This chapter contains some spoilers for the manga. Thanks for all who supported this story and I hope I get more readers.

The two butlers locked the door behind them. Their fedoras covered their faces so Sebastian was unable to identify them.

Sensing that something was out of place, he turned towards the locked room and attempted to bust open the door, but was stopped.

"Well, well. I am only to check my master's safety. Only one glance. Is even that not allowed?"

The two butlers raised their heads. They both had their eyes covered in white fabric. They opened their mouths and Sebastian could smell the reek of-

Corpses.

They lunged for Sebastian, mouths dripping with saliva and reeking of decay. They attempted to dig their teeth in Sebastian's flesh, but the fight was hardly fair as their heads quickly ended on the floor.

"Well. I see it is time to save my master."

"Just kidding~" was what Lady Rossa said after raising her dagger.

Ciel opened his eyes. "You used such vulgar language."

"I did, yes." The woman reached for her own neck and peeled a layer of fake skin off. "When did you know it was me?"

"Nina Hopkins."

The woman and the boy turned. The butler was standing there with a smile, only that his eyes were not smiling. Oh, they were definitely not smiling.

"Gee, not even using formalities?" Nina pouted and took off her coat. "Now will you tell me, when did you two see through my disguise?"

"Since just now where you spouted all that vulgar language."

"Oh." Nina wrinkled her nose. "Really. Did I say something wrong? Ladies do not say vulgar language and I tell you this was the most terrible act I put on."

"The disgusted look in your eyes." He gave the tailor a "duh" look. "When you said all that nonsense."

"Mmm. I will need to work on that. Anyway, thanks for getting rid of those two corpses."

"Where is the real Lady Rossa?"

"Dead, turned into a living corpse. Or so I heard." Nina shrugged. "I did it for the Queen. You never deny the Queen's orders, you do know that."

"So the Queen lied to me."

"Well yes, all for her little plan. You remember being accused of murder in your mansion right? That is how the Queen's mind works, and I am in no place to question her doings."

"Ah. You were joking about the demon rants too?"

"Your butler looks pretty supernatural to me. I mean, he has such great abilities and all. Earl Grey told me about your butler had 'risen from the dead' even after he plunged a sword into him. That true?"

Sebastian and Ciel exchanged glances.

"Don't worry. I was just joking. Demons don't exist." She shot a suspicious glance at Sebastian. "Or do they."

"So the Queen's plan was to lure me into this mansion and...?" Ciel was eager to change the subject, and was rather curious of the Queen's thoughts.

"No, your Queen's plan was to test your butler's skills. That is all to it."

Oh yes, she was the kind of person to do that. Ciel remembered the incident with with the "Double Charles" -Charles Grey and Charles Phipps, the private secretarial officers of the Queen (as well as butlers)- in which they suddenly barged into their home with superb fighting skills just to test their abilities, almost harming his servants if not for Sebastian.

But-

"Surely that was not the only intention."

"You smart little dog." Nina smirked. "Another punishment for you for being so absurdly inefficient in handling living corpses."

Ciel crossed his legs and grinned with his head rested on his palm. "That's Her Majesty for you. Would you kindly explain to me where you found two of these living dead to play the butler role? And they knew how to speak. They were advanced living corpses."

Nina harrumphed. "Scary, is it not? These two ugly things were really butlers of Lady Rossa. I especially disguised myself as Lady Rossa so they wouldn't bite me."

Ciel gave her the "look".

"What? Okay, I didn't think about that idea, it was someone by the Queen's side. That fine with you?"

The earl smiled sweetly. "I just knew you wouldn't think of something that intelligent with that fluff-and-frill brain of yours."

Nina crossed her arms. "Now don't you get cocky. I've been the Queen's spy for such a long time that even you and your butler did not notice till now. Is that alone not great enough?"

That was true. "I was taught not to sniff out my master's secrets," said Ciel.

"Queen's guard dog. You live up to your name." Nina sniffed. "Don't tell sweet Elizabeth about this, kay? That sweetie needs my dresses. And so do you. What do you think you're wearing? Hm? I should add a little red to your sleeves. Oh, and frills. Pretty boys like you definitely need frills."

As Nina ranted on, Ciel sighed and shot a glance at Sebastian, who seemed utterly blank at the moment.

"Her Majesty is hard to please, as usual."

Sebastian massaged Ciel's shoulders and Ciel breathed a relaxed and pleasured sigh. The pressure on his shoulders made him feel light and pleasant. "She is hard to please, yes. And I agree with Nina."

Ciel's eyes flung open and frowned. "About what?"

"You being such a loyal guard dog."

"Oh, please." Ciel once again sank into the soft material of his chair. "Not you too."

"Well. Whatever you do, master, I will always support you, as your dog."

That sentence brought Ciel into sweet dreams that night.

Nina Hopkins is a tailor in Kuroshitsuji. She appears right after the Book of Circus in the manga. I hope I handled her personality fine. However, her working for the Queen is not true (or it may be. It is not said in the manga. She's probs a normal tailor)

Spoilers for the ship voyage arc about the living corpses. (I LEFT THE GREATEST SURPRISE OUT THOUGH, you must read the manga to find out)

If you wanna know what the greatest surprise is, this is the hint *cough cough* the one behind the making of living corpses is- *cough cough*
READ THE MANGA TO FIND OUT.