A month passed, but there were no significant leads involving the Death Eaters. The body count had doubled in that short time period. What was worse, Ciel's health deteriorated even more. He couldn't get up from his bed without triggering his asthma.
When Vincent was relaxing on his couch, Diedrich burst into the room with a grim expression and asked "I cancelled my plans and came to England just like you asked. So what was the urgent business you wanted to take care of?"
"Oh, I just wanted to have a long, nice chat since we haven't seen each other in a while. How long has it been? A week?" Vincent replied with an innocent smile.
"WHAT? You wanted me back just to have a chat? I had an important meeting with the War Council! I'm going back if that's what you wanted."
"Haha. Don't be mad. I was only joking. It's so much fun to mess with you." Vincent teased as his expression turned serious, without a trace of humor in his face like before. "You heard of what's going on in England, correct?"
"Of course I have. All those mysterious deaths and a group of people wearing strange clothes, calling themselves 'Death Eaters.' Any luck so far?"
"No. That's why I called you back. I can't track them down because they don't leave any traces. None whatsoever unless you believe in the rumor of a message that disappears. It doesn't help the fact that Rachel and Ciel are both sick right now."
"Death Eaters are getting bolder every day and night. Since they're bold enough to target nobles, you might as well draw them out by living in the countryside for a while. Besides, Ciel and Rachel's health will get better. It's killing two birds with one stone."
Vincent considered this as he thought of alternatives. "Alright, but I don't have any mansions in the countryside. Buying one would take a while."
"You could use mine for the time being."
"Then it's settled."
The following week, Phantomhives moved into Diedrich's mansion. In no time, Rachel and Ciel's health got better. He ceased to have asthma attacks and only had occasional cough, so he wasn't bedridden all the time. Rachel sometimes took Ciel out for a walk, and Vincent joined in when he had a break from looking for traces of Death Eaters' hideout.
If there was one thing that bothered the Queen's Guard Dog, Ciel claimed he's been having vivid nightmares about strange people. He said a pair of clocked figures entered the mansion every single night and spoke strangely, examining the guards, the floors, his parents, and lastly, Ciel himself. He also claimed that they always entered and left through the fireplace. Vincent just dismissed this as a child's normal nightmares. There was always a chance that Ciel overheard Vincent discussing Death Eaters with Rachel.
Luckily, he was able to pinpoint few sites with Undertaker's help. Vincent spent majority of his time next few weeks investigating the potential hideouts. Sure enough, couple of these sites showed signs of sheltering large number of inhabitants. He narrowed down the list bit by bit as he progressed. At one place, he was rummaging through the rubbish when he felt a pair of eyes studying him. Vincent took a mental note of this and decided to retreat for the time being. He did not realize then was that he had been traced by a Death Eater, marked as the next victim.