Chapter 5

Her Maid, Improvising

Before he had gone to sleep the night before, Ciel had ordered Sebastian to reschedule all of his prior engagements for the next day so that he was free to take Elizabeth to a park to spend time with her. It would be his way of showing her that he was glad she had returned while also being able to keep an eye on her around Aurora.

"Do not forget. Aurora Newcomb cannot be trusted." Ciel reminded Sebastian while the butler tied his master's eyepatch from behind. "We cannot allow her to devour Elizabeth's soul."

"If their partnership is anything like ours was when it first began.." Sebastian started. "..Then it will be rather rocky."

"Yes, I can't imagine that Elizabeth would have thought to make the same three requests that I made to you when we initiated our contract," Ciel smirked, then added. "I'd like to see Aurora become half the servant that you are." The earl's cheeks suddenly went red with embarrassment when he realized what he had said, not meaning to praise Sebastian so highly.

Sebastian smiled a bit. "Was that a compliment, my lord?"

"Don't look too far into it." Ciel scoffed, turning his head away. "See to it that Elizabeth knows what we'll be doing today."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian bowed.

Elizabeth hadn't slept as well as she would have liked to for finally being safe in her own bed again. At the same time, it was the best sleep that she had gotten in quite a while. She realized that once Aurora came to wake her up the next morning. Before her disappearance, she had been very much a morning person. But now, she didn't want to leave the comfort of her bed for any reason at all.

As Aurora urged her to sit up in bed, Elizabeth felt pain shoot throughout her body, reminding her of the toll that not only the illness but living outside for months on end had taken on her body. The thought of the disease brought back unwanted images of the things she had witnessed in the village during the outbreak. Elizabeth grimaced, lowering her head.

Seeing Elizabeth like this pleased Aurora, as she knew that it meant that the girl's soul was becoming more and more delectable. But, unfortunately, she couldn't have Elizabeth feeling this way all of the time. If her family were to see Aurora failing to keep her lady happy, well... That wouldn't be good at all. She had a role to play, after all, and she knew that she would have to work to get better at playing that role. Especially when it came to hair.

Oh, hair? Aurora had forgotten to take Elizabeth's blonde curls out of their pigtails the night before. The girl's hair was messy now as Aurora took the hair ties out and freed the hair at last. The demoness examined the curly hair at as many angles as she could manage while Elizabeth was still sitting up in bed, mind blank. Aurora reached for the hairbrush she had bought to use on Elizabeth recently, roughly running it through the blonde tresses.

"Ow, ow, ow!" The pain that her scalp suffered snapped Elizabeth out of the daze that she had been in, "Aurora, what are you doing?!" She cried out.

Aurora continued to attempt to tame Elizabeth's curls with the brush while the girl struggled against her. "My lady- You informed me just the other day that Miss Paula would comb your wet hair and brush it once dry." Aurora's brushing became more violent and even angry as she thought of the brunette maid, and Elizabeth howled in pain.

"No, no, no! I said that Paula would comb my hair wet AND comb my hair dry!" Elizabeth insisted. "I- Oh, AURORA!" Elizabeth suddenly snapped angrily from the pain, surprising even herself as she angrily ordered "Stop that at once!"

Aurora's solferino eyes widened when Elizabeth spoke to her like that, but she ceased the improper brushing nonetheless. She didn't think that the girl had it in her to talk to a servant so unkindly.

Elizabeth gazed up at Aurora, her emerald eyes wide in horror at herself. "I'm sorry.." She let out, gazing down at her lap beneath the blankets. She had never spoken to Paula or any servant that way before, had she? Elizabeth couldn't imagine herself doing it if it weren't for the fact that her awful experiences had changed her fundamentally.

"Yes." Elizabeth tried to convince herself. "That was why I snapped at Aurora... I'm not the same person that I used to be. That must be it."

Aurora didn't know how to respond just yet. Now probably wasn't the time to tell Elizabeth about the state that her hair was in. The hair that hadn't been ripped out by Aurora's violent brushing (though some had fallen out on its own due to stress and poor health), was now a frizzy mess. It looked worse than when Aurora had started brushing it. The maid could have sworn that Elizabeth had told her that Paula would brush the hair dry. There was no way that she could have been mistaken. Her mistress must have misspoke.

Elizabeth reached up to massage her aching scalp. She didn't need to see it to know that her hair was in an even worse state than it had been during her extended absence, all thanks to Aurora. At least the maid had washed the tresses and deloused her the other day.

"Good thing I don't have anything planned for today." Elizabeth sighed.

Panic suddenly surged through Aurora, though she kept her composure well. She had failed to inform Elizabeth that Ciel would be taking her out on a trip to the park in the afternoon.

Aurora cleared her throat as if doing so would clear away her inner panic, as well. "Lady Elizabeth, I regret to inform you that you do indeed have an item on your agenda for today. Lord Phantomhive will be taking you to the park this afternoon."

Elizabeth blinked at first, staring at her maid until she registered what had been said. Her face then contorted to express horror and confusion, and she let out a cry that echoed throughout at least half of the Midford Manor.

"I-I can't go out if I look the way I think I do!" The girl wailed. "Aurora, why didn't you say so sooner? We'll never be able to fix this in time! And if Mother or Ciel saw me like this, ohh.." Elizabeth felt faint just at the thought.

"Worry not, my lady," Aurora said suddenly, determination shining in her solferino eyes. "There is a way to fix this. I will make you presentable for Lord Phantomhive and all who see you!" That was the promise that Aurora made to Elizabeth just then. Was it because Aurora genuinely wanted to help her mistress, or was it so that no one would find out what she did to the girl's hair and question her abilities as a lady's maid? That was unclear.

Aurora dramatically swung open the doors of Elizabeth's armoire, searching until she found what she was looking for: A bonnet.

The maid selected the pink bonnet and its corresponding dress from the armoire, setting them both aside. The dress was one intended for winter, but the spring was still young, not yet too hot and Aurora figured that the winter dress would be beneficial for two reasons: The extra coverage would conceal Elizabeth's unsightly wounds and scratches while also assisting the frail girl in maintaining her body heat.

Aurora got Elizabeth dressed in the outfit, leaving the bonnet aside for now. She slipped a clean, crisp pair of white stockings up over Elizabeth's scratched and bruised legs. These particular stockings were made out of a light material and were intended for wear during the spring season.

Next, Aurora inspected Elizabeth's shoe collection. She spotted the winter boots that went with the outfit she had dressed the girl in but shook her head as she decided that they simply wouldn't do. Nearly all of the shoes that Elizabeth had, save for a few pairs, were low-heeled. Aurora found this unusual until she remembered what Elizabeth had said to her the last time the maid put her shoes on.

"Lady Elizabeth said that she used to prefer low-heeled shoes because of her fiancee. However, she also mentioned that she no longer views him as a fiancee and that it is no longer necessary to stick exclusively to low-heeled shoes in his presence. However... I worry about putting my lady in shoes with a considerable heel at a park that may have an uneven ground, especially while she is still so frail and her balance could be compromised."

Aurora's solferino eyes scanned the shoe collection. "Low-heeled shoes would be the safest option here, however... There aren't nearly enough low-heeled shoes that invoke spring while also going well with the outfit I have dressed the lady in. The most impressive spring shoes are the lavender ones, which go with the color and style of the dress. However, there is no other lavender on Lady Elizabeth's outfit, and without that additional lavender, the shoes will look rather out of place... I must improvise."

"Huh? You've chosen these shoes?" Elizabeth blinked in surprise as Aurora came over with them and began to secure them to the girl's feet.

"Worry not, my lady," Aurora reassured her, reaching for the hairbrush once more. "I apologize, but I must brush the rest of your hair so that it all looks the same. Only then can I style it properly. I will do my best to be gentle this time."

Aurora brushed out Elizabeth's hair until it was frizzy all around, and then proceeded to get to work styling the girl's hair in a way that would conceal the frizz while still looking cute. The maid arranged the tresses into two, big beautiful blonde braids.

"Now, then. For the finishing touches." Aurora retrieved a face cream and powder from Elizabeth's vanity station, applying them both to conceal the scratches on the girl's cheeks as well as the bags under her eyes from many sleepless nights. Just a tiny bit of cream was applied to Elizabeth's chapped lips in hopes that it would hydrate them and help them to heal.

Aurora placed the pink bonnet upon the girl's head, tying it gently under her chin before her eye caught something on the other side of the room.

Sitting on the lap of a teddy bear was a roll of lavender ribbon, just the thing that Aurora needed in order for the shoes to go with the girl's outfit.

Elizabeth was only a little bit surprised when a strand of ribbon was wrapped around her waist, then secured with a bow on the side. Aurora certainly had the right idea, adding more lavender to the look so that the shoes wouldn't seem so out of place.

Aurora tied a little bow out of the ribbon on either end of Elizabeth's braids to add a bit of cute flair to the look before stepping back to admire her work. "I do believe that the day has been saved." The maid told her with satisfaction. "Come now, my lady. Your breakfast will go cold soon if we don't hurry."

Elizabeth saw her reflection in her vanity mirror as Aurora ushered her out of the room. She smiled a bit. The braids weren't a style that she would normally choose, but they made her hair look presentable while being cute at the same time. Hopefully, Ciel wouldn't find this new look to be too strange.

Ciel's visible eye widened when he saw Elizabeth and her new hairstyle. "You look... Different." Was all he managed to say.

"I-Is it a good different?" Elizabeth asked anxiously.

Ciel's face went red as he panicked a bit, realizing that he may have made a mistake with his comment. "Ahh... Yes... Yes, of course it is." It really wasn't a bad look, just unexpected, and Ciel did not want to upset Elizabeth.

Sebastian chuckled a bit. Watching his master attempt to save the social situation before it got out of hand amused him. The young lord could handle business negotiations with people three times his age without a problem. But when it came to Lady Elizabeth, there was always an element of awkwardness.

"Shut it." Ciel said quickly to Sebastian, turning to lead Elizabeth back to his carriage.

Sebastian helped both Ciel and Elizabeth into the carriage gracefully. However, when it came time to help Aurora in, the butler turned to get into the carriage himself.

"Oh, Sebastian!" Elizabeth let out from where she was seated across from Ciel. "..Aurora will be coming with us!"

"Oh? My mistake. I forgot that she was here entirely." The butler lied to the blonde as he turned towards the fuming maid.

Aurora, sitting across from Sebastian in the carriage, gazed at the butler with distaste for the majority of the ride. Elizabeth noticed this. Was it because he had "forgotten" about her earlier, or was there another reason why Aurora was looking at Sebastian like that? Then Elizabeth caught Ciel's gaze. For how long had he been looking at her? Was he still worried about her? She averted her eyes and, playing with her right braid, made a decision. For his sake, and everyone else's, she would pretend as if she were fine. She would act like her old self. Or at least as best she could for as long as she could.

Maybe then, Ciel wouldn't press to uncover her secrets anymore. He already knew that underneath her gentle, cute-loving exterior, that she was a fierce swordswoman that would do anything to protect him. He hadn't gone out of his way to find that out, though.

But he couldn't find out about her contract with Aurora, or what had happened to her that caused her to change so drastically. Not just the unspeakable horrors of the disease, but everything else she had suffered through during her time on the run, as well.

Elizabeth had only revealed the tip of the iceberg surrounding her trauma when she spoke about the illness the night before. There were still so many things about it she hadn't said because there was just so much depth to it, and she did not want to drown in that deep water again. She did not want to think about it. Yet here she was, thinking about it, and the more she thought about it the more she could suddenly smell the sickness again, and she felt as though she might vomit.

Elizabeth was jostled out of her intrusive thoughts when the carriage suddenly came to a halt.

"It appears as though we've arrived." Sebastian informed everyone before opening the door of the carriage to reveal a beautiful little park that was vacant as far as other people went.

Elizabeth's emerald eyes widened with wonder as she took in the park. The bench underneath the black alder tree, the rabbits and squirrels frolicking across the grass, and the tiny pond in the center all gave the park character.

"What is this place?" Elizabeth let out, tempted to rub at her eyes with the back of her hands until she remembered that she was wearing cream and powder on her face.

"I've only discovered it recently myself," Ciel responded, almost smiling contently. "I find it to be rather serene, don't you?"

Elizabeth stared at Ciel for a moment before her eyes lit up with happiness. "Yes, yes I do!"

Sebastian helped Ciel out of the carriage first, followed by Elizabeth. When it came time to help Aurora out, he initially took her hand. He then let go of it and began to walk away, causing her to teeter over and fall flat on the ground.

"Oh, dear. Are you quite alright?" Sebastian asked, feigning concern as he glanced over his broad shoulder at her.

Aurora glared up at him angrily from the ground. "Why, you-" The word she wanted to use was "bastard", but if Ciel or Elizabeth were to overhear her say that, well... Aurora helped herself up and dusted herself off.

His walking stick in one hand, Ciel offered the other out to Elizabeth. She smiled softly and took his hand before being led over to the bench underneath the black alder tree.

A pair of squirrels scurried up the trunk of the tree as the two got closer. Ciel gestured for Elizabeth to sit down with a nod of his head, and the young lady did so. He subsequently seated himself beside her.

As their servants approached to attend to them, Elizabeth realized that she couldn't remember the last time that she was truly alone with Ciel. That was, without Sebastian hovering directly over them.

Elizabeth knew by now that there was no true privacy with Sebastian. He was always there even if you couldn't see him, in case his master needed him. Elizabeth started to wonder. How would Ciel act around her without Sebastian hovering right over them? Perhaps she would see a different side of him? Not only that, there were things Elizabeth was slowly working up the courage to talk to Ciel about. Not about her trauma or Aurora, but rather in regards to their engagement. She wanted to talk to Ciel one-on-one about it without their servants watching their every movement or hearing every word that escaped their lips. Suddenly, Elizabeth got an idea.

She would have to express the idea in such a way that was in character with her old, cutesy persona. If she were to express it any other way, it would raise suspicion.

Elizabeth gathered up bountiful energy and put on her best exuberant face before turning to her betrothed. "Oh, Ciel!" She let out, clasping her hands together. "I've just come up with a most wonderful idea!"

"Oh, and what is that?" Ciel responded. Was it his imagination, or did Elizabeth seem to be in a better mood than yesterday?

Elizabeth grinned and scooted closer to Ciel on the bench, "You and I may not be out on a tryst, but wouldn't it be simply adorable if Aurora and Sebastian were to go on one?"

All the background noise seemed to stop at that moment. The birds weren't chirping anymore, and the frogs in the pond stopped croaking. A small breeze passed by but no one moved a muscle for a spell.

"No. Absolutely not." Was what Ciel wanted to say. How utterly ridiculous that idea was! But.. It sounded like something that Elizabeth would say. Ciel thought back to the day before when his fiancee would barely look at him. Was she feeling better already?

"No." He realized. She wasn't feeling better. She was putting on an act. If what Elizabeth had gone through was so insignificant that she would be over it in a day, then she wouldn't have thrown her soul away to a demoness. Just what happened to Elizabeth?

"My lady." Sebastian's voice derailed Ciel's train of thought. "While it is so very kind of you to think of us, a butler's place is beside his master, as I'm sure you know. If I were to go out and court a lady for my own benefit, well... Then what kind of a butler would I be?"

Aurora could tell that Sebastian detested the idea of courting her as much as she did the idea of being courted by him. She didn't care much about the maid aesthetic except for keeping up appearances, but she would have to pretend as though she did in order to get out of this one. How could her mistress even suggest that she and Sebastian go out on a date together? Aurora didn't like being viewed as a toy, even though that's essentially what she was, and she knew that. Even if she had not taken on the role of a household servant, Aurora would be Elizabeth's toy for as long as their contract was in effect.

"..And a lady's maid should always be by her mistress' side." Aurora added, turning her nose up at the butler.

Ciel listened to how both servants responded. Neither of them liked Elizabeth's idea. Initially, Ciel didn't care for it, either. But then he realized that this would be a perfect opportunity to torment both demons.

"I think it's a splendid idea." The earl responded slyly.

Elizabeth squealed in delight. "Oh, this is going to be so adorable!"

"My lord.." Sebastian eyed his master with subtle distaste. "..Is that an order?"

"It is." Ciel smirked, causing panic to arise inside Aurora.

"My lady, surely you jest?" The demoness had a strong feeling that her mistress wasn't jesting at all. "Are you ordering me, as well?"

"Yes, yes I am!" Elizabeth grinned up at her maid, ignoring the subtle, dangerous look that Aurora was giving her. "I want you to have a wonderful time with dear Sebastian!"

Ciel suddenly flicked his wrist a few times, shooing the servants away. "Go on. Get out of our sight for the time being." He knew that although Sebastian would stay out of sight as ordered, that he would remain nearby just in case Ciel were to need him.

Sebastian put his hand to his chest, bowed, and responded "Yes, my young lord."