Janus — The Heirs, He Who Wishes To Wear the Crown, Endure Its Weight
-Phantomhive Manor Murder Case Arc-
Chapter XXXVI:
Sherlock
Title: Janus (Sequel to 'A Kiss To My Prince and The King 2 Hearts)
Summary: The light turns on at a dark street, I'm wondering around to find something again. The unfamiliar darkness is all that remains in my hand. This world approached me with an unfamiliar face, everything was taken from me by that first glance; I have changed, this have switched everything. Run away, disappear far away, give me back the lost time, I ask of you. Any time, any fate – it's a rough road that won't end though I'm ripped apart and in pain, I will smile, watch me, I promise. I will win and win and smile, watch me. I ask of you.
Pairing: Sebastian x OC x Ciel with Claude x OC x Alois!
"My name is Yuri Park. There was an incident and I woke up in 1887. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. I decided to stay in this world...and this is my story."
Thank you guys for those who reviewed and alerted my other story: 'A Kiss To My Prince' and 'The King 2 Hearts':
'A Kiss To My Prince'
AquilasKiss- Yes, you are my 500th reviewer! Thank you! Since I can't actually give you a prize for being my half a thousand reviewer haha, here is the invisible gift of my thank in the form of Sebastian wrapped in ribbons...naked! To answer your question, the spider is actually Claude (he's a spider demon) and yes, that is the symbolism of Alois soon début!
Shadow demon Kitsune- As long as you enjoyed my story, it is alright~! I hoped my new sequel is to your liking :)
woodlandfairykirk- I'm glad you find the story good! Hope you enjoy my new story as well!
'The King 2 Hearts'
Guest- Yep, the segment of my sequel is finished and here is the next, new sequel for it!
Paxloria- Yep, check out the story~!
UNICORNSPOORAINBOWS- Ciel is masculine, isn't he XD in the manga, he is becoming more and more masculine I have noticed so why not show it in the story too! I hope this story is another magical yummy food!
AquilasKiss- OMG I feel like I achieved the impossible! So glad my story was that impactful to you! Hope you enjoy the second chapter of Janus~!
'Janus'
darkangel- My friend Lea is from Germany! She told me about the Christmas market in Germany and how it can't be compared to the UK ones, next year we are going there together. Only £50 to airport in Berlin, it's not alot so we made a promise to go there! Woah, exam?! I hope you done really well in the exam..mine's in January *Nervous and stressed. My favourite quote, there's loads but my particular fav is by:
Rose Kennedy, "It has been said that time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue, and the pain lessens, but it is never gone."
Oh and to answer your question about the zombie slayer Yuri, yes! OMG DEFO! 100% It'll be hilarious too hahahaha! Wait for it! XD
Enchanted Elf- I really love the Sherlock Arc too! Mental high five! Well, soon it will be Sebastian and Claude time hehehehe, I'm glad you loved the chapter~! To your question, Sebastian says if Yuri were to dismiss him, he would gladly do so even if it were to hurt him because she is the 'master' of his heart; his selflessness is slowly showing keke!
sleepy kirby- Hahaha even if they became a demon, they are still in fact a child LOL! Poor Sebby but don't worry, he will soon be rewarded for his 'patients' hehe! For Claude, well you'll see.
VampireSiren- I really love writing that part of Alois and Ciel with Yuri too! Every girls dream~!
sebby-fan- Yes, yes, there will be some Claude and Sebastian; I just need a good timing to insert them in it hehehehe! Well, since I'm trying to stick to the manga most of the scenes will be accurate and based but I'd suggest you read the manga because they are sooo good!
Cereza101- I wonder how 0.0 will be when you see Claude and Sebastian's version kekekekeke!
LaChaTa2- Well it's quite a late update but I hope you like this chapter. Seems those scenes of blood sharing made quite an impact haha!
ShizukaRen-Hime- Hahaha this is my favourite arc too! Well, I'm glad you love this sequel and hope you enjoy this chapter :)
Illusa- Hahahaha I feel your enthusiasm! I'm glad you loved the previous chapter keke! I'm fine well not really. I have 4 important exams in January and I'm on verge of mental breakdown ㅠㅠ how about you? I'm sure you have better day than me...OTL
Dark Void Princess 21- Well, I'm going up as far as the Public School Arc and future chapters yet to be released until I find a good time to end them :)
LufenCrosszeria- Yes, apparently it's illegal to kill your own brother...sad. My uncle is jail guard in Korea, maybe I could ask them to transfer me to there haha! Yes, Alois is sane! Yayyy! OMFG, Ciel's dad is hawt! I means it's wrong but c'mon! Ciel is defo younger image of Vincent XD I want dog and cats LOL! It'll be like having both Ciel and Sebastian hahaha! I have an allergy to cats so I'm gonna need to take allergy tablet if I do get them but they are worth it! LOL, Claude still giving you the creep vibes...me too to be honest haha! Well, if Yuri is the one who is found dead...heaven help the Earth. 4 angry demons out for bloods...
Yugao702- I'm sure you will warm up to Alois and Claude being alive hehehehe! OMG LOL! You and I have such similarities! I threw a laptop at my brother but sadly it was the laptop that died and my bro was fine. What?! He was caught on fire?! Man...that must have been a sight...how the hell did he got caught on fire?! He could have died! o Wait, what's happening?! What is your brother doing?! Yugao702?! Yugao702?! You read?! I'm calling the police!
xXxStrawberryJamxXx- XD I'm sure you can marry the story! LOL hahaha wow, it must have worried your mum LOL! That's exactly what my mum think when I bounce around and giggling like some crazy woman hahaha!
chibiamu- Oooh, really?! On Ciel's birthday? That's actually clever LOL! Homeworks...I understand. I die a little everytime I even hear the word homeworks..ㅠㅠ
ravenscry21- Hahahahahhahaha your comment made my day! XD Yes he is a perv! UGH! LOL battle between Ciel and Alois is like seeing immature parent asking their child who's their favourite LOL!
Katherine S- The chapter portraying Sebastian, Yuri and Claude will be there soon! Hehehehe.
In the manga, Arthur Wordsmith is an author/eye doctor who wrote Kuroshitsuji version of Sherlock. And the author of the Sherlock is pretty famous so yes, with the story he writes of Phantomhive Manor Murder Case, he releases more novel based on that.
Yuri is actually a commoner, even I am. My friend who takes economics learned from the class unless you're like Royalty or Noble (Blue blood), we are actually all classified as commoners, middle class included. I thought peasant and commoner were same thing until she told me they were very, very different; commoner stands for common people as in us, ordinary people.
Unless Yuri gets an official title from the Queen as in get knighted by the Queen, she is in fact still a commoner. What Alois meant by body of lower class but the mind of aristocrat, means in 19th Century low class aka commoners and peasants, did not get any to little education in which the 19th Century is infamous for so to make Arthur understand since he doesn't know Yuri is from 21st Century where many people has equal rights and more education are available and Arthur is surprised by Yuri's manner and etiquette that seemed uncommon for the commoners him included, Alois is saying although she posses body of a lower class name only, she has an intelligent of aristocrat aka Nobles who were well educated thus more intelligent. So yes, the lower class in name only.
The quote, "She has the face of most beautiful woman and mind of most absolute of men" is actually a quote from Sherlock Holmes short story, 'A Scandal In Bohemia' when they were describing the character Irene Adler. If she were to change to demoness, she'd probably go through some physical changes in her sense wise e.g better eye sights, sensitive hearing etc and minor appearance change to suit the immortality but not much.
You see, in the manga, the murder was actually all staged and plotted by the Queen herself! If she were to change that, it may change the whole story and the outcomes to which she doesn't know what will happen so she wants to stay on the safe side and let the story flow until she get the chance to change some minor details.
lovelyanimeangel- Thank you! Love your profile pic of cosplay! XD Pink hair seemed Sakura and the school uniform reminds me of Ouran High School Host Club. Enjoy this chapter~! Oh and btw love your profile name!
Paxloria- Well, Claude and Sebastian were at the lounge with other guests so their alibi checks out except the trouble maker trio. I'm glad you like the arc chapter hehe! It's my fav!
Wonderwomanbatmanfan- Hahahaha, yes she has! Well I hope you find this chapter as good as the last one!
vnguyen95- Yes, THE quote! XD I just love that short novel! Irene character is really a unique one too! I'm glad you love the manga arc and the chapter for this! Well, her intellectual observation will surely put the new meaning of intelligent haha!
dxlmao- Hahahha omfg the demon sex! Well, Ciel is in for a shock later when Hannah teaches him some demon etiquette!
StrawberryJam- Wow, your day dreams sounds so adventurous! Normally, my day dream involves why I can't live a life of a movie where they don't really show about education cuz some villain was in middle of world domination and all the building broke down and that..and yes, you are so right! Yuri is going to inspire the character Irene!
blue polkadot- Oh wow, you put that same thought to me...it will be so weird...I mean...so...weird...speaking Korean...what?!
xPoisonedBlueRose13x- Yep, I live in UK and the weather is CRAZY! Is there some kind of weather asylum?! Me and my mum had to retrieve our laundry like five times because it was raining then stopped then raining then stopped then raining awejlfjewif!
nabila-nobody- I'm glad I gave Ciel his growth spurt too! OMFG, if God gives you 4 men, who am I to argue LOL! I'd lock them in my private room to have them for myself! XD I'm glad you liked the chapter! Kekekekeke! The dropping blood, drinking demon blood has healing properties which is why Alois gave her blood to heal faster and replenish the lost blood. Also, exchanging blood is aka DEMON SEX!
Janus, I explained it at the first chapter, in Roman mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god (probably a symbol of the sun and the moon) looking opposite direction since he looks to the future and the past. The month of January was named in honour of Janus by the Romans.
If you more questions, ask! Don't hesitate! I wouldn't want my dear reader get confused :) OMFG, when Doctor Who ends, I'm sure my friend's world would end too not to mention mine because she'll bring me into it.
asiangmaniac626- I'm a Sherlock Holmes' fan too! I loved the films, the one with Robert Downey Jr LOL! Funny as hell too! To your question, she was born into a normal household aka commoner (Meaning common people) and what Alois is saying while she has the body of normal people in name only, her mind is as intelligent as aristocrat because Arthur Wordsmith doesn't know Yuri is from the future where people have equal education and in the 19th Century, not lots of common people did but Nobles had prestigious education thus more 'intelligent'. That's what Alois is saying, she has the mind of educated Noble in a body of lower class.
I love Greek mythology, I actually have manga version of Greek mythology and for the title Janus, I listened to the boy band 'Boyfriend' Janus song and I knew it was a Roman God but I didn't know what kind of God he was and I found out he was God of time and beginning; I thought it suited this story since it's start of beginning and transition.
I love 'A Scandal in Bohemia'! It's where Irene makes her début! Yes, the scene of triple blood sharing was fangasmic wasn't it! XD I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm going to make Claude and Sebastian version too in the future chapters! And of course, they are super jealous LOL!
Kitana Lunara- Hahaha I'm same when it comes to reading manga! Just do it in the computer! I'm too lazy to go to the book shop to buy them and sometimes, they don't even have the volumes so, God bless the internet!
Lovely-Dark-Shadows- Although it was little late, here is the chapter update, hope you enjoy this! Oh, and I made your profile pic as my phone wall paper and my friends was like, 'OMG THAT'S SO CUTE! SHE'S LIKE AN ANIME VERSION OF SNOW WHITE!' I even had to send them the picture via bluetooth because they wanted it!
TnJung21- I'm so glad you love my stories! Here is the chapter! Merry Christmas!
The Velvet Ash- Yep, you are 100% right~! Yuri is the inspiration for Irene! And I love the quotes too! It's genius!
finalfan21- I'm glad you love the blood drinking scenes! Kekekeke, cuz Claude and Sebastian versions are coming up soon!
IvoryGlass- Yes, the story continues! Well, the moment he became a demon, every imperfections when he was a human e.g cat allergies disappeared :) So I guess, it's only Yuri who has the allergy to cats. I don't know if I made that clear over my other stories about Yuri's dislike and likes and such but yes, she does have allergy to cats but not severe.
Guest- Thank you for reviewing! I don't know if I'm right but did you also reviewed my other Twilight fanfiction too? I apologise if I'm wrong but I don't know, I just get this feeling! Anywhoo, enjoy this chapter!
kat- Hi, Kat! I'm sorry for late update but I wanted to update this chapter on Christmas day as a nice present! Merry Christmas!
A/N:
OMG MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year guys! My failed attempt at Christmas tree and snow man OTL:
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Hope you have an amazing Christmas and presents! And have a day filled with joy and happiness!
*Big huugggg* xoxox
This chapter contains: 5th Arc of Kuroshitsuji manga 'Phantomhive Manor Murder Case Arc' chapter 40.
"There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough, and liked it, never really care for anything else." Ernest Hemingway
"Lord Siemens."
"Young master." The crow demon acknowledged, his eyes momentarily narrowing at my appearance with the three.
"He...he's dead!" Horror stricken looks filled the guests face, Lau and Ran-Mao had stoic and bored expression while Ciel, Sebastian and Alois had thoughtful looks. I felt a sneaking presence appearing behind me and saw it was Claude who had smelt the blood. His hand seemed to sway between feather like touch on my back and not touching.
"What did you say?!" Carl Woodley looked up from tending fainted Phelps.
"Oh my..." Irene brought her hands up to her mouth to hide her gaped mouth, shivering at such sights. I looked at the younger Charles, his brows furrowed, lip pursed and breath hold. A typical sign of being nervous, disgust around the nose and mouth, contempt and anger.
"What was that scream just..." Bardroy confusedly muttered, stepping into the dark room until he saw what all the commotion was about, "Woah!"
"I-Is this person dead?" Finnian's tone wavered in shock, the prospect of murder happening under his nose, in the manor was the last thing on the gardener's mind.
"Yes..." The author confirmed, uneasy, "Most likely the blood loss from the wound on his chest was fatal. I can't be certain because it's dark but..."
Bardroy wiped away the sweats that was forming on his temple furiously, one would think it was a nervous trigger from the incident but it was something else other than the shock that was catalyst for the sweats, "Isn't it kinda hot in this room?"
"Yes, it is." Sebastian told, he noticed it straight away from his demonic sense but he had discarded the detail. The butler gestured his head to the fireplace, flames crackling silently, "I heated up the room beforehand but...maybe he was cold."
"A..anyway, we should't move anything until the Yard arrives." Grimsby proposed, wishing to no further get deeper into the current situation.
"No." The chief disagreed, "It'd be better if we move the body now." There was a certain coldness in his voice that hid the feeling he was experiencing. His past.
"Huh?" The gardener looked up in question.
"I can't say it any nicer than this...meat rots faster than you might think. Even if we turn off the fire now, time will be up before you know it if he stays next to the hearth." If there was one thing he learned from his past life as a solider other than the true evilness and the trauma of war behind all those so called 'victorious glory' was his constant time surrounded by his death comrades and friends, you find yourself watching them rot without a burial; their blood and bodies are still buried in that muddy earth.
"Rot..you say." Irene's weak knee finally gave out, her lover quickly reaching out to support her breaking existence with close call.
I gently dipped my finger into his bloody wound, Irene chocked with gasp, almost staggering in verge of fainting as I saw her eyes were closing. Rubbing the rusty liquid between my fingers, his blood was dry it turned into small crunchy rocks.
Well blood dries faster once it hits the air and if it is this dry, it's almost rock like...
"How long had it been before he excused himself?" I asked to the group.
"An hour or two." Claude informed.
"If he had been death for that amount of time, his skin would get purple and the lips, finger and toe nails fade to a pale colour or white as the blood leaves. But he's still bleeding, although almost barely." I motioned my bloody fingers.
"Then we must call for the physician until the Yard get's here." Grimsby suggested nervously.
"But, I'd think the Yard won't be showing up for awhile." Lau trotted toward the curtained window, parting the silk material to show the raging storm, "Seeing as there is quite the storm?"
"So you mean we cannot leave here either?!" Woodley fearfully interjected.
"Why do you ask that now?" The Chinese man shrugged carelessly, "It's fine right, everyone was meant to stay over anyway."
"Like you can call this fine! I'm not staying at a place where a murder took..." Woodley argued. And for a good reason too.
"Indeed." Lau noted calmly, "We surely are on the shores of a deserted island right now. It almso means that there is a good chance the killer is still inside the mansion."
"Now that you mention it..." Charles Grey suddenly interjected into the conversation, "If you think about it logically, wouldn't the killer be one of us then?" Telling a whit lie so he won't look incriminating later on, doesn't he know many murders try to interject themselves into the case? Or the fact they are always the one who tries to divert the attention away from them.
"Wha.." Gasps of hysteria echoed throughout the room before becoming defensive at the accusation.
"Why us?!" Grimsby shouted, "This isn't a joke!"
"That's right!" Carl Woodley joined.
From now, all stop, whomever it is." Author asked, "No one can leave this scene." Don't be nervous in this explicit situation.. He thought to himself, Do not miss even a single trembling breath of theirs.
"The suspect is in here." Author stated, "No one can leave; you and I, or anyone."
Ciel and Alois stood quietly, contemplating the situation calmly while Claude and Sebastian looked quite bothered by the fact they were whirled into such bothersome composition.
"Well first of all, we only just met each other..." Arthur muttered helplessly, his moment of confidence gone when realising there cannot be any murder without solid motives.
"Ah!" A feminine voice blurt out in realisation.
"Lady Diaz?" Sebastian inquired, noting the thoughtful look on the opera singer's face.
"When we first arrived the door was locked, right?" Irene asked to Mey-Rin.
"Now that you mention it, yes it was." She confirmed.
Satisfied at her confirmed suspicion, "So wouldn't it be likely that someone broke in through the window, locked the door to leave time for an escape and then went back out of the window again?"
Grey walked over, examining the carpet which was dry and pulling the handle of the windows hard as it rattled against his force.
"But if you came in through this kind of rain...wouldn't you leave footprints? Not to mention that this room is on the second floor. And the window were locked."
The opera director rubbed his chin in thoughts, "So...someone locked it from the hallway and escaped that way after all..."
"That is unlikely." Sebastian held up a small, elongated key, "The keys for this mansion all go with the original ward locks from when this mansion was first built. They are complex pieces so it is unlikely that someone other than a craftsman could make an imitation."
"Furthermore, These keys have all been locked away in a safe. The only copy of the key that opens the safe is in the possession of the butler, me. Therefore the keys stored there can't be taken." The butler turned his head toward the lock that was still attached with no visible break in, "Also, in order for it to be locked simply from the inside, other than the ward lock there is also a latch attached to the door. In a situation where the key cannot be taken out of the safe, there is the possibility of locking from the room from the inside only. In the other words...this is a locked room murder."
Kinda reminds me of Detective Conan, I miss watching the episodes. The manga isn't even finished too..
The diamond polishing president's mouth gaped open, "Preposterous...we're not in a novel!"
Ciel yawned in boredom, "If anyone published this kind of crude locked room drama they'd surely get complaints."
"Eh?"
Ciel smirked toward the writer, "Wouldn't you agree Mr. Wordsmith?"
"Eh..ah!" His head shot up at the thoughts that entered his mind, the word was a stressor that triggered a desired response, "That's right... surely if you used those..."
"What's that?" Lau inquired.
"A needle and thread." Alois nodded in agreement.
"Needle and..." Grimsby trailed off.
"Thread?" Woodley finished the sentence, equally curious.
"Like Sebastian says, the only way to lock the door is from the inside, but if you use a needle and thread you could easily do it form the outside." Ciel explained to the oblivious guests, "It works like this...first you jab the needle and thread in the door somewhere to hold the latch in place. Then you pull the thread down under the door and go outside of the room. Finally, if you pull the thread carefully to avoid breaking it and manage to pull out the needle..."
"The latch will close and you'll be able to lock it. Then if you pull the needle and thread through the crevice under the door, you won't leave any evidence behind either. So with the needle and thread, cleaning up is easy also. In mystery novels it's the oldest trick in the book, not to mention plain and boring. However, the criminal isn't looking to write a mystery novel of course, it's more like he's trying to create a realistic smoke screen or something."
"That sure does explain the locked room murder but..." Lau tilted his head.
"It also means anyone could be the killer..." The moment the euphemistic words left Arthur's lip, people became once more defensive, Grismby wrapped his arms around Irene's tiny form, "It definitely wasn't us! It was someone else!"
"It wasn't me either!" Woodley added with equally strong protest. They were all pointing blames and shifting fingers which is a typical disaster outcomes.
"A...Amongst all of us, aren't you the most suspicious! You had a fight with the Lord at the buffet didn't you!" Woodley pointed with an accusing finger.
"Don't make false accusation you old man!" Grimsby spat out, "Like I'd kill someone over that!" They were all pointing fingers and shifting blames which is a typical disaster outcomes.
"Overall, you're the one that's..."
"Now, now you two." Lau chided the two immature men, "Let's calm down and hear everyone's alibis shall we? Lord Siemens was killed after he had retired to his room...actually, to be precise it was between the time that the Lord rang the servants bell and the time that the butler and co. arrived at his room. If you have an alibi to cover that time you're safe."
"Me and Irene were in the billiards room." Grimsby told, tightening his hand on her shoulder in comfort gesture.
"Yes." Irene nodded.
Grey put up his hand, "I was in there too."
Arthur looked down at fainted ship director, "So were me and Mr. Phelps. For the whole time, from the moment that Lord Siemens went to bed up until the disturbance, we were all in there. During that time, no one left their place either."
"What were you guys doing?" Ciel turned to the odd pair as Lau simply shrugged, "Hm? We were drinking the lounge with Mr. Woodley. Weren't we Ran Mao?"
The said man immediately jumped at the chance of clearing his name, "Right! We were together the entire time before the commotion started. If I remember correctly, after midnight the alcohol ran out and we had the butler fetch us some more right? Yes, I brought it to you at around 12:10."
"U-Us servants were all cleaning up together!" Mey Rin explained, flapping her hands in air vigorously.
"First and foremost, none of us even knew what room Siemens was staying in." Grimsby argued, "To find him in such a large mansion would take quite some time right?!"
"Which means that..." Grey's eyes travelled toward the trio; Ciel, me and Alois.
"Excuse me for asking Earls and Yuri, but what were you three doing at the time?"
"..!" Ciel's brow furrowed in displease while Alois only narrowed his eyes. My head was thinking all sorts of excuses other than I was in my room...'alone'.
"Yuri, you had a little arguments with the Lord in the afternoon yes?" There was a playful tone in Lau's voice, knowing the answer to his question.
"Yes. He assaulted me and I asked him to back off."
"Well, the words you have said to him certainly sounded like a threat."
I smiled, "Yes, to be truthful although I had an urge to kill him," He wasn't dead though. People's brow shot up in surprise and horror, Grey let out a small laugh, "But apparently that's illegal; life's not fair, who am I to argue? Beside, if I were to commit murder with all the knowledge I have regarding which you've seen, Lau, remember? And the fact you men think women are not that clever, they still have common sense and I'd make sure I have an alibi for the time. If I killed everyone who groped me, I'll be setting the world record." Ok, I was only groped like once but that was just an expression.
"So you did want to kill him." He confirmed, so what are we in psychology lesson now?
"Bite me."
Lau laughed, "Was that a invitation? Or one of your invention?"
"You can say my invention. It's basically another word of challenging you."
"Certainly I nor Alois and Yuri do not have an alibi but we don't have any reason to kill the Lord." Ciel suddenly interjected, seeing the words had gone from interrogation to flirt. He knew if he were to say he and Alois was in my room-which was considered forbidden and incriminating to certain things, it would be I mostly to be the victim of Victorian era criticisms.
"Ooooh? Is that soo?" Grey playfully cooed.
"What?" The Phantomhive Earl baleful asked again, his eye flashing red.
"Well you wouldn't say there was no reason at all now would you?" Lau clarified, "Most of the reasons for someone to kill another are reasons inconceivable to other people. It doesn't matter how many times a genius scientist studies it, the psychology of a person is something that cannot be comprehended by other people."
"Besides both Earl's company has a branch in Germany does it not?" The Chinese man further added, "There could have been some memo's outside of the official books with a major bank executive from Germany like him. That's something we don't know anything about though.
"For you information, Mr Lau, my company is more than stable at the moment." All the child like trait in Alois was lost and replaced with stoic and business like looks.
"You're suggesting that my Funtom comapny has some kind of horrible debt? That's absurd!" Ciel sighed, partially regretting why he bothered to invite Lau, known for his rather evil streak.
"It's not an unrealistic story right." Lau continued, "No matter how big a company is, there are times when all of it can vanish overnight."
"Wai...Wait a minute! I don't get all the complicated stuff but..." Tears threatened to fall from Finnian's eyes, "But...young master would never..."
"Finnian." The strict voice cut the gardner's protest, "Enough. Back off." The poor Finnian's head lowered with shoulders slumped weakly.
"I'd like some insurance." Grey leaned against the raining window.
"Insurance?" Irene asked.
"Insurance that we'll get out of here alive."
"What..do you mean by that?" The beautiful singer gestured for him to explain further.
"Well this mansion is currently under the control of a killer you know? And we can't get out until this storm settles down. What if we were all 'gagged' before the storm settles?"
Their faces blanched.
"Well then...let's confine them!" The Chinese Mafia suggested.
"Confinement?! Confinement?! Confine the young master?"
"But he's scary..." Lau whined.
Ciel sighed, "If that makes you feel better go ahead."
"I have no objection." Alois agreed.
"I have objection." But my disagreement went unheard.
"If we're going to confine him it can't be in his own room." Grey told, "Nobles' rooms generally have some kind of secret escape route built in. My place has them too."
Yes, and Christian Grey has red room of pain! I thought with sarcasm. Oh my God...Charles Grey and Christian Grey...their names totally rhyme and make sense too. Maybe they are related(!)
"Well then, we'll keep an eye on them while attending to his.." Sebastian trailed off.
"That won't do." Lau scrutinised the Sebastian and the three servants, "Seeing as you might help the Earl escape right?"
"So in other words, it'd be best if one of the guests would stay with them and keep watch." Grey looked at Grimsby who tightened his embrace around Irene, "No, thank you! Like I'd leave Irene by herself!" Well sharing room with Irene is out.
"I...I just can't." Woodley was out too.
"I don't want to either. But I'd make an exception if Yuri wish to." Lau was defo out. Sorry Lau.
"I'll watch Miss Yuri." Grey volunteered and I stared at him with my brow raised in question. I felt heated gaze on my back from certain four demons but they kept silent, not wanting to make this more worse.
If you consider the situation, the criminal can't be anyone but them...though... Arthur watched the interaction exchanged between the trio, he still remembered how cold Earl Trancy spoke of such thing in unchild-like way that while it suited his mature looks, his age didn't. Perhaps, crime of passion? But only some idiotic criminal from a penny dreadful would commit another crime when there's no one besides himself without an alibi. If he was the criminal...he wouldn't have put himself at a disadvantage by explaining that cheap trick right?
"So." The familiar voice drawled, the author felt a hand gripping his shoulder in rather threatening manner as the cheerful face popped into his vision, "It's up to you Mr. Wordsmith!"
"Wha...WHAT?!"
"Please watch those two carefully so that doesn't escape."
"B-But..." Arthur stuttered out his failing protest, his voice dying little by little at the man's enthusiasm.
"That's right." Grey clicked his thumb and finger, "I have something good stored in my horse carriage. Would you get it for me?" He asked Finnian and Baldroy.
"It looks like this is where we split up." Alois sighed.
"Sebastian." Ciel called, "Escort everyone to their rooms."
"Certainly."
"Claude, you too." Alois ordered as the spider demon silently obeyed.
"Well then everyone let me guide you. This way please."
It would turn into something like this...
"...Sheesh. What an annoying turn of events." The Earl sighed frustrated as Sebastian buttoned the shirt, getting ready to sleep while Arthur had buried his whole face into his hands in agitation while patiently waiting for the two Earl to get dressed for the end of the evening.
"Yes indeed." Sebastian agreed.
The shackles clack against his wrist that was chained to the two Earl.
"Usually I use these escorting cuffs when I capture terrorists at work, since I'm the Queen's secretary officer-since the chains are long you can run them under the bed, just to make sure that no one runs off."
Was what he said..Arthur sighed, wondering how he got into this mess.
"By the way, the room that I prepared for Mr. Phelps was the room next to the aforementioned one. He refused to sleep in there though."
"So I heard." Ciel stretched his arm high, ignoring the bound in his wrist.
"I wanted to assign him a room immediately but only the young mater's room is was available so I took him there. Please forgive me."
"It can't be helped." Ciel's eyes travelled to the crackling fireplace, lazily slumping against the large bed, "It should be cold tonight. Don't let the coke in the rooms go out. Even though I won't be around, be sure to give our guests perfect service."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Well then, let's go to sleep." Ciel lifted the blanket before sliding himself in as Arthur was stationed in the middle while Alois and Ciel was by side to side.
"Have a nice evening, Your Highness." Claude blew out the candle before quietly leaving with the fellow demon.
"Mr Wordsmith?" Ciel broke the pregnant silent.
"...Yes."
"I'm sorry to have involved you in all this. It must have be hard to sleep when you're sleeping next to killers, right?"
"N...Nothing of the sort." He told, "So you two know each other I presume?" He looked at both Alois and Ciel.
"Yes, thanks to Yuri. We learnt there are many common characteristics to both of us." Alois told.
"So Earl Trancy, do you have any younger siblings?" Arthur asked, purely curious.
"I have lost a younger brother at a young age." Was his only saddened answer and the author immediately pinched himself for being so foolish to bring up such a sensitive subjects.
"SSSORRY! I didn't-"
"Please, do not chide yourself. You have not known such things." Alois smiled.
Arthur nodded, "Um...you don't even take off your eye-patch when you sleep, Earl?"
"Hm? No."
Worried frown marred his face, "Maybe I'm being push, but I think you should let it get some air while you sleep at least." His hand went to touch the patch, "It'll heal sooner that way too..."
In instinct, Ciel slapped away Arthur's hand, teeth clenching and anger appearing; this surprised both Ciel, Alois and Arthur at his sudden reaction.
"Ah." Feigning sadness, "This wound...I got it when I lost my family. I don't really want to show it to anyone."
Alois knew the story, of course, the fellow Earl's acting skills were equally as good as his but he knew in this tiny moments, was his most sincere.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" The author panic, immediately regretting his careless words.
"That's ok." Ciel smiled, jumping back down the bed as Alois and Arthur followed the suit, "Now that I think about it...how long has it been since I've slept together with someone like this." Alois smirked, knowing his statement was purely a lie.
"I think the last time was when I was little and on a stormy night like this..." He remembered how he used to childishly cry, poking his head through the master's room to check if he was disturbing his parent's sleep but everytime he opened the door, letting the light shine the comfortable darkness, they would always be ready to accept his little fear with open arms and smile.
"The thunder frightened me so I'd crawl into my parents' bed." But that moment was transferred to Yuri, the time he spent sleeping alone..after Yuri, he didn't know how he survived all these years. To his surprise, he felt a large hand patting his head, opening his closed eyes, he saw Alois was also being petted like a child.
"Mr. Wordsmith?"
Arthur flushed with embarrassment, flapping his hands in the air nervously, "SSSSORY! B..B..Because I have ten siblings and a younger brother around the Earls' age, I just..."
"A little brother.." Alois muttered.
"Um, I didn't mean to make a fool out of you or anything..." He stuttered, feeling more nervous than ever. The author froze a little, seeing similar bitter sweet on both Earls' face that reflected their similar past.
Alois brought the white sheet up to his face, which Ciel followed, "Let's go to sleep already Mr Wordsmith."
"Ah yes."
"Goodnight." Alois smiled at Arthur.
"Good night.."
He stared at the ceiling while he could hear the soft breathing of the Earls, his eyes went to them both.
Really. Can such a small children be a murderer? Really?
Grey pulled the lock in my wrist tightly, glaring at me as I broke the eerie silent, "Do you know how to create a disturbed personality?"
He raised his brow at my question.
"Constant criticism and lack of affection. Works like a charm, that does. I'm staring at one, right now."
At this, his grip froze before roughened to the point it would leave a bruise mark on my wrist, "Shut up."
"Why? Going to poison me?"
The sword was poised at my neck before I could even blink, his silver eyes glaring, "I do not know how you are privy to that information but if you tell a word—"
"I'd have told by now, beside, I just want to let you know you're a really disturbed person." I said, before slapping the sapier much to his surprise, "But don't look at people like they're fools. Hurting people is not what makes you strong. If you call people like that strong, I would rather not be like them."
"In the end, a mere commoners like you have no pride nor power." Grey mocked.
I scoffed, "Things that you buy with money will eventually break. I hope you will change your thinking that commoners' pride can be bought with money. People's hearts can't be bought either. You don't have the right to step on my pride."
"Upon my word, you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person." He stated in surprise.
I smiled at his half complement and half insult, "The rumour has that you could make someone like you in 3 seconds right? But you will never get me because from now on I won't even look at you for 1 second. I dislike you."
The moment a man, who perhaps lived his entire life being worshipped and cooed at with overly superficial favor, told straight out a woman disliked him was not something a Noble men he was was adapted to. This deepened his glare further.
"For your insolence, one more would die tonight."
"You must be so tired and hungry right?" I replied, unfazed, "Living as a god is a hungry thing."
"It is."
I smiled, "I look forward to it. Charles."
The Earl Grey looked over his shoulder as his name left mine with detached gentleness, catching him off-guard.
"You said my name.."
"I did. Why am I too low for your grand name to be said from my lip? Or do you have another code name I don't know of?"
"Hmph!" With that, he twirled and left me alone in the room tied to a bed.
Clop
Clop
Clop
In Sebastian's hand held candle holder, the fire flickering in front of his face as he gracefully moved the dark, silent manor. He silently opened the handle to the murder scene, the carpets was cleaned of blood and the room was scented to cover the blood but he could still smell the lingering scent.
"Well then." His eyes rested on the fireplace, the only source of light, "'Don't let the coke in the hearths go out'...was it."
Bending down, he started to scuffle the remaining waste of woods and ashes until he felt something sharp pinching against his glove, "As I thought...this is..."
A dark figure towered over Sebastian, striking the weapon in his hand at the butler.
"I didn't have anything against them, and they never did anything wrong to me, the way other people have all my life. Maybe they're just the ones who have to pay for it." Perry Smith
A/N: I know the update was late but I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! So I might not be able to update until late January because of my upcoming exams but we'll see! Hope you enjoyed this!
