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.

5. His Butler & Nanny, Strongest (Part I)

A/N: Greetings, all of my fabulous viewers! I hope that you are all having a wonderful day. If you're not, keep in mind that you're strong and nothing horrible lasts forever! :)

The time has come for us to get to the second episode of the series! That's right, we have arrived to the first part of "His Butler & Nanny, Strongest." :D

However, before we get to reading, I would like to remind everyone that my chapters are going to remain lengthy and I'm going to be including 'Bookmarks' in order to prevent any of you from losing your spots if you have to come back to finish reading later. Again, I simply enjoy writing long chapters in order to give you all something that's worth the wait to read.

Not only that, but I am also hoping to ask you all for a favor. From here on out, I'm hoping that I can get at least three reviews per chapter. I am incredibly grateful for everyone that has been reading this story so far and who has added it to their favorites/follows. That means so much to me, but I can't help but question what is running through each of your heads while reading the chapters. So, if you all don't mind, please help me reach my current goal of getting at least three reviews per chapter. I would highly appreciate it. You're all awesome. :D

Now, let's keep in mind that I still take 1-2 weeks off between every update in order to give my brain the time to relax and myself the chance to plan out the chapter before truly beginning to write. Plus, I'm now heading into my second semester of my second year of college and I'm going to be handling a bunch of new classes. Please bear with me and don't convince yourselves that I'm never going to update because that's not the case. Writing genuinely takes time and I have other responsibilities to juggle that's away from my laptop. With that being said, please stay patient. I thank you all for understanding. :)

Well, I believe that I've stated everything that I wanted to say at this moment. It's time for us to dive in!

Remember to review and to help me get at least three reviews per chapter, everyone! I always look forward to feedback, so don't hold back on sharing your honest thoughts! :D

Happy reading! Enjoy the first part of "His Butler & Nanny, Strongest." :)

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Elise's POV

It had been almost two weeks since Mr. Damiano's visit. Now, it was the start to another hell of a day in the Phantomhive manor.

With the clock striking five-thirty, Mey-Rin and I were already up on our feet and getting ourselves ready. The dim sky was in the process of having its misty clouds torn by the faintest rays of the sunrise that were slowly beginning to appear from over the horizon. This meant that our bedroom was completely filled with a dull shade of blue, courtesy of how it was just barely the crack of dawn, and I had turned on the ornate lamp that sat on the nightstand between our beds in order to make it easier to see.

I was in the middle of fixing my bed, humming a soft tune to myself and still wearing my silky, ankle-length, violet chemise with black lace trimming. A soft, recently cleaned towel was also slung over my left shoulder and white bandages were wrapped neatly around my right hand. In order to prevent Bard, Finny, Tanaka, and especially Mey-Rin from seeing my Faustian mark, I always made sure to wrap my right hand up with gauze when nighttime came around. Plus, shortly after the other servants were brought to the Phantomhive estate, I had convinced them that the reason behind why I bandaged my right hand was because I had received a horrendous scar from an accident and I wanted to keep it covered. With that, nobody ever questioned why my right hand was typically bandaged and I was easily able to keep my Faustian mark hidden.

As for the maid, she was standing in front of the mirror and examining her reflection. She looked perfectly calm and the glint in her bold, mocha-colored eyes showed that she was ready to get down to another day of business. However, within seconds after she rose her large, thick, overly round glasses up to her face and placed them on ... her entire expression changed into a much more anxious one.

"Ohhh, Mistress Elise~!" Mey-Rin huffed in her high-pitched tone, just as a worried frown fell heavily across her face. "Did you hear those rats last night?! Their squeaks sounded like they were coming from inside the walls, yes they did! They seem to be burrowing all over the place now! First, they were underneath the floorboards! Then, they were sneaking into plenty of the cupboards! And now, they're in the walls as well! Ohhh, why does it have to be rats, Miss Elise?!"

I gave a sigh of exasperation. Unfortunately, three days after Sebastian and I had taken care of Mr. Damiano, a rat infestation had broken out all throughout London and a majority of citizens were attempting to keep themselves out of the streets for the time being. With that, plenty of shops were closing down until the infestation was brought under control and dozens of homes were trying to do their best in handling the outbreak. Much to my, along with the butler's and the Little Master's dismay, the Phantomhive mansion turned out to be one of those homes.

Finny, Mey-Rin, Tanaka, Bard, Sebastian, and I had been trying to handle this problem ever since the first rat was discovered in the wine cellar. They had been chewing up wires, leaving behind droppings, making annoying sounds, and causing even more havoc than usual all over the estate. I hated to admit it, but the infestation was still going on and the same precautions were going to have continue being used until every last rat was gone from the manor.

"I'm afraid that this plague is still going on all throughout London, Mey-Rin. It certainly is aggravating and inconvenient, but until we manage to get it under control once and for all, you, me, Finny, Bard, Sebastian, and Tanaka are going to have to continue making sure that we keep on top of trying to get rid of as many rats as possible." I declared, in which I smoothed out some wrinkles on my bedspread and then proceeded to fluff my pillow. "As appalling as they are, let's be sure to keep in mind that they're still not the most despicable creatures that live on this planet."

After speaking, I retrieved my Bitter Rabbit from where I had placed it aside on the arm of a nearby rocking chair and a wide smile that some would probably identify as "childish" swept across my face. As if it were an infant, I cradled the Funtom toy in my arms and held it close to my chest as I admired how soft it felt. It was as if I was holding a cloud, instantly filling me with warm delight as I then began to fix its slightly askew eyepatch and striped vest. Afterwards, with some perky chuckles falling from my lips, I gave the Bitter Rabbit a small poke on the nose and sat it down neatly at the head of my bed. Like always, it rested in front of my pillow, ready to welcome me back to my bed when the day came to an end.

Meanwhile, Mey-Rin turned away from the mirror and stared in my direction with slight bewilderment now decorating her features. It was obvious that she was thinking about my words.

"Ohh~! I know that you're right, but ... rats just give me the heebie-jeebies, Mistress Elise!" Mey-Rin shuddered, folding her hands together like a nervous child that was about to be disciplined. "D-don't you think that they're scary?!"

I traced one of the ears of my Bitter Rabbit through two of my fingers, making it look as good as new. Then, I glanced over at the bespectacled woman with an unfazed expression on my face.

"My opinion on rats depends entirely on the rat itself." I replied, and shortly after that, my lips twisted into an ominous grin when I witnessed the maid tilt her head at me like a confused puppy. "If you're referring to a normal rat, I don't feel anything for them at all. In my eyes, they're nothing more than helpless vermin that are trying to survive like any other living thing by finding food and warm places to sleep and reproduce. To be quite frank, as long as it's not on the Young Lord's property, I don't care about what they do or what they even are. However ... if it's a different sort of rat, I must be honest as I say that I simply can't stand them."

"A different sort of rat, Miss Elise?" Mey-Rin inquired, now seeming to be both confused and in awe with what I was saying. "Y-you can't stand them, you say?"

"Hmmm..." I lifted my bandaged hand up to my chin, as if I truly needed a moment to think, and I closed my eyes to hide the mischief that was beginning to brew inside of them. "Well, I guess that can't is a rather strong word. Allow me to rephrase ... if I truly wanted to accept a rat, I could. However, no matter what the circumstances might be, I genuinely don't want to condone the behavior that comes with being a rat. In fact, these types of vermin make actual rats seem like they're worthy enough to be pets for the Queen herself."

I didn't need to see the maid's eyes to know that she was batting her lashes at me like a mesmerized toddler. She then asked another question, "A-and what types of rats are these that you're speaking of, Mistress?"

In less than a second, my face became harder than stone and I opened my maroon eyes again to reveal that they were no longer sinister-looking. Instead, they were narrowed and flickering with disapproval, as if I was scorning a dog after it had just finished making a mess on the carpet.

There was a brief pause, in which I lowered my head, peered off a little to the side, and opened one of my hands in order to see the severely scarred pads of my fingers. I did this subtly, making sure that Mey-Rin didn't notice—even though she, Finny, Tanaka, and Bard suspected that my finger pads had also been damaged in the same "accident" that had caused the nonexistent scar on my right hand.

"Umm ... Mistress Elise?" Mey-Rin spoke up again when the silence carried on for almost ten seconds.

With no hesitation, I stopped staring at my burned finger pads and redirected my attention back over to her like I had never looked away in the first place.

"I'm referring to people, Mey-Rin." I finally replied, flicking my eyebrows up in dead seriousness. "People that live every single moment of their lives being deceitful, disloyal, and cold-blooded. They act like they're in your life for a good purpose, but then betray you as soon as you give them exactly what they need—information, important paperwork, valuable possessions, and the list can go on for miles. For as long as I can remember ... even before I became the nanny of this estate ... I've always been disdainful towards those particular types of rats. They sicken me and make my blood feel hotter than molten lava..." A small, somewhat sly grin then appeared on my face. "...But to answer your first question, Mey-Rin, no. I don't find rats to be scary at all."

The maid's jaw almost dropped as she continued to stare at me like I was some sort of goddess. Although, I couldn't exactly tell whether she was trying to praise me or was trying to express shock. Knowing Mey-Rin, it was probably both.

She threw her arms out in my direction, as if she was getting ready to bow down and worship the exact spot of where I was standing.

"Oh, Miss Elise! You're so brave, yes you are!" Mey-Rin proclaimed, definitely sounding melodramatic. "You truly are flawless! You're just as perfect as Mr. Sebastian! Ohh~! I can barely even begin to process how remarkable the two of you are in every possible way! Every inch of my mind is practically in awe!"

Just then, the frilly cap that sat atop her head began to slide down the back of her head from all of the wild gestures that she was beginning to do with her arms. She had been spinning them above her head like two tornadoes; but as soon as she felt her cap begin to fall off, the bespectacled woman let out an anxious squeak and immediately flew her hands up to her head. She caught the white garment before it could fully manage to slip off, curling her fingers around it like her life depended on it.

"Ohhh~!" Mey-Rin sighed once again, raising her shoulders up to her ears as her face flared up in embarrassment. "I wish that I could be as fearless as you, Elise! Maybe if I was, Sebastian would finally notice me and I would be able to impress him instead of bothering him from causing more accidents! His scarlet eyes—oh, how dreamy they are—would stare directly into mine ... and he would wrap those strong, protective arms of his around me as he got ready to lean in and— g-gaahh! I-I'm so sorry, Miss! D-did I just say all of that out loud?!"

As soon as the bespectacled woman began to drift her attention up towards the ceiling and speak in a much more whimsical tone, I ended up raising an eyebrow at her. It became obvious almost immediately that she was beginning to daydream, revolving her thoughts around the mental picture of my brother developing a romantic interest in her and getting ready to deliver a passionate kiss to her lips. I had even noticed the maid starting to pucker her lips out, almost making her look like a fish; but that's when she snapped out of it, must've remembering that she was in my presence.

I chuckled, feeling my lips twist into a faint, amused grin. At the same time, I made a gesture for Mey-Rin to turn around and she obeyed while buzzing her lips in an embarrassed manner. Finally, I approached her and, with the two of us now standing in front of the mirror, began to fix her frilly cap for her.

"Yes, you did ... but you don't need to apologize, Mey-Rin. Surely, you're not convinced that you're the only woman on this planet who has made such comments about my brother, are you? He draws so many women to him, making it almost seem like they're moths and he's the only flame left in existence. I can barely keep count of the amount of ladies that just so happen to blush and swoon just by looking in his direction." I described in a perfectly nonchalant tone, despite giving my eyes a slight roll as I said that final sentence. "I just so happen to think that it's ridiculous that Sebastian receives so much attention from women, just because he just so happens to look the way that he does ... but perhaps, that's just my opinion because I'm his sister."

"A-ahh! Oh no, Miss Elise! Please don't think that I'm only captivated by Mr. Sebastian because of his appearance! I-I'm not like that! Not at all!" Mey-Rin nearly hollered, tripping over plenty of her words as she began to wave her arms madly in front of herself.

At the same time, I lowered my attention down to the back of her pinafore and noticed that the way that it was tied wasn't necessarily the greatest. Like usual, it would eventually slide clear off the maid's slim build if I didn't retie it.

"Hold still." I instructed in a slight monotone, almost making it seem like I wasn't listening. Although, I really was.

Mey-Rin didn't seem fazed by how my voice gave it away that I was genuinely used to two things: preventing her from having wardrobe malfunctions, and listening to women talk about my brother like he was some sort of god. Nonetheless, the bespectacled woman still ceased her wild movements and allowed me to begin retying the back of her pinafore without any objections. As this happened, she curled her hands in optimism and a childish grin curled up on the corners of her lips. Then, with her face still matching the same shade of red as a rose, she continued to talk like I had never interrupted.

"I also admire his determination and all of his hard work, yes I do! Ohhh~! He's so amazing with everything that he does! He's such a perfect servant and a truly handsome man!" The maid then dropped her gaze down to her hands and her smile shyly faltered as she began to fiddle around with her nails. "U-um ... Mistress Elise?"

"Mm-hm?"

The maid twirled her thumbs around. "Can I ... ask you a question?"

"You just did." I replied with a small sliver of humor in my voice.

"Huh?" Mey-Rin, clearly too caught up in her thoughts to catch the joke, glanced up to stare at me in the reflection of the mirror like a lost child.

I continued to fix her pinafore, exhaling before I said, "If you wish to ask me something, go ahead. You can share any thoughts that you please with me. I don't have a problem with such a thing."

Once again, the bespectacled woman lowered her attention back down to her hands and she started to twirl her thumbs around. At the same time, her cheeks looked like they were seconds away from bursting into flames and she let out another small sound that made it evident that she was anxious.

"O-oh! Well ... I-I was just thinking that ... you know, s-since you and Mr. Sebastian are siblings and all, that would mean that the two of you know each other more than anyone else!" Mey-Rin explained, still stuttering from speaking so hastily and insecurely. "S-so, I wanted to ask, i-if you don't mind answering ... d-do you think that Sebastian could p-possibly feel the same way about me? E-even just a tiny bit?!"

I had been in the middle of just about finishing what I was doing to the back of the maid's pinafore when I found myself stopping. As soon as I heard that question, I ended up peeking up to look at Mey-Rin in the reflection of the mirror. Slight surprise was beginning to brew in my magenta orbs as everything in the room fell silent.

Despite how I had been listening to a one-sided conversation that revolved around the butler, I honestly wasn't expecting to be asked a question like that. Even after being alive for a very, very long time, I had never had another woman ask me about the possibility of Sebastian feeling anything for them. In fact, every single time that I encountered another female, whether she was a previous master, a prior coworker, or just some stranger, each one wouldn't hesitate to try making an impression on my brother. They would go on endless rants that were filled with plenty of flirtatious comments and even sexual fantasies about him, not even caring that they were speaking in front of me ... but Mey-Rin was different. Not only was she incredibly shy to even think about making a move on Sebastian, but she clearly had respect for him and she was staying professional by asking for my opinion on the possibility of him liking her in return.

However, giving that answer would be like trying to explain to a child that Santa Claus didn't exist. After all, it was true that I knew Sebastian more than anybody else and he would never allow himself to feel any sort of romantic interest in anyone—especially a human being. Plus, when it came to creatures like us, it was meant to be impossible for any member of our kind to feel anything like that.

I straightened my lips and dropped my attention back down to the back of Mey-Rin's pinafore, finally making it look as good as new. Then, I subtly pretended to clear my throat and I started to pick away a few stray hairs that were lying on the ruffled sleeves of the white garment.

"Hmm ... well, I must say, Mey-Rin, it's rather difficult to confirm what exactly is on Sebastian's mind at any point and time." I explained as I put on the most convincing grin possible. "Even with me being his sister, he acts so mysterious to the point where it's pretty hard to tell how he truly feels about something or someone. I don't want to burst your bubble, but I don't wish to get your hopes up either. For as long as we have been at each other's sides, Sebastian has always been fixated on work and getting everything done as flawlessly as possible. Plus, he is fully dedicated to the Young Master, which means that he's more than likely not going to be making any room for romance in his life ... but I wouldn't necessarily go as far as saying that he feels nothing for you." I raised my eyebrows, still smiling as I chose to ignore the specific terms and definitions that I had heard Sebastian use while describing Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard. "Like I said before, nobody—not even myself or the Young Lord—can fully tell what's on my brother's mind. However, even if he's not interested in dating, I'm certain that he feels at least some sort of connection with you. You're one of our coworkers, after all."

Amazement crossed over Mey-Rin's features. She raised her hands up to her cheeks and, after a brief pause, broke out into a bubbly smile. At a same time, she released a shrill, moan-like sound that made it obvious that she was elated to hear that she possibly was on Sebastian's mind—despite how his thoughts towards her were more than likely not romantic.

"Ohhh, my~! I've dreamed of hearing that for so long! It's such a wonderful feeling, even more than I thought it would be!" Mey-Rin chirped, just as she lowered her hands from her flushed face and folded them over her heart in delight. "And what about you, Miss Elise?"

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Do you plan on finding time in your life to spare for romance? Or is it possible that you already have your eyes on a special someone?!" The maid was practically shuddering with excitement as she went into further detail, as if she was in the process of getting high on sugar. "Ohh~! You know that you can tell me anything, Mistress! You can incorporate as many juicy details as you want! I would love to hear about such a great thing! Oh, yes I would~!"

I faltered for a moment, almost finding myself speechless since I hadn't expected such a topic to be brought up—especially this early in the morning. I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, trying to find the right words to say. Eventually, I managed to let out a small laugh that was filled with phony—though realistic—positivity and I forced my lips to stretch into a believable smile.

"Ah, well ... as much as I appreciate your enthusiasm and reassurance, Mey-Rin, I'm afraid that I don't have any romantic interest in any particular gentleman right now." I said while checking to see if there were any other adjustments that needed to be made with the bespectacled woman's uniform. "Not only that, but as the Phantomhive nanny, I'm determined to keep my focus entirely on the Young Lord. It's my duty to take care of him in every possible way. With that being said, I simply don't have the time for dating ... nor do I even know if I'm capable of engaging in such a thing."

I made sure to mutter that last part under my breath, just as I picked off a few more stray hairs that were on the back of the maid's dress.

Mey-Rin definitely seemed to be stunned by my response. Her mouth fell open to form a perfect 'O' shape and I could feel her hidden eyes still staring directly at me through the glass of the mirror. As much as I wasn't necessarily enjoying this conversation, I could understand why the maid was so surprised by my reactions. After all, in this society, it was incredibly rare for women to remain single. Unless widowed or coming from an extremely unfortunate background, ninety-nine percent of ladies were expected to get married ... but I wasn't like any other woman.

"You mean ... you don't plan on ever finding a significant other for yourself, Miss Elise?" Mey-Rin asked, definitely taken aback. "P-please forgive me for overstepping my boundaries if I am by saying all of this. I-I certainly wouldn't want to come off as nosy or pushy, b-but ... but, Mistress, you're such a unique and gorgeous woman and any gentleman would be very lucky to have you! Plus, the Young Master has all of us looking out for him, he most certainly does! I-if there's any other young woman that I've met in my life that deserves to find a special man to call her own, it would most definitely be you!"

"...Unique and gorgeous?" I inquired, making the words sound foreign as I blinked at the bespectacled woman in bewilderment.

I had intended on softening my voice so Mey-Rin wouldn't have been able to hear me, but she must've still been able to. She began nodding so fast to the point where it was a surprise that her face wasn't becoming a complete blur.

"Oh, yes! Even after we first encountered each other, there was a piece of me that couldn't believe that there wasn't already a ring on your finger, yes there was!"

Shortly after that, as if it had always been there, a shameful expression blew up across Mey-Rin's face and she slid her hands underneath her glasses in order to cover her eyes.

"Ohhhh~! How embarrassing this is! I wish that I could be as beautiful as you, Mistress Elise! You capture the attention of so many gentlemen and your flawless service to the Young Master proves that you're so much more than just a pretty face! Ohhh~! I-is it wrong that I'm saying all of this?! Gahhh!" Mey-Rin yanked her hands back down from her face, making her glasses become lopsided, and she began to wildly flail her arms at her sides once again. "The day hasn't even started yet and I'm already acting like a lousy servant! Oh, God, help meee~!"

I had honestly started to zone out after I heard the maid bring up how she wished that she could look—and not to mention be—more like me. Everything else that came after that practically melted away on deaf ears and I found myself dragging my bottom lip between my teeth as I lowered my gaze back down to the permanently damaged pads of my fingers. At the same time, I placed my bandaged hand against my abdomen and I closed my eyes as unpleasant memories started to flash across my mind, each one sending a chill down my spine. I could also feel my heartbeat slowly beginning to escalate and fill my eardrums ... but fortunately, after Mey-Rin's final outburst snapped me out my thoughts, I was able to put on the faintest hint of a genuine, yet distant, smile.

"Mey-Rin." I said as I then managed to get her to cease her rowdy movements by placing my bandaged hand on her shoulder. "Settle down now. I am deeply honored that you just so happen to think that I'm an attractive woman ... but believe me as I say that you'd be surprised by how strongly misleading appearances can be. Nowadays, you can't tell hardly anything about a person just by looking at them. Also, a word of advice? ... If you see no beauty in yourself, then perhaps you should take some more time to look in the mirror. You're actually quite pretty and I can guarantee that there's plenty of people who notice that about you."

The maid stared at me like a dumbfounded animal; but then, a look of pure glee and appreciation appeared across her features. There was a piece of me that even could've sworn that a shimmer of excitement had glimmered across the lenses of her lopsided glasses.

"Oh, Miss! That's so sweet of you to say! Thank you very much! That means so much to me! Ohh~! You're such a kind soul, yes you are!" Mey-Rin trumpeted with her hands held up to her rosy cheeks once again in content. "So, do you really believe that I'll be fortunate enough to find and marry a true gentleman one day?! Maybe even one like Sebastian?!"

"Perhaps you will." I replied, shortly before a cryptic grin peeled its way slowly across my lips. "However, you better make sure beforehand that he's not a rat. Otherwise, the marriage just might not last long at all."

After that, I finally withdrew my marked hand from the maid's shoulder and turned back around in the direction of my bed. Then, as I started to walk back over to it, I could easily feel Mey-Rin's eyes following me with a new, confused, puppy-like expression decorating her face.

"Now, speaking of rats, I have something to give to you, Mey-Rin." I stated professionally, completely switching the topic back over to what it had been all about in the very beginning. "Throughout this whole infestation, multiple methods have been used to try taking care of the vermin that are still choosing to make themselves at home here in the manor. Fortunately, Sebastian and I have noticed quite recently that one of the methods in particular have been giving us greater results than a majority of the other ones."

"Wha— really?!" Mey-Rin asked while fixing her glasses. She sounded excited, relieved, and stunned all at once, more than likely because this could mean that we were finally a step closer to getting rid of the rats.

"Yes ... and that very method is this."

I reached down and picked up my white wicker basket from where it was sitting on the floor beside my bed. In it, there was a dark purple cloth that perfectly matched the ribbon that was still tied neatly around the handle ... and after presenting the basket to Mey-Rin, I peeled the cloth back to reveal what was underneath. There were dozens of mouse traps resting on top of each other in perfect stacks, not yet set.

The maid spoke again, "Oh? More mouse traps, I see?"

"That's correct." I replied, shortly before I let out a sigh of displeasure. "I can't say that I admire having to dispose of the corpses of these vermin, but Sebastian and I have agreed that the mouse traps have been doing the best job so far on handling the infestation. With that being said, I'm leaving it to you, Bard, and Finny to set these new traps up and place them in various spots around the mansion. However, the three of you will need to make sure that you don't have them out in the open because the Young Lord has a couple of guests scheduled to visit this afternoon for a meeting." I narrowed my eyes a little to myself in thought, recalling exactly what this particular meeting was going to be about. "The topic that will be discussed is very important and we can't afford having any of the guests caught up in thinking about the outbreak. So, do I make myself clear on what needs to be done?"

"Oh! Absolutely, Miss!" Mey-Rin answered almost instantly, taking the basket as soon as I held it out to her. "Should Bard, Finny, and I place some more cheese on these traps as well?"

"Yes, but only on a few of them. As a matter of fact, don't use more than ten wedges. We don't want to risk filling the manor with the stench and drawing the attention of even more rats." I declared. Then, a couple of seconds later, I found myself lowering my attention back down to the white basket and a slight, faraway look appeared on my face. "Also, Mey-Rin ... be sure to take great care of my basket there. I wove it with my own hands shortly after I became the Phantomhive nanny and the Young Master told me to keep it. I just so happen to look at it in a much similar way as you look at your glasses. With that being said, I trust that you'll be careful and return it to our room as soon as you, Finny, and Bard finish setting up all of the traps."

As I said that last sentence, I forced myself to put on a believable smile. In return, Mey-Rin's jaw nearly dropped and she immediately looked down at the basket, giving it away that she must've not noticed beforehand that it was, in fact, not just any other ordinary basket. Then, as soon as my last sentence reached her, a look of pure determination appeared on the bespectacled woman's face like it had been there the entire time.

"Right, Mistress Elise! You can count on me!" Mey-Rin assured as she flew her opposite hand up to her forehead, making it look like she was saluting me. "I'll protect this basket with my life, yes I will!"

A vague chuckle that was genuine—yet also staged—fell from my lips when I heard that. "Excellent. Now, if by any chance that Sebastian asks about where I am, please do me the favor of letting him know that I handled a majority of my assignments last night before bed and that I'm going to take a quick bath. Afterwards, I'll be sure to assist in getting everything ready for the Young Master's day. Do you understand, Mey-Rin?"

The maid flashed a positive smile. "Yes, Elise! I'll be sure to let Mr. Sebastian know!"

"Thank you. You better hurry along now. We have a long list of things to get done before the Young Lord's meeting is scheduled to take place and we simply can't afford to fall behind. I'll reunite with you and everyone else shortly."

"Right!" Mey-Rin agreed as she bowed respectfully in my direction. "Enjoy your bath, Mistress!"

With that, she straightened herself back up, turned away, and departed from our room, taking all of the mouse traps with her.

I remained where I was, standing at the side of my bed with my eyes following the bespectacled woman's every move. I kept watching until the door closed entirely behind her, filling the doable-sized room with a mild bang. Then, as soon as I knew that I was alone, I allowed my fake smile to crumble away and I pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation as I thought about all of the different situations and tasks that needed to be dealt with. Ninety-nine percent of them revolved entirely around Master Ciel ... and since I was his nanny, that automatically made all of these situations and tasks mine to handle as well.

Unfortunately, rats weren't the only problem in London. Recently, all through the streets, rumors have been getting spread about drugs—particularity Opium—getting smuggled in and sold to the black market. At first, the Little Lord chose not to act because he knew that there was no real evidence to go off of. However, that was before a death had taken place, involving a sixteen-year-old male that had overdosed unintentionally on an illegal substance. Not long after that, the Puny Master got a letter from the Queen, confirming that the rumors were true and that he needed to take action. That's why he was having today's meeting—to discuss the issue with his most recognized guests ... and there was even the possibility that one of these guests could be the actual rat that was behind all of this. Of course, that meant that I was going to have to be even more watchful while supervising this particular gathering.

"Oh, dear..." I sighed heavily and shook my head to myself in slight annoyance. "There's so much to do and so little time. Surely, a nanny's work is never done."

At last, I walked through the doorway that was in the upper left corner of mine and Mey-Rin's bedroom. It entered none other than our private restroom, which was nothing more than a rectangular space that was constructed entirely out of whitewashed wood and old-fashioned tile. It had all of the typical bathroom essentials, along with mildly chipped, wooden cabinets and counters that were the color of smoke. Other than that, a small, single, circular window was provided right above the toilet and a few leftover centerpieces that I hadn't wanted to be put to waste were spread around in various places to add a little bit of beauty to the atmosphere. That was all that this restroom had to offer ... but as a humble servant, it was more than good enough for me.

I hummed a soft tune to myself, listening to the sound of my bare feet pitter-patter across the floor as I approached the sink. I then stopped in front of the mirror and stared down at my right hand, focusing on the bandages as I proceeded to unravel them. When they were fully removed, I carelessly dropped them into the nearby trash bin and watched as individual sparkles shot through every last inch of my Faustian mark, illuminating the symbols and other details in a surprisingly beautiful manner.

However, just as a satisfied smirk began to form on my lips ... it immediately disappeared when my attention was drawn back to the severely damaged skin that covered each of my finger pads. My eyes widened a little as I took the time to really look at them, almost feeling the whole world around me coming to a halt. My finger pads were like revolting, unnaturally wrinkled, pink and red nubs. It truly was impossible for me to leave any fingerprints, courtesy of how the skin was so scarred to the point where the swirls and other details weren't able to be seen at all.

"You're such a unique and gorgeous woman!" Mey-Rin's nasally voice came back to my mind, mixing together with a millions of undesirable flashbacks that I desperately wished that I could forget.

Eventually, after what felt like years of studying my hand, I was able to break out of the trance-like state that I had fallen under. With a huff, I pulled off the white towel from where it was still resting over my shoulder and placed it down on the counter. As I did this, I just so happened to expose the other mark that I also been making to keep hidden from my coworkers—the Horned One's symbol, carved permanently into the back of my left shoulder blade from all of those centuries ago.

"Unique and gorgeous ... tch..." I grumbled in disbelief, right before I lifted my gaze up and looked at my reflection in the mirror.

My jet-black hair flowed down to the tops of my shoulders, already brushed with the ends still tinted dark purple and scrunched up in a bunch of perfect curls. My complexion was the color of a flawless pearl and my lips were like the petals of a rose, making me look like a true princess. Finally, my almond-shaped eyes were like two rich pools of delectable wine. They stared right back at me through the spotless glass, almost becoming empty as I reached my marked hand up and dragged one of my silky curls through two of my fingers.

"Hmph ... looks really are deceiving." I murmured. With every second that ticked by, the more bare my voice became and the more distant the look on my face appeared. "No matter how I make myself appear in front of humans, it will never change the fact that I'm just a monster in disguise—the ultimate type of wolf in sheep's clothing. No one, not even the Small Master ... would be able to last long seeing me in my true form. It would just be a matter of seconds before they ended up dying of absolute disgust and bloodcurdling terror." I exhaled, then beginning to drag my naturally black nails down the side of my neck. "And not only that ... but I'm afraid that even in this form, I can't..."

I trailed off, suddenly feeling what was like this blend of pure hatred, despair, seriousness, and whatever else beginning to form inside of my chest. It was spiraling at an unbelievable speed, not allowing me to get a full grip or understanding on it as it filled my whole body with what felt like flames from the deepest pit of Hell. As this happened, I screwed my eyes shut, hung my head in displeasure, and curled my hands into tight fists, feeling the hotness inside of me continue to increase as a variety of more cruel moments from my past replayed themselves in my brain. They were filled with so many forms of punishments and torture, each one being so violent and horrifying to the point where I was positive that a mere mortal's mind was sure to break just by hearing about them.

"How barbaric this is..." I muttered as I was finally able to convince myself to unclench my fists. "I am perfectly capable of being able to give myself such a beautiful and believable form, such as this one ... but no matter how many centuries I live, I will never be able to get rid of these."

As soon as I reached that final word, I curled my fingers underneath the thin straps of my chemise and I pulled them off from my shoulders. The silk, lace-trimmed garment automatically slid off from my body and fell to the floor, leaving me in just a pair of black knickers. Then, as I crossed one arm over my bare breasts, I lifted my head back up and nearly grimaced at what I saw in the mirror.

Almost every last inch of my stomach was completely riddled in long, brutal, claw-like scratches that looked like they were inflamed—despite not being so. Not only that, but all around my hips, navel, and thighs, there were various bite marks that were clearly not the result of any human. The wounds were noticeably caused by much more jagged teeth and they were too far apart to possibly come from the jaws of a mere mortal. Finally, there was my back—everything from the middle of my spinal cord, to the top of my tailbone, was covered in black, blue, and purple blotches, along with more claw-like scratches and overlapping scars that looked like they had been the result of getting struck repeatedly with a whip.

Graphic scenes that contained so much blood, gore, and sex kept trampling through my mind. I could still hear the sounds of me screaming in agony and begging for mercy, causing my heartbeat to begin picking up the pace once more. Except, this time, it filled my eardrums almost instantly and, judging by how fast my heart was pumping, it was a miracle that its outline wasn't able to be seen through my chest. As all of this happened, the mixture of all of those abrupt sensations continued to shoot through my body like flaming bolts of electricity.

The air seemed to grow heavy as I narrowed my eyes into thin slits and dropped my head again. Dark memories continued to spin through my brain like a tornado, now making me recall all of insulting voices and cruel laughter. Every time that I blinked, I almost could've sworn that I saw a different shadowy figure from my past looming over me, smirking in a mixture of lust and amusement.

I lifted my one arm that wasn't covering my breasts up to the side of my head and placed my hand there, as if I had a headache. At the same time, my breathing was beginning to sound like a ravenous animal.

"It's not fair...!" I sneered through clenched teeth and began to slowly shake my head. "I never did a damn thing to any of them...! And now, for all of eternity, no matter which form I take ... I have to live with having all of these horrific injuries on me! Nobody would be able to look at me without being traumatized and revolted ... just like with my true form...!"

My voice sounded like it was able to break any human's heart. It was angry, yet also distant, making it obvious that I was caught up in remembering too many unpleasant memories to count.

"I'll be stuck like this forever...!" I growled, screwing my eyes shut as my heart continued to skip wildly in my chest. "All because ... of those bastards! ... Those bloody assholes! ... Those ... those...!"

Just then, as I was caught up in breathing hard and clenching a handful of my hair, I was still able to detect the muffled sound of something squeaking. It was definitely a rat, coming from inside one of the walls in this very room ... and as soon as I heard it, I threw my one hand back down to my side and I felt the mixture of rage, grief, seriousness, and so on take an even sharper increase inside of me.

"Those RATS!" I proclaimed, finishing what I had been trying to say before.

Suddenly, not even a split second after that final word left my mouth, I detected another noise. It was a small, but mild, crack sound ... and as soon as I heard it, it was like I was brought back to the present entirely. My heartbeat began to slow back down to its original pace, my breathing stopped being so harsh, and the fiery sensations that had been spiraling within my chest completely faded away. Not only that, but all of the unpleasant memories that had been flashing through my brain ceased and a look of confusion crossed over my face.

As if I had never been caught up in examining all of my permanent wounds, I lifted my gaze back up to look at the mirror. That's when I noticed that the crack sound had come from the glass. A long, single, fluctuated crack had appeared across it out of thin air. It started at the upper left corner of the mirror and continued its way all the way down to the bottom right corner.

At first, my eyes grew to be the size of saucers; but then, after a moment, I ended up exhaling in exasperation.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..." I muttered as I placed the hand that wasn't guarding my breasts on my hip and leaned in a little to get a closer look at the crack. "Dammit ... Sebastian will surely give me an earful if he finds out about this. What's this, the fourth mirror just this month? ... Well, I guess that means is that I better fix it before Mey-Rin comes in here to bathe tonight. Sebastian doesn't have to know ... and besides, we have much bigger tasks to focus on right now."

I glanced over my shoulder and peered up at the window that was over the toilet, studying the dull shade of blue that was still filling a majority of the sky. As this happened, my brain automatically switched back over to nanny mode.

"It won't be long now until the clock strikes six." I said, choosing to forget everything that just happened. "I better finish bathing before the time comes for Sebastian and I to wake up the Little Lord."

With that, I stepped away from the cracked mirror and approached the tub to prepare my bath.

---

His Butler & Nanny, Strongest (Part I)

---

The morning went by with very little interruptions.

Since Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny were occupied with handling the placements of the new mouse traps, that weren't any explosions, broken chinaware, or plant-related incidents during the breakfast preparations. With that, I was able to prepare some blueberry waffles with homemade whipped cream for myself and the other servants. Sebastian was at my side during the time, preparing multiple dishes for the Puny Master's breakfast, and he made sure to ask me how my bath was. I brushed him off with a simple "Fine," not bothering to go into detail about everything that had happened, and I made sure to sprinkle some cinnamon over each of the waffles to finish them off. Although, instead of using cinnamon on mine, I easily crushed one of the segments that I still had leftover from that assassin's spine and sprinkled the powdery remains of the bone over my waffles. It looked almost exactly like sugar.

However, just as I had finished setting up the servants' dining table, the sound of Finny letting out a loud battle cry echoed through the air. Sebastian huffed, rolled his eyes, and grumbled about how he knew that the peace wouldn't last long. I, on the other hand, decided to handle whatever crisis had popped up since he was still taking care of the preparations for the Small Lord's breakfast. Apparently, while deciding to hide some mouse traps in the garden, Finny had spotted a rat and, in a fit of determination, started chasing after it with the hedge clippers. Unfortunately, instead of catching the rat, all he managed to do was snip parts of the hedges off and not even realize until it was too late.

As soon as he noticed my presence and not to mention all of the damage that he had done, the gardener nearly broke out into shameful sobs. Nonetheless, before he could shed a single tear, he ended up watching in awe as I took the clippers from him and transformed each of the deformed hedges into various spheres, cones, and mounds. Within no more than ten minutes, they each came together to create an endless, remarkable design that showed off plenty of the flowers and made the entire garden look even more wonderful than before. In the end, Finny declared that I was incredible and he continued our tradition by presenting me with a white lily that had its petals just lightly rimmed with a faint shade of brown. I gladly accepted it and placed it behind my right ear.

Luckily, that was the only setback that took place the entire morning. The butler and I had proceeded with our usual routine, waking the Little Master up by the time that the clock struck seven and making him look presentable. Everything after that came surprisingly smoothly, making a piece of me start to believe that this was actually going to be one of those very rare days where hardly anything happened within the manor.

Eventually, after wrapping up a dozen of other daily chores, two o'clock arrived—the time where the Puny Lord's guests were expected to show up. With Mey-Rin, Bard, Finny, and Tanaka off handling rat-related tasks and Sebastian handling a couple of his own duties, I was instructed to wait in the Great Room to welcome each of the guests as they arrived. Normally, somebody would've been waiting outside to escort them in; but since all of these guests—excluding one—were frequent, I knew that they were far less likely to mind walking up to the front door by themselves.

I had just finished polishing the banister when the first guest arrived. Judging by how soft and calm their knocking was, I already had a pretty good idea as to who they were—and as soon as I opened the door, I saw that my theory was correct.

Standing before me, there was Sir Lau—the British branch manager of the Shanghai trading company, Kong-Rong. He was a Chinese nobleman, possessing a tall and lean figure with short black hair, ivory skin, and dark brown eyes that he almost always kept shut. In fact, I only knew of their color because I had seen him open them on only a few occasions in the past. Also, he was currently wearing white pants and a long, teal garment that had some red and white details incorporated into it, mainly around the neck and sleeves. From my understanding, it was known as a changshan—a traditional Chinese tunic that was worn by men.

Not only that, but there was a familiar young woman on Lau's arm. It was Miss Ran-Mao, his "sister" that had large, golden eyes that looked like they belonged to a doll, along with a powder-like complexion and jet-black hair with thick, square bangs. Not only that, but her hair was specifically arranged into long, skinny, complex braids and she had cat-like buns. Then, there was her build. Every part of her body was incredibly slim, but her breasts definitely stood out from how large they were. Plus, she had the habit of ... expressing her figure in outfits like the one that she was wearing now: a short, black and lavender cheongsam—or a tight-skin dress that was typically worn by Japanese women. It was decorated in the design of dark purple petals and accompanied by a dark blue jacket, thigh-high tights, black ballet shoes, and gold anklets with bells.

I wasn't necessarily fond of how much skin Ran-Mao allowed herself to show whenever she just so happened to visit my Little Lord's manor; but I respected her culture and never brought it up in a conversation since she wasn't doing any harm.

"Ah, would you look at that? It's the nanny." Lau said almost immediately after I opened the door, wearing a smile that was just as serene as his voice. "Salutations, Elise."

Normally, it wouldn't have been right for a guest to address a servant by their first name—such as with Mr. Damiano. However, since Lau was somebody that often visited the estate, I decided that it wasn't a problem.

With that, I returned his grin politely. "Hello to you, Sir Lau. And to you as well, Miss Ran-Mao. It's nice to see the two of you again."

"The feeling is mutual." Lau declared as he started to stroke the top of Ran-Mao's head like somebody would do to a kitten. "You sure do look lovely today, Miss Elise. What do you think, my darling? Don't you agree that she looks lovely?"

I blinked, watching as the golden-eyed woman stared at me with no direct emotion and gave a single nod to answer the Chinese gentleman's question. She rarely engaged in any conversations and I honestly found her, along with Lau, to be quite odd at times. Nonetheless, as two of my Small Master's guests, I made sure to treat them with complete honor and dignity.

"I appreciate the compliment. You're both very generous to say such a thing to a loyal servant." I said in a humble tone, right before I stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. "Would you two care to come in now?"

Lau answered with, "We most certainly would. Thank you."

After that, he and Ran-Mao walked in and I closed the door behind them. After that, I folded my hands properly and observed the Chinese nobleman as he glanced up towards the top of the staircase, probably expecting to see the Puny Earl. Although, when he didn't, he and his flirtatious partner turned back around to look at me.

"And where, might I ask, is our dear Earl?" Lau inquired with his smooth voice and calm smile never faltering.

"He is currently trying to finish up some paperwork in his office before the meeting is scheduled to take place in another fifteen minutes." I explained. "He instructed me to welcome each of his guests and to keep them gathered here in the Great Room until he comes to announce that it's time to head to the Billiard's Room."

Lau continued to pet Ran-Mao, suddenly sounding cheeky. "Oh, I see ... however, I must express my concern on one little thing. Do you really believe that you're capable of being able to wrangle up a bunch of visitors and keep them occupied while waiting for the Young Lord? Given that you are a young lady and all. Should such an eventful task like this be left to that brother of yours, the butler, instead?"

Almost immediately after I heard that question, my charming smile transformed into a knowing smirk. Shortly after first meeting him, it dawned on me rather quickly that Sir Lau was a very easygoing and carefree man. This made it incredibly simple for him to make comments like the ones that he had just made towards me. He joked around with others whenever he felt that the time was appropriate, and despite how sensitive the topics could sometimes be, his teasing wasn't meant to be taken seriously.

"Sir Lau ... I've handled tasks that were far more eventful and hectic than this one." I remarked in a wise and somewhat entertained tone. "I may be a woman, but something that people often fail to acknowledge these days is that one's gender simply has no say in what they're capable of doing. I am just as able to commit myself to my Young Master as Sebastian and the rest of our coworkers. Our genders don't have any affect on our loyalty or skills whatsoever."

"Ah, yes. What an inspiring message that is." Lau commented, and regardless of how his eyes were still shut, he stared right at me with his own smirk plastered on his face. "It appears that I keep forgetting that you're not quite like any other female servant that I've encountered before, Elise. You and that butler are certainly an interesting pair."

I bowed my head in a humble manner, just as a new smirk spread my lips. Then, after I made sure to muffle a couple of snickers under my breath, I redirected my attention back up to the Chinese nobleman and his golden-eyed partner. Except, instead of smirking, an elegant grin had returned to my face.

"Now, I wouldn't necessarily use the word 'interesting' to describe us, Sir Lau. On the contrary ... I am simply one devil of a nanny and Sebastian is simply one hell of a butler."

Just then, as if it was meant to happen at that very moment, there was the sound of somebody knocking at the front door again. Judging by how much rougher they were compared to Lau's knocks, I—again—had a hunch as to who they were.

"It appears that more company has arrived." Lau noted with a tranquil grin decorating his features once more.

"Indeed. Excuse me, please."

With that, I turned back to the door and opened it for a second time. Upon doing that, I saw that my hunch was correct ... even though there was a small piece of me wishing that it hadn't been.

Lord Randall was standing in the doorway, wearing a sophisticated suit that consisted of a pale purple jacket, a light grey vest, a matching scarf, a white undershirt, and beige trousers. He looked just as professional as he always did, courtesy of how he was the police commissioner of the Scotland Yard. He had a pale, grim face that was occupied by a dark grey mustache, matching sideburns, a pointed nose, and small, stern, fudge-colored eyes that were almost always narrowed. Finally, he had square glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, a top hat placed atop his head, and the rest of his hair was combed back into the same style as it always was—a mid-length ponytail that rested against his back, accompanied by a maroon bow.

If there was one thing that I found truly annoying about Lord Randall, it was his pessimistic attitude. Normally, such a thing about a human wouldn't bother me ... but it did when it involved Lord Randall belittling my Puny Lord every so often.

Although, Lord Randall wasn't the only gentleman that was on the doorstep. There was another man standing at his side that I didn't recognize. That automatically made it clear to me that he must've been Azzurro Vanel—the guest that wasn't as frequent as the rest of today's visitors. From what I understood, he belonged to the Ferro family ... and as soon as I saw him, my magenta orbs almost grew in disbelief. He didn't look anything like I had been expecting, mainly because he had dozens of piercings and there was a huge, lopsided scar printed across his face. Not only that, but he possessed dark teal eyes that already looked impatient and pale blonde hair that was being worn in a horrifically shaggy ponytail. On the bright side, however, his outfit looked decent—a clean, white suit that was joined with a purple, button-down shirt and multiple rings.

"Miss Michaelis. We meet again." Lord Randall stated, sounding just as bleak as he always did.

While speaking, he and Mr. Vanel entered the mansion, almost not giving me the chance to step aside beforehand. In the process, Lord Randall also removed his top hat and might as well have shoved it almost directly into my face, as he was used to this process by now.

I exhaled quietly, refusing to acknowledge Lord Randall's slight rudeness since he literally just got here. As I did this, I shut the door again to avoid letting in too much of a draft and I placed the top hat neatly on the nearby coat rack.

"We certainly do, Sir Arthur Randall." I declared as I forced myself to put on the kindest smile that I possibly could. "Welcome back to the Phantomhive estate. It's great to have your presence with us again. Please, feel free to socialize with Sir Lau and Miss Ran-Mao while we—"

"Wait for Earl Phantomhive to appear so he can announce the start of the meeting." Lord Randall intervened, speaking in a manner that made it clear that he had plenty of work to do and was rather annoyed with it all. "I'm well aware, Miss Michaelis. I've heard it all before."

I pressed my lips together, this time fighting the urge to roll my eyes.

"Now, now. She's just doing her job." Lau pointed out, still completely calm with his arms now wrapped around Ran-Mao's waist from behind.

The golden-eyed woman gave a faint nod of agreement, despite how her face remained blank.

Lord Randall made a small grumble in response to both of them, right before he removed his glasses and silently withdrew a handkerchief from one of his pockets. He began to clean his lenses, while I made sure to send a grateful glance over in the direction of the Chinese nobleman and his partner.

I then flicked my attention over to Mr. Vanel, noticing how he hadn't spoken a word yet. He had his arms crossed over his chest and the look on his face made it clear that he wasn't really interested in speaking to anybody until the meeting. However, that didn't stop me from taking a couple of steps in his direction when I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a cigar. At first, he didn't seem to notice; but as soon as I placed my gloved hand directly above his cigar, preventing him from being able to lift it up to his mouth, Mr. Vanel peeked up at me. He didn't appear to be alarmed or surprised by what I was doing. Instead, he looked like he was subtly asking me what in the hell I was doing.

"Pardon me, sir, but I'm afraid that you're going to have to save that cigar for another time. Smoking is prohibited in this mansion, courtesy of how the Young Earl can't stand the smell." I explained in a tone that was respectful, yet authoritative.

Mr. Vanel said nothing in return, probably waiting to see if I would withdraw my hand from where it was still hovering above his cigar. Nonetheless, when I didn't, he conceded and returned the roll of tobacco to his pocket. Shortly after that, he raised his head fully and I watched as he dragged his eyes all the way from the bottom of my boots, to the top of my head. I couldn't help but feel like there was something mysterious about this particular gentleman, but I decided to hold off on making any hasty assumptions. As much as his presence seemed to send some uncertainty through my mind, the meeting hadn't started yet and that's the main time where I was supposed to observe the behavior of the guests.

"You must be Sir Azzurro Vanel, correct?" I asked with a new, polite smile.

He raised his hand up to his chin, which was covered by a slight stubble. He didn't seem at all fazed by my kindness and stared directly into my eyes as he then answered my question in a thick Italian accent.

"That's right. And who exactly might you be? I've-a never seen you before."

When the first "you" came out of Mr. Vanel's mouth, I almost huffed at how judgmental it sounded. Although, the first thought that came to my mind was that he was probably just pissed at me for not letting him smoke that cigar. After all, I had received sneers and other forms of crabby behavior in the past for enforcing the rules of the manor. So, I agreed that Mr. Vanel must've just been giving me another one of those moments to add on to my list.

"That's Elise Michaelis, Sir Vanel." Lord Randall replied, still sounding grim as he placed his glasses back on his face.

"Ohh, that's right. You haven't had the chance to meet her yet." Lau incorporated serenely. "She's one of the servants that's dedicated to our dear Earl—his nanny, to be exact."

Mr. Vanel didn't day anything back right away. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow at the word "nanny" and he took a moment to study me again. I could feel his eyes drinking in every last possible detail that was incorporated into my appearance. Then, after a couple of seconds, a smirk that looked almost insulting curled up on one of the corners of his mouth and Mr. Vanel folded his arms over his chest again.

"So ... the Earl of the Phantomhive family has a nanny..." He let out a small, breathy laugh. "Well, I guess that shouldn't be much of a surprise. He is an eleven-year-old child, after all."

My wine-colored eyes hardened a little with even more authority and a disapproving stare formed on my face. It was practically impossible for anybody to not notice that Mr. Vanel was mocking the Small Lord. Of course, this wasn't the first time in which I encountered a person who just so happened to believe that they had Master Ciel all figured out, simply because of his fragile age. In fact, there were plenty of people who hated how my Puny Master was the Queen's Guard Dog for the same exact reason ... and, to be quite frank, I didn't admire how he was judged for such a ridiculous thing.

"Sir Vanel." I spoke up, raising my voice a little to show that I was being serious before I lowered it back down to a normal, but still bold, volume. "With all due respect ... my Young Master is actually twelve-years-old and he'll be turning thirteen very soon. On December fourteenth, to be exact."

For the briefest second, Mr. Vanel appeared to be taken aback by how I had spoken to him; but then, I noticed a mixture of dark amusement and what looked like disdain beginning to brew together in his sharp, teal eyes. It was obvious that he was mocking me. However, I couldn't necessarily tell if he was only trying to get the last word ... or if he was just one of those guests who enjoyed being an asshole.

"Well, if that's the case ... pardon me for being a year off on Lord Phantomhive's age, chica."

"You can stick with calling me Miss Michaelis, Sir Vanel." I fired back with my serious expression remaining where it was. "Not only have we just met, but it simply isn't appropriate for a servant to be addressed with a term like that."

Mr. Vanel's eyes narrowed, but I continued to stare directly into them without being fazed. Just by looking at him, I could tell that he was thinking of something that was more than likely not appropriate to say, especially while standing in another person's home. Nonetheless, before Mr. Vanel could say anything back, if he was even planning to, there were a couple of more knocks originating from the front door.

Shortly after hearing the knocks, I ended up flashing a faint smirk at Mr. Vanel.

"It's always nice to meet new people that are working alongside my Young Lord, Sir Vanel. Now, if you'll pardon me, please."

The gentleman in the white suit and purple button-down immediately had a look of utter disbelief cross over his features. He clenched his teeth for a moment and stared at me with large eyes. Then, he opened his mouth, no doubt ready to point out how I had been speaking so firmly with him just seconds before. However, before he could say another word to me, I turned my back on him and walked back over to the door.

Once again, after I opened it, I was met with the sight of two guests—a woman and a gentleman that I was almost surprised to see arriving on the doorstep at the same time. They were the final two visitors that were expected by the Small Master.

The woman was Miss Angelina Dalles—or, as she was mostly referred to among other nobles, Madam Red. She was my Little Lord's aunt and she just so happened to have a strong desire for the color red, hence her nickname. She had scarlet eyes that were rimmed with mascara, doll-like lips that were always covered in the same shade of ruby lipstick, and crimson hair that she kept perfectly pampered in a sleek, vibrant bobcut. Also, with her skin being as white as snow and her fashion sense being just as dedicated to what must've been her favorite color, it was very simple to spot her in a crowd. Today, she was wearing her common attire: a ruffled white blouse; a long, close-fitted, red skirt that was also decorated with ruffles, a matching waistcoat, and a floppy hat that hid her face whenever necessary.

The gentleman, on the other hand, was Baron Diedrich—a German nobleman that possessed a robust and athletic figure, along with a pair of upturned eyes that perfectly resembled two dark blue sheets of ice and short, jet-black hair that had forelocks parted to the right. Furthermore, he was wearing a pale brown suit that was accompanied by black buttons and his usual pair of black boots.

Almost immediately after my gaze landed on the two of them, my eyes broadened and almost became the size of saucers. For the faintest two seconds, everything around me felt like it had become frozen before it returned to its true state.

I actually got along quite well with both Madam Red and Baron Diedrich, but that didn't change how I sometimes faltered around them. Ninety-nine percent of the time, this minor habit of mine was never noticed by anyone. However, I had to admit that it did feel a little strange for me to be in the same room as the long-time friend of the previous Earl and the younger sister of Rachel Phantomhive. Still, I managed to do so.

As if I had never hesitated, I broke out into a new smile and offered it to the final two guests. At the same time, Madam Red just so happened to push her hat up in order to reveal her face better. Then, at the sight of me, she grinned pleasantly.

"Ah, Miss Angelina and Sir Diedrich!" I greeted with my accent coated in delight.

"Elise, darling!" Madam Red cheerfully answered, just as she entered the mansion.

Then, I found myself almost yelping when she ended up tossing her arms around me and filling my nostrils with the extravagant scent of her perfume. I hadn't expected to be embraced like that, considering the major differences in our social roles; but I understood that Madam Red was a very bold woman and I tried to accept the hug in order to prevent coming off as rude. With that, I wrapped one arm faintly around the scarlet-haired lady and lightly pat her on the back. As this happened, Sir Diedrich decided to take the responsibility of closing the door himself since he saw that I was rather occupied.

"How lovely it is to see you again, Miss." I said through slightly awkward chuckles.

Madam Red released me from her embrace, still smiling. "Likewise, dear. But how many times do I have to tell you? Feel free to address me as Madam Red like everyone else does! There's no need for you to be so formal with me."

I took a moment to think about her words before I bowed my head. "Well, if that's you're request, Madam, I shall respect it."

"Thank you."

"My, my, Madam!" Lau's easy-going voice reached out to the red-dressed visitor. "What a surprise this is! I didn't think that you were going to have the time to make it to our special gathering today."

Madam Red let out a slight scoff, turning her head in the direction of the Chinese nobleman as she proceeded to speak in a matter of fact tone.

"No matter what my schedule contains, I'll always find time to spare for my beloved nephew. When I receive an invitation from him, I never intend to turn it down. I figured that such a thing would be obvious by now."

As she and Lau engaged in their little conversation, I decided to take the opportunity to glance around at the other guests to see how they were doing. Ran-Mao was still snuggled up against Lau's chest, looking up at him as he spoke to Madam Red. Lord Randall, on the other hand, seemed to be making small talk with Mr. Vanel, who was leaning back against one of the pillars and checking the time on a fancy watch that was hidden underneath his sleeve. However, when I flicked my attention over to Baron Diedrich, it occurred to me that he was looking up at something.

At first, I became a little confused ... but when I subtly followed the German gentleman's gaze without moving from my spot, it dawned on me quickly that he was staring at the part of the wall where the portrait of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive used to be. He had his arms crossed over his chest and despite how his face was masked with its typical, serious, bitter-like expression, I could tell that he wasn't fond of how his long-time friend's portrait had been taken down.

I dragged my bottom lip between my teeth as I stared with bare eyes at the part of the wall that was no longer occupied by the portrait. Then, with that odd numbness beginning to lightly poke at random parts inside of my chest, I redirected my attention back over to Baron Diedrich and decided not to say anything to him—just in case he was having a moment of silence for the prior Earl and his wife. Interrupting something like that would've been very improper, especially with me being the Phantomhive nanny.

With that, I exhaled quietly and pretended to readjust the white lily that was still resting perfectly behind my right ear.

Then, after a couple of more seconds, Madam Red turned back to me with her lipstick-covered mouth already molded into a new smile.

"Now, Elise, let me get a good look at you."

My wine-colored orbs sparkled in confusion. "Pardon, Madam?"

"I haven't visited this estate for almost two months now on account of work and I can just tell that there's something different about you!" Madam Red explained in a chirpy tone. Then, she took my gloved hands in her own and spread my arms at my sides, making it look like I was striking a pose. "Come now, Elise! Flaunt yourself for me!"

Once again, a string of awkward chuckles fell from my lips as I kept myself held in that position. Then, with the scarlet-haired woman still holding my hands like she had known me for her entire life, I watched as she examined me with a slightly quizzical look in her ruby-like orbs.

"Hmm..." Madam Red continued to advertise a gleeful expression, taking in how I looked in my sophisticated uniform. "You certainly never fail to look enchanting in this dress, dear! Purple is just as much your color as red is mine!"

"Ah, well ... thank you, Madam. That is very kind of you to say." I said with a civil smile.

Madam Red dragged her eyes further up my figure, getting ready to say something else. However, before another word could leave her mouth ... I saw her attention lock on something that made her eyes to grow in a mixture of shock and slight disbelief. At the same time, her smile faded away and concern spread across my features. It was almost like she had entered an eerie daze and was left completely frozen, staring at something that clearly caught her off guard.

"Madam?" I spoke up after a moment of silence. "Is everything okay?"

Within seconds after asking that question, I noticed from the very corner of my eye that Baron Diedrich had finally turned his attention away from the wall in order to glance over his shoulder. He stared in the direction of Madam Red and I, raising an eyebrow. It was obvious that he had overheard my question.

"Do I have something on my dress?" I asked.

"...Oh!"

Madam Red, as if she had never looked like she had just seen a ghost, made eye contact with me again and a new grin appeared on her face. Except, unlike her previous smiles, this one was much smaller and less perky. In fact, it even appeared to be a little emotional. In that moment, it became obvious that she had a variety of thoughts running through her mind.

"No, not at all, darling. Excuse me for zoning out a little there, please." Madam Red said with a faint chuckle, in which she finally withdrew her hands from mine. "I was just surprised to see this again. That's all."

As the red-dressed woman gave extra emphasis on the word "this," she reached one of her hands out towards me and I automatically knew what she was talking about. My lungs felt like they had become stiff, holding in a little bit of oxygen. Nonetheless, I managed to maintain a perfectly natural exterior as I lowered my head and watched Madam Red dip her fingers underneath the glass, beveled, oval-shaped locket that I was wearing around my neck. It rested against her pale fingertips, shining remarkably.

"I must say, I never thought that there would come a day in which this would ever see the light again. It looks just as precious as I remember it." Madam Red continued softly, right before she met her eyes with mine again. "I assume that my beloved nephew must've decided to give it to you?"

"That's correct, Madam." I replied with pure nonchalance. "He gifted it to me two weeks ago, declaring that it was now part of my uniform."

Of course, I wasn't planning on mentioning the parts where the Puny Earl had said that he was only giving it to me because Sebastian wore the Phantomhive pin and because keeping it in its box wouldn't change anything that had happened in the past.

Suddenly, Lau spoke up again—except, this time, he was wearing a confused frown. His voice, however, somehow remained mostly serene with slight surprise now traced along the edges.

"Dearie me! Even I must admit that I'm quite surprised that I didn't notice such a detail sooner! Did you see how Miss Elise was wearing Miss Rosemarie's locket, Ran-Mao?"

Ironically, the golden-eyed woman gave a faint nod with her face still expressing no type of emotion. Meanwhile, almost immediately after Rose's name left the Chinese gentleman's mouth, Lord Randall sharply turned his head over in the direction of the conversation and utter disbelief flashed across Baron Diedrich's features. Although, Mr. Vanel only raised an eyebrow and his face lacked interest.

"Umm ... who exactly is this-a 'Rosemarie' character?" Mr. Vanel inquired, sounding just as dull as he looked.

"Rosemarie Gallows, often addressed as just 'Rose.' She was the nanny that used to serve the Phantomhive family when the previous head was still with us." Lord Randall answered gruffly, right before he narrowed his dark brown eyes in discontent. "I can't say that I admired her, especially since the Earl had allowed her on multiple occasions to overstep her boundaries and make herself seem more than just a servant."

I shot a vague, but stern glare over in his direction. "Sir Randall ... if you don't have anything polite to say about my Young Lord's deceased father and previous nanny, I'm sure that we would all appreciate it if you kept those sort of statements to yourself. It's never right to speak ill of the dead."

"That's right!" Madam Red agreed, also staring over at Lord Randall with her eyes crimson orbs almost perfectly resembling hot coals. "You better watch what you say about Rosemarie and my dear brother-in-law! I don't care who you are or what you do! I will not stand by and allow their names to be spit upon! Do I make myself clear?!"

Lord Randall appeared to be appalled by her tone, but refused to say anything back. At the same time, I let out a small sigh of exasperation and made a gesture for the Small Master's aunt to settle down in order to avoid any further arguments from breaking out. Plus, with everything else that was already going on, I didn't want Master Ciel to walk in on this.

"Please, Madam, settle down."

Mr. Vanel still seemed mostly unaffected by the conversation, now looking over in my direction.

"So ... that locket you're-a wearing used to belong to the previous nanny, Miss Michaelis?"

"Well, technically, that locket is property of the Phantomhive family. From my understanding, it's a heirloom that has been past down for many generations and it has been worn by every nanny that has ever served a Phantomhive." Baron Diedrich explained, speaking up for the first time since he arrived. "It wasn't necessarily Rosemarie's locket, but ... ironically, that's what it mostly seems to be referred to as now. Isn't that right, Miss Michaelis?"

I straightened my lips for a moment and nodded. "Indeed, all of that is true, Sir Diedrich."

"It's probably because nobody knows what happened to her." Lau proposed, still appearing to be confused as he caressed Ran-Mao's cheek with his knuckles. "She might as well have become one of the biggest mysteries among the Phantomhive family."

Madam Red sighed and stared at her reflection in the glass of the vintage locket, sympathetically grinning again.

"It's such a shame that there's so many rumors about Rose. She was so highly loved by all of the children, as well as my beloved sister and brother-in-law. To be honest, she even felt like another sister to me ... and if I can get myself to accept that she is gone, it shouldn't be very difficult for anybody else to do the same. However, no matter how many years go by ... I must admit that this locket will always be hers in my eyes."

Throughout this whole conversation, I could feel that strange sensation in my clavicle again—the one that perfectly resembled a pebble that was resting beneath my skin. Nonetheless, I kept a straight face as I thought about the words that just came out of Madam Red's mouth. Shortly after it, as if she had just remembered that the locket was around my neck now, she lifted her attention back up to my face and she stared at me like a deer that had been startled by an incoming carriage.

"Oh, Elise! Don't take that personally, okay?" Madam Red said while placing a hand over her heart. "You really are a wonderful nanny to Ciel, but ... Rose was hired when my sister was seven months pregnant and I knew her for..."

She silenced herself when I lifted one of my hands, signaling for her to do so.

"Please, Madam Red ... you don't need to explain yourself to me. I'm well aware that Rosemarie was very important to you and the rest of my Young Master's family." I declared, right before I delicately glided the very tips of my fingers across the locket. "Her presence will always be missed, I'm sure. And even with me now being the Phantomhive nanny, I don't intend on covering up the memories that other people have of her. I hope that's understood."

Madam Red offered me a soft, grateful smile. "It is, dear."

I gave her a believable grin in return, lowering my hand from the locket in order to fold them neatly in front of myself again.

"Ahem!" Mr. Vanel suddenly exclaimed, obviously pretending to clear his throat. "Excuse me, but how-a much longer are we going to have to wait until it's time for the meeting?"

I opened my mouth to give a response, but before I could, a new voice had beaten me to it.

"Not long at all."

With no hesitation, everyone turned their heads in the same direction and glanced up towards the top of the stairs. The Little Lord was standing on the platform, looking down at all of his guests with a hand on his hip and a professional expression on his face. Today, aside from his eyepatch and a pair of close-fitted boots, he was wearing black shorts and a mahogany jacket that I had selected for him the night before. It included a white undershirt, light grey buttons, black cuffs, and a matching lapel. He looked just as presentable as he always did, making me smirk a little in satisfaction.

"Hello and welcome back to my estate. I am pleased to know that all of you were able to make it for our meeting today." Master Ciel announced, right before he made a gesture towards the second set of stairs. "At this time, please follow me to the Billiard's Room. We have much to talk about and I'm sure that we could enjoy a game of pool while discussing it all. Elise, prepare some snacks before you join us."

I placed a hand over my heart and curtsied. "Of course, my Lord."

With that, Bocchan turned back around and began to pursue back upstairs. The guests started to follow him, making it seem like there had been no conversation whatsoever about Rosemarie. However, just as I was about to head off in the direction of the Servants' Area so I could follow my latest order from the Puny Master, I found myself stopping in my tracks when somebody grabbed me by my arm. It was Madam Red.

"Oh, Elise, I almost forget! Can you please inform Sebastian for me that my new butler, Grell, will arrive in a bit? I had sent him out for a couple of errands in town, but I made sure to give him directions on how to get to the mansion beforehand. When he gets here, can you and Sebastian make sure that he joins us?"

"Certainly, Madam." I replied with a couple of faint nods.

"I really appreciate it. Thank you."

After that, the scarlet-haired woman quickly began to pursue after the other visitors and I walked off to prepare snacks.

---

A/N: Bookmark #1

---

It didn't take me long to fix some finger sandwiches for the Small Earl's guests. After observing these particular visitors for almost the whole two years that I've been here, I had grown to understand each of them almost entirely. With that being said, I hadn't bothered with preparing too many snacks because I knew by now that this specific group rarely ate whenever coming to the manor for meetings; and despite how this was my first time encountering Mr. Vanel, he didn't necessarily look like the type of gentleman that would want to indulge himself with finger sandwiches. So, after fixing no more than fifteen finger sandwiches and placing them neatly on a fancy platter, I was on my way upstairs.

However, just as I was about to turn down the hallway that led to the Billiard's Room, I ended up coming to a halt when I noticed something from the corner of my eye. Then, after flicking an eyebrow up in confusion, I turned my head in the direction of what had caught my attention. That's when I realized that it was Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard, sitting together in the direct center of another corridor that intersected with the one that I was about to go down. Nonetheless, while watching the three of them, I only ended up batting my lashes like a lost child since I didn't know exactly what they were doing.

The long, crimson carpet that decorated the long hallway had been rolled all the way back to expose the wooden floorboards. Not only that, but a secret compartment had been opened and Bard was currently leaning himself into it. Finny and Mey-Rin were on opposite sites of him, resting on their knees as they observed. Tanaka also just so happened to be there, but all he was doing was casually sitting against the wall with his small cup of tea in his hands. Of course, he was still in his chibi form.

"Bloody hell, this wire's done for." Bard groaned.

Mey-Rin's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Oh, not the rats again."

"Bard, Finny, Mey-Rin." I spoke up, approaching the three of them with the plate of finger sandwiches still being held in my gloved hands. "What's going on here?"

The maid and the gardener immediately lifted their heads to look at me, while the chef continued to fiddle with whatever it was that he was doing beneath the floorboards. At the same time, the steward took a calm sip of his tea and continued to observe the scene.

"Oh, Mistress Elise!" Mey-Rin said with her thick glasses illuminating a little in the light. "Bard, Finny, and I were instructed by Mr. Sebastian to check underneath some of the floorboards in order to see if there were any new signs of the rats."

"Yeah, that's right! He also told us to capture as many of them as possible so the Young Master will no longer have to be bothered by them!" Finny incorporated, speaking with his voice coated in determination.

After receiving the explanation, the confusion automatically faded from my features and it came to my realization that Baldroy must've located another wire that had been chewed up and ruined by the vermin.

I let out a heavy sigh. "If that's the case, then I'm assuming that the three of you just managed to find another damaged wire, right? I swear, if this keeps going, we're going to run out of electricity all over the mansion and I can already tell that the Young Lord will not be pleased with such a thing. These rats certainly don't have anything better to do."

"Elise is right." Bard agreed, shortly before he shot himself back up and placed a hand on his head in exasperation. "This is gettin' ridiculous. I mean, I heard they'd been plaguin' London lately, but I never expected them to be such a problem this far out of the city."

"Well, I'm afraid that one of the main things that plagues do best is spread like wildfire." I remarked while pushing a stray curl out of my face. "Whether we're in the city or not, it simply doesn't matter. Whenever there's an infestation that breaks out among London, we could always be just as vulnerable to it as anybody else. That's why we must stay alert and be prepared at all times. After all, that's part of being a Phantomhive servant, correct?"

As if they were soldiers, the chef, the gardener, and the maid immediately straightened themselves up. They remained seated on the ground, but now, their shoulders were all the way back, their chests were puffed out, and their faces were decorated with persistent stares.

In perfect unison, the three of them replied, "Yes, Mistress Elise!"

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka chuckled shortly afterwards, as if he were also giving the same answer to my question.

A pleased grin curled up on the corners of my mouth. However, not even a full three seconds later...

Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!

...I detected the same exact sound that had been coming from inside many of the walls all throughout the manor.

As if my smile had never been there, it disappeared from my face and was almost instantly replaced with a bitter expression that would make anybody feel sick to their stomach. At the same time, I narrowed my wine-colored eyes so sharply to the point where it almost seemed like they could cut right through glass. Then, as I dropped my head and peered over the platter of finger sandwiches, I saw the source of the noise. A small, grey rat had appeared out of nowhere and was scurrying across the floorboards, just inches away from my feet.

The reaction from my fellow coworkers, however, was entirely different. They dropped their previous, bold stances as soon as they noticed the rat and I could've sworn that I saw the hair shoot up on each of their heads.

"Ah!" Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard yelped together, obviously startled.

With a small huff, I made an attempt to resolve the minor situation. "Come now, you three, let's not overreact. Let's just—"

Unfortunately, before I could even finish what I was trying to say, it came to my attention as soon as I lifted my head back up that the gardener had already leaped up onto his feet. It didn't appear that he had heard me trying to speak and now, he had just finished stalking over to a marble statue that was in the upper right corner of the corridor. He placed both of his gloved hands firmly on either side of the statue, glaring back at the rat while doing so.

As soon as I saw the gardener grip a hold of the statue, my eyes grew to be the size of two cricket balls and I felt my heart punch me in the chest with a single, rough jump. I knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Finny, don't—!" I tried to call out to him, shaking my head in a serious manner.

However, once again, I didn't get a chance to finish.

Finny effortlessly yanked the statue up off the ground and swung it back in his arms, still not seeming to overhear me.

"NOW I'VE GOT YOU, RAT!" He hollered at the top of his lungs, clenching his teeth in fury as he released his grip on the large statue and threw it through the air with as much force as possible.

Mey-Rin curled her hands into tight fists and screamed in terror, attention fully locked on the statue. It was as if she was witnessing a murder.

"NOOOOO!" Bard wailed at the same time, frantically waving an arm in an attempt to stop the gardener. Unfortunately, it was too late for that.

The next part happened so fast. I quickly past the plate of finger sandwiches over to just one of my hands, keeping it perfectly balanced. After that, I didn't think twice before using my other hand to assist me in preforming an immediate backflip. By the time that I managed to get out of the way and land in a flawless kneeling position with not a single one of the finger sandwiches disturbed, the statue had struck the exact area of the floor where I had been standing previously.

CRASH!

I squeezed my eyes shut as a thick cloud of dust filled the air, still hearing the blended sounds of Mey-Rin screaming and Bard yelling. Not long afterwards, I detected the noise of the rat squeaking in an evident panic as it leaped somewhere past my face. It could just barely be heard over all of the ruckus. Then, as soon as the dust started to clear up and thick, broken pieces of the marble statue started to tumble down the corridor in a rumbling mess, I opened my eyes again.

The rat was nowhere in sight. Mey-Rin had a few drops of sweat dotting her face and a hand was now placed over her heart, showing that she was trying to calm down. Bard, on the other hand, was pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head to himself in irritation. Lastly, since chibi Tanaka's expression almost always remained natural, Finny was scratching the back of his head with his face now accompanied by an embarrassed blush and smile.

"Looks like it got away ... ha-ha..." Finny noted with a few, awkward chuckles.

Bard immediately sent a scowl in his direction, holding up a fist. "What are you laughin' for?! Are you tryin' to kill us too, you idgit?!"

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka said, while Mey-Rin stared at the other two servants in slight exasperation.

I rose back up onto my feet and glanced over my shoulder to check the amount of damage that had been done. Fortunately, no paintings had been knocked off from the walls and no other knick-knacks had been disturbed. Although, on the downside, the marble statue had been completely destroyed and broken pieces were scattered all throughout the corridor.

"Oh, dear..." I mentally sighed. "By the looks of this mess, I'm going to have to make sure that the guests get escorted down a different hallway by the time that the meeting comes to an end."

"Wait! Nobody really got hurt, right?!" Finny's voice immediately caught my attention, now filled with worry. "Oh, no! Miss Elise, are you okay?! I-I didn't realize that the statue would land directly where you had been standing before! I-I'm so sorry!"

He tossed his arms up into the air and held them above his head, as if he was trying to prevent himself from touching anything else. At the same time, he clenched his eyes shut and his lips were beginning to quiver a little. It was also obvious by the tone of his voice that he was on the verge of breaking out into a fit of shameful sobs. In that moment, there was a small piece of me that couldn't help but feel pity for him. I knew how insecure he was about his "special" strength and even after having it for these past two years, he was still in the process of learning how to determine which situations were appropriate to use it in.

"Now, now, Finny. Calm down, okay?" I spoke up in a perfectly calm, yet professional, tone.

As this happened, I easily stepped over the secret compartment that was in the floor and walked over to where the gardener was still standing near the upper right corner of the corridor. I could feel the eyes of Mey-Rin, Bard, and Tanaka following me, each of their faces making it seem like they were in awe by how I wasn't reacting harshly to what just happened.

Finny was almost quaking in his boots, making me recall some memories that dated back to when he was first located. Nonetheless, instead of allowing myself to sink into the past, I simply lifted the hand that wasn't balancing the platter of finger sandwiches and placed it gently on Finny's shoulder. Then, I gave it a comforting squeeze that had the gardener cease his shivering almost instantly. Finally, with only a little bit of reluctance, he turned his head in my direction and stared at me like an innocent, puny child.

"You don't have to be sorry, much less afraid." I assured with my porcelain face now decorated with a soft, pleasant smile. "I didn't receive the smallest scratch, nor was I even struck by the statue to begin with."

"But ... but I could've hurt you if you hadn't managed to get out of the way in time..." Finny pointed out, frowning as he looked down at the ground. "You would've been in a great deal of pain ... and it would've been all my fault."

His turquoise orbs shimmered with a mixture of humiliation, disappointment, misery, and dread. It was more than obvious that he was caught up in thinking about what could've possibly happened if he had managed to hit me with that heavy statue. Of course, I could tell that none of those possibilities would include the statue completely shattering against my body or me simply picking myself back up after getting slammed to the floor. After all, Finny, Bard, Mey-Rin, and Tanaka didn't know anything about mine and Sebastian's true identities. With that being said, the both of us had no choice but to make ourselves seem as human as possible.

"Finny, don't fill your head with that kind of nonsense. Yes, it's true that you could've hit me with the statue ... but that doesn't make it any less of a fact that you didn't." I remarked, still sounding just as comforting as I looked. "I can tell that you were only trying to do as Sebastian instructed by handling the rat infestation as much as possible."

The gardener paused for a moment, seeming to think about my words. As he did, the sorrow gradually began to disappear from his features and he finally started to lower his arms from where they were still being held above his head.

"Well, yes ... all of that sounds about right." Finny agreed with a couple of soft nods, right before he redirected his gaze back over to me. "I'm really glad that you're okay, Miss Elise, but ... do you think that Mr. Sebastian will be upset about the statue?"

I already knew that my brother sure as hell would be annoyed with the fact that our coworkers had made another mess inside of the manor. However, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as I compared the demolished statue to everything else that was currently going on.

"What, that old thing?" I asked as I waved my unoccupied hand in a dismissive manner. "Trust me, Finny, as the head servants of this estate, Sebastian and I have much bigger and more important matters to focus on. In fact, I was actually planning on replacing that statue with one that was much more impressive for quite some time now. If anything, what you just did was actually a good thing!"

That whole part about me wanting to replace the statue was actually a lie, but I knew that I sounded one hundred percent convincing.

Finny seemed to falter in disbelief, looking at me like he had just witnessed me sprout a third eye right in the middle of my forehead. In returned, I continued to offer him a kind smile and I waited to see how he would respond. For the faintest second, I had grown a little wary over the thought of him somehow realizing that I had just told a lie ... but then, as if he had never faltered, the gardener's eyes became brighter than shooting stars and a cheerful smile swept widely across his face. At the same time, I let out an internal sigh of relief.

"What?! You mean, I ... I actually helped, Elise?!" Finny inquired, definitely making himself seem like a small child that had just caught a butterfly.

"Indeed, you did. With the statue now broken, it'll be much easier to get rid of. We can simply sweep up all of the pieces and dispose of them properly." I declared. Then, with my lips still molded into a delightful grin, I raised my eyebrows. "However, from here on out, please do your best to remember that your enhanced strength is rarely needed while being inside the mansion. As much as it came in handy with this statue-related situation, I'm afraid that using it on even more furniture won't help us with the rat infestation. On the contrary, I suggest using much simpler and far less drastic methods from here on out. Is that understood?"

While asking that final question, I made sure to cut a glance over to the chef and the maid as well. Throughout my whole conversation with the gardener, they hadn't taken their eyes off me; and now, they had smiles that were filled with admiration decorating their faces.

Once again, in perfect unison, Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard answered with, "Yes, Mistress Elise!"

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka incorporated once again. Afterwards, he lifted his little green cup up to his mouth and took a sip of his tea.

"Golly, Elise, I gotta say ... it's sometimes difficult for me to believe that you and Sebastian are actually related." Bard shared, snickering a little as he removed his unlit cigarette from between his lips and held it between two of his fingers. "I mean, the resemblance between the two of you is uncanny, but ... you definitely seem to be a lot calmer and much more understanding towards us whenever an accident like this occurs. If Sebastian had been here to witness what just happened instead of you, I feel like he would be debating whether or not he should just have our heads mounded. You both just ... have such different personalities."

"Yet, the two of you are also so similar!" Mey-Rin chipped in. "You both do such a fantastic job at being there for the Young Master!"

Finny eagerly nodded in agreement. "And even with your differences, the two of you make a great pair! Any other siblings would be jealous!"

After hearing all of that, I couldn't help but briefly falter and stare at my colleagues with slightly wide eyes. Then, after no more than three seconds, I let out a small, phony, breathy chuckle and dropped my attention down to the plate of finger sandwiches that I was still holding.

"Yes, well ... I can definitely agree that Sebastian and I are different from each other at times." I confirmed, right before I lifted my head back up and changed the topic. "Now, I had originally prepared these finger sandwiches as snacks for the Young Lord's guests ... but I'm sure that I can spare four for the four of you."

The maid, the gardener, and the chef immediately looked surprised, lowering their attention down to the platter before focusing entirely on me again. The steward, on the other hand, never stopped staring at me with that calm expression remaining on his face.

"A-are you sure, Miss Elise?" Mey-Rin asked as she readjusted her glasses a little.

I gave an approving nod. "Yes, I'm sure. This specific group of guests doesn't eat hardly anything when they visit the manor anyway."

Finny fiddled around with his nails. "But Mr. Sebastian doesn't like it when we eat while handling our jobs. He says that it distracts us from what we're supposed to be getting done."

I arched an eyebrow, looking at him for a couple of seconds before I jumped my gaze over to Mey-Rin and Bard. Then, not long after that, my rosy lips molded into a small smirk and I raised my shoulders in pure nonchalance.

"Well, I'm not going to tell him about this if you four won't."

Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin exchanged glances, hesitating for a moment before breaking out into large grins. The gardener was the first one to take a finger sandwich, right before I carried the plate back over to the maid and the chef. As soon as I lowered the platter, they took two finger sandwiches for themselves. Then, at last, I knelt down in front of the chibi steward and watched as he reached one of his little hands out to retrieve one of the finger sandwiches. When he did, I rose back up onto my feet and flashed an angelic smile.

Together, Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny cheerfully exclaimed, "Thank you, Mistress!"

A much more muffled "Ho, ho, ho..." came from Tanaka not even a full second after that. The reason behind it being muffled this time was because he was already in the process of nibbling at one of the corners of his finger sandwich.

"You're very welcome. Now, at this time, I'm afraid that I must end our conversation and be on my way to the Billiard's Room. I need to supervise the Young Lord's meeting and see if any of his guests would like a finger sandwich for themselves." I declared as I made sure to flick my attention evenly between my four colleagues. "As of now, I want the four of you to continue focusing on getting rid of as many rats as possible. Make sure to remember what I said and use methods that won't result in anymore damages around the manor. Also, I'll need you to keep all of the commotion down to a minimum in order to prevent any of the guests from being disturbed. And lastly, before the four of you retire this evening, you'll need to work together to clean up this hallway. Do I make myself clear?"

Bard tossed a fist up into the air. "You can count on us, Mistress Elise!"

"We'll handle everything, yes we will!" Mey-Rin exclaimed with full enthusiasm.

"You got it, Miss!" Finny cheered, smiling brightly with crumbs from his finger sandwich already decorating the sides of his mouth.

"Ho, ho, ho..." Tanaka chuckled yet again, nodding at me as he held his finger sandwich in one hand and his cup of tea in the other.

"Excellent. With that, I wish you luck on your assignments and I'm sure that I'll reunite with the four of you again later on."

"Right!"

With that, I turned my back on my fellow coworkers and began walking back down in the direction that I had already came. Along the way, I casually stepped over a variety of broken pieces of the marble statue and hummed a tune to myself, as if I was taking a stroll in the park. Finally, I turned down the correct corridor that led in the direction of the Billiard's Room and pursued on my way, knowing that the Little Lord wouldn't have started giving out any important information without me being there.

---

The Billiard's Room was one of the most popular rooms in the entire mansion. It had high, paneled, wooden walls and a matching floor that was perfectly polished. Aside from that, there was a long line of windows that was often hidden behind long, pleated, sea-colored drapes—in order to ensure privacy. Then, there was the furniture: ornate chairs and a couple of matching love seats that were positioned against the walls in various areas. A grey, marble fireplace also decorated the room, along with a couple of paintings and a few vintage clocks. Finally, the pool table sat in the direct center of the room with a royal blue rug positioned underneath it and a series of black lights hanging above it. Without a doubt, it was another impressive room that almost always kept guests entertained.

When I first entered the room, I saw that everyone had made themselves at home. A game of pool was in the process of being enjoyed and all of the guests, excluding Baron Diedrich, Madam Red, and Ran-Mao, were equipped with cues.

Mr. Vanel and Lord Randall were standing on opposite sides of the pool table, evidently preparing themselves for their turns. Baron Diedrich, on the other hand, was sitting in an olive-colored chair that was against west wall and Madam Red was near him, leaning against the same wall with her arms folded. Then, there was Lau and Ran-Mao, who were making themselves comfortable in a love seat that was lined with pillows. Ran-Mao was relaxing on Lau's lap and one of his arms were wrapped around her waist, while his other hand stayed occupied with his pool cue. Lastly, there was the Puny Earl. He was sitting in a large, fancy, red chair on the east side of the room, wearing a small smirk with a pool cue in one hand and his head in the other. Even after he noticed me enter the room, he appeared to be too amused by Lord Randall's latest, mediocre shot to fixate on how long it took me to arrive.

"Please excuse me for the wait, ladies and gentlemen. There was a minor conundrum that broke out elsewhere in the manor and I had to see to it before coming here. Thankfully, it has been resolved." I announced, shutting the door behind me with a gracious smile decorating my face. "Today, I have prepared finger sandwiches that include soft goat cheese and fresh cucumbers. They have also been subtly seasoned with garlic and dill to increase their scrumptious taste even more. Would anybody like to have one?"

Just as I'd suspected, only two visitors raised their hands—Ran-Mao and Baron Diedrich. Since the German nobleman was closer, I decided to walk over to him first ... but as soon as I lowered the platter down and watched as he reached his left hand out to grab one of the finger sandwiches, I noticed something that I hadn't upon his arrival. Baron Diedrich was wearing something on his ring finger—an expensive, gold wedding band. At the sight of it, my maroon orbs widened a little in surprise.

"Oh my, Diedrich!" Madam Red's voice suddenly filled the room, catching the attention of everyone else. "That's quite the ring that you have on your finger there! Could it, by any chance, mean what I think it means?"

She stared at the German gentleman in a mixture of surprise and excitement, grinning in a somewhat teasing manner as she winked after her question. In return, Baron Diedrich let out a single, staged, slightly awkward laugh and he held up his left hand to show off the wedding band better. He also seemed to take his time to chew the bite that he had taken out of his finger sandwich, more than likely because he didn't exactly admire being put on the spot. As this happened, everybody else turned their attention over to the German nobleman and reacted to the news.

A surprised, wide-open grin appeared on Lau's calm face, while Ran-Mao's face remained blank and she blinked repeatedly to show that she was acknowledging the information. At the same time, Lord Randall raised his eyebrows and his fudge-colored eyes shimmered in slight disbelief as he flicked them back and forth from the ring to Baron Diedrich's face. Then, there was Mr. Vanel, who didn't seem to be listening entirely to the conversation and was currently examining the balls on the pool table. Finally, my Small Lord lifted his head from his hand and his exposed, vibrant blue eye expanded a little. For the briefest moment, we made eye contact and I could tell that he was stunned.

"Um ... yes. Yes, it does." Baron Diedrich answered at last, having the faintest sliver of a rare smile appear on his face as he nodded. "I've been a married man for about a year now. That's why my presence around here has been rather limited. I've been busy with the responsibilities that come with being a husband."

"Well, that makes sense! Getting married causes plenty of changes in your life!" Madam Red noted, right before she tilted her head a little in confusion. "Although, I must admit that I'm rather surprised that none of us were invited to the wedding. You've known each of us for a very long time, after all."

I couldn't help but notice how the German nobleman seemed to falter for a couple of seconds after hearing that comment. It caused me to furrow my brow, but I tried keeping in mind that Baron Diedrich was still probably displeased with the fact that he was the center of attention for the time being.

"Indeed, that's true ... and I'm sure that my wife and I would've invited all of you. However, throughout the preparations, we eventually decided that it probably would've been the smarter decision to have a smaller, simpler ceremony with just family." Baron Diedrich explained in a tone that made it sound like he was trying to connect plenty of thoughts together.

"And what about children?" Lau suddenly asked, in which he withdrew his arm from around Ran-Mao's waist and rested his head against his hand. "Are there any in the picture yet?"

The German nobleman's cheeks almost flared up from getting asked such a question like. It made perfect sense, considering how he was actually very watchful and insecure towards what he did and said in public. Nonetheless, after giving his eyes a slight roll at the Chinese gentleman and grumbling a couple of words in German under his breath, he shook his head.

"No, not at the moment. We're planning to wait at least another year before having any."

"Ahh, I see. Every couple is different, I guess." Lau said with slight amusement now lacing his voice. "Perhaps, you should try bringing this lovely woman of yours around to meet us all at some point. I'm sure that the Young Earl wouldn't have a problem with that. Would you, Lord Phantomhive?"

"I wouldn't, actually." Master Ciel replied as he stared directly at the German aristocrat with curiosity brewing in his visible eye. "You can feel free to bring her with you to my estate during any of your visits. I believe that she would be quite interesting to meet."

"Yes, well..." Baron Diedrich pursued his lips for a moment, right before he offered another slight hint of a smile and nodded his head. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind for the future, Earl Phantomhive. Unfortunately, as of now, I'm afraid that she's busy with her own duties and we'll have to wait for her to find some time to spare. After all, I wouldn't want to pull her away and risk having her visit someplace when all that is on her mind is work. Hopefully, that can be understood."

I glanced over in the direction of the Puny Lord, watching as he made eye contact with me again. I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking the same thing as me—that there was something about Baron Diedrich's behavior that was awfully suspicious. Of course, he had been involved with the Phantomhive family for many, many years and it was more than obvious that he would never do anything to betray Master Ciel. With that being said, whatever it was that was causing his strange attitude couldn't have possibly been anything dangerous ... but that didn't make me or the Small Earl any less curious. However, courtesy of everything else that was currently going on throughout the streets of London, I could also tell by looking at Bocchan that he was telling me to forget about this until another time.

I faintly nodded in the Little Lord's direction. Then, I turned my attention back over to Baron Diedrich and smiled politely at him.

"Of course, Sir Diedrich. That's highly understandable. However, my Young Lord's offer to have your wife accompany you to the estate still stands." I declared, right before I placed my unoccupied hand over my heart and bowed my head in respect. "On behalf of Earl Phantomhive, myself, and the rest of the servants here at the manor, we wish to say congratulations."

"Indeed, congratulations!" Madam Red chortled happily, while Lord Randall and Bocchan nodded in agreement.

At the same time, it was as if a lightbulb had turned on above Lau's head. "Ah, yes! That's what I meant to say! Congratulations! Applaud with me, Ran-Mao!"

With that, the Chinese gentleman and his flirtatious partner started to lightly clap their hands together. As this happened, the German aristocrat stared at the two of them like they were the weirdest people on the planet and he eventually spoke to more than likely get them to stop.

"Thank you all, I appreciate it. I'm sure that my wife will, too."

After that, Baron Diedrich continued to eat his finger sandwich and applauding came to an end.

With that, I decided to remove all of the attention from the German nobleman, flicking my gaze over to the "unique" couple in the love seat with a pleasant smile still spread across my features.

"Anyway ... Miss Ran-Mao, I believe that you requested for a finger sandwich also."

The golden-eyed woman gave another one of her small, silent nods in return. Then, as soon as I walked over to where she was sitting, lowered the platter, and watched as she grabbed one of the scrumptious finger sandwiches ... there was the sudden sound of footsteps beginning to trample down the corridor that was right outside the Billiard's Room. It caused all of the guests to stay silent and begin glancing around in a mixture of confusion and concern. Bocchan, on the other hand, exhaled in exasperation as he went back to resting his head against his hand.

"Look! There's another one!" Finny's voice called out, obviously referring to a rat.

"Catch it!" Bard's voice hollered next.

After that, their frantic footsteps became more distant and the entire atmosphere in the Billiard's Room changed. The air seemed to thicken and the looks on everyone's faces became strictly professional, as if there had never been any positive conversation about the German aristocrat getting married. With that, it became clear to me that the meeting was officially going to start and I didn't think twice before placing the platter of finger sandwiches down on a small table that was between Madam Red and Baron Diedrich. After that, I folded my gloved hands neatly in front of myself, walked over to where the Small Earl was sitting, and stood directly beside his chair with perfect posture. It was time to begin my observations.

"Quite the commotion going out there. It seems you're experiencing a rat problem as well." Lord Randall said, shattering the silence as he stepped away from the pool table.

At the same time, Mr. Vanel stepped up and continued to study the scattered balls with the same—still unlit—cigar from earlier placed between his teeth.

With his eyes narrowed, Baron Diedrich lowered his finger sandwich from his mouth. "Speaking of which, how long will you let the vermin run wild? Filthy monsters. Someone really ought to take care of them, don't you think?"

"And someone will." Lau cut in, being the only one in the room that was still smiling. "He is just waiting for the opportune moment."

Ran-Mao silently nodded once again to show that she agreed and proceeded to nibble at one of the ends of her finger sandwich.

"Indeed. He prefers to settle things with one blow." Madam Red pointed out with her floppy hat casting a mysterious shadow down half of her face. "Will you pass on this turn too, Lord Phantomhive?"

Everyone flicked their attention over to the Little Lord, causing a new smirk to spread across his lips. He peeked up at me from the corner of his eye, almost making me smirk along with him. Then, he answered his aunt's question wisely.

"I'll pass. It's my policy not to shoot if I know that I'll miss."

Lord Randall pierced him with a strict expression from across the room. "That's all very well, but when will you handle the problem?"

"Any time you like." Master Ciel replied, unfazed by the older gentleman's grim attitude. "The rats will soon come looking for their forbidden cheese, and I hold the key to the storehouse."

As the Small Earl spoke, I noticed Mr. Vanel moving from the corner of my eye and I turned my head to look at him. He leaned forward and positioned his pool cue correctly in his hands, making it look like he was getting ready to line up a shot ... but I could see him focusing more on the Puny Earl than anything. I squinted at him in suspicion, especially when I witnessed the reaction that he had after Bocchan mentioned how he was the one that had the key to the storehouse.

He seemed to narrow his eyes in what looked like displeasure, right before he hit the white ball without paying much attention. It tapped against the red ball, which then collided with the pink ... and the white ball, as a result, fell into one of the pockets.

"Tch..." Mr. Vanel sneered, shooting a glare at the pool table as he raised himself back up.

I made a mental note of this and locked my attention back on the Small Lord, watching as he gripped his pool cue with both hands. He proceeded to speak, now wearing an efficient, somewhat mysterious grin.

"Even so, locating the nest and eliminating the vermin promises to be a tedious task. You should concentrate on preparing me a suitable reward."

Lord Randall clenched his pool cue angrily. "You're a vulture...!"

"Sir Randall," Master Ciel cut him off, narrowing his exposed eye in a warning fashion. "I'd be careful how you smear my family name."

"Indeed, my Young Master is correct, Sir Randall. Let's be sure to keep in mind that you're standing in his mansion right now." I incorporated, almost having to prevent my wine-colored eyes from glowing as I stared at Lord Randall with an authoritative glare already plastered on my face. "He's the Queen's Guard Dog and is not to be mistaken for a vulture ever again."

Lord Randall clenched his teeth a little and returned my scowl, showing that he wasn't satisfied with how I had just spoken to him. Although, he didn't care to say anything back, even appearing to be a little embarrassed by how the Little Lord and I had called him out in front of all of the other guests.

"Ha, you're in trouble now, Randall." Mr. Vanel chuckled, right before he redirected his gaze back over to the Small Master. "What next, Lord Phantomhive?"

Once again, Bocchan made brief eye contact with me. Then, he made a gesture for me to follow him and I respectfully bowed my head to show that I was acknowledging his silent command. Afterwards, he placed his pool cue against the floor and stood up from his chair as he answered Mr. Vanel's question.

"It's time to put an end to this worthless game, don't you think?"

With me pursuing shortly behind him, the Little Earl began to approach the pool table. Along the way, he stopped beside Lord Randall and I ceased in my tracks as well.

"How soon can you secure the payment?" Master Ciel inquired.

Lord Randall dropped his head and reluctantly replied with, "Tonight, I'll have it by then."

I took that piece of information as my second mental note, right before I continued following the Small Lord to the pool table. After that, I offered him one of my hands and watched as he placed his own hand in it in order to help push himself up onto the edge of the table. When that was over, he withdrew his hand from mine and I remained by his side.

"Then I'll send a carriage for you later." Bocchan declared, right before he leaned down and properly positioned his pool cue with a cheeky smirk on his face. "We can even prepare some light entertainment for you. Does that sound good?"

Baron Diedrich's eyes widened in disbelief as he abruptly exclaimed, "You passed your turn twice and now you're after them all in one go?"

"Naturally." Master Ciel replied with full confidence.

A cryptic stare appeared on Lord Randall's face as he retaliated with, "Careful, or your greed will undo you."

I glanced over at the bespectacled gentleman, witnessing him avoid eye contact with me in order to keep observing my Puny Master. Then, I crossed one arm over my abdomen and lifted my opposite hand up to my chin.

"Hmm ... greed, eh?" I grumbled mentally, narrowing my eyes a little in thought. "That's not exactly the deadly sin that I see my Little Lord clinging to..."

At the same time, Master Ciel let out a single, quiet, breathy laugh ... and he took his shot. As soon as the loud tap sound echoed throughout the Billiard's Room, I snapped out of my thoughts and proceeded to watch the events unfold. The white ball, which had been previously fished out of the pocket by My. Vanel, struck perfectly against the red ball and sent it rolling into one of the pockets on the opposite end of the table. Then, before colliding into the wall and bouncing to a halt, the white ball also hit the black ball. Shock and suspense could literally be felt in the air as everyone watched the black ball roll across the table ... and fall into another one of the pockets.

"Am I undone?" Bocchan asked in a calm, somewhat mocking fashion.

My wine-colored hues sparkled with satisfaction, just as my lips stretched into a smirk to match.

Mr. Vanel, Lord Randall, and Baron Diedrich were gawking in utter bewilderment at what they had just witnessed. Madam Red, on the other hand, was flashing a proud smile in the Puny Earl's direction and Lau was still wearing one of his typical, laid back grins. Lastly, Ran-Mao's face remained completely emotionless as she continued to enjoy her finger sandwich.

"How on Earth...?! What ... how...?!" Lord Randall bit down on his tongue and shook his head in disbelief, right before he locked his gaze back on Master Ciel. "Just where exactly did a child like you learn how do to that?!"

Bocchan's accomplished smirk almost instantly crumbled away at the word "child," only to be replaced by an expression that looked both bored and ominous. However, before he could even think about opening his mouth to respond, Lord Randall continued to speak in a rather knowing tone.

"Let me guess, it was that 'ideal' butler of yours that seems to follow you around like a lost puppy."

"No, actually." Master Ciel replied with the half warning, half dull look remaining on his face. "As a matter of fact, my butler didn't have anything to do with the knowledge that I've gained over the years regarding pool."

"Oh, is that so?" Lord Randall asked, raising an eyebrow. He clearly didn't believe the Small Earl.

"Yes, it is."

When those three little words left my mouth, it took less than a second before I had everyone's eyes on me. Before proceeding, I looked over at Master Ciel and watched as he gave me a slight nod, indicating that he was giving me permission to carry on. With that, I had my smirk switch back over to one of my proper smiles and I began to glance around the room at each of the visitors as I explained.

"My Young Master has learned plenty from my brother, I certainly won't deny that. As a butler, he has taught our Young Lord a variety of lessons and he has also assisted him in increasing his skills in multiple areas. However, when it comes to this game in particular ... well, my brother simply wasn't involved in any of the lessons. How to aim, how to determine the proper about of strength that's needed, how to get the balls to go right where you want them ... and the list can go on for miles. In the end, Sebastian wasn't the one who taught Lord Phantomhive anything about pool."

Lord Randall stared at me like I was a madman, seeming to know exactly where I was going with this.

"Hold on a second! Don't tell me...!"

He stopped himself from finishing, almost appearing to be rendered speechless.

"Indeed, Sir Randall is correct." I announced, in which I pretended to readjust the lily that Finny had given me behind my ear before I broke out into a slightly cheekier grin. "I'm the one who taught the Young Earl everything that he knows about this game."

Everything in the room fell silent. The look on Lord Randall's face still made it seem like I had just grown a second head, even after he made eye contact with Baron Diedrich. He also appeared to be surprised, but not as caught off guard as the bespectacled gentleman. Then, there was Madam Red, who was flicking her ruby-like eyes back and forth from me to the Puny Master in astonished delight. However, the reaction that truly caught my attention was Mr. Vanel's, courtesy of how he was glancing around at each of the other guests like they were a bunch of idiots. Shortly after that, a bitter smile curled up on the corners of the blonde man's lips and I cocked an eyebrow in his direction with slight confusion beginning to appear across my features.

"Tch ... how preposterous." Mr. Vanel murmured as he shook his head to himself.

"Sir Vanel ... surely you know that it's not polite to mutter like that during a conversation." Master Ciel retorted, curling his hands once more around his pool cue as he narrowed his exposed eye at the Italian visitor. "If you believe that something is preposterous, then you should have the courage to say it to all of us instead of grumbling it to yourself."

In less than a second, everyone's attention fell on Mr. Vanel and his cold grin faltered a little from more than likely not expecting himself to get overheard by the Small Earl. He poked at the inside of his mouth with his tongue for a couple of seconds, definitely appearing to not like getting called out like that. Nonetheless, after peering around at all of the order guests and confirming that all eyes were on him, Mr. Vanel's aloof smile made a return.

"Pardon me, Lord Phantomhive ... but I'm sure that you can-a understand the reason behind why it's rather difficult for me to believe that it-a was your nanny that taught you how to-a play pool."

Not even a split second after I heard him put extra emphasis on the word "nanny," my maroon orbs narrowed and the confusion disappeared from my face like it was never there. I could tell what he was trying to say and it had me crossing my arms over my chest in displeasure.

"And what exactly would that reason of yours be, Sir Vanel?" I inquired.

The Italian guest lifted an eyebrow and stared at me with this look in his eyes, making it seem like he was telling me that I knew very well what the "reason" was. He even stayed silent and topped his expression off by examining me once again. When he did that, there was a piece of me that could just tell that he was hinting for me to look in a mirror if I actually didn't know what his "reason" was.

"Oh, I see." I went on, keeping my attention locked on the blonde man as I casually flipped a section of my hair over my shoulder. "You think that it's impossible for me to have been the one that taught the Young Master all about this game because I'm a woman. Isn't that right?"

As soon as the word "woman" came out of my mouth, the faintest shred of anger—perfectly resembling a tiny, flickering ember—appeared in Ran-Mao's eyes as she peeked over in Mr. Vanel's direction with her finger sandwich still being held up to her lips. At the same time, Madam Red placed her hands on her hips and she stared at the Italian visitor like she was scolding a child for making too much noise.

The bitter amusement, however, returned to Mr. Vanel's grinning face as he rested one of his arms across the end of his pool cue like it was an armrest. He stared back at me, no longer seeming to care about everybody else that was also in the room.

"Look, Miss Michaelis ... I don't wish to prod at any areas of yours that might be-a sensitive and insecure, especially in the presence of Lord Phantomhive."

I nearly scoffed, narrowing my eyes a little more. "Believe me, Sir Vanel ... you don't need to fixate on such a ridiculous thought like that. But let's see if I got this straight ... you view women as beings that are far too sensitive and insecure to possibly know how to handle anything that doesn't revolve around cooking and cleaning. Correct?"

The blonde man raised his shoulders in a mocking fashion and continued to grin harshly at me.

"All I have to say, Miss Michaelis ... is that this..." He gestured to the pool table, purposely stretching out his sentence to irritate me further. "...isn't anything like preparing a finger sandwich or scrubbing a toilet."

This time, it was Madam Red who scoffed. She pierced Mr. Vanel with a feisty scowl, making it look like fire was seconds away from exploding inside of her scarlet eyes.

"How dare you even think about saying stuff like that! You should be counting your blessings that I don't have a toilet brush with me at this very moment! I'm warning you, sir, if I did, I would be using it to scrub all of that filthy nonsense out of your mouth! Need I remind you that I became a doctor against even my own father's wishes and I took on all of those responsibilities?! Til' this day, I'm still determined to find a cure for what my beloved sister had suffered from, Lord rest her soul! And if that, Sir Vanel, doesn't show how strong-minded and courageous women can be, I don't know what can!"

Throughout the crimson-haired woman's whole rant, Baron Diedrich kept giving flicking his wide-eyed gaze back and forth from her to Mr. Vanel. It was obvious that he was trying to warn him to take back everything that he just said, while Lord Randall emitted a low whistle and rubbed the back of his neck in a somewhat awkward manner. Unfortunately, all Mr. Vanel did was stare at the Puny Lord's aunt with a dull look on his face that made it clear that he didn't believe that she would follow through with her threat if she had the chance to.

Master Ciel let out a rather annoyed sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then, as Madam Red reached the final sentence of her lecture, I noticed him peek over at me and give me a familiar look that I knew like the back of my hand. He was ordering me to take care of this situation and defuse it before it could possibly escalate any further. In retrospect, I had already been planning to do that; but now, I felt extra prepared from now knowing that my Little Lord wouldn't have a problem with me taking control.

Madam Red huffed, shaking her head to herself in disapproval as she looked away from Mr. Vanel and grumbled, "I swear, I can't believe such bloody rubbish would come out of somebody's mouth."

"...I can."

Once again, I gained the attention of everyone in the room. There was a brief moment of silence, in which I took the time to glance around at all of the guests and observe how all of them—excluding Lau, Ran-Mao, and Bocchan—now had confused expressions plastered on their faces. After that, my lips twisted into a wise smirk and I began to speak in a smug tone.

"People these days are all about jumping to conclusions and judging each other for even the tiniest things. They never seem to take the time to get to know each other, nor do they ever bother to pay attention to the fact that they're capable of doing anything that they set their mind to. Whether it's something as simple as a game of pool ... or something much more drastic, such as committing a murder or dealing drugs."

"Tch..." Mr. Vanel sneered again, rolling his eyes at me as he removed his cigar from his mouth and held it between two of his fingers. "Just what exactly is it that you're-a trying to say? You might as well spit it out."

In that moment, the calm grin on the Chinese nobleman's face seemed to transform into a knowing smirk. He proceeded to stroke his flirtatious partner's hair, muffling a couple of chuckles under his breath. It was evident that he was recalling the conversation that I'd had with him shortly after he arrived at the manor ... and now, he must've been looking forward to me saying it all once again.

"Well, Sir Vanel ... the lesson that I'm getting at here is that it simply doesn't matter that I am a female. My gender has no control over what I can and cannot do, which includes teaching my Young Master all of the rules to pool and how to play like a professional." I explained, in which my wine-colored eyes started to glimmer in a sly manner. "After all, when somebody engages in a homicide, do you really believe that their gender means anything to anyone? Of course it doesn't. All that matters is how they have the blood of somebody else on their hands ... and the murderer could just so happen to be a man or a woman. If you're a human being, you're just as able to commit a crime or obtain a skill as anyone else. Your gender is meaningless in that compartment. Wouldn't you agree, Sir Randall?"

"W— what?!" Lord Randall's eyes widened in alarm, but his voice remained gruff and serious. "Why are you dragging me into this?!"

"Because ... you're just as guilty of making these assumptions as Sir Vanel. Although, instead of fixating on me and my gender, you're one of those people who just so happen to fixate on my Young Lord and his age. A majority of the time, you are convinced that just because he's only twelve, it would be impossible for him to be successful as Her Majesty's Watchdog and as the head of his family. You even claimed that he was a vulture, despite how I can tell that you would never even think about saying such a thing like that about him if he were around your age." I went on, feeling my smug grin continuing to expand as I rested my gloved hands against the edge of the pool table. "Yet, my Young Master is actually filled with plenty of wisdom beyond his years ... and just like when it comes to me being a female, the fact that he is only twelve-years-old doesn't have any effect on what he is capable of doing. Isn't that right, my Lord?"

"Yes. All of that is correct." Master Ciel replied from where he was still sitting on the edge of the pool table, advertising a cocky smirk all over again.

Mr. Vanel almost seemed to growl, while Lord Randall clutched his jaws and stared at me with a faint blush of embarrassment dusted across his cheeks. Baron Diedrich, on the other hand, looked genuinely surprised, and Madam Red was flashing an impressed grin in my direction.

"My~! You just always know what to say, don't you, Miss Elise?" Lau spoke up in a somewhat praising tone.

I peered over at him with something mysterious shooting through my eyes. "Well, Sir Lau, it is one of my prime duties to see and hear everything that goes on in this manor."

"Oh, Elise, you never cease to amaze me!" Madam Red chirped.

"Heavens, Madam Red, you're too generous towards me with the compliments." I remarked, switching my clever smirk back over to one of my elegant smiles. "I appreciate the admiration, but I'm simply one devil of a nanny."

With that, I withdrew my hands from the edge of the pool table, straightened myself back up, and began to walk around to the east side of the table. Along the way, my high-heeled boots lightly clicked against the floor with every step that I took and I could feel everyone's eyes following me. At last, after passing by Lord Randall without giving him any attention, I found myself standing right in front of Mr. Vanel and staring directly into his sharp, teal orbs.

"Now, Sir Vanel ... if I may borrow that for a second."

At the word "that," I reached one of my hands out and grabbed the pool cue with a firm grip. Then, I proceeded to pull it away from him with an innocent grin still spread across my porcelain face. He had clearly been caught off guard by my decision to forcefully take the pool cue without giving him much time to willingly hand it over in the first place. Nonetheless, I ignored the bitterness that automatically electrocuted through his eyes and leaned my body forward against the edge of the table.

"I hope all of you don't mind me sinking the five remaining balls." I announced as I correctly positioned the pool cue and began to focus on the white ball.

Mr. Vanel scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "If I were you, Miss Michaelis, I'd be careful of the things I say. I'm-a sure that you wouldn't want to get in way over your head."

As soon as I heard that, my angelic smile completely altered back into one of my mischievous smirks and I let out a single, quiet, breathy laugh.

"I believe that you can recall my Young Master's policy, Sir Vanel. I'm the one who embedded it in his mind shortly before teaching him the overall game. One must not shoot if they know that they'll miss ... and I can assure you that I most certainly won't miss."

After that, I took the shot ... and what happened next made everyone—still excluding Bocchan, Lau, and Ran-Mao—gawk like they had just witnessed a ghost walk through a wall. The white ball zoomed at an unbelievable speed, almost appearing to be a total blur as it darted over every last inch of the table. The five remaining balls—purple, blue, green, yellow, and orange—spun around like twisters, almost seeming to dance as they were each greeted by the white ball. Afterwards, they slammed against each other and repeatedly ricocheted off each of the walls, forming a variety of patterns and participating in plenty of different tricks. At last, in no more than ten seconds, the five remaining balls fell simultaneously into each of the pockets and the white ball came to a perfect halt in the direct center of the table.

I straightened myself back up, continuing to hold the pool cue at my side as all of the guests started to speak. Sometimes, their words were right on top of each other. Other times, they weren't.

"That was—!" Baron Diedrich blurted out, unable to get himself to finish that sentence from being so stunned.

"I-impossible!" Lord Randall sputtered with large eyes. "How could someone have done that?!"

"Bravo! Bravo!" Lau cheered in his typical, serene tone as he and Ran-Mao applauded. "What a fascinating party trick!"

"How incredible!" Madam Red marveled. "Maybe I should find the time to schedule a pool lesson with you, Elise!"

Lord Randall pretended to readjust his glasses. "How in the bloody hell did she manage to do something like that?! The balls were moving so fast!"

Baron Diedrich huffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "She definitely is a Phantomhive servant..."

By that point, the Little Earl appeared to be bored with how everyone was praising me. Despite how I had managed to prevent the prior predicament from escalating, Master Ciel almost always got annoyed whenever Sebastian and I received so much admiration—specifically because the two of us almost always received it after using an unworldly ability and he wanted us to fit in as much as possible. With that, I decided to cease the praise by subtly gesturing for all of the visitors to settle down. Then, I turned back to Mr. Vanel, who had been the only one that hadn't been admiring what I just did.

"Sir Vanel ... I hope that from this point on, you won't ever make the mistake of assuming what someone can and cannot do, solemnly based on their gender." I declared, right before I nearly jammed the pool cue back into his hands.

The Italian guest clenched his teeth for a moment, right before he grumbled judgmentally, "Shouldn't a servant like you know better than to act like such a show off?"

"Shouldn't a gentleman like you know better than to cling to such ridiculous stereotypes about women?" I retaliated wisely, raising my eyebrows.

Instead of saying anything back that time, Mr. Vanel only narrowed his eyes and placed his unlit cigar back between his teeth. Then, after maintaining eye contact with me for a couple of seconds, he finally looked away and muttered some inaudible words under his breath. Madam Red smirked in satisfaction, while Ran-Mao—still showing no emotions whatsoever—gave a thumbs up in my direction to show that she supported everything that I had just said and done.

"Now, with that entertaining game out of the way ... can I interest anyone else in a finger sandwich?" I asked as a new, proper smile appeared on my face like it had been there this entire time.

---

A/N: Bookmark #2

---

Another two hours went by before the meeting came to an end. Although, while Lord Randall, Mr. Vanel, and Baron Diedrich departed from the manor in three, separate, walnut-colored City Coupes, Madam Red, Lau, and Ran-Mao decided to stay for further discussion—just like usual. With that, I had the honors of escorting them, along with the Small Lord, to the Drawing Room. Not long afterwards, Sebastian had appeared conveniently with tea and accompanying him, there was a gentleman that I automatically knew must've been Grell—the butler of Master Ciel's aunt that had been mentioned to me earlier.

His attire wasn't as sophisticated as Sebastian's, but it was still fairly distinguished. It was an entirely black suit that was accompanied by white gloves, a matching undershirt, and a bow tie that was decorated with thin, red stripes. Aside from that, Grell had long, neat, brunette hair that was tied back with a red ribbon and round spectacles that were worn over an incredibly bright pair of green eyes. I almost had a difficult time believing just how vibrant they were, especially since they already stood out from the rest of his ivory-colored features.

Now, the Puny Earl was sitting in a chair that was across from Madam Red. Lau, on the other hand, was sitting in another love seat with Ran-Mao making herself comfortable once more on his lap. A shiny coffee table sat in the middle of their seating arrangements, bringing the four of them together as I sat out the lumps of sugar and proceeded to pour two cups of tea. When I was finished, I handed the teapot over to my brother and had him explain the specific beverage.

"Your tea. We have a special Darjeeling blend to offer from Fortnum & Mason today."

As soon as the word "special" came out of Sebastian's mouth, I lowered my head and one of the corners of my mouth twitched, forming a faint smirk. Whenever the butler incorporated the word "special" into a description about tea, I knew what he actually meant by it. Nonetheless, I made sure to prevent myself from coming off as suspicious and put on a lovely smile as I lifted my head back up. Then, I offered the two saucers that I was holding to the Chinese gentleman and his golden-eyed partner.

"Would you and Miss Ran-Mao like to try it, Sir Lau?" I asked politely.

"Yes, we most certainly would. Thank you." Lau replied, right before he and Ran-Mao took the saucers from my hands and gently waved the cups underneath their noses. "Smells lovely. Tea can be excellent when made well."

Madam Red lowered her own cup from her lips, leaving behind a lipstick mark on its rim as she smiled and said, "I can safely say that I've never tasted such a delectable beverage before. Even after all of my years of being served tea at parties, conventions, and so on, it appears that Elise and Sebastian always manage to make its flavor even more exquisite. Is there some type of secret ingredient that the two of you use or something among those lines?"

I turned myself around to face her, noticing Sebastian and Master Ciel cut a glance over at each other from the corners of their eyes before they redirected their attention over to me. Knowing glints were in their eyes, making it almost seem like they felt that it was necessary to make sure that I wouldn't say anything about what made the tea "special." Of course, I would never speak about something like that with another mere mortal.

Instead, I folded my hands neatly in front of myself and continued to advertise a proper grin.

"Well, Madam, I'm afraid that Sebastian and I must refrain ourselves from answering that. After all, the tea wouldn't be so special if we simply gave the reason as to why."

"Oh, I see. That's a fair point, dear."

With that, the crimson-haired lady nodded her head in an understanding manner and proceeded to drink her tea. At the same time, I made brief eye contact with my brother and watched as he quietly exhaled in what I could only assume was relief. After that, he lowered his eyes down to another saucer that he was holding and started to pour a cup of tea for the Little Lord.

Meanwhile, my attention just so happened to shift over to Grell, who was standing near the entrance of the Drawing Room with his gaze locked entirely on Sebastian. I couldn't help but furrow my brow in confusion, observing the brunette gentleman as he held his hands together and stared at my brother with a captivated, wide-open grin on his face. Normally, I was used to seeing Sebastian receive attention. However, even after living for centuries, this was the first time in which I've ever witnessed a male stare at him like that. I honestly found it to be a little odd ... but at the same time, I figured that since Grell was also a butler, he was just marveling Sebastian for his proper behavior and serving skills.

"Grell." Madam Red's voice suddenly cut through the air, much sharper than before.

Clearly startled, the brunette butler snapped out of his daydream-like state and shot his arms back down at his sides.

"Ah! Yes, my lady."

The red-clad woman stared at him with full authority as she said, "Learn something from Sebastian."

Grell's shoulders drooped upon hearing that and he lowered his eyes to the floor, appearing to be crestfallen.

"Uh, yes..."

Unfazed by his reaction, Madam Red turned her head back in my brother's direction. She seemed to remain strictly professional, dragging her ruby-like eyes up and down his figure as he finally finished pouring the cup of tea for Bocchan. However, within just a couple of more seconds, the Small Master's aunt showed an entirely different side of herself. With no shame, she broke out into a flirtatious grin and stared directly at Sebastian's backside as she began to stroke her hand up and down the lower regions of his tailcoat. My wine-colored eyes automatically grew in disbelief; but at the same time, as the butler shuddered, I couldn't help but feel faint laughter beginning to bubble up inside of me. Some chuckles were smothered under my breath and others were held in, causing my shoulders to shake a little in amusement.

"Just look at him ... I mean, his physique!" Madam Red swooned, her cheeks pinker than cotton candy. "You should quit this country job and come work for me in the city."

Fortunately, before the touching could continue on or possibly even escalate, Master Ciel spoke up in a respectful, yet dominate, tone.

"Ahem! Madam Red."

With a smile still decorating her face, the scarlet-haired woman retracted her wandering hand and scratched the back of her head in vague embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry. I couldn't help it. He looked like he needed a physical. Just a doctor's habit~!"

The Little Lord cringed a little out of a mixture of annoyance and disgust after hearing that. At the same time, Sebastian let out a quiet breath of exasperation and he glanced over in my direction. As soon as he noticed that I was smirking at him with inaudible snickers still falling every so often from my lips, he punctured me with a stern glare. I knew by now that that was his way of telling me to knock it off, but all I did in return was act like I didn't know what he was talking about by raising my shoulders in a cheeky manner.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and shook his head to himself, right before he placed the Puny Earl's tea down on the coffee table in front of him. However, as this happened, I ended up feeling something pinch me near the rear of my dress. It sent a small twinge of discomfort through my body, catching me off guard and making every last ounce of my amusement shoot out of my system like it was never there.

"Oh!" I gasped, gaining the attention of everyone almost immediately.

As this happened, I spun myself around and locked my startled gaze on the couple that were sitting together in the love seat. That's when I saw Ran-Mao staring directly up at me—still with absolutely no emotion on her face—and making a pinching motion with her thumb and index finger, as if she were a crab. At the same time, Lau rubbed Ran-Mao's arm with his unoccupied hand and calmly laughed after swallowing a sip of his tea.

"Oh, Miss Elise, please excuse us. It appears that Ran-Mao had noticed something—a piece of fuzz, if I had to guess—on the back of your dress and she was trying to be helpful by removing it for you. Our most sincere apologies for the accidental pinch that you ended up receiving in the process." The Chinese gentleman then turned his attention over to his golden-eyed partner, keeping his eyes shut and smile steady. "You really must be more careful, my darling. Now, do apologize to Miss Elise."

I subtly rubbed the area where I had been pinched, smoothing out any possible wrinkles that had formed on the fabric of my dress. Then, after keeping my lips lightly pursed throughout Lau's explanation, I forced a somewhat awkward grin to appear on my face.

"Oh, no. That's not necessary, really." I said in regards of the apology, holding up a hand to prevent Ran-Mao from saying anything. "I appreciate the generous motive, but ... perhaps, if this were to ever happen again, I could be informed in a more ... convenient fashion."

"Of course." Lau agreed, just as Ran-Mao also gave a silent nod to indicate that she understood.

After that, I turned back around and walked the short distance that was between me and Sebastian, passing by Madam Red's chair in the process. However, when I made it over to the butler's side and stood next to him with perfect posture, I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I noticed that he was now the one that was wearing an amused smirk.

"How was the pinch?" Sebastian asked in a whisper, leaning in close to my ear to prevent anyone else from hearing him.

"How was the physical?" I retaliated almost instantly, keeping my voice just as quiet.

Sebastian's smirk automatically crumbled away and I could've sworn that I saw him shudder a little again. Then, with a slight groan, he grumbled back, "Well played..."

With that, there was the sound of somebody setting their saucer aside. Sebastian and I were immediately alert, redirecting our attention back over to the Small Master and his guests to observe any further discussions. That's when we had noticed that it was Lau that had placed his teacup down on the coffee table, only to then have Ran-Mao remove herself from his lap so he could stand up.

"So, do you believe the drag trafficker you're after was one of your guests today?" Lau inquired, placing his attention back on the Puny Lord.

Master Ciel calmly leaned back in his seat and answered with, "Perhaps."

"Why not leave the extermination to Lau?" Madam Red asked with a sigh, watching as the Chinese nobleman walked over to Bocchan's chair and casually leaned against it. "A rat knows best where the rats' nest is, doesn't he?"

Lau glanced over at at her, maintaining his laid-back demeanor. "I'm but a tame guinea pig dedicated to my Lord."

He then placed a hand on top of the Little Earl's head, completely unfazed by the annoyed look on his face as he leaned down to continue speaking.

"If the Earl or his nanny instructs me not to act, I'm bound to do nothing."

I was almost a little surprised to hear how the Chinese gentleman had included me in that little statement of his; but at the same time, I could understand why he did. As the Phantomhive nanny, I was the one who was at Master Ciel's side ninety-nine percent of the time. I was there to observe him in action with dozens of different responsibilities; and sometimes, I was the one that was expected to give his instructions to other nobles—such as Lau.

Suddenly, without giving any warning, Madam Red leaped up from her chair and dashed over to the Puny Master's seat so fast to the point where she almost looked like a red blur. Then, she snatched Bocchan into her arms and held him close to her in a protective hold.

"Watch it! You'd best keep your filthy paws off my darling nephew!" Madam Red barked, glaring venomously at Lau.

"Uh, Madam...?" I said as I began to approach her, wanting to rescue the Little Lord from where he was practically dangling in her arms like a helpless kitten.

However, the red-clad woman was too caught up in sneering at the Chinese nobleman to pay any attention to me. With that, I kept reaching my arms out towards Master Ciel in a somewhat awkward manner, trying to figure out how to get him out of this minor predicament.

Meanwhile, Lau straightened himself back up and continued to nonchalantly lean against the chair as he retorted amusingly,

"You wound me. I would never paw at him in his own home, dear Madam."

"Are you saying you would if you were elsewhere?!" Madam Red bellowed in a shocked fit of rage.

"Oh, dear!" I yelped, immediately preventing the Puny Master from falling to the floor by having him collapse into my arms after his red-clad aunt unknowingly dropped him.

She was practically spitting fire, pointing at the Chinese gentleman as she continued to bark at him.

"Careful, you're on thin ice now, sir!"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Lau laughed and continued to smile, unaffected by the threat. "Sorry, I'm joking, of course."

"You'd better be! I hope you understand how protective I am of my dear nephew! I would lay down my own life for him and I'll..."

The rest of Madam Red's rant, along with Lau's amused laughter, fell on deaf ears.

Master Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose in aggravation, remaining where he was against my body for a couple of more seconds. Then, as he squirmed out of my arms, I noticed him gesture for me to follow him with a fed-up look in his eye. I didn't hesitate to obey.

Sebastian turned to look over his shoulder, noticing our Puny Lord beginning to depart from the room with me following just a couple of steps behind him. He blinked, appearing to be just as confused as I was.

"Master?"

Bocchan didn't say anything back, coming to a halt and exhaling to himself in exasperation as soon as the two of us made it out into the corridor. At the same time, I stepped up to his side and stopped walking in order to look back into the Drawing Room. Madam Red was still in the middle of hotly lecturing Lau, Ran-Mao was enjoying her tea like it was any other day, and Sebastian was apparently still trying to figure out what was going on. With that, I redirected my gaze back down to the Little Lord.

"Young Master, is something the matter?" I asked with a mixture of confusion and concern lining my voice.

Without looking at me, Master Ciel dully replied, "The rats are here..."

Then, as he pursued down the hallway with an annoyed hand on his forehead, I calmly followed after him.

Suddenly, the sound of Bard's voice punctured through the air, sounding completely on edge.

"It went that waaaay!"

"And here, too..." Bocchan muttered, freezing in his tracks again as he shook his head to himself in disapproval.

At the same time, I quickly closed the gap of space that was between the two of us by wrapping my arms around him from behind. That way, the other servants would have a far less likely chance of accidentally colliding into him while trying to chase after the rats.

"Get it! Aghhhhh!" Mey-Rin hollered, just as she bolted past me and the Puny Master with two mouse traps in her hands.

Finny ran along with her, now wearing a cat costume and holding a stray cat in his arms. However, not long after he disappeared around the corner, he ended up running back into view—except this time, the shaggy-haired cat was clinging to the top of his costume and trying to attack him.

"Ohhhhh!" Finny yelled in a panic.

At the same time, as he dashed past me and Bocchan again, Bard appeared. He, too, began to trample down the hallway, firmly holding two ladles in both of his hands with his teeth clenched in determination. Then, just as he vanished around the corner, Mey-Rin popped back up, huffing and panting with the mouse traps now latched onto her fingers.

My shoulders drooped a little as I sighed in disappointment. "Oh my ... it appears that the rat infestation is spiraling out of control once again."

Master Ciel lowered his hand from his forehead, huffing before he grumbled the words, "You don't say..."

"I'm highly aware of how frustrating and inconvenient a situation like this is, Bocchan. Just try to hold out a bit longer with it. It will be resolved soon."

As I said this, I untangled my arms from around the Little Earl and proceeded to pick away a few stray hairs that were sticking to the neckline of his jacket. After that, I readjusted the back of his lapel in order to make it look as good as new. By the time that I finished, the sound of Sebastian's voice suddenly reached us.

"Master."

The Puny Lord and I turned to look at him, seeing him approach us with a professional grin on his face.

"Today's dessert. It's a deep-dish pie prepared with fresh apples and raisins. It will be ready soon. Would you like to eat with your guests?"

Master Ciel replied firmly, "Bring it to my study. Both of you."

He looked at my brother and then at me while saying that second sentence. Then, he turned his back on us, making it even more obvious that the last thing he wanted right now was to go back to the Drawing Room and listen to his aunt bicker at the Chinese nobleman.

"I'm done here."

With that, the Small Earl continued to walk down the hall, leaving the butler and I with that final instruction of his.

"Certainly, our Lord." Sebastian and I said in perfect unison, in which we placed our hands over our hearts and bowed our heads.

However, as I straightened myself back up from the curtsy that I had also preformed, I couldn't help but notice this sensation beginning to form inside of my chest out of nowhere. It was strange, filling me like a fog as I watched the Small Master vanish around the corner at the opposite end of the corridor. My wine-colored eyes narrowed a little as I then felt a slight heaviness beginning to press down on my body. I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason as to why, but with every second that ticked ... I couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right all of the sudden.

"Ahhhhh!" Finny screamed, running by once again with one of his hands now caught up in another mouse trap.

Bard was right on his tail, hollering in pain and still gripping the ladles with another stray cat now biting him right on the ass.

Mey-Rin soon followed, frantically waving her arms above her head and panting hard with the two prior mouse traps still clutching her fingers.

"Ho, ho, ho..."

Chibi Tanaka could just barely be heard over the commotion, skipping not that far behind the trio with a butterfly net in his hands.

Two rats were scurrying along the floor, squeaking and jumping in order to avoid all of Bard's swings with the ladles and the overall trampling of everyone's feet.

A dark shadow seemed to cross over Sebastian's face as his entire body stiffened in exasperation. Meanwhile, I let out a heavy sigh and peeked down at the rats with an expression that was half dull and half annoyed. Then, as if everything around us had started to play in slow motion, the butler and I sprang into action.

In one swift motion, my brother shot his arm down and a whoosh sound filled the air as he effortlessly snatched up both of the rats. His grip shattered their bones and killed them in less than a second. At the exact same time, as the four other servants were darting by, I shot my hands out and grabbed the black cat that had been gnawing at the chef's backside, easily getting it to release him without having it cause any damage to his uniform. Afterwards, I dropped the cat down to the floor without any care and it meowed as it trotted off elsewhere.

Mey-Rin, Bard, and Finny stood in a sweaty, exhausted, stunned line, watching as Sebastian simply dropped the dead rats into Tanaka's butterfly net. Afterwards, he dusted his hands off and stared at them sternly.

"That's enough of that. Stop playing and get back to work."

"Sir..." Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin sighed together.

At that same moment, I stepped up to the gardener and fiddled around with the mouse trap that was latched onto his hand. Within seconds, I was able to fully remove it and Finny let out a huff of relief.

"Bard, please return those ladles to the kitchen and assist Mey-Rin in removing the mouse traps from her hands before we risk her losing the blood circulation in her fingers." I instructed calmly, right before I flicked my gaze over to the gardener and the steward. "As for you, Finny, be sure to get rid of all of these stray cats before they fill the mansion with dander. I also suggest for you to remove that costume as soon as possible. And, Tanaka, you may proceed with handling the rat infestation in the same manner as you've been doing."

"Yes, Mistress..."

"Ho, ho, ho..."

The four other servants headed off to follow the orders that I had given them. However, even after that, I still couldn't get myself to stop thinking about the weird feeling that was growing thicker inside of me more and more by the minute. It had me staring off in the direction in which the Little Master had departed once again and I could tell that my face was completely covered in a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Hmm..." I murmured, lightly grazing my chin with my fingertips as I tried to figure out what it possibly could've been that was causing me to feel like this out of the blue.

"Now then, with those four of the way, the two of us better— Elise? That's quite the face you're making there."

As soon as I heard my brother's voice say my name, I managed to snap out of the mysterious daze well enough to at least turn my head to look at him. He was staring directly at me, eyebrows raised and crimson orbs shimmering in curiosity.

"Is there something on your mind? If so, tell me."

I pursed my lips in thought, lowering my attention down to the floor as I tried to find the words to say.

"I'm just getting this feeling that something is ... off."

"What do you mean, off?" Sebastian inquired.

"I mean, I can just tell that something isn't right all of the sudden, Sebastian."

I folded my arms over my chest and turned my head to look at the butler again. There was slight frustration in my eyes, only because I hated not knowing what it was that was causing me to feel so unusual.

"I think that we should check on the Small Master before we go down to the kitchen."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at me in uncertainty. "What exactly would be the point of that? He ordered us specifically to take this time to prepare his dessert. If we go to his study before doing that, we'll be breaking his instructions."

"I actually think that we would be doing our jobs by making sure that everything is okay." I retorted, despite how there was a piece of me that hated to admit how my brother was right. "I can just tell that something is going on. Can't you?"

"Elise..." Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh, right before he made eye contact with me again. "This isn't the first time in which you've described this exact, bizarre feeling to me, remember? If I had to guess, you've just had your head wrapped around the rat infestation, the Young Lord's guests, and those other imbecile servants so much to the point where your mind just has you convinced that something is wrong. After all, you've fully adapted to your life as the Young Master's nanny and you're constantly handling a variety of situations all around the manor. You're used to some type of event always taking a turn for the worse."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "And you're trying to tell me that you're not?"

"Oh, of course not. As the Phantomhive butler, I'm just as on guard as you are in case there are inconveniences of any sort. However, when it comes to moments like this, you and I are not..." Sebastian paused for a moment, evidently considering his words before he finished, "...particularly alike."

"And by saying that we're not 'particularly alike,' you're referring to the fact that I'm deformed and you're not, right?" I huffed and rolled my eyes to myself, already knowing the answer to that question. "Really, Sebastian, it's not that hard to say."

The butler's ruby-like eyes hardened a little as he punctured me with an authoritative, "older sibling" expression. His voice had grown firmer as well.

"You know very well that I'd rather not say it at all. It lessens our chances of our Young Lord ever finding out and it helps you do a slightly more decent job at blending in ... but let's get back to the matter at hand." Sebastian rested his eyes shut for a moment, regaining his composure before he proceeded to speak much more nonchalantly. "Whatever you're sensing, I'm sure that it's just your mind messing with you since this day has been quite eventful so far. With that being said, we'll be seeing the Young Master again momentarily and you'll be able to see for yourself that there is nothing wrong. However, the more time we spend standing here and socializing, the more time it's going to take us to fulfill his order."

I dragged my bottom lip between my teeth and stared at him with reluctance. I wasn't pleased to admit it, but Sebastian was right about how I did seem to suffer from this odd feeling—paranoia, I believe is what humans called it—on every few occasions. Perhaps, there was the chance that the butler was correct and I was just caught up in thinking about everything that had been going on lately. However, even if that was truly the case, I couldn't exactly force the strange feeling to disappear. Actually, at that very moment, I could still feel it lingering through my chest and mind ... and despite how Sebastian's words had provided very little reassurance, I knew that I was more than likely going to be sensing something mysterious for the rest of the day.

With a small groan, I smacked my arms back down to my sides and finally decided to concede ... but not because I wanted to. On the contrary, I wanted to get the Small Earl's dessert prepared as quickly as possible so Sebastian and I could head to his office and check on him.

"Okay, fine. Let's go get the Little Lord's pie and afternoon tea."

Sebastian flashed a somewhat cocky grin, seeming pleased with me yielding. He then replied with, "Very good."

After that, the two of us proceeded to walk down the corridor to carry out the Little Lord's latest order.

---

Sebastian took care of preparing Master Ciel's dessert and afternoon tea. I was originally going to assist him, but almost immediately after he took the pie out of the oven, we were interrupted by the sound of Bard and Mey-Rin hollering somewhere in the distance. Their voices were filled with discomfort as they yelled for the other to stay still, causing me to hurry to the Laundry Room to see what the problem was. That's when I found them, sitting on two stools across from each other, completely covered in mouse traps, and trying to pull them off each other. I didn't have the slightest idea as to how the two of them managed that and I didn't bother asking. Instead, I sprang into action and assisted in removing every last mouse trap from their bodies as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Then, not long after that, Finny came running by, screaming with panicked tears prickled up in the corners of his eyes. He was still wearing that cat costume of his—except this time, it appeared that he had somehow gotten his head stuck when trying to remove it and he had been bumping into various walls. Thankfully, nothing had been damaged from his fearful impacts and I had managed to get him to run into my arms before he could accidentally collide with an expensive vase. Afterwards, it occurred to me that the zipper had been busted and I had no choice but to rip the back of the costume in order to free the gardener. Luckily, he didn't seem to care, flashing a bright smile at me as he expressed his gratitude.

All of this occurred in no more than twenty minutes; and throughout it all, chibi Tanaka was skipping through the halls, chasing after a couple of more rats with his trusty butterfly net.

By the time that I had returned to the kitchen, Sebastian had already finished placing everything on the trolley and it was time for us to head back up to the second floor. Fortunately, the other servants—despite their incidents—had managed to keep me distracted from the feeling that something wasn't right. However, by the time that my brother and I made it back upstairs, I couldn't help but feel that that same exact sensation slowly beginning to creep back into my system—especially when the door to the Puny Master's office came into view.

The butler stood on one end of the trolley while I stood on the other. He made brief eye contact with me, right before he lifted a hand and knocked lightly on the door.

"Young Master. Elise and I brought your pie and afternoon tea."

"Today, it is a sweet blend of warm honey, mint, and ginger. It will mix exquisitely with the taste of the pie. May we come in to serve it to you?"

While speaking, I rested in the thought that Master Ciel would reply. Then, that annoying feeling that was telling me that something wasn't right would finally go away. However, all my brother and I got in response was complete silence.

The smile on Sebastian's face automatically disappeared, only to be replaced by a look of utter confusion. At the same time, I felt the watchfulness inside of me thicken and my shoulders stiffened as I stared at the large door. For a second time, the butler and I glanced at each other for a couple of seconds. Then, we redirected our attention back over to the entrance of Bocchan's office.

"Young Master? Is everything alright?" I asked. "Are you possibly having difficulties with your papers again, sir?"

Sometimes, the Small Earl would be so caught up in looking over all of his paperwork to the point where he wouldn't seem to hear someone as they were speaking to him. However, when he still didn't give an answer, I instantly knew that I'd been right and something sure as hell was off.

"Hmm ... that's peculiar." Sebastian noted.

I was now fully alert. "Sebastian, there's something wrong."

My brother looked at me with his eyebrows raised in a serious manner. Although, his voice remained calm.

"Don't get yourself all worked up now. If you do, we both know very well of what could happen."

After that, he turned back to the door with confusion still shining in his scarlet orbs. Then, with a faint moment of hesitation, he grabbed the knob.

"Master...?"

A creak filled the air as Sebastian opened the door ... and as soon as I saw a look of bewilderment cross over his face, I didn't think twice before pacing over to his side to see whatever it was that had caught him off guard. Then, as the two of us peered inside the Little Lord's office, we simultaneously gasped and I could've sworn that my magenta orbs nearly popped out of their sockets.

The room was completely in shambles, as if a tornado had recently spiraled through it. Furniture was knocked over, papers and books were spilled all over the floor, and the window was wide open, filling the whole study with a draft. Not only that, but Master Ciel was nowhere in sight ... and it was very simple to put the pieces together.

"Oh no..." I murmured.

I quickly walked into the office, looking from left to right a few times to see if I could possibly spot the Little Earl before I fast-walked over to the window. Then, I leaned forward, placing my hands on the windowsill as I poked my head outside and continued to glance around. Fortunately, as the chilly breeze whistled through my hair and caressed my face, I wasn't able to detect the scent of blood. However, at the same time, I wasn't able to spot any sign of Bocchan. That is ... until I looked down and saw a torn piece of mahogany fabric—no doubt from the Puny Lord's jacket—caught on one of the window's hinges.

"Son of a bitch...!" I cursed under my breath, right before I grabbed the piece of fabric and removed it from the hinge.

Then, after examining it in the palm of my hand for a couple of seconds, I turned around to look at the butler. He was still standing in the doorway, staring back at me with the same astonished expression still covering his face. Upon looking at him, I held up the piece of torn cloth to show it to him and my face became more stern.

"Do you still think that I was just being paranoid about something not being right?" I inquired sharply.

Sebastian huffed, staring wide-eyed at the piece of cloth that I was holding.

"This is terrible...!" He then dropped his gaze down to the trolley and stared at the chinaware almost pitifully. "The refreshments will all be wasted now..."

I nearly scoffed after I heard that, rolling my eyes as I tucked the piece of cloth from Master Ciel's jacket into one of my black gloves and approached the butler again.

"Sebastian, would you forget about the damn refreshments and focus on the more important situation here?!" I asked, sounding just as serious as I looked. "Our Puny Lord has been kidnapped!"

"There is no need to raise your voice. I'm right here." Sebastian, without showing any sort of concern, glanced back up to look at me with his face now covered with what I could only assume was a bored expression. "You're making it seem like this is the first time in which something like this has happened to him. Need I remind you that he has hundreds of enemies that are more than likely scattered all over the place? After all, not only does he possess the title of the head of the Phantomhive family, but he is also known all throughout society as the Queen's Guard Dog. For that very reason, we've walked in and found him missing on numerous occasions."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed heavily. "I swear, Sebastian ... even when it comes to predicaments like this, you always make them seem like they're on the same level as Mey-Rin forgetting to empty the trash bins and Bard accidentally mixing up the salt and sugar. It's like you don't even pay attention to how there's actual danger involved!"

"That's because humans can't do anything to cause any genuine danger to us, Elise."

"I'm not referring to us. I'm referring to Bocchan." I remarked, staring directly at my brother's face. "We might be able to handle anything that gets thrown at us, but he is a mere mortal. And regardless of the fact that we've just so happened to go through this exact scenario a variety of times in the past, that doesn't change how the Little Master's life is almost always at risk whenever he gets taken hostage. As our contract states, we're meant to serve as his devoted butler and nanny ... and one of our prime duties is to protect him at all costs. Otherwise, we'll be breaking a major part in our half of the deal ... and I sure as hell don't plan on gambling with the Small Lord's life when he gave us such specific and simple rules to follow in the first place."

Sebastian crossed one arm over his abdomen and raised his opposite hand up to his chin, narrowing his eyes in heavy thought.

"Hmm ... well, I can see your point. Now that I'm thinking of it, this truly is inconvenient. There are still guests in the manor and it would be rather difficult to explain how their host is no longer here..."

I let out a small groan and almost felt tempted to smack a hand against my forehead when he brought up that second, far less troubling predicament. Nonetheless, I didn't bother to protest and kept listening to what the butler had to say.

"It appears that we'll have to make some changes in this evening's schedule and go retrieve the Young Master. However, before we are able to do that, we're going to have to find a way to figure out who is responsible for the kidnapping. Without that piece of information, we just might find ourselves searching all over London and I'm afraid that we don't have time for additional work like that. Hmm..."

Sebastian tapped his chin, seeming to be just as calm and nonchalant as he always was during situations like this. Then, after a short pause that lasted no more than five seconds, he lifted his head and locked his attention on me again. His eyes seemed to widen just a tiny bit, indicating that he had just thought of something.

"You just showed me a torn piece of fabric, correct?"

I raised an eyebrow at him at him and nodded. "Yeah, I found it snagged on one of the window's hinges. I can tell that it's from our Little Lord's jacket. Why?"

"If it truly belonged to the Young Master's jacket like you say, that would mean that there is a high chance that whoever carried him out that window would have left their scent on it. Perhaps, you'll be able to recognize the fragrance and match it to someone—particularly any of the guests that we've had over recently."

"That's ... actually a good idea, Sebastian."

With that, I didn't think twice before poking my fingers into my glove and pulling the torn piece of cloth back out. Then, with a determined stare plastered on my face, I unraveled the scrap of fabric, lifted it up to my nose, and drew in a deep whiff. The scent automatically filled my nostrils, standing out much more for me than it would for a plain human. It didn't smell like Master Ciel, nor did it smell like anybody else that I had met. Confusion started to glimmer in my maroon orbs because of this, but I continued to sniff the scrap of cloth in the hopes of eventually being able to recognize the scent. However, no matter how many seconds ticked by, I couldn't seem to identify the kidnapper based on this particular scent.

"Well?" Sebastian said after watching me sniff for no more than fifteen seconds.

I lowered the piece of cloth from my nose. "It smells like a blend of citronella, ginger, and furniture polish ... which means that whoever kidnapped Bocchan must go back and forth from being indoors to outdoors quite frequently. However, I'm afraid that I don't recognize this particular fragrance at all."

The butler looked almost baffled. "Are you positive, Elise? You're the one that's commonly present whenever there's guests visiting the estate."

"I know, but I am certain that this scent isn't anything like any of the odors that I have recently noticed." I pointed out, right before I held the piece of cloth out to my brother. "What about you? Can you recognize the kidnapper's smell?"

Sebastian paused for a moment, more than likely because he wasn't around visitors as often as I was and he was less likely to be able to identify someone based off their scent. Nonetheless, since we didn't have hardly any options to choose from, he agreed to take the scrap of fabric and he lifted it up to his nose. Like me, he sniffed it like it was a flower and his eyes lit up with a quizzical glow. Eventually, after about ten seconds, he exhaled in disappointment and dropped the scrap of cloth back into my hand.

"The scent is unfamiliar to me as well. Normally, that would mean that we have never encountered the one that is responsible for kidnapping the Young Master ... but that type of scenario is incredibly rare. One way or the other, we always seem to know the identify of the abductor. Yet, the fragrance that was left behind on that torn piece of Bocchan's jacket doesn't appear to ring any bells for either of us. Hmm..." Sebastian raised his hand up to his chin again and narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "Well, that was just a waste of time. How else are we going to get to the bottom of who kidnapped the Young Lord?"

I folded the piece of cloth back up and tucked it back into my glove. Then, with the butler's question ringing in my head, I dropped my attention down to the tea set that was still sitting neatly on the trolley and I lightly dragged my bottom lip between my teeth as I recalled something from earlier. The Darjeeling blend that had been served to the Puny Master, along with Madam Red, Lau, and Ran-Mao, was special ... and that would permit me to be able to do something.

"I know what we can do, Sebastian." I declared with confidence lining my accent. "Or ... rather what I can do."

As I said that final part, I lifted my head back up, stared directly into Sebastian's ruby-like eyes, and flicked my eyebrows up in a hinting fashion. In return, I could tell by the look on my brother's face that he understood exactly what I meant and he let out a heavy sigh. Afterwards, he spoke to me with complete seriousness.

"You know very well that I don't approve of you using that ability unless it's a last resort."

"Well, considering how the kidnapper left no further clues and the fact that time is of the essence here, this is a last resort." I retorted, placing my hands on my hips. "I haven't engaged in this power for a little over two weeks now, Sebastian. I'll be fine ... and besides, we need to find the Puny Master. He drank that 'special' blend of Darjeeling tea no more than forty minutes ago. So, I will be able to use this ability while it's still coursing through his system. Do I really have to remind you that one of the whole reasons as to why we add that 'secret ingredient' in the first place is so we can have an easier time locating Bocchan in situations like this?"

The butler remained stern. "And just how long do you plan on engaging in this ability?"

"For as long as it takes in order to ensure the Little Lord's safety and to figure out who the culprit is." I answered bluntly. "Or would you rather have the two of us just stand here and waste even more time by attempting to figure out some other type of tactic?"

Sebastian was reluctant, obviously not satisfied with the thought of me using this specific ability. He straightened his lips and continued to stare at me like I had just grown a second head ... but after a couple of seconds, he rolled his eyes in a manner that made it evident that he hated admitting how I had a good point. With that, he peered down both ends of the hallway to make sure that nobody was eavesdropping or getting ready to come in our direction. Then, he made eye contact with me again, still looking one hundred percent serious.

"Okay, fine. Just hurry up and get it done as quickly as possible." Sebastian ordered in a tone that was quiet, firm, and cautious all in one.

I gave a faint nod and gestured for him to keep a lookout. Then, as he complied by continuing to keep an eye on both ends of the corridor, I leaned myself back against the wall, rested my arms back down at my sides, closed my eyes, and started to slowly draw in one deep breath after another. As all of this happened, I cleared my mind of everything and focused as much as possible on the Small Lord.

This power of mine was difficult to explain. It was risky to use for multiple reasons, particularly because it required plenty of focus and energy to work; but in times like this, it was incredibly useful. Courtesy of the "secret ingredient" that Sebastian and I often mixed into the Puny Earl's beverages ... I was able to go into his head and see things from his point of view. This didn't necessarily mean that I could enter his body, because I couldn't. On the contrary, I could only seep into his mind and see things through his eyes. This also meant that I could feel what he felt—and that could technically count as another risk in using this ability. For as long as the charmed beverage stayed in his system, I was perfectly capable of seeping into his head. Not only that, but this ability didn't just come in handy for the Little Master. I could actually go into anybody's head, as long as they drank a beverage that included the "secret ingredient."

My eyes would change whenever I slipped into somebody else's head. My wine-colored irises, along with my pupils, transformed into what looked like two, glimmering, dark gold crystal balls with faint, misty swirls spiraling around inside of them. This was the ultimate sign that made it clear that I was no longer seeing through my own eyes and that I had managed to make it into the mind of somebody else.

After about ten seconds slipped by with me breathing and focusing, I felt a jolt run through my body. Then, my eyes snapped back open ... and I could tell that they had changed to look like the pair of dark gold crystal balls. The whole time, I continued to maintain my focus and I could feel the energy almost tingling inside of me—just like it always did whenever I used this power.

I was no longer staring through my own eyes. Instead, I had managed to sink into the Puny Master's mind and I was now looking through his eyes.

---

At first, everything from Master Ciel's point of view was pitch black. However, there were three things about him that almost immediately stood out to me: he could barely move, his face was sore in various areas, and there was this faint feeling of drowsiness coursing through his system. It didn't take much effort to me to figure out that he must've been ambushed and drugged before he was taken from the manor, nor did it take long to conclude that his kidnapper must've been treating him terribly. Now, the drug was in the process of wearing off and I could tell by the heaviness of Bocchan's head that he must've just started to wake up.

With a small groan, the Little Lord slowly began to open his exposed eye and my attention was automatically drawn to how he was surrounded by a variety of vibrant colors. However, his perception was awfully blurry, preventing me from being able to notice any specific details that could possibly relate to his whereabouts, abductor, or well-being. Eventually, after blinking a numerous amount of times, the cloudiness vanished from Bocchan's vision ... and as soon as everything became clear, I was instantly able to identify the reasons as to why his face ached and why he was almost entirely immobile.

The Small Master was sitting in a rather uncomfortable position on a vibrant purple, carpeted floor with his body slumped against a power-blue wall that was decorated in gold rims. He was also hanging his head with his hair dangling messily in his face, exposing how there were at least a dozen thick, leather, belt-like restraints wrapped firmly around his slender frame. They were accompanied by some chains and it was evident that no mere mortal would be able to free themselves from such a tight, jumbled mess like that.

Aside from the restraints, Master Ciel's attire had become horribly disheveled and I was able to see some small cuts now accompanying various parts of his skin. Despite how minor they were, I could still feel how much they ached and stung—as if the injuries truly were on my own body. Not only that, but I could also feel the tightness of the straps. Even with me not being the one that was actually restrained, it still felt difficult for me to be able to move hardly at all in that moment.

"Oh, my Young Lord ... I must say, I'm quite surprised that you're even able to breathe from how tight your restraints are..." I murmured, despite how I knew that it was impossible for him to hear me. "Whoever did this to you, they sure as hell won't be getting away with it..."

Suddenly, within seconds after that sentence left my mouth, there was the sound of another voice speaking up on the Puny Earl's end. It was rough and malicious, belonging to a male that couldn't have been any older than forty. I was immediately alert, becoming as stiff as a statue as I continued to maintain my focus in order to prevent falling out of Bocchan's head. With that, I listened as the voice spoke.

"The policeman of England's Underworld, one of the nobles who have done the royal family's dirty works for generations..."

Not long at all after I heard that specific accent, my eyes grew to be the size of two globes and I could've sworn that my jaw came seconds away from dropping to the ground. I immediately recognized who the voice belonged to, but I honestly couldn't tell if I was more shocked or angry by their identity.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..." I muttered, right before I continued listening to what the familiar voice was saying.

"The Queen's Guard Dog, tasked with disposing of anyone who disagrees with her..."

Chank!

I recognized that sound, knowing after years of being a servant that it was the result of a cigar getting cut.

"Just how many nicknames do you have? And how many families have you crushed, Ciel Phantomhive?"

Bocchan lifted his head with a stony glare plastered on his face. As soon as he did, there was the additional sound of a match getting lit ... and I watched through his visible eye as it traveled up a pair of white-clothed legs that were standing just a few feet away from him.

"I thought it would be you." Master Ciel sneered. "You shame your family, Azzurro Vanel."

Mr. Vanel—the Italian man that had visited the estate just earlier today—finished lighting a cigar that was positioned between his teeth. Then, after taking a huff and shaking out the match, he broke out into an evil grin as he stared directly at the Small Earl.

"Ha, ha. Come now, my little Lord Phantomhive. Do you know how hard it is for the Italian Mafia here?"

"The Italian Mafia, eh?" I narrowed my eyes while quietly mumbling those words to myself. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Bastard..."

"You Englishmen have nothing but tea on the brain." Mr. Vanel went on, stepping closer to the Little Lord before he squatted down in front of him with an even more sinister smile. "It's difficult to penetrate those small minds of yours, so we have to think outside the box to make money. So, we found the drug trade."

My expression automatically sharpened. "So, he's our drug dealer—the one that is responsible for the accidental overdose of that sixteen-year-old male..."

Not long after I made this mental note, Bocchan closed his eye and responded in a bored, yet smart, manner.

"The Pharmacy Act of 1868 listed Opium as a restricted substance. It is the Queen's decree." He opened his eye again and continued to stare at Mr. Vanel. "And I will eliminate those drugs and the vermin who sell them."

I almost smirked from seeing how well the Puny Master was recalling his British law, even in a time like this. However, I couldn't get myself to do so when continuing to listen to the Italian trafficker.

He raised a hand up to his head, huffing in exasperation. "Uggguhh! You know this is-a why I hate all you Englishmen. 'The Queen this, the Queen that.' You act like this-a woman is your own mother!"

Then, with a cruel glint reflecting in his eyes, he lightly grasped Master Ciel's face and lifted his head up. As this happened, I drew in a small, quick, sharp breath from feeling the coldness of his fingers pressing against my own face. Out of reflex, I slowly tilted my head back and tried to reach a hand up to brush the feeling away. Unfortunately, I could barely lift my arm up since it still felt like I was also swaddled in Bocchan's restraints. With that, I only sneered and proceeded to focus on everything that was going on from the Little Lord's end.

"You line-a your pockets while pretending the whole time you're better than the rest of us." Mr. Vanel continued with his cigar bobbing with every word that he said. "But in the end, we are no different from each other. Why can't we get along?"

The Puny Earl retaliated without making it seem like he had been listening to any of that nonsense.

"I've left orders about your key. If I don't come back, my servants will make sure the authorities get it."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Mr. Vanel's smirk vanished from his face like it was never there and he noticeably tensed up. An insulting grin then curled up on the corners of Bocchan's mouth, courtesy of receiving such an amusing reaction.

"I'm sorry, I have no interest in getting along with someone like you." Master Ciel concluded.

That time, a faint chuckle managed to escape from my system. However, not long after that, the Italian trafficker shot back up onto his feet and brandished a gun. He held it out with a vicious scowl, aiming directly at the Small Master's head. As soon as I witnessed that, my whole body became stiffer than a statue and I felt what was like an icy bolt of electricity shoot through my blood. For a brief moment, I was very stunned ... but then, I became furious at the thought of that bastard killing Bocchan.

"You damn brute...! Don't even think about it...!" I hissed under my breath, almost feeling tempted to let my fangs show. Nonetheless, I agreed to hold them back.

"You brat, don't under estimate me! My men are already waiting at your estate. Where is the key?!" Mr. Vanel snapped, keeping his weapon pointed at the Little Earl while providing me with even more information. "Spit it out soon or your servants will start-a dying one by one."

When that final comment left the Italian trafficker's mouth, the pitiful frown that had been covering Master Ciel's face completely shifted into an ominous grin. It was as if he knew that I was observing everything through his eye ... and despite how I still wasn't pleased with how Mr. Vanel had pulled a gun out like that, a mysterious smile that was very similiar to one on Bocchan's face still managed to twist across my lips.

The Little Earl tilted his head mockingly. "Oh, I think they'll be alright. But you'd better hope your lap-dogs know how to fetch."

The air grew tense as a moment of silence filled the room. Mr. Vanel was still staring at Master Ciel with large eyes and gritting teeth, beginning to look more anxious with every passing second. Seeing that caused a couple of more chuckles to quietly leak out of my mouth.

I then whispered with my accent dripping in amusement, "Checkmate, bitch."

Suddenly, not long at all after I said that ... Mr. Vanel curled his opposite hand into a tight fist and swung it forward, colliding it roughly with Bocchan's cheek. As soon as this happened, I ended up screwing my eyes shut and gritting my teeth in discomfort as I felt my head automatically jerk in the same direction as the Italian trafficker's punch. At the same time, Master Ciel let out a pained groan and his whole body immediately flew to the side. With that, he collapsed to the floor and let out a weary breath as the wetness of blood began to trickle down the side of his head. Mr. Vanel's rings must've sliced him on impact; and the punch was so strong to the point where it was a surprise that I hadn't lost my connection with the Puny Earl.

I breathed steadily, yet hard, and balled my hands up into venomous fists at my sides. Meanwhile, my teeth remained clenched and my cheek felt like it was throbbing as I kept reminding myself that the pain that I was feeling wasn't actually mine.

"Azzurro Vanel ... you bloody asshole..." I growled.

With a painful dizziness beginning to drift through his head, the Small Master managed to crack his eye open for just a couple of more seconds. By him doing this, I was able to see Mr. Vanel drop his cigar on the ground and step on it. Then, he snatched up a nearby phone and spoke into it authoritatively.

"Did you hear that? The time for talk is over."

After that, the Italian traffickers slammed the phone back down on its receiver. That was when Master Ciel's vision ended up darkening, showing that he must've blacked out once again.

---

It was impossible for me to seep into another person's mind when they were asleep or knocked unconscious. So, within seconds after the Little Earl blacked out, my connection with him came to an immediate end.

My heart took a single, rough jump in my chest and I drew in a quick, sharp breath as a slight heaviness traveled downward through my abdomen like a spiraling wave. At the same time, I squeezed my eyes shut and automatically felt the tightness from the restraints vanish from my body, along with the stinging from Bocchan's scratches and the pain from getting punched. However, I could still feel an uncomfortable, pulsating sensation—almost like a migraine—taking its time to dig through both sides of my skull. It wasn't severe, but that didn't make it any less pleasant; and it just so happened to be just one of the side effects that were often triggered whenever I used any of my energy for that particular power. Plus, it didn't help that I had just been in somebody else's head and my vision was in the process of returning to my own mind.

With a small groan, I gritted my teeth and lifted my hands up to my face. Then, after resting my wrists against my eyes for a couple of seconds, I managed to push through the discomfort as I scrambled together all of the information that I had obtained as quickly as possible. With that, I lowered my hands from my face and I opened my eyes back up, revealing that they were back to their normal shade of magenta.

While continuing to breathe, I blinked a couple of times to help get rid of a few fuzzy dots that were rimming my vision. Not long after that, as I glanced around at the demolished state of Master Ciel's office, my face twisted into a spiteful stare and I didn't hesitate to leap into action.

"Sebastian!" I exclaimed as I pushed myself away from the wall and sharply turned in the direction of the door.

However, by doing that, I ended up wincing slightly from feeling the throbbing pain that was in my head automatically spread to the area that was directly between my eyes. It had me letting out a low groan and massaging the bridge of my nose in annoyance. At the same time, Sebastian just so happened to retreat from where he had been acting as a lookout and his eyes immediately became alert at the sight of me.

"Oh, for the devil's sake, Elise! Are you—" He began to speak, but immediately silenced himself when I held a hand up.

"I'm fine! ... It's just the usual. I'm sure that you know how it all works by now. It'll be over in just a couple of minutes." I grumbled. After that, I lowered my hands from my face, lifted my head back up, and stared directly at my brother with complete seriousness. "Anyway, I managed to connect with the Puny Master. He's alive, but heavily restrained and awfully disheveled with minor scratches now accompanying various parts of his body. I was also able to sense a faint drowsiness slowly beginning to fade from his system, which means that he must've been drugged before he was dragged out the window. It makes plenty of sense, especially with how he never tried calling out for you, me, or anyone else."

The butler raised a hand up to his chin. "And what about his abductor? Were you able to figure out their identity?"

"Yes. It was Azzurro Vanel." I replied spitefully, almost feeling the urge to gag after saying the name of the Italian trafficker. "Apparently, that damn rat is involved with the Italian Mafia. He openly admitted to being the drug dealer that our Little Master has been searching for and it appears that he's after the key to the storehouse. In fact, I believe that his motive solves the reason behind why I noticed him acting rather hostile during the meeting, especially after Bocchan confirmed how he was in possession of such an important item like that key."

"Hmm ... so, we're dealing with a member of the Italian Mafia that is specializing in illegal substances..." Sebastian murmured in a perfectly calm tone, right before he narrowed his eyes at me in a quizzical manner. "Didn't you say, however, that you didn't recognize the scent that had been left behind on that torn piece of fabric? You were in Sir Vanel's presence and I watched as he, along with Sir Randall and Sir Diedrich, departed from the manor."

"It turns out, he's not working alone." I reported, folding my arms over my chest. "He just so happened to mention to the Small Lord that he has some men waiting here at the estate. Judging by everything that I heard, Mr. Vanel is trying to convince the Puny Master to tell him where the key is by threatening him with the lives of his servants—which includes us. By that point, it became clear to me that odor that we detected on the scrap of cloth must've been from one of Vanel's accomplices. That's why neither of us were able to identify it."

"He must've not sent many men, if that's the case. If there had been a large group of trespassers, the two of us would've been easily able to sense them; and since we didn't, that must mean that there's not many trespassers to possibly fret over. If I had to guess, I would say that there's no more than just three of these accomplices ... and it appears that we'll have to keep an eye out for them."

After declaring all of that, my brother lowered his gloved hand from his chin and stared directly into my wine-colored orbs again. Then, he continued to speak with his accent remaining completely nonchalant.

"I must say, you did quite well with gathering all of this information. With it being confirmed that Sir Vanel is the one responsible for taking our Young Master hostage, we will be able to limit the possibilities of his whereabouts." Sebastian tilted his head a little to the side, almost seeming like a curious dog. "Was the location ever specifically mentioned, by any chance?"

"Unfortunately, no. In fact, that was probably the only piece of information that Mr. Vanel didn't bother to bring up." I replied as I pinched the bridge of my nose again and let out a heavy sigh from both discomfort and disappointment. "I was able to see that the room that he and the Little Lord were in was rather extravagant. It had plenty of furniture that looked to be very expensive ... but there weren't any particular details that stood out. With that being said, they could easily be in any wealthy destination all around London."

This time, it was Sebastian that let out a sigh. Except, his was filled with exasperation.

"Well ... I'm afraid that we still have a problem then."

"Yeah, I know..."

I placed my hands on my hips and squinted, thinking about all of the information that I had gathered from the Italian trafficker. Then, while dragging my bottom lip between my teeth, I took one final glance around Master Ciel's office in order to ensure that there weren't any other clues that had somehow gone unnoticed. Much to my dismay, there weren't ... and with every passing second that went by, I felt more and more convinced that Sebastian and I were wasting whatever time that we had to get our Small Master back.

"Dammit...!" I grumbled, right before redirected my attention back over to the butler. "Come on, Sebastian. We need to figure this out quickly."

With that, I exited the study and pulled the door shut behind me, wanting to prevent anybody else in the manor from seeing its demolished state. Then, not even a full three seconds later, I found myself cocking an eyebrow as Sebastian picked up the pie from the trolley. In return, he stared at me with the most casual expression in existence.

"...Why are you bringing the pie along?" I inquired.

The butler blinked before simply replying with, "Well, we can't just leave it here and let it spoil. This is still dessert, after all."

There was a brief pause in which the two of us just stared at each other. However, I didn't bother trying to protest since I knew that there were much bigger issues to focus on. Instead, all I did was groan to myself in disbelief before I gestured for my brother to follow me.

With that, the two of us were on our way down the hall.

---

A/N: Bookmark #3

---

Five minutes went by feeling like an eternity. Sebastian and I were still walking through various corridors, not really paying any attention to where we were heading since we were only trying to figure out how we were going to manage to find the Puny Earl's location in order to rescue him. Currently, the two of us were heading down a long, bronze-colored corridor that had one wall completely decorated with paintings and the other wall lined with large, spotless windows. Sunlight was pouring in, bathing me and the butler as we walked at each other's sides in complete silence.

I looked much more focused, holding a hand up to my chin with the look in my eyes giving it away that I was in the middle of trying to piece together as many thoughts and clues as possible. Sebastian, on the other hand, appeared to be disappointed and maybe even a little exasperated, due to the fact that we still hadn't come up with a solution to help us get to the bottom of Master Ciel's exact whereabouts. He was holding the pie in his right hand, keeping it perfectly balanced as he stared straight ahead with an almost bored look decorating his face.

"Oh dear, this is most troubling. Where could the Master have been taken?" Sebastian inquired, putting an end to the silence as he ceased in his tracks and raised his opposite hand up to his chin in a quizzical manner.

I also stopped walking, squinting down at the floor as I came up with a theory that could possibly assist the two of us in locating the Little Master. I had to admit that, considering the circumstances, it didn't seem very promising; but it was still better than nothing.

"Back in the study, I had no choice but to cut off my connection with Bocchan because he ended up blacking out. I'm sure that you're well aware by now that it's impossible for me to go into somebody's head when they're in an unconscious state..." I paused for a moment, lifting my head back up in order to flick my gaze over to the butler. "However, there's the slight possibility that Little Lord just might've started to wake up again. Even if he's just the tiniest bit conscious, I can get myself to sink into his mind again. Perhaps, if I do that, I'll be able to—"

"No, Elise." Sebastian cut me off, speaking in a much firmer tone. "You're not going back into the Young Master's head."

I couldn't help but scoff, despite how I had been expecting this sort of reaction from him. He was always strict when it came to this particular power of mine, as shown by the pointed stare that would appear on his face at just the briefest mention of it. That exact expression was the one that he was currently wearing.

I tried to protest. "Oh, come on, Sebastian! You didn't even give me the chance to explain why I was suggesting it!"

"I don't need an explanation. I can already tell what it was that you were planning to do and I'm afraid that it's not an option." Sebastian settled, shortly before he narrowed his eyes at me in a disapproving manner. "Don't give me that look, Elise. It hasn't even been ten minutes since you were in the Young Lord's mind and you know perfectly well of what can happen to you if you use that specific ability too much. It requires too much energy to be used on a back-to-back cycle, which is why I've told you repeatedly to not use it anymore than just a couple of times every once in a blue moon. To be quite frank, you should consider yourself lucky that I allowed you to use it back in the Young Master's study."

I hated to admit it, but all of the points that the butler had made were true. As useful as this power was, it was also very dangerous and could result in a variety of drastic situations if not handled properly.

"Well, if I hadn't, you and I would still be trying to figure out the identify of the kidnapper." I replied in a somewhat bland manner, right before I let out a huff and just decided to let it go in order to spare myself from anymore lectures. "Look, we're wasting too much time by just standing here and talking. The Puny Master is in need of our assistance, yet we're unable to act without knowing the exact location in which he's being held hostage. If you don't wish for me to try seeping into his mind again, fine ... but how are we going to find him?"

My brother didn't say anything back. Instead, all he did was straighten his lips and continue to stare directly into my eyes with his own still looking a little pointed. It was obvious that he was dwelling on the same question. Nonetheless, within seconds after the two of us fell silent again, we ended up snapping out of our thoughts when our attention was grabbed by something else. It was the sound of footsteps beginning to hurry down the corridor, accompanied by frantic breathing.

With no hesitation, Sebastian and I turned our heads to see where the noises were coming from. That's when we saw the maid, who had appeared so unexpectedly. She was running in our direction, holding one of her arms up as far into the air as it could go with a piece of paper being clutched in her hand.

"Seebbasstiiian! Ellliiisee!" Mey-Rin called out, huffing between shouts. "I just found a letter, yes I did!"

I cocked an eyebrow. "A letter?"

"Addressed to whom?" Sebastian inquired almost immediately after.

"U-uh!" The maid stumbled slightly with a yelp, right before she continued her way towards us. "Oh! To the servants of the Earl Phantomhive!"

Suddenly, in that very moment, I detected an odd sensation that was familiar to the one that I had experienced shortly before Master Ciel got kidnapped. It automatically filled me with suspicion, causing me to narrow my eyes a little to myself ... and I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched. I couldn't exactly put my finger on the reason as to why, but I felt compelled to look out the window. So, from the corner of my eye, I did just that ... and that's when I noticed some movement in the greenery of the forest.

My heart took a single, startled leap as my wine-colored orbs widened. At the same time, I immediately turned my head to look fully out the window and I zoomed my vision in to figure out what the source of the movement was. It could've just easily been an animal, but considering the circumstances, I needed to make sure that I didn't brush anything off. It was a good thing that I didn't ... because as soon as I zoomed my attention in, I was able to see a man with a gun. He was pointing it at the window, obviously aiming for me and Sebastian.

Not long after I noticed him, the man—who must've been one of Mr. Vanel's accomplices—clenched his teeth and stared at me with nervous anger.

"Sebastian...!" I said in an alert whisper, giving his arm a nudge while keeping my gaze locked on the the trespasser.

The next part happened so fast, yet also felt like it was playing in slow motion.

The man lifted the scope back up to his eye and curled his finger around the trigger, ready to shoot. At the exact same moment, Mey-Rin's anxious panting and running was put to an end when she accidentally stepped on a loose bootlace. In less than a second, she lost her balance and her whole body went soaring through the air like a meteor.

"AGHHHHH!"

As the bespectacled woman let out that shriek of pure panic, I spun around, threw myself to the floor, and tucked and rolled. Then, as soon as I finished my perfect acrobatic move, I cuffed my hands behind the back of my head. Meanwhile, Sebastian had also been looking out the window and by the time that he glanced back at the maid to see what had caused her to scream, it was too late for him to do anything. She plowed straight into him, causing him to lose his footing and fall backwards. After that, two ear-splitting sounds filled the entire corridor.

BANG!

SHATTER!

With just a split second to spare, Mey-Rin had just so happened to prevent Sebastian from possibly getting shot. The window practically exploded, sending hundreds of pieces of broken glass all over the place, and the bullet screeched as it missed my brother by just a couple of inches. It ended up striking a flower vase that had been filled with water, causing the water to burst in a variety of directions like a hot spring. A majority of it splashed against the wall, while the broken pieces of the vase also flew every which way and added to the mess.

CRASH!

Miraculously, none of the pieces of broken glass had landed on me or somehow managed to scratch me while soaring by.

As soon as all of the noises had died down, I undid my hands from around the back of my head and began to observe the damage. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and let out an exasperated huff at the sight of it all. After that, I took the time to make the white lily that the gardener had given me look as good as new behind my ear. Then, while proceeding to dust myself off, I helped myself back up onto my feet and I turned back around in the direction of the maid and the butler.

It turns out, Sebastian had landed flat on his back and Mey-Rin had landed directly on top of him, still clutching the letter like her life depended on it. My brother's face was blank, refusing to show any sort of reaction to the maid that was on top of him. Instead, his gaze was locked entirely on the pie that had just so happened to falling through the air as a result of Mey-Rin's impact. Without a word, Sebastian simply lifted his arm and managed to catch the dessert perfectly on its silver tray.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn't help but flash a faint smirk as I approached the two of them. Along the way, I casually stepped over a couple of shattered pieces of glass and I cut a glance over in the direction of the window to see if I could still sense the gun-wielding trespasser. I couldn't, which meant that he was more than likely in the process of fleeing.

Sebastian looked up at me, still showing no reaction as I stood above him and our bespectacled coworker.

"Well, what do you know? For once, Mey-Rin's undone bootlace has come in handy." I commented with amusement highlighting the edge of my accent. "If I didn't know any better, Sebastian, I'd say that this is a dream come true for her."

The butler wasn't amused, piercing me with a slight look of annoyance before he rolled his eyes to himself. The maid, on the other hand, was too caught up in clinging to his uniform to even notice what I had just said.

"Mey-Rin. the letter, please." Sebastian spoke up in a plain voice, as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

Mey-Rin immediately lifted her head from my brother's chest and pushed herself up onto her knees, just now realizing that she was practically straddling him. Not even a split second letter, her entire face become redder than a fresh apple and it almost seemed like she was on the verge of passing out.

"Eh? Letter? Oh, yes, sir!" Mey-Rin squawked, right before she shyly handed the piece of folded paper over to the butler.

"Here, Mey-Rin. Allow me. Watch your step now."

Upon stepping over to Sebastian's side, I knelt down, wrapped my arms around one of Mey-Rin's arms, and helped her back up. As this happened, I allowed her to use me for support in order to prevent her from possibly tripping over Sebastian or her own feet. Then, I proceeded to lure the bespectacled woman away so she wouldn't be able to see the letter. Although, she didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, no matter how far I escorted her, she remained captivated by my brother. Her blush was darkening more and more with every passing second and she was wearing a large, delighted grin. It was obvious that she was beginning to daydream about what just happened.

"Easy, girl." I muttered, still faintly entertained.

After that, I left her to swoon near the wall and retreated back over to Sebastian. He was already up on his feet again, holding the—now unfolded—piece of paper so we could both see it. The overall letter was quite short and printed in cursive, appearing to be rushed. Sebastian studied it with no particular expression, while I wore a look that was much more curious.

"'If you want to return your Master safely, come to Nova Garden Bethmal Green as soon as possible...'" Sebastian recited the first part, unimpressed.

I took care of the second part, almost feeling what was like a fire in my bones as I said it. "'If you don't come before sunset, we will cut your Master's finger one by one, and send it...'"

The butler raised an eyebrow, expressing disapproval. "Goodness, what a dreadfully written letter."

For what felt like the hundredth time, I couldn't hold myself back from letting out a heavy sigh of disbelief.

"You can focus on how these idiots can improve their grammar skills later, Sebastian." I remarked with slight sass, right before I made eye contact with him once again and lowered my voice into a much more serious whisper. "As of now, there isn't as much time as we would like to believe before sunset. We need to get the Puny Lord back before those hooligans try to carry out their promise and begin chopping off his fingers."

Sebastian blinked nonchalantly. "You may have a point, Elise ... and with that being said, it looks like we'll be needing to travel to Nova Garden Bethmal Green—courtesy of how it is the only destination that we've been given."

I gave a few faint nods of agreement, mentally preparing myself for whatever was going to come our way during this rescue mission. Meanwhile, Sebastian casually slipped the letter underneath his tailcoat in order to keep it out of sight.

"Elise! Sebastian!"

The sound of the gardener's worried voice suddenly chimed through the hall, catching mine and the butler's attention almost immediately. That's when we saw Finny and Bard fast-walking towards us, evidently wanting to make sure that everything was okay. Then, not long after that, Madam Red and Lau had appeared at the opposite end of the corridor and were beginning to approach the scene as well. Apparently, this commotion had captured the attention of everyone in the manor.

"What is going on here?" Madam Red inquired.

My brother and I forced realistic, reassuring grins to appear on our faces as we turned to look at our guests.

"Sorry for the noise, my lady. I assure you nothing's wrong. Please don't concern yourself." Sebastian said.

Lau and Madam Red furrowed their brows in confusion, turning their heads in the direction of the shattered window. At the same time, Ran-Mao just so happened to poke her head out from where she was standing behind the Chinese nobleman and Grell finally came into view. He was entering the scene much slower, resting his hands on his knees as he tried desperately to catch his breath.

The Little Earl's aunt didn't seem to be convinced. "Humph, nothing, are you sure?"

"Yes, Madam. We're positive. What happened here was nothing more than just an accident." I answered, sounding just as convincing as the butler.

Lau glanced over at me, still appearing to be confused. Although, his voice remained perfectly calm as he said, "That's quite the accident. Is everyone alright?"

I continued to grin angelically, despite how the Small Master's predicament was still embedded in my mind.

"We appreciate the concern that you all have. Yes, everybody is just fine. There is absolutely no need to worry."

Sebastian was quick to change the topic after that. "Everyone, Elise and I have business to attend to. Would you mind cleaning this up?"

He held the pie out to Bard, who took it from him with a pleased grin immediately curling up on the corners of his mouth. Finny also stared at the dessert with his eyes twinkling like stars of pure innocence.

"There's also some of the special blend of Darjeeling tea leftover in the kitchen. Feel free to help yourselves." I declared, cutting an individual glance over to Bard, Finny, and Mey-Rin.

After that, the butler and I began to walk off down the corridor. We knew that our coworkers, along with our guests, would be too caught up in looking at the dessert and the damaged window to pay attention to us. So, we peeked over at each other from the corner of our eyes, no longer wearing our fake grins, and gave slight nods to confirm that we both knew what we were going to do.

"Um. So, when you say 'clean,' uh ... that means we can eat it!" Bard's voice rang cheerfully, only to switch over to confusion a couple of seconds later. "...Right? ... Sebastian? Elise?"

It was obvious that he must've turned around and saw that my brother and I were already out of sight.

---

It took less than two minutes for Sebastian and I to make it outside. We had exited through one of the side entrances, wanting to prevent getting spotted by any other threats that were possibly lingering around the manor. Normally, the butler and I wouldn't have had a problem with hunting down trespassers and making them pay for sneaking onto the Little Lord's property with ill intentions. However, according to that letter, we now had a specific time limit and we had been warned as to what would happen to Bocchan if we didn't make it to Nova Garden Bethmal Green before the sun was scheduled to set. Plus, there were still a couple of guests visiting the mansion and the last thing that Sebastian and I needed at this time was to have any of them get injured.

I stood in the grass with my arms crossed, looking up towards the sky and watching a couple of clouds roll by with my face decorated by a slight scowl. All of the events that had taken place back upstairs were replaying themselves in my mind like a slideshow, starting at the point where Sebastian and I had first walked into the Puny Earl's office and saw that he had been kidnapped. Then, there was everything that I had witnessed by going into Master Ciel's head; and finally, it was all topped off with a damn shooter and a threatening—though rushed—letter. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased at all with the drastic turn that this day had taken.

Sebastian exhaled in exasperation, pulling the door shut behind him.

"First, it was the Young Lord's study. And now, it was one of the corridors. How tiresome."

A gentle, chilly breeze whistled through my hair as I continued to stare up at the sky and thought back to the unfamiliar gentleman that I had seen kneeling in the greenery no more than just ten minutes ago. I could easily recall every little detail about him, despite how I had only seen him for a couple of seconds ... and just the thought of him made me narrow my eyes in a spiteful manner.

"I saw the trespasser that was responsible for the shooting, just seconds before he pulled the trigger." I spoke up, wanting to make sure that my brother was just as aware of everything that was going on as I was. "I know for a fact that he must've been one of the men that Mr. Vanel had sent here to try terminating us. He wasn't at all a familiar face, yet I could tell by the look in his eyes that he still possessed a deep hatred for the Puny Lord. If I had to guess, that's why he didn't hesitate to shoot—even after I turned and spotted him in his little hiding spot. There was no reluctance or remorse on his face, nor in his actions. He genuinely wanted to pull that trigger in order to assist Mr. Vanel in getting some type of reaction from Bocchan."

"And what about after his attempt to shoot us?" Sebastian asked with an eyebrow now raised. "Did you spot him then?"

I closed my eyes in displeasure, hating the thought of one of Mr. Vanel's precious sidekicks managing to get away.

"Unfortunately not. By the time that I had glanced out the window again, he was already gone. I couldn't sense his presence anymore either."

The look that had formed on the butler's face made it clear that he also wasn't satisfied to hear that an associate of Mr. Vanel's was able to escape after attempting to blow our heads off.

"Hmpth ... what a pity." Sebastian grumbled, right before he reached into his tailcoat, pulled out his pocket watch, and examined the time. "Well, I'm afraid that we're unable to do anything about him at the moment. The clock is ticking and for the sake of the Young Master, we're going to have to follow the instructions that were left for us on that horrendously written letter. From what I recall, Nova Garden Bethmal Green is near the very edge of the West End. If we take—"

Suddenly, around the part of my brother's explanation where he brought the letter up, I noticed something that made a small jolt of realization shoot through my body. At the same time, I popped my eyes back open as wide as they could go. They were in their monstrous form—pupils back in the shape of diamonds that were stretching and narrowing, and everything else perfectly resembled vibrant pools of purple, glimmering embers. They only stayed like this for a couple of seconds, switching back over to their normal appearance; but the expression on my face remained alert, focused, and surprised all in one.

"Hey!" I spoke up, cutting the butler off as I began to observe our surroundings. "Hold that thought, Sebastian!"

Sebastian redirected his gaze over to me. "What? ... Elise, what are you..."

This time, he silenced himself when he saw me raise a finger in a manner that made it clear that I was telling him to give me a moment. Then, as I felt the breeze continue to caress my face and flutter through my hair, I drew in a deep, slow, concentrated breath through my nose. Not even a split second after that, a sinister glint appeared in my wine-colored orbs and my rosy lips transformed into a smirk that could make any human's blood become colder than ice.

"Well, well ... what do you know?" I murmured, right before I glanced over in my brother's direction. "Sebastian, take a whiff of the air."

Slight confusion swept across Sebastian's features. "Um ... what exactly would be the point of doing something like that in a time like this?"

I gave my eyes a faint roll. "Just do it, would you?"

It was evident that the butler thought that it would be pointless to follow that abrupt instruction of mine; but he didn't bother to protest. Instead, after shaking his head a little to himself, he did as I said and drew in a breath. It was much smaller and quicker than the breath that I had taken in ... but as soon as Sebastian did that, his ruby-like eyes widened and I could see the realization beginning to fill them. He started to sniff the air a little more, as if he were a bloodhound.

"Smell familiar?" I asked with a hint of deviance inserted in my accent.

Once again, Sebastian turned to look at me ... and that's when I pulled out the torn piece of fabric that had been discovered in the Little Earl's demolished study—the one that had smelled specifically of citronella, ginger, and furniture polish. Now, that exact odor was being carried in the wind. It might've not been noticeable to a mere mortal, but as two creatures that weren't part of this world, Sebastian and I possessed a much more keen sense of smell.

"My, my. Would you look at that?" Sebastian said, just as a bone-chilling grin of his own appeared on his face. "The aroma matches perfectly."

"Exactly. Whoever was responsible for dragging Bocchan out the window in the first place just so happened to leave behind this little sample for us." I concluded, waving the small scrap of fabric around with a smirk still molded across my lips. "Judging by how strong it still is, it's clear that the one who snuck into the Puny Lord's study didn't get very far. In fact, I believe that he was waiting for the shooter ... and the two of them are now in the process of trying to flee together."

The menacing look in Sebastian's eyes increased. "Well then ... it appears that you and I won't be needing to travel to Nova Garden Bethmal Green after all. If these men truly are associated with Sir Vanel, all we will need to do is follow the scent and gain the information that we desire from them. Hmm ... I must say that you did quite well here, Elise."

"Oh, please. If I couldn't do something as simple as piecing together clues in order to get to the bottom of a hostage situation, then what kind of nanny would I be?" I raised my shoulders in a nonchalant manner, right before I made eye contact with my brother again. "Now, we better be off. Let's be sure to stick to our usual plan of attack. I'll take the high ground while you charge from behind."

Sebastian gave a nod of approval. Then, with the blended scents of furniture polish, citronella, and ginger guiding us, the two of us started to dart away from the mansion.

---

Courtesy of our inhumane speed, it didn't take long before the butler and I found ourselves in a rural area that consisted of a single, long, dirt road. On both sides, it was completely surrounded by rocks, bushes, grass that could reach up to a person's ankles, and trees that blocked out about seventy-five percent of sunlight. It also possessed the scents of fresh pine, damp soil, and wildflowers; but the only aroma that Sebastian and I were focusing on was the aroma that matched the one that had been left behind on the torn piece of Master Ciel's jacket. With every passing second, it was growing stronger ... and after what felt like a century of running, my brother and I had managed to pick up the sound of what was most definitely wheels rolling at a frantic speed.

I ran ahead, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Sebastian would catch up. Then, I kept my word by taking the high ground—and by "high ground," I meant that I was in the trees, running and jumping across the branches that were spread out like an endless sea of wide-open arms. The treetops would noticeably move and rustle with every little move that I made, as if there was some type of vicious animal darting through them. However, not only was I was mostly hidden from all of the thick clusters of leaves, but I was sprinting so fast to the point where if I somehow did get spotted, I would look like a shadowy blur.

I kept my attention locked on the road as I kept sprinting at an unnatural speed through the trees, listening to the sound of wheels getting louder. Eventually, I was able to locate the source: an advanced model of some La Mancelle vehicle. It was driving so quickly down the road to the point where the wheels were practically screaming, drowning out the sound of the trees as they continued to noisily rustle from all of my jumping and running.

There were two men sitting in the vehicle, both appearing to be no older than thirty-five and wearing clothes that were obviously being used to help disguise them as people from a middle-class background. The driver possessed a hairstyle that was quite similar to Bard's, excluding the fact that his was an usual, blended shade of what I could only assume was pale brown and grey. He also had pale skin and a pair of strict, dark brown eyes that were staring straight ahead at the road.

The other man was the one that I had seen while looking out the window. He had dark, mid-length, reddish/brown hair that was combed back and accompanied by a cap—more than likely to keep his face hidden. Aside from that, his complexion and eyes looked very similar to the driver's. The two of them almost looked related, regardless of how I could tell that they weren't.

Almost immediately after I saw them, I noticed that the one gentleman—the shooter—had some type of device on his lap. It was a field phone ... and he just so happened to be in the middle of a call.

My magenta eyes narrowed, due to the fact that I already had a hunch as to who he was speaking to. Nonetheless, while continuing to impressively leap and sprint through the trees, I made sure to use my enhanced hearing to listen to what was being said on both sides of the line.

The shooter huffed. "Sorry, I missed!"

"What do you mean you missed?!" Mr. Vanel's voice, just as I'd suspected, blurted out in absolute fury on the opposite end. "You are complete idiots! Never should have hired-a scum like you. Just get back here!"

The signal kept getting interrupted by short periods of static, but the conversation was still able to be maintained.

The shooter glared and began to glance around at all of the woodsy surroundings, looking like he was trying to hold himself back from cursing the Italian trafficker out. However, as soon as the shooter just so happened to turn himself so he could see the back of the car ... a mysterious, menacing figure appeared a little further down the path. It was charging after the vehicle, completely unfazed by the storm of dust and dirt that it had to run through. Not even a split second after the shooter spotted it, his scowl completely disappeared and his eyes bulged in terror.

The shooter's voice almost trembled as he spoke again into the phone.

"Uh, sir? Something's off. I see something...!"

In that exact moment, as the ominous figure—who I knew was Sebastian—continued to sprint at an impossible speed towards the back of the vehicle with an evil grin, the driver made an attempt to take his eyes off the road for just a second. I could tell that he was planning on trying to heed his partner's warning ... but before he could take a glance over his shoulder to look behind him, his attention ended up getting caught by the monstrous movements in the trees.

The driver's jaw nearly dropped at what he was seeing, causing a dark smile of my own to spread practically ear-to-ear across my face. He might've not managed to see me, but seeing the branches and leaves moving in the violent patterns that they were was enough to trigger a horrified sweat.

"What's that?!" blurted the driver, right before he quickly snapped his head back in the direction of the road.

"Oh, what's-a wrong?" Mr. Vanel inquired on the phone, clearly mocking the two men. "You little girls see a bear in the woods?"

The shooter, who had been gawking fearfully at the incoming outline of Sebastian, immediately glanced up towards the trees after hearing his partner's question. In less than a second, all of the color rushed out of his skin and his large eyes practically started to tremble in horror.

"W-what the hell?!" proclaimed the shooter.

The driver then couldn't help but let out a scream, "Ahhhh!"

I could only imagine the changed expression on the Italian trafficker's face, chuckling to myself in a menacing manner as I picked up my speed a little more.

"What is it? Did someone fined you? Talk to me." Mr. Vanel's voice was definitely more concerned by this point, speaking closer to the phone.

The shooter took a quick glance over his shoulder, only to realize that Sebastian's hazy silhouette was still in hot pursuit. He hadn't even bothered to answer Mr. Vanel's question, giving the driver a sharp slap on the back of his shoulder with anxious drops of sweat beginning to trickle down his own hairline.

"Ahh! Hurry it up!" barked the shooter.

In less than a second, the driver forced his foot down and made the vehicle begin to drive as fast as it could. I had expected this to happen and knew exactly how to handle it, feeling my diabolical grin expand even more to the point where plenty of my teeth were exposed. Not only that, but all six of my fangs were now visible in my mouth and my eyes were starting to glow—once again in their monstrous form.

All of the sounds around me—the wind howling, the wheels screeching, and the trees rustling—almost entirely fell on deaf ears as I concentrated on one particular tree that I was getting closer to with every little second. It was just what I needed.

"Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop~ When the wind blows, the cradle will rock~" I sang to myself, sounding just as unsettling as I looked with diabolical chuckles dripping between every few words. "When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall~ ... And down will come the baby, cradle and all~!"

As soon as I reached that final part, I shot one of my legs out and kicked the tree that I had been focusing on. Within no more than two seconds, its trunk was completely torn out of the ground and it started fall at a fatal speed. The roots snapped and leaves began to flutter all over the place. Meanwhile, I remained in the dimness of the hundreds of other trees, smirking in satisfaction. In this moment, my eyes switched back over to their normal ones and my fangs disappeared like they were never there.

THUD!

The whole forest seemed to shake as the large tree collapsed, landing directly in the middle of the dirt path. By doing that, I knew that the La Mancelle was going to have to slow down at least a tiny bit in order to prevent collision.

"C-Christ, what was that?!" inquired the driver, shortly before he spotted the fallen tree and automatically looked like he was seconds away from wetting himself. "Ahhhh!"

Mr. Vanel's voice broke out through some more static on the opposite side of the phone.

"What was what?! You imbeciles, answer me!"

"L-look out! T-turn the wheel!" exclaimed the shooter, whose eyes now appeared to be too large for his head.

The driver didn't hesitate to listen, turning the wheel so sharply to the point where both of their bodies were nearly flown over in their seats. He just barely managed to prevent the vehicle from crashing into the tree branch, having no choice but to lift his foot off the gas in the process. As this happened, the La Mancelle just so happened to find itself on another rural path and the two men were nearly drenched in sweat by this point.

As the wheels continued to roll frantically down the road, I kept following at an unnatural speed through the trees. For a brief moment, the driver took his eyes off the road to glance up in absolute horror. As soon as he noticed the branches and leaves still being violently shaken, he nearly choked on a huff of oxygen and immediately directed his gaze back over to the road.

The driver bellowed in a jittery tone, "T-that thing is still following us! I-I can't get this damn thing to go any faster! Ahhh!"

With a hand placed firmly over his cap, the shooter looked up towards the trees. Then, after seeing for himself that his partner was right, he clenched his teeth in fear and quickly turned himself around to see if they had at least lost sight of Sebastian. Of course, they hadn't. Within moments, just as I had seen coming, his sinister silhouette broke through the thick fog of dirt and dust once again. His smug grin was much wider than before, filled with amusement.

The shooter shuttered, proclaiming, "They're coming, closer...!"

"That's it! I'd have enough of your games already!" Mr. Vanel bellowed with slight nervousness now accompanying the anger that was coating his accent.

The next part happened so quickly. I leaped down from the trees and struck the hood of the La Mancelle with my feet, landing in a perfect squatting position. The impact was so strong to the point where the back wheels lifted off the ground for a couple of seconds and the dents from my boots were distinctively printed into the metal. The mixture of dirt and dust that was swirling through the air was more than likely preventing the shooter and the driver from seeing the "thing" that had landed on their vehicle. I even stood perfectly up with my hands curled into fists at my sides, unfazed by the wind as it blew fiercely at me from the rapid movements of the La Mancelle.

At the exact same time, Sebastian pounced at the back of the vehicle and curled his fingers as claws as he reached for the back seat. His silhouette was seconds away from breaking through all of the dust and dirt. Meanwhile, the driver looked like he was seconds away from bursting into tears from being so terrified and the shooter was holding on so tightly to the phone to the point where it was a miracle that he wasn't breaking it.

The shooter hollered into the phone, "No good, it's here! They're both here!"

Then, as soon as Sebastian's gloved hands broke through the fog and grabbed the top of the back seat with a firm grip, I shot myself back down and grasped both sides of the hood. With our combined strength, the butler and I forced the vehicle to spiral out of control, flying it off the road and sending it through the woods at an unimaginable speed. The whole time, as the La Mancelle burst through countless bushes and came inches away from colliding into hundreds of trees, the two of us held on effortlessly.

Both of the gentleman screamed at the top of their lungs, "AGHHHHH!"

CRASH!

Sebastian and I prevented the La Mancelle from falling off a cliff, but not before allowing all of the parts underneath to become damaged. When we were positive that it would to be impossible to ever use this vehicle again, he preformed a somersault to end up on the hood and I pounced into the back seat. Then, we forced the La Mancelle to come to a halt ... just as it arrived at the direct edge of the cliff and was starting to balance itself precariously over the fatal drop. As all of this happened, I couldn't stop smirking from the mental picture of Mr. Vanel sweating like a pig and staring wide-eyed at the phone as he tried desperately to understand what the hell just happened.

Sebastian sat on the hood, staring at the shooter and the driver with a menacing grin. In return, the two of them—now covered in small scratches and smudges of dirt from their little "adventure" through the woods—trembled in their seats and stared back with a mixture of horror and disbelief brewing in their eyes. Their breathing was hard and jittery, and they almost looked like they were on the verge of emptying their stomachs from being so scared.

Meanwhile, I sat in the back seat with my right leg crossed properly over my left one. My wine-colored eyes were full of mischief and I showed no nervousness at all towards the dangerous, one hundred foot drop that was directly behind me. In fact, I leaned forward with pure nonchalance, unfazed by the vehicle's rocking, and leaned against the front seats so I could be between the two gentlemen. As soon as they noticed me, the driver nearly froze—probably wondering how in the hell I ended up back there—and the shooter gasped, making it sound like he choked on his own oxygen.

"Greetings, gentlemen." I spoke up in a voice that was so polite to the point where it was unsettling. "My, don't the two of you appear to be awfully jittery today? Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Elise Michaelis and this is my brother, Sebastian. We are devoted servants to the Phantomhive estate and we have come all this way to gather some information. We sure do hope that the two of you will be more than happy to comply with us."

The driver kept his large eyes on me, clenching his teeth in fear as he withdrew one of his hands from the wheel in order to begin frantically pawing at his hip. He had a holster on his belt and it was evident that he was reaching for his gun ... but after a few seconds went by without him being able to grab it, he quickly dropped his head to see what the problem was. That's when his eyes grew even more, looking like they were about to pop out of their sockets. His gun was gone.

"You wouldn't possibly be looking for this right about now, would you?"

As soon as that question left my mouth, the driver looked like he became whiter than a sheet. Then, as if he was a nervous puppy, he slowly lifted his head again to look at me. That's when he saw his pistol in my hand ... and I was pointing it directly at his forehead with my lips now twisted into an even more bloodcurdling grin.

Anxious beads of sweat trickled down the driver's face as he became as stiff as a statue. His dark brown orbs practically trembled as he tried to speak.

"B-but ... but how d-did you...?!"

"You'd be very surprised of the things that I can do." I declared, chuckling bitterly with the eerie look in my eyes increasing with every passing second. "Now, if I were you, I wouldn't try making anymore rash decisions like that. Otherwise ... I'll be forced to pull this pretty, little trigger. Keep your hands on the wheel!"

When I reached that final sentence, the driver let out a frightened wail and flinched at how strict my voice had become. Then, as he quickly followed my order, I made sure to keep the gun positioned directly against his temple as a much more innocent smile appeared on my face.

"There. That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

The shooter's face twisted with a slight sneer, despite the terror that was in his eyes and the droplets of sweat that were racing down his skin. However, before he could try opening his mouth to say anything back, he ended up stopping himself when there was an odd noise coming from the opposite end of the phone. It sounded like something—or someone—was getting beaten senseless, causing my angelic smile to disappear like it was never there. I sharply narrowed my eyes, already knowing that Mr. Vanel must've been abusing Master Ciel out of a fit of rage.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the ruckus that was going on from Mr. Vanel's end. Then, without seeming to show any sort of concern or anger, he simply held out one of his hands and flashed a new, obviously staged grin at the shooter.

"That's quite the commotion going on there. If you don't mind, I would like to see if everything is alright. May I borrow your phone?"

The shooter stared at him fearfully, holding the phone with both hands over his chest like it was the most valuable item on the planet. After that, he turned his head to look at the driver—who, by the way, was still grasping the wheel with terrified tears curled up in the corners of his eyes. I hadn't taken the pistol away from his head either.

While stuttering, the driver quickly exclaimed, "J-j-just give it to him!"

Without seeming to acknowledge his partner's comment, the shooter glanced back at me and began to speak frantically.

"D-don't you realize that if we fall off this cliff, you'll be coming with us?!"

I cocked an eyebrow at him, right before I let out a mere snicker. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be more than fine. However, unless you want to see your partner's brains splattered all over this vehicle, I highly suggest that you fulfill my brother's request by giving him that phone."

The shooter's eyes hardened a little in defense. "S-surely, a tart like you would never—!"

My face became blank and I couldn't help but roll my eyes, only because I had been hearing that same argument all throughout today. Then, instead of allowing the shooter to finish that sentence, I pointed the pistol up into the air and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. A bullet soared high up into the sky, vanishing from sight almost immediately.

BANG!

In less than a second, the driver let out a scream of pure terror and flew his head down to the steering wheel. By this point, tears were streaming down his cheeks and his entire body was shaking like a leaf. Meanwhile, the shooter's defense completely crumbled and he screwed his eyes shut so tightly to the point where it almost looked like he didn't have eyes at all.

Sebastian flashed a devilish smirk, observing everything that was going on right before him with pure amusement. I, on the other hand, acted completely nonchalant as I blew some smoke away from the pistol.

With the gunshot still ringing through the air, the shooter hollered out in a pleading and panicked tone, "DON'T KILL US WITH OUR OWN WEAPON!"

"Trust me ... I don't need a weapon of any sort in order to kill someone." I spoke with dead honesty and shot a venomous stare at the shooter as I forced him to look at me. "Now, be a good boy and hand over the phone."

In a much more high-pitched voice, the shooter replied with, "Y-yes, Miss!"

After that, he turned back in the butler's direction and didn't think twice before handing the phone over to him.

"I must say, you gentlemen are very lucky. Usually, in scenarios like this, Elise positions the gun directly beside her opponent's head when she decides to give them a warning shot. Hmm ... I suppose that we caught her on a good day." Sebastian said, sounding just as unsettling as he looked. "Now, please be courteous and stay as quiet as possible while we talk on the phone. If you don't ... well, I'm sure that my sister wouldn't mind pulling that trigger again."

"I certainly wouldn't." I confirmed, flashing one of my misleading smiles once again. "The two of you will behave yourselves and not say a single word, right?"

The driver and the shooter immediately nodded their heads, too horrified to say anything.

Sebastian faintly chuckled. "Excellent."

With that, while remaining on the hood of the vehicle, he slid himself a little closer in order to lean in towards me. Then, he positioned the phone so we would both be able to speak into it, as well as listen to what was going to be said. The entire time, he and I remained completely unaffected by the rocking of the La Mancelle.

"Hey! What the hell was that noise?! Was that a gunshot?!" Mr. Vanel's voice practically sliced through the air from the telephone, full of anxious fury. "You listen to me! If one of you don't answer right now, I swear I will kill you!"

Sebastian calmly responded first, "Hello."

I followed his example just as nonchalantly, "Greetings."

"Who's this?!" Mr. Vanel inquired, and I could easily imagine him being covered head to toe in sweat.

"Pardon us, but we represent the Phantomhive estate." Sebastian explained, while I let out a couple of ominous chuckles. "We were wondering if our Master might be available."

The Italian trafficker was too stunned to say anything back. Through the slight periods of static, all my brother and I got in return was the sound of him drawing in quiet, unsettled, somewhat shaky breaths. It was very easy to clarify that our voices had managed to send cold chills through his body; and it was quite obvious that he didn't recognize my voice since he was in so much shock.

Sebastian proceeded to speak, "Hello, is anyone there? Hello?"

Shortly after that, I added in, "All we wish to do right now is hear from our Young Lord, sir. That sounds like a very simple request to handle, does it not?"

"Ah ... eh, I..." Mr. Vanel did his best to speak, but failed to put any actual sentences together.

Suddenly, after a couple of more pauses of pure static, the sound of the Puny Earl's voice called out from the background. He said a single word to reveal that he was still alive.

"Woof."

Not even a split second later, as the Italian trafficker's breathing came to a sharp halt, similar smirks broke out across mine and Sebastian's faces. At the same time, I felt some weight lift off my shoulders from the discovery that the Little Lord had woken up after getting knocked unconscious for the second time in one day.

"Very good, Young Master. We will come to get you momentarily." Sebastian promised.

"But until then, Bocchan, be sure to keep in mind that no matter what happens ... I see and hear everything."

A slight, sinister note invaded my accent as I said that final word, solemnly because I had said the exact same thing during the meeting and I knew that it would send even more shivers through Mr. Vanel's bones.

After that, without waiting for any sort of response from the Italian trafficker, Sebastian easily snapped the wire that connected the phone to the rest of its device. Then, he scooted back to his prior spot on the hood of the vehicle and redirected his gaze back onto the two trembling gentlemen.

"Thank you for the use of your field telephone. And now, there are few things we'd like to ask you about, if that's alright." Sebastian spoke with pure nonchalance, continuing to hold the phone as he flashed his smirk at me. "Elise, why don't you go first?"

A couple of crows cawed in the distance, making the driver and the shooter grimace. Not long after that, I leaned in until my nose was inches away from the driver's shoulder and I took a whiff of his attire. At the same time, he let out a small and he curled his fingers even tighter around the steering wheel.

"Well, what do you know? Citronella, ginger, and furniture polish." I declared, referring to the odor that was covering the driver. "It was you, wasn't it?"

The driver stammered back like a frightened child, "W-w-what are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know."

I placed the pistol against the driver's jaw and used it to get him to turn his head to look at me. Terrified tears were still leaking down his face, but I remained completely unfazed as I stared directly into his pleading eyes.

"You're the one that snuck into our Young Master's study ... and before you even think about trying to deny it, allow me to inform you that you left behind a clue—a torn piece of our Master's jacket that had your scent all over it. In fact, your scent is exactly what assisted my brother and I in tracking your vehicle down."

"A scent helped you track us down?!" The shooter glanced back and forth from me to Sebastian, even more stunned. "H-how is that possible?! ... H-how is any of this possible?!"

Sebastian raised a finger. "Now, now. We're the ones asking the questions here."

"So, are you going to answer me?" I inquired, looking directly into the driver's watery eyes with my own narrowed in a warning manner. "Or am I going to have to show you an example of how capable I am of taking a life without a weapon?"

With those words of mine clearly ringing in his head, the driver let out a terrified yelp. Then, with a mixture of sweat and tears continuing to pour down his face, he screwed his eyes shut, clenched his teeth, and began to answer me through his shaky sobs.

"O-okay, okay! I-I admit it! It was me! I-I climbed in through the window when the study was empty and I hid! T-then, when the Phantomhive kid came in, I-I-I grabbed him from behind a-and he immediately tried to fight back! T-that's why the room became such a huge mess! B-but I eventually put a cloth that was doused with chloroform over his mouth a-a-and got him to pass out so I could get him out of there like I was ordered to! I-I was just following orders!"

I kept my eyes narrowed, showing that I wasn't affected by the slight remorse that was beginning to trickle through the driver's voice. After all, he was guilty of committing awful crimes ... and if he was willing to target the Puny Earl, I could only imagine who else who he would be willing to go after.

"And look at where the hell that got you. You're on a cliffside with a gun being held to your head, damn idiot ... and if I were you, I would stop with all of that crying. No matter how many tears you shed, it won't change the fact that you drugged and kidnapped the Queen's Guard Dog. So, just do yourself a favor and cling onto whatever dignity you could possibly have left."

Sebastian let out a few, faint, insulting chuckles. "I couldn't have put it any better myself."

The driver sniffled and tried desperately to clean his face with the back of his hand, making sure to always keep the other one clung to the wheel at the same time. Meanwhile, while keeping the pistol perfectly aimed at his head, I flicked my gaze back over to the butler and made a gesture to indicate that it was his turn to ask questions now.

"I believe that it's my turn now." Sebastian declared, instantly gaining the attention of the two gentlemen. "First, I'd like to know who you work for."

It became to clear to me almost immediately that despite how we already knew the answer, my brother wanted to hear it from the own mouths of these two men. However, instead of giving a response, all that the shooter and the driver did was whimper and continue to quiver in their seats.

A dark shadow seemed to come over Sebastian's face as he lowered his head. At the same time, the La Mancelle continued to repeatedly tip back and forth on the very edge of the cliff, filling the air with the sound of pebbles crumbling.

"Hurry up now. I'm not exactly what you would call a patient man, nor is my sister a patient woman." Sebastian warned, sounding just as ominous as he looked. "And you do remember what happened to the Humpty-Dumpty, don't you?"

"'Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall...'" I recited, beginning in a taunting tone before switching over to one that was filled with phony sympathy. "'All the king's horses and all the king's men ... couldn't put Humpty together again...'"

With no hesitation, the driver screwed his eyes shut and practically hugged the wheel as tears continued to pour helplessly down his face. The shooter, on the other hand, had the color completely wash out of his skin and he didn't think twice before giving an answer.

"A-ah, o-our employer's name is Azzurro Vanel. He has a hideout up in the city. It's in the East End!"

As soon as I heard those final two words come out of the shooter's mouth, my menacing grin faltered and slight disbelief shot through my maroon eyes. Then, as specific information from earlier began to return to my mind, I squinted to show that I was thinking and I raised my unoccupied hand up to my chin.

"The East End, you say...? Well, what do you know? That's known as the dangerous, 'less privileged' side of London. You wouldn't ever imagine that a room like the one that I saw—filled with vibrant colors and so many different types of expensive furniture—would ever exist in a place like that." I pointed out, raising my head in order to make eye contact with my brother. "Plus, we were instructed to go to Nova Garden Bethmal Green. That's all the way on the opposite side of London. If I had to guess ... those bloody pricks were trying to trick us into going there so they could kill us off and steal the key to the storehouse—just in case we had failed to get assassinated in the first place."

Sebastian studied the nervous reactions of the two men as I broke down all of that information, confirming that it was all true. Then, with a mischievous grin on his face, the butler rose back up onto his feet and held one of his hands out in my direction.

"Well, I'm afraid that their little scheme didn't go as they had planned. Come now, Elise. It appears that our work here is done." Sebastian concluded with perfect nonchalance.

With the pistol still being held in my one hand, I reached my other hand out and grabbed the hand that my brother was offering to me. After that, as I effortlessly climbed over the middle of the front seats and stepped out onto the dented hood, the shooter reached a trembling hand out to the two of us in a pleading manner.

"W-wait! P-please!" He exclaimed. "W-we just work for him!"

Sebastian and I grinned smugly, standing at each other's sides once again.

"But of course, I understand. I'm very sorry to have interrupted your work, gentlemen. I'm sure that my sister is as well."

Just to tease the men further, the butler bowed and I preformed a slight curtsy with the pistol being held over my heart. Then, after we straightened ourselves back up, Sebastian finished speaking in a much more sinister tone.

"We'll let you go now. Have a safe trip!"

With that, my brother and I leaped off the vehicle and watched as it proceeded to slowly tip backwards. As this happened, I teasingly waved farewell to the two gentlemen, who were still sweating, whimpering, and staring back in absolute horror. Meanwhile, all Sebastian did was carelessly toss the phone back over to them before he turned his back in order to dig his pocket watch back out from his tailcoat. Finally, with the sound of crumbling rock accompanying it, the La Mancelle toppled over the edge and I watched with no emotion on my face as it plummeted all the way down to the sea of trees that completely engulfed the bottom.

There was a brief moment of silence, in which I dropped my attention down to the pistol that I was still holding. Then, regardless of how I rarely kept weapons after they had been owned by a threat, I decided to make an exception for this one—only because I had a hunch as to what I was going to do with it after this whole hostage situation was taken care of. With that, I raised my shoulders in a nonchalant manner, pulled the skirt of my dress up, and perfectly slipped the the pistol underneath a few of the laces of my left boot. Afterwards, I casually raised myself back up and smoothed out a few wrinkles that had appeared across the black and purple fabric of my uniform.

"Oh dear. Look at how late it's gotten." Sebastian said while looking at his pocket watch.

BOOM!

An explosion occurred right before my eyes, sending a quick gush of heated wind through my hair as it announced that the fate of the shooter and the driver had been sealed. Nonetheless, even while watching the thick, black smoke and flickering, orange embers beginning to float up into the air, I wore an expression that made it seem like there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"If we don't move quickly, Elise, we shall never have dinner ready in time."

I exhaled in exasperation, pinching the bridge of my nose as I shook my head a little to myself. Afterwards, I turned around to face the butler and said, "Sebastian ... how about we try putting the Puny Lord's safety before the dinner preparations?"

"You know very well that as the head servants of the Phantomhive household, we must be on time at all costs. The Young Master needs his nourishment, especially with him not yet reaching his next growth spurt." Sebastian pointed out, not at all fazed by what just happened to the vehicle of the two gentlemen. "Now, we better move along to the East End and locate this hideout of Mr. Vanel's. I'm sure that we'll be able to find someone who will be able to point us in its direction."

I gave a nod of agreement ... and with that, Sebastian and I took off at an unnatural speed once again.

As we ran, the only thought that was on my mind was, "We're coming, Bocchan. We're coming."

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~ Intermission ~

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A/N: There we have it, ladies and gentlemen! We have made it to the end of the first part of, "His Butler & Nanny, Strongest." :D

In case any of you are wondering, this chapter is a little over 48,830 words and 50,000 words is page limit. I wanted to use this chapter as an early Christmas gift to all of you. Not only that, but I also wanted to use this chapter to celebrate Ciel's birthday, courtesy of how it's tomorrow. With that being said ... happy early birthday, Ciel Phantomhive! And a Merry Christmas to all of you! :) :D :D :)

Note: This will more than likely be my final update of 2018, courtesy of how I have a lot going on with Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years. Plus, as I stated in the prior Author's Note, I'm going to be starting my second semester of my second year of college in another few weeks and I'm going to be handling a bunch of new classes. Nonetheless, please keep in mind that no matter how long it takes me to update, I'm not giving up on this story. I'm just juggling a variety of other responsibilities and I need time to construct my chapters, as well as officially write them.

Remember, I usually take 1-2 weeks off between every chapter before writing again as well, considering this will provide me with time to relax myself, plan the next chapter, and give my brain a chance to recharge. Thank you all for understanding. :)

Also, keep in mind that I love feedback and I'm always excited to hear your thoughts! As of now, my goal is to receive at least three reviews per chapter. I hope you all won't mind helping me with achieving that goal! I appreciate each and every one of you, so don't hold back on sharing your thoughts! You can write them in the reviews or PM me at anytime! Thank you! :D

Now, I believe that I've stated everything that I wanted to.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Enjoy your time with your friends and family! God bless!

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

Until the next update, everyone!

Crystalteen, out!

:D :D :) :)