Chapter 42: Against All Odds
Winter was approaching fast, but London still looked as busy as ever. Horse-drawn carriages were trudging up and down the wide cobblestone street, clatters from the trotting horses could be heard almost everywhere. Men and women wrapped in thin scarves were rushing about on the pavements and across the busy street, running their errands as quickly as they could in the dropping temperature. Flushed, pale faces and trembling hands were norms at this time of the year, even though the chilly, white snow has yet to fall.
She was no exception.
Wrapped in the dull red scarf around her neck, Estella hugged the brown paper bag in her arms closer to herself as she plodded through the bustling crowd before her, shivering when a breeze blew past. She uttered an apology when she accidentally stepped on a foot and pushed her way out of the crowd, sighing aloud in relief when she was freed from it. Her ice blue eyes began to glance around as she briefly adjusted the hood that covered her head.
"This should be all Abigail needs." She gazed down at the bag of purchases held to her chest thoughtfully.
A satisfied smirk curled her lips as she strode her way across the street, clutching the bag tighter to her chest as she approached the tailor shop atop a small flight of stairs. Manoeuvring around a group of chattering women, she climbed the steps and pushed down the door handle once she had reached the top, letting herself into the warm interior of the tailor shop.
Pushing the hood on her head back, she pulled the door close with a soft sigh.
"Estella, you're back!"
A smiling young woman in a simple blue dress ran toward her with a boy behind, strolling after her with a completely bored look.
"Hey, Abigail." She greeted the woman with a grin. "I managed to get all of them. Here, take them." She extended the bag toward her.
"Thanks," Abigail Carlisle pushed a loose strand of her brown hair that had fell into her face behind her ear and took the bag gratefully. "It must be really hard on you to go out for these cloths for me in this kind of temperature. Some customers were complaining to me about it just now." She let out a sigh. "Have I mentioned how much I hate winters? If only autumn could slow down…"
"Many times, Abigail, many times." The grin on Estella's face grew wider. "You know–"
A persistent tug at the hem of her black loose vest interrupted her and made her turn to find a boy who had tagged along with Abigail scowling up at her. "Hey reddy, did you get me what I told you to get?" Evan Carlisle's baby blue eyes stared expectantly from underneath the sprawl of his messy hair – brown just like his older sister's.
Irritation shot through her at the nickname the ten year old boy had come up with the first time he saw her red hair and decided that he didn't feel like using her real name at all.
This time, it was her turn to scowl. "No I didn't, pisspot." Estella narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed. "And what's with that stupid name again?" She leaned toward him with a glare, folding her arms intimidatingly.
Lips pursing with disapproval, Abigail's soft green eyes grew hard as the woman turned to her little brother with an admonishing frown. "Show some respect, Evan! You can't go around giving people nicknames as you wish, especially older ones!" Abigail ignored the boy's defiant look and turned to Estella with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that again. Come on, lunch's ready and it'd grow cold if we continue standing here."
"Excellent, I'm starving!" Estella brightened up and watched Abigail turn away with a smile, heading to the back of the store.
She gazed down at Evan who was making faces at the retreating back of his sister. A mocking smirk crept across her face when a loud grumble from his stomach broke their silence. "Wow, sounds like a whale just died in there." She quirked an eyebrow teasingly at Evan.
"Whatever, reddy." Evan rolled his eyes at her. "You're only fifteen! No big deal, stupid!" He stuck his tongue at her and ran off, leaving Estella glaring incredulously after him as he disappeared to the back as well.
"That brat…" Annoyed, her eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. The glare on her face fell as a soft realization struck her. Fifteen, huh…It's been a year since then.
She could still remember the very night she left the Phantomhive manor, left…him.
Time flew fast. In a blink of an eye, a year had passed and she was another year older now, fifteen. She had grown a little taller, her body had developed more into a woman's, and so did her face which was more defined now. The glint her eyes held didn't change much except they had more wisdom and sadness in them. She was the same girl who was sharp, determined and of course, full of fight.
Estella slowly lifted her gaze off the ground and walked over to the display window by the main door, looking out at the busy street with a pensive look in them. She knew the same busy street she was staring at now would be covered with thick, white snow by the time Ciel Phantomhive turned fifteen like her.
But…was he still the same?
At times like now, she would catch herself wondering about that certain earl.
How was he doing?
How did he look like now?
Was he perhaps in London now as well, working on cases the Queen had assigned to him?
Have he forgotten about her like she told him to?
As for her, she never did forget, not even her feelings for him. During the first few weeks after she left, she had urges to ride over to the Phantomhive manor on Apple, but these urges quelled over time. Time had proven itself to be useful for the matters of the heart, for her feelings now laid buried deep within her. They were there, quiet and not bothering her anymore.
Time had also brought calmness as SIGMA has been quiet as well. It was almost like they were gone. But no, she knew they were not, likely just lying in wait for something. She didn't know what, but their sudden silence made her uneasy.
Estella let out a sigh and turned away from the window, only to be startled to find Abigail who had poked her head out of the door separating the store and the back, frowning at her curiously. "Abigail, you scared me!"
"Sorry," Abigail snickered. "You looked so deep in thoughts so I didn't want to disturb you. What're you thinking about anyway?"
Estella rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "Nothing much, Abigail, I was just wondering about…" She thought for a while before breaking into a grin. "…the cute dog I saw just now."
"Aren't you thinking a little too hard about that dog?" Abigail's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Come on, enough thinking. Let's tuck in, shall we?" The young woman threw a grin of her own over before disappearing completely behind the door.
….
Estella watched Abigail nod pleasantly at the lady standing before the counter, absentmindedly stroking her knuckles over the silky, velvet dress held in her arm. The lady's face was bright with excitement as she gushed about something to Abigail who was alternating her attention between the lady with polite smiling nods and the cash register on the counter.
Estella let out a silent sigh as she turned away to hang the dress onto one of the racks behind her, shaking her head.
Poor Abigail. Having rich customers visiting the store almost every single day wasn't always good because they, especially and mostly the ladies, found joy in bragging and gossiping about things Abigail had complained to her to be completely ridiculous and boring, and Abigail herself had no idea why they always did that with her.
"Can't we just ask her to get out now?" Estella glanced down at that and saw Evan, next to her, scowling at the blabbering one and only customer left; their reason they couldn't close the store for the day.
"Like hell we can, pisspot." She couldn't agree more with him, but it was a way to keep a good relationship with the customer as what Abigail had told her some time back. "I wish we could, but we can't. Deal with it."
Evan let out a groan.
Quirking a knowing smile at him, she briefly spared a glance at the counter once again before returning to the colourful rack before her.
A fond smile graced Estella's lips as she arranged the dresses.
As much as she disliked the sticky situations some of the fussy customers had put her through, nothing could make her hate the little store she was in right.
'The Golden Thread' was a cosy little clothing store tucked in the corner of Northbridge street, owned by the Carlisle siblings, mainly by Abigail Carlisle who was twenty and the oldest, followed by Benjamin Carlisle, eighteen and was currently serving the country as a soldier and finally, Evan Carlisle who was the youngest at the age of ten and currently sulking quietly beside her.
Abigail told her that they had taken over the business their late parents had left behind in their store when she was only fourteen, and was the only source of income for the siblings. Their business had proved to be successful so far as the clothes made with Abigail's handicraft skill were fairly popular with customers. She had seen it with her eyes ever since she was hired by the seamstress herself and was offered the only guest room on the second floor; there was not a day without customers coming in and out through the main door.
Chatting up with strangers everyday had become a daily occurrence and she had grown content living and working in this two-storey building she saw as a home. But of course while she was content, she hadn't let down her guard once, for she was always checking up on SIGMA by going around hangout areas to pick up information when she could and eyes sharp for suspicious activities everytime she was out in the streets running errands for Abigail.
A familiar chime of the tiny bell hung by the door made the smile on her face fade and her turn around to see Abigail flipping the sign at the display window to 'CLOSED' with a heavy sigh. Estella made a move to start walking toward the older woman but was beaten by Evan who ran past her to his tired sister.
"Abi, I'm hungry!" Estella approached the two, eyes on Evan who was tugging Abigail's dress. "What are we having for dinner?"
"I haven't thought about that." Abigail gazed down at the little boy tiredly, face thoughtful. "What do you wish to have?" Abigail's green eyes flickered up curiously at her. "Any suggestions, Estella?"
Evan's face lit up with an idea a moment later and the little boy tugged his sister's dress again. "Chocolate ketchup sandwiches!"
"Ewww, no." Estella grimaced at the idea and looked up at Abigail who did not look too convinced by his suggestion. "Anything but that, Abigail."
"I agree."
Evan looked up at her and back to his sister with a pout. "Hey, what's wrong with chocolate ketchup sandwiches?"
"Everything, pisspot." Estella ruffled his hair playfully before looking back up at Abigail. "Don't leave too much for me, Abigail, I'll be going out for a while."
A meaningful look passed through between them before Abigail spoke. Abigail knew she was going out on her a little 'information-gathering' mission once again and what they were for. She had trusted Abigail enough to let her into her dark secret about SIGMA and her, but of course leaving out the demon part and her past association with Ciel Phantomhive which she didn't think was necessary.
"Alright, don't stay out too long." Abigail moved past Evan who looked curious and to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Be safe and come back as soon as you're done." Worry and caution reflected in the soft green eyes of Abigail as they stared into her own ice blue ones.
"I will."
Another meaning look passed through between them before Estella broke it and darted to the clothes rack to grab her black leather coat, making her way to the main door.
"Where's reddy going?"
She heard Evan finally voice his curiosity to Abigail.
"Just some business little brats don't need to know." She answered for Abigail and threw an annoyed frown over her shoulder at the boy. "And my name is not reddy, pisspot." She knew she was being a hypocrite, but she had silently promised she would maybe consider using his actual name instead if he did the same for her.
Slanting her lips to form a side smile for Abigail who had shook her head at her little brother, Estella wore the coat and threw its hood over her head. "I'll be back soon."
Pushing open the door, Estella felt the warmth of the store leave her and shivered the moment the cold hit her skin.
….
Above her head was a sky darkening with tint of orange and yellow and around her was rows of shophouses like 'The Golden Thread', most already closed for the day except for the lively café at the end of the street she was in.
"Come on, Apple."
Nudging the pale horse under her toward the café, her eyes slowly explored it as they approached.
The first thing she noticed was the horses at a corner not too far across the street. From the sign on the wall that says 'Jacob's', she quickly understood that it belonged to the café who carried the same name, and that were for patrons to leave their horses at without obstructing anyone and this made her look over at the café itself with an impressed look. The impressed look quickly faded as she studied the store. It was a simple yet alluring little café which was bustling with life, both inside and outside. Sheltered under the forest green awnings were dainty round wooden tables and chairs which surrounded the red-bricked exterior of the café. A few of them were already occupied.
Estella turned back to the front and lightly hit the mare under her with the rein in her hands, urging the animal go faster. As soon as they had reached the horses parked by the corner, she swung herself off her horse and tied its rein around one of the short poles rooted into the ground like the other horses around them. Patting the whining mare, she fished out an apple from the pouch tied to it and offered the rosy fruit, watching the horse grow quiet at the sight of it and happily chomp down on it after that.
"I'll be back soon, big girl." She smiled up at the horse and gave it a few more pats before striding over to the café. She raised a hand to the hood on her head and pushed it off as she walked across the dimly lit cobblestone street, shuddering when a nippy chilly breeze blew past. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she strode past the short, black metal fence that divided the exterior of the café and the street, and stopped to peer into the café through its large framed windows.
The interior of the cosy café was enveloped in the warm yellow light from the wall lamps that adorned the coral green walls. The round tables were full with customers, mostly sipping on teas and coffees, chattering away with a company or contently staring into space, drifting to a place where only they can see. Her eyes wandered around to find a table for herself but found none, and tore her gaze away to try her luck with the tables outside. To her relief, it was not so much of a difficulty in finding one as only two of the eight tables out here was occupied. One of the occupied ones caught her eyes and brought a meaningful smile to her face.
She turned away and stepped into the café, marching straight up to the plump middle-aged woman behind the counter.
"Tea for you, dear?" The woman said with accent thick and foreign, wrinkles at the sides of her eyes mapped out when she smiled.
Estella shook her head and smiled. "I'll have coffee instead, with milk. Thanks." She had taken a liking to the black, bitter aromatic substance. A year has passed and she was still not a fan of teas…in fact, probably never.
"I see, most of people I met in this country love teas." The woman's face crinkled with a smile, turning away to prepare her order. "Are you local?"
"Yes, I am, and I'm sure English people are quite the coffee lovers as well," She watched hot, white steam escaped from the spout of the kettle in the woman's hand as water filled the white, ceramic cup. "Are you one of them?" She knew the answer from the accent the woman's voice carried but asked anyway.
"No, I'm Italian, dear, and I have to say I'm very fond of coffees." The woman set down a cup of steaming coffee before her with a chuckle. "England is a beautiful country, and I certainly enjoy doing my business here."
"That's great to know," She smiled politely at the woman and carefully lifted the hot beverage off the counter. "By the way, thanks for the coffee." She took a whiff at the beverage in her hand and let out a soft content sigh.
Once she had paid the woman, she made her way outside again with her coffee in hand, eyes fixed on the occupied table she had set her eyes on earlier, particularly on the pair of girls that looked young enough to be around her age. Their conversation, mostly gossips could be easily heard from where she stood.
Her eyes darted to the empty table which was conveniently located one table away from theirs, near but far enough.
Perfect.
A side of her mouth quirked ever so slightly into a smirk as she approached the said table, noting how the girls had looked up from the newspaper between them and started to rake their eyes up and down her with unpleasant curls of their lips when she sat herself down on one of the chairs beside their table. She could feel the distaste in the way they assessed her but adamantly kept her gaze on the coffee before her, stirring the beverage with a teaspoon the store owner had provided her indifferently.
When they finally grew bored of her and turned their focus back to the newspaper, she took her chance to study the two girls from the sides of her eyes, lifting up the cup to her lips to take a sip as her eyes swept down their appearance.
Their hair were bounded up and sheltered under frilly bonnets. Their dresses, she could tell after working with Abigail for already nearly a year, were made from expensive cloth and had elaborate intricate designs.
Bringing her eyes back to the beverage in her hands, she concluded with the items on them and the air of arrogance they carried in mind that they were most likely daughters from the upper class as she continued to listen to the ongoing conversation beside her, lazily propping her chin in the palm of her right hand.
"That's what my papa said, Adeline."
"Goodness," From the sides of her eyes, she could see the horror from the other girl's stiffened shoulders and straightened back. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of!"
"Jesus, let's not talk about this anymore, it's giving me a nasty headache. Be a darling and flip the paper for me, will you?"
A high-pitched exaggerated sigh was followed by the crinkling sound made by the newspaper as the 'Adeline' young woman flipped to the next page.
Perhaps, Estella scowled down at her coffee incredulously. I should have find someone else to-
"Hey, isn't that Ciel Phantomhive?"
A curt gasp.
"Wow, he's becoming rather…nice to look at, don't you think? The last time I saw him, he was pretty… short and scrawny-looking."
The mention of his name struck her. Hard.
With curious eyes, she glanced over, this time not bothering to be subtle. A headline, 'Her Majesty Attends a Great Cricket Tournament Held by Great Britain's Finest Public School' did not mention anything about the said earl but when her gaze drifted down to the picture below the bolded words, she understood.
In that picture, the Queen was standing in a line with a bunch of young men, smiling pleasantly at the camera. The students she posed with were soaked. The white collared shirts they wore were plastered onto their skin like a second skin and water droplets clung to their hair, as if they had fallen into River Thames sitting in the background. Perhaps they did?
There were many people in the picture, but her attention was drawn to the centre where the Queen stood.
To the left of the Queen was a brunette stranger and to her left was Ciel Phantomhive with an uncharacteristic cheery smile on his face. He looked more matured now compared to the last time she saw him with his noticeably more defined jawline and chiseled facial features but she could recognize the earl anywhere. It was definitely him, alright.
…I suppose one year can do this much to you, Phantomhive.
"By the way, he's holding a Christmas ball at his manor! My papa got the invitation this morning but he wouldn't let me…Hey, what are you looking at?"
Estella raised her eyes sharply from the newspaper to find herself being glared at by the two girls.
"Are you perhaps interested in Earl Ciel Phantomhive as well?" The girl with the pink bonnet smirked smugly at her before her face took on a pitying look. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get an invitation too."
The other girl rolled her eyes and let out a scoff. "More like an invitation to be his servant."
"Exactly, Adeline, I was about to say that." The girl Estella had mentally dubbed 'Pinky' laughed.
Estella couldn't be more amused. If only they knew…
This time, she was the one who let out a scoff and rolled her eyes.
"Do you think I care about that guy? And sorry to burst your delicate little bubbles… in case you're wondering whether you could get far with Earl Phantomhive and are completely oblivious to this fact about him, let me enlighten you. He has a fiancée who is much prettier and cuter than you two. Plus, she's a great girl."
Their eyes were narrowed and their eyebrows were furrowed deeply. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have places to get to."
Smiling serenely at their angry faces, Estella stood from her table and strolled out of the cafe.
….
Now, 'The Golden Thread' was just a dark, seemingly soulless store with only a single lighted window. Hers.
In the guest room on the second storey of 'The Golden Thread', Estella stared out of the window, glaring at the clouds drifting in the night sky above. She had visited a number of popular hangout areas but the only thing she learnt was the earl's Christmas ball which was happening in a weeks' time. Abigail and Evan were already preparing for bed by the time she returned from her night adventure.
Ciel Phantomhive. A person of her past. Irrelevant to the present and the future.
But why can't she stop thinking about him? Ever since she had seen his face in that article and eavesdropped a conversation about him, her effort in almost succeeding in forgetting that person just seemed to have gone down to the drain. She was back to square one. The yearning and sadness that she had so struggled to bury and had finally buried over the year were emerging once again, flying back to her like a punch to the gut.
"You silly fool, why are letting that brat distract you again?" The Demon or simply 'Valeria' supplied not too kindly. 'Valeria' was the name she had discovered to be the voice's actual name while it, or rather, she was telling her about her history with SIGMA and the reason for her grudge toward them.
She could remember the deep, dark anger in the resident's voice. It sounded so intense when she spilled her hatred for them to her.
It was a rainy night that time when she found out the truth about the annoying, hovering presence.
Valeria was a roaming fire demon who had taken a liking in Italy and had given herself an Italian name. She had complained about how she could never understand why other demons like Sebastian would sacrifice their freedom to be tied down by silly things called 'contracts' with humans. But the freedom she enjoyed didn't last when SIGMA entered the picture.
Using the demon sword called 'Lævateinn' – a sword capable of eliminating a demon's existence by ending their soul, she had added grudgingly- which they had managed to obtain, her soul was nearly destroyed. In desperation to survive, she had clung to the only thing she knew SIGMA would salvage – her blood.
In that moment of light, she had come to realize that Valeria was no different from her. Human or not, she was another unfortunate victim of the rotten organization. Ever since that night, she had somewhat formed something resembling camaraderie with Valeria. She just couldn't bring herself to hate her anymore.
"Oh shut up, Valeria, I'm free to think of whoever or whatever I want." Estella breathed out heavily and rolled her eyes. "And come on, it's not like I want to! It's just…Urgh! To hell with this, you won't understand anyway."
"Obviously not! I'm not like you stupid humans. So easily swayed by things you call 'emotions'."
"And sometimes I wish you didn't pick me out of all the children to torture." She rolled her eyes again when she heard Valeria snort. "I'd rather just die."
"I wish I-"
"Speaking of which, you haven't told me why you chose me." Estella stepped away from the window and padded over to her bed.
Silence.
When Valeria said nothing, she shrugged and moved on to lie onto the bed, closing her eyes as she felt herself sinking comfortably into the mattress. "Suit yourself, Valeria, I'm letting you off for now. Be glad I'm too tired to interrogate the heck out of you-"
"I saw myself in you."
"What?" Estella's eyes snapped open at this. "Wha-What the hell do you mean?" She blinked owlishly at the ceiling.
There was a heavy sigh, sounding almost like annoyance. "Your thirst for revenge was like mine. And that darkness in your soul...You see, I didn't have a body to exact my revenge on SIGMA and when I realize that darkness in you was made from your hatred for them, I knew you were what I needed."
This time it was Estella who said nothing.
"Hey, you still there?
When Estella didn't reply, Valeria made a sound like a scoff and withdrew to where she came from, leaving the pensive girl alone.
….
The day had come. The one that was much anticipated was finally here.
December 24th was the day known as the eve of Christmas. But to Ciel Phantomhive, it was just another day. Christmas was a silly and pointless matter to fuss over, he had always told himself each year.
However, this year was different. He had looked forward to this day, though of course not because today was Christmas Eve. But it was the day the long awaited ambush that they had tediously planned out was finally going to unfold.
Right in in this very manor he was willing to sacrifice for this crucial operation. Right before his eyes.
A side of Ciel's mouth quirked slyly, forming a knowing smirk as he overlooked the ball buzzing away in the entrance hall down the grand stairs with his fingers tapping rhythmically on the bannister underneath his folded arms.
SIGMA was in for a surprise tonight. A big one.
His eyes danced mischievously at that thought.
In the spacious entrance hall below him was a typical scene of a grand-looking ball, well, at least in the eyes of people who were not 'invited'. Men and women were dancing to the music in the centre of the room, some at the sides of the room chattering by the long tables of food. There was an elegant and relaxed atmosphere that came with the melodious music coming from the small band tucked at a corner.
Indeed, such a cleverly disguised operation.
Ciel's smirk grew wider as a hum of amusement went through him.
The air was soft with relaxation, but if one were to look close enough, the tensed shoulders of the people below would be a giveaway that the light atmosphere was all but an illusion. Everyone in his manor was part of the operation, including his own servants and a demon who was no other than Sebastian.
A year was a time long enough for many, many things to happen.
It was nearly five months ago when he received a special invitation from the Queen to the Buckingham Palace. It was on a Saturday late afternoon when Charles Grey and Charles Phipps visited him to hand him the invitation. Apparently, the Queen had realized how huge a threat SIGMA was to Great Britain after reading the reports he had sent over to her.
And ever since the SIGMA headquarter was discovered to be abandoned and they were nowhere to be found, things grew worrisome.
Eliminating that threat became the highest priority for the nation, though the Queen had made everyone involved sign the Secrets Act including himself, to keep information about the organization away from the people.
The Queen and people who were part of the operation had also learnt about Sebastian when he decided if they were to be part of this, the truth would be revealed eventually whether they wanted it to be or not.
It was inevitable and very risky. There was a high chance of the nation turning against him instead because of his association with a demon.
But Ciel had decided that it was necessary to allow Sebastian have the freedom to do his part openly especially when the enemy has Brandon Christensen. For, he was a very dangerous angel hybrid that ordinary humans had no chance against, he had pointed this out when he was trying to convince them.
At first, there was chaos. He could remember the uproars and protests when he brought up the topic by introducing Sebastian who bowed at his waist to the audience that was made up of nearly three hundred people. The large conference hall was packed to the brim that day, filled with soldiers, ministers and of course, the Queen herself.
Eventually, things let up and Sebastian was hesitantly accepted by them.
There was mistrust.
Toward Sebastian. Toward him.
As time flew, they grew a little more comfortable with them, bit by bit. There was still mistrust but it wasn't as bad as when the truth was first revealed. And that was the reason why he didn't need to wear his eyepatch that hid the Faustus contract in his right eye tonight.
He could vividly remember the way how the planning proceeded and actions such as simulations and physical trainings (which he also had to take part in) were taken. Especially about how the British's secret intelligence, the Military Intelligence Section 6 known as the 'MI6' became involved as well.
Ears and eyes were everywhere. And these had gathered that SIGMA was planning a massive attack on the Phantomhive, lying in waiting for the right time to do so. Realizing that there was an opportunity to lure them out, Ciel had come up with the idea of an ambush under the disguise of a Christmas ball. Later when his plan was agreed upon, his servants became part of the operation as well.
He had made sure that the news of the 'Christmas ball' got out, but of course, he had truthfully told Elizabeth that it was an operation the Queen wanted to carry out when he realized that she was already aware of his 'Queen's Watchdog' status, and told her to stay away no matter what.
Ciel could still remember the pent-up impatience and frustration in him whenever he attended the meetings. At times, he had wondered why he was doing what he had done, why he had to put up with those bullheaded fools during those meetings. He had suspected that it was due to the years he had spent going against SIGMA with a certain hotheaded girl and had made them his enemy as well – an enemy he hated as much as she did.
If only she was here now to witness this ambush against SIGMA with him…
A silent sigh escaped him as his eyes gave the ball below a sweep, seeking for a person with a tiny hope tugging along in him meaninglessly.
His shoulders dropped in disappointment when he couldn't find her, the only one who had the closest hair colour was a man. Everyone was present except for a certain feisty redhead.
A pang of wistfulness tinge with a growing fear hit him.
He knew he was being silly looking for someone who will obviously not be here. And foolish for harbouring longingness for her even after a year had passed when he had already promised himself to erase her from his mind. Whenever he accidentally thought about her, he was always worrying. Whether or not she was even still alive. The fear that currently resided in him was the same fear which came along whenever she crossed his mind.
Dragging a hand down his face, Ciel let out another sigh and forced the upsetting emotions away. He straightened, unfolding his arms as the sharp look of vigilance he had earlier reappeared on his face.
….
"Wow Abigail, that lady sure took ages to decide on a piece of dress." Taking another bite out of the baked potato she had taken from the kitchen, Estella watched Abigail flip the sign at the shop's display window so that 'CLOSED' was facing the streets.
"Nearly twenty minutes on one dress! Twenty minutes. "Abigail turned to look at her wearily. "And she ended up buying nothing!"
"Customers."
"Customers."
The two of them said at the same time, shaking their heads incredulously before looking up at each other with a grin.
"More like women."
Benjamin Carlisle lumbered down the stairs tucked at the corner of the shop. The black-haired young man's mouth opened wide with a slow, lazy yawn as he dragged his feet over to them. His hair stuck out at weird angles, his green eyes were squinty with drowsiness and the dark colored long-sleeved shirt on him looked unflattering with the wrinkles on them.
"Oh, so someone finally decided that it was time to wake up." Estella crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. "You look like shit." She added not too kindly.
"Thanks, I don't care." Benjamin replied with a dry look.
"And who promised me that he'd help me with the store?" Abigail glared accusingly at her little brother as he stopped before them.
"Sorry sis," Benjamin put up his arms as if to surrender with a sheepish smile on his face. "I was tired." He glanced around the store. "By the way, where's Evan?"
Catching sight of the time, Estella walked away from the conversation and grabbed her coat and scarf from the coat rack. "Going out for a while," Estella answered when she turned around to find herself pinned by two pairs of curious eyes. Adjusting her coat and the scarf around her neck, she gave them a wave and left the store.
...
"Hmm…Young Master seems rather excited tonight."
Ciel slid his gaze and watched Sebastian join him with the ghost of a smile on his face. Slightly annoyed, he scoffed and dragged his gaze back to the front lazily. "I could say the same about you."
"Yes, I have to admit I was looking forward to this." Sebastian mused.
"Forget about that. How are the snipers?"
"All set."
Ciel said nothing, but the way his lips had curled to Sebastian's words in approval was more than enough. Letting his gaze glide over the event below once more, he ran a hand down his chest, feeling the thick bullet proof vest under his clothes. He felt a faint sense of dread as he reached into his coat to check on the two revolvers he had prepared for himself.
Bloodshed was to be expected in this operation because the main objective was to eliminate as many as you can.
"Sebastian, you…" Ciel glanced up and paused in his sentence when he noticed that the tall frame beside him was suddenly very still.
Sebastian snapped his head over to him, his red eyes gleaming with seriousness and something that looked almost like excitement. "Young Master, they're-"
"INCOMING!" Someone yelled from below.
Eyes widening sharply at that, Ciel peered over the bannister in time to watch the atmosphere below instantly turned rigid.
Every single person who were previously dancing, chattering or eating had dropped everything and were facing the door with weapons in hand. Their bodies were stiff with anticipation. Now that the melodious music that filled the room earlier had disappeared, the almost tangible silence was all that was left, lingering in the air over them.
The only thing they could hear were the cries of pain coming from the outside. While the main operation was planned to happen inside the entrance hall, there were also five snipers including Meyrin hidden outside on the roof of the manor. Hearing those noises had given a small hum of satisfaction to everyone inside the manor, knowing that the snipers had gotten some of them.
Silence was like a weight in the room.
The stillness that held the room was suffocating.
Every pair of eyes were trained on the front. No one dared to move.
Then suddenly…
The figures burst through the door and more came crashing through the windows.
….
Estella snapped the book close and returned it to the shelf with soft sigh. She took a glance at the clock behind the counter and decided there was still time before she returned to the Carlisle's, making her way to the exit the bookstore. She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck as she stepped back out into the street. A shiver travelled down her spine as soon as she did when the remaining warmth from the bookstore on her became lost to a passing strong, chilly breeze.
Rubbing her bare hands together, Estella raised her eyes to the bare night sky and idly watched white speaks of snow fall from the above, shivering once more when one landed on her nose. She closed her eyes with slow, long sigh as nostalgia reminded her about the last time she spent her Christmas.
This year's Christmas felt so…empty. Even if she has the Carlisle siblings to spend it with, it was not the same. Seemingly nothing could make that hollow feeling in her fade. It would only grow bigger whenever thoughts about a certain dark-haired earl flashed in her head.
Sometimes she had wondered. What was she even living for? Her life seemed to be standstill right now. It was as if-
"They're near."
Her eyes snapped open in surprise at the sudden interruption by the demoness's voice. What are you talking about? Who's near?
"That angel freak. SIGMA. Who else?"
Uneasiness flickered through her. Where? Where are they, Valeria? Estella glanced around warily but only saw people doing their shopping at the roadside stalls across the street and a lively pub between two closed stores a few feet away.
There was a long silence that Estella thought if Valeria had gone back to wherever she came from. Hello? Valeria, where are-
"Oh!" The demoness started.
What is it? A perplexed frown appeared between Estella's eyebrows. Are they here?
"No, but you're not going to like this." She noticed the dip in Valeria's voice. That Phantomhive brat. Her eyes went wide at the mention of the earl. The manor…They're under attack.
Her mouth went dry as she digested the information in horror.
"Under attack?"
To the people walking past her, she looked crazy talking to herself with that wide-eyed expression on her face and all, but that and Valeria who was still talking fell past her concern. "Oh no, oh no…not again."
She looked around wildly as she tried to make sense out of those words. Her heart felt like it was beating a thousand mile a minute, threatening to fly out of her chest as an image of Ciel Phantomhive flashed in her mind.
Her hands curled into shaking fists. "No, no…Not again!" Estella broke into the sprint, startling the people around her with her sudden outburst. "Those bastards…!" She growled with a deep angry glare on her face as she ran in the direction of the tailor store.
Out of all nights…Why didn't she bring Apple out with her? She thought in frustration.
"Hey, where are we rushing to?"
"To the manor, of course!"
….
With a small furrow between his eyebrows and lips in a grim line, Ciel watched dark-cloaked figures pour into his manor. Through the front door and the huge broken windows. And as soon as the figures who had crashed through the windows landed, hell broke loose.
"I hope you're not regretting this, Young Master," Sebastian eyed the earl with amusement. "It's getting rather messy, don't you think?"
"Of course not," Ciel cut his gaze over to the demon and glared. "Don't be ridiculous. Only a fool would decide on something without thinking about the consequences. As long as this gets things moving forward, I do not care what happens to this manor." The earl returned his gaze back to the front with a scoff. "Waiting around twiddling our thumbs for SIGMA to come out of hiding is not going to do any good for anyone anyway."
The sound of running footsteps coming from behind made them turn, only to find that Meyrin and the four other snipers had come back into the manor join the raid.
Meyrin paused when she glanced over and spotted them, dropping the serious look on her face. "Young Master, Mr. Sebastian!" She waved at them, her hazel eyes dancing with pride. "We did it! We'd gotten quite a number of them out there!" A proud grin appeared on her face.
The other four snipers behind her nodded in acknowledgment at Ciel and Sebastian and rushed past the maid before spreading themselves out on the parapet overlooking the entrance hall, surrounding the area below with the sniper rifles in their hands raised and pointed below.
"Great job, Meyrin." Ciel nodded with approval at the beaming woman. "But this is not a time to be distracted."
Meyrin's grin widened briefly. "Yes sir!"
Ciel watched the serious look from before took its place on her face once again as the maid rushed off to take her spot behind the bannister.
"Ahhh…so he finally decides to appear now."
Ciel snapped his head over to Sebastian to find the demon smirking with eyes glowing red at something, looking almost excited. Following where the excited gaze led to, Ciel's eyes instantly narrowed. Down in the entrance hall amid the chaos, a brown-haired man casually strolled through the main door and gazed around him with a relaxed look on his face, as if he was stepping into a park on a beautiful day.
"Christensen." Ciel glared hatefully at Brandon and turned to Sebastian who looked down at him expectantly.
"Your orders, Young Master?"
"What are you waiting for, Sebastian?" Ciel turned back to the front and met the amused gaze from Brandon with a glare. "Take care of him."
A smirk grew upon hearing that, Sebastian bowed at his waist. "Yes, my lord."
The demon calmly strode forward to the edge of the stairs and was about to make a leap over to the said man but was stopped in his track by a golden piece of knife that had flown from above and embedded itself into the carpeted floor before him.
Both Ciel and Sebastian turned their heads to the source and their eyes widened simultaneously at the tall figure that stood on the ledge of a broken window who had gold knives and forks held between his fingers.
"Claude." Sebastian acknowledged the spider demon hostilely.
"Your opponent is me, Sebastian." Claude flung three knives at Sebastian.
….
The silence of the thick vegetation was broken by the sound of frantic galloping. On the winding path through the trees, a lone figure atop a white horse rode with a lamp in hand to lead their way through the darkness of the night. The frantic movements of the horse's legs sent chunks of snow scattering as it took the cue to quicken its pace from the light slap of its rein given from its rider.
"Hurry Apple, we're almost there!" Estella laid her eyes on the manor that was drawing closer.
She squinted her eyes against the chilly wind as she watched the distance between her and the manor grow smaller and smaller. Anxiety was building within as she urged the horse to move faster.
Why? Strands of her hair whipped around her face as she guided the horse to turn left once they reached an open.
Her eyes darkened.
Why won't SIGMA leave him alone? She had left the manor partly because she just couldn't stand getting him and the others dragged into her mess any longer. It was all her fault they got attacked the last time, her fault they had to break into SIGMA headquarter just to rescue her. And now…She shook her head angrily. There was no point beating herself over this, she told herself as she raised her eyes to the front.
Stopping her horse, she stared at the sight before her with wide eyes. Horror, anger, amazement, nostalgia, anxiety…she couldn't decide which to feel, for they came the instant her eyes laid upon the manor.
"You're right, Valeria."
"Of course, I am. When am I ever wrong anyway?"
Rolling her eyes at that reply, Estella nudged the horse underneath to get it moving again.
….
A line appeared between Ciel's eyebrows. Claude? Ciel's mouth tightened as he watched the two demons exchange blows. To think he would be joining up with SIGMA…This is getting out of hand.
"Not too bad, Phantomhive," A slow, elaborate clapping brought the earl out of his thought and made him turn to find Brandon strolling toward him with a smirk.
Ciel tensed as he drew closer.
"Well done, you're more interesting than I had expected! I thought I was going to just sweep through another house of ignorant sheeps once again, you know, just like the Blancbastons." He watched Brandon roll his eyes exasperatedly. "Oh, I'm sure you've heard how they were all wiped out in one night except for that lucky little Blancbaston."
The hateful glare on Ciel's face deepened as he watched Brandon take a curious look around.
The man turned his gaze back to Ciel. "Speaking of which, where is she? I was hoping I could have fun with her while I'm here."
Maybe it was a good thing that she wasn't here afterall, Ciel thought as his face took on a dark look. "Far away from you."
...
There was no longer a gate separating the manor and the outside, she noted as she rode into the compound, grimacing down at the gates that looked like they torn into. Dented and discarded on the ground. Turning her head to the front, the sound of gunshots urged her to move toward the manor. The first thing she noticed were the broken windows and the missing main door before sound of clashing metals stole her attention.
Looking up, she watched two figures facing off each other on the roof of the manor. Her eyes widened in recognition when she saw that the one on the right was Sebastian and on the left was…
"Claude?" She realized with a jolt.
"What is HE doing here?" She agreed with Valeria's question but said nothing. If Sebastian was busy with Claude, who was dealing with Brandon? Dread clawed its way up her spine. Quickly getting off Apple, she sprinted forward, up the stairs leading to the main door.
The scene that greeted her behind the main door made stop and gape in horror.
Standing among the bodies strewed across the floor of the entrance hall, people were fighting among themselves. Both men and women who she didn't recognize. On the parapet overlooking the hall, there were five people armed with rifles. Most of them had the rifles pointed down at the chaos before her. She recognized Meyrin among them except her rifles were locked onto the top of the grand stairs, on…Brandon.
Her heart skipped a beat when she swung her gaze to the stairs to find that Brandon was not alone. Standing tensed and cautious, Ciel Phantomhive eyed Brandon warily with a dark glare. His jaw tight, his eyes hard and cold as glass.
….
"Take another step toward my master and I'll shoot."
Ciel cut his gaze over to the fierce voice in surprise to find Meyrin pointing her rifles at the approaching man with a glare that looked like it could burn through steel.
"Meyrin! Stay out of this!" Sebastian had told him about his fight with this man in detail. Of how dangerous he could be. He grew worried for the maid when he realized she had drawn his attention to herself.
"Ohhh, you have such a protective servant. Not bad, Phantomhive," Ciel's eyes darted back to the front to find Brandon eying the maid with amusement. "But I wonder…Would you become a mere weak sheep like the Blancbastons once all of your servants died? Once there is no one to shield you?"
Ciel's eyes widened when Brandon suddenly spun around to face the direction of the maid. "No…"
The man threw a smirk over his shoulder and leapt into the air.
Ciel watched in horror and desperation tore its way out of his throat. "Stop, leave her alone!"
….
As if from a distance, Estella heard herself screaming out for Meyrin. Her heart felt like it was in her mouth as she watched Brandon leapt toward the maid with a malicious gleam in his amethyst eyes. Panic and adrenaline were so overwhelming her senses that the scene looked like it was unfolding in slow motion.
No…not another one! She felt tears building up at the back of her eyes as rage and hatred rose within her. Squaring her shoulders, her ice blue eyes took on an icier look when a cold, decisive gleam appeared in them. She had no other choice. If she didn't, it would too late. I have to!
"Valeria, do it. Take over my body and stop him! Please!"
"What? Why should I-"
"Isn't SIGMA your enemy as well? Other people are becoming their victims like us!" Estella snapped impatiently, panic hitting the roof. "Shut up and do it already, Valeria! Don't let them win!"
There was a short moment of silence.
"Urgh, fine."
Estella breathed out a short sigh of relief. "….Thank you."
….
Running forward, Ciel quickly pulled out a revolver from his coat. "Get away, Meyrin!" His heart was leaping wildly as he tried to align the gunpoint with Brandon. But when he saw that the bullets fired by Meyrin did nothing to stop his advance, he realized the revolver in his hand was useless against something like Brandon.
In the grip of silent panic, an image of a black-haired, red-eyed demon butler crossed his mind.
The pentagram in his right eye started to glow as he watched Brandon close in on the maid, his heart almost stopping as he witnessed horror appear on Meyrin's face. "Sebastian!" His breathing turned ragged as adrenaline and panic filled his senses. "This is an order-"
A loud, fierce growl interrupted him before he could finish. Turning his head to the growl, his eyes sprang wide. He watched a red blur shoot toward Brandon, sending the man down the stairs and into a wall across the room.
Ciel blinked at the fallen man, still unable to grasp what just happened. He was utterly relieved that Meyrin was no longer in danger, but who or what was that? Ciel dragged his gaze back to the front when he heard something hit the ground near him.
What he saw stole his breath and his heart tighten.
In a crouch on the ground, Estella Blancbaston rose to her feet and strode to the edge of the stairs, glaring heatedly at Brandon…with a pair of demonic red eyes.