As the day went on, Edna and I spent as much time as we could together, knowing that it could be months or years before we could be like this again. We walked all around London together, both of us dressed in red and not really giving a damn about what anyone else thought. Disguising herself as a commoner, Edna and I were able to act like a couple, subtly flirting now and then and just enjoying each others' company. Edna was lively, laughing and smiling brightly, her features glowing as I could sense her soul beaming with joy. Never have I seen her that happy, and I doubt it would be a long while before I see this side of her again.

A side of her only I can see, a side of her that I owned.

It was about sunset by the time we made our way back to the townhouse, we were having so much fun we didn't keep track of time. I escorted Edna, who held onto my arm, resting her head comfortably on my shoulder like the walk we had back at the manor. Though unlike last time, I could feel her try to push herself as close to me as she physically could, to the point she was almost pushing me off the sidewalk. I smirked.

"You really seem to like my company, Edna. If you are not too careful, you are bound to push me into the streets!"

Edna gave a small smile and looked up at me.

"What can I say? I enjoy being near you."

She moved back far enough for us to have proper eye contact.

"And don't act like you don't enjoy me being like this," she commented with a mischievous grin. "Don't think I see that smirk on your face, knowing that you have me."

"At least I'm not making it painfully obvious."

Edna snorted and laughed.

"You are joking, right?" she asked between laughs. "Sebastian, don't fool yourself. Your attraction to me was so clear that not even a child could be fooled."

My smile vanished and I stopped in my tracks.

"...Just how long have you known?" I asked, feeling partly embarrassed and yet partly curious at the same time.

Edna rolled her eyes.

"And yet this morning I can recall you saying you had experience in this area."

She smiled.

"In truth, I've suspected you had some attraction to me since we met, mainly because I noticed you stared at me quite often. Of course I didn't think too much of it, after all, you did just lose your memory and it would be expected for you to space out and not be responsive. But it wasn't till you had your little slip up when we were walking to the cemetery that it confirmed it."

A little color came to her cheeks as she looked into my eyes.

"Though by the same token, it was also when I began to notice my own attraction towards you."

I smiled.

"Well, I am simply a butler to die for!" I replied, my eyes glowing slightly. "I am irresistible, just like yourself."

Edna giggled.

"He he! Don't make me blush!"

She smirked.

"Though at least I had you fooled for a while. So I consider that a win on my part."

"Oh, is it?"

I moved closer to her, a mischievous look on my face.

"But you were the one who confessed to love me first! So I think that means I ultimately win."

Edna leaned in to where our nose tips touched.

"Yet you were the first one to kiss me. One kiss can confess much more than words ever could. And by the first kiss you gave me...it would seem like you were all over me."

The intense look in her eyes made it very hard to not kiss her right in the open. God, this woman...

"H-hey, watch out!"

Coming out of nowhere, we both turned to see a horse running out of control was heading straight for us, an Indian boy running after it. Immediately, I grabbed Edna and threw her out of the way, but it didn't give me enough time to dodge myself. In that same second I moved Edna, the horse ran straight into me. Edna screamed as I fell hard into the stone ground, the horse going crazy as it raised its front hooves and cried out. The Indian boy made a poor effort to calm the animal, while I feared of getting stomped on since the horse was almost on top of me.

"Prince Soma!"

Just as quickly as the madden horse came, another Indian with long white hair came to the rescue as he ran up to the horse and grabbed the reigns. He pulled it with enough force to lead it away from me, eventually calming down it down. Meanwhile, with my body aching slightly from the fall, I was able to get myself to stand back up as Edna came rushing towards my side.

"Oh my God, Sebastian! Are you alright?!" she exclaimed in pure shock and terror. "That horse could have killed you!"

"...I'm fine," I replied, trying to get the dirt off my clothes. "Just a bit bruised up from the fall, nothing too serious."

"Like hell it's 'nothing too serious!'"

She held me close for second, expecting me with her eyes carefully as she looked for some kind of severe injury.

"Are you alright, sir?!"

The Indian man who came to my rescue quickly walked up to us, his pale blue eyes full of concern.

"I'm terribly sorry about this!" he apologized sincerely. "My prince accidentally spooked the horse and it got freed from the carriage it was pulling. I hope you are not terribly injured."

I opened my mouth to make a reply, to tell him I was fortunate to not be injured, however Edna beat me to it.

And was her response full of rage.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Edna shouted at the top of her lungs. "Who the hell let's their horse on the loose like this in the middle of a busy city? You are lucky that no one else got hurt!"

The Indian man flinched at her harsh words.

"I understand that, and I apologize on behalf of my prince that it shall never happen again..."

"Oh, you serve a prince?"

Edna moved closer to him, her expression burning with a fury that I never would have thought she would have.

"Then why don't you and your prince go back to his palace so he can properly learn how to handle a horse!"

"Will you please stop it with the shouting! This is already a headache as it is."

In the middle of Edna's heated rant, the sound of a thirteen year old boy's voice cuts through. The Indian man, Edna, and I turned to see a boy dressed as an earl approach us with a butler in pure black attire by his side.

The boy was dressed in the finest of clothes, dark gray and blue that matched his cold demeanor, along with an eye patch to cover his left eye and his one royal blue eye that could look deeply into a person. His butler that was next to him was without a doubt the most handsome man I've ever seen, his untamed black hair framing his face perfectly with blood-red brown eyes that were as charismatic as they were dangerous.

At the sight of these two, my head began to agonize in pain as faint images try to make themselves clear in my mind. T-this boy...this man...

"If you keep shouting like that you are bound to cause unnecessary attention," the earl said to Edna. "Even if your anger is understandable."

"Hey, Ciel, don't be too harsh on me!" the prince cried in lame protest. "It wasn't my complete fault that the horse reacted the way it did!"

"My prince, please..."

The older Indian gently took him away as Ciel continued.

"I sincerely apologize for this accident. Being the Earl of Phantomhive, it is a great embarrassment to have my...acquaintance make a fool of himself like this."

He sighed heavily.

"I understand it was your companion who was hurt. If you allow it, my butler has some medical experience and can check him for injuries as a way to apologize, free of charge. Do you know how badly you are-"

He cut himself off as the young earl's eyes met me.

"You?!" Ciel exclaimed shocked. "What are you doing here?!"

"I ordered you to hunt Jack the Ripper..."

I clutched my head tightly as the image of the earl soaked with rain flashed in my mind, him kneeling over the body of a woman.

"Sebastian?!" I faintly heard Edna cry. "Sebastian, what's wrong?"

"'Sebastian?'"

I think that time it was the butler who spoke, who's silky voice made my heart skip a beat.

"...A butler is one who accompanies his master like a shadow... Your poor tastes goes against the aesthetics of both..."

I can see the butler standing before me in the moonlight, his eyes glowing like a devil's eyes as his glares down at me with pure hatred, covered in fresh blood. More and more images, voices, and other memories rush back to me, almost to the point of overwhelming me. I could feel myself losing it again, the only thing keeping me in reality was Edna's touch and her voice desperate to reach me.

"Sebastian, can you hear me? Sebastian, please answer me!"

Removing my hand slightly, I looked to see Edna's petrified face staring down at me.

"Miss, if you would allow me."

Unexpectedly, the butler slowly came to my side. I looked up at him for a second, a sense of familiarity for me to be looking up to meet his gaze, as he moved his hand towards the back of my neck and pinched it slightly. I don't know what he did, but with my memories taking over my strength, I was able to lose consciousness as I fell into Edna's arms...

One minute I knew overwhelming pain, the next I feel the familiar aching of my head in a black abyss. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking a couple of times as they adjusted to the candle lit room.

...How long have I been out, and where was Edna?

"Ah, you are awake."

Hearing that deep, smooth voice, I immediately stood up and turned towards the door. Reaching over to get my spectacles back on, my vision became clear to see the butler from before smiling over at me.

No...

He wasn't smiling, no that wasn't a real smile. It was a false smile, an illusion as he tried to mask what he truly felt.

"I'm glad to see that you are feeling better," the butler said 'warmly' as he approached my bedside. "You had us quite worried with that mental breakdown you had, 'Sebastian.'"

His words sent chills down my spine, one partly being his voice that was very seductive and the other half because I could physically feel the ice he was trying to mask with false concern. I narrowed my eyes.

"I apologize," I replied flatly, "I did not mean to cause you any trouble. About two months ago, I suffered a severe head injury and sometimes I get overpowering headaches that are unpredictable."

"Yes, that was what your lady told us."

His dark brown-red eyes glowed slightly.

"Lady Redwood was extremely concerned about you. But I told her not to fret, as you are in good hands."

My eyes widened. "H-how do you..."

The dark butler smiled.

"Lady Redwood told us herself, as she is currently with my master discussing the issue while also refusing to leave our townhouse without you or knowing you have recovered."

His grin grew slightly.

"While I find it improper for a butler to have a nonprofessional relationship with his mistress, my lord and I will not say much of it. After all, these little affairs don't always last and will eventually destroy themselves."

"I appreciate the advise."

I glared at him for a long moment, my headache having the last few bits of pain.

This butler, that little earl...I know them. I have met them before, they...I can faintly recall their faces and their voices. A feeling of lust for the man with demon like eyes...and a strong jealous loathing for the earl brat...

"...You know who I am, don't you?" I finally asked, meeting the butler's gaze. "And I've...met you somewhere before."

The butler smiled down on me.

"Indeed we have, but we are only mere acquaintances."

Noticing that the candle in the corner of the room was flickering, he turned around and went over to light a new one.

"Tell me, how much of your memory have you gained back?" he asked. "I'm curious to know how much you remember, especially since you are not trying to assault my personal space."

...Why would I assault your personal space?

I decided not to answer that, but I quietly explained to him my healing memories. However, I found it extremely difficult to do, for I did not want to seem weak in front of this man. But he was someone from my past, so what little choice do I have?

When I finished explaining my situation, it took a moment before the butler replied, him standing stiffly still. I could not tell what he was thinking, his back was turned to me, but I sensed that he was carefully placing all I had told him into clear thought before responding.

"I see...so all you remember now is Madam Red and that you were Jack the Ripper together?" he repeated back to me for clarification. "And only remember faint pieces of my master and I?"

I nodded.

"Yes, though just because I know that I was part of Jack the Ripper does not mean I can remember it clearly. Angelina is the only thing I have a clear memory of, and even then, there are still some missing pieces."

"...I see. Most interesting..."

I raised an eyebrow. Was that...a soft laugh I heard? The dark butler turned back to face me, finally, and made eye contact.

"I suppose you have questions for me regarding who you are. My young master ordered me to take care of you, so whatever questions or needs you have I am happy to oblige."

'Happy to oblige...?' Don't make me laugh.

"Well, I would like to know who you are, for starts," I said, leaning forward slightly, but still keeping strong eye contact. "Along with the boy."

The butler smiled.

"Fair enough. My name is Sebastian Michaelis, butler to Earl Phantomhive, owner of the Funtom toy company and Queen Victoria's loyal watchdog."

He paused for a small moment.

"...He is also Madam Red's nephew, her sister's child."

Yes...Ciel was Angelina's nephew, who she treated as her son more than anything, and expressed unconditional love for him any time she could... And Sebastian... Now it makes sense why I was so reluctant to take the name at first. It was because it was his name, not mine and not even close.

"I must admit, I do find it mildly amusing that you began to call yourself my name after you lost your memory," Sebastian commented, dragging me out of my thoughts. "Even more so when you never knew who it originally belonged to when you renamed yourself."

"I actually didn't rename myself," I replied, feeling slightly offended. "Edna was the one who came up with it. I had nothing at the time, so I saw no harm in taking it."

Sebastian chuckled softly.

"It would seem that the lovely Lady Redwood had you under her spell even by your first meeting. How amusing...and ironic with her resemblance to Madam Red."

I glared at him.

"I would appreciate it if you would not talk about the subject. It is none of your business what my relationships are."

"And yet the parallels are still in plain sight."

There was a small silence, my body tensing up as anger built up in my narrowed gaze. Quickly getting a hold of my emotions, to make sure they were not obvious, I changed the subject and said, "So since I 'took' your name, can you tell me what mine is?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Your name is Grell Sutcliff. One of the very few scattered shinigami that work in Great Britain."

"...Grell Sutcliff..."

The name rolled off my tongue perfectly. Instantly hearing it, my heart knew that it belonged to me. Grell...I could now hear my dear Angelina say my name in her gentle voice, what I've longed to hear again...

But before I could daydream on how much I missed hearing my name come from her lips, my mind caught on that Sebastian mentioned something quite odd.

"...Did I hear you correctly when you called me a shini..."

The word was hard to pronounce, not because of its foreign sound but the fact that I felt like a part of myself was preventing me from saying it. It was like my subconscious was trying to hide something, and that saying that one word would ruin everything.

"...gami. Shinigami. What is that?"

Sebastian gave a small smile.

"A shinigami is another term for a grim reaper," he explained, "a god of death. You are such a creature, bound to the never ending, never changing duty of collecting the souls of the fallen humans and storing up their cinematic records."

I blinked a couple of times, it taking a moment for Sebastian's words to sink in.

Suddenly, and without much control, the sides of my mouth twitched and I burst out into a laughing fit.

"Ha ha ha ha! You've got to be joking! A grim reaper? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! A creature like that can't exist!"

And yet why do I feel a strong sense of self-denial?

"If you remember even the slightest thing about me, you would know that it isn't in my kind's nature to jest," Sebastian said with no reaction to my laughing. "And whether you consciously comprehend it or not, you must feel deep within you that it is true."

Coming towards my side, he then took a firm grip of my arm and pulled me off the bed. I stood up on command, my laughing ceasing, a small amount of heat coming to my face as he lead me to a full body mirror. He placed me right in front of it.

"Look carefully at your reflection and compare your physical traits to those of your mistress," Sebastian said, standing right behind me. "And not just Lady Redwood, but perhaps also the other servants at her manor and any others you can think of."

"...Whatever. If it makes you feel better."

Rolling my eyes I crossed my arms and stared at myself. I looked exactly human, two arms, two legs, beautiful red shoulder length hair, and a face just like any other human's.

Except for my eyes...I've yet to meet someone with eyes as bright as mine. It was my most noticeable trait, making me stand out above the normal human. My expression began to soften as I stared into my unnatural yellow-green eyes. I opened my mouth slightly, moving my tongue gently against my teeth to feel their sharp point.

"As you can see, you are not as human as you appear to be," Sebastian said. "And if you want more proof, notice that you did not take a single injury from the horse that ran you over. If you were truly human, you would have had at least a few large bruises at the very least."

A dark grin appeared on his thin lips.

"In fact, your mental breakdown was far more severe than the horse attack."

He paused for a moment.

"Do you still not believe it, Grell?"

I could feel my legs shake, every word he said stabbed itself into me.

There was no denying it, I knew all along that there was something different about me. I was not a human...I was a shinigami. A god of death, a being that is not suppose to familiarize with the living...

A small tear escaped me, a mixture of emotions raging through me from acceptance to fear, most of them not making much sense.

"...How do you know all of this?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly as I refused to lose eye contact with myself. "And if I am a grim reaper, why haven't I seen others of my kind?"

Sebastian leaned in closer to me to where our eyes were at the same level in the mirror.

"That is because I myself am not human," he answered, his eyes turning bright red with cat like pupils. "I am a demon bounded to a contract by Lord Ciel Phantomhive to serve as his butler. I am also the enemy of your species, so it would be natural I would know a thing or two."

He took a step back.

"As to why you haven't had contact with your kind, my guess would be that they think you are already dead. It would make sense, since shinigami are so busy with their work that they do not have the time to search for their comrades if they go missing."

...Yeah. That sounds about right. Somehow, even though I can't remember anything about being a grim reaper, I had the feeling that they would just assume I was dead.

"...Why are you telling me this, if you are the enemy of my kind?" I questioned softly, a numbing sense of abandonment going through me. "Why bother with this fake kindness?"

"It is simple, my master ordered that I would take care of you," Sebastian replied, not a tone of sympathy in his voice. "And while our species are bitter enemies, I do not loathe your kind as other demons do. I have never seen a grim reaper in such a weak state as you are in, and it is such a curious thing to witness."

"...So you were just curious? Amused by my memory loss?"

Sebastian chuckled softly.

"That, and the fact I simply do not appreciate seeing ignorance. With your mind slowly healing, so you would eventually learn the truth anyway. But with the position you are right now...better to know now then to wait years later to see the people around you grow old while you don't age at all."

...How cold. How nonchalant. It was like he was treating me as some sort of experiment rather than someone who is going through much mental pain and torture. How cruel...and yet I'm not fazed by it.

I clutched my fists.

"I've had enough of just standing around," I stated firmly. "I want to see Edna now."

Edna...how will she react to all of this?

Sebastian smiled and nodded.

"Of course. I will take you straight to her and my master. Right this way."