A/N: I'm on the fence about this chapter... R&R
Chapter Four
"So, Elizabeth's parents have been murdered."
Undertaker's eyebrow rose at the lack of emotion in the young Earl's voice as the teen gazed down at the missive in his hand. Behind the boy, the butler did the same glancing at the missive over his master's shoulder.
Undertaker had arrived hours past midnight bearing the horrific news and yet the Phantomhive Earl seemed unmoved by it, eyes dry and voice steady. There was no grief for his in-laws nor was there any sympathy for his fiancée. The boy was…cold.
It was a curious thing.
"No tears for your in-laws, Little Earl?"
"Tears? You expect me to cry, to grieve for people I barely knew let alone liked. Their only importance to me was as Elizabeth's parents. She is free to mourn them but I will do no such thing."
Interesting…
The child wasn't lying. He felt nothing about the death of the Midfords.
Nothing at all.
Yes, The Earl Phantomhive was a curious creature.
"Very callous, Master." The demon commented, seeming as shocked as Undertaker was about his contractor's indifference.
Ciel finally looked up, but his gaze bypassed them to stare at the door, cold and indifferent.
"Enjoying our conversation, Nobutsuna? I imagine this moment has been very enlightening."
The two supernatural beings stiffened, wondering how a mere human had managed to escape their awareness and how the Earl had sensed him before they did.
The door opened and Elizabeth's tutor entered, his eyes wide and half mad and he stared directly back at the teen.
"I found you." He breathed, voice bordering on hysterical.
"I found you. You've been beneath my nose the entire time. How have you hidden from me? How?!"
The teen stared at him, then let out a tinkering laugh, a sound colder and more callous than anything they'd ever heard from him.
"How?" He mocked, rolling his visible eye at the man's words. "You foolish mutt. Do you honestly think you hold the cards in this game? That I forgot everything, every single time? How very foolish." He purred, standing and something in the room shifted.
This was no longer the Earl they knew. Something was going on here, something they weren't privy to. Undertaker's eyes narrowed. He had talked himself out of looking through the memories of Saburo's soul when he stole it from the time stream. The misery wafting from it had lured him until he couldn't force himself to grab another, and yet he had obviously made an error somewhere. Those memories had been important and would've been the key to understanding all of this and yet now…
Somewhere along the lines, his plans had been altered without his knowledge and he didn't like it.
Nobutsuna's lips curled into a snarl and he glared back at the boy with all the anger of a madman, obsession and bloodlust dancing in his eyes.
"So, you remembered in this life." He stated with a faux calm, his heart pounding in his chest and a dangerous smile curled pale pink lips, his master stopping directly in front of him.
A slender, dainty hand reached out to cup his cheek, its owner's one visible eye morphing into something he knew better than he knew each way his master could say his name.
The Tiger's eye.
He couldn't disobey.
He waited, his gaze never leaving his master's, body tensing as it waited for the punishment he was sure would come.
Instead, the hand moved away from his face to touch Hamon's hilt with the same gentleness it had caressed his face with, contrasting so much with the hatred in that one eye.
"You should return to bed. Bad things happened to rabid dogs."
He turned to the silent demon watching the entire exchange.
"Sebastian. It seems Elizabeth's pet has been misplaced. Escort it to Pluto's dwelling, will you?"
His butler's eyes widened, having never seen his master be so cruel to another human. He never expected the boy to force the man to sleep with the dog.
"Master-"
"So, I've been replaced by you so quickly?" Naoe whispered, cutting the demon off.
"Now, Sebastian. Perhaps, he'll be better behaved in the morning." Ciel continued as if he hadn't heard the man, who glared at him.
"Replacing me means, nothing. I will win this."
At those words, the teen turned with a saccharine smile, his eye gleaming with knowledge only he seemed to be aware of.
"You'd like to think so."
"What do you mean?"
Sebastian helped the man to his feet, keeping his eye on his Master, who's gaze never left the tutor.
"Let him in before Elizabeth awakens. I doubt she would fare well with the news of her parents when her comfort is half mad."
"Yes, milord."
"Wait!" The blond cried desperately and he was led away. "What did you mean?! What have you done?!"
Ciel turned away and returned to his chair, leveling his gaze on the Undertaker. "We will resume this in the morning. Leave."
The reaper gave a mock bow, his eyes calculative beneath his hair.
He would leave for now, but when he returned he expected answers, as he was sure the demon did as well. Heading to the guest room the boy had fashioned for him after Madame Red's death, he thought heavily about the events of the evening.
Yes, he expected answers.
And he expected them soon.
Sebastian frowned deeply as he gazed at the still form of Naoe Nobutsuna, wondering just how the man had earned such hatred from his master.
The teen had calmed over the years, and other than a few harsher than needed insults, and games against targets, the boy had been relatively calm. But this man, something about him had set his young master off and he was still no closer to finding out why.
Shaking his head, he headed back to the Earl's office, frown deepening as he found the door locked.
"Master?"
A soft hitched breath sounded on the other side of the door, followed by a nearly inaudible sob.
Ciel was...crying?
"Leave me be, Sebastian. Please, leave me be."
Sebastian stiffened. Never had his contractor sounded so broken.
It hurt more than he was willing to admit.
Much much more.
Dark garnet eyes burned a bright, vivid violet.
It was decided.
No matter the outcome, he would kill Naoe Nobutsuna.
If only to teach him to never hurt what belonged to Sebastian.
TBC…