A/N: It's ironic that just mentioning the name Sebastian reminds everyone of our infamous butler. It was literally on almost everyone's mind in the reviews, lol. But, I'm not bitter about it since it will star him but much much later, so very sorry for misleading for those expecting the butler by now. As suggested by one of the readers, I added slowburn to the description and will fill in the blank for which chapter he makes an appearance.

Now, in light of the pandemic going around, I hope everyone is doing alright and staying at home and staying healthy. Especially to those in Italy and China, I hope recovery and aid is swift. Because my parents work in a hospital, I get immediate medical info from them, sometimes wrong or not, but because they've already had patients positive for COVID-19, it may put me at risk as well. However, hopefully they stay safe.

As for everyone else, in case of medical info that you're not aware of, COVID-19 is indeed dangerous, and though there have been cases of recovery, irreversible lung damage is guaranteed. So, people who are smokers are at a higher risk, therefore, stay healthy, keep lots of fluids in your diet, and exercise social distancing. Just a notice/reminder. I hope everyone is safe and staying healthy.

Otherwise, story wise, again late and a bit short (4.5k words), but I am finishing the last of the Summer AU. It should be up tomorrow night. Also, I'm very honored at the amount of views this story got because of the quarantine and we hit 1.4k views, roughly. I'm incredibly shocked that anyone was interested to read this mess of mine, but I welcome all the new readers and bookmarks. I hope you stay for the journey.

Now, without further adieu, onto the reviews:

annevic: Thank you so much, and I'm glad it was satisfactory. It's sometimes hard to write him since I have to be careful not to make him too biased towards Rachel but still show some character development towards her. But, thank you nonetheless, hopefully, none of the characters become too OOC, so I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Enjoy!

skaterrockgirl: Lol, I know, I feel bad for everyone expecting Sebastian by now. I am excited for his presence as I have lots of ideas for how it'll kick off with Rachel, and you'll definitely see lots of humor and turmoil between the two. In terms of possessiveness, I do have an idea of what Undertaker's behavior will be like around him and vice versa, so I hope you're patient with me til then. As for dark, well, you've had a taste of it in the earlier chapters, but more will come, promise! Thank you again for the update, and enjoy reading the new update! I'll make sure to utilize all and any imagination!

Asia1990: Thank you again for the recommendation. It was misleading, and I'm very sorry to have disappointed you. However, there is a reason to why I've dropped her so early on and it's so that she can establish a firm footing in this timeline. I am planning on adding turbulence between their relationship, and it is within that time period that Sebastian's presence will definitely add some spice to the plot, therefore, if you're willing, I hope you stick around til then. Otherwise, I'll have Sebastian's appearance mentioned in the description for those uninterested for UTxRachel for the time being. Nonetheless, thank you for the constructive criticism.

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 24 Rachel's POV (1st)

September 7, 1885 - Monday

Afternoon

"Ne, ne, Miss Rachel-san~ We brought him, we did~" Master Ciel was the first to jovially approach me as their pet bumped his nose into the younger brother's back.

"Hey! Ow! Stop it! That hurts!" Bocchan was pouting, holding a hand behind his back to soften the canine's prodding until I clicked my tongue.

Immediately, it's head swung towards me, black button nose twitching as it sniffed. Cautiously, it approached me. Their guard dog seemed to remember me but didn't have enough trust to let its guard down.

I offered him my palm, kneeling down to ease the interaction and waited patiently for him to sniff my hand before patting his head and scratching behind his ears. Eventually, my attentions must've sated him for he eventually curled up close to me but still in front of his charges for more petting.

"Wow~ Miss, you're really good with dogs!" Ciel joined me in petting Sebastian, sitting on the floor and watching as their dog enjoyed the attention in the form of a thumping tail against the floor. Even bocchan eventually joined in until Sebastian's eyes opened as footsteps neared and looked at the person behind me.

I looked back as well to find Tanaka holding out the basket of goodies to me. "I figured you might needs this, Miss Rose. But I suggest only one snack since dinner will be about shortly. I'll bring tea shortly for you to enjoy with."

"Oh, thanks, Tanaka." I nodded, taking it from him before placing it before the twins as their butler strolled away to prepare tea. "So, you heard the boss, which will it be?"

Both twins peered into the basket, taking out cookies and cake slices before settling on similar sweets. Vanilla iced cake slices.

"Ne~ What about me?~" A nail poked my cheek and I gave him a stare, making him wait until behaved before giving him one. "Aw~ Only a cookie?"

I huffed. "Behave, you have your own back at your place."

"But we won't be back there until the end of the week." He had his puppy face going, even having the sleeves imitate paws.

"Then you can wait til the end of the week. It's not like they're going anywhere."

"Meanie~" He pouted, poking me again before scarfing down the treat.

Sebastian watched us before laying his head down again, contented from all the attention while the twins giggled. "You can't have too much sweets or else it'll be bad for your teeth!" Maser Ciel held a finger up, adding a cute hint to his lecture.

"Yeah! Gramps said so." Bocchan seemed to forget whom he was talking to until the mortician's smile widened to a frightening degree.

"Hihi~ Is that so?~" He even leaned forward for effect until I smacked his shoulder.

"Oi, leave him alone." I noticed him look at me wide-eyed but feigned ignorance. His shyness had started creeping up and he would've retreated further into his shell if I didn't intervene.

He pouted. "My assistant is so mean~ Makes me think she doesn't like me~" He crossed his arms akin to a child and looked away, bringing out more laughter.

"Well, if you weren't constantly annoying her, she'd be nicer to you," Zero piped up.

I blinked, having expected him to be gone. "You're still here?"

He gave me a bland look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I would've thought you already left." He wasn't particularly known to be fond of kids despite his seemingly nice demeanor.

He scoffed. "Hah! Such faith you have in me. I would've thought you would stop me from leaving."

I raised an eyebrow before shaking my head. "Do as you like, I'm not your mother."

Zero fake coughed behind his hand, saying in a gravelly voice, "Even though you act it all the time?~"

My eyes snapped back to him, feeling my temple pulse in annoyance as Zero and Undertaker snickered simultaneously. "Whatever."

I stalked off to the piano, still wanting to relieve the stress. Although it was nice to finally patch up with the twins, being around people too long would end up draining my energy. As I lifted the piano cover to expose the ivory keys, I was surprised to find the twins following me and arched an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't you wait until after your tea time?"

Master Ciel shook his head. "Tanaka won't be back for a while, and besides, we wanted to watch you play!" His counterpart nodded eagerly.

I shrugged. "Alright, just make sure when he does get here that you don't let it go cold."

"Yay!~"

The corner of my mouth twitched but I remained aloof. Undertaker and Zero were still here after all.

"So, what theme would you both like to hear?"

Each twin tilted their heads, but since it seemed they were taking too long, bocchan instead recommended I play my favorite piece.

"You want to hear my favorite? Well, let me warn you, it won't be all happy-go-lucky."

"That's ok, we want to know what kinds of music you like!"

"If you say so." My fingers glided along the black and white keys before settling on a well known anime theme: Tetsukazu no Kanjou from My Little Monster. As cheesy as it sounded to play an animae themed song within another universe, one couldn't deny that the wistful and melancholy melody nonetheless was lulling to the ears. The sad note with bare hints of hope peeking throughout always captivated me, and I was sure that they hadn't heard anything like it that wasn't classically related music.

When I'd finished, both twins looked pretty forlorn before looking at me with big eyes.

Oh boy.

"That was so sad…"

"Yeah, are you ok, Rachel-san?"

Their brows were knit together and I maintained my blank face. "That is simply the nature of the piece. It accompanies a well known series where I come from."

"Oh. What kind of music would you call that?" Bocchan inquired.

"Probably contemporary? It's from an original soundtrack." From my peripheral, I could see Zero smirking since he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Still, a stunning performance nonetheless, m'dear~ Well done, hihi~" Undertaker was smiling at me from the ground, not having moved an inch.

I looked at him, nodding before directing my attention back to the twins. "So, anything else you wanted to do?"

The twins looked at each other, still a bit too down to think of anything.

I sighed. Maybe something to cheer them up. I looked up to find Tanaka wheeling in the tea sets and I immediately thought of books. That oughta work.

"Hey, you two, how about I read a book to you while we have tea? After that, we can do whatever you want until dinner time."

At the thought of that, both twins lit right up and I immediately deadpanned. Maybe I'm being a bit too lenient.

"Yeah, then after that, we can play afterwards!"

"Yeah, that's a great idea!~ Hey Gramps, is it ok if Miss Rachel-san played with us after tea?"

"Ho ho! How charitable of you, Miss Rose."

I waved my hand. "It's no problem. After all, this guy's stuck with me." I jabbed a thumb at Undertaker who poked me back in the cheek.

"All the same. If it pleases Master Ciel and the Young Master, they may play with you afterward." He finished setting up, having brought a floral table cloth to set on the floor for our mock picnic.

"Alright." I settled on the floor between Undertaker and the twins, back to petting their resting guard dog.

"I would also like Master Undertaker and Miss Rose to know of my appreciation for you two to indulge in the Earl's sons. It's not very often that the young master is very comfortable around people he's recently met." He bowed before gracing me with a genuine smile.

I blinked before nodding. "Of course, I don't mind since I'm doing this out of my own volition, but I'm happy to know it."

"Very well then, I shall take my leave. If you need anything, don't hesitate to inquire of the Phantomhive staff." With that, he left the cart before walking out, leaving us to our own devices.

"So, whatcha gonna read for us, Miss Rachel?" One of the twins started snacking away with the tea, while the other looked at me enthusiastically.

I tilted my head. Perhaps some stories from my time wouldn't do any harm. "Say, are you two opposed to fantasy stories? A little bit of adventure and the mythical?"

The one snacking comedically stopped chewing to process what I said. "What do you mean by that?" Crumbs flew everywhere and I had to suppress a smirk.

"Well, something like a story with dragons. It's nothing scary, but I think you'll both like it, and it suits other children your age. Also, don't talk with your mouth full."

His cheeks colored with shame, and I could finally place the right names. "Sorry."

"It's alright, but next time, finish your food before you say something."

He nodded shyly, but his older brother covered for him. "What's the story called?"

"Ah, well, about that, it's more of a series, lasting around seven books, if I'm not mistaken. It's title is The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris d'Lacey."

"Did you like it?"

"Well, I wouldn't be recommending it if I didn't."

"Oh, right. Hee hee!" He giggled, as if amused for not thinking that through. "Then after this, we can go play, right?"

"Yep."

Apparently, my response wasn't convincing enough because he made an effort to reassure me.

"Don't worry, it'll be fun!"

…

Yesterday - Evening

"Don't worry, it'll be fun!"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Zero. That's the whole point of me setting up for game night." He cackled as I rolled my eyes, setting up my laptop and recorder.

"Oh, you're doing a recording?"

"Might as well. Besides, I don't think that many people really remember my channel anymore." I shrugged.

"Oh yeah, it's been dead for about two years, right?"

"Yeah. Hey, you got my scotch, right?"

He pulled up two bottles. "Yup, and some extras just in case. But, what's the point in making videos if no one remembers you on Youtube anymore."

"Eh, just an experiment. I'll upload some more to YouTube afterwards if it gets enough views."

We sat back and patiently waited for Outlast to load before pouring ourselves a drink, Undertaker included.

Zero swirled his drink nonchalantly. "So, how far did you get in Outlast?"

"Mm, up until Chris Walker throws us out of the glass. Basically before the priest meets us."

"Ohhh. You didn't get far very far then."

I looked at him. "No shit, Sherlock."

He snorted. "Have you let him play yet?" He nodded towards my boss.

My brow rose. "You want an old man with bat-shit eyesight to play a horror game?"

Said old man with bat-shit eyesight cried out indignantly. "Hey!~ It's not that bad! Any pair of glasses ought to do the trick~"

My other brow rose. "If you say so. Just know that if you get surprised, try not to break anything."

"Hihi~ I'm simply fine observing, m'dear. Perhaps later on, if I'm interested to."

"Alrighty, then."

"Say, by the way, how did you know that baker boy?"

My brow ticked. Of course, he had to ask. "Why do you feel the need to ask? How did you even bump into him?"

"Oh, well, I was on my way here, and the poor guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack. So I asked him if he needed any help, and he said he needed directions to a mortuary in order to drop off some gifts. So, of course, I got curious and lead him here, and lo and behold, it was none other than you, my dear Rachel!" He threw his hands up as though we were having a party.

"Shut up, I'm not your dear anything. And besides, all that stuff that he brought is way too sweet for me. I wouldn't even dream of eating it if its the last thing here on earth. Now, shut up. We're starting the game."

"Shouldn't you make an intro?~" Zero looked pointedly at the camera.

"Hmph, I'll worry about that later."

"It's not going to be authentic~"

"Zero?"

"Hm?"

"Shut up."

He sighed melodramatically. "Oh Rachel, you never learn."

"Yeah yeah yeah, leave me alone. Now then, where were we?" As I pressed continue, the loading screen popped up before transitioning to the cut scene with the priest investigating us.

"And who are you, then?"

"Joe."

Undertaker piped up as the character fell unconscious again. "Joe?~ I don't know a Joe~ I thought the character's name was Miles~?"

I sighed, facepalming. "You ruined it."

Un tilted his head cutely. "Ruined what, love?"

"The meme. You ruined the meme format." Zero burst out snickering again as I rubbed my eyes before tuning him out. "Never mind."

"I… I see. Merciful God, you have sent me an apostle. Guard your life, son, you have a calling."

"Yeah, well, guess I oughta hang up the phone, in that case, cuz it ain't that great." Miles lost consciousness once more as Zero explained the mechanics of the meme to Undertaker who'd comically had his mouth in a little "o".

"Hihi~ Peculiar humor, I must say~"

Zero shrugged. "It's a Gen Z thing."

Complete silence hung and I looked up to find Undertaker smiling in a not-so-friendly way he smiled with strangers.

Okaay. He definitely doesn't like Zero.

Miles woke up once more in the forum he fell at and I was able to resume control once more. I pulled up the note, reading it out loud for Undertaker to hear.

"Well, Miles ain't wrong there. But seriously, being a journalist in an insane asylum would've been a turn off for most wise people."

"Well, Rachel, that's why you got adventurous people like Miles."

"Oh, I'm sure. By the way, when did you want to switch?"

"When we get to the interesting part."

"Sure, and you, Un?"

"I'm content where I am, love~" Undertaker was sitting on a coffin facing me, so he couldn't see what I was doing.

I rolled my eyes. "Un, you can see close up, right?"

"Yes~"

"Then come sit next to me so you can see like last time. There's no point in being an audience if you don't understand the content." I patted the seat to my right since Zero was on my left.

"Hihi, why, I'd be more than happy to~" He scurried to my side before planting his chin on my shoulder. "Neh~ Why the excessive amount of alcohol? I thought you didn't like to drink~"

"You're correct. But then I stumbled across a channel on YouTube, which is basically where people upload videos like what I'm doing, who get drunk and play videos. I thought it was pretty funny and wanted to see what that'd look like if Zero and I did it."

"Ah yes, and upload it for millions of people to see. Rather wise of you, Rachel~" Zero commented, downing his glass before pouring some more.

"Well, it's not like they'll ever meet me, drunk or not." As of now, I was exploring the darkened offices of the game, picking up random files and batteries before coming upon the hallway with the infamous patient in the wheelchair.

"Oh, finally!" Zero had chugged one bottle impatiently before opening the other one.

"Dude, slow down. You're not going to enjoy the game if you're too wasted."

"But hey, that's part of the fun right? Besides, that's why we're recording~" He shook the bottle excitedly before taking a swig. "Damn, good ole times~"

I snorted, scooting the character around the guy in the wheel chair before running past another group watching static on the television.

"Wow, stimulating content~ When's the next premiere?"

"What do you mean, Zero? That is the premiere! You've missed out. See, this guy gets it." I was referencing to the dead man at the computer now.

"Aw shucks~"

I snickered, grabbing the dead man's card before running out until the jumpscare where the man suddenly jumped us as we were exiting.

"WAHHH! THAT BITCH!" Zero jolted, spilling some of his drink, making me smirk as I wrestled him off before calmly making my way towards the curled up coward.

"See, look what you made him do. You didn't have to be that mean."

"Oh, shut up, he started it first." Zero sniffed.

I snickered, expecting Undertaker to say something, but he only smiled. "Hm?~"

"Any insightful commentary?"

"Not yet~"

"Ok, then next, we go down this definitely-not-scary hall." Just as I said that, we could see a man pounding at the door before barging in and slamming it closed behind him.

"Ooh, how about it we just follow the blood instead?"

"You wanna go down? The only strategy in most horror films that gets the person killed?"

"Ok, then at least look behind you if you do take the hallway."

"Pfft, please, there's no one behind us."

I signed into security, watching the cut-scene of Miles trying to hack the system before the weird priest guy shut down the power and the generator kicked in.

"Oh, shit! I knew it! The basement was the way to go! Damn you, Rachel!" Zero was furiously clutching the bottle, having completely forgotten about getting drunk.

I only snickered as the warning to get in the locker flashed onto the screen.

"Dude! Get in the locker! Get in, get in, getingetingetin-"

"Yeah, I get it, shut up, already!" Just as I did, the door was broken down, and Chris Walker walked in. We waited apprehensively as he checked the locker next to us before turning his back. Then my finger did the unthinkable.

It opened the locker til I was right behind him, and my mouth popped open.

"DUDE! What are you doing?!" Zero was waving his arms frantically.

I could only turn around and hide in the locker he just checked before slapping my hands over my face and snicker.

On cue, he turned around, checked the locker I'd just been in before walking out once more.

"Jesus, you're a fucking idiot!"

I could only nod helplessly, smiling widely before looking up. "Ok, interesting part. Zero, you take over."

"Seriously? You're throwing me under the bus?"

"Hey, apparently my gameplay is unsatisfactory, so let's see how you do on this next part."

He rolled his eyes, grabbing my laptop so he could play. "Whatever. So, what's my objective."

"Dude, you can check your notebook."

"Well, yeah, but you know the game already. Just tell me."

I sighed. "You could just pause the game, but whatever, it was your first suggestion: Follow the blood down to the basement."

"You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"No, seriously. Just follow the blood."

"I hate you."

I smirked as he got to work, familiarizing himself with the controls.

"Hey, Un, want some scotch?"

He held up his glass with a small smile, as though finally relieved I was giving him attention. "Wouldn't mind if you do~"

I hummed, pouring to about half. "So what do you think of the game?"

"Well, quite impressive how it can mimic humans so naturally~ Especially since you say they're not real people, no~ Hihi!"

"Yeah, would've expected as much. Honestly though, you won't see this type of quality until the 21st Century, so don't be too disappointed when the first few games come out."

"Hihi, believe you me, dear~ I have quite the patience."

…

"Hihi, believe you me, dear~ I have quite the patience."

"I'm sure you do." I was staring at the chessboard at what would've been my imminent defeat hadn't Undertaker stepped in. How he had been able to take the time to teach me the right moves through mocking questions and teasing hints was beyond me. I was just about ready to chuck a chess piece at him.

I rubbed my head as the twins looked at me amused.

"So, it really was just beginner's luck?" Bocchan seemed so unwilling to accept that I sucked at chess.

"You bet. Trust me when I admit I'm bad at something, I'm not joking."

"Aww~ Then why don't you play it some more? Maybe that'll help!" Master Ciel was already resetting the pieces, and dread pooled my stomach.

"Hey, how about we play something else, hm?" I could feel Undertaker's grin on my back and my brow ticked. "Hey, I got a brilliant idea. In fact, why not let Undertaker read for you?"

Ciel gasped. "He can do that?"

I held back a snort and instead said, "Yeah, his eyesight isn't that bad. He just can't see very far." I handed him the book with raised eyebrows.

He only smirked but complied, flipping to the page where we stopped. "Ah~ here it is, no?" His nail tapped the page before clearing his throat and beginning to read the third chapter.

Master Ciel had to get up and sit on Undertaker's side in order to read alongside him, but since I occupied the other, his younger brother asked to sit on my lap where he was now currently sitting comfortably.

I hadn't expected him to be that bold, but I suppose our playing around had him loosen up more. I looked around the room at the mess before settling back against the wall. We could just clean up later.

I tuned in to Undertaker's voice, resting my hands on my stomach as bocchan sort of laid on me to get comfortable before closing my eyes. Undertaker had adopted a narrative tone, a smooth baritone and sometimes acting out a character's voice like David Rain or his landlady. Then I felt a gentle poke on my cheek.

"You're not going to sleep, are you?" Bocchan was looking at me curiously.

"Of course not. I'm simply focusing on the story." I relaxed back against the wall and felt him lay his head on my shoulder. I suppose this wasn't so bad.

…

Evening - After Dinner

Dinner had very little ceremony besides a very modest but tasteful course beginning with soup, then game meat accompanied by broiled potatoes and veggies, then a salad, before ending with dessert and some coffee.

Literally, I was so full I ended up splitting my portion with Undertaker who was more than happy to help. Currently, I was nursing a cup of coffee in my hands as servants bustled about collecting dishes while everyone snacked on chocolates and nuts.

If I'd known dinner would be so fulfilling, I wouldn't have bothered to eat lunch. And apparently, my discomfort wasn't as subtle as I'd hoped because Madame Red raised some concern over it.

"Dear, are you alright? You're looking a bit green."

My mouth quirked as I looked away disgruntled.

"Haha, that's just Rachel if she's too full. Hurts her stomach so she might have to walk it off." Zero waved his hand as if to let them know it was no big deal.

"Well, now, isn't that convenient? Why don't we all convene in the drawing room? That way we can play some games while we talk?" Vincent smoothly got up before helping his wife up and waiting for everyone else to get ready before Tanaka lead the way.

"Father, may we come, too?" The twins looked to excited to miss out on the fun.

"If you behave~" He smiled, patting their heads.

They cheered and we were all ushered up to the drawing room where a table of pool had been set. The women situated themselves to the corner and started up a game of cards while Ciel and his brother set up a game of chess. The rest of us had been given pool cues as Vincent prefaced the game. We were then placed into teams: Undertaker and I versus the Earl and the German.

"Now, who would like to start off?"

"How about we do this? Pick a number from one to ten. Then we'll choose a random person to generate a number and whoever's number is closest starts us off."

"Ah, excellent method. In that case, I'll choose four." Vincent smiled.

"Seven."

"Seven~?" Undertaker quirked a smile.

I shrugged. "It's my lucky number."

Zero sniggered. "Yeah, cuz of the Bible."

I cuffed his shoulder.

"Madame Red, what number do you prefer?" Vincent asked.

Madame Red looked at me and secretly winked. "Why, eight of course!"

"Well now, seems you've earned the first move. Whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Earl." I lined up the cue ball before effortlessly sinking in a ball. Easy. I tapped Undertaker's arm. "You're next."

"Hihi, don't mind if I do~" He walked over to the table and readied his shot.

"So," I leaned in to Zero. "What do you think so far?"

He shrugged. "Not much. Almost exactly a textbook definition of a noble family in the Victorian era."

I deadpanned. "I meant the case."

"Well, excuse me for not being a telepath." He snickered when I rolled my eyes. "Well, they divulged the details me, but the Earl prohibited me from telling you everything."

My brows quirked. "How come?"

He shrugged. "Test of faith? Almost like the fall test. I guess he wants your undivided loyalty to him, regardless of what happens. All I'm allowed to tell you is that you must wait."

I blinked. "Wait? Even if it means my death?"

He smirked grimly. "I asked the same as well, but he only gave me this vague smile. He, himself, hasn't told me what part I am to play, but it's definitely going to involve the culprit."

I hummed. "What do we know of the culprit?"

"Basically, the culprit has left a string of murders of women. It hadn't really caught public eye until one noblewoman was found dead. It seemed that they sort of looked like you."

My brow rose. "Seriously?"

"Yup, four so far."

"Hmm, that's interesting. "Could it be someone we know?"

His smile thinned. "That's what I'm hoping for. If not, it'll make it easier or harder, depending on that unknown variable."

"Anything else about his MO? Is there a certain way he kills them?"

He shrugged. "Not that I know of. Oh, by the way, it's your turn."

My stomach tightened. What an odd case.

When Undertaker finished his turn, he immediately joined my side. "You've been quiet as of late~ What were you discussing about with your partner?" He slung an arm around my shoulder to keep it private.

"About the case."

"Ah, so that's been on your mind~ Hihi!"

"Do you know of anything?"

He grinned before holding a finger up. "That requires payment, dear~"

I deadpanned. "Yesterday doesn't count."

He tilted his head. "Even if I informed you, it wouldn't be much different to what Zero-kun told you~ Do you not trust the Earl, love?~"

"That's irrelevant. I simply need to know who we're dealing with."

"Or, you don't~ After all, you've been given orders to wait. You must not take any form of action whatsoever without the Watchdog's approval~" He waved his finger side to side as though conducting an orchestra.

"Tch, fine. But if it results in my death, you're not getting any pity from me."

He smirked. "Oh, ye of little faith~"

03/31/20