HIS MASTER, IN LOVE

chapter eight.

The Eighth Turn

His Master, In A P i n c h

"No. That can't be right, Sebastian. Repeat what you just said. That is an order."

"My Lord, pardon me for saying so. But Lady Elizabeth is expecting a child, and she is already a few weeks ahead."

Ciel was too shocked to even think clearly. Why was this happening now? Elizabeth wasn't even seventeen. Neither was he...just how...?

"Sebastian....if you knew, you could have told me earlier." Ciel muttered, depression now beginning to build up inside of him. No, not just depression. Somehow he felt stupid, useless, and miserable....he had sworn to take care of Lizzie...but how was he going to handle this crisis...?

"My Lord, this is entirely...your fault for assaulting Lady Elizabeth at least a few weeks ago." Sebastian replied, still with no grin etched on his face. Ciel was starting to lose his patience. Sebastian was only coupling with his stress...

"You stupid demon. You were watching? Shame on you, Sebastian." Ciel replied, outraged. "Whatever shall I do to be able to get back at you? That was personal..."

"We demons do not think of others and their welfare that much. As long as I am here, I would be able to know whatever you plan to do without even looking at you, My Lord. And besides, you and Lady Elizabeth are married. What's there to worry about?" Sebastian laughed, staring at his young master intently. He knew he saw sadness in those eyes...not to mention regret and rage mixed up together....

"You obviously do not understand anything at all, Sebastian. Go and leave me alone."

"No, Sebastian, you stay here."

Ciel looked up from the cup of tea towards the study room's door. Elizabeth was there. She had been listening in the entire time....

"L-Lizzie...!" Ciel remarked, as he stared into Elizabeth's determined look. "Y-you'd....h-how long had y-you been there?"

"Hmm...let's just say since Sebastian entered this room, Ciel..." Elizabeth replied, smiling sweetly.

"Lizzie...y-you heard everything..."

"Ciel, I know you're upset. But I am ready to accept this. I love children...and anyway, we are a married couple now. You're not alone. We'll do this together...." Elizabeth continued, with that air of superiority etched in her voice.

That sure was a first. So Elizabeth also had a little maturity...deep down inside...

And all Ciel could do was stare back at her in awe and nod.

~ 0 ~

"Ahh, it's been forever since you last visited our mansion, Ciel!" Elizabeth cried in glee while twirling around, as she, Sebastian, Ciel, Finny, and Maylene walked down a long hall inside the Midford mansion towards its library, where Elizabeth's father could be found immersed in his daily three-hour reading time.

Ciel rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, thinking: Here I am worried sick about her pregnancy and how her father would take this, yet there she goes, twirling around and getting back inside her own little world of happiness and cute things. Yeah right, Lizzy. Enjoy yourself, while you still can-

"My Lord, we are about to meet with Lady Elizabeth's beloved father. Please be a bit more reasonable and smile to the extent you can. We are merely guests, after all." Sebastian suggested out of the blue, interrupting Ciel's pondering.

"I know, Sebastian. I know." Ciel replied darkly, giving his butler an annoyed glare.

~ 0 ~

"Oh, my beautiful Lizzie! What ravishing news you bring home to your worried Father? Pray tell, is that really true?" Elizabeth's father asked, obviously very, very shocked.

"I am afraid so, Father....I really am a woman who hadn't been married for more than a month yet is expecting her first child. I'm terribly sorry..." Elizabeth replied, trying her best to look very depressed as well. She glanced back at her husband, whose frown still hadn't really gotten erased from his face. For the past few weeks, Ciel's old personality had been reawakened....

"Oh, Ellie, just what are you saying, you foolish child? You know perfectly well that I have told you that being an unmarried woman who got pregnant before eighteen is what is unacceptable for me. I have told you that time and time again. But what is there for you to worry about? Right now you are the Phantomhive Earl's Lady, you are married, so there. That is all I have to say about this matter." Elizabeth's father replied, smiling.

Elizabeth's acting was marvelous, but there was really no need for it. Maylene and Finny, who were both listening outside the door, clapped their hands in delight. Lizzie glanced yet again at Ciel, whose expression had obviously lightened up.

Sebastian gave Ciel a light nudge with his gloved right hand. "My Lord, your turn to speak has come." he whispered into the young Earl's ear.

And so Ciel stepped forward and began to speak.

"Mr. Midford, I humbly apologize for not being able to speak in your daughter Elizabeth's place. I solemnly swear to take responsibility for Elizabeth and our child as her husband and the Phantomhive Earl." Ciel piped up, with a tone of maturity and righteousness which Elizabeth envied. Ciel could easily balance being a nobleman and an ordinary individual....

"Oh, no, no, , there is no need for all those formalities. Just seeing you accompany my daughter here has made me believe that you are indeed responsible enough for this task....of being my daughter's husband. Er...how old were you again?" replied, grinning.

"Sixteen." Ciel replied, with that same tone he used earlier.

"Ah, sixteen it is then. Well, young Earl, you had made me believe that age isn't necessary for even these kinds of noble positions....why, the way you spoke earlier would make anyone believe that you were above your twenties!" remarked, laughing lightly.

The grin which began to form on Ciel's face after hearing that remark was too obvious to conceal. Sebastian knew that Ciel was really too old for his age, especially during times like these. Elizabeth, in the meanwhile, was too surprised to utter a word.

She had never really seen before how Ciel really was and why her father talked about him like he was a collague. Now there was proof right in front of her.

Ciel, you truly are amazing....

~ 0 ~

"See, Ciel? You know, I told you it was going to be just fine!" Elizabeth piped up as she knitted a scarf inside Ciel's bedroom.

"I know, Lizzy." Ciel replied, staring out the darkened window into the night while sitting on a chair near it. "I guess I just became a little bit too worked up."

Elizabeth grinned mischievously and approached her gloomy husband. "Ciel...I got you now!! Now get that frown off your face, will you? Pretty pleeasee~?" she cooed, embracing Ciel tightly.

Ciel's frown turned into a malicious grin. He turned to face Elizabeth and kissed her with such force that both of them were shocked after breaking apart.

"C-Ciel....what was that just now...?" Lizzie asked, giggling uncontrollably.

"Lizzie, that was what you call a token of appreciation. Without you, heaven knows how mentally insane I would be now." Ciel replied, smiling happily at Elizabeth. Just like those days....

"Oh, Ciel. You really shouldn't flatter me too much." Elizabeth replied, holding on to Ciel once again. And for a moment, they just sat on the floor, enjoying the sensation of being in each other's arms....

~ 0 ~

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