Chapter 10

The melodious tune from the orchestra instantly greeted them the moment they stepped out into the brightly lit entrance hall. When an utter of 'Let's go' emitted from Ciel who was behind her, Estella nodded in response and took a step forward to start their progress towards the direction of the meeting point.

She then stopped in her tracks when her eyes landed on a pair of black loafers in front of her. Raising her head up to identify its owner, a small feeling of surprise stab at her as her eyes flicked up to the owner's face and widened as they landed on it. It was the butler of that Trancy boy. The name of his that she could only faintly recall as Clau...Clau….de.

A response from Ciel confirmed that her faint remembrance of his name was right.

"What do you want, Claude…?" The male behind her questioned with a voice filled with utter hostility.

The said butler gave a small bow before glancing up.

"My master ordered me to find the both of you."

Ciel narrowed his eyes at the butler in response and spoke to reply coldly.

"Apparently, there is no longer a need for that."

Not caring for a response, Ciel strolled forward and paused beside Estella. Jutting his chin towards the direction of the meeting point, he ordered.

"Let's go."

Without a word, Ciel strolled past the silent butler. Eyes following him, Estella flicked them over to the butler and gave him a curt nod before starting forward to follow. Gathering the fabric of her dress into fists, she quickened her pace so to catch up with the boy. Slowing down when she neared the boy, she trailed after him in a same strolling pace.

A sudden strong nagging urge to look back won and made her comply with it. Complying with the urge, Estella turned her head to look over her shoulder. Her eyes instantly widened in surprise to see that the butler was watching, not them but her,very intently with narrowed eyes. She shuddered inwardly at the realization that she was being watched very intently.

Frowning, she snapped her head back to the front. A stir of puzzlement and worry nagged at her. Estella could not help but shudder again as she could feel that disturbing feeling of the intense gaze on her. Usually when people do this, she would either yell at them or at least throw them a glare. But this time, she just could not even manage a glare at this particular male. Simply could not. The way the butler was eying her crept her out too much that the intensity of his gaze was making her shudder.

Tightening her hold onto the fabric in her fists, she let out a frustrated sigh and decided to brush off the feeling of that disturbing gaze.

Noticing from over the leading male's shoulder, Estella realized that her already-gathered companions was waiting at somewhere near the huge entrance doors. The instant they nearing the edge of the group, a high-pitched outcry greeted them.

"Ciel! ~"

Flicking her eyes over to the owner of that high-pitched outcry, she watched Elizabeth rushed towards the said boy. An amused smirk cracked across her face as she watched the said boy grew rigid at his approaching fiance.

"E-Elizabeth…?" His eye widened in horror at the approaching female.

His face distorted with pain when the female yanked him towards her and instantly wrapped her arms around him into a bone-crushing hug. The grimace of pain on his face made the smirk on her face widened as she watched on in amusement. The smirk on her face then drooped down when a familiar sing-song voice called out to her with her new nickname emitted from behind.

"Luca~"

An arm slung itself over her right shoulder and across, with its hand resting on her other shoulder, in a swift motion. Eyes widening in horror, she grew rigid at it. Pulled backwards, the next thing she felt was her back colliding into a body. Another arm did the same as the other as she let out a heavy sigh. Who would always address her with the name of 'Luca'? No one but that annoying crazy weirdo, Alois Trancy.

"What is it, Trancy….?" She drawled in annoyance.

The body against her back rumbled as the said boy burst into a fit of giggles. "Luca! Why are you asking such a stupid question…? Well, of course to see you! Where did you go?... I couldn't find you!..."

Estella gave out an irritated groan. "I'm NOT Luca! Stop calling me that, will you?..."

"Silly Luca, why shouldn't I call you 'Luca'…? You are Luca!" Another fit of giggles emitted from him. The minute the giggles died down, he continued. "….Let's dance, Luca!~"

"No. We're leaving already." Estella huffed in response.

"Really…?"

Before she could even respond to that, Alois called out over to Ciel who was still busy trying to free himself from his fiance's arms.

"Hey, Ciel!~"

…..

Ciel paused at his attempt of trying to break himself out of the hug to call out to his watching butler.

"Sebastian!"

His said butler strolled obligingly over to the duo and gave him a small bow. "What is it, Young Master…?"

"Get the carriages, we are leaving."

Sebastian gave him a curt nod and replied. "Of course."

Then giving him a bow again, Sebastian turned away from his master and directed an order at Bard. "Let's get the carriages."

Watching as Sebastian and Bard strode off towards the huge entrance doors to get down to their task, Ciel glanced down at his fiance and sighed. He just simply could not understand why Elizabeth always have to hug him every time she sees him. It seemed almost like an obsession.

Letting out another sigh, he gave the girl a pat on her back. "Elizabeth. Enough wi-"

The girl glanced up at him with a pout. "It's Lizzy!"

"Okay. Eliza-…Aa…Lizzy. Can you-"

A very familiar voice which came from somewhere behind, interrupted him.

"Hey, Ciel!~"

Elizabeth instantly detached herself from the said boy at this. Seeing that she had released him, Ciel gave out a sigh of relief.

Then turning full-body to the direction of the voice, his eye widened when he saw that his new servant who have a look of utter annoyance plastered on her face, was in a close proximity with the owner of that voice. The voice belonged to the hateful mad Alois Trancy who now had a deranged lopsided grin on his face. A nagging stab of bitterness and mostly, annoyance, came at Ciel the moment his eye landed on them to see them in this proximity.

Eyebrows moving down to glare, he snapped. "What?"

"Do you mind giving me this servant girl of yours to me….?" The boy asked in a hopeful sing-song voice.

A bewildered outcry of 'No' instantly emitted from the subject of the question. Gasps of horror and shock came from his listening companions the moment Alois asked the question.

The already-present glare deepened as Ciel replied in a menace-laced voice. "Don't be ridiculous, Trancy. Quit wasting my time, let go of her now. We need to leave."

The grin on Alois's face instantly drooped into a face with a look of disappointment. "Aww….That's too bad…"

The face with the look of disappointment then lit back up to the face with the lopsided grin as Alois spun the girl around to face him.

"Luca! Let me do this before you leave…."

The next thing the boy done left her watching companions in shock.

…..

Estella nearly let out a shriek when the boy behind suddenly spun her around to face him. A lopsided grin could be seen plastered on his face.

"Luca! Let me do this before you leave…."

"Do wha-"

Stopping in the midst of her question when his hands suddenly reached out to rest themselves each at the either sides of her cheeks, she watched with wide eyes as Alois suddenly leaned his head towards hers.

An agony-laced whisper then emitted from the male.

"I miss you so much….Luca…"

Gasps could be heard from her companions who were somewhere behind.

It took her a few moment for her realize what he was about to do when she saw that his lips was hovering over hers. Hastily pushing him away, a brush of lips still became the undesirable result despite of her attempt to stop him. Breaking away from him, Estella stumbled back a few steps before glancing up at him with a look of bewilderment.

Glaring heatedly at him, she stammered between a snarl. "W-What d-do you think you are doing?"

Alois instantly bursting out into a fit of giggles, made it seemed as though what was just about to happen before she stopped him was the most natural thing to do.

Still giggling, he waved his hand in a way as though he could brush her comment away.

"L-Luca….Did you know how you reacted to that….? Your reaction was so hilarious…!"

Deepening her glare at him, Estella started rubbing at her lips. Her face then distorted with a grimace of disgust. "What's wrong with you…? You can't go around randomly kissing people….!"

A deranged lopsided smirk was his only response.

Shaking her head in bewilderment at him, Estella spun around to face her companions. Then flicked her eyes to her watching master to see him glaring at the male behind her. Shrugging, she called out to him.

"Phantom…Aa….Master!"

When she saw that he had flicked his attention to her, she continued. "Can we please leave now…?"

Her master glanced at the male behind her before flicking his attention back to her.

"Of course."

Ciel then turned to Alois with a glare. "We shall be leaving now, Trancy."

Then there was brief pause. With his glare deepening to a heated one as he spoke again in a menace-laced voice. "And...what you did to my servant was absolutely inappropriate. Behave yourself, Trancy. "

Not caring for a response, Ciel turned away to face his still-gaping servants. "It's time to move out. Let's go."

Then turning his head to look at her over his shoulder, he jutted his chin, gesturing at the huge entrance doors. Nodding in response, Estella gave the male behind her a last glare before striding off to exit the building along with the others.

She then paused at the mouth of wide opened doors when Alois yelled over in a sing-song voice from behind.

"Bye, Luca~ I'll make sure to visit you next time! ~"

Turning her head to look at him over her shoulder, she yelled back. "No need!"

Then facing the front again, Estella stepped out of the building and was instantly greeted by a blast of cold breeze. Shuddering at the icy cold fingers of the breeze when it brushed against her skin, she quickened her pace to join the others who was already in the waiting carriages.

…..

Clutching the helping hand offered to her by Bard, she uttered a 'thanks' to him before lifting herself up to climb aboard onto the carriage. The carriage door closed behind her with a loud 'thump', made her two co-workers who were busy chatting with each other, instantly cry out her name in acknowledgment the moment it notified them of her presence.

She gave them a curt nod in response. "Hey, guys."

Moving to the seat next to the window at the left side of carriage which was opposite the two, she settled down on it. There was a jerk of movement before the carriage started trudging out towards the huge gate ahead. Estella took a last glance at the manor behind before looking away from the window. Sighing wearily as she slumped back on the seat, she then glanced up when she felt the two staring. She raised an eyebrow in question at the two when she realized that they were staring at her with a similar expression on their face that looked like eagerness.

With her eyebrow still raised, her eyes flicked from side to side at them. "What is it….?"

Meirin then spoke. "You know what….? We think that the Trancy boy likes you…!"

Finny beside her nodded his head frantically in agreement at this. "Yeah!"

Her raised eyebrow shot up even higher as Estella shot them an incredulous look. "What…..? No, he does not!"

Meirin chuckled. "I think he does! Or else…Why do you think he wants to dance with you? And why did he try to…." The older female burst out into a fit of giddy giggles. When her giggles died down, she continued. "…..kiss you…?"

Finny nodded his head at this in agreement again.

Estella stared at them with a deadpanned look. "He does not like me…! He's crazy and weird that's why he did all those!"

When the two shot her a look of disbelief, she let out an exasperated sigh. "He addresses me as 'Luca' for I don't know whatever reason! ….Trust me. He's crazy."

Silence from the two was their only response. She let out another sigh. "This ball was the most tiring ball I have ever attended. Guys, you have seen how child-like and crazy he had behaved just now. You guys should know that he's…..not very mentally stable…"

Meirin chuckled. "Alright, alright…We believe you…"

Finny grinned at her. "Anyway, he does seem really crazy…."

A relieved smile cracked across her face as Estella scoffed. "Yeah, definitely."

The blond male gave out a yawn. "I feel tired….I think I need a nap…"

Eyes following him, Finny scooted across the seat to the other window and rested his head against it. He then spoke between another yawn. "N…Night, guys…."

She then flicked her eyes back to the other female when she spoke. "I think I need a nap too…This ball was really a tiring one..."

Nodding in response, Estella turned her head away and gazed out of the window. The sky was now a blanket of black-blue with twinkling stars littering across it. Flashes of looming and dark trees flew past the window as the carriage trudged on. She then let out a big yawn. She was indeed tired. That ball which they just left was too unforgettable. Well, at least for her. Needing to put up with that Trancy male's silly and crazy antics made her first ball that she had attended ever since two years way too unforgettable, too eventful.

Lifting her hand up to her lips, Estella started fingering with them as she frowned in thoughts.

-Flashback-

"Luca! Let me do this before you leave…."

"Do wh-"

Stopping in the midst of her question when his hands suddenly reached out to rest themselves each at the either sides of her cheeks, she watched with wide eyes as Alois suddenly leaned his head towards hers.

An agony-laced whisper then emitted from the male.

"I miss you so much….Luca…"

-End of Flashback-

...

-Back to Present—

Estella replayed the last particular part of that memory over again.

"I miss you so much….Luca…"

With her eyebrows moving down even more, her already present frown deepened. A nagging puzzlement came at her. The way the Trancy boy said that line was just…..weird. It was as though he was directing it to someone else. Another thing about how he said that made the nagging puzzlement stirring within her grow even stronger. She swore she had detected something while he was saying it. It was a whisper filled with so much...agony.

Staring out at the window, Estella gazed tiredly up at the sky. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she decided that she was too tired to think about this redundant matter. Leaning back onto the seat, she sat in silence, waiting to arrive at the Phantomhive Manor. Her home.

…..

Watching as Sebastian strolled over to the door to exit his room, Ciel who was lying under the soft cover of his king-sized bed, gave out a big yawn.

His butler paused at the mouth of the door and turned full-body to him. Bowing, he spoke. "Good night, Young Master."

Ciel gave him a curt nod in return. "Aa."

Sebastian returned the gesture before disappearing behind the door as it closed with a soft 'thump'. Staring blankly up at the ceiling of his poster bed, Ciel crossed his arms behind his head, shifting to a comfortable position. His room was now enveloped in silent darkness. The only sound that could be heard was his breathing. Stare still poking blankly at the ceiling of the bed; he let out a weary sigh.

His eyebrows then moved down to a frown in puzzlement and annoyance when the thought of that earlier nagging feeling of bitterness he had experienced at the ball. That nagging feeling did not just happen once but thrice. Twice came the nagging bitterness was when he saw that mad boy hold his new servant with such close proximity in his arms. The third time was the worst of all when that mad boy did something inappropriate to her. A surge of both bitterness and anger was what he felt as he witnessed it happen. The surges of those feelings gave him a really strong urge to make him want to go over and tear them away from each other. He just could not figure out the reason for that urge.

Ciel massaged his temple wearily.

Hmm…..Maybe it was because I really hate his guts…..

Sighing, he let his arm fall back onto the bed at his side.

Aa…. That must be reason for it.

Ruffling his hair in frustration, Ciel swung himself off the bed and strolled over to his wardrobe. Pulling its doors open, he took out a pair of black knee-length shorts. Once he got himself clad in it, Ciel strolled over to the door to exit his room.

…..

Rivulets of sweat trailed down the sides of her face as Estella who laid sprawled, continued turning and shifting on the bed. Movements of her eyeballs could be seen even behind her closed lids as whimpers and moans continued emitting from her. The ragged sound of her breath could be heard from every movement she made. Her hands clutched onto the clump of the bed cover in her tight fists. Tormenting memories played in her dream behind her closed lids like a movie.

...

-Dream-

"Specimen A174 is ready for test." A muffled voice emitted from behind a mask in an emotionless tone.

A heavy feeling of emptiness pressed against her as she just laid motionlessly on the cool surface of the operation table. Her eyes stared blankly at the bright lamp that was hovering over her. The glaring brightness of the lamp and the sound of rustling papers which sounded from somewhere near her right ear, seemed to be mocking her.

Her eyes then flicked over to the left when a voice from there spoke to her. Victor Blair who he introduced himself as the leader of this organization, SIGMA, stared down at her. A glint of amusement can be seen in his eyes.

"So you have finally decided to be obedient…?"

"What are you going to do with me….?" She croaked out, the best she can manage from her dry throat.

The man chuckled. "You'll see, you'll see…."

A sudden surge of raw anger shot up within her.

"Let me go! You damn bastard!" She snarled. The rattling sound produced by metal chains which were clasped at each of her wrists, rang throughout the room as she struggled at her attempt to break herself from them.

Unfazed by her sudden outburst, the man gave out a fit of amused chuckles.

"Hmm... Looks like you haven't learned obedience yet…..My mistake….."

Eying at his watching subordinates, he jutted his chin towards the struggling girl, giving them a silent order. Men instantly rushed over to the struggling girl to carry out the order.

Dark amusement danced across his eyes as he watched the specimen got beat up with a deranged lopsided grin.

-End of Dream-

With sweat pouring all over her face, a bloodcurdling scream emitted from the girl as she continued thrashing about on the bed.

...

…..

Closing the door behind him, Ciel took a step forward and padded along the crimson carpeted floor to make his way down the hallway to get to the kitchen which was downstairs. Rubbing his eye in attempt to adjust it to the sudden presence of light as he continued his way down the hallway, he let out a yawn.

Just when he reached somewhere outside a door, he abruptly stopped in his tracks when a muffled scream suddenly emitted from the other side of the door. Frowning, Ciel snapped his head over to stare at it in puzzlement.

Who was that…?

Moving closer to the door, he gave a knock on its wooden surface. However, there was no response. Resting a hand on its handle, Ciel gingerly pushed opened the door into a small gap and peeked through. Widening his eye in surprise, he saw that the source of the scream was his new servant.

Blancbaston…?

He sighed before pushing the door wider to enter the room. Standing at the side of the bed, he watched the girl thrashed about on her bed as shrieks and moans continued emitting from her. A wave of nostalgia hit him.

Nightmares…..

After even he had managed to escape from the cult, haunted memories of it still remained, leaving him nights of tormenting sleep. This girl having them now was expected.

Reaching towards her shoulders, Ciel shook her in attempt to wake her from her tormenting nightmare. His attempt failed when he saw that the girl still had her eyes closed. Sighing, he sat down on the edge of the bed and shook her more vigorously.

"Blancbaston! Wake up!"

This time his attempt was proved to work when her eyes suddenly snapped opened. Ciel instantly grew rigid when the girl suddenly sat up and pulled him towards her into a hug. He could feel his own body shaking to the tremble of her body as it shook to her soft sobs . He could feel the coolness of her tears as they seeped through his button-down shirt onto his skin.

"It….It was…..so…. scary….." The girl whispered in a rasped voice as she continued sobbing against his chest.

His eye softened at this. Moving his hand to her back, he gave her a reassuring pat. "It's okay…."

"Thanks….for waking me up…." Estella mumbled against his chest. She then pushed away from him to wipe her tears.

It took him a few moments before his eye widen in realization. Realizing that his actions were too out of character for Ciel Phantomhive, he hastily stood up.

Glancing stonily down at her, he cleared his throat.

"No need to thank me. Your scream was too loud so I had to stop you before you wake the whole manor up."

Staring up at him for a brief moment, Estella shot him a glare and scoffed."Fine. Then make sure that everyone in this manor thank you for doing that tomorrow."

Without a word, she dropped back down on the bed before pulling the cover up over her head.

Her muffled voice then emitted from under the cover.

"You may get out now."

His eye narrowed in response at this.

"Why you…"

He then let out a sigh of resignation.

"Che."

Shaking his head at the lump on the bed, Ciel spun towards the door and strolled towards it.

...

The curly-haired female blonde who was watching the interaction through the left-ajar door, frowned when the new girl suddenly sat up and hugged her fiance. Ciel told her to stay at his manor for the night since it was too late for her to go home and so here she was staying overnight to wait to go home in the coming morning.

Elizabeth was on her way to the bathroom which was at the end of the hallway when she suddenly heard muffled voices from this particular room. When she peeked in, she was shocked to find her fiancé in Estella's room. The hug left her even more shocked. A stab of bitterness came at her the moment she witnessed that.

Running back to her room which was a little further down the hall when she saw that Ciel was starting to leave the room, she entered her room and shut the door behind her. The feeling of bitterness continued nagging at her as she plopped down on her bed.

Elizabeth then raised her head up with a determined look on her face. She has decided that she would clarify this matter with Ciel when morning comes.