Deformed

by Crystalteen

Ciel Phantomhive summons two demons to help him get revenge on those who made his life a living hell. Sebastian Michaelis and his sister, Elise, make an agreement to serve Ciel as his Butler and Nanny, as long as they get to devour his soul in the end. However, along the way, they'll have to assist Ciel in his duties as the Queen's Watchdog. And Elise is a demon with many secrets.

2. His Butler & Nanny, Able (Part I)

A/N: Salutations, my fantastic viewers! How are you all doing today? :)

The time has come for the first official episode of "Black Butler" to take place, so I hope that you are all as thrilled as I am! :D

However, before we begin, I would like to take the time to personally thank all of you for reading the prologue and being satisfied to the point where you're now determined to follow Elise on this journey! I can most definitely guarantee that it will be one hell of an adventure. ;)

Nonetheless: Let's also take the time to recall that writing is something that takes time to accomplish and I have other responsibilities that don't revolve around being glued to my laptop. With that being said, my updates will absolutely require patience and understanding, which I'm sure won't be a problem. I thank you all for providing me with these things beforehand.

Warning: "Episode One" will later include innuendos and slight descriptions of sexuality, but absolutely no smut or anything major. If either of these things make you uncomfortable, I highly suggest proceeding with caution.

Furthermore, I absolutely adore feedback and I look forward to all of it very much. Please don't hesitate to share your opinions on this story in the reviews or you can PM them to me at anytime. Make sure to review! Thank you, everybody! :)

Anyway, that's all that I can possibly think of to say right now! I hope all of you enjoy the chapter!

Here we go! :D

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Elise's POV

Like every morning, when the other servants and I finished eating breakfast, I gathered up all of the dirty dishes—plates perfectly balanced on top of each other in one hand and utensils gathered together in the other—and immediately started washing them to make them look as good as new. Of course, before doing so, I made sure to roll my mid-length sleeves up and trade my normal gloves for another pair of plastic, throwaway ones.

One of the first ever lessons that Sebastian and I came to learn almost instantly after becoming Phantomhive servants was that the Young Master never liked it when his fancy pieces of chinaware were left untouched after being used. He also had a very specific picture of what clean dishes were supposed to look like. No fingerprints, no lipstick marks, no stains, no nothing. If there was as much as a single, teeny-weeny crumb left on a plate, he would throw a fit and demand for all of the dishes to be washed again.

With that being said, it was never an option to leave the table completely cluttered with dishes after a meal. They were meant to get cleaned, dried, and put back in their appropriate places right away ... and since Bocchan was expecting company in just a couple of hours, I most certainly couldn't allow the kitchen to look the tiniest bit unruly or disorganized.

Bard, Finny, and Mey-Rin had disappeared from the room shortly after they finished their meals, but I'm afraid that they wouldn't have been able to assist in giving me a hand with this particular chore anyway.

Even though the three of them were quite ... interesting, I guess one could say ... Mey-Rin was accident-prone, Finny didn't fully understand how to handle his "special" strength yet, and Bard couldn't seem to go a day without completely charring something with his beloved flamethrower. In fact, there was only one time in which I decided to give them the opportunity to help me with the dishes. Bard somehow ended up melting one of the china sets with his flamethrower, while Finny broke some of the plates just by scrubbing them too hard with the sponge and Mey-Rin tripped over her bootlace, causing plenty of other platters to shatter against the floor. After the results of that day, I assured them that I could manage the dishes by myself from now on.

As for Sebastian, he returned to the kitchen shortly after entering the manor again in order to gather all of the finished food. After he placed it on the trolley and rolled it out, he hadn't returned. There was no doubt in my mind that he had gone to prepare the table in the dining hall for Bocchan. Then, he would have to take the time to make our Puny Lord's morning tea, as it was his turn to do so.

It didn't take long at all for me to handle the dishes. I was a fast worker in general, but since there was nobody else in the kitchen with me, I was able to use some of my unworldly speed in order to get the job done even quicker.

I was down to the final spoon, holding it up to watch it capture the light as I polished the head with a rag. Like always, when I was finished, I could see my reflection in the silver, staring directly back at me like the spoon had transformed into a mirror.

"Ah, magnificent! Everything is spotless once again." I declared with a proud smile, in which I returned the spoon to its proper place in the closest utensil drawer.

After that, I folded the rag back into a perfect square, removed the plastic gloves from my hands, disposed of them in the nearest trash bin, slid my black gloves back on, and unrolled my sleeves.

Then, as I picked up an antique pitcher that was decorated with the design of cherry blossoms, along with its matching wash bowl, and began filling the pitcher with lukewarm water...

Brrriinng! Brrriinng! ... Brrriinng! Brrriinng!

... The phone started to ring, filling the whole kitchen with its typical, high-pitched, chiming pattern.

In less than a second, I froze and flicked my gaze over to the wall with tiny sparks of confusion already starting to flicker through my maroon eyes. It definitely wasn't common for anybody to call the manor to make any requests for the Small Earl at an hour like this. After all, it was nearly seven in the morning―most certainty not the best time to attempt getting in contact with someone, especially if they were the Young Master. He didn't like having to get up at such an early hour to begin with, so I couldn't see why anybody would want to try reaching him at this time.

"A call this early in the day?" I wondered aloud, voicing my somewhat puzzled thoughts as I delicately placed the wash bowl and priceless pitcher back down on the island. "Whoever could it be?"

Brrriinng! Brrriinng! ... Brrriinng! Brrriinng!

One of the other responsibilities that Sebastian and I had as head servants was being Bocchan's personal secretaries. So, to prevent the noisy ringing from going on any longer, I turned the water off, trotted over to where the rotary line was on the wall, grabbed the phone from the side of the wooden box, and positioned it up to my ear.

"Greetings from the Phantomhive Estate." I spoke professionally and stated the exact same words that I always did while answering a call. "This is Elise Michaelis, the nanny, speaking. Might I ask who this is and how I can be of assistance?"

"Ah, yes! Hello!" I was greeted by another female, who's voice gave it away that she was definitely career-oriented and determined to handle whatever reason there was behind this call. "This is Samantha Madsen, calling on behalf of Richard Hughes—the authority on the history of the Roman Empire. I understand that he's being expected to meet with Earl Phantomhive today."

When this "Samantha Madsen" first introduced herself, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow from never hearing of her before. Nonetheless, as soon as she brought up the well-known name of Mr. Hughes and informed me on how she was calling for him, I came to realize that she must've been his personal secretary or something among those lines.

"Indeed, that information is correct." I declared as I rested my unoccupied arm across my chest. "Are you calling to double-check the time that it's scheduled to occur? Or do you and Mr. Hughes have concerns about other details, such as the topics that my Young Master is awaiting to discuss?"

Miss Madsen let out a faint sigh. "Actually, I'm calling to inform the Phantomhive residents that Mr. Hughes is unable to attend the meeting today. You see, there was a rather large mix-up in his schedule and it turns out, he had another appointment expected to take place at the same exact time as his meeting with Earl Phantomhive. He had no choice but to pick between the two events and just recently decided to settle on the other meeting."

I blinked and for the briefest moment, I couldn't help but fall silent from not expecting to receive information like this—especially on such short notice. I could tell that the mixture of disbelief and confusion that had appeared on my face was noticeable. I had even lowered the phone for a second in order to stare at it inquisitively, as if I was debating over whether or not I should believe that Miss Madsen was a reliable source. Nonetheless, despite my curiosity towards the abrupt change in plans, I made sure to maintain a respectful tone as I raised the phone back up to my ear and continued to speak. After all, as a Phantomhive servant, I had to be proper and I had to prevent the urge to pry during inconvenient situations—such as this one.

"Well, that's very unfortunate to hear." I said, right before I dragged my bottom lip between my teeth in thought and placed my other hand on my hip. "I don't mean to sound disrespectful, so forgive me if I do, Miss Madsen ... but my Young Lord's entire morning had been cleared specifically for that meeting. For two weeks, it has been marked on his schedule for today and he's turned down a variety of other invitations for other events in order to meet with Mr. Hughes. To have it cancelled out of the blue like this is ... highly inconvenient."

I could hear the sound of something being scribbled down in the background, followed by the sound of paper being flipped. Miss Madsen must've been double-tasking, handling paperwork or possibly writing a report while carrying on with this conversation with me.

"Mr. Hughes sends his condolences for this, he really does." Miss Madsen remarked, despite how her voice wasn't exactly what I would describe as 'reassuring.' "However, courtesy of how well-known he is, his presence is often requested and required by plenty of people. It's never easy to manage his schedule ... not that I'm claiming that Earl Phantomhive's schedule is any easier to handle, of course."

As she said that last sentence, I couldn't help but scoff a little under my breath. The tone that she was using made it completely obvious that even though she was claiming one thing, she personally meant the opposite. I didn't doubt that she must've been one of those people that were strongly convinced that just because Bocchan was only twelve, he was unfit to possess such a large title and that he was surely easier to take care of compared to other nobles since children typically "did as they were told." ... Both of those theories couldn't have possibly been anymore incorrect.

However, as tempted as I was to inform Mr. Hughes's secretary on how she was making the mistake of underestimating the Young Earl, I knew that it wouldn't be polite. I represented the Phantomhive name and that meant if I allowed myself to behave bitterly towards other people, I would face the risk of tarnishing my Small Master's reputation. So, instead of objecting to anything that Miss Madsen had said, I quietly drew in a deep breath, held it in for a couple of seconds, and then let it out to help keep myself composed.

"Nowadays, I'm afraid that Mr. Hughes has appointments overlapping each other on a daily basis." Miss Madsen went on, and I continued to listen carefully. "With that being said, Earl Phantomhive is most certainly not the only person that Mr. Hughes had to cancel on for the time being."

I squinted after hearing the secretary's final four words, feeling the curiosity within myself continuing to increase with every passing second. By saying "for the time being," it came to my attention almost instantly that Mr. Hughes hadn't only cancelled his meeting with my Young Master ... but he had been doing the same thing towards other nobles in order to attend this mystery appointment that had come up out of nowhere just recently.

"I see..." I said a little slowly, but made sure to avoid giving it away that I could tell that something was odd about this whole situation.

Shortly after that, I tucked the phone between my cheek and shoulder in order to grab a nearby pen and the small notepad that Sebastian purposely left in the kitchen in case there were any important messages that needed to be written down.

"Well, Miss Madsen, considering this whole change of events, Mr. Hughes's company will surely be missed." I declared as I clicked the pen and prepared myself to write down any information. "Is it possible for me to have the name and number of this other person that he will be meeting with instead? This is simply in case my Young Lord wishes for me or one of the other servants to get in contact with him in order to discuss when we can reschedule the Phantomhive appointment."

Everything on the other side of the line suddenly became silent. The writing stopped, as did the shuffling of papers, and I couldn't even detect the sound of Miss Madsen breathing. Although, the call was still active and I couldn't exactly come up with a direct reason as to why she had fallen silent over such a reasonable request. It was very common for people to take notes in order to recall important information, especially if they were for somebody as significant as the Queen's Guard Dog.

I lifted my gaze up from the notepad, keeping the tip of the pen positioned on top of it. "Hello? ... Miss Madsen?" I said with perfect nonchalance. "Are you still there?"

A few extra seconds of pure silence went by before I was finally given a response.

"Ahem!" Miss Madsen coughed a single time, but it wasn't difficult for me to be able to tell that it was fake. "Yes, I'm still here, Miss Michaelis. My apologies for that brief pause there. Unfortunately ... I am not at liberty to discuss any of the information that you requested. All of that is strictly Mr. Hughes's business."

I furrowed my brow, unable to tell by this point whether I felt more confused or concerned by Miss Madsen's change in behavior.

"With all due respect, it's a pretty standard request to carry out." I pointed out.

"I'm aware of that, Miss Michaelis. And I'm sorry." Miss Madsen apologized, and the tone of her voice made it clear that she was concluding that she genuinely couldn't—or possibly didn't want to—fulfill my request. "I'll look over all of the possible openings that Mr. Hughes has in his schedule and make sure to alert him on how Earl Phantomhive will want their appointment together to be rescheduled as soon as possible. When we settle on a plan, I'll be sure to get back to you for the Earl's thoughts on the matter. Until then, goodbye."

Before I could even be provided with the opportunity to say anything back, Miss Madsen had already hung up.

This time, since I wasn't pleased with how she hadn't been helpful at all by the end of the call, I ended up shooting mildly annoyed daggers at the phone. Nevertheless, courtesy of how this actually wasn't the first time in which somebody contacted the manor in order to discuss cancelling their plans with Master Ciel, it didn't take long before I became engulfed with concern again.

I placed the phone back on the rotary line, sat the pen back down in its original place, and raised my hand up to my chin with my eyes narrowed in thought.

"First, it was Mr. Cotham—the owner of one of the largest, multitalented fleets in the offshore drilling industry—that needed to take a rain check with the Puny Lord. After that, Lady Ferris—the ex-wife of Master Ciel's Uncle Chlaus—suddenly insisted that she had something else to do during the time in which she was supposed to join Bocchan for tea. Then, there's Mr. Brewer—the innkeeper of London's most popular inn. He, apparently, couldn't make it on the day of his own appointment either. And now, Mr. Hughes is new to the list." I told myself in my brain, lightly tapping my jaw with my index finger. "Out of nowhere, they all reported to have had other matters to attend. Hmm ... I wonder if it's a possibility that all of those previous 'matters' were actually connected to this unidentified being that Mr. Hughes is having a meeting with today. If that's truly the case ... who in the hell could this person be?"

Just then, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of somebody's footsteps coming down in the direction of the kitchen. With no hesitation, I lowered my hand from my chin and turned to face the door. Within seconds, Sebastian appeared in the doorway and froze there with a silver tray being held in his gloved hands. On it, there was an elegant, floral, pastel-colored tea set that I had shined to a flawless state just the morning before.

"There you are, Elise." Sebastian said as the two of us made eye contact. "Come on, the clock is just five minutes away from striking seven. It's time for us to head to the Young Lord's chambers and get him ready for what the day has in store for him."

I already knew that I was going to have to inform the butler on this abrupt change in plans, especially with all of these inquisitive thoughts running through my mind and making me even more concerned for the Small Earl's reputation. However, considering there was such a short amount of time remaining between now and the time where Master Ciel was expected to be woken up, I could tell that it wouldn't be the wise choice to speak of what happened with Mr. Hughes's appointment at this very moment. Not even a minute in Bocchan's hectic schedule could risk being put to waste—even though he no longer had anything planned for the entire morning.

"Right." I said, giving my brother a faint nod.

After that, I placed a new washcloth atop my shoulder, grabbed the cherry blossom pitcher by its handle, and positioned the wash bowl securely between my arm and hip while still supporting it by the bottom.

Sebastian and I walked side-by-side in complete silence, excluding the sound of our shoes tapping against the floor with every step that we took. We both had perfect posture and despite all of the work that we had already gotten done, we still looked completely proper and presentable. Although, considering how the two of us were meant to be ideal servants, this didn't surprise me in the slightest.

While walking down the variety of corridors that sooner led back to the large foyer, I watched as the concrete floor and slightly cracked walls from the Servants' Area transferred back over to the shiny wood and slowly deteriorating wallpaper. However, when the time came for the butler and I to ascend up the fancy staircase, there was something from the corner of my eye that ended up grabbing my attention.

Shortly after making it to the top of the first set of stairs, I ended up ceasing on the platform and turning my head in order to look at the wall. There was a large portrait hanging right before my eyes, presenting the remarkably painted image of a noble couple.

The lady had long hair that was pulled back in a twisted ponytail, as well as vibrant blue eyes, lily-white skin, and an optimistic smile. She was sitting suitably in an elegant chair, hands folded on her lap while wearing a pastel gold dress that was detailed with a peach bodice, white frill, matching flowers along the bottom, and tiny black buttons. Beside her, a gentleman with a similar porcelain complexion was standing in an entirely blue suit that was accompanied by black gloves, a white undershirt, and a matching scarf. Compared to the woman, his features were much more obscure. Grayish/blue fringe was hanging at the sides of his face, preventing his eyes from being seen. Nevertheless, his lips were still molded into a small, charming, genuine grin.

That portrait was of none other than Rachel and Vincent Phantomhive—the Puny Master's deceased parents. It was placed in the foyer out of respect, as well as to be shown off to visitors as soon as they entered the mansion.

I stared at the framed piece of art with an empty expression, blinking every few seconds as I took in as many of the details as possible. For a moment, as I started to slowly drag my wine-colored eyes back and forth between the two faces, there was a strange numbness in my chest. Then, it transformed into this slight heaviness. Its sensation felt like a tight knot in the direct center of my clavicle, as if a pebble had somehow appeared beneath my skin. I didn't like this feeling, simply because the sensation was significantly annoying, unpleasant, and even a little distracting. Nonetheless, this definitely wasn't the first time in which this odd sensation had occurred within me and I had gotten used to it to the point where I refused to put too much thought into it. Although, a piece of me still questioned what in the hell it actually was.

"Ahem! Elise, we don't have time to just stand around and dawdle." Sebastian pointed out, now looking back at me from where he was standing in the middle of the second staircase with a somewhat stern look on his face. "If you're so fascinated by the manor's artwork, then you can look at it on your own time. However, as of right now, we have our Young Master to attend to."

With a roll of my eyes, I turned away from the portrait and pierced my sibling with a sullen stare. "There's absolutely no need to speak to me in a bitter tone like that." I shot back with annoyance dripping from my accent. "If you keep doing so, you're bound to get your tailcoat in such a tight bunch to the point where not even you or I would be able to rip it off."

"Perhaps, there's a chance that I would have an easier time reacting to this situation if it didn't occur nearly every morning." Sebastian remarked. His expression remained grim, but it was clear that he must've agreed to lessen the hostility in his tone. "Now, there's still plenty of work to get done before the sun goes down. With that being said, let's make sure that we both remain diligent and awaken the Young Lord like we're supposed to."

"Hmph." I huffed, regaining a composed face as I turned my head back in the direction of the portrait. At the same time, my voice became calm and efficient again. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Sebastian, but just because I'm taking the time to look at a fine piece of art doesn't make me any less diligent."

A mixture of uncertainty and concern brewed within the butler's crimson orbs as he squinted at me. "You seem to be awfully interested in that particular painting." He noted with a hint of curiosity inserted in his voice.

"How can I not be?" I inquired with a look in my eyes that was almost entirely vacant. "It shows the two people that brought Bocchan into existence, does it not? Without them, he wouldn't have been born and we wouldn't be here right now."

Sebastian didn't say anything back, knowing that I had just stated a fact, and faintly peeked up at the portrait with a dull expression masking his features. Then, after a few seconds, I looked away from it once and for all. A faint and charming, but also very mysterious, smile was now curled up on the corners of my rosy lips—only because I understood that it wouldn't be proper to be in the Little Earl's presence with such an unclear look on my face.

"Now, let's continue on our way. The Puny Master is waiting, as you and I both know." I said as I started walking up the second pair of steps in order to make it back to my brother's side.

"Indeed. That's enough lollygagging for one day." Sebastian declared, taking an extra second to stare plainly at the massive painting before he turned his back on it and pursued upstairs with me following.

Eventually, after walking down a couple of more long, endless, splendid hallways, the butler and I had finally arrived at the large mahogany door that marked the entrance to the Small Lord's bedchamber. Like always, Sebastian used his knuckles to lightly tap on the door a couple of times, a pleasant grin already in place on his lips. Even though Bocchan was asleep, it was a requirement for us—along with the other servants—to always knock before entering the same room as him.

When that was done, my brother grabbed the knob, turned it as far as it could go, and opened the door to reveal the Young Master's dim bedroom. Aside from the pastel blue wallpaper and the dark fuchsia carpet, which were both accompanied by incredible details, the room was very organized. It contained multiple mahogany tables, a large wardrobe, framed photographs from the Little Lord's childhood, comfortable chairs that were similar to the one that Rachel Phantomhive had been helping herself to in the portrait, and shelves that were neatly cluttered with board games, stuffed animals, and a variety of other toys. This was because the Young Master had taken over his family's toy company—Funtom's—shortly after he officially became the Earl.

I had to admit, the toy that I found most interesting from the Funtom Company was the Small Lord's latest creation: Bitter Bunny. It was a stuffed rabbit that was sold in a variety of colors, especially white, and each one came with a striped vest, a dark blue bow, and an eyepatch. I had even taken one for myself—after getting reluctant permission from the Young Master, of course—and I kept it in mine and Mey-Rin's room since I was actually very fond of rabbits.

A huge bed with all-white blankets, a cream-colored headboard, and dark blue drapes was positioned against the West wall. There, Master Ciel Phantomhive was breathing peacefully. His head was sunk deeply into the single pillow that he had and his grayish/azure hair was styled in its typical morning mess, covering mainly the left side of the twelve-year-old's pale face.

"Master. It is time for you to wake up." Sebastian announced.

"The day is in need of your presence yet again, Young Lord." I incorporated.

The two of us entered the room while saying these things, but like always, the Puny Earl didn't wake up right away. So, after setting the silver tray that he'd been carrying down on the bedside table, Sebastian headed over to the gigantic window that provided a spectacular view of plenty of the land that surrounded the Estate and pushed the thick curtains aside. As he did this, I placed the wash bowl and pitcher of tepid water down neatly in front of a dart board that was also on top of the bedside table. Then, I removed the washcloth from where it was still resting on top of my shoulder and joined it with the rest of the items.

A shower of morning sunlight immediately poured into the bedroom upon Sebastian opening the curtains, causing his silhouette to appear against the furniture. At the same time, the Young Master stirred and opened his visible eye—the one that still perfectly resembled a sapphire.

"Good morning, Bocchan. I hope you slept well." I said with pure respect as I walked around to the side of the bed that was closer to the window.

Master Ciel sent me a somewhat groggy look when I came into his view, still squinting from the bright light that had filled his chambers. "Yes." He replied in the form of a small, dull, morning grunt.

While this happened, my brother walked back over to the same side of the bed as before, picked up a glossy teacup that was already positioned on top of a sparkling saucer, and began pouring the Puny Earl's tea.

"For breakfast today, we have lightly poached salmon accompanied by a delicate mint salad. Elise and I can also offer toast, scones, or pain de campagne." Sebastian explained, watching the steam as it rose from the teacup. "Which dish would you care for this morning?"

During his rundown of today's menu, I had grabbed opposing sides of the wrinkled blanket and folded it down in order to reveal the Puny Lord's body. Like always, he was wearing nothing but a pair of undergarments and a solid-white nightshirt that was very baggy on his slender frame.

Bocchan sat up with his fringe still hanging sloppily in front of his right eye. Then, with a yawn, he answered with, "A scone."

"Ah, excellent choice, Master." I said, right before I held my gloved hand out towards him with the palm-side facing upwards. "Before getting you ready, do you need to use the restroom this morning?"

The Little Lord rubbed his exposed eye and yawned again, appearing to be completely innocent when he—in fact—was actually the furthest thing from that.

"Yes, I do." He responded, in which he turned his body in my direction, placed his own hand on top of mine, and held it in order to prevent himself from tripping as he slid off from the edge of the bed.

"Very well, Young Lord. We'll be waiting patiently for you to return." Sebastian informed.

As soon as Bocchan's bare feet met the floor safely, he didn't think twice before withdrawing his hand from mine and heading in the direction of a wide-open doorway that sat in the upper left corner of his chambers. It was his own personal bathroom, meant to be used only by him ... and luckily, when it came to the Young Master relieving himself, he didn't need any assistance.

When Master Ciel closed the door behind him, my polite smile crumbled away and was replaced by the same displeased stare that had appeared on my face during Miss Madsen's phone call. I redirected my attention over to the butler, watching him take the time to stir our Small Lord's tea before setting it back down on the silver tray. This was the time where I was going to have to inform him on the mysterious change in Mr. Hughes's agenda ... and while doing so, I was also going to fix the Puny Earl's bed—like I did every morning.

"That's quite the change of face that you have there all of the sudden." Sebastian commented as he turned to observe me, arms positioned again at his sides. "Is something on your mind?"

With both hands, I grabbed one side of the blanket and easily tossed it up into the air with a whoosh sound. As it came back down, it landed perfectly against the mattress and I folded the top part down since that was the way the Young Master liked it. Then, I took the liberty to smooth out a couple of leftover wrinkles that were in the fabric.

"Unfortunately, Sebastian, it appears that this morning is full of unpleasant surprises." I replied with a sigh, just as I started fluffing and repositioning Master Ciel's pillow. "Shortly after I finished washing the platters and putting them away, there was a phone call from a Miss Samantha Madsen. Apparently, she's the personal secretary of Mr. Hughes ... and she was calling to report that Mr. Hughes had to cancel his appointment with the Puny Lord today."

For a brief second, my brother looked caught off guard. His ruby-like eyes widened, but then narrowed a little in an unsatisfied manner.

"Another cancellation?" He asked in a slightly pointed tone. "That makes four of them in just six weeks. The Young Master's whole morning revolved around that particular appointment as well."

"I know, but that's not all." I said, smoothing out the final wrinkle on the Little Earl's bed before I stood up straight again. "According to Miss Madsen, Mr. Hughes has been cancelling a variety of his meetings lately. Today, he had another appointment to attend at the exact same time as his appointment with Bocchan ... but this appointment came up just recently, while our Young Master's meeting had been official for the past two weeks. It's just like with what happened with Mr. Cotham, Lady Ferris, and Mr. Brewer—all three of them, along with Mr. Hughes, cancelled on the Queen's Watchdog in order to attend to other unknown events that popped up out of the blue."

Sebastian positioned his hand against his chin and rested his elbow in the palm of his opposite hand. "Hmm..." He murmured, evidently trying to put together and think about all of the information that I had just given him.

"I also tried requesting for Miss Madsen to give the name and number of this mystery person that Mr. Hughes would be meeting with in case we needed to get in contact with him today ... but she refused to cooperate. Instead, she assured me that she and Mr. Hughes would get back to us whenever they came up with a new plan for the appointment with our Young Master." I went on, holding my hands together behind my back. "By this point, I can't help but wonder if all of these cancellations are connected to the same anonymous person ... but there doesn't seem to be enough information, if any, towards their identity just yet. For the time being, all that's certain is that if the Young Master continues to have his guests flaking on him, rumors are sure to spread all throughout London and his reputation is bound to take a hit."

"As troubling as that possibility is, let's be sure to not cross any bridges that we haven't even managed to stumble across yet." Sebastian instructed, still looking deep in thought as he lowered his hand from his chin. "As of now, there's nothing threatening the Young Lord. With that being said, we can store the information that you gathered from Miss Madsen to the back of our minds and focus on preparing for Mr. Damiano's visit that's still scheduled for later this afternoon."

I pursed my lips, taking a moment to think about my sibling's words. As much as I hated to admit it, particularly because I still found this whole situation to be suspicious, I knew that Sebastian had a point. We couldn't risk jumping to conclusions with this unidentified person, nor could we forget about how Mr. Damiano was still coming to the Estate. After all, like Sebastian had said, there was currently nothing that was putting Master Ciel's reputation at stake. So, the best thing to do for now was focus less on Miss Madsen's statements and more on Mr. Damiano's coming.

"Well ... since the Young Lord's morning is now free, perhaps I can squeeze in a brief fencing lesson with him." I proposed, unhooking my hands so I was no longer holding them behind my back. "Then, when that's over, I can proceed to assist in the preparations for Mr. Damiano's visit."

With a brief nod, Sebastian replied with, "That sounds quite doable. Just make sure to keep an eye on the time."

Shortly after that, the sound of the toilet flushing filled the air, followed by the sound of a faucet turning on. Then, after about ten seconds, the faucet turned back off and the restroom door opened to reveal Master Ciel again. Except, this time, despite his disheveled hair and wrinkled nightwear, his face was as serious as it nearly always was and his posture was as straight as a line. It was as if he hadn't been drowsy just a minute or two before.

The time had come for me and Sebastian to carry out our daily routine of making the Queen's Guard Dog presentable.

While approaching the—now neatly made—bed, the Puny Earl said with authority, "Let's not waste any time in beating around the bush. What's on my agenda today?"

"Regrettably, Young Master, it seems that there has been an alteration made to your schedule this morning." Sebastian said, at which I paced back over to the side of the bed that he was standing on and started calmly pouring the water from the antique pitcher into the wash bowl.

Bocchan positioned himself back on the edge of the bed, staring directly at the butler with his exposed eye. "What kind of alteration?" He asked.

"A woman by the name of Samantha Madsen called a little while ago. It appears that she's a devoted worker to Mr. Hughes—the authority on the history of the Roman Empire." Sebastian explained. "According to her, Mr. Hughes is unable to attend his meeting with you today."

The Small Earl narrowed his vibrant blue eye a little. "Did she care to explain why?"

"I was told that there was a large mix-up in Mr. Hughes's schedule and he ended up having another appointment booked at the exact same time as yours." I replied, in which I positioned the washcloth on my arm, picked up the wash bowl with both hands, and easily got down on my knees in front of Bocchan. "He sends his apologies for not having us alerted sooner about this whole change of plans. However, Miss Madsen did promise that she would call back whenever there was an opportunity to reschedule."

"Hmm ... this is the fourth guest to have cancelled on me for another matter of theirs." Master Ciel grumbled, sounding both displeased and concerned as he watched me remove the glove that covered my unmarked hand. "Sebastian, Elise. If I receive one more cancellation from a guest that claims to have another event to attend out of the nowhere in the next month, we are going to look deeper into this and see if there's anything going on that I should know about. Is that understood?"

My brother and I placed our hands over our hearts, bowing slightly before the twelve-year-old. Normally, I would've curtsied, but I couldn't do so while being on the floor.

"Yes, Young Lord." Sebastian and I said simultaneously.

Afterwards, I dipped the washcloth into the lukewarm water, ringed it out, and lifted it up to the Puny Master's face. He closed his eyes, in which I gently pushed his messy hair out of the way with my opposite hand and started cleaning his face with the moist cloth.

"Since Mr. Hughes is unable to make it to the manor today, I'll be providing you with a small fencing lesson instead." I declared.

Master Ciel's face scrunched a little as he opened only his blue eye to look at me. "A fencing lesson?" He questioned, not sounding at all enthusiastic.

"Yes. At this hour, it's better if you are up and getting your blood flowing. Otherwise, you'll be spending even more time than you already do in your office and it's not healthy for somebody your age to sit around for so long." I pointed out, knowing very well that the Small Earl wasn't exactly used to having such active lessons during this part of the day. "If a fencing lesson isn't to your liking, would you prefer to have another lesson on the violin? Or perhaps table manners?"

While saying that last part, a cheeky smirk appeared on my face since I understood that the Puny Lord hated nearly everything about the other two specific lessons that I had mentioned.

"Hmph..." Bocchan shot me an unamused stare, right before he closed his eye again to let me finish cleansing his face. "Fencing will do just fine."

Shortly after he gave his approval, I rose back up onto my feet and traded the wash bowl, along with the damp cloth, for the Little Lord's hairbrush. Then, while Sebastian walked over to the wardrobe to retrieve the outfit that I had already selected for Master Ciel, I took a seat on the bed in order to brush his hair.

When I finished, my brother handed me our Small Lord's eyepatch—something that was used to hide something that was very personal—and I knotted the strings together after positioning it correctly over his right eye. As this happened, Sebastian handed Bocchan his tea on a saucer, unbuttoned his nightshirt, and started getting him redressed. As long as he wasn't completely naked, the Little Lord didn't have a problem with me being in the same room.

"Elise will handle giving you this fencing lesson on her own. I, on the other hand, will be beginning further preparations for the day." Sebastian informed while pulling one of the sleeves of Bocchan's white blouse down his arm. "And this evening, Mr. Damiano of the Poseidon Company will be paying you a visit."

"Oh, is that the man I have in charge of stuffed animals at my factory in India?" Master Ciel asked as he tilted his head back a little, allowing the butler to lace the navy blue ribbon around his neck.

"Yes. We were told he's Italian." Sebastian replied, cutting a faint glance over at me before he finished tying the ribbon into a perfect bow. "We will, of course, offer him all the hospitality the estate can provide."

"We will also be sure to advertise the most proper behavior possible, just like we always do." I added in while adjusting the collar of the Young Lord's olive-green overcoat. "We do represent the Phantomhive name, after all."

The Small Earl remained perfectly still, allowing the butler to kneel down in front of him and lift his legs up one at a time in order to slip on his buckled shoes.

"I know this smell." He commented, gently swaying the teacup under his nose. "Is this tea Earl Gray?"

"Yes, from Jacksons of Piccadilly." Sebastian replied. He slid on the Puny Lord's other shoe and stood back up, placing his hand over his heart while bowing slightly. "I shall wait for you at the dining table, Master. Elise will do the honors of escorting you yet again."

Master Ciel sat his emptied teacup aside, just as Sebastian turned away and began walking in the direction of the door. Then, while moving as quickly as he could, the Little Earl snatched up a dart from its holder and threw it as hard as he could at my sibling. Unfortunately, instead of striking him like I could tell that the Young Master was hoping for, Sebastian—without turning around—shot his hand up and easily caught the soaring dart between his fingers.

A sliver of discouragement formed in Bocchan's visible eye, but was immediately chased away by the annoying fact that he had—once again—failed to strike his target.

"Well throw, my Lord." Sebastian said in a slightly amused tone, right before he turned to look at our Master with a smile. "Even so, let's—"

Whizzzz!

Another dart abruptly flew across the room—this one soaring at a much faster speed—and it came just a mere inch away from the side of my brother's nose before he shot his opposite hand up and caught it between two more of his fingers. As this happened, Sebastian and the Young Master didn't think twice before snapping their attention over to me.

I was standing near the beside table with mischief dancing in my pupils and a smug grin on my face. While returning the hairbrush to its original spot, I decided to participate in this little "game" of Master Ciel's since he was still in the process of learning how to aim and I liked providing examples of how throwing darts should be done. I also had to admit that I enjoyed being a little bit of a showoff from time to time.

"Not bad, Elise." Sebastian said as he lowered the dart from his face, smile almost becoming a smirk. "Once again, you nearly struck your target."

I gave him a faint nod before turning my gaze over to Bocchan. "It's all in the wrist, Young Master. You're definitely getting better, but you know what the saying says. There's always room for improvement."

"Even so," the butler declared, evidently stating what he had been trying to say before I had thrown the second dart, "let's save the games for later."

The Little Earl hesitated for a moment before closing his eye and replying with, "Yes, I suppose you're right, Sebastian. You as well, Elise."

With the two darts still being held in his hands, Sebastian turned away again and exited the room. The door closed behind him with a mild bang.

---

His Butler & Nanny, Able

---

~ Ciel: "My butler is an able man. My nanny is an able woman." ~

---

After my brother's departure, my sly grin transformed back into an elegant one and I retrieved the glove that was meant to go on my unmarked hand, considering I had removed it in order to prevent it from getting wet while cleaning the Earl's face.

"Shall we venture down to the Dining Hall, my Lord?" I asked while slipping my glove back on.

"Mm-hm." Master Ciel droned in a somewhat careless reply.

He stood up from the bed, grabbed his walking stick, and walked ahead of me, considering another rule from the Young Master was that his servants were always meant to stay behind him—mainly for protection and to show respect. However, when we made it over to the door, the Little Earl ceased in his tracks and waited for me to open it for him. When I did, I also made sure to preform a small curtsy while gesturing with my arm for him to leave first. He obliged and I followed, pulling the door shut behind us with another brief bang after departing from the bedroom.

The whole walk was silent, just like it was ninety-nine percent of the time. I walked with my hands neatly folded in front of myself and there was just a step or two separating me from Bocchan. Nonetheless, when we made it to the foyer and began descending down the first set of stairs, the Puny Lord unexpectedly stopped and I immediately froze before I could risk bumping into him. Then, with a turn of his head, Master Ciel locked his dull gaze on the portrait of his parents. There was no direct emotion visible on his face, but I could tell that he was thinking about something that revolved around that particular painting.

I also redirected my attention over to the portrait. Once again, while studying the smiling faces of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive, my magenta orbs became a little distant and I detected that same, strange, pebble-like sensation starting to form beneath the skin in my chest.

"Bocchan ... pardon me for asking, but have you been experiencing anymore nightmares lately?" I questioned after the moment of silence carried on for about fifteen seconds.

Shortly after Sebastian and I became Phantomhive servants, it came to our awareness that the Little Lord was actually a victim of intense nightmares—and a majority of them revolved around none other than his dead parents. Quite frequently, he would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming, sweating profusely, thrashing around, and breathing much harder than normal. There were even a few occasions in which the Young Earl would be so terrified to the point where he would unintentionally wet the bed, but he hadn't experienced a situation like that for over a year now.

"Tsk." Master Ciel sneered slightly and continued to walk down the stairs, as if the painting had never caught his attention. "No, I've been sleeping just fine. Now, let's keep moving."

"Right away, my Lord." I said, keeping my stare glued to the portrait for about two more seconds before I finally looked away and pursued after the Queen's Watchdog.

After making it down to the ground floor, the two of us headed down yet another hallway. The pair of doors that marked the entrance of the Dining Hall was just at the end of it, where a tiny, well-dressed, elderly man was standing with a small green cup that had Japanese writing on it in his hands. It was Tanaka—the Phantomhive family's steward—who possessed white skin that was accompanied by wrinkles, a slicked back hairstyle that was a pale shade of silver, a matching mustache, a pair of dark brown eyes, and a cheerful smile. Also, courtesy of his old age, Tanaka often struggled with being his "normal" self and handled this problem by staying in what was known as a "chibi" form.

"Ah, good day, Tanaka." I greeted graciously as I made it to the end of the hall with Bocchan. "The Young Master is ready to enjoy his breakfast."

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka said in return. That was his most common phrase.

After that, the elderly gentleman opened one of the large doors and held it open for the Little Lord, as well as myself. Then, after we entered the Dining Room, Tanaka walked in as well and gently pulled the door shut behind him.

This room was just as massive and sophisticated as the rest of the rooms in the manor. Aside from its paneled walls, shiny wooden floor, and beautiful chandelier, the furniture consisted of exquisitely polished tables, a variety of antique vases, fancy pieces of framed artwork, multiple cabinets that were filled with chinaware, royal blue chairs, and a matching rug that tied everything together.

Upon entering, it almost instantly came to my attention that Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard were gathered together near the window, having a conversation among themselves. However, after they realized that Master Ciel was now in their presence, panicked yelps escaped from all three of their mouths and they seemed to start chasing each other in rapid circles. Then, after a moment of scrambling around like they were being chased by a tornado, the three other servants froze at each other's sides and bowed in the direction of the Small Earl.

"Good morning, Young Master!" Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard exclaimed simultaneously.

"Hmph..." Bocchan mumbled while walking past them, visible eye closed again.

Regardless of how Sebastian wasn't anywhere in sight, he—just like I had predicted earlier—had already prepared the table for our Puny Lord. The lightly poached salmon, mint salad, and scones were already placed on silver platters with another tea set positioned around it, providing another fresh cup of Earl Gray and a glass of water.

I pulled out the chair that was at the head of the table, took the walking stick from the Little Earl's hand, sat it aside, and pushed the chair back in after Bocchan took a seat.

"Elise, prepare two scones for me." Master Ciel instructed.

"Certainly, Young Lord." I complied, remaining beside his chair as I picked up two scones from the silver basket that they were in. "And just what would you like to have on them? We have gravy, raspberry jam, blueberry jam, grape jelly, and butter to choose from."

"Butter." Bocchan answered, voice remaining plain.

With an understanding nod, I picked up a nearby knife and easily sliced both scones open. All four pieces were equal and as soon as I started smearing butter on them, the butter began to melt into the warm bread right before my eyes. Then, not even two seconds after I placed the finished scones down on another plate...

Whizzzz!

The Small Lord turned violently in his seat and hurled another dart as hard as he could, evidently trying to aim for my upper lip. Unfortunately, instead of managing to hit me or at least getting me to flinch, I reacted at the speed of lightning by snapping my head in the direction of the dart, opening my mouth, and effortlessly catching it by its sharp point between my teeth. For a moment, after this happened, I nonchalantly kept the dart positioned like a toothpick and made direct eye contact with Master Ciel. His expression was bitter, just like it had been when he had also failed to strike Sebastian back in his chambers.

Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny stared with wide eyes and jaws practically hitting the ground, making them perfectly resemble three deer that had been caught off guard by an incoming carriage.

With a single chuckle, I removed the dart from between my teeth and held it between my fingers like a cigar.

"Close, but no cigar, my Lord." I said while offering him an amused smirk. "It was a good attempt, but I'm afraid that you still need to work on your timing."

Master Ciel groaned a little under his breath, making it almost sound like he was growling. In return, I only held the dart out for him to take and watched as he snatched it back.

At the same time, Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny started whispering to each other in pure amazement. Although, they weren't exactly the world's greatest people when it came to keeping their voices down ... and it was very easy for Bocchan and I to hear them.

"Did you guys see that?" Bard inquired. "Christ, isn't there anything that Elise and Sebastian can't do?"

"That was very incredible, yes it was!" Mey-Rin chirped enthusiastically.

Finny then chimed in with admiration, "That's our Elise! Always full of surprises!"

The Little Lord peeked over in their direction from the corner of his eye. He obviously wasn't satisfied with how they were obsessing over my skills since that meant they had seen how he had failed to puncture me in the first place. So, instead of simply ordering the other servants to silence themselves or to take their conversation elsewhere...

Whizzzz!

For the third time today, the Queen's Guard Dog threw a dart. It soared all the way over to the other side of the room, puncturing straight through Finny's straw hat and nicking him in the back of the head. With no hesitation, the delight from the three servants faded away like it was never there. The maid stared at the gardener in a mixture of sympathy and fear, while the chef gaped in disbelief.

Finny threw his hands to the back of his head and began running around the dining room like a chicken that had just had its head chopped off.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" He shrieked, shortly before he hurried over to the opposite side of the Puny Earl's chair. "What was that for, Master? What did I do?"

Master Ciel casually swallowed a sip of Earl Gray before answering. "Nothing. I don't need to justify my actions."

After getting a response like that, the gardener let out a nervous breath and I easily retrieved the dart from the back of his head. Luckily, aside from the new hole in his hat and a teeny scratch that was hardly noticeable, there was no serious damage done to Finny.

"As true as that is, Young Lord, let's try to refrain from playing games at the table from now on." I instructed, holding the dart in my folded hands. "It isn't proper behavior to engage in such activities during a meal."

"Hmm." Bocchan took another sip of his tea before placing the cup back down on its saucer. "You may have a fair point, Elise."

I knelt down, deciding to tuck the dart between two of the many laces that were incorporated into my right ankle boot. Then, shortly after I stood back up with the dart now hidden due to the long skirt of my dress, both of the Dining Room's doors burst open to reveal a flustered Sebastian.

"There you are!" Sebastian proclaimed, catching Finny off guard and causing him to do a little dance in order to regain his balance. "Have you finished weeding the courtyard, Finny?"

The gardener's eyes grew. "Huh?"

The butler then flicked his pointed gaze over to the maid, who already had a slight blush on her cheeks from seeing him.

"Mey-Rin, have you washed all the beddings?" Sebastian inquired.

A small, squeaky gasp escaped from the redhead's mouth. "Umm, well..." She grinned shyly, tapping her fingers together.

Once again, my brother's eyes jumped to another person. "Baldroy, shouldn't you be preparing for tonight's dinner?"

"Tch..." Bard muttered with a slight, nervous sweat already beginning to form on his face.

"Tanaka ... Elise..." Sebastian peeked down at the elderly man, watching him calmly take a sip of tea from his cup before he glanced over at me and saw how well I was preforming my duties as the nanny. "Well, I suppose you're both alright as you are."

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka chuckled, while I casually adjusted the tulip that Finny had given me behind my ear.

Just a second later, a stern scowl appeared on the butler's face as he focused his attention entirely on Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard.

"Now all of you, we have no time for thumb-twiddling this morning." Sebastian sneered, practically triggering lightning as he threw his arm strictly in their direction. "So get to work!"

With no hesitation, the three other servants let out horrified yelps and began hurrying out of the Dining Hall as fast as their legs could carry them. I, on the other hand, remained standing beside the Little Earl's chair as I stared at my sibling with an unfazed expression.

"Y-y-yes, Sir!" Mey-Rin squawked, shortly before she, Bard, and Finny disappeared from the room.

Sebastian turned to face the door, watching it slam shut after their departure. "Simply hopeless." He grumbled.

"Perhaps, you should consider using the word 'jaunty' to describe them instead, Sebastian." I remarked professionally, despite my unimpressed face. "After all, it isn't an option to be 'hopeless' while serving the Phantomhive family."

The Young Master pursed his lips after hearing me say that. Then, without a word, he lifted one of his scones up to his mouth and took a bite.

---

Considering there was still plenty of work to get done, I escorted the Puny Lord to the Fencing Room and began the lesson almost immediately after he finished breakfast. It was a wide-open room, consisting of a tile floor that was the color of ice, powder blue walls with gold trimming, and more mahogany tables and cabinets that were backed up directly against the walls in order to provide enough space to practice.

I had brought a medium-sized dummy out of the closet that was also provided in the room and positioned it in the direct center. It was created out of thick wood that was made to perfectly resemble sturdy arms, a strong midsection, and an oval-shaped head. There were red dots placed on top of the best areas to strike, such as the heart and the neck. However, they were now barely noticeable since this dummy was covered in plenty of violent scratches after being put through so many sparring lessons. Aside from that, the dummy also had a metal pipe going through it and it was connected to a heavy piece of rock. This meant that it was impossible for any plain human to be able to move.

Now, for the past twenty minutes, I had been holding a foil sword and carefully observing the Young Master as he slashed his own weapon at the dummy.

Flick! ... Flick! ... Flick!

The tip of Master Ciel's foil sword kept striking the dummy across its blank face, just barely managing to leave behind any new crevices in the wood. It was obvious that he was swinging as hard as he could, but the only thing that was proven from that was that Sebastian and I needed to assist further in increasing his strength.

"Bocchan, for the third time, you must be alert of your stance at all times! You don't have it wide enough right now!" I pointed out over the sound of the Small Earl's sword hitting against the dummy. "Keep your body lowered as well! If you don't, you'll become an easy target for the opponent!"

Master Ciel growled a little to himself, cutting a brief glance down to his feet while he lowered himself into a better—but still incorrect—position. Then, just as he was swung his sword back, he stopped when he heard me let out a sigh.

"What now?!" Bocchan inquired, glancing over at me with a impatient glare on his face.

"I'm afraid that you just broke one of the major rules that comes with fencing." I replied, massaging the bridge of my nose before I made eye contact with Her Majesty's Guard Dog again. "No matter what is going on, you're never supposed to take your eyes off of your challenger. If this were a real battle, you more than likely would've been struck and severely injured by now."

The Puny Earl's cheeks started to burn from being so flustered. "If that's the case, then how about instead of just standing there and watching, you actually provide an example of how it's supposed to be done?!"

I had provided plenty of examples in the past, but that didn't stop me from feeling at least a tiny bit entertained by Bocchan's hostility.

"As you wish, Young Lord." I complied, raising my weapon with a wise glint in my maroon orbs.

Master Ciel stepped back, a scowl still in place on his face as he watched me approach the dummy. However, instead of immediately launching into an attack, like I could tell the Little Lord was expecting, I took the proper stance—knee bent with one leg out in front of the other, resulting in the sword being extended out further. After that, while swinging my arm around so fast to the point where the weapon practically became a blur, I skillfully sliced the dummy at least a dozen times.

FLICK! FLICK! SLASH! SLASH!

By the time I finished and returned to my normal posture, there were a variety of new crannies in the wood. Except, these ones were so deep to the point where parts of the metal pole could almost be seen as clear as day straight through the wood.

As I studied the results of my attack with a satisfied smirk, the Young Earl stared at them in a mixture of shock and exasperation. Then, after the head of the dummy just so happened to fall off from a clear slice to the throat and land on the floor near my foot, I altered my smirk into an angelic smile while turning to look at my Master once again.

"You see, Master? It is essential to keep your eyes on the enemy, just like maintaining the proper battle stance can be very helpful." I informed.

Bocchan gripped his weapon a little tighter. "W-well, what exactly is the point of all of this training when I'm not even able to battle against an opponent that's actually capable of fighting back?!"

I raised my unoccupied hand up to my chin and looked down at the decapitated head of the dummy. "Dummies are commonly used for every type of physical training. They're meant to provide you with the chance of getting comfortable in your own skin, as well as the opportunity to increase your skills before you move on to—"

Just then, I shot my foil sword out and dramatically turned my head back in the direction of the Puny Lord. He had just attempted flinging his weapon at me, but ended up failing due to how I had noticed his reflection in the very bottom of the dummy's metal pole.

CLING!

With our weapons now in the position of an X, I took a moment to study the sour expression that was printed on the Earl's face. It was the exact same look that he had been wearing back in the Dining Hall, as well as his bedroom, when he was getting himself involved with the darts.

"Another attempt at a sneak attack, I see?" I chortled, allowing a new smirk to form on my lips. "That makes three of them just this morning, Young Lord—excluding your direct hit with Finny. I must say, I admire your ambition."

"Flattery will get nobody anywhere with me." Bocchan retorted, keeping his grip tight as he pushed his sword against mine. "This is an order, give me a real challenge!"

I placed my unoccupied hand over my heart. "Very well, Bocchan."

Not even a split second after that, I preformed a backflip in order to break away from the position that Master Ciel and I had been in. He nearly dropped his sword from no longer having my own pressed against it, but he quickly regained his grip and positioned his body in a far more accurate stance. I did the same, holding my weapon out towards him with every hasty step that I took. In the process, I effortlessly dodged all of Bocchan's sharp pokes and violent swings by either blocking them with my own sword, or preforming a sidestep or somersault.

CLING! CLING! CLANK! CLANK!

"Put your whole body into it, Young Master!" I instructed, just as he managed to save himself from getting punctured in the cheek by blocking my sword with his yet again. "Right foot first, and then your left one! Keep moving backwards and forwards in order to prevent your challenger from knowing exactly when you'll strike! Faster now!"

CLING! CLANK!

While gritting his teeth and glaring, Master Ciel followed my instructions without breaking his attention away from me. Our speedy footsteps lingered through the air of the giant room, moving backwards and forwards in an endless pattern. However, even though I was just ordered to provide the Puny Earl with an actual challenge, it was obvious to both of us that I couldn't actually let myself go completely loose like I had on the dummy. If I did, the Little Lord was bound to get terribly injured and as his nanny, I couldn't allow that to happen.

CLANG! CLANG! CLINK! CLINK!

A numerous amount of times, Bocchan and I struck our weapons together and blocked each other's attacks. Of course, I managed to avoid more of them far easier than the Queen's Watchdog, who literally came inches away from getting scratched up by my sword almost the entire time.

"When it comes to fencing, my Lord, balance is the key! Keep your footing firm at all times!" I advised shortly after Master Ciel stumbled back a couple of steps and almost collapsed on his ass from how hard I had struck our weapons together that time. "Don't let too much space form between you or your opponent either! If you do, it'll give them the greater advantage of being able to charge you!"

The Small Earl rubbed his wrist, where discomfort was probably starting to form due to all of the movements that he had been making.

"Perhaps, this training session would go much more smoothly if you stopped preforming so many damn acrobatics!" He proclaimed.

"I must say that I respectfully disagree, Young Master. After all, it wouldn't be much of a challenge if I just stood still, now would it?" I retaliated, unable to resist getting a little cheeky again. "Plus, you did say so yourself that you didn't see a point behind battling against a challenger that was unable to fight back in the first place, did you not?"

Instead of saying anything back, the Puny Lord narrowed his sapphire eye and let out another low sound that perfectly resembled an impatient snarl. It was obvious that he wasn't pleased with how his words had come back and bitten him right on the ass. He also wasn't going to admit it anytime soon, but I wasn't bothered by that at all.

After returning to his doable stance, Master Ciel swung his weapon back and tried to swipe me in the side. Nonetheless, I managed to dodge by preforming another backflip and, while in a keeling position immediately after that, guarded my head with my sword from yet another swing. Following that, Bocchan and I ended up slamming our weapons together a variety of more times.

CLANK! CLANG! CLINK! CLANK!

Nevertheless, after about another two minutes of sparring, I noticed the Little Lord make himself vulnerable by looking away from me in order to check his feet again. With this opportunity, my eyes practically exploded into two glowing embers for a split second and I did a full twirl before striking the handle of Bocchan's sword with my own weapon. As a result of this, Master Ciel ended up losing his grip and the sword went soaring all the way across to the other side of the room, clinking against the floor as it struck it. Normally, this would've been the part of the battle where somebody lost to a horrific injury or even death ... but since this was just a lesson, I simply ended it with pointing the tip of my sword at my Young Lord's face.

"How in the hell did you—" Master Ciel began, but then stubbornly shut himself up from already knowing the answer to his question.

"You took your eyes off of me, Bocchan. Unfortunately, because of that, you left yourself wide open for that attack ... but there's certainly no need to be scared. You know that as your nanny, I would never hurt you." I declared, slightly teasing Bocchan as I withdrew my weapon from where it was just inches away from his face.

A vibrant shade of red made a return to the Puny Earl's cheeks. Whether he was irritated by my brash attitude or humiliated by how he had lost the sparring match, I couldn't exactly tell.

"I was not scared! How dare you even joke about such a thing!" Bocchan sneered with just a hint of embarrassment exposed in his accent. "And quit being so cheeky! I'm not finding it amusing at all!"

"My apologies, Young Lord. What I meant to say before was that you're doing a decent job so far ... but practice still makes perfect." I declared, curtsying in front of the Little Master before looking over at the clock. "Hmm. It appears that this session has been carrying on for a full thirty-five minutes. Since today is such a busy day, how about we end it here and continue fencing some other time in the near future?"

Master Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled back, "Yes, that's the best idea that I've heard since we first entered this room."

Shortly after that, he lowered his arms back down to his sides and watched as I returned my sword to its proper area with a slightly less stern look on his face.

"Continue working with Sebastian to finish the preparations for my guest's visit this evening." He instructed, taking his walking stick as soon as I retrieved it and offered it to him. "For you, that includes finding the board game that my Uncle Chlaus gifted me with during his last trip here from Germany."

"Ah, you mean Road to Ruins?" I asked, in which I followed the Small Master over to the door, opened it, and gestured for him to exit first.

"Yes, that's it."

"Well, Young Master, you can most definitely leave it to me."

The two of us stepped out into the foyer and started going our separate ways. The Little Lord began walking upstairs to head to his office, while I started heading off to find the butler. However, it didn't take long before I found myself ceasing in my tracks. From the corner of my eye, I spotted the the Queen's Watchdog coming to a halt on the second set of stairs in order to gaze up at the portrait of his parents again. As a result of this, I raised an eyebrow and watched as my Master stared dimly at the painting, as if checking to see if the image would move right before him.

"Is everything alright, my Lord?" I questioned.

"Hmph..." Bocchan withdrew his attention from the portrait after a brief pause and continued ascending. "Everything is fine. Get to work."

Despite my curiosity, I rested my right hand over my chest and curtsied again. "I will right away."

The Small Earl vanished around the upstairs corner, in which I took a moment to also glance back at the portrait. It felt like this was my millionth time doing that just this morning, but the barren look on my face and the annoying sensation that almost instantly returned to my chest remained the same.

"I wonder if the Puny Master or anybody else has noticed that their eyes make it seem like they're observing everything from beyond the grave." Even in my mind, the words failed to lack any particular tone. They just sounded ... distant. "I wonder if those who have perished in this world can truly remember the events that took their lives after they enter through the gates of paradise."

I inquisitively narrowed my eyes as that second thought came to my mind, still feeling the pebble-like sensation poking away at the inside of my clavicle at the same exact time. Then, while exhaling through my nose, I sharply turned my attention away from the portrait and continued on my way.

---

After locating Sebastian, he and I worked alongside each other for a countless amount of hours. We had practically ran around the entire mansion, refusing to leave the tiniest spot untouched or unobserved while attending to our duties. With the Little Lord remaining in his office and the rest of the servants being nowhere in sight, it was very simple for my brother and I to accomplish a boatload of tasks. However, there was still quite a bit of work to get done before Mr. Damiano's visit and not much time was left before he was scheduled to arrive.

Once again, the butler and I were wearing aprons and we had replaced our normal gloves with plastic pairs of cooking gloves. We were currently in the kitchen, trying to work together to prepare a spectacular dinner with a variety of raw meats, fresh fruits, tasty vegetables, exotic butters, and other ingredients neatly gathered together on the island. Pots, pans, utensils, and other silver containers were perfectly arranged around the preparations as well.

With a satisfied smile on his face, Sebastian worked on dicing a carrot. At the same time, I placed a shiny cherry at the top of some purple gelatin that I had prepared as a small, fancy, somewhat sweet appetizer.

"The silver is polished to a spotless shine." Sebastian affirmed, going down a list of jobs that the two of us had finished. "The tablecloth is crisp, clean, and wrinkle-free."

"The centerpieces are finished, incorporating a variety of freshly bloomed marigolds, tulips, and lilacs." I chipped in as I started to skillfully chop up a green pepper. "The dusting has been done as well. There isn't the tiniest fleck in even the deepest crevices of the entire manor."

Sebastian glanced over at me, appearing to be pleased with my words. I could tell that he was thinking that all of this seemed almost too good to be true, considering we often had far more messes and accidents to take care of on the side of our own duties from Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard.

"There is not a single bruised blossom among Master's favorite white roses." Sebastian went on. "And finally, the highest quality ingredients have been gathered to prepare a first-rate dinner."

He then sat his knife down in order to pick up one of the centerpieces that I had put together. While holding it out and examining it, the satisfaction seemed to increase a little in his ruby-like eyes.

"The table is perfection. This will be an elegant Phantomhive welcome."

"Of course it will be." I agreed with a faint smirk curled up on one of the corners of my lips. "If we couldn't do something as simple as prepare everything in the mansion for the Little Lord's guest with complete elegance and diligence, then what kind of nanny and butler would we be?"

Suddenly, as soon as I reached the end of my sentence...

Ring! Ring!

... One of the many bells that hung on the north wall started ringing. They were hooked up to practically every single room in the estate, providing a quick and simple way for the Puny Earl to announce that he was in need of something without requiring to leave the room that he was in.

Sebastian and I immediately turned, noticing that it was the Study bell that had been ringing. Both of our grins vanished almost instantly and were replaced by new expressions. My stare was more confused and curious as to why the Small Master was requesting us at a time like this. Sebastian's stare, on the other hand, was slightly more on the exasperated side.

The butler sighed. "Still so much to do and he calls us now."

He dusted his hands together, just as I sat my knife down, pulled off my plastic gloves, and replaced them with my natural gloves.

"Well, I guess that means that we might as well get a move on." I declared as I then removed my apron. "Bocchan requested for me to find that board game, Road to Ruins, for him. So, you go on ahead and I'll catch up."

"Alright, but be sure to make your search fast." Sebastian instructed while untangling his own apron. "After all, we don't know which one of us the Young Lord is requesting for."

"Don't worry, I will only be a minute."

After giving me a faint nod, my sibling grabbed his tailcoat and pulled it on while departing from the kitchen. I eventually started to follow, heading into one of the long, narrow, deteriorating corridors that belonged to the Servants' Area. However, I found myself coming to a halt when I noticed Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin poking their heads out from another doorway. They were looking down at Sebastian, who had just vanished around the corner, and they just so happened to be in the room where I could've sworn that Master Ciel's requested game was in.

A shimmer of confusion shot through my pupils as I watched the three other servants dunk back out of sight. Then, while making sure that I was stepping lightly enough so my high-heeled boots wouldn't produce too much noise while tapping against the floor, I approached the wide-open doorway. Although, instead of going in right away, I decided to stay hidden at the side and give a quick listen as to what was going on.

"A guest is comin'." Bard said, crossing his arms over his chest with his lips molded into a determined smirk. "All right, then this is our chance."

I furrowed my brow in curiosity, just as Mey-Rin and Finny turned to look at their older colleague like two lost puppies.

"Unlike Elise, Sebastian looks down on us all the time. Today, we will be so perfect he won't even know what 'it 'im." Bard went on, right before he dropped his jaw and staged a look of pure shock, even going as far as to include a fake gasp. "'Ah!' Yeah, that's what he's gonna say!"

"Ah!" Finny and Mey-Rin gasped simultaneously and allowed their jaws to fall, copying the face that Bard had made a moment before.

The chef stared at the other two with slight disapproval, arms folded again. "That's for him to say, not you." He pointed out.

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Mey-Rin chirped, curling her hands in optimism.

Finny then flashed a bold smile and chimed in with, "Right, we have to stop relying on Sebastian and Elise for everything."

The pieces were already starting to come together in my mind. The chef, gardener, and maid were making a plan to carry out their duties on their own instead of messing up and calling out for me and the butler for help. With this, I decided that I've heard enough and stepped into the doorway, exposing my presence.

"I wouldn't exactly say that the three of you rely on my brother and I for everything." I said, causing Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard to let out small screams and jump like startled cats. "If that were the case, you wouldn't even attempt to do your jobs in the first place."

"O-oh, Mistress Elise!" Mey-Rin and Finny squeaked at the exact same time.

Bard scratched the back of his neck in an awkward manner, staring at me with wide eyes. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked.

I folded my arms while responding, "Not long at all. However, do forgive me for not being able to help but overhear your little conversation."

"E-eh!" The maid began to nervously stutter, raising her folded hands up to her face like a pleading child. "W-we're so sorry for talking down on Mr. Sebastian like that!"

"'Talking down?'" I blinked, pausing for a brief period before I released a couple of quiet chuckles. "Oh, don't be absurd. Judging by what I heard, the three of you were just commenting on the fact that my brother tends to look down on others. He's been like that for as long as I can remember and even looks down on me every so often. It's just the type of being that he is. I must admit, however, that we caught him in a good mood today."

As I said that last sentence, Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny stared at me like I had just grown a second head.

"That's his good mood?!" Bard inquired, evidently thinking back to the butler's attitude in the Dining Hall.

"Yes." I confirmed with a single nod. "Believe me, if there's anyone who can clearly tell the difference between Sebastian's good mood and bad mood ... it would most definitely be me."

The gardener dropped his gaze to the floor, suddenly looking crestfallen. "We just want to have the chance to preform our jobs as responsibly as you and Sebastian do, Elise. Neither of you ever seem to have any slip-ups and we want to try providing the same services for the Young Master on our own for a change."

I flicked my attention between him and the other two servants, not showing any negative emotions towards what I just heard. Then, I opened my mouth and said, "So do it."

"Huh?!" Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin yelped simultaneously, once again looking at me in utter disbelief.

Considering how they typically got scolded or turned away whenever they made an offer to attend to their duties, I could tell that they were trying to figure out whether this exact moment was a dream or reality. They're might've not been the greatest servants, but I knew that I couldn't tell them to keep staying hidden for the rest of the preparations. If I did, they were bound to destroy themselves on complete accident ... and besides, Sebastian and I had already handled a majority of the tasks that needed to be finished for Mr. Damiano's visit. There couldn't possibly be enough duties leftover to provide Mey-Rin, Finny, or Bard with an opening to unintentionally ruin the evening.

"I said do it." I repeated as a nonchalant grin appeared on my porcelain face. "Mey-Rin, we're going to need the lavender tea set with the gold rims and turquoise flowers. It's the one that we most commonly use for guests. Finny, there's still some weeds that need to be removed from the garden. Get rid of them as soon as possible. And, Bardroy, Sebastian and I already got a head start on the dinner preparations ... but it shouldn't be hard for you to add more ingredients to the main courses, as well as begin cooking them. Proceed carefully and diligently at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

Delighted smiles practically exploded across all three of the other servants' faces. Together, they exclaimed in overjoyed tones, "Yes, Mistress Elise!"

"Excellent." I said, uncrossing my arms. "Now that that's settled, the Young Master has requested for mine and Sebastian's presence in his study. Nonetheless, before I go, I need the Road to Ruins board game. He instructed me to get it for him."

"Ah, the one that his Uncle gave him recently, right? That's right over here." Bard remarked, an unlit cigarette still dangling at one of the corners of his mouth.

He walked over to a rundown bookshelf that was made out of dusty, beige wood and grabbed the box that contained Road to Ruins from the bottom shelf. Until now, I hadn't noticed that Tanaka was sitting on his knees beside the same shelf, still in chibi form and observing the scene with his cup of tea being held in his hands.

"Oh, Tanaka. Pardon me for not acknowledging your presence sooner. You were being so proper and quiet over there to the point where I hadn't realized that you were also in the room." I explained, taking the board game's box from the chef as soon as he offered it to me. "While Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard handle the tasks that I have assigned them ... how about you just do whatever it is that you usually do?"

Tanaka took a sip of his tea before responding with, "Ho, ho, ho..."

A dignified smile returned to my lips, in which I glanced around one more time at the others. "I wish you all luck with your assignments. Sebastian and I will reunite with you again eventually."

"Right!" Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny said, right before I spun around on my heels and exited the room.

Then, while beginning my way down the hall with my heels clicking against the floor, I overheard a few more pieces of dialogue come from the other servants.

"Alright, you all heard the lady!" Bard concluded with pure confidence. "It's settled then, we got a plan of attack!"

After that, he, along with Mey-Rin and Finny, cheered, "Let's get to it!"

I didn't need to see them to know that they had just thrown their fists up into the air, making their agreement official.

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka chuckled again, just as I reached the bottom of the hall and turned down the corner.

---

The Little Lord's study was off-limits to anybody that didn't live in the manor. It was a medium-sized room that was just recently painted to be this particular shade of mocha. A majority of its wooden floor was also covered by a gigantic, pastel green rug that was rimmed with thousands of gold frays and was decorated with the fantastic design of flowers. Aside from that, it had a large window—accompanied by champagne-colored drapes—that gave the room a fantastic view of the land around the estate. Then, the only furniture that really occupied the office were plenty of towering high bookshelves, a variety of more paintings, and the fancy desk that the Young Master spent a large portion of his days at.

I had caught up with my sibling in time and now, the two of us were standing beside each other in front of that very desk. Master Ciel was sitting at it with plenty of papers scattered in front of him, but his attention was locked entirely on us.

"You rang, Young Master?" Sebastian said.

"I'm a bit hungry. I'd like something sweet to eat." Bocchan reported, folding his hands beneath his chin.

The butler didn't look at all surprised by his "important" request, but maintained his respectful tone. "You shouldn't eat now, Master. You don't want to spoil your appetite for dinner with your guest this evening."

"I don't care about that. Make me a parfait."

Sebastian closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, sir."

A spark of annoyance twinkled in the Puny Earl's blue eye as he shot daggers at my brother, shortly before he redirected his gaze over to me. This was a typical trick of his: whenever Sebastian denied him something, he went to me since it was the nanny's job to be the prime one that took care of the child.

"Elise, I am having specific cravings for a parfait or perhaps a slice of cheesecake." Master Ciel described. "Make one of those options for me and bring it back here right away."

With the board game's box tucked underneath my arm, I bowed my head. "With all due respect, Young Lord, I must deny your request. Like Sebastian said, you don't want to risk eating now and getting sick over dinner."

"Tch..." The Small Lord gritted his teeth in displeasure, but reluctantly decided to concede. "Fine then. About the portrait in the hallway..."

He stood up from his chair, which was actually much bigger than him, and turned his back on the butler and I in order to look out the window.

"Yes?" Sebastian wondered.

I tilted my head a little to the side, automatically recalling how the Little Master had stopped to stare at the portrait twice today. A piece of me had been curious about the thoughts that were running through his mind while looking at it ... but out of the millions of possibilities, I definitely wasn't expecting the one that came out of Bocchan's mouth next.

"Take it down."

My brother and I had completely different reactions. Sebastian's eyes widened for a split second, but then he raised an eyebrow and stared at the back of our Master's head like he was trying to figure out whether or not he bluffing. I, on the other hand, felt my eyes grow to be the size of two quarters and they stayed that way as I listened to the Puny Lord's words seem to repeat themselves a couple of times in my brain. Nonetheless, despite the disbelief that was visible on my face, I made sure to keep my voice proper and casual.

"Take it down?" I inquired with a sliver of concern managing to slip across my tongue. "Are you sure, Bocchan? ... After all, that portrait is in memory of your parents. It has been hanging in that specific area of the foyer ever since the estate was first built."

The Young Master glanced over his shoulder at me, scowling a little. There was a moment of complete silence, but it was broken when he lowered his attention to his hand. With an lost, somewhat depressed look in his visible eye, he delicately caressed a ring that was on his thumb—but it wasn't just any ordinary ring. It was an ornate silver piece that held an emerald-cut, deep blue sapphire—a family heirloom that used to belong to his father.

"That doesn't matter ... keeping that portrait up will not bring them back. They're gone for good." Master Ciel said while watching the priceless jewel shimmer. Shortly after that, he let out a mere scoff. "Those people couldn't even make the image accurate. It wouldn't have killed them to have gone out and found amber paint for my mother's hair ... and they even had the nerve to leave my father's face in the shadows. I don't find these careless mistakes 'honorable' at all."

"Young Master..." I attempted to speak again, but immediately silenced myself when Bocchan darted his attention over to me again.

"Are you questioning my authority, Elise?"

"Certainly not, Young Lord." I replied honestly, shaking my head before placing a hand over my heart. "If you felt that I was giving off that particular vibe, please forgive me for it. However, as your nanny, I was just making sure that this decision of yours was something that you truly did want to make official."

"If it was something that I didn't wish for, I wouldn't have ordered it to you and Sebastian in the first place." Master Ciel remarked.

Once again, he turned away to look out the window and from the corner of my eye, I could see the butler looking at me with an expression that was both concerned and uncertain. It was obvious that he was trying to figure out why I had tried talking our Master out of his plans on having the portrait taken down, especially since Bocchan rarely ever backed down from an order. Nevertheless, I chose to ignore my brother's stare and mentally agreed with Bocchan's latest instruction ... even though I didn't fully understand the reason behind why I felt so compelled to defend that specific painting in the first place.

"I am Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent..." Bocchan stated in a stern tone, stroking his ring again, "...and I am the head of the house now."

For the second time, the office was violated by an intense and eerie silence that would make any plain human feel uncomfortable.

Sebastian's mouth curved into a knowing smirk, at which he then positioned an arm across his body and bowed. "Consider it done, my Lord." He declared.

"Sebastian and I will take care of it as soon as possible, Master." I promised shortly after, choosing to pay no attention to the faint sunken feeling that had formed in the pit of my abdomen. "Oh, yes. I have also located and retrieved Road to Ruins, just as you requested."

I took the box out from underneath my arm, just as the Queen's Guard Dog glanced over his shoulder again to see it.

"Good. I'll need you to set it up in the Drawing Room, considering that's where I'll be with my guest when he arrives."

"Yes, of course, my Lord." I said with a curtsy, right before I positioned the box beneath my arm again.

With that, my sibling and I turned to leave. However, after taking a couple of steps towards the door, we both ended up jerking to a halt after we picked up the sound of the Little Lord letting out a stunned gasp. With no hesitation, Sebastian and I spun ourselves back around to face Master Ciel, only to see him standing closer to the window and staring outside again. Except, this time, his eyes were huge, his hands were curled into tight fists, and his mouth was hanging open in a mixture of shock and fury.

"Young Lord, what's the matter?" Sebastian asked, immediately approaching the window with me in pursuit.

As soon as we looked out, I could've sworn that I felt my heart firmly punch me in the chest from not expecting to see what was there. The entire lawn was horribly wilted, showing off the atrocious colors of mold instead of its prior, vibrant, remarkable shade of green. It looked almost like the grass hadn't been taken care of for months, even though it had been perfect all throughout the preparations.

"My lawn!" Master Ciel exclaimed.

Sebastian looked just as caught off guard as I did, as well as a little angry. "What in the world happened to it? The whole yard looks absolutely horrendous!"

"We were literally just out there not even an hour ago! Everything was perfect then!" I reminded.

Suddenly, Bocchan's face crinkled in what I could only guess was concern and he tilted his up towards the ceiling. As this happened, he sniffed the air, causing me and the butler to redirect our attention to him once more. I opened my mouth to ask the Puny Earl if he was okay, but before I could, I ended up detecting a scent that had started lingering through the office out of nowhere. It didn't take much effort to realize that it was the nasty smell of something ... burning.

"Do I smell ... fire?" Master Ciel asked slowly.

Not even a second after that question left his mouth, the air was pierced by a high-pitched shriek that, without a doubt, belonged to Mey-Rin. It was accompanied by a loud CRASH, along with what sounded like glass shattering against the floor. As all of these things played back in my head, my magenta orbs grew from me thinking back to how I had instructed the gardener, maid, and chef to handle specific duties that involved chinaware, dinner, and outdoor work.

In that moment, the first thought that came to my mind was, "Oh, shit! Not again!"

"What in the bloody hell is going on in my manor?!" Bocchan demanded. "I can't believe this! All of this damage is going on when I have a guest that's expected to arrive in just a couple of more hours!"

My brother and I exchanged glances, right before we started fast-walking in the direction of the door.

"No need to worry, Young Lord! We'll see to it all." I promised.

Sebastian then added, "In the meantime, you can return to what's left of your paperwork before heading on to the Drawing Room."

After that, the two of us vanished from our Master's study and didn't think twice before hurrying back in the direction of the Servants' Area.

---

When Sebastian and I made it all the way back to the Servants' Area, the first thing that we saw was plenty of smoke coming out from the kitchen. Mey-Rin and Finny were standing directly outside the doorway and staring into the smoky room, mouths trembling and hands anxiously being held together. Finny had shameful tears curled up in the corners of his eyes, while Mey-Rin had a noticeable crack in one of the lenses of her glasses.

The air was also filled with the sound of Bardroy practically hacking his lungs out. He eventually emerged from the kitchen, waving a fire extinguisher around and suddenly possessing a messy Afro instead of his typical, spiky hairstyle.

Lastly, Chibi Tanaka was standing calmly against the wall, still holding his Japanese cup while paying close attention to everything.

"Is it out?! Is the fire out?!" Mey-Rin inquired, squawking her words like a bird.

"Yeah ... yeah, it's out." Bard replied after managing to regain enough of his breath.

After observing them from the very end of the hallway, I dragged my bottom lip between my teeth and cut a small glance over to the butler. His face was now covered by a large, ridiculously fake smile and if it wasn't for his hair being grown out at the sides, I could tell that a vain would've been seen as clear as day in his forehead, throbbing away. Even after working underneath the same roof for two years, Sebastian couldn't seem to get used to the other servants and every single time they failed to properly handle their duties, he was forced to keep calm in order to prevent himself from breaking his "ideal butler" character. Although, even as the Phantomhive nanny and not to mention Sebastian's sister ... I never did seem to find myself holding any grudges against Mey-Rin, Bard, Finny, or Tanaka.

"Ahem!" Sebastian said, pretending to clear his throat.

With no hesitation, the other servants snapped their heads in our direction and as soon as each of their eyes landed on us, my sibling and I received different forms of panicked reactions.

"O-Oh! M-Mr. Sebastian!" Mey-Rin shrieked, holding her trembling fists up close to her face like a terrified child.

"M-Mistress Elise!" Finny exclaimed just a millisecond later with the water noticeably increasing in his eyes.

Bard's turquoise orbs grew to be the size of two large globes and a few nervous beads of sweat already began to trickle down from his hairline. However, instead of calling anything out like his two younger colleagues had, Bard ended up tossing the fire extinguisher back into the kitchen and shoving his hands into the pockets of his all-white uniform. It was obvious that he was trying—and failing—to convince himself that Sebastian and I hadn't seen him putting out a fire that he had caused.

The three servants stood in a nervous line as I started walking down the hall with Sebastian following almost immediately. Then, when we made it down to where the smoke had finally started to clear up, the two of us poked our heads into the kitchen. All of the food that we had prepared had been burnt to the point where everything now resembled either chunks of charcoal or puddles of tar. Not only that, but one of the cabinets and a trolley had been knocked over, resulting in broken glass and hundreds of shards that used to belong to expensive pieces of chinaware to be spewed across the floor.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, dear..."

After that, as I pinched the bridge of my nose and began to think about how I was going to have to get all of this cleaned up again as soon as possible, Sebastian redirected his false grin over to the other servants.

"Now, how exactly did this happen?" He inquired, locking his gaze on Finny first.

The gardener squeezed his tearful eyes shut. "I thought things would go faster if I used extra strength weed-killer on the garden."

One of the corners of Sebastian's lips twitched, giving it away that he was trying not to snarl. He then jumped his attention over to Mey-Rin.

The maid blushed anxiously. "I was trying to reach the tea set we use for guests, but I tripped and the cabinet fell!"

That time, the butler gave his eyes a slight roll before flicking them over to Bardroy.

The chef glanced down at the floor, evidently wanting to avoid eye contact. "There was a lot of meat to be cooked for dinner, and it was gonna take a long time ... so, uh, I used me flamethrower."

At last, Sebastian's phony smile disappeared and was instantly replaced by a disapproving glare. As this happened, I lowered my arms back down to my sides and also stared at the other employees with a half bare, half pitiful expression. In return, Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny stared at the two of us like we were suddenly beginning to grow taller than them.

"Oh~ we're so sorry! We didn't mean to!" Finny and Mey-Rin broke out, shedding apologetic tears.

With a remorseful frown, Bard rubbed the back of his neck and said over the sound of the other two's panicking, "We were only trying to carry out Elise's orders! We didn't think that things would get so out of hand like this!"

As the three of them began talking on top of each other in a mixture of shame and humiliation, I couldn't help but slightly grimace from hearing the chef's comment. Not because I wished that he had kept it to himself, but because I knew exactly how Sebastian would react to it ... and after being at Sebastian's side for centuries, I had grown tired of his attitude. Most of the time, I found myself being immune to it; but that didn't mean that I wasn't capable of becoming irritated.

Sebastian's vibrant red orbs widened after he heard Bard's words and he didn't think twice before turning his head to look at me. Just like I had predicted, he wasn't the tiniest bit pleased.

"'Elise's orders?!'" Sebastian's disapproving voice tumbled into my brain, causing me to slowly return his gaze. "You're the one that instructed them to handle these tasks?!"

While making eye contact, a somewhat bitter expression formed on my face and I crossed my arms over my chest. As this happened, the other employees' frantic rambling practically melted away on deaf ears and I chose to ignore the unsatisfied scowl that was now marking my brother's face.

Courtesy of not being part of this world, Sebastian and I possessed the ability of being able to communicate to each other telepathically. This didn't mean that we could read each other's minds—because we couldn't. We could only read the thoughts that we sent to each other by using this power ... and needless to say, it was a very useful one to have. Unfortunately, it also required energy, which meant that the butler and I always had to make sure that we weren't going overboard. If we did, we would find ourselves temporarily weakened and that could result in plenty of risky situations—particularly for me.

Luckily, since Sebastian and I were currently near each other, we didn't need to worry about having hardly any of our energy drained at all. However, if we weren't in a close enough range and tried to communicate with each other through our minds, the energy would drain much faster. It wasn't exactly the easiest ability to explain, especially since...

...Well, there was no reason getting into that now.

"You know, the least you can do is stop making it sound like I was ordering them to do whatever they damn well pleased." I mentally pointed out, filling my words with a serious tone. "On the contrary, I was telling them to do their jobs. How in the hell was I supposed to know that they were going to accidentally ruin all of the things that we had already taken the liberty to prepare?!"

Sebastian squinted at me like I was a total idiot and fired back with, "Because they're them!"

"It wouldn't kill you to at least act like you see a smidge of potential in them, Sebastian. Perhaps, if you did that, you wouldn't need to worry about turning into such an uptight ass on a daily basis."

"Ugh! Enough! We don't have time for this bloody nonsense right now." With that, Sebastian pulled out his pocket watch and raised his other hand up to his chin as he examined the time. "Our guest will arrive just after six. At most, we have two hours left. Not enough time to replace the tea set or find premium meats. What should we do?"

I pressed my lips into a straight line, trying to come up with an answer while wondering the same question.

"The tea set might be broken, but perhaps we can quickly gather our most recent purchases of new chinaware from the storage room."I mentally suggested after a moment.

"Well, we don't really have many options left to choose from. With that being said, gathering the new chinaware sounds doable." Sebastian approved, still wearing his determined stare.

While this occurred, the yelps, sniffles, and whimpers coming from Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard returned to mine and the butler's attention.

"Calm down, all of you." Sebastian instructed as he tucked his pocket watch away again. "Perhaps you should try taking a page out of Tanaka's book, and start behaving like—"

Suddenly, Sebastian cuts himself off and judging by the look in his eyes, he had gotten an idea. At the exact same time, I just so happened to get the feeling that a lightbulb had just turned on above my head. My brother and I briefly exchanged slightly wide-eyed glances, right before we quickly directed our attention over to Tanaka—or more specifically, his little green cup.

"That's it! A spectacular new theme!" I exclaimed to myself in my mind.

The chibi, elderly man raised his eyebrows. "Hoh?"

"Everyone. Listen closely and do exactly as I say, understand? We must be quick about this." Sebastian explained, walking over to Tanaka and taking his tea from him. "We might save this night yet."

I raised my index finger. "If I may make a request first."

"Wasn't it your requests that got us in this predicament in the first place?" Sebastian inquired, slightly pointed. When all he got in return was me shooting daggers at him, he let out a sigh and reluctantly backtracked. "Fine. What kind of request, Elise?"

I locked my gaze on Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny. Then, as one of my radiant grins made a return, I said, "I'm going to need quite a bit of construction paper."

---

Within the two remaining hours that we had, Sebastian, Finny, Bard, Mey-Rin, Tanaka, and I worked together to transform all of the ruined grass into a spectacular Stone Garden. Gravel had been used to create realistic ripples, surrounded by moss-covered rocks and patches of blue tiger lilies that I had managed to revive from Finny's weeding. A wooden platform had also been built, hovering over the gravel and neatly zig-zagging over to the path that led up to one of the side door's of the manor. Not only that, but I had taken the liberty of using construction paper to create hundreds of perfect, brightly colored, origami cranes and Japanese flowers. The flowers were positioned in a variety of areas throughout the gravel, making them look like the were floating. The cranes, on the other hand, were suspending from thin strings in the trees like they were actually flying.

Sebastian and I also made sure to clean up the damages that had been done in the kitchen, while the other servants quickly made themselves more presentable. By the time that all of this had been finished, an ebony-colored City Coupe started riding down the dirt road that led up to the estate.

"Well, would you look at that? Right on time!" I told myself in my mind with a confident sparkle in my wine-colored orbs.

The carriage came to a halt in front of the Stone Garden and Sebastian opened its door with a humble grin on his face. I stood on the opposite side of the door, wearing a similar smile with my hands folded in front of myself.

Mr. Damiano stepped out from the carriage and helped himself down to the ground. He looked like he was in his early-to-mid thirties, acquiring an ivory complexion, denim-blue eyes, mid-length hair that was the color of sand, and a matching beard that was properly trimmed and connected to an unfinished mustache. Aside from that, his noble ensemble incorporated multiple shades of brown and beige—not including his maroon neck-piece, black top hat, white button-down, pale gloves, and matching scarf. Judging by his appearance, he really did seem like a proper guest.

Mr. Damiano's eyes shimmered with fascination at the sight of the Stone Garden. "Oh, how impressive!" He commented, definitely possessing an Italian accent.

A bamboo stick that had been fashioned into a special fountain tapped against a rock.

Clink!

Mey-Rin, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka bowed from where they were standing side-by-side on the platform.

Together, they said, "Hello, welcome, sir."

Sebastian closed the carriage's door before speaking next. "This is called a Stone Garden. It is a traditional feature in Japan."

"Ah, prodigioso!" Mr. Damiano cheered, tossing his arms out at his sides. "Wonderful! Truly an elegant garden."

"We thought it appropriate to serve dinner al fresco this evening." Sebastian informed.

I stepped up to our guest's side and unfolded my hands in order to hold one out to him. "Mr. Damiano, may I take your hat and scarf for you?"

The Italian gentleman turned his head to look at me, just now appearing to notice my presence. As soon as his eyes met mine, they seemed to almost light up with delight and a vibrant grin formed on his features. Instead of removing the garments that I had offered to take, our visitor ended up curling his fingers around mine and turning my hand over so he could hold it.

"Oh, buon giorno, dear woman!" Mr. Damiano greeted politely. "My, oh my! I must apologize for not noticing your presence sooner. It's almost impossible for me to believe that I had been admiring the radiance of this wonderful garden instead of admiring a being that possesses far more beauty, such as yourself. If it's okay for me to ask, who might you be?"

I offered a flattered smile, even though I had received plenty of similar compliments from a numerous amount of men that had visited the mansion and was practically immune to any romantic advances.

"I am deeply humbled by your generous compliment." I said with a small bow of my head, right before I made eye contact with the Italian gentleman again. "My name is Elise Michaelis. I am the nanny of this estate. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"Ah, Elise Michaelis..." Mr. Damiano whispered, sounding almost enchanted as he lifted my gloved hand up to his lips and delivered a gentle kiss to my knuckles. "What a lovely name, indeed. It makes me think of ... a black rose. Very unique and rare to find. Leave it to a Phantomhive to locate such a valuable thing."

I almost smirked after being compared to something like a rose, but made sure to stick with showing off my angelic grin.

"Surely, Mr. Damiano, you're too kind." I remarked.

Instead of saying anything back, the guest simply continued to smile as he removed his top hat and scarf. Then, he handed them over to me.

"Sir," Sebastian spoke up again, gaining Mr. Damiano's attention, "allow me to escort you inside until the meal is ready."

With that, our Italian guest slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers and started walking across the platform. Sebastian walked beside him while I walked a little further ahead, eventually making it all the way across. After this, Tanaka took over Sebastian's part by beginning to escort Mr. Damiano along the side of the manor. By this point, I made sure to hand the top hat and scarf over to the butler before following shortly behind Tanaka and Mr. Damiano.

"Ha ha ha, I should have expected this from a Phantomhive." Mr. Damiano commented with a light-hearted chuckle. "I cannot wait to see what else is in store!"

Upon making it to the side door of the manor, Tanaka allowed Mr. Damiano to go in first before pursuing after him. I, on the other hand, took a moment to halt in the doorway in order to look back at my fellow colleagues with a satisfied smirk.

"Phew, we actually did it!" Bard sighed in relief, wiping some nervous beads of sweat away from his forehead.

Finny chimed in next, happily observing the Stone Garden with twinkly eyes. "Who would've thought a dozen boxes of gravel could turn into an amazing garden?"

Sebastian turned to them with a smile. "Naturally, we were able to handle this. We serve the Phantomhive family, after all. There's still work to be done. Let's take care of it while the Master is talking business with his guest. Look sharp now."

"Right!" Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny agreed.

"For the time being, I trust that the four of you will do just fine without my presence." I spoke up from the doorway, placing a hand on my hip. "I'll reunite with you all shortly, but as of right now, I must be at the Young Lord's side during his meeting. Good luck with your duties."

I was about to walk inside, but stopped again when I heard the sound of my sibling's voice saying my name.

"Elise." His voice was natural.

I glanced back at him. "Yes, Sebastian?"

The butler's grin remained on his face as he turned his head away from me. A gentle breeze whistled through his hair as he focused on a few of the paper cranes that I had created in the distance, watching them delicately sway around from the branches that they were connected to.

"I must admit, despite our previous setbacks..." Sebastian said, "...the origami was a rather splendid touch to the atmosphere."

All he got in return was a faint snicker, along with the smirk that was still twisted across my lips. Then, as the bamboo stick made another clink sound against the rock that it had struck, I entered the manor and closed the door behind me.

---

It didn't take long before I managed to catch up with Tanaka and Mr. Damiano. Tanaka was leading the way to the Drawing Room, while I was walking a fair distance away from Mr. Damiano's side to ensure that he wouldn't get lost. The entire time, the sound of our footsteps lingered through the air and the Italian gentleman couldn't seem to settle his fascinated gaze on anything. As soon as his eyes landed on one thing, they would only jump to another within just a couple of seconds.

"Ah, this manor is simply incredible!" Mr. Damiano proclaimed as he, Tanaka, and I walked down one of the second floor's corridors. "Just look at all of these paintings and other priceless knick-knacks! I swear, with every turn we make down these halls, I feel like I'm-a on a whole new adventure!"

"I'll be sure to pass that comment along to my Master." I said respectfully. "I also hope that the view outside was to your liking."

Just then, as I peeked over at Mr. Damiano from the corner of my eye to see his reaction ... I could've sworn that I saw him actually beginning to study me from the bottom of my shoes to the top of my head. There was a new look on his face as well—a new smile that definitely didn't match up to the friendly one that he had been showing off while greeting everyone. This one seemed to be more smug, and his eyes were almost appearing to be ... lustful.

"Oh, most definitely..." Mr. Damiano let out a quiet chuckle, suddenly sounding like a whole new person as he murmured to himself. "I can certainly guarantee that I was deeply satisfied by the view."

"What was that?" I inquired, sounding somewhat defensive as I turned to make eye contact with the visitor.

As this happened, the Italian gentleman's expression almost immediately switched back over to a polite one and I couldn't help but wonder if I had heard him correctly. However, I was ninety-nine percent certain that I had heard those exact words ... and just the thought of Mr. Damiano speaking about me in such a manner made something inside of my gut feel a little heavy.

"Oh, I was just talking about how pleased I was with the Stone Garden!" Mr. Damiano replied, somehow managing to bring back his perky accent right away. "All of it was truly remarkable! It provided a spectacular view of Mother Nature while also incorporating fine details from the Japanese culture! I was deeply satisfied by it!"

I blinked a couple of times, thinking about everything that he just said. Eventually, I also decided to shift in the direction of forgetting about whatever comment Mr. Damiano had muttered before—despite how it, along with his staring, triggered a mixture of confusion and concern within me. With that being said, even though I looked nonchalant on the outside, I was secretly remaining a little watchful.

"Hmm ... this must be what humans call 'paranoia.' I must say, I am most definitely not a fan of it." I thought to myself, still feeling the unpleasant weight in the pit of my stomach. "Nevertheless, the show must go on. Like the Puny Lord says ... as a Phantomhive servant, I must provide the best hospitality for guests."

"Well, I am glad to hear that. I'm sure that my Master will be, too." I said as politely as possible, shortly before I decided to change the topic. "Speaking of Earl Phantomhive, I hope that you're the type of person who enjoys games."

"Games?" Mr. Damiano asked, now appearing to be taken aback.

"Yes. You see, whenever my Young Lord has a guest that's scheduled to visit the mansion for a meeting, he chooses a game to play during their time together. They make things more ... interesting." I explained, and as I said that final word, a faint smirk curled up on one of the corners of my mouth. "For your visit, he has selected a board game that his Uncle recently gifted to him called Road to Ruins. The rules are very simple to follow, so I don't doubt that the two of you will have fun while talking business. If you have any questions at all, I'm sure that the Young Lord or myself will be able to provide you with answers."

Mr. Damiano's eyes grew a little. "You're going to be attending the meeting as well?"

"Of course. As my Master's nanny, it is one of my many duties to be at his side during all of his appointments." I answered.

The Italian gentleman glanced away shortly after that, puncturing the floor with what looked like an unsatisfied scowl. As this happened, he also grumbled something under his breath in Italian. I couldn't catch what it was, but it definitely didn't sound like he was pleased with my response.

My eyes shimmered with slight disapproval towards the guest's reaction.

"Surely, that wouldn't be a problem, would it?"

"Oh, no! Of course not!" Mr. Damiano replied, turning to look at me again with yet another smile. "Like the saying says, the more the merrier!"

"Huh ... I've never seen a visitor look so against my presence during a meeting with the Little Lord before. Just what exactly is going on with this gentleman here?" I wondered.

I continued to stare at Mr. Damiano for a couple of more seconds before forcing myself to smile again.

"That's the spirit, sir! Now, the Drawing Room is just down this next hall."

Chibi Tanaka pointed ahead, seeming to agree with my words. "Ho, ho, ho..."

---

The Drawing Room was almost the same exact size as Bocchan's office. Its beige, paneled walls were covered with hundreds of swords, hatchets, shields, and animal heads—all of them being real. Aside from that, the polished floorboards were mostly hidden beneath a large, fantastically detailed, dark blue rug that had its edges decorated with lime-green frays. Then, there was the rest of the furniture: plum-colored chairs, small mahogany tables, matching cabinets that had misty glass windows incorporated into them, and a fancy fireplace that was constructed out of silver stone. This was actually one of the most common rooms that the Little Lord's guests enjoyed visiting whenever they found themselves on the Phantomhive property.

After escorting the Italian gentleman to the Drawing Room's entrance, Tanaka headed off to do whatever it was that he usually did and I knocked to alert the Young Master that his guest had arrived for the meeting. Upon that, he permitted our entry.

Mr. Damiano almost immediately helped himself to the chair that was across from the matching seat that Master Ciel was sitting in. As this happened, I noticed his eyes land on the Road to Ruins board game that was sitting on the little table that was between the two of them. Just like Bocchan had ordered, I had managed to set up all of the cards and game pieces shortly after assisting Sebastian in restoring the kitchen.

The guest squinted at the pastel-colored board, as if waiting to see if it would evaporate right before his eyes. Then, a couple of seconds after that, he redirected his attention over to me and just watched as I stood directly beside the Small Earl's chair. It was almost like he was checking to see if I was going to keep my word and stay present during the meeting. Nonetheless, instead of allowing his odd behavior to get the best of me, I decided to offer him a nonchalant grin before looking over at the clock.

"My Lord, it is officially five minutes past six."

"Very well. Let's start the meeting then."

As he said those words, Master Ciel picked up his most favorite character piece, which resembled a gargoyle that was perched on top of a rock, and spun the top-shaped die on the board to begin the game. At the same time, I flicked my attention back over to the mansion's guest, only to notice him still looking at me. Except, this time, there was a slightly debating look in his eyes ... and when I saw that, I couldn't help but feel the watchfulness inside of me enhance a little more.

"By all means, Mr. Damiano, pretend that I am not here." I insisted, gesturing for him to begin the meeting as my Puny Master studied the amount of spaces that he was now permitted to move. "Go ahead and speak your business with my Young Master."

"Ah, yes. Certainly." Mr. Damiano agreed. He blinked a couple of times, practically forcing that odd look out of his eyes as he leaned back in his chair and watched Bocchan move his character piece. "The progress we've been making with the East India Factory is quite astonishing. We already have the makings of a top-notch staff."

"'Bewitched by the eyes of the dead.'" Master Ciel abruptly recited, staring at the specific box that his game piece had landed on with a dull expression. "What terrible luck. It appears I lose a turn."

This was the first time in which I had seen the Earl playing this game. So, I decided to take the opportunity to glance down at the board and study the image that was accompanied by his game piece. It showed dozens of similar, somewhat cracked skulls that were positioned in the shape of an eerie pyramid. Their mouths were also wide open, purposely designed to make it look like they had been releasing bloodcurdling screams when they perished.

"Right now is the perfect time." Mr. Damiano went on. "We should begin expanding the company and building a strong labor force, it would—"

Bocchan leaned back, folding his hands. "Go on. It's your turn."

For a faint moment, the Italian gentleman found himself falling silent. Nonetheless, he decided to comply about three seconds later.

"Oh, yes. I just spin this then."

Mr. Damiano started reaching for the top-shaped die, but stopped himself when I spoke up.

"Actually, my Lord ... pardon me for interrupting, but it appears that you have forgotten that according to the instructions, all members that lose a turn have the choice to pick a card from the deck in order to attempt avenging yourself for the round that you miss." I pointed to the stack of red cards that were in the direct center of the board while explaining. "Apparently, you can never tell whether the card you draw is going to help you or your opponent. It's the same thing when it comes to the possibility of either player getting harmed, judging entirely by what is written on the card. It's completely randomized ... but I guess that's part of the fun." There was a hint of slyness that snuck into my accent as I said that last part. "So, Bocchan, what do you say? Do you wish to pick a card?"

The Little Earl leaned forward a little in his chair again, studying the card deck for about five seconds before he finally gave his answer.

"Hmm ... I might as well."

Mr. Damiano blinked in disbelief while watching Master Ciel take his time to grab a card and turn it over.

Shortly after that, Bocchan read out loud, "'Move opponent ahead two spaces.'" He narrowed his visible eye slightly in displeasure, but didn't bother to protest.

"Well, well, well. What do you know, Mr. Damiano? It looks like you're getting a head start before even rolling the die for the first time." I declared with a small snicker ... but despite my smile, my voice became a little more mischievous as I continued. "However, I must admit that it seems like this is nothing more than beginner's luck on your part. After all, Earl Phantomhive isn't one who loses games so easily."

Not knowing what he could possibly say in return to that, the estate's visitor only watched as Bocchan grabbed his game piece—a similar, but smaller gargoyle that was also sitting on a rock—and moved it two spaces ahead from the box that marked the was labeled Start. It had also landed on a box that contained a picture.

"'You are pierced by the rose of death.'" Master Ciel narrated while examining the image.

"Oh, dear. That's quite a graphic image." I remarked, even though I wasn't at all disturbed by it.

The photo in the box was of a man that was lying on his side, screaming in agony with tears flowing down his face. His shirt was stained noticeably in blood, courtesy of the gaping wound that was located a little underneath his left set of ribs. Directly beside him, there was an oversized rose towering over him. Its petals were pure black and it had a dark green, tangled, never-ending stem that was covered almost entirely in sharp thorns. One of them was dripping in the crimson liquid.

Mr. Damiano let out a small, somewhat uneasy huff as he also took the time to examine the picture. Clearly, he wasn't somebody that could handle "scary" material—definitely not like the Small Master.

"Alright. Now you may go." Bocchan said as he rested back in his chair, closed his eye, and neatly folded his hands again.

"Oh, um ... of course."

The Italian gentleman snapped himself out of whatever unsettled trance that he had been in and forced another smile to appear on his face as he spun the top-shaped die. When it finished twirling around, he grabbed his piece and started moving it like he was glad to be getting it away from the box that it had been on just previously. The entire time, I watched closely.

"Okay there, five spaces." Mr. Damiano said, right before he focused on the Puny Earl again. "Now, what I wanted to ask you. Perhaps you could contribute another twelve thousand pounds to support our expansion?"

As soon as that amount of money came out of the guest's mouth, I didn't think twice before raising my head and staring at him like I was questioning his audacity ... which I actually was. After all, the Young Master had already contributed plenty of money. Not just for this specific factory that was being talked about, but multiple ones. So, I definitely found it both rude and strange that Mr. Damiano was making such a high request.

"Something most definitely isn't adding up here..." I thought to myself as I narrowed my eyes in a fashion that was both disapproving and inquisitive. "Bocchan already incorporated plenty of money for this company and I see no 'simple business' that could possibly require an extra twelve thousand pounds. Hmm ... I must get to the bottom of whatever is going on here while keeping on top of my role as the 'ideal nanny.'"

Mr. Damiano made plenty of hand gestures as he continued. "I believe it will be quite a profitable venture for you, my lord, and I would consider it an honor to help expand the Funtom Company…"

"'Lose a leg in the enchanted forest.'" Master Ciel cut him off, obviously not in the mood to discuss this request for the time being.

"Huh?" Mr. Damiano's face became one that a toddler would make while trying to understand something that its parents had said.

Apparently, he hadn't noticed how his character piece had landed on yet another picture. This one featured another man that was hollering in pain in the middle of a forest while having his legs sliced off by a long blade that was being held by a hooded skeleton.

"And it's your turn again. I lost a turn, remember?" Bocchan reminded. "That's how you got pierced by the rose of death."

"Oh, I see." Mr. Damiano said softly. Once more, he spun the top-shaped die and prepared to move his game piece. "Right, I move six."

The Little Earl corrected him almost instantly. "You don't. That's three."

"What? But..."

"You lost a leg, if you recall. Now, you only move half the number of spaces."

"With all due respect, Mr. Damiano, you should consider yourself lucky." I jumped in, using a voice that was just as calm as my Master's. "You're still managing to move half of the number of spaces, despite losing a leg while also being punctured in the side. That's quite the loss of blood, you know? It wouldn't be easy to move at all with such injuries ... but it looks like you're enduring it all in order to do so."

The Italian gentleman looked completely dumbstruck, flicking his denim orbs back and forth between me and Bocchan for a couple of seconds.

"Oh my, ha ha ha ha." He then proceeded to laugh, still holding his game piece. "This is a gruesome-a board game, isn't it? Is there-a no way for me to restore my leg or side, then?"

Suddenly, a morbid look formed on Master Ciel's face and his voice became deadly serious. "I'm afraid once something is truly lost, sir, that one can never get it back again."

As soon as those words left the Small Lord's mouth, I shut my eyes and had no choice but to battle against the urge to flinch. At the same time, I quietly drew in a deep breath through my nose, held it in for a couple of seconds, and then released it softly through my mouth.

"You couldn't possibly be more correct about such a thing, my Lord..." My eyes flickered with disgrace and my face became a little grim as my mind filled with memories that nobody in all of existence would want to be stuck with. "When you lose something, it really is impossible to get it bad ... and I am proof of that."

Just then, the Young Earl reached forward and snatched Mr. Damiano's game piece from him. Then, he proceeded to move it just three spaces, where another image was waiting in yet another box.

I raised my hand up to my chin while examining it, slowly regaining my casual expression. A terrified man was tied to a stake and was just seconds away from being burned alive, just like witches would be whenever they were discovered by vengeful humans.

Master Ciel's tone became much more ominous. "'Your body is burnt by raging flames.'"

Mr. Damiano exhaled in an unsettled manner again, glancing at me and Bocchan before he dropped his somewhat anxious gaze down onto the image.

---

~ Intermission ~

---

A/N: There we go, everybody! That is the end of part one to "His Butler & Nanny, Able." :D I hope that you all enjoyed reading it just as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life.

Note: I've already managed to break my own rule of not going over 20,000 words (23,625). With that being said, I'm going to extend my rule to 30,000 words instead. However, that doesn't mean that all chapters will be this lengthy. It honestly depends what all I have planned before and after the intermissions.

Also: Like I've stated in my prior Author's Note, I usually take 1-2 weeks off between every update in order to give myself time to plan out the next chapter and to relax my brain. In this case, I literally started writing this chapter the day after I posted the prologue and I finished this whole thing in just a week, only because I was on my laptop for nearly the entire day, everyday ... and I would honestly appreciate it very much if nobody expected me to do that for every single chapter.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love writing and I'm having a great time with bringing Elise into existence after constructing her and this entire story for literally a year and a half. However, I have other responsibilities to take care of and I also require breaks in order to prevent myself from becoming stressed out. That's why I usually take those 1-2 weeks off that I just mentioned.

So, I hope you all understand that even though I'm having a fantastic time with this story (and I'm definitely looking forward to what's to come in the future), my writing genuinely takes time to complete and I can't stay stationed at my laptop 24/7. Trust me, if I could do that without struggling with exhaustion, headaches, frustration, or temporary writer's block, I wouldn't hesitate to do so. Unfortunately, that's just not the way that the human mind/body works.

Once again, my updates will take time. That doesn't mean that I'm abandoning this story. It just means that I'll need time to recharge my brain, plan chapters out, and officially write them. With that, I thank you all for understanding. :)

Keep in mind, I absolutely adore feedback and I look forward to it all the time! Don't hesitate to share your thoughts in the reviews, or you can PM them to me at anytime! Knowing your reactions is literally something that I can't get enough of! :D :D

Anyway, I believe that I've stated everything that I wanted to. It looks like that this is my time to go!

Thank you, everybody! :D

You've been one hell of an audience. ;)

Until the next update!

Crystalteen, out!

:D :D :) :)