Chapter 17
Okay, I'm having one hell of a night, no thanks to Phantomhive.
I was sent off to do some insane mission of following Elliot Van Rayden into a freaking SIGMA's hideout, ran from SIGMA's men and ended up in Crazy Trancy's carriage, kidnapped and now heading towards his manor. All I wanted to do was to head back and curl up in my comfy bed. I think someone from above or maybe the male clinging onto me who is none other than Alois Trancy, must really hate me to actually ruin my plan.
"Stop fidgeting, Luka..." The tightening of his arms around my waist that was subsequently pressing me closer to him left me unable to move any further away from him and also had me to stop my squirming as I shuddered at the breath that tickled the crook of my neck when he spoke.
The weight on my shoulder shifted. "I missed you so much, Luka...Do you miss me too?" The male asked quietly, again making me shudder when his breath once again lightly brushed across the skin of my neck.
"No." I glared down at his blond hair. "Get off me, Trancy." I nudged irritably at the male but whom-to my annoyance- in return, stubbornly tightened his arms around my waist.
"Looks like someone has forgotten again~" His head tilted up, greeting me with a glint of amusement in his light blue eyes. "It should be 'Your Highness'."
I sighed. "What do you want...? And why are you here...?"
This, to my surprise and delight, had him getting his head up from my shoulder, throwing his hands up cheerfully. "Of course to save Luka!"
I blinked blankly at him. Save me?
My eyebrows furrowed into a frown at him. "But how did you know...?"
"I just know~" He twirled a blond lock between his fingers, waving his other hand airily at me.
"Right, you just know." I deadpanned. "What do you mean by you just-"
"Don't worry, Luka…" My face scrunched up into puzzled lines as I glanced up from the black lump of wig on my lap, only to see him glaring very heatedly at the fist he raised in front of him. "Those men will pay for trying to hurt my Luka…" His upper lip curled up into a snarl at his trembling fist. "They'll pay….I'll get them for you!"
I shot him an awkward smile, suddenly feeling scared for pursuers. Oh, I'll hate to be them because Alois Trancy looks ready to kill right now.
"Relax…" I gingerly reached out to give him a pat on his shoulder."It's okay."
"Luka!" I jerked back, blinking numbly back at the excited smile on his face.
Whoa, wasn't he all glaring and ready to kill someone just now? Is it even possible to be angry and suddenly completely happy in the next second?
"You're going to be staying at my manor! And the next morning, I'll get Ciel to join us for tea! Aren't you excited?" Taken back by how those blue eyes of his that they seemed to be sparkled at me when he said that, I merely said. "No, I'm not."
I gave him a quick shake of my head. "Besides, who says I'll be staying in your manor? Please get me back to the Phantomhive manor; I would like to retire for the night, thank you very much." I glanced up to look him straight in the eye, only to see him sulking.
"Luka…." He whined.
A pang of guilt from nowhere came at me at the disappointed look. Damn it, why the hell do I feel guilty?
"No. I am NOT going to stay at your manor, I'm going back to the Phantomhive manor whether you like it or not. And that's final." This was what I imagined myself to say. But instead, I hear myself saying, "Fine, I'll stay." And then I paused the minute I finished that reply, slapping a hand over my mouth. Holy cow, what the fuck did I say?
Fix it! Damn, fix it! A tiny voice screamed at me.
Shaking my head at myself, I added hastily. "For one night only, since it's already so late." I slumped back on the seat dejectedly, giving myself a mental face-palm.
Great, I was supposed to fix it, what the hell did I just do?
I glanced up with a heavy sigh to see his face lighting up excitedly at me once again, evaporating the forming thought of telling him that I change my mind. And afterall, he did save me.
I swallowed. "Just…Just….write over to Phantomhive to inform him." I said grudgingly.
"Luka~" Gaping at the arms flying towards me, a duck of my head was proved to futile when an arm hooked onto my neck and pulled me into him.
Two things- scratch that- three things I learned tonight; Alois Trancy loves hogging me, he behaves like a kid and lastly, he's bipolar.
Wincing when his chin rested heavily on my head, I groaned.
Damn it, my much-desired sleep just seemed to have gotten even further.
...
Frowning, he sighed heavily. Where is she? Don't tell me she's…
"What is your order, Young Master…?" Sebastian said, looking expressionlessly at his silent master.
Strolling into the entrance hall of his manor the moment Sebastian pushed opened its doors; Ciel glanced back at him with a deepened frown. "Sebastian…" He blinked in thoughts at the butler, strangely at a loss upon his servant's disappearance. Regret, guilt and worry- mostly worry- now stirred within him. "…Find that hideout of SIGMA and get Blancbaston." His grip on his cane tightened.
A long stare at his master, Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the male. Worried…?
"Yes, my lord." He finally bowed. Straightening up, Sebastian took a glance at his pocket watch before sliding it back into his coat again. "It's time for you retire for the night. Good night, Young Master." He nodded. "I'll be off then." A wave of hand at him from Ciel, he pulled opened the door and stepped out.
Closing the door behind him the moment he was out, his raven black hair danced in the light breeze as it passed. Young Master is getting soft, ehhh…
A tiny flare of pinkish red from his eyes was all before he took off.
….
Bedroom. Empty.
Library. Empty.
Training room. Empty.
Kitchen. Empty.
Now, back to her bedroom.
Ciel pushed opened the door, only to have his heart sinking in disappointment- Her bedroom was empty once again. Don't know why he's pinning for the result to be different from the first, he shook his head at how foolish he's behaving.
The hope in him that got him to stay awake and out of his bed despite his tiredness after a long night, died like an extinguished flame. Regret, guilt and worry once again gripped him as he glanced stonily at the empty bed in the center of the room before turning away from the lonely room, not bothering to shut its door.
Why did he let her go alone? How can he be so stupid…? He still can't believe that he sent her to a SIGMA's hideout even though he knew that it's dangerous. Dangerous particularly for her.
An image of the girl staring frozen at the people gathering around the operation table she's lying on popped up in his mind as he closed the door behind him and walked numbly towards his bed. Heavily resting his head on the pillow as he laid down, another image of tears leaking out from the ice-blue eyes of her with fear so vividly written in them had him widening his eye at the ceiling of his poster bed.
Shutting his eye in frustration, the hand that was gripping onto the blanket trembled as regret, worry and guilt grew even stronger at that disturbing image.
"Damn it…." He muttered breathlessly, shifting to his side.
….
She's feeling damn cold.
But again, feeling cold when you're bathing in the middle of the night was expected.
Another waterfall pouring out from the hovering bucket over her head had her spluttering again. Hastily pushing her wet red hair away that clung onto to the sides of her face, Estella shakily reach out to grip onto the edge of the bathtub. A shaky sigh of relief when the maid who introduced to her as 'Hannah', strolled back with a white towel, a signal as the end of her very cold bath.
Estella started with a tremble. "Thanks, Hannah." She accepted the towel gratefully.
"You're welcome, my lady." The maid nodded at her.
"Estella." She corrected. "Just call me that."
Hannah tilted her head at her. "But-"
"It's alright." She interjected. "Just call me that."
Silently disagreeing to that request, Hannah merely nodded.
"Hannah," She glanced down at Hannah who crouched down to her level to help her dress, feeling uncomfortable with being naked in front of the maid. "Why…" She hesitated. "…that 'Luka' name…? Why is your master always calling me that…?"
Catching how the maid froze for a second, it just made her- for unknown reason- immediately came to regret asking that question.
"That name was the name…. of his dead brother." Hannah said quietly."Your red hair reminds him of his brother…"
"His brother…" Estella stared at the mirror opposite her to see her reflection staring back with widened eyes.
"Put your arm through here." Hannah instructed softly, snapping her out of her trance.
Numbly putting her left arm into the long sleeve of the nightgown as told, her head snapped over to the bathroom's door at a knock.
"The young master grows impatient."
Estella recognized the voice as that of the butler, Claude. The one who had an air about him and the golden eyes that unnerved her.
The reminder of his presence nudged regret at her for agreeing to stay in this manor, it just made her wish that morning will come faster, yearning to go back to the Phantomhive manor.
….
Why did she agree to let him sleep with her? Maybe because she pitied him for the loss of his brother, unable to turn him down; the news of his dead brother must be getting to her for her to actually agree. Damn it, she must be insane.
Watching tiredly as Alois eagerly scrambled onto the bed beside her, she sighed heavily and shut her eyes, too tired to watch him any longer.
"Night, Luka…" His voice drifted into her ears as she felt something that felt akin to the blanket, fell over her. Her consciousness about to slip away, a small pressure on her forehead had her snapping her eyes open once again to be met with the sight of a chin.
"Seriously," An incredulous look appeared immediately on her face the moment she came to a realization, "why do you love kissing me so much…?" Her hand lazily reached up to wipe at the area his lips rested on the moment the male moved away and laid sprawled beside her.
When there was no response, she just turned away from him, again about to drift off to sleep.
A jolt when she felt an arm snaked around her waist, the next thing she felt was warmth against her back.
Glancing over at its source to see him- to her annoyance- asleep, she groaned.
The urge to get back to the Phantomhive manor grew even stronger.
….
Ciel narrowed his eyes at the parchment in his hand.
What do that stupid Trancy want? Inviting me for tea…? He eyed at it dubiously. I can't believe I actually decided to come for this.
Frowning in annoyance, he crushed the parchment in his hand before glancing up at the entrance door of the manor. Feeling disturbed when Sebastian returned to report that she's not at the hideout, he could only turn to this.
"Claude."
Sebastian behind him greeted the said butler with hostility as they made their way into the manor.
A voice greeted them the moment they done so. "You're here!" Ciel instantly scowled in disdain at that.
He then turned to the direction of the voice with that scowl. "Trancy, what do you-"
Stopping in mid-sentence, his jaw slackened at the person before him.
"Blancbaston…." He started with his eyes widened at the person in disbelief. "What on earth are you doing here?"