Welcome back everyone! I hope that you have all been doing okay and taking care of yourselves. For once it's not taken me nearly a year to update! Yippee! But again, it still would have been released sooner if it wasn't for the fact that I caught COVID… again! Despite the fact that I'm a hermit and hardly ever leave the house.

Thank you so much for all of your kind comments and feedback! I really do appreciate it! I'm glad that so many of you also enjoy my little history notes at the bottom of chapters. I didn't think anyone would be that interested, it's just the history nerd in me has to include them to provide more context. Also, has everyone been enjoying the new anime season? It's nice to see this series getting some love again after all these years.

11: The Earl of Phantomhive

The feather felt like it weighed as much as a block of metal within Flora's pocket. She barely paid any attention to the butler who was rummaging around in a wardrobe positioned off to the side of the room. The memories of the feather slicing through that man's flesh were still loud and clear in her mind. At the time, she had acted on pure instinct alone. Could a feather even be that sharp? Flora had almost completely forgotten that she had kept it in her pocket. But at that moment, it was her safety. Her one form of protection. Her last resort.

Flora cringed before blinking rapidly to remove the visions of blood. Despite having had a warm bath and being clothed in a new, fresh chemise, shivers still travelled down her spine. She peaked around the screen and narrowed her eyes as she witnessed the butler pull a variety of fabrics from within the wardrobe before closing the doors behind him. In the brief moment Flora could catch a glimpse of the inside, the whole thing had appeared to be empty. But… why had it taken so long for Sebastian to rummage around in there? Surely, nobody would keep just one outfit in one wardrobe?

Alas, she barely had time to ponder the situation before she felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. Flora shivered again, but decided against making a fuss as her mind flashed back to her and Mey-Rin taking a tumble in the bath. Perhaps the sooner she co-operated, the sooner she would learn what exactly the earl and his butler wanted with her. Did the earl make a habit of pitying poor people and taking them in? Flora very much doubted it. They wanted something from her, like they had from the very beginning.

Sebastian's hand guided her towards a very fancy looking dressing table before indicating for her to sit on the comfy looking cushioned stool. A bowl of water was placed on the table along with an assortment of bottles and powders, many of which Flora had never seen before. She couldn't help but stare at them curiously.

"Now then," Sebastian declared, pulling the bowl of water towards them. His whole frame completely leaned over her small one, making her feel like a cornered mouse in front of a starving cat. "Please place your hands in this bowl."

Flora frowned, but did as she was told. The water was cooler than the bath water, but not unpleasantly cold. She looked back up at the butler to watch as he grabbed a comb and began pulling it through her knotted hair. His fingers weaved through the blonde locks, and his cheeks were tinted pink again as he appeared to be lost in his own little world.

This butler truly was an enigma to Flora. So deadly one moment, yet so caring the next. Again, she couldn't help wondering why he would go to all of this trouble on her behalf. Did he not have an earl to serve? Granted, Mey-Rin seemed clumsy, but surely even she could manage to see to her hair? On that note, she again found herself confused as to why she was being treated so kindly. They did not need to clothe her and feed her. Right now, Flora should be out on the streets again now that… now that John is gone… In fact, Flora should be dead!

"Such an adorable little confused face." Sebastian chuckled to himself, breaking Flora from her reverie.

She frowned at him through the reflection in the mirror. However, his maroon eyes only gazed back at her in amusement. He continued combing through her hair as they stared at each other, waiting to see who would break first. Ice blue against the dark fires of hell. The more Sebastian appeared amused, the angrier Flora could feel herself becoming, so she relented and looked back down at her hands in the water. They had never looked so clean. They had never not been stained by coal.

Risking a glance back up again, she saw that Sebastian had gone back to concentrating on her hair which now fell in long waves down her back and to her waist. He had expertly managed to untangle all of the knots, and Flora barely even recognised herself in the mirror. Her hair was gradually drying and lightening back to the straw colour it had always been beneath the dirt and grime. The butler split her hair down the middle and began to re-tie her usual plaits.

Once he was finished, Sebastian leaned further over her to pull her hands from the water and inspect them. A gloved thumb brushed over her grey-ish nails, and Flora's eyes glanced up just in time to catch the faintest flicker of a smirk before his face became neutral again.

Despite her nervousness, Flora couldn't help but watch with fascination as Sebastian grabbed a file and began running it across her nails until they were nice and even. Flora then became even more confused as he grabbed a slice of lemon, also running that over the top of her nails before squeezing some of the juice onto his fingers and rubbing it into her face. The blonde girl tried to pull away, but the butler's other hand grabbed her chin to hold her in place. What on earth was he doing? She had felt clean, but now she just felt sticky. The juice tingled against her skin, and she licked her lips only to accidentally lap up some of the juice, making her entire face squeeze in on itself.

The butler laughed at this, and she finally managed to shake herself free of his grip as he placed the lemon down.

"It is good for your skin, my dear," Sebastian explained, a rogue chuckle still escaping him.

Flora rolled her eyes. Rich people. Why eat something you can just rub on your skin?

Everyone Flora knew would be lucky to even see a fresh lemon. The extent of her fruit consumption would be the odd apple or orange that she could steal from a market stall. However, it was nice to have free apples from the trees in the park when they were in season. And yet rich people washed themselves with fruit. Flora would be more angry if she knew it changed anything. It really must be nice to be born into the upper classes where they never had to feel true hunger. Flora's own stomach twisted at the thought, but there was nothing left for her to throw up.

Sebastian then reached for some powder and a puff before dabbing it all over her exposed skin. It tickled her nose, and Flora sneezed. Again, Sebastian seemed to find this nothing more than amusing. But it did help unblock her nose slightly to the point where Flora could now somewhat better smell things again. The powder actually didn't smell too bad. But it did make her skin feel weird, on top of the lemon juice that had already been squeezed onto her. Was she to be some sort of cake?

The butler grabbed another strange potion from the table and this time dabbed it onto her wrists and behind her ears, making Flora feel ticklish. What was all this? The strange oil did smell nice, though. While the butler was putting everything away, Flora brought her wrist up to her nose and took a small whiff. It was very pleasant, but not overpowering like she imagined. There was a certain floral freshness to it. It brought back happy memories with her mother, and she could almost feel her mouth twitch into a smile.

Suddenly, Flora gasped as she felt something grab hold of her legs. She looked down and tried to kick the butler who was busy pulling white stockings up her legs. He managed to hold her in place though, and the blonde girl's face burned a bright red. Were all butlers this scandalous? She wanted to scream at him to get off her, but as usual, the words became stuck in her throat. The invisible barrier clamped shut, while Sebastian remained unperturbed by her kicking and thrashing.

"My lady, I am merely putting your stockings on," Sebastian sighed out, his eyes remaining closed as he tied the ribbons just above her knees.

Once he was done, Flora quickly pulled her chemise down again, glaring daggers at the butler. He opened his eyes again, and, of course, they held nothing but amusement. Was she nothing more than a laughing stock to this man? Did he enjoy destroying her dignity? Flora was always taught that men were not supposed to see a lady's legs, or anything else for that matter. Such a sight was for a husband only. Surely, a butler of a high ranking noble would know that? Then again, she was just a poor girl. It probably mattered little. She saw it all the time on the streets. Men would rip the dresses from ladies and touch them in places Flora was pretty sure were not supposed to be touched. Men were in charge and women had to do what they were told, even if it made them uncomfortable.

Sebastian seemed to frown at her for a second, before he raised her chin with his finger so that he could look her in the eye.

"I do not take this task lightly, my flower," he explained. "I am only doing this because our maid is useless and I do not trust the hands of anybody else with you. You are too precious," he lowly mumbled that last part to a point where Flora wasn't even sure if she had heard him correctly.

But she was soon distracted by the butler slipping some shoes onto her feet, and she watched as he fiddled with the buttons. Sebastian was such a strange man. She was then caught off guard when he smiled up at her with his eyes closed after he was finished.

"Now, please stand, my lady," he requested, standing up himself.

Flora did as she was told, and a corset seemed to appear out of nowhere as it was wrapped around her. She raised her arms instinctively, her eyes drifting down to admire the fine stitching of the fabric and pretty patterns that adorned it. This corset felt more firmer and of higher quality than the typical one she wore. For one thing, it felt like this one would hold itself in place unlike her old one which always loosened itself.

"Excuse me," Sebastian stated formally as he pulled it so it raised her almost non-existent bosom.

There wasn't much of her body to tone as Sebastian pulled everything into place and began tying the laces at the back. Flora was starting to feel a bit more modest already. She couldn't believe she had allowed herself to get into this situation. With a sigh, she realised that she would have to keep her mouth shut about this. Sebastian had even threatened the maid earlier. She had caught a glimpse of what this strange butler could do, and she knew she would have to be really careful about crossing him. He appeared to have shown an endless amount of patience with her so far, but nothing was infinite.

Once her corset was fully in place, Sebastian tied her padding over it, making Flora feel like a sofa cushion. The padding alone looked like it cost more than her entire previous dress combined! Also, where had Sebastian gotten all of this stuff? Were other aristocratic ladies living here? They probably wouldn't be too happy with the idea of a poor girl using all of their expensive clothing items. Flora was not worthy of these things. She felt like her very skin might taint them from just simply brushing up against them.

Sebastian then stood back and grabbed a petticoat before throwing it over her head. The girl slipped her arms through, and before she knew it, he was throwing another one over her, and another, and another, and another. Poor Flora could barely keep up.

Next came the underskirt, the overskirt, and the shirt piece. Sebastian easily tied it all in place before standing back to admire his handiwork. Flora, meanwhile, couldn't help but lock eyes with herself in the mirror. She looked like a completely different person. She still looked ill and exhausted, but it was amazing what a difference being clean and having a change of clothes could make.

The dress was of a faded dark blue tartan pattern that complemented her eyes and hair colour. She looked like a true lady. Her skin now had no hints of dirt or soot, and her hair was shiny and tidy. Everything had been untangled and each individual plait was pristine. No one would be able to guess that just a few days again, Flora had been just a poor girl living in the slums of London.

Sebastian stepped up behind her, a smirk present on his face again. He slowly leaned down to whisper in her ear, "A true lady worth her salt."

Flora shivered as Sebastian stepped back with a chuckle, adding, "Just as you should be."

Flora twisted slightly so that she could see more of herself. The dress was very warm and comfortable, much warmer than the rag of a dress she usually wore. The blonde girl almost didn't want to move from that spot in fear of spoiling it. For the first time in her life, Flora almost felt pretty. Like she could stroll down a street without a care in the world. She imagined her mother and John at either side of her, both also dressed in their best, with their bellies full of food and content smiles on their faces. An upper class family with no worries or concerns. The three of them could be happy together. Her mother wouldn't have to prostitute herself, and John could have been the head of his own successful business. Maybe her mother could have even been swollen with-child; a little brother or sister that Flora could dote on. They would be a proper family.

But these images faded into the back of the mirror, waltzing off without her, never to be experienced. Her blue eyes saddened, and she looked down at the dressing table instead.

"My lady?"

Flora's eyes met Sebastian's once again in the reflection. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as one hand rested upon his chest over where his heart would be. His other hand reached forward, and just before he could place it on the girl's shoulder, he visibly cringed before glaring in the direction of the door. The back of Flora's hand burned slightly, and she unconsciously rubbed it against her dress to ease the small pain. Her eyes widened before she flinched backwards at the almost murderous expression the butler held. But just as soon as it appeared, it was gone again. He turned back towards her, expression now polite, and held out his arm for her to link her own through.

"Shall we pay the young master a visit?" he spoke cordially once again.

Did she even have a choice? Flora thought to herself. But at least maybe now she will finally get some answers.

With a small sigh, she tentatively wrapped her arm around the butler's, grateful for his support once she realised just how weak her legs were still feeling as they began to walk. The two of them walked at a slow pace, passing many windows on their route from the bedroom to wherever the earl had wanted to meet with them. Once again, Flora was reminded of just how small she was compared to Sebastian, especially as she shyly drew in on herself. However, she did her best to ignore him and instead gazed out of the windows.

Icy eyes scanned the snowy landscape outside. This neighbourhood was obviously on the more rich side of London, and Flora was pretty sure she had never been this far west into the city before. The house was a decent distance away from the street, sealed away by a tall metal gate that no doubt wrapped around the entire estate. If there was a garden, it was difficult to tell under the layers of snow. The odd carriage would drive past, leaving dirty tracks in the middle of the road, and every now and then, a well dressed couple would walk by. The sky remained grey, but the snow had ceased. A smog still hung in the air, but it was nowhere near as bad as what Flora was used to in the slums. This house was probably the size of her entire street.

Despite the cold outside, the inside of the building was warm. It didn't feel like a home, though. Everything was quiet and so tidy that it looked like things were never touched in this place. It felt soulless, despite the expensive looking décor. Each door they passed was closed, making the hallway feel endless. Wallpapers of such bold and vibrant colours were beginning to give Flora a headache.

Finally, the two of them stopped outside a more grand looking set of double doors that Flora was somewhat familiar with since the last time she was here. It was just strange now seeing everything during the daytime. At the memories, Flora's chest began to clench tightly, and she took an unconscious step backwards, before being brought forward by the butler once again.

"It's alright," he whispered, giving her hand that was linked around his arm a reassuring pat before reaching forward to open the door.

Flora attempted to hide behind Sebastian, but he gently pushed her forward as he closed the door behind the both of them. The click echoed within the girl's mind, and her wide eyes stared down at the boy sitting behind the desk before her. His thin fingers were curled under his chin, supporting his head as he leaned forward. Papers were strewn about his desk, as well as a few small toys. The light from the window streamed in behind him, creating a halo effect. However, this also hid most of his facial expression in the shadows, making him all the more intimidating. How could a little boy appear so harsh?

"Miss Byrne." Ciel nodded at her in greeting.

Unsure of what to do, Flora's eyes darted between the earl and his butler, both of them looking at her in return. Sebastian bowed with one hand over his chest and the other behind his back. Deciding on the best course of action, Flora did her best to curtsy. She knew she probably wasn't doing it right, and her ankles wobbled under the added pressure, but she managed to maintain her balance. Ciel was an earl: one of the highest ranks of nobility. If she didn't show sufficient enough respect, she could be punished.

"Please, have a seat." The boy's tone was polite, but his words were not a request.

Chewing on her lower lip, Flora sat down in the seat provided in front of the desk. She always made sure not to look the earl in the eye. Her heart was still beating erratically, made all the more worse when the butler stood at the side of the desk between the two of them. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't exactly say anything…

"I trust that you are feeling much better than previous days?" Ciel began the conversation.

Flora gave one unsure nod, becoming momentarily distracted when Sebastian reached for a cart that was behind him and began pouring a cup of tea.

"Good," Ciel replied, earning her attention again. He took a sip from his cup once it was given to him. "I am sure my bed linens will be glad of this fact as well."

Flora felt her face grow hot as a blurry memory surfaced of her projectile vomiting all over something.

Sebastian placed a cup down in front of her, before leaning to whisper in her ear. "Sip it slowly." He then stood back in position.

Flora stared down at the brown liquid in a cup. So this was tea? She had always wanted to try it, but… her stomach churned slightly. She wasn't sure if she was ready for anything to go past her mouth again. Since her bath and moving around a bit more, she could feel herself growing stronger and better than she was before, but she didn't dare chance it just yet. The earl already seemed very annoyed with her.

"I am glad my butler has been able to take care of you," Ciel continued. "At least the smell has gone away."

The blonde girl frowned in offence before subtly lowering her face to sniff one of her braids. All she could smell was the soap and oils that Sebastian had applied to her. She hadn't smelled beforehand, had she?

Speaking of the butler, she heard him sigh before murmuring down to the earl, "Manners, young master."

Ciel huffed, placing his teacup down and becoming more business-like. "I apologise for being unable to come and explain things to you sooner, but I have been rather busy."

Flora shot him a confused look.

"Not to mention you have been quite indisposed yourself. A rather brave and foolish feat you achieved a few days ago, Miss Byrne. Not many would have had the courage to face the enemies you did that night. I must say, I am quite impressed." He smirked at her.

All Flora could do was blink in response.

"But that sort of foolishness can also get you killed, and I would rather not lose my new designer so quickly and on such short notice," the earl continued.

What?

What on earth was the boy talking about? Flora tilted her head to the side.

"You did not think you would be staying here free of charge, of course?" Ciel chuckled. "I must say I was mildly impressed with the work you accomplished with the late Mister Swindon."

Flora jolted at the mention of his name, her eyes beginning to burn.

"A talent like that should not go to waste," the earl explained. "From now on your apprenticeship will transfer over to me; in exchange for your board, you will produce new designs for the Funtom Corporation. All necessities will be provided for, and you will have every Sunday off to do as you please. My estate is now your home, and if you need anything, simply refer to Sebastian or any of the other servants."

Flora felt sick. In an effort to distract herself, she reached down for her teacup and brought it to her lips. She took a small sip, just like Sebastian had suggested, only to choke immediately due to the heat. The liquid burned her tongue, and Flora choked even more. Tea sprayed in front of her, landing on the desk and ruining some of the papers. Flora froze in shock and horror while Ciel merely closed his eyes with a loud sigh.

"I trust that we have a deal?" he spoke through clenched teeth.

Within seconds, Sebastian had wiped the desk clean with a cloth he had seemingly pulled out of nowhere. Flora meanwhile shrunk as far back as she could, wishing that the ground would swallow her up. Ciel held up a tea-stained piece of paper with an annoyed raised eyebrow before throwing it aside, reaching into his desk drawer, and grabbing what looked like a fresh copy. He then grabbed a pen and scribbled on the bottom before pushing the paper and pen towards herself.

All Flora could do was stare at it blankly.

"Well?" Ciel grumpily crossed his arms over his chest. "Aren't you going to sign it?"

Flora picked up the pen and stared at it. Icy eyes then glanced down at the sheet of paper covered in scribbles. Sign itㅡummㅡyes. That's what she needed to do. She looked towards where Ciel had scribbled and furrowed her eyebrows. She remembered the way he had run his pen across the paper and tried to do it the same way. A scribble similar to Ciel's appeared on the paper, and the earl then reached forward to take it back. Without even looking, he placed the paper back in the drawer.

"There was something else that I wished to discuss with you."

The blonde girl peered up at him to show that she was listening.

"That box. Were you aware of what was inside it?"

Sebastian chuckled, and Ciel shot him a glare in return.

Flora, however, shrugged her shoulders while nodding her head, hoping to get the message across.

Ciel frowned at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Taking a deep breath, Flora held her hand out towards the pen that Ciel had taken off her. He handed it back, and watched as Flora also grabbed a blank piece of paper and began to draw. She hated picturing the thing, but maybe it would quench what was obviously a burning curiosity Ciel was experiencing. It didn't take long as there was not much detail to add. Once finished, she passed the piece of paper back towards Ciel, who frowned down at it.

"Sebastian?" He turned to his butler.

The butler peered down at the drawing with mild interest. "A dagger, perhaps?"

Growing frustrated, Flora stood up and wobbled her way towards the window before tapping on the glass with her fingers. She wanted to tell them so desperately, but the invisible gates had clamped shut in her throat again.

Ciel looked annoyed again, but something seemed to click with the butler.

"A piece of glass?"

Flora nodded.

Sebastian placed a hand on his chin as Ciel turned towards him in confusion.

"A piece of glass?" he repeated in disbelief. "What is the meaning of this nonsense?"

"A fallen star… a piece of glass…" Sebastian began to frown, his eyes darkening. "It couldn't be…"

"I beg your pardon?"

Sebastian snapped out of his thoughts with a close-eyed smile. "Nothing to worry about, my lord. Just mindless speculation; an impossibility."

Ciel tutted and rolled his eyes, crossing one leg over another while he sulked. "I find it rather hard to believe that a priceless royal artefact was just a piece of glass. This has been a complete waste of my time."

"Alas, if the queen says 'jump' the dog must ask 'how high?'" Sebastian smirked.

"Shut it, you," Ciel snapped.

All Flora could do was blink at the two of them. They had a rather strange relationship for a butler and a noble. And these were the people that she would now be working for. She almost stumbled backwards at the thought if it wasn't for Sebastian appearing behind her in the blink of an eye to catch her.

Ciel paid no attention to this as he tried to continue their previous conversation. "And you have no idea where it might be now?"

Flora held a hand to her head as she shook it.

"My lord," Sebastian begged, "the young lady needs her rest."

"Yes, yes, of course." Ciel waved a hand dismissively at them, however, something seemed to suddenly occur to him before he addressed Flora once again. "By the way, I have made arrangements for Mister Swindon's funeral tomorrow; I understand that you would like to attend?"

Flora's eyes teared up as she nodded.

"Good. We will take you there tomorrow morning, and we'll take you back to your old house in order to collect any belongings you wish to take with you. We will be heading straight back for my main estate in the country afterwards, do I make myself clear?"

Again, Flora nodded.

In response, Ciel dealt her a harsh glare. His blue eyes became as hard as steel.

"I will not tolerate this unwillingness to talk for a prolonged period of time, Miss Byrne."

Said girl shivered in fear.

"You can talk. We know that you can talk," Ciel stated. "Sebastian, this is an order: make sure our new employee gets over her fear of speaking. Am I clear?"

Sebastian let go of Flora momentarily so that he could bow. "Perfectly, my young lord."

If there's more errors than normal, I really do apologise, but I'm still recovering from being sick. That, and I wanted to get this chapter out before something else happened lol. Hopefully I won't have to split the next chapter like I did with this one. As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts as it's always greatly appreciated. In the meantime, take care of yourselves!

History Notes:

Corsets: I'm going to say something pretty radical here… corsets were not the torture devices as often depicted. I'm being completely serious. When worn properly, corsets were actually pretty comfortable and were essential for maintaining posture, form, and carrying the weight of layers of clothing. Corsets were worn by women of all social classes. Poorer women wore simple fabric ones, while richer women's corsets could be made from metal or animal bones with fabric woven over the top. The issue with corsets only began when women wanted to follow ridiculous fashion trends. It's comparable to women following silly trends in today's age, for example, the 'Kylie Jenner lip challenge' from a few years ago. It was indeed the trend at the time for a woman to have a slim waist while the rest of the body was desired to be plump. So yes, some women did indeed take it to extremes, rendering themselves unable to breathe properly, as well as damaging internal organs with how tightly they would have their corsets laced. They were aware of a lot of the dangers, but just like a lot of people who follow dangerous trends in today's age, they didn't care, as the perfect, ideal body was more important to them. And if a woman had had many children and a weakened pelvic floor, well, let's just say innards had a tendency to 'slip out' if you know what I mean. This was, however, the extreme and not the norm as most people believe.

Clothing and Beauty: All of the clothing items and beauty routine depicted in this chapter are all examples of what a typical upper class lady would use during this time period. Hand care and skin care were important parts of a daily routine, and yes, ladies would commonly use lemon juice. The powder Flora uses acts as a deodorant, and essential oils were often used as perfumes. These would often be bergamot, rosemary, or a variety of other scents. Many layers of clothing were worn for warmth and modesty. There were often many different parts to dresses and they did not come in one piece like they appear. Underwear did not exist as we know it today. Drawers were just coming in during this period, which are the very early version of panties/knickers. These would not be removed when using the bathroom, and instead, a slit was designed between the legs in order for ladies to do their business without having to worry about lifting or removing her many layers of skirts. The corset acted as the early version of the bra.

Women's' Rights: As Flora mentioned in this chapter (and I'm sure most of you already know), women did not have a lot of rights in Victorian Britain. Women could not vote, work in politics (which is ironic considering the queen was female), and had little say in their lives. A man was entitled to beat his wife as long as the instrument used to do so was no larger than his thumb, and marital rape was not illegal. A lot of the time, harming a woman was seen as property damage rather than, y'know, an actual human being being hurt. Women were indeed seen as the homemaker, expected to look after the house and the children. However, this is obviously a very black and white, upper class view on things. Obviously there are many examples of women who did not fit this mould, held positions of power, and made huge differences in the world, such as Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, Queen Victoria, Princesses Victoria, Louise, Helena, Alice, and Beatrice, as well as Emmeline Pankhurst, the Bronte sisters, and Ada Lovelace just to name but a few. Just because this was the typical view at the time, it didn't mean it was in fact always the reality. Plenty of working class women also went out to work in labour intensive jobs. They might not have had a lot of rights on the surface, but they were always there, fighting and succeeding despite everything.

Nobility Ranks: The social class system was very important during Victorian era Britain, and I know that all of the titles can be pretty confusing. But I've hopefully laid it out in a way that's understandable, but will be more English centric due to that being Black Butler's setting:
Reigning monarch - Was at the top of the pyramid. This was the king or queen and acted as head of the state. At the time of Black Butler, this was Queen Victoria.
Royal consort - This was the spouse of the reigning monarch. They were the ones who often acted as regent and ran the country if the reigning monarch was away for any reason. At the time of Black Butler, there was no active royal consort since Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, had died in 1861.
Prince/Princess of Wales - This was the title given to the reigning monarch's eldest son. If there was no son, this title was then given to the eldest daughter. At the time of Black Butler, this was Prince Albert Edward, or "Bertie".
Princess Royal - Was the title of the eldest daughter of the reigning monarch. At the time of Black Butler, this was Empress Victoria of Germany.
Prince - A son or direct descendant of the reigning monarch.
Princess - A daughter or direct descendant of the reigning monarch.
Duke/Duchess - The highest peerage rank, usually made up of descendants and relatives of the royal family.
Marquess/Marchioness - The second highest peerage rank and the rarest in England. Often ran the estates of border territories between the kingdoms within the UK. This is the position that Alexis and Francis Midford hold in Black Butler.
Earl/Countess - The third highest peerage rank. This is what Ciel is. The oldest nobility title in England and they help run the estates of the crown.
Viscount/Viscountess - The fourth peerage rank. Usually assisted in the works and estates of counts/earls. This is the position Aleister Chambers holds in Black Butler.
Baron/Baroness - The lowest rank of peerage. Someone who pledged their loyalty and services in return for land. This is the position Angelina "Anne" Dalles-Burnett, or "Madame Red", held in Black Butler.
I might do a more in depth detailed look on my blog at some point if anyone is interested.