Chapter 6

Raising an eyebrow at her hand, his eye flicked up to shoot the girl a questioning look with eyebrow still cocked up.

"Deal. Let me work under you as your new maid, Phantomhive."

Then there was silence. Violet blue to Ice blue, his eye slightly widened as a glint of fierce determination in her eyes stared back at him. Breaking the eye contact, he grunted as a response before reaching a hand out to the waiting hand. Clutching the smaller hand firmly in his, Ciel gave her a curt nod.

When the gesture was returned, he released her from his grip before turning to his watching butler. "Sebastian, we will need this ring."

"Of course, Young Master." Sebastian instantly took out a bag and crouched down to carefully put the ring in. Watching as his butler seal up the bag and slotted it into his tailcoat, Ciel turned his attention back to the girl to see her watch his butler with a questioning look.

Then the attention was then returned when the girl flicked her eyes to him and spoke.

"What do you need that for…?"

Ciel stared back at her for a moment before he spoke. "That would be none of your concern, Blancbaston….." Snapping his head to his waiting butler, he gave himself a curt nod before spinning away from his both companions. Strolling towards the door of the room, he continued. "…..Now, let's head back."

….

She could only stare after the boy in bewilderment as she watched him stroll towards the door. Snapping her head over to an utter of her name, she saw Sebastian gesturing to her to follow. Starting forward to do what she was told; Estella continued staring at the retreating back of the boy leading the way. Her eyebrows moved to frown at it.

First, he's so cold…..Then suddenly became so comforting….Now he's so cold again…Why is he so damn hard to figure out….?

Sighing heavily, Estella continued frowning at his back as they made their way towards the carriage.

….

Ciel could not help but gave out a sigh when his manor came into view. The old manor they just came back from gave him the creeps. He could still feel deaths lingering at that very piece of land and it also gave him an indescribable feeling of coldness. Ciel shuddered inwardly at the thought of that piece of land. Somehow he suddenly felt that he was very lucky to have his servants staying together with him in his huge manor. Although they might be noisy and incompetent ones, they were the ones who made his manor somewhat…warm and homely. Not that he wants to admit it…Without those loud and careless servants; his home would never feel the same.

Snapping his head over to his other fellow passenger, Ciel stared at the girl who was sitting at the opposite seat across him. His gaze on her softened, somehow Ciel was kind of glad that he had brought this girl away from the manor where her traumatizing past was held; she reminded him too much of himself….The same traumatizing expression of fear on his face years ago when he finally returned to his family manor. Turning to the window, he gazed out at his manor as the carriage trudged towards it. A small smirk then cracked across his face. Now, this girl will be an addition to his servants…With her added to be another resident of his manor, things were going to be interesting….Indeed, interesting. Merely this new additional pawn would intrigue his life. All he need do now is to… wait and see.

His smirk slipped off into an emotionless face when the carriage came to a stop in front of his porch. Pushing himself off the seat when the door was swung opened by his butler, he turned to the girl and uttered her name to break her out of her daze. When he got her attention, Ciel jutted his chin towards the door and spoke.

"Let's go. Don't waste precious time."

With that, he spun towards the door and took his butler's waiting hand to get down. Landing on the ground, he moved away from the door to allow the girl to get off the carriage. When the girl set foot onto the ground, Ciel instantly spoke.

"Alright, to my study. Sebastian, you too."

Not waiting for their response, Ciel strode towards the entrance of his manor.

...

The doors of his study 'thumped' closed as he watched Sebastian shut the door closed behind him. Leaning back on his chair, Ciel gestured at the chair opposite him when the girl advanced towards his desk. When she settled down onto the chair, he cleared his throat and spoke in an all-business tone.

"Alright. Blancbaston, you shall become my servant from today onwards. Work and serve. I expect total loyalty from you; any intent to betray…death would be what you will be getting. You are to obey my every order and wish. Understood?" Not bothering for her response, he gestured to his butler standing next to his desk and continued. "….Sebastian is the head servant of my manor…so you are to also obey him. Understood?"

This time he paused for her response.

Estella opposite narrowed her eyes at the duo and sighed. "Yes, yes…Alright, I understand, Phantomhive."

Ciel snorted at her response and shot a glare at her.

"What?"

He sighed. "You do not address me by 'Phantomhive'. You address as either 'Master' or 'Master Phantomhive'. No calling me a 'Midget' either. Got it?"

The girl folded her arms across her chest and snorted. "Yes….Of course, Master."

The male adolescent sighed again. "I forgot…You are also to treat me with respect."

Estella sighed in resignation and spoke in a serious tone. "Fine. With respect then….Master."

"Hn." Ciel gave her a satisfied curt nod before pulling open a drawer of his desk. Pulling a piece of paper out of it, he pushed the drawer closed. Sliding the piece of paper across the desk towards the other adolescent, he placed a pen beside it. Flicking his eye up to see the girl shoot him a questioning look, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Since you have agreed to my…conditions, this contract will be an official proof that will bind us together as master and servant. Now…sign here." His index finger tapped onto an empty space above the words which says 'Signature of Worker'.

He watched as Estella gave him a curt nod before reaching for the pen. The pen clutched in her left hand, the girl signed on the paper in one quick movement before sliding it back to her new master.

Ciel studied the elegant-looking signature before giving it a satisfying nod. Turning to the silent butler beside him, he spoke. "Sebastian, sign here."

Sebastian glanced at the words that say 'Signature of Head Servant', before signing on the empty space above it with the pen which passed to him. Signing in one quick movement, Sebastian uttered a 'Done' before sliding it back to his master.

Ciel took out his family stamp before stamping it onto the paper. Nodding satisfying at the content of the paper, Ciel passed it back to his butler. "Later, file this into that folder."

When Sebastian nodded at the order, he turned back to the girl. "Alright. Now you are officially my ser-"

"Wait…I've got a request."

Raising an eyebrow at her, Ciel narrowed his eye at her. "What…What is it…?"

"I took up a bit of martial arts before my family was murdered. I would like to further develop my skills…so I would like to be trained and also would like to go deeper into martial arts. I mean…you see…Isn't it better if you have another bodyguard…?"

His raised eyebrow cocked up even higher at this. "Just Sebastian will be good enough for my safety…another bodyguard is unnecessary."

The butler beside him too cocked an eyebrow at her and spoke. "What my master said, is right."

Flicking her eyes from the butler back to the other adolescent, she shrugged. "Why not…? Look…what if Sebastian isn't around or something, you've got another person that can protect you…It's a win-win thing. I will also benefit by getting to learn and improve from where I stop. So think about it…"

Ciel leaned in and rested his chin on the knuckle of his hand. Narrowing his eye at his new servant, he continued pondering over the request. Then he made up his mind.

"Alright…But you will still be doing the chores and things that you're ordered to do. Okay then, Sebastian will be your martial arts trainer, be sure to train hard."

Turning to his butler, Ciel questioned. "Training her in martial arts shouldn't be problem right…?"

"Of course, Young Master. In fact, I'm looking forward to test her current skills."

Giving him a curt nod, he turned back to the girl. "Alright. Then it's confirmed. You will be working under me as a servant and a bodyguard, starting from today."

Extending a hand towards her, he spoke. "Work hard, my servant."

Hesitantly grasping his hand in hers, she gave him a curt nod. Releasing them from the handshake, she slumped back on her chair, gaze still fixed on her new master. Not liking how she was needed to treat the boy with this much respect, Estella gave out another sigh of resignation.

Ciel returned the gaze and asked nonchalantly. "By the way, why do you want to learn martial arts and become my bodyguard? You know, you are putting yourself into a great risk of danger…."

"Danger?" She snorted. "My life up till now has been all that. I'm used to that. "The girl stared back with a glint of fierce determination that could be seen in her ice blue orbs. "I am an avenger."

…..

-End of Chapter-