Chapter 5: Her Butler, Able: Part 2
Sebastian was not one for praising higher powers. For well...
Obvious reasons.
Yet if he where human he probably would have. After all it was nothing short of a miracle that even he could not believe he pulled off. As the carriage pulled up to the Phantomhive estate and slowed to a halt. Sebastian opened the door to the carriage and an older man with sandy blonde hair stepped out he was better known as Lord Klaus. The man gasped in amazement as he took in the once flora filled garden that had been delicately turned into a traditional Japanese stone garden. At the front of the house stood the other four servants bowing respectively to the man, welcoming him to the Phantomhive manor. They had already been gently reminded that this was an important meeting for the Lady of the house.
Sebastian elegantly explained that dinner would be taking place outside that night in the garden so their gust could take in the beauty, but until then he was welcome inside being led by Tanaka so the butler could have a quick word with the other three. Finny was amazed by the work that had been done. Simply happy that the ruined garden that Miss Ciel had loved could still be beautiful. Sebastian smiled assuring the three that of course they could do do such a task. They where servants to the Phantomhive house hold after all. "There is still work to be done. let us take care of it while the Lady of the house speaks with her guest. Look sharp now." All three quickly agreed given Sebastian a quick salute before going about their duties.
Deep inside Phantomhive manor Ciel and Lord Klaus sat across from each other. A board game sat placed on a table between them. The young Countess moved her piece two spaces. She pursed her lips as she realized where she landed on the bored. Only half listening to Lord Klaus as he went on his spill about his so called "progress" with the factory in East India. She sighed cutting him off. "Bewitched by the eyes of the dead. What terrible luck."
Lord Klaus paused. Taken aback by the girls strange words. "It I appears lose a turn." she hummed in displeasure. The Lord looked back at the board. He felt a since of relief when he realized she was merely talking about the game. The young countess placed her hands in her lap delicately. Looking at him expectedly. Her one good eye seemed to be studying him. Waiting for him to make his next move. While to some the look could be seen as innocent. Something about it unsettled him.
The Lord chuckled. A bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. "R-right Well with the the expansion of the compan-" Ciel huffed in annoyance. Leaning back in her chair. "Go on it's your turn." He eyes the game realizing that the girl was not going to let the business meeting go on until he took his turn at the game he had brought for her. It was a strange one. He had not realized just how dark the concept of the game was until he had laid out the board itself and took in the gory details of the pictures as the small girl read the instructions. He spun the silver top that would decide how many moves he would make. He moved five spaces as the top had shown. He tried to get back to their conversation asking her to contribute another large sum of money. Ciel once again cut him off.
"You lose a leg in the enchanted forest." Lord Klaus felt a twinge of annoyance. Could this girl not listen? He bit his tongue. He didn't need to make any comments to her after all he did need her money so best to stay on her good side for know. "It's also your turn again, I lost one remember? He spun the top once more.
Six.
"I believe I move six, correct."
Ciel stared at the board. Her gaze never leaving his game piece. "No, you don't." Her eyes met his. He could have sworn she was looking into his soul. "You lost a leg recall. You move three. You can only move have the number of spaces now" She whispered. He chuckled. Maybe he should not have brought such a dark game for the girl despite her request for it before their meeting. He could feel a heavy somberness in the room with each turn of the game. Perhaps the game was bringing up some unwanted memories. After all anyone who was somebody knew what happened to the Phantomhive family two years ago. He did try to lighten the mood. He wasn't a monster after all. "Is there no way I can get my leg back?" he joked hoping to get the little girl to smile.
Ciel began to twist the ring on her thumb. "I afraid not." She whispered. "Once something is truly lost sir, one can never get it back again." She looked back up at him. Snatching the game piece from his hand. Slamming it down on the third square from his previous place. She glared at the board. "Your body is burnt by raging flames." Her eyes looked up. The lord felt a sense of uneasiness overcome him. He felt like he wasn't looking at a small child anymore but something more menacing. That if he made one wrong move. She would have his head on a silver platter.
In the kitchen Baldroy dutifully cut the charred beef. Honestly he was quite surprised it was raw on the inside. He felt Sebastian's presence in the room before he even spoke a word. He looked back at the Butler. "Is this rally what you want? I'm not to sure the little lady can eat this raw?" Sebastian assured him it would be fine. After all when he had first brought Baldroy to the manor as a chief not to long after he had returned with Ciel. His little mistress had scarfed down the chefs awful cooking. Then again, back then the girl was practically a skeleton wrapped in flesh. If she could survive that there was no doubt in Sebastian's mind she could eat a traditional Japanese meal. He heard Mey-Rin running down the halls. Happily carrying the boxes of fragile plates and cups. As he had grown to expect the red head soon tripped over her feet. Almost dropping the boxes if he had been there to catch them. He soon realized that the reason why she seemed more clumsy than usual was due to the fact her glasses had become cracked. Sebastian carefully balanced the dish wear. "Splendid work everyone. Now you just need to leave the rest of it to me and relax for a bit but when dinner arrives. I need you all to do well and I mean very well when the time comes. Do I make myself clear."
The servants nodded. Knowing that if Sebastian said something twice. He always meant business.
Sebastian headed to the study. Night had fallen and it was finally time for dinner. As he opened the door to his Mistress's study it was clear Ciel and the Lord had been in the middle of a game. Ciel stood up gracefully as he had taught her to do. Alright then we will finish our game later good sir." Lord Klaus tried to argue but Ciel only smiled at him "I'm not one to leave a game unfinished." She chirped. The Lord felt a twinge of annoyance at the girls attitude. "Childish." He growled under his breath. The girl paused as she reached the doorway, tilting her head back to look at him. "I'm sorry, what did you say Lord Klaus." It wasn't a question but a dare fir him to repeat his words to her face. To anyone else her tone would seem almost innocent, but he knew better. The Phantomhive family had a certain reputation. Whether they be man ,woman.
Even a child.
The Lord realized that if he was going to try and and get more money out of her he needed to recover his insult.
Quickly.
He laughed, stumbling upon his words. "I-well. What I mean is that sometimes it takes a child's eyes to see what's really important. It's a true gift. Maybe that's what has made your families toy company the worlds foremost toy makers. Honestly you've given the worlds as true gift. You've certainly impressed me."
Ciel merely hummed and walked to the gardens her butler not far behind. As the two sat across each other Sebastian pulled a chair out for Ciel as he had done ever since that first night and took his place by Mey-Rin. Lord Klaus stared at the meal in front of him. It appeared to be nothing more than a pile of raw beef that had been layered and garnish to look more appealing. When he questioned the butler on it he simply smiled. Passionately explaining that the dish was traditional in Japan to honor people who had accomplished handwork. The Lord looked at the girl sat across from him. Calmly eating her own food. The Lord threw his hands in the air and laughed. What and expiring idea! I should expect no less from Phantomhive. Your family has always been known for it's legendary hospitality!" The young lady only smiled before she continued to eat as the butler and maid prepared to serve the wine. Ciel watched them from the corner of her eye. It was a site she had gotten rather familiar with through out the last couple of years. Mey-Ren was a woman of many talents but whenever Sebastian got to close or said something directly to her whether it be from praise to being scolded the woman turned to a blushing mess. Usually Ciel found it amusing but now it made her nervous. This night needed to be perfect she thought as her gaze returned to Lord Klaus who was now devouring his meal happily paying her or her servants no mind.
The moment she saw Sebastian lean over to whisper in May-Rin's ear to pour the wine Ciel had a feeling that Sebastian may have miscalculated as he returned by the Lady of the House's side. The red-head nervously grabbed the wine. Stumbling to their guest she went to pour the wine her hands shaking as tipped the bottle to fill the man's glass. Everyone could only watch in horror as she missed. Ciel felt her heart stop as she stared at deep red liquid.
The flow seemed to never stop. Threatening to spill over the alter like a vampiric waterfall
The pour of red wine grew. Staining the pure white tablecloth never to be pure again after this night forever stained. Tainted. She barley registered Sebastian grabbing hold of the table cloth. Quickly and gracefully pulling it from the table, not even causing a ripple from her own glass of water. The scent of the fruity wine stained on that cloth barley had time to register in her nose before Sebastian quickly folded up the cloth and placed it on the trolley that had held the bottle of expensive alcohol. Baldroy and Finny made a quick grab for Mel-Rin quickly pulling the flustered woman away from the guest just in time as the Lord placed his now empty bowl down before realizing the table cloth was gone. When he questioned where it had gone Ciel merely smiled as she took a bite from her dinner before speaking. "A speck of dirt. I'm afraid. It was improper so I had the cloth removed before it would cause us any distractions. Please think nothing of it." Sebastian bowed asking for the man to accept his apology and to enjoy the meal. The butler watched his mistress from the corner of his eye.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at how far she had come in only two years. He helped mold her into a proper lady that kept calm even when things went array. Far from the hysterical girl he had made his contract with. Just as she had helped with the allusion of a proper butler. Forever able to do what he was ordered by her. He truly was one hell of a butler.
As dinner came to a close the two returned to the Lady's study. At last, Klaus had hoped they can finish discussing their contract. Ciel only raised an eyebrow when he brought it up. "Before we can do that we must finish our game." She was quite blunt about her desire. Klaus soon realized that he was not going to get anywhere with this meeting anytime soon because of her childish wins. Maybe if he pressured her a little. He did have a pressing appointment after all. Ciel only spun the silver top. Moving her game piece a few spaces. "Children can be quite demanding about their games." She lifted her gaze from the board to him. "You wouldn't want me to be upset would you?" Lord Klaus starred nervously at the girl. It was an innocent statement. Yet something about it felt rather threatening. "Of course not. Perhaps you would permit to use your telephone?" Ciel allowed it.
Klaus felt like he couldn't leave the study fast enough nearly running into proper butler who had brought over a trolley of tea and sweets. As he walked down the hall he could hear the young lady's voice. It seemed to echo through the halls. Her voice forever calm but threatening.
"What it is this? It smells terribly weak? I don't like it all."
Deep down. Lord Klaus had sense of dread that it wasn't the tea she was talking about.
At long last he found the telephone. He quickly picked up the rotary phone. He quickly placed his finger in the holes of the numbers he needed, rotating the dial clockwise for each number. Once he finished he prayed for his people on the other end to pick up. He felt a sense of realize when they finally picked up. He needed to get out of here. He was tired of babysitting the young countess. He had long since fulfilled his part of deal selling off the toy factory India pocketing the cash. Firing the employees hired in the Indian factory not caring what happened to them. He had thought he could string out a few extra grand from the child but the longer he stayed in that house the more unease he felt. felt as if something was watching him. He nervously looked over his shoulder but saw no one but he still could not shake the feeling. The room felt colder. He felt as if he was going crazy. The countess was only a child. A little girl with too much power at her finger tips and didn't know what to do with it.
Yet the longer he stayed in the estate. The little girl's one good eye looking at him, her butler not ever leaving her side unless she explicitly ordered him to. He felt as if there was something more going on. Something more was going. The estate itself spooked him. Forever haunted by its past. He truly felt as if something more sinister was at play. That the countess was much more that a little girl. Yes she was a child with too much power in her hands, but she clearly knew exactly what to do with it. That thought alone scared him the most.
As he bid his farewell's he passed by the portrait of the Phantomhive family. He glanced at the image of the girl. She had looked so happy in the painting. Holding a boy hand that looked identical to her. When he thought of who she was now. It was clear that the little girl in the portrait had long since perished dying with her family. What remained was an illusion. Yes she was proper lady of the house of Phantomhive nut something in her was always calculating. Watching like a guard dog would an in intruder. His eyes landed on the image of the father. As he looked at the painting of the long dead man's eyes his blood ran cold. The girls voice ringing in his mind. "Bewitched by the eyes of the dead." As the memory played he could have sworn the image of Vincent Phantomhive turned to him. Glaring at him. Judging him for his misdeeds for what he had done to his company behind his daughters back.
As he made his way back to the hall he opened the door to the girl's study.
Only to find nothing more than a pool table. He opened another door. A still room with a collection of weapons. Another. A child's nursery designed for two.
With each door he opened he could have sworn that the first door he had opened should have been to the girl's study. Yet it was if the rooms had been shuffled like a stack of cards. As he continued to walk down the hall opening random doors he felt as if the motor had become a giant maze. He passed more painting of the ancestors of Phantomhive. One portrait of a woman who looked like an older version of the current head of the house with a beautiful man with silver hair and almost inhumanly green eyes seemed to watch him. he gulped and began to walk faster.
Bewitched by the eyes of the dead.
He heard a creak. Making the Lord pause. He turned and saw a man. Walking to him. He felt panic rise in his chest as he met the face of Vincent Phantomhive approaching him. He screamed in terror running down the halls. As he run to the stairwell he felt himself losing his balance and tripped down the stairwell.
You lose one turn.
He screamed in agony. Clutching his leg. He heard a voices. As he opened his eyes he saw the face of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive staring at him.
He couldn't feel his right leg.
Now you lose one leg in the enchanted forest. Ciel's voice almost seemed to whisper in his ear. He needed to get away. e heard voices calling out for him, but he needed to get away. Voices begging him to stay to come back. No he would not listen. He needed to get away. He crawled away from the voices, they chose not to follow. As he crawled away he heard the soft click of shoes approach him. Slowly he lifted his gaze from the floor to see a pair of neatly pressed trousers as his gaze continued upward he felt his stomach drop as he was met with the eyes of the girl's Buttler. He swore his eyes had gone from a deep brown to a blood red. The butler leaned down and smiled. His grin seemed to sharp as he spoke. "Surely you're not leaving the manor just yet sir?"
Klaus stumbled back, desperately trying to crawl away from the "man". The butler tilted his head a false sense of concern in his voice. "After all. We haven't given you full Phantomhive treatment yet. We still must serve dessert. My mistress has been looking forward to something sweet all day after all. It would be quite rude of you stay." The man felt himself cower at the butler's gaze. That ever present smile on his face. Lord Klaus tried to crawl away but the butler only chuckled. "You've lost a leg remember. Now you can only move half the number of spaces. So why don't you relax a bit and make yourself at home." the butler purred. His voice sounding something more than human as he crawled away still hearing the echo of the other's footsteps, growing louder with each step until they are right below Kuro's line of vision. He gulps.
Lord Klaus pushed open a door quickly shutting it before the butler reached him, as he finally caught his breath. He swore under his breath. The air felt thick he heard the butlers footsteps slowly approaching. He backed away from the door finding himself with his back up against a wall far too quickly. He wasn't in a room. He realized. He thought for a second it was a small pantry realizing that his hands were sticky with sugar. Suddenly the small area felt warm. The smell of baking sugar and glaze filled his nose.
He realized in dawning horror he was not in a pantry as he heard a metallic hinge slide open the butlers eyes seemed to glow a ruby red as he stared at him. What ab impotent guest we have. You couldn't even restrain yourself until desert was out of the oven."
Sebastian grinned as he watched the human in panic realizing that the oven was slowly heating up, begging to be let out as he tried to pry the sealed over door open. He basked I the man's fear. Wondering aloud if he should bake the man into one of London's deserts that envelope meat, but his dear mistress had no taste for meat pies, preferring things on the more sugary side like chocolates and strawberries. He slid the little opening closed allowing himself to reveal in the man's screams for a little bit longer. Sadly the lady of the house did not wish for him to perish at his hands. Merely wanting to send a message to those who would cross her. She felt death would be too kind for him after learning that he had sold her toy factory behind her back. Putting many families in India without work. The paperwork had been simply ghastly if he recalled. The little Lady had been desperately trying to find the families that worked for her families company in India making sure they had a secure job before the week was out. She had even sent each family a sum of money to make up for lost wages and distress they might have been in at the sudden loss of their income.
Despite coming off cold to mist there was no doubt in the demon's mind that the Countess of Phantomhive had a heart tree times too large for her little body. It was such a shame she was damned. He chuckled to himself thinking of the girls soul. So broken yet still whole.
Just outside the manor. Chef Baldroy stoked the flames to the oven as he had been ordered. If he heard a cry of anguish. He ignored. After all the estate had its fair share of wild animals both from the woods and out of the country. Finny simply choosing to happily sing a song as he gathered the wood for the fire. The younger smiled, dropping the wood to wave at Sebastian. Baldroy giving him a nod hoping deep down the "man" still wasn't upset about his screwup with the beef earlier. The butler approached them with a tray in hand. Holding a kettle with two cups and two slices of lemon meringue pie. His smile no longer seemed cold. In fact the man seemed to quite happy. Thanking them for their hard work and offering them the pie. The two blondes felt like they would cry. Thanking the butler profusely. As Sebastian turned to leave he gave Baldroy one last look. Informing him the oven would need to be cleaned and telling Finny that the Lady of the house had changed her mind about removing the painting of her family. Something she had asked the butler to take care of then she had summoned him earlier. The boy had been in process of moving the painting. Thankfully he had not gone to far with it because Sebastian had ordered him to gather firewood for the oven. The boy smiled saying he would take of it before he went to bed that night.
Baldroy sighed. He had just had the damn oven cleaned last week. Sometimes he wished Sebastian would take out the filth in a less dramatic way at times Preferably one that didn't Gove him anymore work to do as he watched a familiar guest whimper and crawl about on the road just a few miles away from the estate. The chef looked up spotting the Countess watching from her window. A childlike smile on her face as she giggled at the "guests" pain.
Ciel sat back in her chair. Taking out a letter she had received a week ago. Informing her of what had happened to the factory in India. The elegant writing going into detail about what had happened. Wondering if she had known about it and is anything could be down for the workers. Before the ended the letter, informing her that he would be coming to England soon and that he could not wait to finally see her with his own eyes. Ciel rolled her eyes a small smile on her face before placing the letter in a box with all the others he had sent her through out the last two year before letting herself retire for the night.
Sebastian walked the halls of Phantomhive manor. Taking in the painting of the dead. His landing on the girl in the painting before looking into the family room. He could feel the ghost of the past in the walls. A a small boy playing on the carpet as his parents watched them happily. Sebastian sighed. Seeing the fleeting image of the now current head of Phantomive running to her family. Before she could reach the, the demon snapped his fingers. The ghost of the past disappearing instantly. All that was let was the ghost of a girl. Crying out for her family .Only for them never to return.
After all.
Once something is truly lost.
There is not getting it back.