Chapter 31

It seemed for an instance, time stilled, as if the two of them were alone for a tiny moment in their private world as their lips stayed on each other. Her skin was prickling with nerve-wrecking awareness, aware that Ciel's heavy angry pants have calmed, that he has calmed down. The sudden hitch of breath she felt under her lips suggested that he was beginning to be aware of what she was doing.

Heat crept up her face as Estella quickly pulled her face away, her cheeks couldn't be any warmer when her eyes instinctively flickered up to his face to see him blinking at her as if trying to comprehend what she just did. Under his dazed questioning look, her mind was thrown into turmoil.

In a burst of adrenaline, she swung a fist at him, connecting it to his right cheek.

Estella was not sure what she was doing; she was acting on her embarrassment greater than her will. It was too late to stop herself, she could only watch Ciel fall back on the floor, groaning in pain. Guilt fluttered in her stomach at the bruising cheek Ciel reached up.

However, she was quick enough to cover up both embarrassment and guilt with a scowl before he could see them. "You are an idiot, you know that? Where is the Ciel Phantomhive I know? Are you you now?"

Ciel merely rolled onto his back to her, plopping himself on his elbows in response. Her eyebrows furrowed at the blank look that greeted her. Guilt and worry spiked. Did she hit him too hard? Worry shot up. What if he got amnesia-

"What a punch, Blancbaston…" Her eyes snapped up to meet his face in surprise. Eyebrow twitching almost imperceptibly, his face held a mix of what she saw as grimace and amazement.

The worried look on her face melted away for a scowl to set in once again, trying not to turn pink at the sudden thought of she did earlier. "So you're back, huh." Her head jerked over to Sebastian, her eyes running over him nervously. "And… I suppose that punch I just gave your master would make you want to finish me off even more, Sebastian?"

At her words, Estella watched Sebastian flicker his eyes from Ciel to her face. The pair of endless crimson red pool shot a chill down her spine as she stared back at him; it was the same eyes she looked at almost every single day but her new discovery had unnerved her.

An amused smile curved Sebastian's mouth. "Not really."

"What are you waiting for, Sebastian?" she bit her lower lips nervously as she turned back to Ciel who was climbing to his feet. Was he still going to order for her death? "Burn this place!"

Her mouth was faster than her mind. "But you're supposed to have me killed!" Estella blurted out, eyes wide in realization the moment those words flew out. Idiot! She screamed at herself, clenching and unclenching her hands. Are you that eager to die?!

Estella gulped as she watch him drag his eyes over to her, staring at her silently like he was trying to digest what she just said. She badly wanted to move away from his burning gaze, but ironically her body refused to listen to her, it kept her rooted at where she stood.

As though some unpleasant thoughts had crossed Ciel's mind, his gaze darkened and averted to the spot beside her. "Wait for us in the carriage."

Her body still seemed to be incapable of moving itself, Move! Her mind desperately willed her body, Get out of here!

Ciel turned away from her, without another glance. "Go."

His voice finally seemed to spur her to action, and she moved over the stairs, taking uncertain steps up. This place was doing strange things to her, things that she could not understand. She needs to get out of this place.

…..

The sky was tinted with a lighter shade of blue, hinting the arrival of morning. Instead of usual fresh morning air, the red-tinged air was filled with a burning smell. The manor was wreathed in a funnel of black smoke and scarlet flames.

Ciel's mouth was set in a grim line as he walked away from the burning manor with Sebastian, the heat from the fire smoothed over him like the satisfaction in him.

"Brother Joker! Brother Joker!" His eyes went up to meet its direction and spotted a distraught Freckles rushing forward. "Black! Smile! Brother is…"

"Dead." Sebastian interrupted, eyes regarding the girl with cruel amusement.

Ciel regarded the disbelief in her single widened eye with a stoic look, having nothing to say to her. He averted his gaze to their waiting carriage across the compound. "Take care of this, Sebastian." Without another word or glance at anyone, he made his way over to the vehicle.

"WAIT, SMILE! WAIT!"

"My name is Ciel Phantomhive." Ciel swiveled his head over his shoulder with a sharp look before continuing towards the carriage, placing his eye patch over his right eye.

…..

Estella sighed as she rubbed her aching temple. Her head was still throbbing, the turns of events in that manor have really taken a toll on her especially that daring kiss. Her eyes flew shut, weary and trying to comprehend her own action. That time, she did not think but was spurred by that yearning in her chest. Her eyebrows furrowed, she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Did she have feelings for…him? She jerked upright against the seat with a gasp.

No! Her cheeks turned pink as an image of Ciel shooting his annoyingly sexy smug smirk peeked out at her. No freaking way!

The loud click from the carriage door the figure outside caused did not register in her flustered mind, it was only until the door swing open when she realized its presence. Estella stilled, breath shuddering in surprise at the sight of the male who was responsible for the inner turmoil she was having. Her heart thumped faster under his gaze, her eyes flickered over to his eye patch, single-eyed gaze once again.

Estella gulped in discomfort as Ciel's visible dark blue eye continued to bore into her, still standing by the door. Silence was stretching between them as they stayed rooted to where they were.

Stop staring! Do something, say something! Her mind screamed, but her body did not react to her brain's command.

Ciel was not doing any better, he was having his conflict with his motor system to deal with. He knew he needed to break eye contact to stop this strange staring thing with Estella and get onto the carriage, but his body felt statued and he still stood there, staring at her.

Finally, Ciel cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Hey Blancbaston..." He managed to croak, nodding a curt nod at her. At his own words, he dragged his gaze away and silently climbed onto the carriage, settling on the seat across the one she was on before shutting the door next to him.

Estella shifted nervously on her seat, clearing her throat. "So…where's Sebastian?" Her eyes flickered over to the window next to her.

Ciel cleared his throat again. "Taking care of something."

Their eyes met again when she realized that she could see nothing through a foggy window and, the carriage was engulfed in silence once again. She grew flustered, the earlier thoughts about Ciel was evoking in her mind.

She was behaving like typical hormonal teenage, she groaned inwardly. She envied her previous, easy relationship with Ciel where she could easily look him in the eye without feeling awkward and, where she did not have strange thoughts and feelings to falter her.

She needed to do something about this awkwardness now!

Estella feigned a yawn, shattering the silence. Luckily, her body was following her brain's command this time. "Damn, I'm tired! G-Good night!" She quickly spun away and leaned her head on the support of her seat, closing her eyes in a pretense of sleeping.

"Night."

It didn't take long for her limps to slacken with a heavy need of sleep, it really did seem that today's events had taken a toll on her. A harsh one.

Her heartbeat was still out of whack, still so much shaken by what they had shared, but slowly, she drifted to sleep, failing to notice how Ciel was watching over her sleeping form with a soft warm yet remorseful gaze.

….

Leaning fully in his chair and tipping his head back, Ciel stared at the ceiling of his study. He sighed, rubbing his eye. The day had been hectic, interminable etiquette lessons were stumbling over each other. He had just finished an appointment with Mdm Blexham to take up his measurements for his new suits. He was utterly relieved that he has finally cleared today's schedule, free to shut himself in his study to have some air.

He sighed again.

It was almost three days since the night at the Baron Kelvin's manor, and ever since then, he and Estella have this slow, inexorable pressure build-up between them. This is was not something he had wanted, this awkward skittishness threatening their master-servant relationship. He had been feeling so terribly on edge…so restless and unwound, and had been like this for days now. What he did on that night had been haunting him incessantly ever since that happened.

He had ordered Sebastian for her death.

He remembered, alright. Things were red-hot and hazy ever since he watched Doctor plunged the dagger into the little girl. But even with a distraught mind, everything that had happened had been deeply registered in his head.

And then there was that…kiss.

Ciel leaned forward and raked his fingers in his hair. He couldn't quite place his finger on how he should feel about it; he would start feeling warm whenever he thought of it, just like now. Ciel let out a frustrated growl, turning to the window. He could not even look at her in the eye or talk properly, not without showing his disturbed emotions that could add up to the awkwardness.

His eyebrows furrowed at the question that he has been tossing and turning in his mind. Why did she do that?

A knock at the door broke into his thoughts just as he was about to unravel that mystery, much to his dismay. "Come in," Sebastian weaved around the door and started towards him. "What is it, Sebastian?"

"A mission from the Queen has arrived." Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at Ciel, placing a letter on Ciel's waiting hand. "I assume this is regarding the fire outbreaks a week ago."

Ciel nodded. "About time."

…..

"Deliver this tea to the Young Master, Estella, he's in his study."

Estella's face fell. Ordering her to dust the books in the library was even better than merely sending teas to Ciel now. She sighed. "Sure," she said to Sebastian grudgingly, taking the tray from him.

"Oh, and dust the books while you're there."

Estella stared at him incredulously, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Whaaaat?" His red eyes bored into her with calculated patience, and she gulped. Clenching her jaw muscles, she spoke through two rows of teeth. "Okaaaay, I'll do it..."

With a sigh, she walked out of the kitchen. Her nervousness was showing in the way she dragged her feet up the stairs. Ever since that night, she has been behaving like this whenever she was with Ciel, tip-toeing around him. And it was all her fault for this tension between her and Ciel.

The others servants have been wary of her dark moods especially poor Finny who she had snapped at this morning, but quickly apologized when she realized she was out of line for doing so. The nightmares that caused her toss and turn at night was not making her moods any better.

What she really needed now was something to burn off the boiling energy that was eating her up before it drives her crazy. Like a good spar. She made a mental note to ask Sebastian for training session later.

Dragging her eyes from her feet to the door she stopped before, Estella raised a hand and knocked.

…..

Estella poked her head around the door when no one responded to her knocks. Her eyes found her way to the desk, and she quirked up an eyebrow.

Ciel was leaning fully into his chair, he was sleeping judging from his closed eye and the soft snores. It seemed that he has fallen asleep in the midst of his paperwork; she could barely see the desk with papers scattered across it.

Estella breathed out a relieved sigh when she realized she was saved from another awkward moment with Ciel.

Dancing her way around the door, she closed it silently as possible and swiftly made her way towards him. Pushing a pile of papers aside, she placed down the teacup delicately. Ice blue eyes made their way to Ciel's face after she was done, her attention went straight to his furrowed eyebrows and trembling eyelid. Her own eyebrows furrowed at the recognition of a bad dream.

She sighed and wordlessly turned away, accidentally knocking over a pile of papers. Refraining from groaning out loud, she got down to pick them up. Luckily, it was a small pile. Shuffling them back into a pile, Estella turned back and returned them back onto the desk, shuddering at contact when her retracting hands brushed across Ciel's hand .

Estella stilled. Stay asleep! Her mind desperately willed Ciel. Don't you dare wake up now, Phantomhive! She eyed him nervously, inching her hands away. She gulped, trying to coordinate her limbs as she backed away.

Her sigh of relief was only released halfway when Ciel's hand suddenly snapped itself around her wrist, holding it with a bruising grip. Then a roar of anger screamed at her ears. "STOP!"

It was hard to understand what was going to happen because in a matter of split seconds, she found herself only a breath distance from Ciel and staring at his furious dark blue eye that had managed to turn her knees into a shaking jelly. When the hell did he stand up?

"What…" Estella croaked, staring back in confusion. She winced; her wrist was numbed with pain. "Can…can you let go? You're hurting me." She managed a glare at their raised arms.

Ciel released a shuddering breath that made her lips quiver at its contact. His grip on her wrist softened as the anger in his eye cleared up.

His mushy mind was beginning to register what's in front of him.

Ciel stared shock at her, releasing another shuddering breath that made her lips quiver again. His eye as though it was drawn by some irresistible force, dragged its gaze down to those quivering lips and, he suddenly felt an unbearable urge to brush them with his lips.

Feeling his ears burn at that thought, he screamed at himself. What did you just think?!"

Stunned by his intense gaze on her lips, Estella turned pink, forgetting how to breathe. Oh my god…

Move, come on, move away from her! His mind screamed at his unmoving body.

They stood rooted at their position like time has stilled. Their bodies refusing to budge.

After a few frustrated screams at his body, Ciel finally moved, taking unsteady steps away, and facing away to hide his blushing cheeks. Ciel cleared his tight throat. "Sorry…I had a nightmare." Without a word, he swiftly went around his desk and cross the study to the door.

He hesitated at it for a moment and glance over his shoulder at her. "We'll be heading out for an investigation tomorrow." his voice came out raspy and he cleared his throat. "Get ready…"

The moment the door closed behind Ciel, Estella sank down to the floor, gasping.