, as quick-witted and clever as she is~" Madame Red had her fan out and peering over at me quite mischievously.
"I hardly think just cleverness would be enough to scrape by. I don't know enough of England's politics or culture to carry out an educated conversation."
"And believe me, dear, you won't have to. Although it may be expected where you come from, a lady here is expected to be innocent and naive. Unsuspecting and weak, especially around gentlemen."
"So pretty much just act brain-dead."
She chuckled wryly. "Precisely, unless it comes to dancing, in your case."
"Of course."
"Which brings us to this." Vincent smoothly interjected by bringing out a fancy looking phonograph. "I especially acquired this for one particular reason."
"To play music," I stated.
"Correct! It's quite rare for its kind, but it shall serve its purpose. Now, why don't we have Diedrich serve as Miss Rose's first dancing partner?"
Both of us looked at him incredulously. "What?!"
"Whoa, hold on, I was given the assumption that the mortician would be accompanying her to the party!" Diedrich's vein seemed about ready to burst from all the stress he'd undergone today.
Vincent smirked. "Of course, but in a realistic setting, she'll likely have multiple partners interested in more than just one dance, so she'll have to be comfortable with not being around Undertaker."
Diedrich grunted, but conceded reluctantly. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." He held his hand out for me to accept before leading us to the center of the room, both of us not quite looking at each other.
"Oh wow, you two make a handsome couple~" That was the first in a long time that Zero commented, and because it was him, my default response slipped out.
"Shut up."
Of course, he burst out laughing, but everyone else looked at me quite shocked, or even amused.
I looked away with a grimace. "Apologies. My tongue tends to get ahead of myself."
Vincent hid a chuckle behind his head. "Of course, so long as you suppress that enthusiasm at the actual event."
I grit my teeth uncomfortably as I looked at Diedrich's shoulder as he looked to the side. Being this close to him, I finally realized just how tall he was and even smelled a light cologne on him. Of course, I didn't know the brand.
"Alright," a gruff voice in my ear said, "place your other hand on my shoulder. I lead, you follow."
Okay, straight forward. Great. That still doesn't tell me anything.
"You'll have to tell me the steps for this dance, or else we'll be tripping on each other's feet."
He sighed in aggravation at realizing just how ignorant of dancing I was. "Do you seriously not know how to dance?!" He was so shocked at hearing that that he even spared a glance at me before looking away quickly.
I sighed, too. "In my time, we don't even have these kinds of events anymore, not unless it's for intimate outings."
And noticeably, a blush creeped up from his neck, sporting just how inexperienced he was with handling women overall. His movements were stiff, his grip twitchy, and his movements overall screamed uncomfortable. He was just as bothered by it as I was.
"Uh, you two do know you have to look at each other, right?"
The Earl's voice piping into our conversation reminded me that we weren't alone in the room which just about made it ten times worse, in my opinion.
Coincidentally, we both grit out teeth and stared at each other so intensely that it quite literally came off as glaring. Zero's snort only confirmed my suspicions. Afterwards, we went back to looking over each other's shoulders.
"Whatever. We'll deal with that problem once we reach it. First and foremost, she needs to learn the dance." The accusatory way he stated it made it seem like my fault for not knowing to begin with.
Well, sorry for not being born in this time period.
"Even a child would know this already," he grumbled.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, just get on with it, would you? You're making a spectacle of us."
He huffed. "Ja. Fine, we begin like this. First with the left foot, then the natural turn…" As he walked me through each step, I could hear the nervous hitch in his breathing every time we got remotely closer than usual.
Jesus, as if this weren't awkward enough already.
His hand that was on my back was barely even touching me, almost to the point that so many little things were distracting me that I couldn't focus. The nervous way he barely held me, the stiffness in his movements, the crushing atmosphere of awkwardness, and the fact that were being watched cumulatively led to my demise. Almost every time, I ended up either stomping his foot or kicking him in the shin.
It got to the point that I exasperated all his patience that he let go and exclaimed, "Vincent, this is absolutely useless! Let's just find someone else to take her place. We're taking too much time."
"Now now, Diedrich, that's not something to say to a lady."
"A lady?" He scoffed. "She's too incompetent to be one!"
Vincent continued his efforts to appease Diedrich, but by then, I'd already tuned them out. Actually, I'd tuned out the whole room. I was angry, frustrated, and above all, annoyed. I did realize that it was my fault for not being prepared, but to be so publicly humiliated while dancing with someone who wasn't even comfortable with me made it so much worse.
I didn't bother saying anything in my defense, just simply hid my curled fists in my pockets, looking down as my bangs shadowed my face. Feeling everyone's pity would only piss me off even more.
"My dear." A soft voice and an open hand appeared in my field of vision, making me look up with defiance on my face. But of course, it was Undertaker who came to my rescue.
I said nothing, at least nothing that wouldn't come out as an expletive.
"Why don't we try one more time, ne~" He coaxed me some more with a soft smile, patiently waiting until I placed my hand in his and he gently pulled me to him until we were at a comfortable distance from the other. "Now, like milord stated, we'll go through the steps one by one. Simply follow my lead, dear~"
I nodded, not looking up at him, but instead choosing to analyze him as a way to distract myself. From the moment he held my hand, it was already obvious he had experience with these kinds of settings, even in the way his hand held mine or how comfortably his other one was placed on my back. His gait was confident, relaxed even, and although I'd step on his foot sometimes or kick his shin, he'd giggle away my strained apology and keep leading as though nothing happened.
Most notably, however, was when I started to tense up as the attention of staring got to me, that he squeezed my hand gently and murmured, "Now now, none of that~ Focus only on me, dear. That's all that matters~"
I looked up to find glimpses of his eyes as silent encouragement to remain focused before nodding and incidentally kicking him again. I sighed, looking away annoyed again. "Sorry."
"Hihi~ quite alright, my dear~ you're doing much better now, even with the song playing~" And on cue, the phonograph started up, and although we started off-beat, Undertaker managed to sway us into tempo until we were comfortably dancing along with the tune. "Excellent job, love~"
I swallowed, nodding again, and noticed that I'd relaxed a lot more than I initially was with Diedrich.
Unlike Diedrich, he didn't rush me nor exclaim his grievances for everyone else to hear. He guided me patiently, and with the gentleness you would expect a nobleman would have. Eventually, the tension diminished, and we breezed through the song with no further consequence.
"Now then, why don't we work on eye contact, m'dear~?"
I spared him a glance to find him already looking at me, amused. I rolled my eyes. "So what, we just stare at each other for the duration of the dance before switching partners?"
He giggled. "Well, not exactly, you can expect some conversation from your partners."
I waited for him to give examples but he just smirked. "Such as?"
"Well, what do you think?"
I sighed. There's no point in even trying to rile him up. "I don't know, meaningless small talk, introductions, "how do you do, blah blah blah", that kind of shit?"
He snickered. "Perhaps~"
"Great, so basically, this whole event I'm preparing for is the cumulation of everything I hate." My hand twitched in his as I dreaded the upcoming week of torture.
He grinned widely, relishing the thought of learning something new. "Oh~ So you abhor all manner of social outings?"
I quirked my nose. "No, more as in I find small talk to be meaningless. I don't see the point in meeting new people if I won't ever see them again, unless of course if I have to. Cashiers or anything work-related don't count, obviously, but in terms of socializing, I'd rather hang out with friends at home."
"Hihi, as you've proven yesterday~"
"Yeah, with Zero or other friends, I have no problem doing game night. It's less stressful nor do I have to worry about other people ruining our time."
"As good and comfy as that sounds, dear~ that's also the catalyst for your aversion to social outings~ After all, it takes practice to become comfortable in unfamiliar social settings~"
"Sure, but not to differences this extreme." I hummed thoughtfully. "Oh well, fake it til you make it, right?"
He smiled. "Hihi, you and your strange expressions~"
I rolled my eyes. "You're making a big deal out of it."
He giggled. "For someone as old as me~ anything you do to me is quite new~ Not to mention you being estranged from home~"
I snorted. "Believe you me, there wasn't a home for me there til now."
His smile immediately dropped at the somber mood and I shut up.
I really have a penchant for ruining the mood, don't I?
"Is that so?"
The conversation died out after that, but the silence wasn't as stifling. Rather than concern myself with filling in, I found myself appreciating Undertaker as a dance partner.
Besides all the pros of him being guide and whatnot, his comforting presence made it easy to forget my initial worries… which, now thinking it over, isn't very ideal for a case to keep my guard up.
In fact, Vincent had been very hush-hush about the whole ordeal, but if Undertaker trusts him, then I didn't really have much to worry about.
But, back to Undertaker. He wasn't as tall as Diedrich, nor was he as imposing unless if he wanted to be. Thinking back from what happened yesterday, I was surprised to find his scent mingled with jealousy. He'd hid it very well, and I doubted me confronting him would've yielded any answers, but the subtle trace itself confused me. I didn't think I was leaving him out too much, and I'd made sure to include him in the games.
He enjoyed trying out the game however well he could with that poor eyesight of his, but he was satisfied watching me play. He had less interest any time Zero took over, however. Which made sense considering they were little more than acquaintances.
I frowned, and my hand on Undertaker's shoulder unconsciously tightened, making him tilt his head. "M'dear?"
I looked back at him before shaking my head. "It's nothing. Merely that, for the case, we'll have to come up with a believable background if I'm going to be mingling with nobility."
He smirked. "Ah, yes, that~ Well, if we do say we're married, it'll be less difficult, but we'll have to be convincing~"
I glared at him. Didn't he know that that required affection? One of which I was uncomfortable giving to a boss?
He snickered. "Or, we could merely say we are budding lovers~"
"Either sounds less than ideal~" I looked to the side, annoyed.
He tilted my chin towards him. "But, it's necessary, at least, for this investigation."
"Hn, I guess…"
Shortly after, the phonograph began concluding the dance, and another gloved hand entered my field of view.
"If I could be honored with milady's hand for the next dance?" To my surprise, it was Vincent who was offering.
I looked at Undertaker and back to the Earl before nodding and placing my hand in his. "It's an honor, Earl." I was still uncertain on whether his wife would be fine with it, but I guess if Vincent's doing it, then it should be fine.
"Well, you're quite comfortable with Undertaker~ You've even improved rather well under his instruction!"
I gave him a bland look, not sure how to interpret his enthusiasm. "Well, I'm his tenant. Us being close shouldn't be that much of a surprise."
He tilted his head, amused. "Ara~ So blasé, hm? Yet, not half an hour ago, you were stumbling over my associate's feet, ne~?"
I looked away, outwardly bored yet internally disgruntled. "What of it? It's not my fault he's a terrible teacher."
Vincent smirked. "Perhaps, but just so you know, he does feel bad~"
I looked at him. "I'd like to hear that from him."
Vincent laughed. "Well, believe it or not, Diedrich is quite shy around the fairer sex, and to be placed under the spotlight with a beautiful woman got quite under his nerves."
"You don't say," I griped, still looking over his shoulder.
He smiled in a lax manner. "It takes patience, Miss Rose."
"Which I'm short of, at the moment." I shot back. Although I could understand him backing up his colleague, I still found his behavior unreasonable. Especially in an era where men had more support.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for equality, but I'm not so big on feminism, at least, what my generation stood for. In simpler terms, I disliked operating by group identity. It made bigger messes to clean up, especially if the fault isn't yours.
"Well, it's been an honor to dance with you, milady. I certainly hope you enjoy the rest of your evening here at the manor." He stepped back as his wife approached, looking at me rather proudly.
"The honor's mine, my lord." I curtsied in respect.
"You did rather excellent, Miss Ellie~! To have mastered the dance in so little time with little guidance, I have no doubt you would make an excellent example of a Victorian Lady!" The Earl's wife actually took hold of my hands and squeezed them for gentle encouragement.
I was momentarily stunned but humbled by such consideration. I tipped my head in acknowledgement. "I'm unworthy of such praise, but thank you."
She beamed before a clawed hand gently grasped my shoulder. "Hihi~ See, Rachel-san~? Everyone has confidence in you~"
I looked at Diedrich for a reaction, but he stubbornly looked away. I didn't comment however, knowing that it would only humiliate him. There wasn't any point, anyhow.
"But, there is still one more task to accomplish. It's been rather severely lacking since you first stepped into this manor." Vincent had a mockingly serious look on his face, but I already knew I would be uncomfortable with it. Especially if it were at my expense.
"Ara~ Seems I spoke too soon~? Hihihi!"
I glared at him. Gee, such great mental support.
Zero snickered off to my side, patting my shoulder consolingly. "You've noticed?"
It was at this moment I could sense two small presences making their way towards the music room, and it just so happened that the moment Tanaka opened the door for them, that the Earl made his great announcement to the sad truth they would be privy to.
The Earl, who'd closed his eyes in thought, opened one to look at Zero mischievously. He smirked. "But of course. Miss Rose hasn't smiled since day one that we've met!"
Everyone but Undertaker and Vincent seemed to freeze before snapping their heads in my direction as if realizing the same thing.
Even Madame Red was awed. The twins gasped in shocked, and I had to maintain a blank face to keep everyone from knowing how annoyed I was.
"Hah! She's worse than me!" Diedrich huffed with pride, crossing his arms in childlike victory.
I raised an eyebrow. "Beats looking angry all the time."
"Oi! I am not!" Of course, the contradiction took form of the youngest twin flinching at his protest and therefore making Diedrich's eyebrow twitch.
"Oh dear, we must certainly rectify this!" Lady Rachel was smiling warmheartedly, a hand on each of the twins' shoulders as if to comfort them.
"You're right, madame!" Zero clapped his hands with all the air of a man in charge. He pointed his finger at me before commanding, "You! Smile!"
A period of silence hung in the room before Undertaker and Vincent snorted at his crass method.
I stared blankly at him, and it was then that Madame Red tutted.
"Oh, this simply won't do~ Perhaps a funny story shall suffice!"
Before she could go any further, it was the Earl's wife who placed a hand on her shoulder with a close-eyed smile, stopping her from continuing. "Sister, how about you share this story with a more appropriate audience later?" Although it was suggested in light manner, she was no doubt hinting at her children.
Of course, Madame Red could only comply. "Oh, alright. Anyone else have any ideas?"
Undertaker said nary a thing, and I think I knew why.
It's probably - probably - because of the fact that I was the one who smiled with him first, and he didn't want to give it away. Zero, of course, had seen me smile multiple times because of how long we'd known each other, but probably the reason why he also stayed silent was to see what they would come up with.
Of course, the answer presented itself in a way that no one would've expected.
By bocchan.
The twins had been observing my reaction to the challenge, and although it would've been expected that Master Ciel would come up to me first, it was, in fact, his younger brother.
Perhaps it was the fact that bocchan may have sensed a kindred soul in me because of the fact that I didn't smile at anyone nor introduce myself first. Or the fact that I didn't like the spotlight.
The answer remains a mystery still, but he came forward.
Of course, he was timid and hesitant. But he'd remembered that I liked petting their dog, Sebastian, for whatever reason.
"Ne, Miss Rachel-san, w-would you like to come see Sebastian?"
I looked down at him, surprised. For a second, I didn't say anything because I thought he meant the demon, Sebastian, but remembering the timeline, I instantly remember the dog that the demon butler would inherit the name from. Secondly, it was bocchan who'd asked which had also lengthened the silence.
Of course, the longer I remained silent, the more intimidated he'd be by the fact that I didn't say anything. After all, no communication is still communication in the end.
I crouched before smiling softly at him. In order to not scare him away, I had to make myself approachable. "Of course, bocchan. It would be my pleasure. But first, would you like some sweets?"
I still had the sweets long overdue from the apology I owed them, but apparently, that was the magic trick from how wide their eyes popped open.
"You have some?" Master Ciel had rushed to his brother's side to see if I had any on my person but got disappointed when I had none to offer.
"Not right now, but you can ask Tanaka for some later. He has them somewhere." Before going to the music room, he'd taken them from me to store them in the kitchen so the contents wouldn't be disturbed too much.
They all gasped before tittering in excitement and looking at their parents for approval.
Their mother smiled akin to how one would when they see a kitten with their head stuck in a box. "Very well, but, you promised Ms. Ellie something first, didn't you? Once you've done that, I will have Tanaka bring up some of the sweets for you two to share, alright?"
"Okay!" They chorused. Each one grabbed a hand, ready to tug me out of the room when Vincent intervened.
"Just a moment, you two! We're just about finished, so why don't we have you two find Sebastian, and when we finish up, you can have the room to yourselves. How does that sound?"
"Oh, that's a great idea, Father!"
"Ok, Miss Rachel-san, we'll see you in a bit~"
Both boys ran out the room, leaving me speechless. At this point, whatever was happening was going over my head.
"Well now, seems like you've patching things up with the boys quite easily~ hihi!"
I rolled my eyes, feeling his arm around my shoulders after I straightened up. "Oh, shut up, I just needed something to distract them with."
"That aside, you passed rather wonderfully!" Vincent had an eyebrow raised. Diedrich, on the other hand, seemed to be fighting a losing battle with his flushed face. Geez, he can't be that inexperienced with women, can he?
"Uh, thanks?"
"Of course, we'll have to work on your socialization skills, but I'm sure that's enough work for one day. Take as much time as you need before you retire. Tanaka will collect you when it's time for supper." Vincent smiled when I nodded before taking his wife's hand who gave me one last smile and exiting out the room together. Diedrich followed not far behind.
"Ara~ You ought to smile more, Ellie-san~ You look your age when you do!" Madame Red approached with me a pout, likely thinking what a shame it was that I didn't smile enough.
I merely shrugged. "It's no loss to me. The less I smile, the less people I have to deal with. Sometimes."
She smirked with amusement. "Oh? Well then, not to worry dear~ By the end of this week, you should be adept enough to carry yourself in society with little hesitation. For now, I'll see you around, dear. I'm sure that sour German needs some cheering up. Ta ta~" She waved before she, too, exited the room.
I waited a moment for the clawed hand to let up, but it never did, so I turned to find him already staring at me with a grin which only served to piss me off. "What?"
"Hihi, oh, nothing. I just merely find it interesting how wary you are of intimacy~"
"Great, how observant of you. Aren't you needed in other places?"
He pouted. "Neh~ How cruel of my own assistant to dismiss me when I just wanted to check up on her~"
I rolled my eyes, trying to massage away the incoming headache. "If I give you some of the sweets from the basket, will you settle down?"
He frowned a bit, contemplating a bit before an ear-splitting grin crossed his face. "Deal~"
I sighed just as I felt the returning presence of the twins plus their dog nearing the door.
So much for R&R by myself with the piano.
02/29/2020