The sound of clicking of a turned door handle could be heard as a door opened into what appeared to be the master bedroom, harbouring a child no older then 12 years of age, before a figure dressed in black could be seen moving over to a window and withdrew the curtains back, letting sunlight into the room, which cast light over the boy in the bed.
"Master, it is time for you to wake up. For breakfast today, we have lightly poached salmon accompanied by a delicate mint salad. I can also offer toast, scones, or pain de champagne. Which dish would you care for this morning?"
"A scone."
"Today you have a meeting with , the authority on the history of the Roman Empire. And this evening Mr. Damiano of the Poseidon Company will be paying you a visit.
"Oh, it that the man I have in charge of the stuffed animals at mt factory in India?"
"Yes. I'm told he's Italian, we will of course offer him all the hospitality the estate provide.
"I know this smell, is this tea Earl Grey?"
"Yes, from Jackson Piccadilly. I shall wait for you at the dining table master," As the butler was speaking to his master, he had moved over to the door with his back to his master, who had picked up a dart and threw it at the butler, who caught between his fingers, "well thrown my lord, even so let's save the games for later."
"Yes, I suppose you're right, Sebastian."
[Scene changes to show a dining room]
The sound utensils could be heard moving on plate, before the sound of a boy wearing a yellow shirt, brown pants, and a garden's hat laying against the back of his neck, before the boy could be seen rubbing the back of his head as he had been nailed in the back of the head by a dart, thrown back the master of the household.
"Ow! Ow,ow,ow,ow,ow, ow! What was that for master? What did I do?" The garden yelped as he looked tearfully at the young master.
"Hold still, Finny let me get it." A young women said as she moved over the boy and grabbed the dart removing it swiftly before pressing a handkerchief from the pocket of her maid uniform and pressed it to the wound.
"Nothing, I don't need to justify my actions."
"Thank you, Miss Scarlett." Finny said looking at the women has he gave a tear eyed look after she had help removed the dart. Before both of them turned towards the dining room's door, watching it open.
Moment's later, the butler dressed in black stepped into the dining room, moving over to the table and stood across from the servants that stood not to far from the table in a line.
"There you are! Have you finished the weeding the courtyard Finny? Mey-Rin, have you washed all the bedding's? Bardroy, shouldn't you be preparing for tonight's dinner? Tanaka and Scarlett…. Well I suppose you're both alright as you are. Now all of you, we have not time for thumb twiddling this morning, so get to work!"
"Yes, sir!"
"I'll keep an eye on them, Sebastian." Scarlett said to him as she walked past him and trailing after the running servants, humming an old tune.
"Simply hopeless." Sebastian said as he watched the servants scatter to head to do their chores, before turning to Scarlett nodding to her, "Thank you, Miss Scarlett." Watching her walk down the halling and picking up on her humming before looking back towards the young master, before walking out of the dining room.
'The silver is polished to a spotless shine, the tablecloth crisp, clean and wrinkle-free. There is not a single bruised blossom among the Master's favorite white roses, and finally, the highest quality ingredients have been gathered to prepare a first-rate dinner. The table is perfection, this will be an elegant Phantomhive welcome.' Sebastian stopped his train of thought hearing the ring of a bell signaly that the young master wanted something. '*Sigh* Still so much to do and he calls me now." Before stopping from finishing preparing the dinner for tonight and exiting the kitchen and heading towards the young master's study, seeing what he required.
"A guest is comin'. All right, then this is our chance. Sebastian looks down on us all the time, today we will be so perfect he won't even know what 'it' 'im. 'Ah!'. Yeah that's what he is gonna say!" Bardroy said as he looked at Mey-Rin and Finny smiling, giving the other two servants courage.
"Ah!" Both Mey-Rin and Finny said as they looked at Bardroy.
"That's for him to say, not you!" Bardroy snapped at them bother.
"Oh, that's a good idea!" Mey-Rin said and smiled at Bardory
"Right, we have to stop relying on Sebastian for everything!" Finny said as he punched the air and smiled at both Mey-Rin and Bardroy.
"It's settled then, we got a plan of attack!" Bardroy said and nodded to both of them.
"I don't think that's a good idea, you three." Scarlett as she had listened onto the conversation of the servant's, she knew this was going to end badly.
"It will be, Miss Scarlett just wait and see." Bardroy said as he looked at Scarlett and smiled at her.
"Okay, I'm not getting involved with this if it backfires." Scarlett said as she put her hands up and walked away from the kitchen but staying with in rage if she needed to step in.
"Let's get to it!" All three servants said and started to take action.
[Scene changes to the butler and the young master in his study]
"I'm a bit hungry, I'd like something sweet to eat."
"You shouldn't eat now master. You don't want to spoil your appetite for dinner with your guest this evening."
" I don't care about that, make me a parfait."
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Fine, about the portrait in the hallway."
"Yes?"
"Take it down, I am Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent and I am the head of the house now!"
"Consider it done, my lord." Sebastian said and gave the lord a fake smile to him before exiting the study and heading back downstairs.
[Scene change to the disaster of the garden, the dining room, and the kitchen.]
"Now how exactly, did this happen?" Sebastian demanded as he looked at the disater's that had occurred while he was talking to the young master for only a few minutes.
"I thought things would go faster if I used extra strength weed-killer on the garden!" Finny bawled as he looked at Sebastian.
"I was trying to reach the tea set we use for guests, but I tripped at the cabinet fell!" Mey-Rin said as she looked down at her hands, avoiding looking at Sebastian.
"There was a lot of meat to be cooked for dinner, it was going to take a long time so us, I used me flamethrower." Bardroy shamefully said as he rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at Sebastian.
"Where were you Scarlett as this happened?" Sebastian questioned the other maid as she appeared behind him.
"It was there idea and I told them it wasn't going to work, so I kept an eye on them to make sure nothing got out of hand." Scarlett stated as she had looked a the messes they had made which was the normal messes they normally make.
Sebastian's nodded as he listened to her before taking a breath and releasing it before looking at the mess the three servants had made.
"Oh, we're so sorry, Mr. Sebastian we didn't mean to!" Both Mey-Rin and Finny said as they looked at Sebastian.
'Our guest will arrive just after 6. At most we have two hours left, not enough time to replace the tea set or find premium meats, what should I do?' Sebastian thought and he tried to figure out what he could do.
"Calm down, all of you. Perhaps you should try taking a page out of Tanaka's and Miss Scarlett's book, and start behaving like… Everyone, listen closely and do exactly as I say, understand? We must be quick about this, we might save this night yet." Sebastian said as he looked at the servants.
"What do you have in mind, butler?" Scarlett questioned the butler as she study his face wondering what he had planned.
[Scene change to the outside of the manor where a carriage has pulled up]
"Oh, how impressive!" A man with an italian accents who was known as Damiano said as he stepped outside of the carriage and looked at the manor in awe.
"Hello, welcome sir." The servants said in usion welcoming Damiano.
"Hello, welcome sir. This is called a stone garden, it is a traditional feature in Japan." Sebastian explained to gentlemen and gave a fake smile to Damiano.
"Ah, prodigioso! Wonderful! Truly an elegant garden." Damiano said amazed at the garden.
"We thought it appropriate to serve dinner al fresco this evening. Allow me to escort you inside until the meal is ready."
"Ha ha ha. I should have expected this from a Phantomhive. I cannot wait to see what else is in store!" Damiano said as he walked along with Sebastian into the manor, following the butler.
"Phew. We actually did it!" Bardroy as Mey-Rin and Finny agreed as they looked at each other.
"Who would have thought a dozen boxes of garvel could be turned into amazing garden!" Finny said looking at the garden in awe.
"It's quite pretty. Reminds me of a garden I once saw in Japan a long time ago." Scarlett said as she looked at the garden and smiled nostalgic at the memory.
"Naturally we were able to handle this. We serve the Phantomhive family after all, there's still work to be done. Let's take care of it while the master is talking business with his guest, look sharp now." Seastain stated as he appeared next to servants.
"Right!" The servants said and turned towards Sebastian.
[Scene change to the master of the house and Damiano]
"The progress we've been making wit the East India Factory is quite astonishing. We already have the makings of a top-notch staff." Damiano said as he looked at Ciel.
"Bewitched by the eyes of the dead. What terrible luck, it appears I lose a turn." Ciel stated as he looked at the board game before looking back at Damiano.
"Right now is the perfect time. We should begin expanding the company and building a strong labor force it would-." Damiano said before he was stopped mid-sentence by Ciel.
"Go on, it's your turn." Ciel stated as he gave Damiano a bored look.
"Oh, yes. I just turn then." Damiano said as he turned the spinner before it stopped spinning and fell over showing a number five, then he went back to talking. "Okay there, five spaces. Now, what I wanted to ask you, perhaps you could contribute another 12,000 pounds to support out expansion? I believe it will be quite a profitable venture for you my lord, and I would consider it an honor to help expand the Funtom Company.." Damiano said as he moved his before it landed on the part of The Enchanted Forest: Lose your Leg, trailing off on his last sentence as he looked at Ciel.
"Lose a leg in the enchanted forest. And it's your turn again, I lost a turn remember?" Ciel stated as he looked at the bored before looking at Damiano.
"Oh, I see. Right, I move six." Damiano said before grabbing his peice moving it, before being stopped by Ciel.
"You don't. That's three." Ciel said stopping him from moving his piece.
"What? But.." Damiano questioned Ciel.
"You lost a leg, if you recall. Now you can only move half the number of spaces.
"Oh m, ha ha ha ha. This is a gruesome-a board game, isn't it? Is there-a no way for me to restore my leg, then?" Damiano asked as he moved his peice three spaces before setting down onto what appeared to be flame design.
"I'm afraid once something is truly lost sir, one can never get it lost again." Ciel said as he looked at the board, looking at the board seeing Damiano's piece resting on the raging flames square. "You body is burnt by raging flames."
[Intermission]
"How is it going?" Sebastian asked as he stepped into the doorway of the kitchen, looking at Bardroy.
"I'm doin' it like you said to. Is this really what you want?" Bardroy questioned Sebastian as he sliced the charred piece of meat and leaving the raw part unharmed.
"Yes, that looks excellent." Sebastian stated as he looked at the meat before turning towards the other end of the hallway hearing Mey-Rin.
"Sebastian! Found 'me! Ah!" mey-Rin called out to Sebastian as she ran down the hallway towards him, before tripping on her untied shoelace before falling forwards and tossing the boxes that were is her hands into the air.
"Oh honestly. How many times have I told you not to run inside the manor, Mey-Rin?" Sebastian said as he caught Mey-Rin and caught three of the four boxes.
"Missed one." Scarlett said as she caught the fourth box which had flew farther then Sebastian had expected as she looked towards them, resting the fourth box on top of the other box in his left hand, gave a small smile.
"Thank you, Scarlett." Sebastian said and nodded to her before looking back at Mey-Rin.
"I'm sorry sir! My glasses cracked and I can't see a thing!" Mey-Rin said as she started to freak out.
"These are the last items we needed for dinner. Splendid work, everyone. And now I believe you can leave the rest to me and Miss Scarlett, relax for a bit. But I need you to do well, very well, during dinner tonight." Sebastian stated the three servants before nodding to Scarlett and they both moved to finish dinner.
"He said it twice." Bardroy said as he glanced at Mey-Rin and Finny.
"Ooh. That's serious!" Finny said.
[Scene changed to the ballroad room as the door opened to announce the present of the butler]
"Pardon the interruption but, dinner is served." Sebastian said as he opened the door and looked at the young master and Damiano.
"Oh, dining out in that exquisite stone garden? Shall we go, my lord?" Damiano said as he stood up from his chair and looked at Ciel.
"Very well. We'll finish the game later." Ciel said as he walked towards Sebastian before glancing back at Damiano.
"Oh, is there any real need to finish it? It's obvious I'm going to lose." Damiano stated as he looked at Ciel.
"I'm not in the habit of abandoning games half way through."
"How childish." Damiano muttered under his breath before looking back at the two before giving them fake smile. "Oh I, I mean that sometimes it takes a child's eye to see that's really important. It's a true gift. Maybe that's what's made the Phantomhives the nation's foremost toy makers. It certainly impresses me!"
[Scene change to the rock garden]
"On tonight's menu is a dish of finely-sliced raw beef donburi courtesy of our chef Baldroy." Sebastian said as he gave a fake smile, setting the dishes down in front of them.
"A pile of raw beef. And this is dinner?" Damiano questioned as he looked at the food on his plate.
"Yes, but surely you have heard of it? This, good sir, is a traditional Japanese delicacy, a dish offered as a sign of gratitude to someone who has accomplished important work. That, sir, is the wonder of donburi!" Sebastian stated as he explained the dinner.
"Oh donburi!" Damiano stated as if he knew what the food was, but had clearly no idea what it was.
"This is a token from out master, to show his thanks for all you hard work on the company's behalf. He wanted you to know that it's much appreciated." Scarlett stated as she gave Damiano a fake smile and bowed, speaking.
"Now that's our Sebastian and Miss Scarlett for you!" Finny said and smiled as he, Baldroy and Mey-Rin hid in the bushes.
"They saved the day." Bardroy said and nodded.
"Ho ho ho." Tanaka said.
"Excellent, what an inspired idea! The legendary Phantomhive hospitality in action!" Damiano said in excitement.
"The vintage we are pouring tonight was specially selected to compliment the flavour of soy sauce. Mey-Rin. Now Mey-Rin!" Sebastian said the the young master and Damiano before turning to Mey-Rin told her to pour the wine.
"Yes, sir!" Mey-Rin said nodding to him, before freezing up.
"Why are you just standing there? Pour the man a glass of wine!" Sebastian whispered into her ear.
"Hey…" Bardroy questioned as he and Finny watched Mey-Rin freaking out.
"What?" Finny questioned as he looked at Bardroy.
"Is it me or is Mey-Rin acting a little strange?"
'Sebastian is watching me.I can't take it! Don't look at me that way!' Mey-Rin thought as she poured the wine but missed Damiano's glass and poured the wine onto the table.
"Ah!" Bother Bardroy and Finny freaked out as they watched Mey-Rin mess up.
"Mey-Rin stop it! Can't you see you're spilling the wine?!" Finny whispered-shouted at Mey-Rin staying in the bushes to avoid being seen.
Sebastian looked at Mey-Rin as she spilled the wine onto the table cloth and his winded before he grabbed the table cloth and pulled it off the table making sure not the knock off anything from the table and folded the table cloth into his arms.
Scarlett rushed over to Mey-Rin and ushered away from the table and over to where Bardroy and Finny were hiding giving them a look to take Mey-Rin back into the manor, before moving back over the table before pouring Damiano a glass of back over to Sebastian, but behind the young master's chair going stock still.
"Oh? Where did the tablecloth-a go?" Questioned Damiano as he looked up from his food and seeing the tablecloth missing from the table.
"A spec of dirt. Most unsightly. I had the cloth removed to it wouldn't distract us. Think nothing of it." Ciel said as he gave Damiano a fake smile.
"Please accept our apologies, sir. Do continue. Enjoy the meal at your leisure." Sebastian and Scarlett said together and bowed to him before standing back straight up.
"Oh, oh my! Lord Phantomhive, once again you have truly impressed me. What an able butler and maid you have." Damiano said impressed with the work both servants had done.
[Scene change from the garden back to the ballboard room]
"Hmph."
"That was a thoroughly enjoyable dinner my lord. Now then, about the contract…" Damiano said as he tried to again Ciel's attention back to what he had asked before dinner.
"Before we discuss that, we must finished the game."
"Ah, yes of course. I have a pressing-a appointment, perhaps another ti-" Damiano started to talk again before being stopped by Ciel.
"Children can be very demanding about their games. Surly, you wouldn't want me to get upset." Ciel said as he manipulated Damiano.
No, no of course not. Perhaps you would permit me to use your telephone?" Damiano asked before looking towards the door as it opened the butler walked in with a serving cart.
"I've brought some tea for you and my lord." Sebastian said as he pushed the cart towards them before turning it sideways and looked at Damiano and Ciel, giving them a fake smile.
"I'll be right back." Damiano stated before walking out the room and closed the door behind himself.
Sebastian watched the door close before turning back towards Ciel and poured a cup and giving it to him.
"What is it? It smells terribly weak?" Ciel asked as he smelled the tea.
"Out of consideration of our guest, I bought some Italian tea." Sebastian said as he looked at Ciel.
"Italian?" Ciel asked as he looked at his cup before looking up at Sebastian.
"Italians drink more coffee than tea, sir. So finding high-quality Italian tea can be difficult. This particular selection is not to your liking master?" Sebastian questioned the boy.
"No, it is not. I don't like it all."
"I'll see to the dessert preparations."
"Good. We must show him every available hospitality. The Phantomhive family is known for it courtesy."
"Yes, my young lord."
[Scene change to the telephone room]
"I'm-a tired of-a babysitting this-a child earl. Yes, I've already sold off the factory. Now all that's left is to pocket the extra cash. I'm trying to squeeze more out of that brat right now. The employees? Who cares about them? Ah….! Never mind. The rest of the formalities are for you to deal with. No, it'll be easy. Please, he's only a child." Damiano stopped talking as he ended the phone call.
Damiano stepped out of the telephone room before he started to walk back down the hall the way he had come the first time before glancing back, seeing something that quickly moved out of sight before he could get a good look, "Ah! Impossible. I'm seeing things."
"Little Pig." Could be heard with a deep male voice.
Damiano jumped slightly at the sound of the voice before moving quickly down the hall not wanting to see what made the comment.
"Bewitched by the eyes of the dead." The earl's voice echoed down the hall towards Damiano.
"Ah,no. That's ridiculous. Huh. Not here either. Or here…. This manor is like a giant maze. I can't even find the drawing room." Damiona stated as he opened each door he came across as he looked for the drawing room.
"Bewitched by the eyes of the dead." The earl's voice once again echoed off the walls of the hallway towards Damiano.
"Ah… eh, ahh! S, stay away from me!" Yelled Damiano as he freaked out and took off running down the hallway.
"That's odd. Was that our guest I heard just now?" Finny questioned as he held the other end of the painting and looked at Bardroy.
"Hey! We need to move this, or Sebastian will start yelln' again!" Bardroy said to Finny before walking backwards and glancing back to make sure not to trip.
"Right!" Finny said and nodded, following Bardroy.
[Scene change to the bottom of the stairwell in the main forar]
"Oh, how embarrassing! Oh, I really messed up this time! Oh, but at least I was able to get close to Sebastian! Oh, what a shameful day it all! What kind of lecherous maid am I?" Mey-Rin said as she looked down at the mop and the bucket in her hands.
"You lose one turn." The earl voice followed Damiano as he moved.
"Huff, Huff…. Aghhhh!" Damiano yelped as he fell down the stairs and fell at the maids feet.
"Ah, sir, are you alright? Ahh! His right leg! It's twisted round. What happened to it?" Mey-Rin questioned Damiano as she watched him.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Bardroy questioned as he looked at the Mey-Rin as he and Finny stood at the top of the stairs.
"Our guest, something's happened!" Mey-Rin told both boys as they looked at their guest who started to crawl away.
"And now you lose one leg in enchanted forest." The earl's voice said to Damiano who only heard it.
"Ugh!" Damiano yelped as he crawled away as quickly as he could with his arms.
"Sir? Uh, sir? Come back." Mey-Rin said as she watched the guest disappear down the hallway.
"Surly you aren't leaving the manor sir? We haven't given you the full Phantomhive treatment yet. We still have to serve dessert." Sebastian said as he followed Damiano has he crawled. "You've lost a leg, remember? Now you can only move half the number of spaces. So why not just relax a bit and make yourself at home?" Sebastian said as he trailed after Damiano before Miss Scarlett joined trailing after them both.
Damiano soon after have crawled backwards and into what appeared to be a cupboard, but the floor was sticky and smelled of sugar. "Damn, it's too dark. Is this cupboard? Damn, these are really tight quarters. What's this….? Smells like sugar."
"What an impatient guest we have, don't we Miss Scarlett?" Sebastian asked as he turned and looked towards Scarlett who bent down next to him as well.
"Yes, we do." Scarlett said as smiled at Sebastian before turning her gaze back towards Damiano and almost held a vindictive smile towards the man.
"You couldn't even restrain yourself until dessert was out of the oven." Sebastian said as he looked at Damiano as he and Scarlett shut the door and locked it, moving the metal slip out of the way to view into the oven.
"The, the oven? Open up! Please, open the door!" Damiano yelled as he pounded on the door.
"Perhaps the Italians aren't familiar with out customs. There's plum pudding, mincemeat pie. There are many traditional desserts here in England that make use of meat. I find them all quite tasty." Sebastian said as he closed the viewing window of the oven before glancing at Scarlett.
"Quite right, there many." Scarlett stated as she moved away from Sebastian and oven, before disappearing out of the room.
"Your body is burnt by raging flames." The earl's voice echoed one final time.
"Aghhhhhhhhh!" Damiano yelled from within the oven.
"What was that? Someone screamed." Bardroy said as he looked at Finny.
"Don't know. Oh, hi Sebastian!" Finny said before looking at Sebastian, who walked up to them carrying a pie.
"Thank you for your hard work today. As reward would you like some lemon meringue pie? The sugar ill give you energy." Sebastian said as he offered both of them a slice.
"Sebastian! You're such a nice person! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Finny said as he smiled gleefully at Sebastian.
"Thank you so much Sebastian! Thank you!" Bardroy said and smiled at Sebastian.
"Oh, yes, and Bard, a workman will be coming by in the morning. When he arrives kindly let him know we'll be needing our oven thoroughly cleaned." Sebastian said as he turned his attention to Bardroy.
"Huh? The Oven." Bardroy said before looking at Sebastian who had left them alone.
"Mr. Damiano. I hope you enjoyed your stay, and the Phantomhive family hospitality. All the way down to your bones." Sebastian said as she smiled before walking upstairs and towards the drawing room.
[Scene change to the drawing room, where the young master stood looking out the window]
Damiano could be heard letting out a scream and limping/running down the driveway as quickly as possible to get away from the cursed manor, and away from the butler and maid dressed in black.
"Humph, ha ha ha. What an unattractive scream. He sounds almost like a pig taken off to slaughter." Ciel said before glancing back Scarlett who watched from the corner of the room after having back from the kitchen.
"He does sound like a pig, Chris would have had fun with him." Scarlett said she mentioned a man Ciel heard her often mentions but ignored it.
"Humph, what presumption, first he sells the East Indian factory without telling me, and then he dares to ask for more money? Did he think to retain my trust?" Ciel spat before turning around and walking over the board game and knocked over his piece onto the happy ending square. "I'm afraid once something is truly lost, one can never get it back again."
[Scene change to the forare of the manor and the butler in black]
"It appears we'll be needing to hand new wallpaper as well." Sebastian said as he looked at the top of the stairs and wall where the painting had hung.
"I wish he hadn't removed the painting, it was quite nice." Scarlett said as she walked down the stairs and looked at Sebastian before moving past himsliently and towards the servants quarters.
[Ciel's childhood Image]
"Mama, papa!"
[Fades Away]
"The head of the Phantomhive estate, hah."
My young master Ciel has another name. He's also known as the Queen's guard dog for his own policing England's seedy underground. His small body houses great determination. You will marvel at the bravery he displays when dealing with the drug traffic in the ring. Also, feel free to admire my notable skills with the silver upon which I stake my honor as a Phantomhive butler. Next time on Black Butler, "His Butler, Strongest." You see, I am simply one hell of a butler.