Chapter 19

Red eyes stared down at her. She backed away at an instant, feeling tiny under them like how she was now. Her eyes stayed fixed on them, they seemed unnervingly not human; they looked menacing. Darkness was all that she saw every time she turned, and no matter where she runs to, there was always that pair of red eyes and the endless cold darkness.

Weak….There was always this whisper following her everywhere.

She finally stopped, it seemed impossible to escape those red eyes. She panted, glancing up at the red eyes. "What are you?" She yelled.

But nothing came. The whispers just kept coming. Weak…Weak….

"Get me out of here!"

Again, nothing. However, there was a flicker of change to it this time. Those eyes unlike its unreadable earlier self, there was a hint of amusement in them.

The next thing she knew happened was that she was falling. The eyes still held amusement as they grew smaller and smaller.

Darkness followed after her as she fell, everything became complete black.

…..

Estella woke up with a start.

Her chest heaved fast ups and downs as she stared wide- eyed at the ceiling of her poster bed. There was the bright morning sunlight on the floor from the gap between the curtains, and that presence was comforting.

She lay still, thinking about her dream. This was the third night she dreamt of this dream. They were always the same; she would always be yelling and all she always get was always would just be that amusement in those eyes. Falling would always be how they would end and that sets her to wonder where she was falling into. What she did know was that those eyes were definitely not human unless their owner's suffering a very serious eye infection.

She shuddered, grateful that it was already morning. She left the bed and walked towards the bathroom, could no longer stand staying in bed.

…..

Ciel dropped the pen with a sigh of frustration. He glanced over to the grandfather clock and noted that it was already one. He couldn't focus on the paperwork and that was driving him nuts. All he could think about was his servant's unusual behavior. How she always bows to him every time they bump into each other, always avoiding his eye. Or addressing him as 'Master'. Sometimes, both.

He should be glad that she's finally acting as a servant but…it was something he just can't get used to or found annoying. She being an addition to his servants indeed made things interesting, far too interesting for him to think about a mere pawn so much.

Massaging his temples wearily, he stood up and walked over to the doors. Pulling open the doors with a sigh, he was out.

His arm dropped back to his side as he strolled away from his study, looking out of the windows as he moved down the hallway. He turned to round a corner, yelled in surprise when a flash of red suddenly appeared out from the other side and collided into him, sending him down. He heard it gave out a cry of surprise and next, he found himself staring up at a pair of ice blue eyes.

He saw shock flashed in them; an emotion that was now held in his. He then heard a curse and that was all before the weight on him was lifted off him.

Ciel quickly scrambled to his feet. "Blancbaston?" His eye widened in surprise at the person before him.

He frowned when she-in response-bowed to him. Like always ever since that day.

"I apologize, Master." She said quietly and brushed past him.

"Stop." He grabbed her arm which caused her stopped. "Turn around." He ordered, eye fixated on her head.

But she stood there, unmoving.

"Turn. Around." He ordered again.

Instead, she snatched her arm out of his grasp. "Excuse me." She said, continuing her way down the hallway.

Ciel watched after her in disbelief and bewilderment. Fingers curled up into fists at his sides, he watched her red long ponytail swayed as she walked down. His jaw clenched. He had enough.

He tore down the hallway after her, anger pulsing through him as he got closer and closer. A grab of her wrist, he threw her against the wall.

Shock etched on her face. "What…" She eyed him with widened eyes.

"Stop." He growled. "Stop. It." He said, breathing fast with anger and annoyance.

Her face fell. "Stop? Stop what?" She said with an unreadable look. "What are you talking about? I apologize, Master. I don't understand. "She gave an airy laugh, about to move to the side in attempt to step pass him.

He slammed a hand on the wall beside her when he realized what she was going to do. "Drop the act, Blancbaston! You know what I'm talking about!" He spoke again when she was about to retort. "Stop acting like that!"

"Like what?" She threw him a puzzled look.

"A proper servant!"

Silence.

She laughed. "Of course, I act like one. I am one afterall!"

"No, you don't and you're not." He glared at her. "Enough acting like one, it's annoying!"

"What are you talking about-"

"If you don't, I'll make sure you really just become a maid, no more a bodyguard." The hand on the wall beside her head curled up into a fist.

For a moment, the girl stiffened at that.

"What's wrong with you?" She burst out with a furious glare. "I'm acting like a servant like I should have since the start. So, why the fuck are you being so annoyed about that!" She spat. "Isn't I already not one?" She couldn't stop herself. So much for being a respectful servant! Despite herself, words kept flying out of her mouth, as though her mouth had a life of its own.

Her ranting grew louder and the next thing she knew, she was yelling.

"…why can't you just leave me to be! Just leave me-"

"Enough."

"Too bad! I'm not going to shut up! You-"

SMACK!

Ciel stared wide eye at her before glancing down at his hand, staring shocked at it. Did he just…

Shock faltered into neutral. He took a step back away from her and glanced up with an unreadable look to see her still staring shock at him. "Get on with your things." He said quietly and strolling away from her, heading towards his study.

He stared at his hand. He could still feel the sting at his palm from that slap, just like the guilt he's feeling.

"I HATE YOU, PHANTOMHIVE!"
Ciel merely continued walking and finally turned into his study. Shutting the doors behind him, he walked over to his desk with a sigh.

"At least you're back." He said bitterly to himself as he plopped down on the chair.

…..

She sighed heavily as she jogged her way round to the front of the manor once again.

Third round completed, now to the fourth.

What's wrong with her? Why was she feeling so angry just now? And why was she even angry at the first place?

Growling in frustration, she picked up her pace and sped her way around another corner.

….

The rustling of the leaves, the tree shook when a pair of brown boots landed heavily on one of its sturdy branches. Their owner crouching with a knee on it, his amethyst eyes roamed the estate laid out below him.

"Phantomhive…" He said to himself when he confirmed that he was in the right location.

His dirty blond hair swayed in the gentle breeze that blew at him, his eyes continued to roam the land. Quite a majestic-looking manor, he must admit to himself. That Phantomhive boy has kept it well or perhaps rather his butler…

A speck of red caught his eyes. He fixated his eyes on it to see it was a human. Or more particularly a girl…jogging.

His eyes narrowed.

She looked kind of familiar….

…..

Sebastian watched the white flour continued pouring out from its package like a small waterfall into the batter in the mixing bowl. Reaching for the spoon, he was about to start stirring when he suddenly froze. He then glanced out of the windows with narrowed eyes.

Wordlessly, he placed the spoon back down and strolled over to wash his hands. He dried them and pulled his rolled-up sleeves back to their original length.

Sebastian snatched up his tailcoat; he slid his arms into its sleeves as he exited the kitchen.

….

"Sebastian!" Estella cried out in surprise. She swore that she saw nobody at the front and the next minute before she knew, Sebastian's there.

Coming to a stop, she blinked numbly at him. "What is it, Sebastian…? I'm not done yet, there are still five rounds to go."

"You can stop the run now. Head back in."

She frowned. "Why…?"

"Just go." Sebastian said. "Head off to dust the books in the study."

She stiffened. See Phantomhive again…?

"Go."

"Right…" She started towards the doors grudgingly.

Sebastian watched her pull opened a side of it and disappeared behind it. He then stood there unmoving. In a blink of an eye, he was gone.

…..

A small 'thud' had the male snapping over to him. Sebastian gave a quick study of him. A male that looked about his master's age, crouched on a knee. Messy dirty blond hair and amethyst eyes. He couldn't see his full height though, but not that he care anyway. A glance down the tree with a raised eyebrow, its height led him to wonder how this human got up here because they're on a rather tall tree. Climbing? No, he looks too clean.

"What's your business here?" Sebastian asked, eying the grimace on the male's face.

But the boy didn't answer him.

"Demon!" He spat in disgust, and that was all before he took off; jumping from branches to branches to where he came from, rather speedily like a ninja.

Now, that, at least answered an unspoken question of his. So it's not climbing?

Sebastian stared after the boy, watching as he grew smaller and smaller.

His eyes then narrowed.

He realized that the boy smelled rather…odd. Similar to Estella's but yet not. He just couldn't figure what. But one thing he was sure about was that the boy was definitely not what he can call a 'human'…At least, not an ordinary one.

...

"Blancbaston. Sit down."

Estella stared back at him. She still couldn't forget the slap. Should she just ignore him and start her chore?

With a sigh, she made her way to the chair and sat down wordlessly.

Ciel heaved a sigh. "Okay, I don't slap my servants." Except for Sebastian. He cleared his throat. "For that, I…I…apologize for that. "

And that, they lapsed into silence.

She finally nodded. "Right. Sorry for yelling too."

He nodded back. She's just a servant, a pawn. He knew he shouldn't care to apologize or whether she accept his apology, but the guilt was getting to him, making him think too much about the slap was driving him nuts.

"Master."

Ciel was startled by how she addressed him but didn't show it, still not used to it. He couldn't help but felt like asking her to just call him 'Phantomhive' instead because 'Master' to him from her was just…weird to his ears.

"What is it…?"

"Your parents, I'm curious…"

Ciel stiffened. "What about them?"

"Was it the Phantomhive Tragedy I heard of?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes." He frowned. "I don't want to talk about that." He said firmly.

"Why not?" Her eyes softened."I think we're kinda similar. There's nothing to keep from each other about our stories, you know. "

"I know."

Estella stared at him. She could clearly understand why he was like that. The urge to know more about his past was already there quite a while ago, but she didn't know why she had to bring it up now though.

"Tell me when you're ready." She merely said.

Ciel eyed her at that. He gave a hesitant nod. "Maybe…"

They once again lapsed into silence.

Ciel finally then spoke. "We're heading out at six, go and prepare yourself now."

"I'm going too?" Surprise passed her face."You mean I'm still a bodyguard?"

He frowned. "When are you not one? I didn't say anything about you not being one."

A small relieved smile broke across her face; she shot out from the chair. "Alright. I shall go prepare now, Phantomhive!" Jogging up to the doors, they closed shut as she disappeared behind it.

Ciel stared at the doors and shook his head.

So it's 'Phantomhive' again, huh…?

Picking up his pen, he continued his paperwork- this time- freed of the guilt, and now with relief and a little amusement. Staring down at the papers, a tiny smile crept across his face.

…..

His eye drifted away from the night sky from the outside to the other occupants. First to Estella opposite him who was staring out of the window and to Sebastian beside him before to the sky outside again. It narrowed at thought of the intruder that Sebastian reported to him earlier. A scent similar to Blancbaston's…? Not demonic, Sebastian said. Then what?

Ciel knew that there was a chance of finding the answer when they reached the destination. There was one person who has more chances of knowing than anyone else, and that was the Undertaker. To obtain information about SIGMA and the intruder was his priority of tonight.

"Where are we going?"

Ciel turned to Estella. "To the Under-"

A wild jerk of the carriage cut him off. "What was that?" He asked to no one when the carriage finally calmed. He watched Sebastian pushed opened the door and stepped out. Estella did so too.

With a sigh, he got up from the seat and out too.

…..

I glanced past Sebastian and saw a figure of almost all red on the front of the carriage, holding our unconscious carriage man by his collars with black gloved hands. A woman? A man? I squinted my eyes at the woman/man, I couldn't tell. Long red hair, red high heels and a rather slim figure. The face? I couldn't see clearly. A woman, I guess.

Wrong.

The person spoke to the unconscious man with a male voice, still not aware of their presence. "Not as handsome as my…"The person finally glanced over at us.

Surprised passed his face, mainly on the butler in front of me. "SEBAS-CHAN~!" He dropped the poor guy and leaped toward us. A glance at the face, I swear I could practically see hearts in his creepy yellow-green eyes. Yep, definitely a man.

Watching as the red head flew towards us, my eyes widened in surprise when Sebastian abruptly moved off to the side. Turning back to the red head, I was about to do the same but it was too late.

So, no thanks to Sebastian, I fell back on the ground and found myself staring up at a mouth of really sharp-looking teeth.