The next morning, Sebastian and Lilliana were putting their suitcases into the carriage, ready for a quick detour before heading back to the manor. Ciel was saying his quick farewells to Soma and Agni, hoping they wouldn't force him to stay a little longer, but luckily for Ciel, he never felt guilty about leaving them disappointed. In his opinion, these Indians were lucky they were able to stay in the townhouse while he wasn't there. Sebastian noticed that Lilliana had only little difficulty lifting heavy objects onto the carriage, which was relieving for the both of them since they couldn't give any sign that she was hurt to the young lord. He didn't like seeing weakness in his inhuman servants since that was a sign of vulnerability for him to his enemies. Though, they had to make sure to change her bandages frequent enough so no blood leaked onto her maid outfit.
Soon, they were headed to the train station and planned to get on one of the early trains. Ciel wanted to make sure that they returned to the manor before dark, so they had to be quick. Each party explained what had happened the night they were separated: the dead circus performers at the manor and the fulfilled contracts at the Kelvin Manor. They felt relief about not interacting with either Grell or Eris and were happy to put all this behind them. Once they arrived to the station, she purchased the tickets while Sebastian carried the not-so-heavy luggage and once she returned with the tickets, they headed to the platform for their scheduled train. While boarding, they saw a little brunette girl walking up to them with a basket in her arm. "Pardon me, sir. Care for an orange? It's nice and fresh! Only a penny each."
Ciel looked back at her with his usual cold look, which frightened her. However, he said, "Buy some from her."
"Thank you very much, good master!" she said in glee as Sebastian purchased two oranges. He handed one of them to Lilliana and she thanked him. "Bless you, sir. Best wishes to you three for a good journey," she said politely as she ran off to find a new customer.
"Well isn't she the cutest girl you've ever seen," Lilliana said as she entered the train, followed by Sebastian. Soon, they found their private cart and Sebastian put the luggage above them on a shelf while Ciel took his seat. "I apologize for sharing your compartment, my lord, but I'm afraid I was unable to purchase a third-class ticket on such short notice," she said as she sat down opposite of Ciel.
"Calm down, it's fine," he said as they felt the train start to slowly move. Sebastian made sure to take his seat before the train moved at full speed. However, they couldn't help, but notice their young master in deep thought as he stared out the window. Sebastian started peeling the orange he bought with a knife and cut them into even pieces. Lilliana tried to do the same with hers without a knife, but she didn't peel as gracefully as he did as juice splattered everywhere and giving off a citrus fragrance. She looked at them, noticed their disapproving faces, and quickly put the orange down with an innocent smile.
Sebastian sighed before saying, "My lord, I confess there is something I don't quite understand. Why are you so interest in visiting their old workhouse?"
Ciel looked surprised by his question and looked at Lilliana, who had the same curious look. "Their patron is no more. It can't possibly keep its doors open for much longer without one."
"Do you pity them?" Lilliana asked skeptically as Sebastian helped her peel her squished orange.
"Dealing with the aftermath is part of a Phantomhive's job. There's no need to sacrifice innocent children who cannot help themselves in our society."
"Then why did we burn the manor with the children inside?" Sebastian asked as he offered a slice to Ciel and he took it.
"I've seen enough to know how this sort of thing will play out. Once they end up like that, there's no returning to normal. They're too damaged."
"So you decided they were better off dead than living like that. How very arrogant, my lord," Lilliana said before eating a slice. "And that's coming from a Grim Reaper."
"How many humans have either of you met who aren't arrogant in some way?" Ciel said with a smirk.
Sebastian laughed. "Huh, none at all, my lord. Your assessment is spot on."
"Think about it for a moment: how much strength do you suppose it takes for somebody, especially somebody weak like a child, to recover from that kind of trauma? I know from experience. Moments before I had broken completely, I managed to summon you and with you came the strength that I needed to recover. I'm absolutely arrogant and I don't deny it. However, you see, I'm not arrogant enough to assume I can save those who are utterly lost."
"I think I understand, my lord," Sebastian said as he watched the two finish their oranges.
Soon, the train made it to their destination and the three of them journeyed to the workhouse. With the help of a man carrying his supplies to his farm, they managed to not fatigue the young lord. Though, he did seem confused why they would want to go to the workhouse, which made them suspicious. Though, a familiar tune was heard as two children, probably siblings, skipped down the road, singing the Tom, the Piper's Son song that haunts them to this day. "It seems to be a rather popular song these days," Lilliana commented, noticing the somber look on Ciel's face.
Soon, the man stopped his cart and pointed as he said, "Top o' the hill here's where you're headed."
"Thank you for your help," she said with a smile as Sebastian let Ciel down from the cart. Once he drove away, the three headed up the hill with high expectations for the place that those circus performers had sacrificed their lives and good name for. However, when they did finally reach the top, they were shocked by the sight: the workhouse was in ruins. No sign of children playing or even living in the building that was not only crumbling, but partially demolished. There were moss and vines growing on whatever refused to be torn down completely. They refused to believe this was the place, but the partially ruined sign was the same as the pictures they saw in the tents.
They ventured further into the place and Sebastian commented, "It shouldn't come as a surprise, but it appears Lord Kelvin was lying about the workhouse."
However, Lilliana was shocked. She never checked with the Records from the Kelvin Manor to know the truth, but she did see the desperation of the circus performers for this place. None of them wanted to kidnap children, but it was so that children from this place would be able to live and thrive. "It's completely deserted and dilapidated. I'd wager it's been like this for quite some time."
"Given what the doctor said, well, I doubt the orphans who were here met a pleasant end," Sebastian commented coldly.
Ciel walked to an open field that probably was used for the children to play and run around in and remained in shock. He remembered the last words Joker told him about this place: the Baron was their savior; without him, they would perish. How ironic that their savior would bring them their tragic deaths. It was enough to make Ciel start laughing maniacally, which alarmed his servants. This emotionless child never smiled, especially genuinely. "There was nothing this whole time! Everything that they were protecting . . . it was long gone, and they had no idea! What great fools they all were! They were so desperate to preserve this place. They even died for it in the end! We humans are a breed apart, trampling each other like insects. We're cowardly, petty, small, and nasty! We're more demonic than demons are!" However, his laughing soon turned serious as he continued, "I'm just like them, don't you see? I'm full of it; the same ugliness within them courses through my veins. This is just how humans are. Do you understand, Sebastian, Lilliana? It's who we are!"
The two deities, still shocked by the display of emotion, soon smiled with the return of his cynical view of humanity. "Yes, my lord. You are less sophisticated as demons and Reapers, and yet the grudges you hold are more complex. Your compulsion to lie is unmatched. You struggle desperately your entire lives and carelessly trample those in your way. You steal and are stolen from all the same. You are hopeless and yet still you strive to get over the hill and far away," Sebastian stated.
"That's why humans are so interesting," Lilliana finished with a smile as she looked at him. He returned the smile and the three of them headed back to return to the manor.
"So, this is where you work. It looks . . . it fits you," Eris said reluctantly as she, Bastille, and Undertaker made their way to the funeral parlor. It had been a few days since the fateful meeting and their main goal was to secure Bastille into their mission. He had to admit that he still wasn't fully onboard with the whole idea, especially since he thought it was impossible for demons and Reapers to ever get along, but they seemed confident that it could work. In fact, the only reason why he finally agreed to join was to be close to Lilliana. As he got to know Undertaker more, he realized that he might be the only Reaper he could trust and was a genuine friend to his sister. He cared for her well-being and would do anything to make her happy, even supporting her second job as an escape from the scrutiny of the Association.
"I know it's not much, but it's home," Undertaker said as he unlocked the door and let them in. As they entered, they noticed the gloomy atmosphere along with the dusty furniture. They were just happy that there wasn't a corpse smell to greet them as well.
"This is home?" Bastille said as he walked further in. He wanted to sit on one of the coffins, but there was so much dust on it that sitting on it would change the color of his pants. "You haven't been away for that long, have you?"
"No, but dusting has not been one of my favorite hobbies," Undertaker said with a giggle. "Besides, even being away for a few days accumulates a lot of dust in here."
"Then why don't you bring our work here? I'm sure you can manage your day job and that."
"I'm afraid there are some sharp eyes and minds in London that make it too dangerous to do so."
"Who are you afraid will find out?"
"I have three guesses," Eris said as she looked around for a duster, but couldn't find one. "Please tell me that you at least have something to clean up around here."
"You can check the broom closet, but I'm not sure," Undertaker said. She rolled her eyes and she did as instructed, leaving the two men alone. "Your sister, though I believe she would sympathize with us, may be too chained by that Association and if she ever found out, she might report it. If not her, then someone else in the Association might. Although it's rare, some Reapers do come to my shop when they are sloppy with their work."
"I see, but then why did you bring us here? I'm sure you interacting with two demons would be suspicious to anyone who cared," Bastille said with his arms crossed.
"Very true, but you and especially Eris can change your appearances to disguise yourselves. Even if it's as subtle as changing your eye color, they won't know."
"Mon amie, are you kidding me?" Eris said as she reentered the room with a broken duster. The handle was in two pieces and most of the feathers had wilted off. "How long has this been an issue?"
"Hmm, I haven't dusted since that fell apart," he said, never really answering the question.
She sighed. "Well, as a favor for letting us stay here for the meantime, I guess I could buy you a new duster, but you will be the one dusting."
"That's only fair," Undertaker said with a smirk as he watched her head toward the door, but stopped her before she could open it. "Oh, just a little warning: you might want to change your appearance whenever you go outside the shop. I hate to see what would happen if a certain someone found you."
She looked at him confused, but realized who he was talking about. She did tell him everything that happened at the circus regarding Lilliana, even the juicy ending. Adrian was not surprised with William, but was surprised by Lilliana's reaction. He wanted to dive in deeper, but they would have to cut their conversation short whenever Bastille entered the room. The last thing he wants to hear is the men who lusted for his sister. "Thanks for the tip," she said as her hair turned dirty blonde, her eyes turned brown, and her figure plumped a bit. Once her transformation was complete, she exited the shop and headed to the nearest store that sold cleaning supplies.
However, Eris was startled to see a carriage pull up close to the parlor and out came Lilliana, who was talking to someone inside, but she wasn't sure who exactly. "Don't forget the new silverware to replace the ones you keep stealing," she said as she was about to close the door to the carriage, but was interrupted. Soon, she blushed and said, "You really are a perverted man! Just do your job before the young lord gets mad at us. After that, maybe I'll consider fulfilling your request." She closed the door and the carriage pulled away.
Eris made sure to keep her distance as she watched Lilliana enter the shop. The last thing she wanted was a heated battle with her, especially when she wasn't sure if the chocolates were exhausted from her. She wondered what a Grim Reaper would want from a mortician, but didn't need to ask. She figured she could kill some time and buy that feather duster, hoping Lilliana would be gone from the shop by the time she returned. If not, she feared she would have to improvise.
Inside, Lilliana called, "Undertaker, I have a favor to ask."
"He-he, well, if it isn't a familiar face; one that always brings a bright smile in my strange world," he said as he sat behind the desk. Luckily, Bastille was quick enough to hide himself in a coffin when he could hear her voice outside. "How long has it been since only you and I talked? Usually, you're with master butler and the young lord."
"Well, they're both busy getting everything ready for a dinner party. Apparently the Queen wants the young master to entertain a certain German guest as a test for loyalty. Speaking of which, that's why I'm here. I was wondering if you had any information regarding Karl Woodley and his 'diamond company'," she said using air quotes.
"He-he, a Grim Reaper is asking a mere mortician regarding people's death. How funny! And why didn't you go collect the data yourself?"
"Well, that would mean looking up hundreds of records only to find a select few that are connected with Woodley. Besides, I just wanted to spend some alone time with you. Like you said, it's been a while," she said with a smile, but something about her tone made him suspect something was wrong.
"I'd be happy to help. I can look through some paperwork and give you a list of customers you might want to look more closely at," he said as he looked through a drawer containing various papers. Some would say it was very disorganized, but he viewed it as perfectly organized and found his list of recent customers quickly. "How has the young lord been since I last saw him?"
"He's the same as usual, but I do have to admit this last mission took a bit of a toll on him."
"And why is that?"
"We confronted someone who was nearly involved with the Phantomhive tragedy and he had a traumatic reliving of it. He's trying to take things easy, but with the new game he's going to play, I'm not sure that will be possible."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear. Perhaps he can take his mind off of things by stopping by and getting measured for his coffin," he said jokingly.
"One of these days, he will," she said with crossed arms. "But for now, he'll escape death again and again with us by his side."
"Indeed," he said as he showed her the piece of paper he held onto for a bit. "I try to be as detailed as I can about a customer's death, but as long as Reapers do their jobs correctly, that can be difficult at times."
"Right," she said as she looked through it. Bastille made sure to be quiet as he cracked the lid of his hiding spot and get a glimpse of the conversation. Undertaker noticed this and made sure to keep her vision away from the coffin. Bastille felt an influx of emotions inside of him just by looking at her. He was happy to see her, even if he couldn't interact with her. Though, resentment for the Association rose in him as he was reminded why he couldn't just go up to her and act like normal siblings. Also, he was worried how she would react, especially after dealing with Eris, who was taking her form the entire time. Even he could tell something was bothering her, but would probably never know what—
"Are you feeling all right?" Undertaker asked as she continued looking through the list.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" she said, taken aback by his sudden question.
"You try to hide it, but something is bothering you, isn't it?"
"No, not really," she lied as she continued reading, trying to move on from the topic.
"Lily, I've known you for a couple of centuries now; I know when something is troubling you. Who did it this time? The young lord, Grell, your boss?" he listed. Though, he did notice that her pupils dilated at the mention of her boss. "All right, what did William do this time?"
She blushed a bit, embarrassed he was able to somewhat figure it out without her saying anything. "It's nothing. During our mission, William was also there conducting his own investigation. Even though I was able to get out of work because of it, I wasn't expecting how much we would argue during the entire time we were there," she said, finally looking up at him. "What's even worse was that I was not keeping my anger in check. I was poisoned by Demonic Spices and it made me very combative."
"Demonic Spices? In a human circus?" he asked, despite knowing the reason before she even mentioned it.
"Yes, apparently there was a succubus there who fed us chocolates with those spices in it. She wanted to play a game with us and make us snap at each other at the drop of the dime. We still haven't formally apologized to each other for it, but I did explain my situation to him. Of course, his response was as emotionless as ever," she said, with a twinge of sadness in her voice.
"I guess that would be upsetting, but you can't rely on him to apologize, especially when he can never express his emotions in the first place. I'm sure he feels guilty as well, but doesn't want to drop his professionalism around others."
"Sure he does," she said before returning her eyes to the paper. "Do you mind if I take this with me? I'm going to report for work soon and this will definitely help slim down my search. If you want, I can even add more details."
"You don't need to do that, but for bookkeeping, I'd like to have it back as soon as you can."
"I will, don't worry," she said as she was heading to leave, but they heard the bell ring and in came the dirty blonde woman with brown eyes.
"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something? I can just come back—," she tried to say, but was interrupted.
"Come on in. Our business has just finished," he said. Lilliana looked at him with suspicious eyes. "She's a customer. I recently helped her bury her mother. Though, I don't know why she's here now."
"W-Well," she said nervously as came in and closing the door. "I just wanted to show my thanks for making her look as beautiful as she was when she was alive. I know my family paid for your services already, but I wanted to thank you personally. I don't have much money, but I did notice that your parlor could use some cleaning. If you would like, I can do that for you."
"It's about time," Lilliana said with a smile as she headed out the door. "Good luck with that, dearie. I hope to see you again, Undertaker."
The three sighed in relief as Eris returned to her usual appearance and Bastille came out of his hiding spot. "I thought that your conversation with her would be much quicker than that. I even bought a new broom and mop along with the duster just to kill time," she said as she placed the cleaning supplies nearby.
"We're old friends, so we spent some time catching up," he said as he walked up to get the duster. "As promised."
"You really are a friend to her," Bastille said as he approached them. "I don't think she ever had anyone be concerned for her well-being other than me."
"Unless you count Sebastian," Eris teased.
"What did I say about bringing up that name around me?" Bastille asked with a knitted brow.
"I know, I know, but you have to get to know the man better. You might be surprised," she said as she picked up a broom and handed the mop to Bastille. "Don't think you're exempt from cleaning. This is our thanks to him for letting us stay here for the meantime."
"Are you serious? We're not going to be here for that long," he said as he grabbed the broom.
"Just do it, s'il vous plait," she said in an annoyed tone before she began to sweep the floor. Bastille rolled his eyes, but did as he was told and went to fill a bucket with water to mop with. "Adrian, was there something you wanted us to do? I mean, that's why you brought us here, non?"
"Ah, right! Thank you for reminding me. I need you to meet with a doctor who might be willing to be part of our cause temporarily."
"A doctor? Why?"
"We need some credibility for our work in the human world and possible funding for any equipment we might need. Of course, we have the true secret, but we need to find a doctor willing to be our Victor Frankenstein. I'm sure with your skill, you'll be able to do it."
"Hmm, all right, but it could take some time to get him to agree with us."
"I don't think that will be an issue," he said with a smile. "The doctor I have in mind has come in here, asking if I had any spare bodies for his experiments. Apparently, he wants to bring the dead back to life, but never found the perfect technique. Sadly, his wife recently passed away from a heart attack and he tried to bring her back to life, but failed. The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow, but I thought of using a safety coffin on her. Who knows if that little bell will ring," he said with a smile.
"Ah, I see," she said retuning the smile. "I just hope that Bastille doesn't mind. Despite never wanting a relationship, he doesn't realize just how jealous he gets knowing that another person is touching my skin."
"I heard that," Bastille said as he returned with the bucket of water. "And just for the record, I'm not the jealous type."
"So you say," she said with a teasing smile.
"Regardless, I also have a task that I want you to do, boy," Undertaker said as he finished dusting a section and moved closer to him.
"And that would be?" Bastille said as he mopped up the areas that Eris finished sweeping.
"I'm afraid that there is a weapon in the Association that could really hurt us and that is their little demon huntress."
"Katia Vendoa? Even with my high standing, she is a powerful foe and should not be engaged with—,"
"You don't have to fight her, silly boy. I just want you to get her out of the way, even for a short while, so we can work in peace."
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
"Well, it turns out that she is contracted to kill you," Eris said as she stopped sweeping to look at them. "But they're keeping it a secret from Lilliana so she won't break the rules to protect you."
"I should have expected as much. They'll do anything to cut off our bloodline," he said with bitterness in his voice.
"So, in order to keep you safe, but get her out of the picture, we thought that maybe you would give a little hint to where you would be headed."
"Where I would be headed? Are you suggesting that I taunt her so we can play a little cat and mouse game?"
"Or at least give her the impression that you are," Adrian said. "Probably in a country that she would believe would be threatened with your presence."
"Ah, I see," he said before putting the dirty mop into the bucket.
"Oh, but there is one thing: find a way so that Lilliana won't know. If she does find out, she might find a way to travel there to protect you."
He nodded. "If that's what it takes, then consider it done."
Lilliana walked to Headquarters, reporting for work, but hoped she could find time to look through the names Undertaker provided for her. She figured she would be having a sleepless night, but it would be all worth it to please her young master. Ever since the incident with Grell, she noticed a couple of changes around the office. Grell has been a bit afraid of her whenever she was around, but he's slowly returning back to normal, especially when he believes he won since he landed a "killing" blow on her. Katia has been trying to spend more alone time with Lilliana, but because she was so busy, Lilliana usually politely declined and promised a next time that seemed to never come. Though, it never stopped her from asking every night. Ronald was punished for "neglecting his duties" and was assigned more souls to collect, even during the night shift, so he could make up the work. No one protested against it since that meant their own soul quota was smaller, meaning more free time. As for Will . . . a lot has changed. The two of them managed to act as if nothing happened between them, so no one has noticed, but whenever she had to give him completed files in his office, awkwardness filled the room. They would hardly hold a conversation and avoided eye contact. Since they never talked about the Eris incident, they never moved passed it. However, that was all going to change today.
When she walked to her office, she sat down to look through the files she needed to complete. Luckily, there wasn't that many, so she could find some time to find evidence of Woodley's misdeeds before the party started tomorrow night. However, she was interrupted as she heard footsteps approach her desk. She assumed it was Katia, but when she looked up, she nearly jumped. "Ms. Kiliamo, can I have a word with you in my office?" William asked.
"I didn't do anything, I swear," she said out of habit. Whenever she heard those words, it usually meant she was in trouble for something.
He sighed. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. I just have some files I need to go over with you."
"That can only mean one thing: who's dying at the manor?" she asked as she got up from her chair.
"If you'll follow me, I'll show you," he said as the two of them started heading to his office. She was a bit suspicious about this; he usually just discussed souls like these by her desk and it would be over with quickly. Why was he taking her somewhere private?
Soon, they reached his office and he closed the door behind them. "Be honest with me, why did you bring me here? I know it's not just because of some files."
"I guess nothing gets pass you," he said as he sat behind his mahogany desk. "I think it's about time we finally move pass our little situation."
"I thought we agreed to never speak of it again," she said as she sat in a chair. "Honestly, I'd prefer it that way."
"Really? You prefer being left with uncertainty? Don't you notice what it has done to our professional relationship? We can't even look each other in the eye without being reminded of that night."
"And? We were never really on good terms beforehand, so people don't think any different when we purposely avoid each other," she said, hoping to end the conversation.
"It's not the same. Besides, you're not the only one who has questions and needs someone to talk them out with."
"So, what am I, your therapist? I'm not interested. Now, show me the files so I can go," she said as she stood up and tried to get the files from his desk, but as she did, she noticed something familiar at the edge of his desk: a simple bag of chocolates, but not just any chocolates. "Are those . . . ,"
He looked in her direction and saw them. "Yes, those are the chocolates you gave me at the circus . . . ," he said, but noticed the confused look on her face and realized something. "Or . . . the ones that Eris gave me."
"She gave you chocolates," she said softly, but looked into his eyes as she continued, "Remember when I told you about Sinful Spices?"
"Yes."
"Well, since we know that Eris was in possession of them, it's very likely that she put some into those chocolates too."
"Are you serious?" he said in shock as he got up from his chair. "But I don't feel rage like you did. In fact, I ate these and my anger was in control."
"Idiot, there are other sins out there. The only one that makes sense for her gain was . . . ," she said as she took the bag of chocolates. She examined it for a bit before sighing and eating a square. Sure enough, she tasted the familiar smooth flavor, as she predicted. "She had you consume the Lustful Spice.
"Lustful Spice?" he repeated as he sat back down. However, he seemed relieved as he continued, "This explains everything. I was under the influence of a spice! It wasn't my fault."
"You really think it's that easy?" she said as she pocketed the chocolates. "That's not how it works. The spice doesn't create lustful feelings from nothing. There has to be a stimulus that triggers its effects. Otherwise, it won't work."
"A stimulus?"
She really didn't want to explain this now. "Look, I need to go and finish a job before you yell at me for neglecting my duties. I'll take the files for the manor and once that job is done, I promise to explain everything. We can even try to get pass this'."
"R-Right," he said as he handed the files to her. "I hope it's no one you're attached to or else that could complicate things."
"I have faith it's not. They're pretty hard to kill," she said with a small smile. "But I do have to ask why these chocolates were on your desk."
"Well, I was getting a bit peckish and I happened to find these with my belongings—," he said before he was cut off.
"Wait, you ate these recently?!"
"Yes, why?"
Lilliana sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have to release—never-mind. I'll explain it when I get back."
"You better explain now," he practically demanded.
"Like I said, I don't have time to talk now. I have to go before I'm late," she said as she opened the door and ran out, but accidentally bumped into Katia along the way and all her files flew in the air. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I should have looked where I was going," she said as she helped clean up the papers.
"No, it's fine. I'm assuming you're in a hurry, so I'll get the rest," Katia said as she put the papers in order.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. You can make it up to me later," she said, hinting at something.
Lilliana sighed before nervously saying, "A-After my job tonight, I need to come back for a special mission. Perhaps you'd like to assist me on that."
Katia's face beamed with happiness. "I'd like that," she said as she finally cleaned up all the papers and had them the way they were before.
"I should be done in a few hours," Lilliana said before she raced off to her assignment. Katia was overjoyed to finally get some alone time with her. Ever since she learned about William's feelings for her, she figured she had to act fast before he actually acted on those feelings. All this time, she wanted to confess her feelings to Lilliana, but never got the chance until now. She had to put her nerves aside and hope for the best. It's possible that something could happen between the two of them.
However, she noticed a small bag on the floor and didn't know where it came from. After some thought, she figured that Lilliana had dropped it on accident when they bumped against each other. She reached for the bag, thinking she would return it when they planned to meet, but noticed a faint sweet smell coming out of it. Upon further inspection, she opened the bag and found the chocolate squares inside. She was instantly tempted to take them, but figured that these were for Lilliana or she wanted to gift these to someone. Though, she asked herself who would these be for or who gave them to her? She was about to pocket them, but the chocolate smell was practically demanding for her to eat one. "I don't think she'll mind if I take just one," she said to herself as she took a piece out and ate it. However, she was overwhelmed by the heavenly flavor and couldn't resist: she ate one more, and then another and another and another. If Lilliana had purchased these from a shop, she had to find out where it was: she wanted more.
Lilliana returned in a bit of a frantic from her last assignment. Although she completed her tasks rather quickly, she couldn't find the cursed chocolates anywhere. She retraced her steps perfectly, hoping to find them while she was working, but didn't. The only other place they would be now was at Headquarters, but that was nerve-wrecking. She feared that someone took them, which usually wouldn't concern her if they were human, but if they were a Reaper, she would have to deal with the consequences. She reached her desk, where she finished the paperwork to turn in, but since William returned home, she put them in a shelf outside his door.
Soon, she found Katia, who was working on her own paperwork at her desk, and approached her. "Hey, Katia."
"Oh, h-hello Lily," she said as she got up, but her legs seemed to give out and she started to fall. Luckily for her, Lilliana was able to catch her. Katia blushed bright red and looked away, hoping she didn't notice. "Oh, s-sorry about that. I was feeling a little weak earlier. Maybe I'm tired."
"Then are you sure you want to help me out?" she asked as she helped her on her feet.
"Y-Yes, I'm a woman of my word and don't break promises," she said with a nervous laugh.
Lilliana raised an eyebrow. "Right. Well, it shouldn't take much of your time," she said as she started walking to the library, signaling Katia to follow. "I have a list of names that I want you to look through. If there any connections to a man named Woodley or even his company, I want you to let me know."
"That's an odd mission. Did William ask you to do this?"
"No, it's for my young master."
Katia stopped in her tracks. "You know it's against Reaper Law to interfere with life and death, especially at a human's request."
"We're not trying to interfere with anyone's life. We are just proving a man's guilt. Nothing more than that."
Katia had doubt, but still proceeded to follow her. Still, she didn't want to get caught doing this, especially with a Rogue Reaper who was under scrutiny already. Soon, they reached the library, only to find it locked. "Oh shoot. How are we supposed to—," Katia tried to say, but Lilliana pulled a pin from her hair and bent it to work in her favor. "You are seriously not thinking about doing that!"
"What? We need to enter and nobody is going to let us in. Besides, this isn't the first time I've done this," she said as she quickly fiddled with the lock and opened it. "There's a reason why William has the shelf outside his door."
"And you wonder why you get in trouble a lot," Katia said as the two of them walked inside and Lilliana quietly closed the door and locked it. The library was huge, much to Katia's surprise since the American Library was so much smaller. "The Records are organized by date of death, so it shouldn't be too hard to find them all. Here's the list of names. Do you mind taking the bottom half?"
"S-Sure," she said as she looked at the names, but as she grabbed the paper, she got so close to Lilliana and blushed more.
"Are you sure you're al right?" Lilliana asked.
"Y-Yeah, I-I'm just scared of being caught," she lied.
Lilliana chuckled. "Don't worry, we're all alone here. Everyone else has gone home and won't come back until morning. As long as we're quick, not even screaming will alert someone."
"R-Right," she said as looked through the list and looked at the Records, hoping to find the names.
After some time passed, they managed to find every name and put the Records on a table so they could look through them quickly, but they had to be mindful of where they got it from or else the librarians would be suspicious. Lilliana looked through each of the books and noted those in connection with Woodley, but Katia couldn't focus since she was looking at her. She even bit her lip as her head was filled with thoughts that she didn't know where they came from. Her body felt weird and didn't know what was going on. "Oh, Katia, I was meaning to ask you," Lilliana said as she looked up from a book. "Did you see a bag of chocolates somewhere?"
"O-Oh, right. Y-Yes I did," she said as she took the bag out of her pocket. "I meant to give these to you earlier, but I got . . . distracted."
Lilliana reached for it, but realized the bag was a lot flatter than it was before and quickly checked inside. There were only two pieces left in the bag! "What the—? Katia, did you eat some?"
"I might have had a few," she lied in a cute voice.
"A few? You nearly ate them all!"
"I'm sorry! I'll pay for them if they were meant for someone else! I just couldn't resist."
Lilliana didn't know what to think. It was bad enough that she ate them, but it was worse that she ate so many. The more spice a person consumes, the stronger the effects are and even harder to alleviate. "Clearly," was all she could say. She looked back at the books and kept taking note, but eventually asked Katia to put back the finished books exactly where they found it. She agreed, leaving Lilliana alone with her thoughts: she couldn't just leave Katia like this. She needs to get this spice out of her system, but didn't know how. She didn't want Katia whoring herself, even one time, to anyone willing since that would be hurtful for her reputation. Even worse, at this state, anyone could manipulate her and she would succumb, whether she wanted to or not. This was really bad, but she didn't have any options.
Soon, she finished her task and headed to put the remaining books back in their places. However, as she reunited with Katia, she noticed her using the ladder to put one of the books back, but once she saw her, she got nervous and started falling from the ladder. Like before, Lilliana caught her, making her sigh. "I-I'm sorry! I don't know why I'm so clumsy today."
"Don't worry about it. We're done here, so once we put these back, we can leave," Lilliana said as she put her down, but Katia felt her touching her skin and let out a shiver. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"I-It's fine," she said as she quickly got on her feet and took the books so she could end this awkwardness.
Though, Lilliana had to tell her the truth. "Look, Katia, I've noticed that you're acting weird and I just want to say that—,"
"I'm in love with you, Lily!" Katia blurted out. Lilliana was speechless; she wasn't expecting that at all. "I have been for a while. I-I just didn't know when it was the right time to tell you."
"Y-You . . . I can't . . . I don't know what to say," she said in a stammer.
"I'm sorry if I made things awkward between us now, but I had to say something. For some reason, tonight, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"I think I might know why—,"
"No, it's not just lovey-dovey feelings, but something more . . . enticing," she confessed with a shameful look on her face. "And it got me excited and I couldn't control myself."
"It's all right, Katia. Other Reapers have those feelings too. Some more blatant than others. These feelings are normal—,"
"You don't understand! I touched myself thinking about you and me in a lover's embrace. Though, no matter how many times I finished, it wasn't enough. That's when I realized that I needed to act on those thoughts or else I'd never be like myself again," Katia said as she got closer to her.
It was Lilliana's turn to blush, but she slowly backed away. "I-I'm flattered, I think, but I need to get back to the Phantomhive manor and report my findings."
"No, please stay, Lily! I'm begging you! You don't even have to do anything; I'll make you feel good and that will be enough for me."
"Katia, calm down, you're beginning to sound like Grell and that is pretty fucking scary," she said, but soon reached the table and Katia trapped her.
"At least touch me, Lily. I need you," she said as she grabbed her hand and put it under her skirt so she could rub her wet panties. Katia moaned at the slightest touch as she guided her hand. Lilliana didn't know what to do; if she tried to run, Katia would follow and if she left her like this, she would find release somewhere else. On the other hand, a rush of lust raced in her body and she was reminded that she ate a piece of chocolate earlier in the day. She planned to have Sebastian release the effects, but plans changed. Even if the effect wasn't as strong as Katia's, it was enough to make her want to fulfill her request.
"Katia," Lilliana said as she used her other hand to guide her face toward hers and kissed her. Katia moaned into the kiss as Lilliana freely started to rub her without any assistance. "Since you begged so nicely," she said in a dominant voice as she rubbed a bit faster through her panties, watching Katia moan more.
"Oh Lilliana," she said as they kissed again, this time, adding some tongue, and Katia's hand reached for Lilliana's covered breasts. Even through the vest and button-down shirt, she could feel her erect nipple and teased it a bit, listening as she moaned into the kiss.
Lilliana pulled back as she started to kiss her neck and nibble once in a while. "Such a naughty girl you've become. Tell me, what were you thinking about when you touched yourself? It must have been real erotic if you're this wet," she breathily whispered into her ears.
"W-Well, I thought about you kissing me passionately," she said, but let out a shriek as she felt Lilliana bite down on her neck. That was definitely going to leave a mark.
"Come on, dearie. I need something more fun than that," she teased. So this is what it's like to be dominant like Sebastian. Honestly, she did read enjoy flipping her role and Katia was the perfect submissive to try this on.
In between moans, she continued, "A-After that, you ripped my shirt and starting playing with my . . . ," she said with an embarrassed blush, but Lilliana wasted no time in unbuttoning Katia's shirt.
"If we were somewhere else, I would rip it, but since you need to go home afterwards, I don't think it's appropriate," she said as she removed the last button and took off her shirt, leaving her breasts exposed. They were smaller than Lilliana's but that didn't matter to her as she cupped them and started to squeeze them with both of her hands. "And don't be shy. Say what they are," she said as she squeezed her nipples a bit, getting a fun reaction out of her. "After all, they're part of your beautiful body."
Despite moaning more, she was able to slip out, "M-My breasts."
"Good girl," she said as she wrapped her lips around one of her nipples while her other hand tried to find the zipper to loosen her skirt.
"Ah, fuck, Lily," Katia said in between breaths. This was all she imagined and more. She hoped that this moment would never end and they could stay like this forever. Lilliana managed to unzip her skirt and let it fall to her feet. She then rubbed through her panties as she bit down on her nipple, making Katia arch her back a bit. Lilliana lifted her up a bit so she could sit on the table and be comfortable as she continued. "W-Wait, Lily," Katia said. She looked her in the eyes and it made her blush more. "C-Can I pleasure you for a bit? It seems like you're doing all the work."
"Are you complaining?" Lilliana said before pushing her panties to the side and inserting her fingers inside her pussy, making her moan suddenly. "You seem to be enjoying it a lot."
"B-But I want to please you too," she said as she got off the table and flipped them so Lilliana would be sitting. She thought about protesting, not wanting to lose her dominance, but decided to accept it. Katia wasted no time in removing her pants, vest, and shirt, but was surprised to see her wearing a black corset with red frills and panties to match. "W-Wow, who could imagine you wearing this underneath your uniform. Who's the naughty one, now?" Katia teased as she started to take off Lilliana's panties and teased her bare pussy. Lilliana writhed in pleasure and moaned as loudly as Katia did earlier.
"I'm not the one who fantasized about doing this at work. To think, you were masturbating in the bathroom where anyone could walk in," Lilliana said in between moans, but soon felt Katia's tongue on her pussy and arched her back a bit. "Ah, fuck," she said as she bit into her clenched fist. She was pretty good at this, arguably better than Sebastian. It really does take a woman to know what pleases another woman. Soon, Katia used one hand to rub her clit while the other pinched her nipple and Lilliana moaned louder and writhed in pleasure.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this with you," Katia said as she looked up at her. "And I still can't believe this is happening."
"I-I can't believe it either," Lilliana said in between moans, which increased in pitch as Katia continued eating her out with more ferocity. She gripped her hair tightly, which took Katia by surprise, but she continued as she noticed her about to climax and didn't want to stop now. After some time, Lilliana arched her back as she finally climaxed, almost ripping hair out of Katia's head.
As she relaxed, Katia quickly removed Lilliana's hand and said, "Next time, I'm keeping your hands away from my hair."
"S-Sorry about that," she apologized as she got up from the table. Although the spice's effect no longer had a hold on her, she still had a job to do and it would be cruel to leave her now. "But we're not finished here," she said, retaking her dominance, as she suddenly bent Katia over the table.
"Eep," Katia said suddenly and shivered as she felt the cold table against her skin. She felt her trace her finger along her spine and shivered more.
"Oh, dearie, I have yet to do anything to you yet and you already shivering," she said before spanking her, forcing her to let out a little yelp.
"I-I'm not really a masochist, Lily," Katia said shyly.
"Really? Well, to make up for that, I'll make sure you feel nothing but pleasure," Lilliana said as she slid two fingers in her pussy, making Katia moan loudly. Luckily, they were alone, probably the only two people in the entire building, so controlling her volume wasn't necessary. Lilliana took full advantage of as she thrusted her fingers repeatedly and quickly. Even though she couldn't see Katia's face, she could imagine how pleasure-filled her face would have been: her eyes rolling back and her tongue sticking out. "Does that feel good?"
"Yes it does. It feels really fucking good," Katia said in between moans.
"And to think, you're supposed to be the innocent girl around here and here you are," Lilliana said as she thrusted her fingers even faster, watching Katia writhe in pleasure.
"Y-You'd be surprised," she said as her moans heightened in pitch. Lilliana could even feel her pussy tightening around her fingers, meaning she was about to cum. "Are you at your limit, dearie?"
"Yes, I'm about to cum," she said, but had difficulty forming the words in between her moans.
"Usually, I like controlling orgasms, but for now, it's better for you to release quickly."
"Maybe next time," she said before she let out a loud moan and came on her fingers, coating them in her juices. Katia practically collapsed on the table and caught her breath. Lilliana quickly found a handkerchief from her pants pocket and wiped her fingers before picking up there clothes and setting them on the table.
"I don't mean to sound rude, but we should get going. I still have another job to attend to," she said as she started putting on her clothes.
"Oh, what time is it? It's not morning already, is it?" Katia said with slight panic in her voice as she hurriedly put on her clothes.
"No, it's still pretty early," she said as she pulled out a pocket watch to tell the time. "But you still need to get home."
"Right," she said as she finally finished dressing, but Lilliana was still taking her time, especially with her pants. Her legs were a bit weak, but with Katia's help, she managed to get them on, along with the heels, which they both regret putting on now since they had to walk out in them.
Katia finally returned home, which really wasn't her own, but rather Grell's. When she came here, she had to live with one of the Reapers since she didn't have enough currency to afford a place of her own. Grell allowed her to stay with him since they became friends and that "it was indecent for a woman to room with a man". Luckily, she viewed him as a woman, unlike everyone else, and she agreed. Though, it was pretty late and she knew very well how much he needed his beauty sleep. Even though she was never the cause of his disturbances, whenever he was forced to wake up, he was actually quite frightening and she wished to never see it again. She had to be very quiet if she wanted to avoid waking him up. She slid the key in the door and slowly pushed it open, but was surprised to see that the lights were on in his room. At this time of night? She quietly walked in and closed the door, but Grell walked out of his room in his red robe and scared the shit out of her. "Oh, you're finally home. It's pretty late, isn't it?"
"I-I know, but what are you doing up?" Katia said, trying to change the subject.
"I just had a nightmare. I won't worry you with the details. I figured some tea would calm my nerves, but when I saw you weren't home still, I figured I'd stay up and wait for you. The real question here is: what were you doing out so late? I doubt you're messing around with some boy," he said as he walked to his kettle and poured himself some tea. "Would you like some?"
"N-No thanks. I was actually helping Lilliana out with something," she admitted, but obviously didn't want to say the full story.
"Oh, her," he said as he took a sip. "One of the days, you have to realize that she won't look at you the same way as you do for her."
"Says the person who is trying to get William and Sebastian's affection."
"Hey! I will get it. I just have a certain obstacle in the way of it. Once she's done with, then they'll be mine. I'll even only take one if that's what it takes."
"Right," she said as she sat on the red couch. "But she needed some help and I offered it."
"Whatever. You know how I feel about her and will never understand what you see in her," he said with a large sip of tea. "I'm going to head to bed. I need to get some sleep before I work tomorrow. Hopefully they'll make some coffee at the office so I won't be too tired. Last thing we need is a cranky Reaper. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she said before he headed to his room and turned off the lights. She figured she would walk into the guest bedroom, or really her room, and go to bed as well. Even though she has a light work load compared to the other Reapers, she agreed with Grell on one thing: no one wants a cranky Reaper. Though, she figured even if she didn't get any sleep, she wouldn't be tired. In fact, she might have a hard time sleeping with the excitement built up in her. She got to spend the night with the woman she loved and she reciprocated those feelings, at least, she believed she did. She had her doubts that Lilliana felt the same way for her, but for now, she believed that this was the start of something special. Maybe the start of a relationship? She could only hope.
What will happen at the Phantomhive dinner party? How will the conversation between William and Lilliana play out? Is there something between Lilliana and Katia? Reviews are appreciated!