Chapter 4

"Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate, my lady."

She felt a twinge of amusement as the handsome butler bowed before her. She was thankful that she didn't recognize him. His smile did not betray his innermost thoughts, but rather exuded a servant's submission and a heartwarming welcome. Madam Red intently stared at her from behind is form, promising death if her choice to bring her along ended up being a mistake.

If only I could fear humans ever, she mused with an internal grin.

Seir huffed, tossing her head to the side before bypassing the butler completely and stomping over to her friend's employer. Her voice pitched up in mock anger. "Whatever!"

Angelina's eye twitched in annoyance before addressing Grell. "Come back in a few hours time."

He flustered, glasses threatening to fall as he fumbled with the carriage reins. "Y-yes, my lady!"

With a longing look to Sebastian, which had gone entirely unnoticed by him, the carriage took off down the rocky path. Silently, Arthur held onto her flashy hat and hung behind nervously as the girl clutched Madam Red's arm, determined.

She smirked devilishly. "You know, if you just give him back - "

"I said it a million times and I'll say it again: he's mine now." The Phantomhive butler wordlessly opened the door, and Seir found herself being pulled into the mansion.

"Just hire another one!"

"Get off." Petulantly, she released the noblewoman as Sebastian moved to take her coat.

"The young master awaits you in his office" he said with a bow as he folded the scarlet article in his arms. Burgundy eyes shifted to the seemingly young girl beside her. "However my lord did not account for extra company…"

Madam Red clicked her tongue in impatience. "She has refused to leave my company since yesterday. Does nothing but pester me - the poor will never have any class no matter who they marry."

"Like I said," Seir glared at the woman, crossing her arms. "I'll leave once Grell comes back to me! I'll even ignore all of the crass insults you've tossed my way since we've met."

"Bloody hell." The noblewoman dragged a tired hand down her face. "Where is my nephew?"

"Right this way."

The trio traveled up the stairs and into tidy office space, with Bennett never ceasing her angry tirade and Dalles pinching her nose in irritation. However, the redhead perked up at seeing the nephew that her sister had loved so dearly, seated behind a large mahogany desk that dwarfed his boyish size. His eyebrow raised behind interlocked fingers at the sight of a white-haired girl clinging to his aunt's arm, clearly angry.

"Hello Madam Red. Who is this?"

"Oh, I said just call me Auntie!" she gushed, grinning widely as she moved to hug him. Seir let her go on the account that she looked genuinely relieved to see her family member again, and the butler behind her had disappeared, presumably to properly store their visitor's coat.

Ciel visibly shifted away as she approached with open arms, and Angelina's eyes flashed with regret for a moment before her smile softened. "Stoic as always, I see."

Ignoring her comment, he jerked his chin in the girl's direction. "Who is this?" he repeated.

She waved her hand in nonchalance. "Some mangy mutt who came to my front porch last night after the party."

Seir growled, taking a step forward as threateningly as she could muster. "How dare you!"

The Phantomhive boy stared at her brown hued eyes, unblinking. He was waiting for a proper introduction.

Noting this, she coughed and recomposed herself. Fixing her translucent sleeves, Seir straightened her back and returned his gaze firmly. "Lauren Bennett, wife to Lord Harry Bennett of Bakewell. I've come to reclaim my brother who is currently being held hostage by Lady Angelina Dalles."

"Bakewell?" he mused. "You're far from home."

"Grell is under my employment! Don't twist my words you harlot!"

She whipped her hand out, almost hitting her butler that she'd completely forgotten about. "Then why don't you release him?!"

"Because he's mine!" she yelled back, fully turned to her.

"See?! Hostage!"

The door suddenly opened, cutting a knife through the shouting match with a tense silence as Sebastian rolled in a cart of tea.

"Today we have Earl Gray, my lord," the butler said with a closed eyed smile. Ciel merely waved him off.

"Lady Bennett," the boy started. "My apologies for your… brother." He couldn't help the involuntary twitch of his eye - how was she related to Grell? "But I request that you do not bring your personal matters into my affairs. I am meeting with my aunt for a personal matter and I must ask that you leave."

Seir narrowed her eyes, first at Ciel, then to Madam Red, before sighing in defeat.

"Very well. But," she said firmly, jabbing a finger in the noblewoman's direction. "Don't think we're done here!"

"I think we are," she growled in return, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Sebastian, call a carriage to take her back to Madam Red's estate."

The butler bowed in submission. "Yes, young master."

Without another look, she pushed past the waiting butler and stormed down the halls. Behind her, Arthur was struggling to keep up, dutifully carrying her massive feathered hat. The stairs had just come into view when she looked down at the entrance and saw a smiling Sebastian awaiting them both, and her eye twitched.

"The carriage is waiting for you, Lady Bennett."

She swiftly descended down the carpeted stairs, nearly slipping in her haste before finding herself in the steady arms of another. Black obscured her view, and she assumed that only the otherworldly butler could have the finesse to catch her that quickly despite being across the hall. Trepidation surged through her as she fought to keep a blank expression.

"What is your motive?" Suspicion laced his whisper, too quiet for the floundering, incompetent Arthur to hear.

Does he know…?

No, she doesn't know him. Best to assume the he doesn't to avoid giving him any reason to suspect her. Knowing that he was tied down with a contract, Seir assumed that he was just being possessive over his claim.

"I'm not hungry," she murmured just as quietly.

Feeling unable to say more without eliciting suspicion from their third party, Sebastian pulled back, fuchsia fading from his eyes as he looked her over, presumably to check for injuries.

"Are you harmed, my lady?" he asked gallantly.

She shook her head, frowning. "No. Just… take me home."

"Of course." He smiled that happy smile of his.

"Thank you, Tanaka. It was lovely meeting you."

"Ho ho."

Seir bowed and waved at the retreating carriage. No matter what happened, she hoped that old man would survive in that house. He was precious beyond words.

"...I'm tired," she mused.

"My lady," Arthur started behind her. He was still clutching her hat, perhaps to still his shaking hands, as he looked up at the sky. "It's… supposed to rain soon."

"Is that so," Seir hummed. Suddenly, she smiled mischievously. "Let's get back at Madam Red, shall we?"

He gulped.

"So?" Grell called from the driver's seat, ignoring the rain that splashed onto his clothing from his ineffective umbrella. "How was my dear Sebby? Everything you ever dreamed of?"

"Nah. He was handsome, but I've seen lesser demons prettier than him. It's a shame I didn't acquaint myself with my fellow demons besides the Kings." Gazing at the rain pounding the window beside her, she buried herself in the puffy fur coat. The jacket looked like the most luxurious thing the woman owned in her wardrobe, and in her defense, the names Madam Red called her earlier were totally uncalled for.

She'll just call it even for now.

"Kings?" Grell questioned. Despite knowing Seir for over a hundred years, he never did inquire much about her home. Granted, he didn't get a chance to see her often and she adamantly refused to leave her little sanctuary. Plus, she never went out of her way to describe it. He just assumed at that point that it was something she didn't want to talk about.

"Mhm." It was getting chilly with the rain and night was fast approaching. Damn this London weather. "The Kings of Hell are the top dogs of the underworld, you know? Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan; those big name demons that every human is so scared of."

"And you're close to them?" He turned to look at her through the window, curiosity peaked.

She paused, unsure of how much she should really indulge his questions. "Some of them. Lucifer and me get along pretty well, I'd say. Beelzebub too, but he's too laid back to really hate anyone..."

The carriage hit a rather large pothole, and Seir yelped as her head slammed the roof of the vehicle. Grell whipped back around to focus on driving, and sheepishly chuckled at her groan.

"So you don't know who Sebby is? That's lame."

"We all know the names of each other," she muttered, rubbing her head. "I've met Furfur a few times before, since similarly he's a demon of sloth. I haven't met everyone though since it's too bothersome, so I can't put a name to the face."

The two of them quieted as the Phantomhive Estate appeared around the corner. Once again, the cobblestone got incredible bumpy, and the demon grit her teeth in irritation.

"Why don't humans complain about these damn streets?!"

"Oh, shut up!" he cried, giddy. "It's almost time!"

Seir pouted but silenced herself. They pulled up to the large wooden doors of the mansion, and in the doorway stood Madam Red in her scarlet coat. Sebastian was there too, radiating hospitality with his dumb smile. The warm light from within the abode made his silhouette appear almost angelic.

A snort escaped her.

Jumping into character, he clutched the umbrella and slid off the carriage to meet his master. She couldn't hear the words they exchanged over the rain against her window, nor did she care to. She happened to make eye contact with the demonic butler, her features buried in the luxurious fur of her coat.

She blinked owlishly as he refused to break the stare. She dug her feet into the false confidence that he was only concerned with this quarry. Spending decades on the surface world shouldn't make her this prone to these pathetic emotions.

Mercifully, she allowed her attention to be drawn to a somber Madam Red entering the carriage. Seating herself across from the demon, she gripped her arms tightly and shut her eyes. She seemed to be struggling to keep it together after her visit. Seir remained silent, watching the pitiful woman curl into herself, before deciding that she'd found the rain more interesting.

Soon enough, they took off, and she watched the estate slowly diminish until they turned the corner entirely. A resigned sigh escaped Angelina, and Seir heard her breath hitch shortly after.

"Is that - is that my leopard coat?!"

Seir grinned.

Author's Note:

-I'm writing fanfiction instead of my essays. OTL

-Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 are revised.