Ciel was actually enjoying the fight between Sebastian and Drocell. He, personally, didn't understand the point of the whole thing, but he could enjoy it nonetheless. It was great fun to constantly yank Sebastian's chain.

"I don't see why you're so upset," he told his butler once. "After all, didn't you tell her to go do whatever she wanted to?"

Sebastian was silent, but the area around him seemed charged with extreme negative energy.

"Or did you just mean that she can do whatever she wants except go find another man?"

Sebastian was about 97% away from smacking that brat's rear end several billion times with his shoe when Ciel suddenly said,

"You know, Eleanora hates it when men are violent with children."

The transformation was almost like magic.

The negative aura immediately dissipated, and while Sebastian didn't look absolutely pleased, he still continued pouring the tea and didn't look on the verge of committing murder.

So Ciel thought up a new game.

He would be sorry when Eleanora would finally pick a man. It was great having two butlers doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted—all he had to do was say the right words. For example, one day he said,

"You know, Eleanora finds fast men really appealing."

Sebastian and Drocell had looked at each other, clearly wondering what this meant.

"I don't know precisely what she intended, of course," the Earl continued calmly, "but maybe it has something to do with whoever can bring me my tea first…"

And soon both butlers had ran for tea and returned within five seconds. It really was almost like magic.

But the fun didn't just stop at tea, though. Ciel could literally make the butlers do anything—anything. All he had to do was involve Eleanora somehow.

For example, one day, it was beautiful outside, but unfortunately, Sebastian insisted on keeping him inside to do complex math problems. Normally, Ciel would have just sulked and tried to make the experience as unpleasant as possible for his butler, but now with this rivalry, all he had to do was say,

"You know, Drocell doesn't make me study in wonderful weather. I overheard Eleanora saying, in fact, that she admired a man who took advantage of such sunshiny days."

Sebastian immediately slammed his textbook shut and ordered—ordered!—him to go outside and get some fresh air.

And then there was the time when Drocell didn't want to go through the trouble of making him a fifth dessert. Normally, he would have insisted and insisted until he would be worn down, but now, all he had to do was say,

"Eleanora told me just now that I'm too thin. I really should be gaining some weight…Maybe with another cake? Yes, I'm sure that that'll do it…And Eleanora will be so happy that someone is finally looking after my health!"

Drocell made so many desserts that evening that even Ciel couldn't finish them all.

And then there was when Sebastian tried making him finish his vegetables…

And the time when Drocell bought the wrong coat and didn't want to go and get the right one…

And the time when Sebastian tried to make him wash the dog…

And the time when Drocell tried to make him go to bed at a decent hour…

If Ciel wasn't careful, this sudden power could go right to his head and turn him into some sort of villain. But that wasn't an issue…yet.

Another thing that Ciel liked to do was set the two butlers on each other's throats. Eleanora frequently assisted him with this game, even though she didn't really like doing it, so he could only do it once a day.

One time, Ciel asked Eleanora to drop her handkerchief on his signal and not pick it up. Then he rang for the two butlers, and soon they were standing in front of him. They kept on looking around with different facial expressions: first, they looked at him with distaste and disinterest. Then, they looked at each other with deep loathing and obvious murderous intent. And finally, they would glance behind their shoulders at Eleanora with such sweet, simpering, lovelorn puppy-dog looks that it made one sick to look at.

Ciel stared at Eleanora and Eleanora looked at him. Then he sighed and tapped three times on his desk with one finger—the signal.

Eleanora accordingly dropped her handkerchief; the butlers' attention was immediately diverted to it.

All was tense for a few seconds. Ciel raised his eyebrow at his maid, who raised one back at him. And then she said, in the most monotone voice possible, with the most emotionless face in existence,

"Oops."

And both butlers lunged for the handkerchief.

The battle didn't last long; soon Sebastian was rising from the floor, practically glowing with triumph. He offered Eleanora her handkerchief like a true gentleman, which she grudgingly accepted like a true pissed-off woman.

Ciel now had both eyebrows raised in her direction; Sebastian was looking happy and eager; Eleanora was wishing that everybody in the room was dead.

Finally she gave Sebastian a strained clap on his shoulder.

"Good job," she said in the same way that Sebastian might praise a dog.

It was more than enough to make him ecstatic, though. His whole face immediately lit up, and as soon as Eleanora had left the room, he lost no time in smirking superiorly at the defeated Drocell.

And so began a series of battles which took place every night and were only resolved when it was time to begin the day's work. As soon as everyone else was asleep, Sebastian and Drocell would go outside and essentially try to kill one another before going back inside when the sun was rising.

Leaving Eleanora to clean up after them.

At first, they didn't do too much damage to one another. Aside from a couple of bruises which could easily be covered with makeup, there wasn't any sign of fighting. But after the handkerchief episode, Drocell had decided to get revenge.

When Eleanora went into the kitchen the next day, the first thing she saw was Sebastian sitting on a chair, pressing some ice against a black eye.

"Sebastian!" she gasped and immediately ran to his assistance. Aside from the black eye, he was bleeding in several places and had a hole in his stomach. He was also missing a couple of his teeth.

"Oh, you poor, poor darling…Where does it hurt? Are you in much pain? Tell me everything, sweetheart."

Sebastian's heart swelled with rapture and adoration upon hearing such sweet words from his beloved, but he cleverly masked it with a pitiful, pained look.

"Everywhere…" he whispered, trembling a bit at her gentle touch. "It hurts so much, I can hardly stand it…"

"You—want—to—talk—not—standing?"

Eleanora whirled around; Sebastian shot daggers at his rival, who was just entering the kitchen, hobbling a bit because his left leg had been torn off, along with several of his fingers. Also his head was facing the wrong way.

"Eleanora—look—what—that—monster—did—to—me!"

"Eleanora, look what that beast did to me!" Sebastian said, grabbing her hand and pressing it against his chest.

"Eleanora!"

Now Drocell had taken her other hand and was pressing it against his chest.

"Eleanora!"

"Eleanora!"

"Eleanora!"

"ENOUGH!" Eleanora screamed and wrenched herself away. "I am sick and tired of dealing with you two numbskulls all the time! Can't you two man up and stop this idiocy?"

Idiocy?

Sebastian and Drocell shared a look, thinking the same thing. Idiocy?! They weren't idiots! They were Knights in Shining Armor, fighting boldly for Milady's fair hand! And Damsels in Distress didn't think that their saviors were idiots—they thought that they were heroes! There was something definitely wrong with this picture…Who was in the wrong, here? Her or us?

Her. It definitely had to be her. She just must not have been in the mood to be saved by her Knight (of course, Sebastian and Drocell had a different opinion on who her knight was). She'll come around eventually, once she realizes how amazing her Knight is.

They were right about Eleanora not being in the mood to be saved. In fact, she hadn't been in the mood ever since she realized that Sebastian was jealous, which she had figured out roughly five seconds after she had been in the same room with him when they had met Drocell.

The problem with being pursued by two men is that eventually one would have to choose, and unless one was planning on becoming a polygamist (unseemly and unladylike), only one man could be chosen. And Eleanora didn't really want to pick out one. They both had their benefits and their disadvantages.

Like Drocell. Drocell was everything she liked in a man: kind, considerate, respectful, handsome, adoring…He was also dumb as bricks, and Eleanora simply detested stupidity of any kind. He could barely make a decision on his own; he literally had to be ordered around to do anything, which was taxing. It also made her impatient and got old after a very short time. And he just wasn't as strong as Sebastian, both physically and mentally. He wouldn't really be able to defend her if she was truly in a bad situation. But he loved her, and she loved him. But being with him meant cheating on her husband, which is one of the most detestable things any person could ever do.

Sebastian was intelligent and strong and elegant and gentlemanly and professional…He was also a complete asshole. He hadn't even cared about her until the threat of another man came along. He looked down on humans—which included her—and he also had that damned macho mentality which was always so irritating and made him do stupid things. But she was already married to him, which was convenient…But he was also a demon…But he was also filthy rich…But he was also heartless and sadistic…

It was so hard to choose. Love over money? Elegance over kindness? How did those women in those trashy romance novels ever choose one person? Eleanora knew that she would eventually have to pick one, but for now, she wanted to have nothing to do with either of them. Right now, all she wanted to do was ignore the problem and pray daily that it would somehow resolve itself.

And for a few days, it looked as if it did. Ciel had received a letter from the sanatorium, which said that the Earl of Mandalay wanted to see his butler again. Drocell would be sent out to the country, leaving Sebastian with Eleanora. For some time, it looked as if everything had been fixed by Fate.

Sebastian was naturally walking on the clouds throughout these days. His hated enemy was being sent away and he would be the winner by default. Eleanora would eventually forget the doll-freak, but before that happened, he could be the shoulder to cry on, which would only improve his standing with his wife. Perfect in every way! He couldn't have planned it better himself.

But a few hours before Drocell was to leave, he asked Eleanora to meet him in the garden—alone. Naturally Sebastian couldn't let such a suspicious meeting go unnoticed, so he followed them.

They wandered around the garden for a bit, and then they sat down on a stone bench, where they were silent for a time. And then Drocell seized Eleanora's hands and starting talking.

It would be too long and too tedious to relate everything that was said during those five minutes (probably more than ten minutes, actually, due to Drocell's mechanical way of speaking), but the gist of his speech was this: he simply adored Eleanora; he couldn't live without her, and would she please come with him to the country so they could spend the rest of their natural lives in perfect bliss, serving the Earl of Mandalay, who, Drocell assured her, was much nicer than the Earl of Phantomhive.

Sebastian's heart had grown cold upon hearing such a beautiful, touching, well-thought-out oration. But…Eleanora wouldn't buy it, right? She would stay at Phantomhive, right? She would be loyal to her husband—right?

Eleanora was silent for a time after Drocell had proclaimed his undying love. Then she squeezed his hands, laughed a bit, looked deep into his eyes and said, smiling,

"Drocell, I love you. I love you very, very much. I had never thought that I could love someone so much...I don't think that I could ever love anyone half so much as I love you."

Sebastian stopped listening after this. He just turned on his heel and strode away. The carriage had to be ready for Drocell's departure, after all. And he was on a schedule.

Sebastian had felt pain when Eleanora had said that she hadn't slept with him out of love. But that was nothing compared to the pain that he felt now.