Chapter Five
"Master?"
A soft hitched breath sounded on the other side of the door, followed by a nearly inaudible sob.
"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.
*/*
"Wake up."
Naoe looked up at the Phantomhive butler listlessly, his mind still reeling from the events of the night before.
He was here.
His beloved was here, so close.
Had been since the day he'd stepped into the Phantomhive manor, and yet…for the first time in over four hundred years, he hadn't recognized him.
He hadn't tasted the oh-so potent energy his former master had possessed in all of his other lives from Ciel Phantomhive amd had wrongly assumed it to mean the boy was too weak to be Kagetora-sama.
He was so wrong.
Ciel Phantomhive had more power than his beloved had carried in every life ut the first and was just as cunning, and yet, he'd been giving hints since Naoe had arrived.
Hints that had escaped Naoe's notice!
Hamon's easy acceptance, the young heir's discomfort around him, it all made so much sense.
And it hurt.
The knowledge that he had so long forgotten his love that he no longer was able to tell him on sight without feeling his spiritual pressure was painful.
Michaelis, his replacement frowned at him, thin lips pursed as he failed to obey the order given.
"Come along, Mr. Nobutsuna. Breakfast will be ready soon and the young master is telling Lizzie of her parents unfortunate ends."
He flinched, hearing another address his master. "He is not your master." He growled, standing and glaring at the man.
Michaelis raised an eyebrow, something dangerous flashing in his garnet eyes, his spiritual aura darker than anyone he'd ever had the (dis)pleasure of meeting.
"You seem to be confused, sir. Master Ciel is, and always will be, mine. I warn that you keep your impure intentions to yourself and away from Earl Phantomhive."
The warning was delivered in a cold voice but the polite smile never left Michaelis' lips.
His peace said, the butler turned on his heel and led him from the dog encampment and back to the bedroom he'd been in before.
"A bath has been drawn for you. Please clean yourself up and join us for breakfast."
The willowy man didn't bother to await his reply, instead turning and making his way back down the hall. Once he was gone, Naoe entered the bedroom, fell back against the door and began to laugh.
He laughed at the absolute irony of his situation and his own foolishness.
At the way Michaelis seemed to think he was the first or last to be owned by Kagetora, and how the elder man didn't even seem to notice.
But mostly, he laughed because if he stopped, he would cry.
*/*
He had expected worse if he were being honest.
He'd expected her to throw a fit, to sob and scream and call him a liar.
He expected her to break.
And yet…
A single cyan eyes watched as their owner's fiancee sniffled softly, her green eyes dark and determined in their grief.
"You'll get them, right? Make them pay?"
Sometimes, his fiancee was truly a marvelous person. One that never had shied away from his darkness, for all that he tried not to show it around her.
And, he noticed, she had a bit of darkness of her own hidden beneath that venner of almost obnoxious innocence.
It was times like this that he suddenly remembered that for all of her supposed naivety, Elizabeth too had been raised on the darker side of England's politics, just not as deeply immersed.
Slowly, he curled his lips into an approximation of a comforting smile.
"Of course."
She nodded, steeling her spine, pink lips pursed. "Good."
Standing, he offered her his elbow. "Come. Let me escort you to breakfast."
She took it, giving him a wan smile.
"Thank you, Ciel. For everything."
He hummed, and led her out of the room.
*/*
Breakfast was a tense affair.
Undertaker and Sebastian seemed to think that continuously glancing between him and Naoe would suddenly give them the answers they sought, while Lizzie kept to herself, still grieving the loss of her family.
Then there was Naoe.
His beloved sat beside Lizzie, comforting her even as his gaze bore into Ciel's own, amber-violet eyes dark and full of turmoil.
He almost wanted to smile just to goad him.
Instead he turned to Sebastian. "Bring me everything you can gather on the Midford murders."
His demon bowed. "Yes, my Lord."
Orders received, he exited calmly, vanishing only moments later.
Next he turned to Lizzie, his gaze fauxly compassionate despite his earlier dismissal of his in-laws' murders.
"You have had a difficult morning. Go rest. I'm sure Sebastian or your butler will be able to collect you for lunch."
She nodded and hugged him, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Ciel."
Then she was gone, and he was left along with Undertaker and his beloved.
He addressed Undertaker first, yet his gaze never left that of the man across from him.
"What were you able to gather from the bodies?"
The silver haired man gave him a coy smile, that widened into a wicked grin.
"They were poisoned and then their throats were slit. A bit of overkill, if you ask me. Lady Midford, didn't show any signs of sexual trauma, however, so that is...optimistic."
He hummed, keen eyes staring the silver haired man down without appearing to do so.
Undertaker was lying.
The queen had delivered the reports to him when she'd informed him of the deaths.
The Midfords had been stabbed, multiple times and injected with a poison that sped up the hearts there for forcing more blood through and causing them to bleed out quicker.
There had been no slit throats...and the person to visit them last according to their servants, was the man he was speaking to.
The only question was why?
What did Undertaker stand to gain from the murder of two nobles?
He needed a motive.
Playing the part of the faithful hound, he nodded and pretended to take the answer at face value. "I see."
"Do you?"
He shrugged. "Perhaps not. But I will."
Undertaker stood with a strange smile. "If you say so, Little Earl."
"Have fun on your case."
He called over his shoulder before heading out the door.
Then it was just them.
Naoe and Ciel.
Naoe and Kagetora.
TBC...