Chapter Three – New Place, New Friends
"Here, Miss Y/N, I'll show you to your room! Just follow me!" Mey-Rin shouted happily. Y/N laughed and followed Mey-Rin throughout the Manor. Ciel watched as the two ran past him and smiled. Finny caught him smiling and gasped.
"Master! You're smiling!" Finny shouted. Ciel widened his eyes and put a hand over Finny's mouth.
"Keep your voice down! I know I am, and it's because we have a new member to this family." Ciel whispered-shouted. He removed his hand and sighed.
"Master, Miss Y/N is just like you. Strong, confident, you two are perfect for each other!" Finny whispered with a big smile.
"Don't be ridiculous, Finny, I am already engaged to someone. And that's Elizabeth." Ciel stated. Finny's smile faded and sighed.
"Right. Miss Elizabeth. She's perfect for you as well, it's just. . ." Finny trailed off.
"Well what?"
"You don't seem to be that interested in marrying her." Finny said. Ciel sighed and leaned on his cane.
"Well, it's not that I don't care about her, I do and I just feel as if it's my duty to protect her from anyone or anything. I didn't want to marry her, I was forced to." Ciel confessed as he sat down on one of the steps. Finny sat down beside him and gave him a sad smile.
"Do you like Miss Y/N, Master?" Finny asked. Ciel looked at him before looking up into the ceiling.
"I'm not quite sure. I did just meet her, after all. It's not like that 'love at first sight' cliché." Ciel muttered as he focused on the designs on the ceiling.
"I better see how Y/N is doing, carry on Finny." Ciel waved off Finny before heading towards Y/N room. Finny went where the rest of the servants were and helped them with preparing dinner. Ciel gave a small knock on the door.
"Who's there?" Mey-Rin's voice called from behind the door.
"It's me." Ciel plainly stated. Mey-Rin opened the door and smiled.
"Come in, Master. I'm simply helping Miss Y/N unpack her belongings." Mey-Rin opened the door wide enough for Ciel to walk in and closed the door behind her. Y/N set her clothes inside a dresser and her dress within the walk-in closet. She noticed Ciel in the room and smiled.
"Thank you, Ciel." She said. Ciel was confused and raised an eyebrow.
"For what?"
"For letting me stay here for the three months I will be here. I am awfully grateful." Y/N bowed and smiled at Ciel.
"It's no problem at all. After all, you will be training my servants and it would be tiresome if you had to keep riding in the carriage back and forth here." Ciel stated. "I simply could not allow it."
"CIIIIEEELLLLL~!" Shouted a voice from downstairs. Ciel's face turned pale and quickly locked the door. He told the two to stay quiet.
"Who is that!?" Y/N whispered.
"That's Miss Elizabeth Midford. Master's fiancée." Mey-Rin replied.
"Fiancée. . .hm. But why are we hiding?" Y/N asked. Ciel sighed.
"It's no use, she'll keep looking till she finds me." Ciel muttered and unlocked the door, Y/N and Mey-Rin followed Ciel back downstairs where the whole room was decorated in streamers, balloons, ribbons, and basically anything 'cute' or as you would say it. Ciel stood in shock as his parlor was decorated out of nowhere.
"Ciel! I missed you so!" Elizabeth shouted joyfully as she tightly hugged Ciel. On the other hand, Ciel was certainly not enjoying the feeling of being crushed. Elizabeth looked up and saw Y/N, her expression changed.
"Ciel, who is this?" Elizabeth said with a stern expression. Ciel gently pushed her off and fixed his appearance.
"This is Lady Y/N Trancy. She will the person who will train Finny, Mey-Rin, and Bard." Ciel stated. Y/N bowed and smiled.
"Nice to meet your acquaintance, Lady Elizabeth." Elizabeth smiled. She ran over to Y/N and hugged her just as tight as she did with Ciel. Y/N gasped and looked at her in shock. Elizabeth looked up and had worried eyes.
"A—Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Elizabeth asked as her voice was laced with fear. Y/N still looked shocked but immediately brushed it off.
"It's nothing. I need to get back to my room and finish unpacking, Mey-Rin?" Y/N quickly turned away and walked off with Mey-Rin trailing behind her. Ciel stared at Y/N as she walked away, he eventually sighed and faced Elizabeth.
"Why are you here? Where is your mother?" Ciel asked, still upset about his parlor being decorated.
"I wanted to see you again, so I snuck away to see you!" Elizabeth shouted happily.
"You what!? Seriously now, are you insane!" Ciel shouted. Elizabeth looked taken aback from his sudden outburst.
"I just wanted to see you. . .I'm sorry." Ciel sighed.
"Don't be. I'll have Sebastian get a carriage to come get you." Ciel walked off to get Sebastian until Elizabeth grabbed his arm.
"Oh, Ciel! Since the parlor is all decorated, can we at least have a party? Please. . .?" Elizabeth asked with a smile. Ciel shook his head and faced Elizabeth. "If we do, wear the clothes I bought for you!"
"I don't fancy parties, besides I have a lot of work to do-"
"Oh, but young master. Shouldn't you at least be courteous of Lady Elizabeth and dance with her?" Sebastian said behind Ciel. Ciel quickly faced Sebastian and growled at him.
"You can dance, right young master?" Ciel scoffed and stormed off to his office, as he stormed off he heard Mey-Rin and Y/N talking. His eyes widened and lingered in that spot for a while, but continued to storm off towards his office. He opened his door and sat at his desk with his head on his arms. Sebastian knocked on the door.
"Master? Young master, are you there?" He called. Ciel replied with a sigh, still not removing his head from his desk. Sebastian walked in with tea and cake as he set it down on the desk.
"Young master, how uncourteous of you to storm off like that." Sebastian stated as he closed the door. Ciel looked up from his desk and sighed at Sebastian. "I believe the wisest thing to do is to go along with her, then send her off."
"Just give her some dinner or something and get her out of here!" Ciel snapped. "I don't have time to deal with her girlish hobbies. Like I said, I'm quite busy. I have to show Y/N around the-"
"But my lord, it appears Lady Elizabeth desires a dance." Ciel stopped before sipping his tea. Sebastian noticed his sudden stop.
"Young master?"
"What?"
"I've never seen you dance, but I presume you can do it?" Sebastian asked. Ciel picked up a few papers from his desk and held it in front of his face.
"Well, it explains why you play a wallflower when you are asked at parties." Sebastian stated. "With all due respect, young master, it is called a 'social dance' after all. And it a skill that is naturally necessary at soiree and banquets." Sebastian held a plate of cake in front of Ciel's face. A quiet knock could be heard on the door.
"Who is it?" He called as he set the papers down. Sebastian set the fruit cake down on the desk and walked over to the door.
"It's me, Y/N." Her quiet voice said behind the door. Sebastian opened the door and smiled.
"Ah, Miss Y/N, you're just in time. I was about to show my young master a dance lesson." Sebastian announced. Ciel glared at him. "Would you like to help?"
"Of course, after all, I do specialize in lots of things." Y/N smiled. Sebastian looked at Ciel, signaling for him to stand up.
"Come, young master. You do not want to be disrespectful to our guest, do you?" Sebastian asked. Ciel sighed and stood up from his chair. He offered his hand to Y/N.
"Will you grant me this dance, Miss Y/N?" Ciel said. Y/N smiled and took his hand.
"Certainly." Sebastian placed Ciel's hand in the right places.
"The world does expect a first-class gentleman to know how to dance. If you decline any more party invitations, your reputation will plummet in social circles."
"I said I'll do it! Just get on with the lesson already!" Ciel snapped. "That'll make you happy, correct?" Sebastian nodded.
"Now, begin the dance with a step from your heel. As well as, hold the lady's back firmly." Ciel adjusted his hand on Y/N back awkwardly. Y/N noticed him and smiled.
"Ciel, don't worry, you just do what you need to do so you can learn. I'll be fine." Y/N whispered. Ciel sighed and adjusted his hand freely.
"When the music begins, lead with your left foot." Sebastian stated. "Now." Ciel and Y/N moved as they held to each other. After a while, Ciel accidentally stepped on Y/N's foot. Ciel looked up at Y/N with frustration.
"Like I said, you're fine, you need to learn this, Ciel."
"Next, a Natural Turn." Y/N did the turn but Ciel hung on her. "Now, slide forwards." Ciel continued to step on Y/N's feet and desperately tried to catch up. He accidentally bumped into her and stared at her. Y/N giggled.
"Ciel, you simply cannot hang off of me. Since you are the gentlman, you should be in control of most of the dance." Y/N stated with a smile.
"You also must smile, Ciel. It is most disrespectful to look glum during the dance. You must show that you are enjoying the party." Y/N stated. Ciel let go of her and turned away.
"I—I have long forgotten. . .how to smile, like I was enjoying myself. . ." Ciel confessed. Y/N stared at him with worried eyes.
"Ciel. . ."
"It's alright. Let's continue to dance." Ciel simply said as he turned back around. He held his hand out with a smirk.
"Such a liar, saying you have long forgotten to smile." Y/N said as she took his hand.
"Well, I am not lying. That wasn't exactly a smile." Ciel stated.
"Anything that shows happiness is a smile to me." Y/N smiled. They continued to dance around the room as Sebastian watched.
"You always seem to smile like there is nothing wrong with the world. How?" Ciel asked as they continued to dance.
"Well. . .I know how life is cruel, so I try to brush it off with a smile, and try to make everything better." Y/N said.
"But, how do you deal with those emotions?" Ciel asked. Y/N stopped but still held onto Ciel. He looked at her with a questioning expression. She looked down for a moment before speaking.
"I don't show them, I keep them bottled up inside. My emotions make me weak, they made me helpless. So I learned to hide them." Y/N quietly said. Ciel lifted her face up and smiled for the first time.
"If you need to talk to someone, come to me." Ciel whispered. "Sebastian, was this lesson good enough?"
"Yes, my lord. Lady Elizabeth will be pleased that you will dance with her." Sebastian said. Y/N let go of one hand, but didn't realize she was holding Ciel's other hand. She looked down and noticed their hands together.
"Sorry." She let go, leaving her hand empty and cold. Ciel touched his hand for a second before letting it go. "You better dress up for the dance, Ciel. Lady Elizabeth will be waiting."
Y/N fixed her appearance and opened the door, but before she walked out Ciel stopped her. The servants were quietly watching from a room and stared at the two.
"Thank you, Y/N. This means a lot to me." Ciel quietly said. Y/N smiled.
"Of course, it is part of the payment I owe you for letting me stay here." Y/N stated. She smiled and waved before walking towards her room. Ciel closed the door and thought about what Y/N said to Mey-Rin in her room. He went and took the clothes Elizabeth bought him and changed into them. As he did, he replayed the memory in his head.
"Miss Y/N, why did you suddenly leave after Miss Elizabeth hugged you?" Mey-Rin asked. Y/N sat on her bed with sad eyes.
"When my mother was still alive and my father was as well, I used to hug them like that as well." Y/N said. "A big and tight hug, to show them how much I loved them." Mey-Rin gasped.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be sharing my personal problems with you." Y/N said.
"No, don't be! Miss Y/N I believe it's not healthy to keep these emotions bottled up." Mey-Rin stated.
"My emotions make me weak, they make me helpless. So I keep them bottled up." Y/N replied with a small smile. Mey-Rin hugged her and smiled at her.
"Miss Y/N we will always be your friends, no matter what. Did Sebastian tell you about. . .?" Mey-Rin quietly asked. The conversation was very quiet, that it was impossible to hear what they were saying.
"Don't worry, that talent of all of yours will be a secret." Y/N said. "I promise."
Ciel sighed and stepped out of his room, dressed in blue clothes and a blue hat. He wore his blue Phantomhive ring and the gold ring which has his family's crest.
"I wonder. . .can you teach me to smile?" Ciel asked himself quietly before he went down to greet Elizabeth.