Chapter Seventeen

Butler, Competing. Bride, Unsettled

"Will I get something special when I win the Royal Warrant?"

"Maybe…"

"A lowly servant, or a rich man's wife? Even a child knows which is better!"

"Her Majesty!"

The Queen was a small being, dressed completely in mourning black a long veil covering her face beneath her little black hat. At her side was a butler, ethereal in his beauty, with hair the colour of moonlight, and eyes a brilliant purple. He was dressed head to foot in stunningly bright white. The sword at his hip was held in an ornate black scabbard. His name was Ash.

"Oh my word! Our gracious Queen, her Majesty and mother of England, Queen Victoria!" the announcer cried.

The Queen and her butler walked up the red carpet, ignoring or oblivious of the many whispers surrounding them.

"It's really her…"

"I can't believe she came…"

"She's so much smaller than I remember…"

Viscount Druitt got to his feet and began to sing the National Anthem, 'God Save the Queen'. The audience joined in. Marianne's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the man in white. His presence, his very aura was so very familiar… She barely managed to suppress a tremble. She glanced around as she mouthed the words, as being eternally connected to a demon meant she was practically a resident of Hell, and saw that Bard, Lau and Ran Mao were some of the few humans not singing. Her eyes met Sebastian's, and he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Ash led the Queen up the dais, and allowed her to stand before her throne. He bowed and leant his head for her to whisper in his ear.

"Her Majesty bids me tell you, 'I am so sorry I have been unable to appear before you. However, I am in such perfect health, that I may even enjoy curry again. My late husband was exceedingly fond of curry as well. I look forward to your food'."

The crowd burst into deafening cheers. The announcer smiled and continued with his speech.

"And with that, a la cuisine!"


While all this was happening, Soma was outside, sitting on the ledge of a fountain. He could hear the cheers from the crowd inside.

"So, it has started…" he sighed.

He kept replaying Mina's words over and over in his head.

"How stupid are you?"

The prince bowed his head in sadness.


Agni unravelled the bandage around his hand and began to fry his ingredients in the saucepan.

Prince Soma, you are my god. For you, I will use my power.

His right hand picked the spices and tossed them into the curry. One of the spectators spoke up.

"By Jove! It's almost like that man's hand has a mind of its own!"

"And it smells wonderful!" complimented a lady beside him.

West smirked at Agni's performance.

"Ha! I paid for this, the hand of Kali. With him, I'm sure to win."

The crowd gasped when they saw Sebastian picking out his spices at rapid speed, and tossing them into the pan with a flourish.

"Funtom's not doing badly!"

"And it smells amazing!"

At those words, West gritted his teeth.

Just then, the crowd saw Sebastian do something unexpected.

"What's he doing?"

Chunks of Funtom chocolate was dropped into the steaming curry mixture.

"Oh Lord… What is he…?"

"It's chocolate!"

"Chocolate in curry?"

"What is he thinking?"

"Revolting!"

The crowd continued to gossip at the demon's unusual choice. West laughed loudly at the development.

"A kid's company, of course they'd use chocolate! Just a bit for publicity!" he sneered.

Ciel and Marianne watched Sebastian in silence, the girl with a slight smile on her face as her tongue flicked out to lick her lips.

Agni, however, understood what Sebastian was doing.

"You're wrong. That is a legitimate ingredient. Blending cacao in provides aroma and bitterness, and gives it a mellow, full-bodied flavour." He stared at Sebastian as the demon taste-tested his creation. "How did you get an idea like that? You are an Englishman, are you not?"

Sebastian gave him a shit-eating smile.

"It was an order from my master."

He remembered the boy's words…

"Why don't you toss it into the curry or something?"

"I do his bidding, no matter how reckless his orders may seem to be. You see, I am simply one Hell of a butler."

Agni gritted his teeth.


At Ciel and Marianne's side, Lau smiled.

"What an interesting choice."

"Damn!" Ciel groused. "What the Hell is he doing?"

Marianne tapped his shoulder with a smile.

"Actually, I taste-tested that curry, and it was delicious." She leant down to whisper in his ear. "Besides, you know I have to taste-test every new recipe Sebastian cooks, because you know as well as I do what his taste buds are like."

Ciel nodded his head and shuddered at the memory.


Agni looked at Sebastian, Ciel and Marianne, and gasped.

"Such a bond between servants and master."

He looked over the crowd in search of his prince, and cast his eyes down when he was nowhere in sight.

My prince… I knew you would not forgive me for this.

Agni turned to walk to a basket behind him.

But that is why I cannot lose.

Out of the basket, he pulled out a blue lobster.

"What is that?"

"A blue lobster?"

Druitt got to his feet in amazement.

"It's the legendary blue lobster, said to exist only in the seas of Britany! Its beautiful blue shell wraps around it like a dress wraps around a woman! So perfect! So magnificent! And its flavour is simply exquisite! The sweetness of the blue lobster has been known to paralyse men before!"

Marianne arched a brow and sweatdropped.

"What the Hell, Druitt?!"

West smirked.

"Exactly! You can't just add anything to curry. You see, mine is the truly sophisticated recipe!"

Agni stared at Sebastian in determination.

"Whatever happens, I shall defeat you! Prepare for me, for I have the hand of a goddess!"

He sliced through his ingredients with incredible speed, and continued with his spectacular performance.


The cook who met with Angela watched Agni in awe before turning back to his own pot, and pulling out the spice from his coat. The curry spice sparkled purple as it was poured into the mixture.


"And time up!" shouted the announcer. "And now for the judging!"

The first chef presented his curry.

"First, we have Parson Tubbs with his beef curry."

The first judge spoke up.

"The beef is thickly cut and served in generous portions. I say, not a bad recipe."

The chef judge added his part in.

"But the dullness of the flavour makes this a disgrace! A professional chef using curry powder?"

The cook was shocked.

Druitt took a bite of the next curry.

"I assume your company blends its own spices, correct?" he asked.

The Angela-assisted chef answered.

"Yes, we do."

Druitt smiled.

"Interesting," he said, sniffing the curry on his utensil. "There's one particular scent in here that I like."

The chef judge then added.

"But if that particular scent stands out, that means the whole dish is out of balance."

The viscount shrugged.

"Oh well. We can give them credit for trying."

"Next, Harold West & Company!"

Agni then presented his curry, lifting the silver lid as he did so.

"I am happy to present my curry. Seven types of curry with blue lobster."

In the plate was the blue lobster, its shell removed, served with fried rice, and surrounded by seven small dishes of curry. The judges were impressed.

"So vividly colourful!" complimented the chef. He took a bite and gasped. "Delicious! Perfect sweetness, and the texture's like butter melting on your tongue!"

The second judge gave his agreement.

"On top of that, he has given us seven different varieties of curry!"

Druitt meanwhile was in ecstasy.

"This is you! The beautiful woman I met at the ball that night. The seven jewels that adorn your neck. The brilliant gold brooch. The perfectly matching bracelet. All pearls and sapphire. The garnet choker. The lovely cameo. And on your finger, a ring of diamonds and emeralds. All of them showing off your natural beauty." His proclamation ended with a few more words. "My love, you stole my heart right there!"

Everyone was in awe with his words.

"Extraordinary praise!" the announcer cried. "Perhaps his victory has been assured?"

From the crowd, West smirked.


"But we have one more competitor left to go!" the announcer gestured towards Sebastian. "From the Funtom Company!"

Sebastian placed the silver-lidded tray before the judges' panel.

"I hope you enjoy what I have to offer," said the demon as he lifted the lid on his creation.

"That is curry?" the chef asked in shock.

On the plate was what looked to be balls of bread.

"Just what are you playing at, Sir?"

Sebastian picked up the bread balls one by one, and placed them in a pan of boiling hot oil.

"No… Frying?!"

The servant trio weren't sure what to make of Sebastian's plan.

"What are you doing, Sebastian?!" Bard snapped. "We aren't making doughnuts here!"

The demon removed the bread balls from the pan.

"They're all ready now. This is Funtom Company curry."

He placed the plates down in front of the judges.

"Odd," complained the chef. "I don't see any curry."

Druitt gasped.

"Hang on… Look at it." He sliced into the bun and saw what lay within. "Curry on the inside!"

Everyone was shocked at the discovery, except Ciel and Marianne of course.

"The Funtom Company presents our special brand of curry. Behold, the Curry Bun!" Sebastian announced.

The chef was sceptical, until he took a bite.

"Oh dear me! This is wonderful!" he cried. "The bread covering the curry is crunchy but fluffy, giving the dish incredible gradients of texture."

The second judge agreed.

"What is even more amazing is the structure, which traps in all the flavour of the curry. Cut it open, and it's all there!"

Druitt moaned loudly.

"You are the two lovely young maidens I met at the soiree! By day, you appear to be a twittering robin and a soulful nightingale. But then night falls, and I see your beautiful faces, your true faces. I want you both badly! I want to embrace you, my loves!"


The audience seemed to fall in love with his words. Ciel and Marianne, on the other hand, shuddered at the implications hidden behind his words.

"Yet another rave review!" cried the announcer. "Everyone, I really think we have a contest here."

Agni spoke to Sebastian.

"Tell me, Sebastian, are you a…?" he asked.

Sebastian merely smirked.

"The judges will now need a little bit of time for deliberation," said the announcer. "And in the meantime, the guests can enjoy any curry they like."


It wasn't long before everyone was happily eating the curry. Marianne smiled when she saw the servant trio and Tanaka munching away on Sebastian's Curry Buns. Her hands smoothed over Ciel's shoulders as Lau spoke.

"I notice Her Majesty has eaten nothing. She isn't one of the judges?"

Ciel turned to the Asian man.

"I'm sure she's avoiding the curry because of her fragile health. But maybe she'll try those in top contention? Of course, her decision is sure to influence the judges," he replied. "The Queen ultimately decides who gets the Royal Warrant."

Marianne nodded her head distractedly, her eyes watching the white butler at the Queen's side, her brow furrowed and a scowl etched deeply onto her face.


Meanwhile, Agni was stood at West's side.

"I'm certain that we'll win. Our curry is the most popular." West boasted.

Agni shook his head.

"It isn't certain yet. Sebastian was quite inventive," he said firmly.

West glanced around and saw the large number of people who were indeed eating the Curry Buns. Mina then walked up to the pair with a smile on her face.

"I'm sure there's no need to worry," she said. "Right, my darling?"

"Mina! What are you doing here?" Agni gasped, frantically looking through the masses of people. "What if his Highness should see you?"

Mina merely sighed.

"He already has."

The Indian man was barely able to hold onto his composure.

"He's seen you?! Did you…?"

The woman smirked and draped her arms around West's shoulders.


Soma stood staring up at a statue of Kali, complete with her necklace of heads and her lolling tongue.

"Agni…" he sighed heavily. "You knew about her, so you tried to keep me from seeing her again."

"What are you doing?" Ciel snapped, seeming to appear out of nowhere, with Marianne present behind him. "You are aware your butler is competing up there? Are you not going to support him?"

Marianne agreed.

"I believe he would like to see that his efforts were not made in vain. Your presence would truly make him happy."

Soma looked at them for a moment and bowed his head.

"I know… But I have been thinking. I have been so ignorant. I never even tried to understand, how Mina always felt, how Agni must still feel," he said.

Ciel snorted.

"If you can see that much, what are you doing standing here?" he asked. As he turned away with his female butler at his side, he added one more sentence. "He has fought for you. How many times has it been now? Butler or not, you owe him something for that."

The girl nodded her head.

"A butler goes beyond expectations serving his master. Go and see him and watch the lengths he would go for you," she smiled.

The two of them then walked away.

"Wait, Ciel! Edward!" Soma cried out.

They didn't turn back.


"Oh look, there he is! Your Highness!" Finny called.

Soma looked to the side and saw the gardener, Bard and MeyRin running towards him.

"The tasting's started, yes it has!" MeyRin smiled.

"You should really hurry, or else you're going to miss it," added Bard.

MeyRin offered the prince the Curry Bun in her hands.

"Here, try it!"

Soma scowled, but took a bite. His eyes widened, it felt like Heaven had exploded in his mouth and was filling it with its incredible flavour.

"Your khan-sama is an amazing chef. These buns are spectacular."


Agni wept tears of blood onto the wooden floor, crouched down on his knees. His bandaged hand clenched into a fist, shaking in pain.

"How could you do that to him?!" he demanded. "The prince cared so much for you, and you seemed to care for him as well!"

Mina scowled at him, removing herself from her husband.

"A man like you could never understand; a Brahmin who left his privileged station, to become the servant of some little brat."

Agni shook his head, his eyes besieging her.

"Why did I do this? And what does it mean?"

"How should I know why you did it?" Mina snarled as she walked away.

Her thoughts followed a similar path.

I have to. How else will I do anything? They used me, and now I will use them.

She stopped in front of the buffet of curries, and gasped when she caught sight of the curry with the overwhelming aroma. Without hesitation, she dipped her spoon into the curry, brought it to her lips, and swallowed it down. Mina jolted for a moment as it slid down her throat…


"You're the Funtom chef, Sebastian?" Ash asked. "The Queen desires a Curry Bun. Would you be so kind as to bring one here?"

Sebastian smiled, nodded his head, and went to get one of his creations. Everyone watched on in awe at what was occurring before their eyes. The demon presented the white butler with the bun.

"Here you are, Your Majesty."

Ash took the plate and held it before his mistress, who removed one of her black clothes, and lifted her veil slightly so she could take a bite. She whispered her response into the butler's ear.

"The Queen says 'you have created something a child could eat without the use of a knife or a fork. In doing so, you have reinforced a necessary equality between our nation's children, and its adults. For that, I thank you. Well done, you have contributed to our great country, Sir. Her Majesty is truly appreciative…'"


He was interrupted by the most vicious snarl.

"Don't make me laugh!"

Everyone turned to see Mina, who was glowing with a darkened aura that consumed her body and soul. Her eyes glowed fierce red.

"How you flatter yourself! Equality? The future? Easy prospects for the Queen of a rich country to speculate on! But what do you even know?!"

She smacked the items on the table to the floor. West hurried forward and grabbed hold of his wife.

"Mina, what are you doing?" he asked. "You're in front of Her Majesty!"

Mina elbowed him in the ribs and sent him flying into the shrubbery. Scotland Yard immediately ran to detain her.

"Restrain her!"

"Shut up!"

She did battle with them as though she was a feral beast.

"You don't know curry! It is a caste marker!"

Everyone was slowly becoming scared, but Druitt only seemed to be lost to a beautiful woman once again.

"Her legs move with such grace! Her hips are amazing! I'm sure this woman is the Goddess Kali personified!"

His raptures were thankfully interrupted by an oncoming policeman.


One by one, more people slowly succumbed to the same malady as Mina. They started to attack the rest of the patrons. Ciel and Marianne looked through the chaos.

"The Queen!" the boy cried.

He ran out of Marianne grasp and went towards the throne, but his path was blocked by two of the possessed humans.

"That smell… That hatred… Hatred and greed!"

"The stench of the impure!"

"Snuff it out!"

"Kill him!"

Ciel found himself surrounded on all sides. Marianne saw this happening, whipped out her dagger from her thigh holster, and dove into the fray.

"Keep close to me, Ciel!" she ordered.

She struck forward and smacked the first opponent to the floor when Sebastian joined the battle, using a silver ladle in the place of his usual cutlery, and knocked down one of the other enemies.

"Well, what do you know about that, My Lord? It seems Kali has risen," he commented.

Ciel was stunned for a moment before he regained his composure.

"If the story is correct, Kali carried around a demon's head," he retorted. "What say you? Shall we disprove the legend then? I order you to stop Kali!"

Sebastian bowed.

"Indeed, my Young Lord."


Soma was stuck in a sea of fleeing people. He was barely able to grab hold of one of them to ask what was going on.

"It was some insane Indian woman!" cried the terrified man. "She has gone berserk!"

"What?" the prince gasped.

He walked towards the chaos and saw the possessed struggle and fight against the police officers.

"What's happening?"

Turning his head, he spotted Mina doing battle against Sebastian, who stood as a shield between the Queen and her butler, and the attacking woman.


Sebastian blocked every single one of Mina's blows with the ladle.

"I will admit it. You are skilled. But you're no goddess."


Agni ran up to Soma as he watched the battle.

"Mina, no!" Soma moaned.

"My Prince!" Agni called out.

"Agni!"

The man who created the tainted curry got to his feet and approached them from behind.

"You all know nothing! I was trained in France, dammit! None of you know anything about curry!" he cried.

He made to attack Agni, but the Indian butler merely punched him in the face without looking.

"Tell me," said Soma. "What is going on here?"

Agni glanced around them.

"I am not sure. Mina and the others ate a bit of some of the curry, and suddenly…" he explained.

They made their way over to the overturned table, and Soma saw the spilled curry in question. He dipped his finger into the sauce, and slipped it inside his mouth. The prince gasped in realisation.

"This is curryma! My father once told me about it. This is a forbidden spice. It reacts to the dark desires within the human heart. It makes us into monsters."

He stared at Mina as she continued to battle Sebastian.

"I'm sorry, Mina… I never knew your heart was so wounded," he whispered.

Agni knelt down by his side.

"This is not your fault. She is possessed by the evil spice, my prince," he reassured.

Soma sighed.

"I know that. You do not need to say anymore." He cast his eyes down. "I have blamed everyone except myself. All of my loneliness, and then Mina leaving me too. Such a spoiled brat, why should anyone love me?"

He then looked at Agni.

"But you, you were always there, even when I could not deserve it."

His words brought watery tears to Agni's eyes.

"I am sorry I have not said it. Please forgive me. And tell me, will you still be there for me?"

Agni stared at his master.

"My prince…"

He nodded his head with a smile. Soma nodded back at him, his eyes filled with a steely determination.

"Mina is wrong. Stop her!" he ordered.

Agni whipped off his bandages.

"Jo aagyaa."

Agni prayed over his glowing blue hand.

I have never known this happiness in my life before. Finally, I am at one with my god!

He charged into battle, and swiped his way through the thralls with his astounding strength.


When he reached Sebastian's side, Agni made sure to have their backs facing one another.

"I shall assist you!"

Sebastian smirked.

"Shall you? You seem to have more energy than normal. Did something befall you?"

Agni smiled.

"Yes. And now, I'm invincible!"

The demon nodded his head.

"Very well, the two on the right are yours."

"Good."

Agni smashed through them with ease, while Sebastian dealt with the rest with demonic precision.


Marianne meanwhile, made sure to strike only when the thralls decided to make themselves a threat to Ciel. Ash began to chuckle.

"You have fine butlers. I doubt Sebastian will need my help in this fight," he said. "A bit strange though, isn't it? This is all because of some spice, but only some people are affected. If it's that evil, wouldn't more people go insane?"

His face was blank as he continued.

"Really, if you think about it, in this world, there is no one who can claim to be truly pure of heart."

Ciel's eyes caught sight of Sebastian's Curry Buns, along with the judges and the people he saw had indulged in the Funtom deliciousness.


Mina ran past Sebastian, and was surging towards Ciel and Marianne. Marianne, poised for the attack, waited for the moment to strike. Unfortunately, her timing was thrown off when Soma ran out in front of them to become a human barricade.

"No, wait, Mina!" he cried.

Clearly he intended to become the Shiva to her Kali.

"No you fool!" Ciel shouted.

Soma shook his head and stood firm in his resolve.

This is the only way to stop Kali!

What looked to be the start of an interesting battle, ended before it could begin when Mina slipped on a blue lobster from Agni's curry and fell to the floor. Ciel and Soma were dumbfounded by the situation while Marianne could only face palm.

You would think that an angry woman would at least look where she's putting her feet. She thought to herself while sweatdropping.

Soma then hurried forward and placed his foot down on Mina's back.

"Mina, forgive me!"

Marianne arched a brow when she saw he decided to become Kali instead.

"Well, that's one way to do it."

Ciel then looked to Sebastian.

"Sebastian!" he called. "The Curry Buns! Feed them some of the buns you made!"

The demon smiled.

"Certainly."


He was swift in throwing the curry buns into the mouths of the attackers. Ciel watched it all with a blank expression.

Curry made by a demon, and it makes people happy. What an utter joke. And how utterly like him. He thought. But if he chose to fill his dish with kindness and happiness, that's what they will get.

A curry bun was thrown into Mina's mouth, and slowly the possessed people returned to their normal state.

Mina was the last to return to normal. Soma gasped.

"M-Mina?"

She rolled over and looked at him.

"Prince Soma… I was completely right. You are awful."

She then dropped her head to the floor, completely unconscious.


Ash then spoke up.

"The Queen bids me tell you, 'the goodness of your Curry Buns has defeated the evil of the demon spice, and healed those who it had afflicted. And therefore, the winner of the Royal Warrant has been decided."


The sun was setting by the time they left the Great Exhibition. The orange glow created rainbows through the glass and the spectrum of colours danced over the patrons below. Scotland Yard was taking care of the casualties that day, taking them out on stretchers to be escorted to the hospital.

"How are you going to handle it?" Ciel asked Soma.

The group were all gathered together, observing the clean-up with a calmness that only occurred after a large storm had hit. Ash approached them with a smile. Marianne slid behind Sebastian, scowling at the white butler.

"They won't be treated badly," said Ash. "Thank you. You have done very well today. I congratulate you on your success in obtaining a Royal Warrant. Her Majesty has expressed her gratitude toward you."

The Queen stood to the side, flanked by an armed guard of police officers.

"She bids me tell you, 'I'm sorry for your hardship, but know I have been watching your work closely. I am in the light, as you are in the shadows.'" Ash bowed elegantly. "'Though our positions are different, we strive for the same thing. I ask that you please continue to aid Her Majesty.'"

Ciel nodded his head quietly before speaking.

"Yes."

Ash chuckled for a moment.

"Then I will bid you farewell."

He caught Marianne's eyes as she peeked around from behind Sebastian. His brow twitched curiously before he walked away.


Soma looked down at Ciel.

"I have to thank you too, Ciel," he said. "What if I had never met you? I would be as ignorant and selfish as I have always been. There are so many things I still have to learn. All of England… No… All of the world has much to teach me, and I am a willing student!"

Meanwhile, Agni was alone with Marianne and Sebastian.

"And thank you," said Agni as he went down on his knees. "Your household has taught the prince and me many great things. What would we have done without you?"

Sebastian knelt before him.

"Please lift up your head. I had my own reasons for my actions. You have absolutely no reason to be thanking me," he said. Agni gasped as he stared up at the demon. "The gods you believe in are Kali and Shiva. They were able to realise their mistakes through mutual pain, just like you and Soma. You see, the old edict is true, without pain, you cannot truly hope."

He assisted Agni to his feet. Marianne nodded her head and smiled.

"And without pain, we cannot truly appreciate joy when it shines upon us."

Agni laughed.

"I've relearned my gods' teachings from two Englishmen. That is quite embarrassing."

Sebastian brushed the comment away.

"Nationality is irrelevant. All places and all times are essentially the same. Human nature is a static thing," he explained, stepping away and allowing his whole body to become a silhouette in the setting sun.

"Yes, I understand." Agni smiled. "It is just as how the sun sets over the Ganges River, and the Thames, are equally beautiful."

They watched the sunset together. But all of a sudden, Soma broke down. He latched onto the person closed to him, in other words, Ciel.

"Mina! My Mina left me for good!" Soma wept.

"Get off me!" Ciel shouted.

Marianne pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"And now he breaks down. Clearly the situation has fully hit him." She looked at Sebastian. "Should I try to remove him from Ciel?"

The demon shook his head.

"Leave him be. Let him mourn the loss."

Agni then spoke up.

"I am very glad we came to England. My prince and I made friends ideally suited to us."

He said this while smiling at Sebastian.

"A friend?" Sebastian pondered aloud. "Interesting. No one has ever referred to me as that. You Sir are the first."

All the while, Soma was still crying, even when Ran Mao and Lau made their departure.


Marianne shook her head, seeing that Ciel was only seconds away from losing his temper, big time.

"Okay, that's enough of that. Prince Soma, I am going to have to insist that you stop crying on my Master and remove yourself from his person," she said.

Soma looked at her for a moment, and removed himself from Ciel.

"Right, now then…"

Without warning, the prince latched onto Marianne, nearly sending her toppling to the ground, but somehow she managed to stay upright. Although she didn't come out of it without injury.

"Edward, you are a woman!?"

Her hat and wig had gotten knocked off during the assault. Ciel merely smirked.

"Oh yes, did I forget to mention that my apprenticed butler was also a young woman?" he teased.

"But how can this be? This woman is as flat as a washboard!" Soma cried.

Marianne looked at him incredulously.

"I am not removing the other part of my disguise simply to prove that I have the assets of a lady!" she snapped.

Soma stared at her, completely enthralled.

"So beautiful… I declare that you shall be one of wives!"

The girl removed herself from his grasp.

"Are you mad?! I refuse such a ridiculous offer! Not to mention you would most likely get killed in the attempt…"

"What do you mean?"

Soma then caught sight of Sebastian looming demonically over her shoulder. He would have been buried in the ground several times over with the way the demon was glared daggers at him. Terrified, he quickly ducked behind Agni.

"Never mind! You marry who you like! Even the scary butler!"

This only sent everyone laughing. Sebastian placed his hand quietly on the small of Marianne's back, a smile gracing his lips as she beamed up at him.

And I have every intention of doing so. He thought to his mate.

She could only blush under the intensity of his gaze.


I simply couldn't resist adding this little bit in with Soma finding out that Marianne was a girl, and proposing to her. Frankly, I just enjoy having Sebastian terrify him and hiding behind Agni just to escape his demonic glare. I wonder how he would react when he learns that Sebastian and Marianne are in some sort of relationship, as a demon's relationship cannot be considered the same as a relationship with a human… not that they know that, of course.

Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Please read and review!