The next day, in Ciel's manor, Laura and Ciel were in his study room playing chess with their earl grey tea still full on the table, while the servants and the butlers do the house chores. The young duchess who wore a red and black dress, with her hair this time tied in low pony tail with black ribbon looked at the chess where her white king stood while think of strategy.
"Hmm... My king is in danger, what to do? I don't want to lose again against him." Thought Laura while remembered she lost the chess game two times against Ciel even she enjoyed the game.
"Do you want to give up, Laura? I can allow you to give up, if you want to." Asked Ciel smirked at her, and Laura just glared at him with a light pout.
"No, I don't want to give up when my white king still not dead, I will give up if I hear 'check mate' from you, Ciel. You better think about your next question which you want to ask if I lose." Answered Laura sighed and Ciel just rolled his eyes, but he was smiling underneath his expression. They do a bet, if one of them loses, the winner will ask a question which the loser must answer it truthfully, and after that the loser one will ask the winner alternately
Laura thinking for a while, and she began to move her white queen. But after she moved her queen, she realized she made a wrong move and sighed in defeat, Ciel smirked and began to move his black knight piece and happily knocked over Laura's queen and do a check mate.
"Check mate." Said the young earl with a smirk. "Looks like I win again, Laura."
Laura just sighed lightly and clapped for him, "Congratulation then, Ciel. Well, I'm not an expert with chess that is why I always lose to you." She said with a smile and drank her tea.
"But when I looked at your play, you do have a good strategy. I'm impressed." He said while drank his tea.
"Thank you for the compliment, I'm flattered." Laura smiled at him and put her tea on the table beside the chess. "Now what do you want to ask about me? You already asked about my favorite color, and birthday."
Ciel looked at her, "What is your favorite song instrument?" He asked.
Laura thought for a while and then she smiled "I like all instruments, but what I love the most is a piano. I love to play piano, Ciel." She answered happily.
Ciel nodded that he understood, "I see. Now it's your turn to ask me." He said.
"What is your favorite dessert?" She asked with innocent smile.
"My favorite huh... I think my favorite dessert is gateau chocolate." He answered.
"I see." Laura nodded and drank her tea again.
"What about you, Laura? What is your favorite dessert?"
Laura smirked, "I won't answer it~ I will answer it if you win the game again." She said with teased smile, and Ciel just chuckled lightly.
"Ciel, if you don't mind, I would like to tour around your manor. Is that okay for you?" She said with a smile after she had done drink her tea.
"Sure, you may do so." Said Ciel with a smile.
Laura nodding at him with a smile and left the room to have a tour around the manor. After she left the room, Ciel called all of his servants into his room and took out a camera. "S-So, what did you want to speak with us about, young master?" Mey rin asked while playing with her fingers nervously.
"I have a job I want you all to do."
"J-O-B." Said the servants almost separately. "Thank goodness!" They cheered after that.
"When he called us here, I was sure he will fire us, yes!" Shouted Mey rin happily as she and the other servants hugged each other in circle while Ciel just sighed.
"So what is the job?" Asked Bard as Ciel touched the top of black and brown camera.
"This... I want you to take Sebastian's, and Yvet's picture without letting them know." Ciel thought for a while and looked at his servants "take Laura's picture too, don't let her know that you three take her picture."
"I want to ask something, young master. Just what is that camera?" Asked Finny while he looked at camera in curious.
"This camera said to have been in the famous Talbot's collection. It was missing for some time, but I heard it was coming up at auction and went to great pains to get it." Answered Ciel.
"William Henry Fox Talbot. He was an English scientist and one of the inventor of photographic technology. There were rumors about the last camera he used. Legend said that when you photograph someone with this camera, whomever he thinks of most fondly will appear in the picture..." Tanaka explained in his true form.
"Can such camera exist?" Asked Bard, and Ciel grabbed the camera to take a picture.
"Shall we take a shot to test it out?" Ciel moved out of the way as the camera pointed toward Finny. After ten seconds, Ciel has done take Finny's picture and putting the cap on the lens. They made the red room to make the image came out, and Ciel took the photo out of the water trying to get a glimpse.
"Wow! It's my little birdie~!" Finny said brightly as he saw a little bird flew beside him.
"Huh? You have a bird?" Asked Bard.
"It's so cute! I gave it a food everyday, and one day it started eating on my hand! I was so happy and I want to give it a gentle pat and..." Finny broke a wooden bear's head which he got from Ciel's study room. "It stopped moving..." Continued him and he began to cry.
Mey rin surprised when she heard the story, "Y-You mean...?!"
"Ah, I forgot. The only loved ones that the camera will show are otherworld beings... In other words, the dead." Tanaka explained again made the other servants surprised.
"That is why I want you three to take their pictures. I think it will be fun to see them have someone who they cared about the most. Especially Sebastian's and her picture." Said Ciel with a smirk, he knew that Sebastian and Yvet love her and they will do anything to get her heart. That is why it will be fun if he got Laura's picture to torture Sebastian.
"But I wonder... Does she care about me too..." Thought Ciel and then he dismissed his servants to do their mission.
After a few minutes touring the manor, Laura opened the door which leads her to the Phantomhive Library. She amazed when she saw many books on the shelf and started to search the book to read.
"Let's see... Which one is interesting~" She said talked to herself while searched the book and hummed a song as she didn't realized that the door opened revealing Sebastian who smiled and walked toward her.
Laura looked at the top shelf and saw a book named 'A study in scarlet' and she smiled while tried to pick out a book. "Almost there..." She thought tried to grab the book until a white gloved hand picked out the book.
"Is this what you want, Laura?" Laura turned around and saw Sebastian behind her made the young duchess blushed because he is too close to her.
"Umm... Yes, thank you Sebastian." Said Laura as she received the book from Sebastian.
"You like Sherlock Holmes, milady?"
Laura nodded happily. "Yes, because the story is good and can make me think a trick when I read his act solves the case." She said with a warm smile made Sebastian smiled genuinely at her. Laura sat on arm chair and began to read the book, while Sebastian started to clean around the library as he sensed three people watching him and Laura.
"We need him to stay still." Bard whispered.
"For ten seconds, yes." Said Mey rin agreed with Bard.
Sebastian smirked before pulling his gloves tightly, and started moving at an quick pace as he started to wiping the table, dusting the books, arranging the chairs, sweeping the floor, polishing the explorer globe, wiping the windows, and the other things and he would even glanced at Laura who enjoyed the book to make sure his act didn't disturb her. The other servants who are hiding behind the shelf got a hard time to capture Sebastian's picture.
"Damn! It's too difficult! He won't stop!" Whispered Bard annoyed.
"Ah, how about we take Laura's first. Look she is still reading." Finny pointed at Laura who enjoyed reading the book.
"Good idea Finny!" Bard started to point out the camera to Laura, when he wants to capture it a tall body blocked the view of Laura.
"What the bloody hell! Why is Sebastian standing there! I can't capture her!" Whispered Bard in more annoyed to saw Sebastian blocked Laura from the camera.
On the other side, Sebastian knew that the servants will do something to Laura too. That is why he stood near Laura to protect her. He smirked when he heard whispers between the servants.
"Sebastian, is there something wrong?" Sebastian looked at Laura who closed the book and looked at him with confused face.
"It's nothing, Laura." He answered with close eyed smile, and he remembered to do his final chore in library, arranging the flowers. Sebastian looked at the flowers, noticing the colors were plain. He grabbed his handkerchief and he made it into a red rose putting it into the vase with the other white flowers, making it stand out among them made the servants who hid behind the shelf amazed.
Sebastian looked at Laura who saw the 'magic' show earlier in awe, made him chuckled and he took out another red rose then gave it to Laura. "For you, my beautiful lady."
Laura blushed while she looked at the rose and she smiled. "Thank you Sebastian." She said as she accepts the rose.
"You're welcome." Sebastian replied. "Laura, would you like to have a strawberry sponge cake and tea?" He asked with genuine smile.
"Of course, I would love to have it." She said smiling at him and she stood up from the armchair to put the book back to shelf with Sebastian's help, and then they left the library leaving the servants who still hiding and they decided to take Yvet's picture.
Mean while in the other room, Yvet was changing the tablecloth in a room. Suddenly, Finny came in with a billiard table, hoping he would not notice. "Watch out!" He warned. But Yvet just sighed and moves out of the way holding a red tablecloth up. The billiard table went passed it like a bull, and Finny fell outside on the ground.
"So annoying... It just like I'm working with my lady's servants. But these people are bit worse than them." Thought Yvet as he put the tablecloth neatly on the table, and leaved the room.
While Sebastian was in the butler room, Ciel called for him. Upon hearing him, he entered his master's study room. "Is there something you want?" Sebastian asked.
"It's untied." Ciel answered.
Sebastian saw Ciel's bow tie was loose. "Understood." He replied, and he began to tie the bow back. At that time, Mey rin and Bard were about to capture Sebastian's picture, but the butler turned his head to the window once he was done and opened it. Luckily, the two servants escaped, but their attempts failed again.
"How the hell are we going to get that pictures?!" Bard said angrily. "Why do we have to work so hard to take three measly photographs?!" Continued him annoyed as Sebastian came in through the door.
"I have a job for you three." He said. "All of you please remove the demon hound from the front of the mansion for a guest who will be coming. Because, that thing looks offensive." He explained.
"Yes, sir." Said the servants and they went out do Sebastian's order, but when they lead Pluto away from the manor for a while, Pluto struggled and used his ability to breathe a fire at Finny made him cry and Pluto went back to the manor before he slept in front of the manor.
Laura was walking outside of the manor as she saw Pluto slept made her smile. "He is cute when he is asleep." Thought her with giggle and she saw a black cat walking by. "Oh, hello~ what are you doing here little kitty?" She said with a smile and held the cat which earning happy meowed made Laura blushed at the cuteness and hugged it lightly. "So cute~"
She played with the black cat, while Pluto woke up and sat near her. She didn't realized, three servants were hid behind the bush near Pluto to get her picture. "Alright! Let's take her picture now!" Whispered Bard and he began to point out the camera to Laura who sat on the ground smiling while she played with the cat.
SNAP
Laura blinked her eyes and looked around "Hm? What is that sound?" She looked around again to find nothing while still sat on the ground hugged the cat.
Yvet and Sebastian were walking outside of the manor, and Yvet glared at Sebastian who smirked at him and he got more annoyed to remember about their 'game' earlier.
Flashback : On~-
Sebastian was cleaning the fireplace and changes the coal. When he cleaned the inside of the fireplace before put a new coal, Yvet walked in silent went closer to him with a pink eyes tried not get caught. Yvet saw a fireplace poker behind Sebastian and he smirked.
"What if I stab him with this poker? I wonder what kind of face he will make..." Thought Yvet grinned as he took a fire poker and went closer before he started too lifted poker in his arm and began to want to stab Sebastian right in his heart. But suddenly, Sebastian blocked the poker with a fireplace shovel before the poker stabbed him.
"Oh my, oh my... Your Majesty. You know that it's cheating if you do that from behind." Said Sebastian fake smiled as Yvet pulled the poker away.
"Your response improved, I'm impressed. But I still want to stab you so badly until you die, so my mistress won't get flirted by you anymore." Said Yvet mocked smile at Sebastian. "How about we play a game like three hundred years ago? If you can stab me with your weapon, you can ask me anything. That is if you can stab me, remember... You can't stabbed me three hundred years ago and always lose."
Sebastian smirked with his crimson eyes changed into pink, "So, one knife is one request for you?" He asked while he took out his silver knife and still holding a fireplace shovel on his left arm.
"You can say that. Now let's begin, shall we." Said Yvet smirked with pink eyes before Sebastian started to throw his knife to his heart, but Yvet avoided it easily made the knife stabbed the wall.
Suddenly Yvet stood in front of Sebastian and tried to stab him again, but Sebastian blocked the attack again with shovel before he step back, and then he immediately threw another silver knife.
"Nice throw, but still too slow." Said Yvet as he grabbed the knife easily, and he threw it back to Sebastian and stabbed his left shoulder, made Sebastian let go the shovel from his hand. "See, that is how you throw a knife Sebastian."
Sebastian looked at the knife as he pulled out from his left shoulder and smirked. "Thank you for the lesson, your majesty." Yvet smirked and charge at him with a poker on his hands as Sebastian charged at him too with a silver knife on his hand. The butlers smiled widely as they charged at each other, and began to stab each other right on their clavicles.
Yvet stared at Sebastian and sighed before he grinned. "Hmph, I impressed you can stab me twice after a hundred years ago." He said while looked at Sebastian's hands held the knives which on his clavicle and the other one on waist.
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. I'm honored." Said Sebastian and he pulled out the knives from Yvet's body at the same time as Yvet pulled out poker from Sebastian's clavicle. "Now, what are your requests, my dear weakling friend?" Asked Yvet sarcastically, and Sebastian just put a fake smile.
"My first request is. Starting tomorrow, I want you to be my replacement, just for a day. Your Majesty." Sebastian said with a close eyed smile.
"And what will you do when I'm working as your replacement?"
"I will be working as Laura's butler until the end of the day." Replied Sebastian with a smile.
Yvet started too glared at Sebastian, "And will your young little master allow it?" He asked with a hope Ciel won't allow it.
"I allow it..."
The butlers turned around to saw the young Earl of Phantomhive stood near the door and leaned on it. "I think it would be fun for me and Laura... In several ways." He said with a smirked, made Sebastian smirking too.
Yvet glared at both of them with menacing aura and heavy sighed. "Fine, I will do it if that can help me improve my skill as a butler. Now, your second request?" Yvet Asked.
Sebastian smirked, "Please allow me to marry Laura, Your Majesty."
And the result... Yvet gave him a stab right on his heart with poker immediately and yelled at him in anger made Sebastian laughed mockingly at him, while Ciel seemed to having fun looked at the butlers act even he was just rolling his eyes before he went back to his study room.
Flashback : Off~-
"Listen, Sebastian... I accept your first request, but the second one I reject it no matter what! Change it before I burn you into ashes and make my mistress won't see you ever again!" Said Yvet annoyed, and Sebastian just chuckled.
"But you said 'anything' earlier, right. So I won't change my request until you grant it." Sebastian said with an evil smile. Yvet soon regretted his choice of his words and sighed in annoyance.
When they were walking, from far, they saw Laura sitting on the ground humming a song, her back facing them.
"My lady, what are you doing here? You shouldn't sit on the ground. Your dress would be dirtied." Said Yvet when he heard a 'meow' sound from his mistress.
Laura turned around to saw two butlers behind her while she hugged the black cat. "Oh, I'm just playing with this cat. Isn't it cute, Yvet?" Asked Laura smiled innocently as she showed the cat to Yvet.
Yvet twitched with annoyance, while Sebastian had a light shade of pink on his cheeks. "Yes, the cat is cute, my lady. But we can't keep this cat, because this cat already had an owner." Said Yvet as he pointed at Sebastian.
"I see, sorry kitty. We can't keep you. Because Sebastian is already own you." Said Laura while hugged the cat lightly made Yvet bit jealous while Sebastian smiled at Laura lovingly. Suddenly, in envious, Pluto returns to his human form before he grabbed the cat and threw it, and he cling to her.
Laura surprised for a seconds and giggled. "There, there..." She said, soothingly with a warm smile while Pluto licked her face. Yvet who saw that, immediately pulled Laura from Pluto and hugged her in protection way like an older brother.
Meanwhile, the servants came into Ciel's study room with nothing, but blurry photos of Sebastian and Yvet.
"Sorry master!" They exclaimed.
"B-But we did get a picture of Lady Laura, young master!" Said Finny.
"You three can show me her picture after you done take Sebastian's and Yvet's pictures." Said Ciel sighed.
"Bard thought of a good plan, yes!" Mey rin mentioned.
"I thought of it when I saw Pluto breathe fire." Bard said.
"Absolutely no flamethrowers!" Ciel said annoyed. Then, suddenly Lau came into the study out from nowhere.
"Earl!" He greeted.
"What are you doing here Lau?" Ciel asked.
"I heard you were up to something interesting." Lau said smiling at Ciel.
"Go home." Said the young earl with cold voice.
"Don't be so cold. Why not try leaving this up to me?" Said Lau.
"Huh?" Ciel looked over with wide eyes.
"The spider's web has already been placed. The more they struggle, the more impossible it will be to escape. No prey could ever stand a chance, once they get involved with me." He said with a dark voice.
Ciel sighed, "Very well. However, failure won't be tolerated. No matter what."
"But of course. If I sullied the Phantomhive name, I will be booted out of this country." Lau said with a smile. "So, what are we doing?" The three servants fell on the floor while Ciel had a giant irk mark on his head.
That evening, Sebastian welcomed the guest, Paul Jones from the Brit Business Company. When they went upstairs, Ran Mao sitting on the ledge of the opening stairway. The other servants were below her with fans and Bard held the camera, while Lau and Ciel waited behind the pole for Sebastian.
"Alright, almost there." Lau said getting ready to do his signal for the servants and Ran Mao. Paul Jones drew his attention and blushing towards Ran Mao who do many sexy poses to distract Sebastian.
"What is this?" Ciel asked in confusion as Sebastian walked along ignoring Ran Mao.
"Hm? How odd. I was sure even that butler would look at this." Lau said in confusion.
Ciel face palmed, "I was fool for believing in you for even an instant." He complained at Lau.
After Sebastian called the guest and left, Yvet shows up with a tea cart walked toward to the kitchen. Ciel, Lau and the servants saw him and smirked.
"Hmm... If we can't take that butler's attention. Let's take Lady Laura's butler picture then." Lau said and Ciel with his servants agreed.
Yvet who can hear them from afar, just sighed and chose to ignore them. Suddenly, Ran Mao charged toward him, and hugged his arm tightly until Yvet's arm between her big breasts.
"Miss Ran Mao, what are you doing if I may ask?" Yvet asked with bored look on his face.
"My, oh my... It seems, my little sister Ran Mao have a crush on you, Mr. Butler" Lau said walking toward Yvet, while Ciel and his servants hiding behind the pillar with a camera pointed out at Yvet. "How about you take my sister as your wife, Mr. Butler?" He asked with close-eyed smile.
Yvet just use his fake smiled at Lau. "It's an honor, to have a beautiful lady like Ms. Ran Mao as my wife. But..." Yvet pushed Ran Mao gently from his arm and fake smiled, "I'm a butler. That is why I don't deserve a beautiful girl like her, Mr. Lau." He continued.
SNAP!
"That is too bad. Well, if there is a change in your heart, you can talk to me about it."
"Yes, someday , if the time is right. Now, if you excuse me. I need to prepare a tea and sweets for my mistress's afternoon tea." Said Yvet as he bowed to Lau, and went in to the kitchen with a tea cart.
"Yeah! We got it!" Said Bard and the other servants cheered, now there is just one picture they must take now, Sebastian's picture.
While Sebastian and Tanaka were handling Paul, and the servants with Lau are waiting outside. Ciel was in his study room alone while thinking something.
"To stop that thing for ten seconds... I need to use her." He sighed. "Even though it's dangerous for her and me... But this is the last choice I must choose." He said with a sad look on his face. "Laura... Please forgive me, for using you. I hope you are going to be okay..." He thought with a sad face. However, Sebastian who already done his meeting with the guest, stood outside Ciel's study room with Yvet knowing Ciel's plan. They both stared each other for a while, and Yvet just sighed before he walked to where his mistress waiting for her afternoon tea. "You better protect her, because you must give me a proof first before you become my replacement as her butler tomorrow." Yvet said before he gone, and Sebastian bowed with a smile. "Yes, Your Highness."
Meanwhile, Laura sat on the chair at the dining room drinking rose tea when Yvet served a treats. "Today's tea snack, I have prepared the Devil Dog Cake from our trip to Houndsworth." Said Thomas after put the treats in front of his mistress. Laura sweat dropping while looking at the cake.
"This cake is unique... Why is there something like this?" She asked while picking a cake up with a fork.
"It seems that, Lord Ciel's servants brought it an insane quantity of it." He explained while stood beside Laura.
"I see, well... I think we can bring it few for the twins and the others when we're leaving tomorrow." Laura said before she ate the cake.
"Oh, I apologize for forget to tell you something, My Lady. Tomorrow, Sebastian will become your butler as my replacement for a day." Said Yvet, made Laura surprised and confused.
"Why? Tell me the reason why he will work as your replacement?"
"Because this is his request after successfully made me hurt." He answered.
"Hurt you?" Laura tilted her head in confusion, and Yvet started to explain the reason why Sebastian will work as his replacement. After heard the explanation, Laura just giggled and lightly sighed.
"Well, that is your own fault not to choose right words. But, I think it is okay for him to work as my butler for a day. Because it seems, it will be fun in several ways." She said with teasing smile. Yvet just sighed, and he kissed Laura's head made her blush.
"Yvet... What are you doing?! Why are you kissing my head?" She asked blushed, and Yvet chuckled.
"Because it is fun to see your reaction, My Lady." Yvet answered with a smirk. "Because I love you... That's why." He thought while he looked at his mistress still blushed and sighing.
"My lady... Please call me, if he did anything bad to you. I don't want you to get hurt, especially your soul..." Said Yvet worried. Laura just smiled and patted his head.
"It's funny to see you, a demon worried about me like an older brother. It's alright, I will be careful Yvet. So don't worry okay." She said with a warm smile, made Yvet smiled at her too.
"But... It's really funny to hear that you play a 'game' with Sebastian. You two are just like brothers~" She said without realizing she showed her innocent genuine smile as she giggled. Yvet who heard that just sweat dropping and heavy sighed, he can't angry at his mistress because he didn't want to lose her smile.
Skip time~~ *dancing*-
At night in the guest's room, Laura opened her eyes bit panic from her sleep and she got up from her position. "That dream..." She lifted up her fringe as she sighing. When she wanted to sleep again, she heard Pluto's howl from the outside. "Guess I can't sleep if he keeps howling like that..." She thought as she got up from her bed and decided to go outside until she felt sleepy. When she went outside to the garden in her night gown, she saw Ciel standing in the middle of his garden.
"Ciel? Why is he standing there?" She thought and she walked toward him, when suddenly she shocked to saw a headless angel statue was heading toward Ciel from behind. She immediately ran in panic toward Ciel.
"Ciel! Get away from there!" She shouted, but Ciel ignore it. She ran faster and hugged Ciel tightly for protection as she closed her eyes tightly, waiting for an impact but the impact didn't come.
Laura opened her eyes, and she found herself with Ciel laying on the ground on her back. She saw someone who is revealed as Sebastian pinned her and Ciel down as the statue landed on his back, but he did not budge or feel the pain.
"Are you hurt, Laura?" Sebastian asked in soft voice and worried.
"I'm alright, Sebastian. But, I should be the one who worried about you. Are you alright? specially your back." She said more worried.
"You don't have to worry about me. After all, I am one hell of a butler." He said with a smile.
Laura just smiled as she sighed, and then she remembered about Ciel who still in her hug. "Ciel, are you alright? You not hurt?" She asked worriedly as she got up from her position and let him go from her hug.
"I'm alright, Laura. Thank you for protecting me." Ciel answered with a little smile on his face, and Laura sighed in relief.
SNAP!
The servants immediately ran to the dark room, and develop the photos with excitement.
"We finally got the photos!" Bard exclaimed proudly.
"At last we will see the fruits of our hard day's labour." Finny said with a happy look on his face.
"The young master will be happy, yes he will!" Mey rin said, and she saw the photographs started showing something. "Oh, it start to show something, yes it is!" She continued with excitement, as Finny and Bard started to look at Laura's photograph first with Mey rin. But before they can see it further, Pluto came to the room made the servants confused.
"Plu-Plu?" Finny asked but Pluto just growled at him and the others, and he grabs Laura's photograph from the servants immediately.
"Hey! That's-". Before Bard continue his words, Pluto blew a fire on them, ruining the other photos which still in the process. Once he was done, he ran out and met up with Sebastian and Yvet.
"Good. It looks like Sebastian and I could get used to you." Yvet said with a smirk.
"The photo now, please." Said Sebastian, Pluto gave the photo from his mouth to Sebastian before he got his favorite treat from Yvet, and then gnaw it happily.
"My, oh my... Look at this photo, Your Majesty." Said Sebastian with a smirk as he showed the photo of Laura with the person... No, two persons she cared about the most, who were also "not of this world... Sebastian Michaelis and Yvet Remdolt.