Raychaell: Hey hey hey! Here's chapter 3 for you guys! Let's take a closer look at the daily life of Claudia!
Claudia: *glares* I hate you! You nearly gave Casshern away to that cat-loving bastard!
Casshern: MEOW! (Translation: I hate you too!)
William: Lady Claudia, please refrain from using such language in front of our dear readers.
Raychaell: Now you know why I rated this fanfic 'T'… Anyways, Dia, do us all a favour and read out the disclaimer!
Claudia: Not gonna do it. Will, you do it.
Raychaell: If you don't do it, I'll give Casshern away…
Claudia: FINE! Raychaell Dionzeros does not own Black Butler or its characters, only Casshern, Will and I!
Raychaell: YAY! Let's get on with it! And before I forget, this chapter is dedicated to my dearest sister, Yvonne! Thanks for your review and support!
"Dia, it's time to wake up." The gentle voice roused Claudia from a pleasant dream. Claudia yawned drowsily before snuggling further into the soft blankets. She had stayed up late last night thinking about the case that she was to work on with the Watchdog whom she knew without a doubt was Ciel. By the time she had fallen sleep, it had been close to midnight, therefore she felt so tired.
"Claudia, wake up. It's time for your breakfast." The gentle yet insistent voice, which could only belong to Will, said again.
"Just a few more minutes." She mumbled face first into the pillows. She was just beginning to fall asleep again when William whipped the blankets off her, making her yelp in surprise as she shivered in her thin nightgown due to the cold air from the air conditioner.
"HEY! Not fair William! I told you already, just a few more minutes!" Claudia whined while hugging the pillows to her. William merely observed her through his glasses with that patient gaze of his. He was used to Claudia's whining every morning and had learned that her 'just a few more minutes' meant, at most, half an hour. Therefore he ignored her and set about opening the windows while a half awake Claudia trudged to the connecting bathroom to wash up and change for breakfast.
She stepped out of the bathroom in her daily attire, which was a white long sleeved shirt with a red vest on top. Dark blue jeans that were artfully faded at the knees and black combat boots completed the look. She still wore her black choker necklace with the golden locket dangling from the strap. She had managed to brush out the tangles in her long black hair and tied it back into a simple ponytail. But for some reason, Claudia felt unsatisfied till she spotted a pair of black fingerless gloves on her bedside drawer. She quickly swooped down towards it, and pulling the gloves on, she examined herself in the mirror. Hair was neat, shirt untucked – wait, she had forgotten her favourite rose hairpin. She went back to her bedside drawer and sorted through the top drawer before spotting it and clipping it to her fringe. She examined herself in the mirror again. Perfect, she thought to herself, before hurrying out of her room only to stop at the door as she realised something.
William, who was straightening Claudia's bed, straightened at the comical sight of his mistress frozen at the door, head cocked to the side as she tried to recall what she had forgotten. "Anything wrong, my Lady?" He enquired. Claudia spoke after a long silence.
"William, I seem to have forgotten Casshern in my haste. Where is he?"
"Ah, he is out in the gardens chasing butterflies." Claudia gave way to a relieved smile at his answer before dashing out into the hall. She passed her servants, giving them the occasional greeting as she slid down the marble banisters into the main hall, which was decorated in its usual glory of red, black and purple. Once she slid to the first floor, she jumped down and ran to the back where the kitchens were. As usual, it was full of bustling chefs as orders were shouted and the occasional curse was let out when a junior cook made a mistake in his or her cooking. After a few minutes of discreet scouting, she found her target. It was a plate covered with a silver dome. The silverware was yet to be set in place on the tray upon which the plate was but Claudia didn't mind as she moved silently with ease through the kitchen to reach her goal. Nearly, nearly there… she thought to herself as her expectant fingers came close enough to grab the tray…
Only to be snatched back a split second before the kitchen knife flew through the air to bury itself, blade first, into the wooden table. "Awww… But I was so close!" She whined. A chuckle sounded through the air as the knife thrower came out of the crowd of bustling chefs and servants.
"Nice try, Lady Claudia, but nothing moves or breathes in my kitchen without me noticing." The voice belonged to a middle aged man who wore a white food stained apron over his chef's attire. His black hair was greying slightly in a few places but the eyes and smiles never faded.
Claudia beamed up at the chef and hugged him tightly. "Hi Isaiah! I know you notice everything but you can't blame a girl for trying, can you?" Brown eyes that were covered with a white film over the irises blinked and looked down onto Claudia. The blind chef laughed again and petted her head.
"I can never blame you for trying, Lady Claudia. After all, it can't be helped that I know this kitchen so well that I can walk in it without my sight and not bump into anything. Then again, maybe one day you'll be able to surprise me and steal your breakfast. Now shoo! Go to the dining hall because I've got a special surprise waiting for you." Claudia brightened at this, and with one final hug goodbye, she dashed out of the kitchen and headed straight for the dining hall, only to duck in time for a rubber ball to pass over her head from behind.
Speeding up again, Claudia laughed and called back without slowing her run. "No way you'll get me, Alan! I saw it coming a mile away!"
Another voice answered in an equally loud voice. "I'll get you soon enough, Lady Claudia, and that ball came from the back, not your front so you couldn't have seen it!" She couldn't help but laugh out loud at the reply. Without bothering Alan with useless responses, Claudia sped up and finally reached the dining hall where William awaited behind her seat when she threw open the doors. William smiled at her flushed appearance and sparkling eyes as she slowed down into a steady stride as she crossed the room to the other end of the hall where her seat was. She slipped into the high backed chair as soon as she reached it and surveyed the room. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling while light streamed in from the large window behind her. Smaller chairs were pushed in under the long white clothed table while vases of roses were placed at regular intervals on the table. But she ignored all those as she looked down eagerly on the silver-domed plate where her breakfast awaited. Claudia nodded towards Will who uncovered the plate to reveal her favourite meal, bacon and scrambled eggs.
Claudia gave way to a delighted squeal and quickly picked up her knife and fork to dig deep into her meal. The bacon was cooked to a tender crisp while the scrambled eggs, once sprinkled with pepper, tasted delicious. Claudia quickly finished her meal in record time and began to wipe her mouth clean of any food. Once she was finished, she awaited William to start serving her drink. William smiled again as he lifted the teapot from the breakfast trolley and, setting out a tea cup for Claudia, began pouring the clear rose red liquid tea into her cup.
"Today, we have Rose Hip tea for breakfast drinking, and after breakfast, you have English lessons with Mrs Pierce at nine in the morning. At eleven, there is knife-throwing lessons with Isaiah, lunch at twelve. At one in the afternoon, you have a meeting with the head of the science department to evaluate the damage caused during yesterday's mishap. At two, there is taekwondo training with Mr Koh and weapons handling with Mr Plummer at five. Seven PM is dinner time and after dinner you have some free time to yourself up to ten which is bedtime." He spoke as he poured the tea into the cup and watched his mistress frown thoughtfully to herself in deep thought.
She spoke at last after he finished the tea pouring. "Has there been any reply from Rouge about the case?"
William nodded his head. "Yes, Dia, but he says that he has no leads as of yet. The only common factor in this is, he says, all the missing are able bodied and at the peak of health. Other than that, he has no clue. He suggests that you bring forward the meeting with the Watchdog since you know who he is and Rouge wants to meet his rival face to face."
Claudia gave way to a snort at the last sentence, but she wasn't too surprised. After all, Rouge had always liked face-to-face meetings. She sighed and raised her cup, sipping carefully at the hot liquid. After finishing her drink, she rose from her seat gracefully and stretched languidly. Time to start my day properly, she thought to herself before moving out of her seat towards her next lesson.
Meanwhile, in a mansion far away, Ciel leaned back into his seat with a frown and a sigh. He sipped his Earl Grey tea but his gaze never left the computer screen from which he studied the information he had found so far. He had moved back into his old mansion after centuries of wandering and the best thing about it was that it was still in relatively good condition, which meant he need not spend much on repairs. He had the mansion renovated too so that he could access the Internet from the countryside.
The Internet was one of the wonders of the 21st century, for it meant that he need not spend much time outside in London trying to find more information while it was just one click away. His only grievance with it was that not all the information he found was true, while some were so obscure that he spent ages chasing false leads till he found the information he wanted. Now he could feel a headache coming on as he studied the screen. From what he had found out so far, all of Claudia was exactly who she was supposed to be.
Claudia Darius had been born with above average IQ level of 130. At the age of three she could already walk and speak clear sentences. Adults who underestimated her were treated to a long lecture about how one shouldn't judge a person by their looks. Even as a child, she was a beauty and turned heads everywhere. She had led a happy childhood till her twelfth birthday. A few weeks before her birthday, her parents were killed in a fire while staying at their townhouse. The only reason Claudia survived was because she had stayed at the main mansion due to a sudden bout of flu. The police launched an investigation, and quickly found a suspect, but due to insufficient evidence, the suspect was released. Everyone pitied the young child, and remarked that it was a pity that the Lord and Lady Darius were dead, for they had been such a wonderful couple with their only child Claudia. Then a month after her twelfth birthday, Lady Claudia Darius re- emerged into society with a dark clad butler by her side. Lady Claudia set about restoring her family name and reputation. She also restored the family finances and introduced the Premier Red Rose to the world. The new breed of rose sparked worldwide attention and experts who examined the rose reported that the rose was indeed, a new, never seen before breed. English nobility were the first to get these roses before Darius Enterprises sold it to the rest of the world. Therefore, the Darius family became famous thanks to Lady Claudia's latest product.
Ciel still felt confused. Sure, he knew that Claudia was as intelligent as he was, but then something about the facts he read bugged him. It was as if he was missing something. Rubbing his temples, he decided to get a second opinion. "Sebastian," Ciel called. Sebastian was immediately at his door, opening it with a query.
"You called for me, my Lord?" Sebastian asked.
"Yes, I want you to read this document and tell me what you think." Ciel ordered as he turned the screen towards the older demon. Sebastian complied, and standing in front of the desk, he began to read Ciel's findings. A few seconds later, Sebastian spoke.
"My Lord, the date that Lady Darius re emerged into society matches the date Rouge began his hold In the Underworld." Ciel's eye widened at this and he immediately spun the screen back towards himself. Scanning it, he smacked his forehead.
"Of course! So that's why I thought I was missing something!" Ciel said out loud in his anger. "It can't be a coincidence that the very day Claudia emerged into society on the very day we learned about Rouge beginning to take over. They must be connected somehow. Sebastian, this is an order. I want you to spy on the Darius house and find out everything you can about their connection with Rouge." Sebastian had straightened at the command, and knelt down as soon he heard the order.
"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian replied before he left the mansion in his animal form to fulfil the command.
Sebastian had flown far in search of the Darius manor, and immediately knew that he had found it once he saw the multiple roses that decorated the grounds. Perching on a nearby tree, Sebastian observed as the household went about its duties. From the branch he perched on he could see a large French window that had its curtains pulled to the sides. Then he saw Lady Darius. She was beautiful in the moonlight, her beauty apparent in the moonlight. If he weren't bound to Ciel, he would have devoured her soul right there and then for he could scent her even from the tree.
Where is Casshern anyway Sebastian thought to himself for he had been looking forward to meeting the magnificent cat with his regal air and emerald gaze that saw everything. Then a soft 'meow' was heard, and he saw Casshern leapt into his mistress lap, lowering his head for a scratch. Lady Darius complied and absent-mindedly scratched his head while scanning the trees for some reason or another. Then she gave way to a sudden smirk the moment she spotted him. Rising gracefully, she stopped scratching Casshern and placed him on the table, ignoring the cat's protest. She threw open the windows and came out onto the balcony outside her window, still dressed in her day attire.
She shouldn't be able to see me, should she? After all, I look like an ordinary raven that's all so why is she staring at me? Sebastian's thoughts raced with confusion. She suddenly called out, her eyes still fixed on him.
"Mr Sebastian Michaelis, if you wanted to know more about me, you should have just come to the front door where I can give you what your master ordered you to find out." Sebastian nearly lost his balance in his surprise. She can see me? He thought in shock as he hastily regained his balance. She continued looking straight at him until he flew towards the front door as she had said. Taking on his human form, he was just about to knock on the large doors when none other than William opened the doors from the inside.
"Lady Claudia awaits you in her study, Mr Michaelis. Follow me." With that, William turned and led him into the manor. Sebastian's eyes roamed the place, noticing the human servants who gave him suspicious gazes from the shadows. He also noticed the multiple portraits, which decorated the hall. He spotted one of the former Lord and Lady Darius. Lady Claudia had her parents' beauty all right for he saw her amethyst eyes in Lord Darius, and her long black hair in Lady Darius. Before Sebastian could comment, they had already left the main hall and William led the way up the grand staircase and took a left turn. He was led through another corridor before William stopped at a door.
Knocking lightly, William called out, "Lady Claudia, Mr Michaelis is here. May we come in?"
Claudia's muffled voice replied, "Enter!" William complied and opened the doors to reveal a room that was lit by an overhead light. A mahogany bookshelf could be seen on the left of the room, while the wooden floor was covered by a lush red carpet. A study desk was on the other side of the room was neatly organised while a leather high backed swivel chair faced the large window on the other side of the room. Upon hearing their entry, the chair turned to reveal Lady Claudia in the same attire he had seen in a few minutes ago.
William paused in the middle of the room while Sebastian continued till he reached the desk. Lady Claudia greeted him with a smile. "Hello there, Mr Michaelis. I know what you want, so take this folder and invitation with you, would you?" She threw said items towards his head and observed him quietly as he quickly caught the items with his demon reflexes before they could hit him.
"Just as I suspected. " he heard Lady Claudia murmur to herself as she watched him.
"If that is all, Lady Claudia?" Sebastian enquired politely. At her nod, William escorted him out of the manor. From there, Sebastian ran back towards the Phantomhive estate with the two items secure beneath his jacket.
Ciel frowned as he listened to Sebastian's report about his unusual visit to Claudia. "So you mean to say, she knew you were spying on her despite you being careful to conceal your presence? But how is that even possible? I mean, you were in your animal form, weren't you?"
Sebastian bristled at the last comment and replied impassively, "Of course I did, Young Master. I was also hidden in the shadows so there was no way she could have seen me, unless she was not quite human."
"Your point being…?"
"Remember what I told you about her aura? She and her butler share a somewhat similar aura, and both of them have delectable souls, but for some reason or another, no demon has ever been near them, and that in itself is a rare occurrence." Ciel closed his eyes wearily; this new case and his mysterious future allies were a huge mystery that kept bothering him and it wasn't helping him any slightest that Claudia was not who she seemed to be. When will life ever get any easier for him?
Meanwhile, back at Claudia's manor, Claudia was seated alone in her study and busy talking with another person on Skype.
"And so I told him, if you want it, you might as well have asked me and I'll give it to you straight away! He was so surprised but he never said anything. After all, that poor demon still can't over get over the fact that I found him in his animal form. Things are too easy sometimes, that's why I miss your visits, Rouge." Claudia said eagerly while the other person on the line, who was none other than Rouge himself, just smiled patiently at his friend's eager yet wistful words.
"I know," Rouge replied, "but you know very well that this is for the best until next month. But what I really want to ask you is, is Phantomhive falling for the bait?"
At this, Claudia straightened, and her playful mood disappeared. She replied with a smirk. "Yes, he is. I've already managed plant a seed in his mind, so that the moment I will it, he will be ours to control. However, " the smirk was instantly replaced by a serious expression, "There's a slim chance that he will resist me seeing as to how he's a demon as well, and I had to keep eye contact with him to control him and subtly erase his will to resist." Rouge grimaced in response, and while his grey mask hid the upper half of his face, it didn't hide the determination in his next words.
"We can do this, Red. We've gone too far to stop now, and we're also on a case, so we can't forget our priorities. I've already gotten my most loyal men to search for more leads, but I doubt they'll find much." Rouge said, using his private nickname for Claudia, which was inspired by Claudia's title as the Crimson Rose. He ran a hand through his already messy black hair in frustration.
Claudia sighed and looked at her best friend. Her next words betrayed her true feelings. "Black," she whispered softly, using her personal nickname for him, which was also inspired by his other title as the one and only, Black Rose. "I'm scared, and so lonely. Everyday, I find myself wishing that Mom and Dad were still alive, and that the Underworld is merely a nightmare that will never happen. I also wish that we were together again and that we would run throughout the mansion with Will and Jade chasing after us, and everyone is so much happier. I also wish that at the end of the day, we would curl up in bed together, whisper stories to each other, and sleep holding hands." Jade was Rouge's personal bodyguard and advisor. The older woman always had a soft streak for both Claudia and Rouge, and always teased Will, who was always shy around her, making both Claudia and Rouge suspect that she was in love with Will.
Rouge laughed wistfully before replying. "Yea, I miss the old life too, but we must remember. Our peaceful lives were ruined by that bastard Lord, so we must get revenge by making sure he suffers the same pain we went through when we lost our childhoods to his greedy hands." At this sentence, both of them gave way to identical soft snarls of rage at the memory of their peaceful lives lost thanks to their enemy. Then the anger faded away only to be replaced with sorrow from Claudia.
"I still miss you, a lot, a lot, a lot. I wish you were here already." Claudia spoke sadly, tears running silently down her cheeks. Rouge's anger faded at the sight of her tears and he placed a hand on his side of the screen, wishing that he could reach through and touch her.
"Don't cry, Red. I'm almost done here anyway so once I've settled my business here, I'll come to you quickly and sleep with you in the same bed just like when we were kids." Rouge said softly, trying to comfort her. Claudia hastily scrubbed her face at the mention of tears and placed her right hand on top of his, mirroring him. Both sighed in sorrow at the distance separating them before meeting the other's gaze. Rouge broke the silence first with a whispered vow that Claudia was quick to follow.
"We swear upon our titles as the Crimson and Black Roses that we will destroy our enemies with our Thorns, and make them regret the day they hurt us." The vow, though short, was full of determination and one the two friends were determined to fulfil. After another long silence, Rouge smiled sadly before saying goodbye and signing off. When the screen went blank, Claudia leaned back into her chair with a long sigh before whispering to herself.
"Soon. Soon we will be together again, Rouge, my friend."
Raychaell: And chapter 3 is done! Review please!
Claudia: *grumble* I can't believe I cried. In front of a guy too!
Rouge: *pats Claudia's back* It's all right, Red. I don't mind it.
Raychaell: Anyways, I may not be able to update this Sunday, so sorry my dear readers! Endure with me all right? You know what to do. REVIEW.