The wear or wearing is the action of a sheepdog moving side to side to drive the sheep towards a goal.

Undertaker was wrong.

There was no way any immortal could have laid a curse on the young master without Sebastian noticing — even a curse that was meant to solely harm Sebastian, not Ciel. He simply couldn't imagine who would be powerful enough to come in between him and the most important contract of his lifetime… No one but Undertaker.

Sebastian ground his teeth, feeling them grit against each other. Was Undertaker truly the one orchestrating all this? And if so, why make himself look suspicious at all? Why help Sebastian, even just to pretend, considering it was true that Sebastian wouldn't have suspected Undertaker if he'd only kept quiet? The fiend was clearly strong enough to hide his own magical aura. If it was Undertaker's master plan to secretly transform Sebastian into a being that could comprehend sympathy and kindness, why let Sebastian in on the plot? To study the demon more closely? To make sure everything was going according to plan?

That would make sense, wouldn't it?

Maybe. But if anything was painfully clear, it was that Undertaker was too strong for Sebastian to defeat without taking significant damage… and that was only if he were lucky. The small taste Sebastian had gotten of Undertaker's true power was enough to convince him of that.

Besides, if it was Undertaker's twisted plan to transform Sebastian into "a creature entirely dedicated to Lord Phantomhive's survival," Undertaker hadn't succeeded anyway. "If it came to it, who would you choose, butler? The boy or yourself?" Undertaker had asked. And the answer was still himself. Of course Sebastian would choose himself.

… Wouldn't he?

Ciel was roused at seven forty-five the next morning. It was a clear day, with winds just slight enough to drive off the possibility of lingering heat, perfect for their little journey. Sebastian dressed the boy in his travel clothes before tailing him to the conservatory, where he served him a cup of bohea da chi gon, a tea so red and sweet despite coming from leaves like shriveled seaweed, along with deviled lamb kidneys on buttered toast and baked Prince mushrooms. The bright young master caught on that he was being served Agaricus augustus on the first day of August, as well as the day when he was to engage with a prince, but even Ciel couldn't complain too terribly much about "another one of your idiotic puns," for the Prince was arguably England's most delectable fungi. After that, the two parted ways to finish their final preparations for the trip.

Bardroy reined Gilbert and Merrylegs up the front drive just after nine o'clock. As Sebastian loaded the young master's trunks and his own scarcely-filled suitcase onto the top of the carriage, Bard sprung down from the driver's seat and trotted up to the front steps where the other servants stood waiting. "All right, I'm taking the final orders for London!" he called. "Finny, let's start with you. Did you decide on what book you want?"

Finny nodded with a grin. "Mhm! Black Beauty, please!"

Bard put his hands on his hips. "Come on, now, we talked about this last night. You must have read Black Beauty a hundred times!"

"I know, but I love that story sooo much! A-And you saw the way my old book looks," Finny said shyly. "Some of the pages are ripped from when I was first practicing being careful with things and the cover's dented in…"

"But this is your chance to get a brand new story," Bard said. "What about, eh… Treasure Island? Or, oh, better yet, Huckleberry Finn. He's even got the same name as you."

"Wow! Another book about a person with my name!" Finny bubbled. "But does Huckleberry Finn have a horse? Or a dog? Or a donkey? Or a skunk? Because animal books are my favorite kind!"

"A-A skunk? Where do you get ideas like that…?" Finny only blinked back in question. Bard scratched at the nape of his neck. "M-Maybe he has a dog or somethin'? I dunno. But there's only one way to find out, right?"

Finny rocked from his heels to his toes. "Well… I'm not sure…"

Bard exhaled through his nose. "Okay then. What about both? You've still got plenty of your Christmas bonus to spend, you can afford it."

Finny gasped, putting his hands together. "I forgot about that! Yes, I'd like both, please."

"Good lad. All right, then, Miss Mey." Bard came to a stop in front of her on the lower step. "What'll it be for you?"

Mey-Rin sighed. "I told you, Bard, all I need are some hairpins and a new pair of shoelaces."

Bard wagged his finger at her playfully. "And I told you, you can just order those from the Fashion Book※ anytime. What about something you can only get in London? Something special? Like…" He snapped his fingers, thinking. "I've got it. What about a new record? You like classical music, don't you? And opera?"

Mey-Rin clenched her fists at her sides, blushing slightly. "Bard," she hissed from between her teeth, "you know I am always perpetually in debt for breaking something, I can't just go and buy frivolous things like that!"

"Mey, you, me, and Finny are all in perpetual debt for breaking things," Bard said laughingly. "But I know you haven't used your Christmas bonus either. Get yourself something nice for once, won't you? Now, do you have any suggestions, or am I going to have to pick a record for ya?"

She glared a second more, but then conceded with another sigh. "If you really have to insist… anything by Johan Strauss II would be lovely."

"Brilliant. You won't regret it. You've gotta live a little while you're still young, y'know!" Mey-Rin shook her head at him, but couldn't help smiling slightly. Bard beamed back, then walked three more paces until he stood before the last of the staff. "And for Mr. Tanaka, you said you have yours written down?"

"That's right." Tanaka put a slim piece of paper into Bard's hand. "The cups I need are pronounced 'yunomi' and the green tea is 'gyokuro.' I'm sorry that I do not know precisely where to find them at all times of the year, but the last time we were in London, there did seem to be considerably more Japanese imports in the curio shops. Hopefully we'll have a stroke of good luck. If not, I can always have some specially ordered, as usual. But it would be very convenient if they were stocked in London somewhere."

Bard repeated carefully, "Yunomi and… gyokuro. Got it. I'll do my best at least, I'll ask around." He glanced up to the top of the stairway when some movement caught his eye. "Oh, perfect timing. Here comes the young master now."

The other servants hastened slightly to the side so Ciel could pass between them, grinning as they did. "Goodbye, young master! Have fun in London!" Finny bid him.

Mey-Rin nodded. "Oh yes, do have a wonderful time! We hope your company's event goes well, we do!"

"We'll look forward to hearing all about it when you return in a few weeks," Tanaka said, smiling.

Ciel threw up a hand to wave at them passively. He looked only briefly at Tanaka before offering to them all as he finished descending, "Right, then. Goodbye. Be sure to keep the house standing while we're away."

"Yes, sir!" chorused the small quartet, each member in their own pitch, each slightly off beat, but not one lacking in enthusiasm.

Sebastian lowered the step and opened the carriage door, and Ciel nestled beneath the far window of the cab, no doubt getting comfortable. It was still early enough in the morning that Sebastian knew the boy would be drifting off on their ride; if Ciel was any bit sleepy, the jostling always had him dozing in minutes. But that was for the best, as they had a long day ahead of them, and being as rested as possible could only serve to make it a little less trying.

Bard climbed back up to his place at the reins. "I'll be back in five hours or so!" he called to the others. "Don't miss me too much now, alright?"

Sebastian sat on the driver's bench beside Bard and called out his own final orders. "Mr. Tanaka is in charge while I'm away, as always. We expect no visitors. Keep track of everything you break."

"Okaaaay~!"

"W-We'll try not to break anything at all, though, yes we will!"

"We'll only break things that are easily replaceable~!"

"H-Have a little faith, Finny, please!"

"Oh ho ho…"

And off they went at last.

Bard swung the horses wide and then guided them down the path onto the main road before settling against the seat with a loud sigh. "Ahhh, nice to have a little change of scenery every once in a while. Good way to end the week, too. It's back to work once we get to London, but at least I can rest for now. And I've got a whole half a month of vacation to look forward to while you're away."

Sebastian gave Bard a sidelong look. "This is not a vacation."

"Relaaax, I'm just ribbin' ya a little," Bard chuckled. "Oh, and b'fore I forget, I'm not sure if it'll be you or Mr. Tanaka goin' over the books this month, but make sure you take Mey and Finn's purchases out of my pay. Thought I'd give the kids a special treat. I'd pay for Mr. Tanaka's odds n' ends too, but knowin' him, he'd just catch it and change it back himself."

Sebastian stayed rigid in his seat even as the carriage hit an errant pothole. "'The kids,' hm?"

Bard grinned. "I can't help seein' 'em that way, Finny can't be more than eighteen and Mey-Rin's just a handful of years more'n half my age. Well, maybe you're closer to half my age too, but God knows I'll never see you as a 'kid.' How old are you again?"

"I have never offered such personal information and I certainly never plan to."

Bard waved him off lazily. "It makes no difference anyway. We're on the same page about it all, ain't we?"

Sebastian gave Bard another sidelong look. "And to what 'same page' are you referring?"

"Our roles in the house," Bard said, somewhat loftily. "You, me, and Mr. Tanaka, as the three with the most life experience, have to look out for the three with the least. I keep Mey-Rin and Finny looking sharp, you take care of the young master, and Tanaka fills in whenever the two of us can't."

"Oh, you keep Mey-Rin and Finny looking sharp, do you?" Sebastian shot him a biting grin. "I didn't realize I had any help in that area. It's been entirely unfelt."

Bard flinched back from the palpable chill in those words. "I-I mean, sure, you do most of it, b-but they come to me, too, y'know! Who do you think is there to repair their broken tools and keep 'em fed when you're off in London or on one of the Queen's missions? I've gotten pretty decent at making flapjacks, you should know!"

"I am curious to know what in the world you would consider a 'decent' flapjack," Sebastian derided. "As for myself, I do the job that is expected of me."

"What!" The horses' ears twisted backwards at Bard's outcry. "Uh, I think you do a little bit more than that," he huffed. "You ain't human the way you work."

Sebastian resisted the urge to smirk. "You could certainly say that. What I mean is, I am the young master's butler. The reason I 'look after him' is not related to your perception of duty, nor to the fact that I am older than him. It relates simply to the reasons that I was hired in the first place."

Now it was Bard's turn to shoot him a frank expression. "Come on, Sebastian. You're the closest thing the young master has to a father."

Sebastian stared straight ahead. "That is far too bold a statement to say aloud. What if the young master heard you?"

Surprisingly, Bard caught the trick. "Nice try. He's asleep. The young master always falls asleep in the carriage if he has to travel in the morning. But I bet you already knew that, didn't you?"

Sebastian pretended to be more interested in the passing foliage. "Even so. You shouldn't say such things."

Bard shrugged with a huge roll of shoulders. "Hey, I didn't really think so for a while either! Especially because the young master's so mature for his age. But the idea's been on my mind since he called you 'father' by mistake once."

"Did he now?" Feigning disinterest wasn't too hard, since Sebastian had at least already known about that incident. But did Bard really have to bring it up as a logical point…

Bard gave a nod. "Sure did! Though, well, he himself didn't notice until I called attention to it. Honestly, it was kind of a funny misunderstandin', I thought when the young master said 'father,' he was referrin' to… Eh… N-Never mind, you had to be there… But I'll prove my point," Bard continued. "I bet you remembered to pack his special pillow."

An exasperated sigh. "Yes, I did, but with good reason. The young master asked me to." Sebastian paused. "And how do you know about his special pillow?"

Bard clenched a toothpick between his molars in place of a cigarette. "I've worked in the manor for over four years. How could I not know about his special pillow?"

After a brief moment to register his surprise, Sebastian shook his head. "Your knowledge of the young master is deeper than I would have expected. I suppose I can see why you personally consider such knowledge to be… father-like, in nature. But I would more readily apply that descriptor to you. After all, I'm simply following orders by packing it."

Bard guided the horses down a fork in the road, even though the cobs surely knew the way that was expected of them. "Well, I was a father at one point, y'know. I suppose that mentality always stays with ya." He shifted slightly. "And it's… been on my mind lately. Workin' Avalon with the young master out in the paddocks, y'know… It's… something I would have done with my own son. When he came of age." After a brief moment, Bard cleared his throat. "Eh, sorry... The mind wanders."

Sebastian was unwavering. "It's fine."

"But," Bard continued with renewed gusto, "it takes one to know one, and I'm telling you you're like a father to him."

"Very well."

Bard tilted his chin. "... Very well? Really?"

Sebastian closed his eyes. "I'm not interested in arguing with you."

Bard stared at him a second more, then propped one of his elbows on the back of the metal bench. "Tch. Too bad… It woulda passed the time."

"Indeed. May I ask you a personal question instead? If you'd rather not answer, you needn't do so."

He got a surprised blink for that. "A personal question? From you? Ehh, sure. Fire away, I guess."

Sebastian asked plainly, "What sort of person was your son?"

Another surprised blink. Bard adjusted the toothpick in his mouth with his tongue. "Junior?" It was quiet for a minute. Eventually, Bard gave a long sigh out his nose. "He was… well, he was just like I was as a kid." A smile crept over Bard's face again. "A little spitfire, always rarin' to go. He loved his slingshot like most kids would love a doll or a toy soldier. He'd fall asleep in bed at night with it still clutched in his hand. He practiced and practiced with that thing until he could shoot tin cans from twenty feet away with perfect shots every time. If he met Mey-Rin, I know he'd think she was just amazing. He'd probably get a little crush on her, heh heh… Well, maybe he wouldn't, actually, maybe he's still too young to love any girl other than his mama. But he would think she was amazing. Junior's amazed by just about everything. He even looked up to me, if yeh can believe it. Could make me feel like I was the greatest thing in the world. And oh, how he needed to help out with every single thing I did…"

So Bard continued to regale stories about his son and even his wife until they made it to London's outskirts. Sebastian listened, ears like nets catching for the feeling behind the words. There were brief moments in which Bard unintentionally used the present tense to refer to his deceased family. He didn't seem to notice he'd done it. Sebastian found he was becoming more and more acquainted with the fact that when people spoke straight from their hearts, they sometimes said words they didn't mean to say and yet, in that strange way of humans, managed to be all the more honest for it.

In the city's heart, life bustled, as always, but there was still a distinctive slowness compared to their last visit. Most of the Season's noble visitors had moved back to their countryside manors by now. In less than two weeks, the social season would officially be over; Ciel had cut the Funtom event close for the sake of having the maximum amount of time to plan it. For the toy collectors who lived outside of the South, it at least meant travel may be slightly less congested.

They turned a corner, and the Phantomhive's London house was suddenly in sight. Agni and Soma were already waiting outside the front door for them. Sebastian watched the prince gasp and race down the steps with a smile huge on his face. Agni was in his wake. The two of them worked together to open the wrought-iron gates and allow the carriage to pass through.

Bard brought the horses to a stop in front of the house. Sebastian hopped down from his position and bowed an apology before going to the carriage door. "I appreciate your opening the gates for us. I would have been more than happy to assist with that, instead of troubling the both of you."

"No trouble at all, my friend," Agni said warmly. Though he didn't express it with the same unbridled enthusiasm as Soma, it was clear in Agni's eyes that he was just as pleased to have Sebastian visit. "My prince was delighted to welcome Lord Phantomhive here with his own hand."

"Ciel! Ciel, Ciel, Ciel!" Soma was barking like a gull at the carriage. "You're here, you're here, you're here! At last you're here! I've been waiting all summer for this and now it's finally happening!" He raced over as soon as Ciel had descended the steps and crushed him in an enormous hug. Just as quickly, he thrust Ciel away from him with hands on the boy's shoulders. He seemed abruptly serious. "Ah, I nearly forgot! Did your voice get deeper? Do you sound totally different now? Well? Have I missed it or not?"

Ciel stared up at the other boy dully for a few seconds, still a bit sleepy, before responding with a long, monotone, "Baaaaa."

Soma drew back in surprise, then started laughing and hugging his friend again. "Hooray! Ciel is the same! He hasn't changed after all! Yaaay! This calls for a celebration!"

"It doesn't call for anything," Ciel said, muffled against Soma's chest. "I'm too busy right now. After I get my things to my room and have a change of wardrobe, I'm headed straight to Sedgemore House."

Soma had started rocking Ciel back and forth. "Oh, but can't we celebrate your being here just a little? Pleeeaase? A friend of yours is already visiting anyway."

Sebastian's ears perked at that as readily as the young master's. "A friend? What friend?" Ciel asked. He scrambled in Soma's arms, only managing to turn the other direction so that he was facing outward. "You ought to let me go now, and tell me what friend it is while you're at it. You didn't just let a stranger into my house, did you?"

"No, of course not, silly Ciel! Agni and I almost never let in strangers." Soma rested his chin atop the other boy's head. "Good idea, this way is better. Now we don't have to let go of each other if we need to walk around. Isn't this nice?"

"No," said Ciel. "What friend is here? A-And why did you leave them all by themself?! What a terrible way to treat a guest!"

"She's fine! I told her I had to make sure I was outside when you arrived, she didn't mind!"

"Her? Her who? For goodness' sake, let go of me and tell me who it is already!"

"Mmmm… One more squeeze first, that's the fee for information…"

"You're not a boa constrictor, you don't need to— Gghhk! Koff… Ack, okay, there's your damn hug. Now you'd better release me or I swear I won't let you touch me for the rest of my stay."

That threat did its job — sort of. "She's in the parlor! Let's go together, let's go!"

"H-Hey! Dragging me by my hand isn't any better, dammit—!" But Ciel was promptly whisked indoors before anything more could be said on the matter.

During that conversation, Sebastian (and Agni, since he'd insisted) had successfully removed all the luggage from the top of the carriage. Now they stood by to close the gates for Bard after he departed. Before driving off, Bard looked down at Sebastian from the driver's seat and offered somewhat sheepishly, "Thanks for, eh… the good conversation. It's been a while since I thought about Junior. Didn't think it'd be so nice just to prattle on about 'im for a bit... Anyway, see you back at the manor in a few weeks. I'll take care a' the kids at home. You take good care a' the young master, right?"

Against his better judgment, Sebastian half-smirked. "Don't I always?"

Bard returned the expression. "Yep. Ya sure do." He clicked the reins. "All right, Gil, Merry, look alive! We've got work to do yet." And off the carriage went.

In the house, Sebastian left the luggage at the base of the stairs, and was just in time to see the young master opening up the doors to the parlor. Soma had immediately raced up to Agni when they entered, teary-eyed and whining about being scolded, so there'd likely been some sort of spat between the boys to slow Ciel down from meeting the 'guest.' And now it was time to see who it was…

"Mon lapin! There you are, at ever-loving last! It is so good to see you again! Oh, and you've got that old-fashioned butler in tow, of course."

Ah. So this was the 'she' in question.

"N-Nina, what a surprise," Ciel stuttered as the designer hustled her way around the intricate furniture to inspect one of her dearest clients more closely. "Our appointment isn't supposed to be for another few days. What are you doing here now?"

"What am I doing here?" Nina repeated his question as if it were minorly preposterous. "Why, I'm here because of a happy accident I made just a few months ago when I stopped by looking for you. Lord Phantomhive, just when were you planning to tell me that you're renting your abode to the future of men's fashion?"

Ciel's shoulders drooped. "The… future of men's fashion, really. That's news to me."

Nina ignored him, clenching a dramatic fist. "For so long now, I believed that a man's wardrobe was nothing but pitch black suits and starched white collars… The diatonic haberdashery extolled by the likes of our own humdrum Mr. Stiff… But then! On a whim, I decided to pop by the Phantomhive manor in search of my littlest client and who should I meet instead? The serendipitous hand of Fortuna, beckoning me with her slender fingers to in-spi-ra-tion!" Her own slender finger tapped at the air with each enunciated syllable. "Sure enough, who do I espy but two Indian men, clad not in the perpetual mourning dress of the British lord, but in color and in pattern and in jewels! And so, I have been coming here when I have the time for some weeks now and learning what I can of Indian fashion so that I may inject it into this country's own miserably drab consciousness."

"Is that so," Ciel said flatly.

"Oh, it is so." Nina smartly plucked something from her pocket. "You can see for yourself. I've used your and your friend's likenesses to come up with something fantastically debonair."

"You… You did… what…?" Nina was then flaunting an image in the boy's face, a sketch that had been painted with a light wash of watercolor. On one model, there was a lot of blue cloth bordered by gold and periwinkle, heavy silver jewelry around the neck and waist, bangles on the wrists, and some sort of elaborate feathered headpiece with loops swinging around the ears. Next to that was another model, notably taller, decked in the warmest oranges and yellows, with red tassels and golden jewelry like shells and coins studding collar and belt. What on earth…※※

Ciel stared at the sketch only briefly before choking out, "Nina, what the hell is this?!"

"Something you're too much of a coward to wear, clearly," Nina huffed in disappointment. She flapped her fingers in a lackadaisical wave. "Don't worry, I understood your request. I promise what I made you for your Funtom convention is so blasé, even our most delicate Mr. Stiff won't be clutching his pearls. But this design looks quite showstopping, ñ'est-ce pas?"

"Oh, it's showstopping, all right. Don't ask me if I mean that as a compliment…" Ciel sounded dizzy, perplexed. He shook his head, then turned around to face Soma as he heard him enter the room. "So, it seems my tailor finds you somewhat of an inspiration."

Soma frowned angrily, sniffling. "Yeah, that's right! Some people are actually excited to see me! Surprised, aren't you?!"

Ciel sighed, his eyebrows drawing upward as his lids closed. "Good grief… I've only just arrived and it's already a three-ring cir—"

"Lord Phantomhive, I am not finished." Ciel's eyes flinched open again as he heard the sudden snap of quickly unfurling measuring tape a little too close to his ear. Nina loomed behind him. "Just when were you planning on telling me that you've grown even more…?" she said, a glint in her eye and simmering disapproval in her smile.

Ciel turned so that he could face both of them now. "Does it really matter? You haven't stitched the hems, have you? The fabric can still be let out."

Nina took his arm, began stretching the tape across it. "Of course it really matters — every detail is ve-e-ery important to me! Precision, Lord Phantomhive, is the key to my success, and if you sully the image I've designed specifically for your silhouette then you may as well sully my name."

Ciel eyed her as she went about her measurements. "All right, all right, but don't you think this can wai—"

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Soma shouted petulantly.

Ciel's head twisted swiftly. "Don't ignore you?! "

"Since you've arrived, all you've done is be mean to me!" Soma continued. He held up an unblemished hand. "You hit me for no reason!"

"It wasn't for 'no reason!' You wouldn't— aghh! " Ciel threw out his arms, almost losing his balance when Nina suddenly grabbed one of his legs so she could measure the circumference of his ankle.

"Oh no!" Soma reflexively caught Ciel so that he wouldn't fall over. After a pause, he seemed to remember he was upset, and added, "S-See?! That's what a true friend does!"

"Nina, for goodness sake! Now is not the time for this!" Ciel thrust out his leg to shake her off, whisked his arm away from Soma, and glared, eyes shifting back and forth, shrewd. "Honestly, between the two of you, there is far too little respect for my person! You can't just touch me whenever you please, all right?! And certainly not if I tell you to stop doing it! Are we bloody well clear on this, or should I say it again more slowly?!"

The room was quiet as Ciel stood there seething. Nina sniffed, pushing her glasses up with one finger and blinking behind them in prim resolution. Soma folded his arms and grumbled, "There, see, that's all you had to say in the first place…"

"I did say that! " Ciel's temper flared. His shoulders raised as he became more puffed up. "I said it at least three times, but you continued to ignore me no matter how adamant I was! And I didn't want to hit you, but you weren't getting the message otherwise! I'm not interested in being held responsible for your selective hearing! So listen well so I don't have to blow up at you again later: I don't have time for visiting right now! I'm going to Sedgemore House! I have work to do! All right? Now excuse me!"

With that, Ciel brushed past him, and past Agni too, who stood blinking by the room's entranceway.

Sebastian supposed he should follow. "And excuse me as well, everyone."

Pausing only momentarily to pick up Ciel's three suitcases from the bottom of the stairwell, Sebastian was fast in the boy's curt stride. He closed the door behind them after they entered the bedroom on the third floor. Ciel's back was turned to him, and Sebastian didn't quite know what to expect, though he was surprised that when Ciel did eventually face him, it was with a half-grin.

"Hm! Well, it certainly feels better to yell at people who actually deserve it," he said, self-satisfied. He interlocked his fingers and flexed his arms before him, like someone stretching after a job well done. "That brat of a prince was overdue for a lecture, since Agni sure as hell doesn't discipline him. If Soma wants to get excited for my arrival, then he'd better remember what it really means when I'm around. Not hours of running about and following his every whim, that's for sure!"

Sebastian said nothing. Ciel plopped on the edge of his bed, slinging one leg over the other. "And I guess you must be pretty pleased with yourself, too," he continued, "since you told me to be honest with Soma and all that. So, there it is. I made him listen to me about not liking to be touched. Happy?"

He wants me to praise him. The thought was in Sebastian's head before he could dismiss it, just as he had been working so hard to do all morning. It wasn't as easy for him to speak his mind as he'd like me to believe. He wants to know that he has my support.

Sebastian busied himself with unpacking Ciel's wardrobe. He tried very hard to say nothing. What would happen if he opened his mouth? But surely Ciel wouldn't let him get away with silence after posing a direct question. With effort, Sebastian managed to keep his response neutral. "The young master definitely seized the opportunity."

"... Maybe I do that too much, though." Ciel was abruptly subdued. "I… didn't end up talking to Tanaka about our argument last night. Or, well, he wasn't arguing, it was just me. I should have approached him before we left this morning, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't know why. It just felt impossible."

Probably because you aren't ready to apologize; probably because there are things you don't want to apologize for, things that you shouldn't necessarily have to apologize for either. And probably because you aren't ready to recognize how right Tanaka is, that you do have many needs, that those needs aren't being met in full, and that you should be worried over by an adult. And why shouldn't that adult be—

"You'll have the opportunity to speak with Tanaka when we return," Sebastian said, by means of interrupting his own thoughts. "But for now, your top priority is getting to Sedgemore House in good order and seeing to the Funtom event preparations. So, shall we have you out of your travel clothes and properly dressed for the occasion posthaste?"

Ciel looked a little thrown-off by the unintended forcefulness in Sebastian's tone. But the argument appealed to Ciel's logical side, so he agreed. "Right, right, yes. There is a lot to do today, and I don't want to be sitting around anymore. Let's get ready to go."

Ten minutes later, they were heading back down the stairs, Ciel dressed smartly in a blue vest and black jacket and gray trousers — an ensemble that Nina would surely decree "diatonic haberdashery." At the bottom of the stairs near the door stood Soma and Agni, the former with large, regretful eyes and the latter with a reassuring smile directed at his charge's back.

Ciel stiffened at the sight of them. "Oh, good grief… What is it now?"

Soma lowered his chin. He rubbed at his elbow sheepishly. "Ciel, I… I owe you an apology. I haven't been a very good friend today."

Ciel sighed heavily. "Whatever. We can talk about this later. Right now, I need to—"

"Please, I want to do this! I'll be quick," Soma promised. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you properly when you asked me to let go of you earlier. Agni often tells me that I sometimes get distracted during his lessons, too. I'm trying to be better, but when I get excited about something, it can be really hard for me to pay attention. But that's still not fair to you. I didn't mean to put you in the position that I did. I promise I'll listen when you ask me to let go of you and then you won't have to hit me."

Ciel shifted his weight to his other foot with impatience or discomfort (or both). "... Fine, fine, that's all well and good. But you're just ignoring me now, too, you know. I said I need to get going, and I meant it."

"I-I know, and I'm really sorry for this too, but I needed you to hear my apology," Soma sniffled. "I didn't want the both of us to be thinking about this until you came home later. It would really put a damper on the whole day, don't you think?"

While unlikely to be a shared sentiment, Ciel responded briskly, "Sure, very well. The air is clear now. Anyway, I'm taking off, so excuse me." He began to walk past the two of them.

Soma looked like it took all of his willpower not to grab Ciel then and there for an apology embrace, but he managed to contain himself and ask instead, "When you come back tonight, should I ask before I hug you?"

Ciel stopped in his tracks, and his body seized up slightly. He was quiet for a moment. "Look, you, just… just listen when I tell you to let me go, all right? Don't you think that's enough of a goal for the time being? You can barely stop yourself right now, after all."

"Ah, Ciel knows me too well!" Soma was practically shivering from head to toe with anticipation. "So does that mean I can hug you right now?!"

Ciel took another step towards the door. "Well, if you have to ask…"

Soma was crushing the boy in his arms in moments. "I love you, Ciel! I love you so much! I want to be friends with you forever, so I'm going to work really, really hard and listen to you as best as I possibly can! You have my word as a prince!"

"... Okay, that's already enough. You can let go," Ciel grumbled out from under Soma's arms. "Seriously, do you have to be so violent about it…"

"Sorry!" Soma released him promptly, but his eyes shimmered with joy. "So I can really still hug Ciel whenever I want?!"

Ciel snickered then. "Well, maybe if you were an adult I'd tell you to watch yourself, but you're just a child who doesn't know any better, aren't you?"

"Whaaaaaaat? So mean! I'm just excitable, that's all!"

"Sure, sure, whatever you say. I'm leaving now, goodbye."

Sebastian turned to politely wave their 'hosts' off. Soma looked immensely pleased that his mission to apologize had been a success. Agni had a noticeably pensive look on his face. When he caught Sebastian's eye, however, he simply smiled and waved back.

The sun welcomed them as soon as they stepped out the door. So did the sounds of a lively city in summertime. At this hour, London's streets bustled with cab drivers looking diligently for their next client. Sebastian was able to hail the two of them a clean and well-maintained clarence within minutes of their stroll onto the sidewalk by the thoroughfare. "Sedgemore House," Sebastian told the driver, and paid him exactly, as Ciel stepped aboard the vehicle. The man looked slightly displeased but didn't complain; Sedgemore House was not terribly far from the London manor, so the pay had not been great. "There's more where that came from, if the ride is smooth," Sebastian suggested before stepping aboard.

Ciel didn't often keep his own carriage in London, unless the rest of his family were visiting, because he knew his horses were happier together at the estate. Still, one needed to be choosy when relying on public transport: flashy little hansom cabs could be flimsy things, and drivers didn't usually make enough money to maintain their vehicles to the utmost comfort. Thus, Sebastian and his discerning eyes were always tasked with choosing a proper carriage for their travels — and if Sebastian did a poor job, he wouldn't hear the end of it.

Sedgemore House was located in Central London's Belgravia district, close to the Cadogan Place Gardens. The area was known for housing some of London's most wealthy individuals, mostly in white stucco terraces that had been built more than half a century ago. It was a clean and bright sector, and felt refreshing due to its high volume of parks with their touches of greenery. Such a fashionable area was surely a ridiculous privilege for someone like Henri Fairclough to find himself…

Sebastian shook off his own bitterness. Who was Fairclough to him? Nothing but a friendly acquaintance of his master's. No one to peak his suspicion. No one but a man. No more, or less, than that.

After Sebastian took his place on the bench (thinly cushioned, but at least it wasn't lumpy), the driver closed the door using a lever. Ciel tapped the ceiling with his cane to let the man know they were properly seated, and the carriage tottered off.

Sebastian pushed back the curtain so that Ciel could see outside more easily and then began, "Well, when—"

"Listen, I don't want to talk about all that right now, so don't even mention it until our nightly meeting, okay?" Ciel interrupted him quickly.

Sebastian blinked. From the opposite bench, Ciel was staring at him dead-on, though he seemed somewhat abashed. Sebastian tilted his head in question. "You don't want to talk about… what exactly?"

Ciel glanced to the side. "You know, about… the… N-Never mind. What were you saying?"

He thought I was going to mention the prior scene in the foyer, because for some reason he didn't tell Soma not to—

"I was only going to say that when we arrive, the preparations should be in full swing already," Sebastian answered hastily. "I imagine Mr. Cavendish will have a handle on the situation as of this moment, but we still have a short checklist of reviews to complete before the eighth. Not the least of which is making sure the desserts are up to your standards. Though I suppose even the young master may find himself tired of all the sugar by the end of the week?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow.

Ciel smiled daringly back. "Don't underestimate me."

"Very good. We can simply cut out the usual teatime confections for a while, then. Ah, how much easier that shall make my job…"

Ciel's tongue had unknowingly found itself in one corner of his lips. "You don't need to cut them out every day, just on the days when I'm testing the desserts for the event. What else is there to do?"

Sebastian continued through his mental checklist, "There should be a valuator coming by early next week to help determine starting bids for each auction item. We'll need to have a meeting with him and the auction team to be certain everyone is on the same page for event day. Over the course of the week, we'll also need to meet with the rest of the event staff — waiters, musicians, confectioners, anyone ensuring guest satisfaction, and of course Mr. Pitt and Prince Soma — to be sure they know their tasks and where they are supposed to be. That way during Thursday's trial run, we won't need to waste time answering basic questions." Sebastian smiled politely. "I shall deflect to Mr. Cavendish for everything else that needs doing, as he is guaranteed to know the specifics better than I could."

Ciel nodded, gaze floating to the window. "Sebastian?"

The polite smile remained on his face. "Yes, sir?"

"Are all demons as weird as you?"

Now Sebastian's expression fell. "Sir, usually when you ask me that question, I've at least done something to merit it..."

Ciel picked up the grin that Sebastian had dropped. "You don't think you have?"

Brief panic. Has he noticed my hesitation today? "Not exactly…"

The boy closed his eyes and lifted his chin proudly. "Hm! Well then."

That doesn't seem to be the case; good. "Won't you enlighten me on the error of my ways, then, young master?"

"You want me to just tell you?" Ciel folded his arms, still smirking. "Not going to bully it out of me, or use some underhanded demon trick? Aren't you boring. All the other demons would surely point and jeer if they could see how positively undemon-like you're being."

Sebastian stared at the boy across from him, who stared back with an eyeful of mischief. Is he… being playful with me? "And just where has this rare mood sprung from?"

"Rare? It's not rare for me to mess with you," Ciel sneered.

"No," said Sebastian, feeling the spirit overtake him despite himself, "but it is rare for you to be so…" He pretended to think for a moment. "... silly."

It was just as he'd hoped. Ciel was immediately flustered. "Wh—? I'm not being silly!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you are," Sebastian responded, to Ciel's continued mortification. "As someone who has occasionally been known to be 'silly' himself, I can recognize all the signs in a heartbeat."

"I'm making fun of you!" Ciel shouted back desperately.

Sebastian tsked. "Well, if making fun is the game, you have chosen your sport poorly, for the simple accusation of your silliness seems to have dealt quite a blow."

"I'm not being anything!" There was a whine to the boy's voice that gave away he'd been pushed far enough.

Sebastian relented at last. He'd wanted to tease, not scare off the positive atmosphere. "You know that any opportunity to spar verbally with the young master is an opportunity I shall seize. Though I wonder if I may suffer the wounds of being called boring for some time yet…"

"Suffer them for a lifetime! You're better when you're boring after all!" Ciel didn't speak more after that, but that final jab at his demon seemed to return him to a state of haughty pride.

Sebastian chuckled to himself before being filled with dread. Oh, drat. He'd lost himself in the moment. He straightened his back. Now, now; he wasn't supposed to be encouraging that kind of conversation. He was simply one hell of a butler, and nothing more. Nothing more…

They arrived in short order outside Sedgemore House's elaborate iron gates and stepped out of the cab. The gates themselves were permanently thrown wide to permit the numerous carriers that would be coming by today. Guards stationed at those gates confirmed each crew's purpose for being there before allowing them to proceed around back to the tradesmen entrance. The guards easily recognized Ciel as an 'esteemed guest,' however, and after Sebastian tipped the driver extra as promised, they were nodded through without need for any formal corroboration.

The front door of Sedgemore House was wide open as well, so Ciel did not bother to knock before walking inside. The entrance hall was a storm of activity. Furniture laborers passed by carrying chairs and tables, display cases and easels, mainly into the ballroom and drawing room, but some to the main hallway too. Chefs in white coats tagged after kitchen assistants and day men carrying boxes of ingredients and cookware, as if worried their specialty items may be ruined without constant supervision. Men with Funtom badges pinned to their chests talked with auctioneers and their upholders as items were unloaded from padded containers by men wearing kidskin gloves. Yet more hired hands were setting up ladders, hanging banners, rolling up carpets, and barking orders at lorry boys, who hurried to pick up scraps and rubbish left over from everyone's else's hard work. A constable stood just inside or outside most of the doors, monitoring that nothing of Lord Sedgemore's was absconded with in the midst of this constant human activity.※※※

In the direct center of it all was Funtom's lead manager, Mr. Cavendish. A mere glance at Mr. Cavendish betrayed a balding fellow in his early fifties with a thin appearance and soft skin. But anyone who watched Mr. Cavendish in his element would soon realize that this man was an anomaly. He moved with the calculated finesse of a figure skater, able to walk with a gliding gait that made his figure eights of the room appear to be effortless, artistic things. A person had only to stand in his path and Cavendish would eventually sweep over to them, prophesy their need simply by looking at their dress or the items they bore, and respond without hurry, "You're to report to the garden," "That should be brought to the parlor," "Put in a request for another ice delivery," "Place that down gently, please; do not scuff the floors."

An impressive human, to be sure, and one that had been working for Funtom nearly since its inception. Ciel had been very specific with Sebastian about the humans he would interview for the superintendent position even years ago. He wanted a conductor, someone who could manage any and all things with aplomb, who would not be lost to the pressures of managing hundreds. But Ciel had meant this as literally as he did figuratively — when he asked at the man's interview, "Which instrument do you believe is of the least importance to an orchestra?" Cavendish's immediate answer of "Why, none of them" had undoubtedly curried favor from the start.

Mr. Cavendish was finally brought to a standstill when he noted Ciel was in attendance. He finished his perfect loop before arriving before them, slowing not like a train rolling into a station, but suddenly, succinctly. "Lord Phantomhive, very good to see you by."

"Cavendish. Apologies for my delay. There was a roadblock along the journey, so to speak." Ciel's eyes swept the room as he smiled. "Though, as expected, everything here seems to be running like clockwork."

"I do what I can," Cavendish assured. He took no time to bask in the compliment. "I should inform you, however, that Lord Sedgemore's current guest wanted me to pass along that he has a friend of his he'd like to introduce you to."

Ciel made a noise of recognition. "Oh, Mr. Fairclough? Well, if it can be done in brief, I'll meet with him; I'm sure there is plenty that needs my signature yet, hm? Though I have faith in your judgment when it comes to these matters."

Cavendish gave his head a short dip. "Thank you, sir. In any case, I believe Mr. Fairclough said he would be in the libr—"

"Lord Phantomhive, bonjour! Just in time for us to come and check for your arrival!"

Fairclough entered then through the hallway between the staircases. He waved overhead, as if he was approaching them from far away, and smiled. The friend with him today was nothing like Mr. Goode, however, or like Fairclough, for that matter. This man was stringy, with blond hair that managed to look limp even though it was slicked back with too much pomade. He wore a sour expression, not helped by his shrewd gray eyes. He stopped short behind his host and bowed with a twitch of his waist as he was introduced as, "Mr. Frank Erickson, my colleague. He will be staying with me for a few weeks as we wait for Weston's first semester to begin."

"How do you, Lord Phantomhive." Erickson offered his hand out politely, but Sebastian could tell by the awkwardness in Ciel's grip that the shake had been a dead fish. "It seems your preparations are coming along well." His voice didn't have much life in it either.

Ciel gave away no sign that their meeting was a bland one. "Indeed they are. Mr. Erickson, this should go without saying, but as a guest of Mr. Fairclough's, I do hope you know you're invited to Funtom's convention in a week's time. I'd be happy to see you there."

"My thanks. I would be delighted," said Erickson, in the least delighted tone Sebastian could imagine.

Fairclough picked up on this, too. He shoved Erickson's shoulder in mock disappointment. "Give it a little enthusiasm, won't you? Ah, no need to mind this one, Lord Phantomhive. There's no accounting for a lack of élan! Though it may shock you to hear that Erickson is known as a bit of a troublemaker among the rest of our team."

"Let's not mention that now." Like a hedgehog disturbed, Erickson's voice curled up tight and grew spines of displeasure for just that moment.

Ciel sensed the tension and changed the subject. "I have quite a few desserts and recipes that I need to taste-test today. I don't suppose the two of you would be interested in joining me around noon to help? Funtom's own Chef Toussaint came to us highly recommended by the Société des Cuisiniers français for his particular knowledge of Eastern cuisine. He's in the Sedgemore kitchens today preparing four types of Indian desserts, recipes which I hope to offer at Funtom's restaurants in the future, as well as have adapted for mass production to be sold alongside the rest of our confections."

"Sounds wonderful!" Fairclough cheered, at the same time Erickson said, "Apologies, but we don't have the time."

The men faced each other. "Clough, we're swamped," Erickson scolded in that same hollow way of his. "I wouldn't be visiting otherwise. The Funtom event will be enough of a holiday next week. For now, we need to keep busy."

Fairclough sighed. "I suppose you're right… Our team doesn't need two resident troublemakers, after all."

Erickson glared at Fairclough from the corner of his eye, tacking on under his breath, "Why else do you think I'm here?"

The jab went ignored. "I'm sorry we won't be able to join you after all, Lord Phantomhive," Fairclough said. "My colleague does have a point. But I wanted to at least say bonjour! I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your preparations. Do let me know if there's anything I can help with."

"And the same to you," Ciel said with a cordial smile. "Best of luck."

The two men wandered off to the hallway they'd just emerged from. Ciel turned to his superintendent once more. "Right, then, Cavendish. Where do we begin?"

It was around 4:30 when butler and master returned to the London house in time for afternoon tea, Ciel massaging at his shoulder as they ascended the front steps. Work had been a rather tiresome affair for Ciel. Other than testing the desserts, most of the day's tasks had been purely administrative: adding his signature to documents authenticating each individual auction item; confirming that every piece of furniture they'd purchased had been delivered without damage; going through cost analyses with Cavendish; that sort of thing. It had been tedious and intellectually exhausting — and now Sebastian heard Ciel give a sigh as he stood before his home's front doors, no doubt remembering the whirlwind that awaited him on the other side.

"Ciiiiiieellll! You're hoooome!" Soma burst out of the parlor and raced over to the duo at once. He planted his hands on his hips. "You were gone for so long, it must have been a lot of work! Ah, how tired you look. You probably just want me to hug you gently, right?"

Ciel's posture drooped. "What? I have a choice now?"

Soma clenched his fists enthusiastically. "Yes! It's part of my respect-my-best-friend-Ciel plan! I try to pay more attention to what type of hug you can handle! And right now, you seem like you need a calm hug!"

Ciel scratched at the back of his head. "Oh, for goodness sake… Don't make me make decisions like this."

"Okaaay!" Soma flung open his arms, then wrapped them around Ciel with almost maternal care, and he leaned his cheek against the top of Ciel's head. "Welcome back! I'm so glad you're home safe!"

"Of course I'm home safe," Ciel grumbled. He stood there stiffly for a few moments before saying, "You aren't just going to wait for me to tell you when to let go from here out, are you? I don't like that."

Soma released him and pouted. "Ehhh? But I thought that was what you wanted. I'm confused."

Ciel put a hand to his forehead. "No, I don't want… Look. Just count to three silently to yourself and then let go. All right? Three seconds should be long enough for you and short enough for me." A pause. Then Ciel's neck slowly turned red with discomfort. "W-Why are we even having this conversation in the first place? How ridiculous! Talking about hugs this much — honestly! What the hell has my life become?!"

"Ah, Ciel, you look like a strawberry!" Soma said.

"Shut up! Stop talking!" Ciel snapped back.

"Oh my. It seems wherever the Earl goes, things become lively," Lau observed from the parlor entrance.

"It does, doesn't it?" Soma agreed.

"Lau?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Ciel sputtered.

"Well, that's one way to greet an old friend," Lau said simply. "I prefer 'good day' myself."

"You didn't tell me we had another guest!" Ciel shouted in Soma's face.

"I was getting to that!" Soma laughed, as if oblivious to rage being directed at him.

"Welcome home, Lord Ciel, Sebastian! I have some tea for everyone to enjoy. Isn't it just wonderful to all be together again?" greeted Agni, as he entered the door opposite the parlor's and wheeled in a cart with the tea and its accompaniments stacked atop.

Ciel looked around at the three faces beaming back at him in his entrance hall. Eventually his gaze fell on Sebastian behind him, and the glazed look in his blue eye seemed to say, Are you seeing what I'm expected to put up with? Finally, Ciel faced forward again and gave a long sigh. "All right, then… Let's all have a seat in the parlor and settle down before I lose my wits completely."

Within a minute, the group had relocated to the sitting area. Agni poured masala chai the color of freshly ground cinnamon into three teacups from a Dresden Donath & Co. Meissen set. The tea was accompanied by shortbread biscuits and steamed semolina cakes called rava dohkla, which sat on a tiered tray within easy reach. As well, everyone received their own plate of perfectly round, flaky fried crackers alongside tiny silver cups filled with chutneys, a plummy one made from tamarinds, another from bright green mint.

Ciel picked up his tea and saucer but didn't go for the snacks. "So, Lau, what are you doing here unannounced?"

Lau tilted his head minutely. "Hmm? Why, I thought that would be obvious, Earl. I'm here because you are. Because you are at last, I should say — it is awfully late in the Season for a nobleman of your status to be first arriving."

"I'm doing things differently this year," Ciel said simply. "But surely you didn't keep your finger on the pulse of my whereabouts just so you could ask about my summer plans. Out with it."

"My goodness, how bossy," Lau tutted. "And here I was, imagining that my invitation to the Earl's upcoming party was just lost in the mail. Now I'm beginning to think you don't want me there at all."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You're actually curious?"

"Well, it is the talk of the town. Why wouldn't I be curious?" Lau smiled slyly, the only way he ever seemed to smile. "And we are partners, aren't we? Surely you aren't trying to send a message by excluding me."

Ciel laughed darkly. "I would never send a message so passively." His face changed to one of inquisitiveness. "I simply didn't think you'd be interested. You want to come? Fine. You're invited. Just so long as you aren't attending merely to intimidate some sorry old gent who owes you money."

Lau put a hand to his heart. "You wound me, Earl. I don't offer my presence to just anyone. I have others to take care of that nasty business for me. Otherwise, I'd never have time to get out and play."

"Right," Ciel sniffed, "as if I'm not surely the only noble who invites you to their parties. But maybe that can change, granted you aren't there to cause trouble. I don't need my convention remaining the 'talk of the town' after the fact for any unsavory reasons."

"Another blow to my ego," Lau said without remorse. "Lord Ridley invites me to visit him in Brighton every winter, for your information. We've been business partners for well over a decade now."

Ciel sipped at his tea. "That sounds like something you just made up, but I don't really care what you do in your spare time. Just mind yourself at this party or else."

"I'm shivering in my shoes," was Lau's casual remark. "So, anyway, what sort of party is it? Will I be lucky enough to again witness the Earl's superior dancing abilities?"

Ciel glowered at him. "You hear gossip, but you don't really listen to it, do you? It's not a ball."

Up until this point, Soma had been paying attention to the conversation about as well as a child: occasionally looking up when a voice shifted pitch, but otherwise more focused on the treats before him. Now he chimed in, after swallowing a huge bite of biscuit, "It's to celebrate a toy based on me!"

"That's not what it is at all," Ciel sighed, giving the prince a sidelong look. "I've had about enough of explaining things to people today, Lau, so you can just find out for yourself when you arrive at Sedgemore House on the eighth. Show up around noon. Anyway, since you're already here, you may as well be of some use to me. Once we're finished with the tea, let's move over to the card table and play poker until Sebastian has dinner ready for us."

Lau put his palms together. "Poker and a free dinner, hm? What luck."

"Agni's already taking care of dinner, Ciel," Soma explained. "He's been working on it since you left! It's going to be an amazing feast of all the best Indian dishes!"

"Oh, really…" Ciel frowned, looking down at his untouched plate of crackers and sauces. "Well, I hate to be rude, but I was sort of hoping for something a little bit more… familiar tonight. I spent my afternoon eating curry buns and all types of Indian desserts. I'm not used to so many spices, it's making my stomach feel sensitive…"

Soma frowned too. "But Ciiieeel! It's all my favorite foods, and Agni has been working so hard to make it just right! I promise you'll really like it!"

"Now, now, Prince Soma, it's important to be an understanding host," Agni said with a smile. He bowed forward slightly while looking at Ciel. "Lord Phantomhive, my cooking knowledge extends beyond the dishes of my own country. If there is something else I could prepare especially for you, you need only say the word. You deserve to eat the foods that make you feel comfortable, especially after you've worked so hard today."

"Er, yeah…" said Ciel, looking somewhat embarrassed to be reassured this way. It was quite obviously Ciel's right to ask for something else to eat in his own home, but Agni's words seemed to have been helpful anyhow, because Ciel's brow unfurrowed.

Sebastian was impressed with Agni's ability to understand. The young master will never admit it, but he does so hate to inconvenience those who really care about him. He never feels deserving of the place in their hearts he occupies. Does he know that he is entitled to being cared about and accommodated? Someone should be making him aware of that, and that someone should be—

"If I may make a suggestion, my lord, roast pigeon is ideal this time of year," Sebastian said, with such abruptness that all heads turned. He pretended not to notice. "Smithfield may be selling pouter or plover nicely trussed that I can go and fetch, even at this hour.※※※※ Bread-sauce is the perfect accompaniment, so if you have any loaves going stale right now, Agni, that should be a good use for them. If not, a simple egg-sauce works just as well. It will be very quick and easy for me to make, so it should be finished on-time alongside the rest of the meal."

"O-Oh! Yes, I think we do have some brown bread that has been sitting for a while," Agni said. "But you've already done plenty today, Mr. Sebastian, and you're a guest to us, too! You needn't worry about letting me take care of this. Squab is somewhat popular in Assamese cuisine, so I have a little experience preparing it."

"Pigeon should be basted with butter consistently over a nice, bright fire to taste its best," Sebastian reminded him, "and while I don't doubt you would find a way to manage it, you have your hands full with other dishes. I shall happily take care of it."

Agni flustered. "Ah, uh, i-if you insist! Fortunately, I have made plenty of food for everyone, so you will be able to eat more than your fair share, too! That's how I'll pay you back for your help."

Sebastian tried not to grimace. Suddenly, I know just how the young master felt… "Ah. Isn't that… kind."

Ciel stood and cleared his throat. "How wonderful that we could all be privy to the debate around what I'm having for supper. The two of you can get back to work, then. Lau, Soma, whenever you're finished eating, let's get straight to poker. I've been itching for some decent recreation all summer. And I want a clean game, all right, Lau? No cheating by hiding cards in your sleeves like last time."

Lau stood, too, and threw out his arms in a shrug. "I would never cheat to win, Earl, I was only testing your cunning! Someone has to keep you sharp when you aren't on a mission for our dear Queen Victoria, right?"

"Mhm. A likely story." Ciel stepped out between the coffee table and sofa to walk over to the card table by the window, but Lau did the same and suddenly stood blocking his path. Ciel halted before him. "What? What is it?" he said warily.

Lau held out a flat hand up to his chest. "Last time I saw you, Earl, you were only this tall. But now…" He hovered the hand over the top of Ciel's head, making the boy flinch with surprise, and guided it back towards himself. "Now you're all the way up to here! So, it's just as the prince said, you really are growing at last. Isn't that nice."

Ciel smacked at Lau's hand, even though it was no longer near him. "Knock it off! This is the third time I'll say it to someone today, don't touch me without asking! And you! Don't talk about me when I'm not around!" The last two sentences were aimed at Soma.

Soma ate a final piece of rava dohkla before standing up with a stretch. "Ehh? But it is exciting! I just wanted to brag about you a little since you're my best friend!"

"I don't care if it's on my behalf, I'm telling you not to talk about me, and that's that."

"Ciiieellll, you're being too hard on me! It's normal to want to talk about your friends!"

"I don't care if it's 'normal.' I don't like it."

Seeing Ciel distracted, Lau smirked before reaching out toward the boy again to ruffle at his hair, like he might to a little nephew. But lighthearted as the intention may have been, Ciel had just asked the man not to touch him. Sebastian opened his mouth to correct—

"Ah, Mr. Lau, please refrain from doing that."

—but it was Agni who spoke up first.

When the room's attention lighted upon him, Agni's expression remained pleasant but firm. Ciel blinked, processing Agni's uncharacteristic directness, then looked back at Lau and saw the outstretched hand frozen in place. "Hey!" Ciel snapped, taking a step backwards. "What the hell are you trying to pull?! That wasn't a joke, I mean what I say! I don't care if you think you're being funny, you'd better listen to me when I tell you not to do something!"

Lau took back his hand in response, though his gaze remained on Agni. "Oh, my. It appears I was about to make a big mistake."

"Yes, you were," Ciel growled. He stomped around the man. "Don't mess with me right now; I don't have the patience for being toyed with. And Agni just spared you from some trouble, so be grateful to him."

Lau's eyebrows raised surreptitiously. "Yes, I suppose I will be."

Agni said nothing. He caught Sebastian's eye for only a moment before returning his resolute expression to Lau.

"Now, if everyone else is ready to behave themselves like bloody civilized adults," Ciel said, opening a drawer in the card table and taking out a crisp new deck, "I'm ready to play poker."

Dinner was over. Lau had said his goodbyes, and Ciel and Soma were upstairs relaxing in the library by the fire. Sebastian and Agni were left to clean up the dinner dishes in the scullery — though Agni had, again, insisted that Sebastian eat while he do the work. Sebastian prodded carefully at his plate of egg thokku, coconut rice, a red salmon curry, and another creamy yellow curry brimming with summer vegetables. He could smell the happy marriage of ingredients, each lovingly handpicked from yesterday's market or delivered all the way from India. The food had cooled by now, and thus didn't shimmer and steam as it had when it was served to Soma and Lau, but it wouldn't have mattered if it had. To Sebastian, choosing between the dishes on his plate was no different than choosing which swamp grass he'd like to try first.

"How does it taste, Sebastian? Is it to your liking?" Agni was, unfortunately, very inquisitive to know. And Sebastian knew he couldn't tell him the truth: Agni's cooking was undeniably top-class — he'd proven that in their competition over eighteen months ago. To call it unpalatable would reflect poorly on the gourmand, not the chef.

"It is the best Indian cuisine I have ever tasted," Sebastian said with forced cheer. It is the only Indian cuisine I have ever tasted. He ate with more calculated precision than he usually had to award a task. It was rare that Sebastian was saddled with eating human food, and even rarer was that reason for leisure, so he wasn't entirely sure how to pretend to enjoy it. In the dining room earlier, he'd counted how many times on average Lau and Soma chewed their food before swallowing. At a median of seven to twenty-five chews per bite, Sebastian hoped that averaging around ten personally would not look too fast. The process of mastication was an unpleasant one, but it was at least fortunate that humans had no need for the truly horrific cud-chewing of ruminant beasts. How he'd hate to mimic that…

Agni placed a huge cookpot he'd finished scrubbing onto a bed of white towels to dry. "Is it enough to eat? Do you need another helping?"

"I do not require more," Sebastian said, smiling but unable to mask the stiffness in his voice. "It does not take very much sustenance for me to function suitably. The quality, rather than the quantity, is what I find particularly useful in my meals."

"O-Oh! Well, very good!" Maybe his cover story had been worded too strangely after all, but Agni seemed to take it in stride. "The house has been ever so lively today," the man continued. "I can see how happy it is making Prince Soma to have Lord Ciel in his company. Of course, you are aware that my prince is a merry person by nature, so perhaps nothing seems different to you, but I know the prince's subtleties well. He was starting to develop a bit of ennui, I think, but this has surely cured him." Agni's expression saddened then. "Oh, but he was so concerned when Lord Ciel scolded him earlier. Fortunately, we were able to come up with an apology together, and Prince Soma recovered shortly after that."

While Agni spoke freely, Sebastian had taken the opportunity to finish his plate. Here, however, Sebastian caught his chance to ask Agni the important question he'd been meaning to address. "Prince Soma has gained much from your tutelage. You are quite fatherly to him, are you not?"

Agni balked at the accusation, just as Sebastian had hoped he might. "F-Fatherly?! I-I-I would never insinuate to have such a… a lofty role in the prince's life!" he cried, nearly losing the wooden spoon he was washing to the suds of the sink. "O-Of course, you only mean it kindly, but… But the prince's father is a king... So, to elevate myself to such a level…"

Oh, so that's the problem he has with it. Disappointment began to creep in. "Well, how exactly would you define your relation to the prince, then?"

"Ah…" Agni seemed to feel uneasy to have to talk about himself. "A teacher, I suppose… But not only a teacher. Someone who looks after Prince Soma, to make sure he isn't led astray or taken advantage of, because he is so very big-hearted… And someone who wants to see him find happiness on his own terms. A mentor maybe? Ah, but more than that, too… Because I think Prince Soma is a better expert on his own life than I could ever be. I'm just here to help him keep on the path he chooses. And to remind him that he isn't alone in the world…" Agni paused and didn't speak for a little while. Slowly, he turned toward Sebastian. "I suppose," he said at last, "that a parent would feel very much this way, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose," Sebastian repeated softly, with a sinking feeling in his chest.

Agni smiled modestly, but that smile slowly faded as if he suddenly remembered something. He turned off the faucet. "I… I have a question for you, too, before I forget. Regarding Lord Ciel."

"Oh?"

Agni dried his hands with a dishrag and stared at the floor as if uncertain how to proceed. "Prince Soma wasn't the only one to feel concerned by Lord Ciel's outburst earlier today… Something about it has been bothering me, too. It was only reaffirmed this afternoon during Mr. Lau's visit." He paused. "Lord Ciel made it quite clear that he does not like to be touched without permission, but… that rule holds especially firm with adults, doesn't it? With you being an exception, of course."

So, he's picked up on it. "Why do you mention it?"

"Well… I just find myself wondering if his fear might point to something very serious," Agni replied carefully. "Your young master has a difficult job, especially for someone so young. Because of this, I'm sure he has learned a lot of painful truths… And well, I don't know if it's my place to insinuate, but… it just occurred to me for the first time today that something terrible might have happened to him at some point…" Agni looked uncomfortable, sad. "I won't pretend to know exactly what, but I'm worried that—"

"Agni? Agniii? Are you in here? Agniiiiiii?"

Agni stopped talking as soon Soma's voice came echoing through the rooms of the servant's area. He cleared his throat. "Yes, we're in the scullery, my prince!"

Soma strolled in a moment later. He registered Sebastian with his usual barely-contained trepidation. "Oh good, you're here, too!" he yipped, scurrying over and standing slightly behind his butler as if for protection. "Uhm, I-I was looking for you because Ciel kept falling asleep in the middle of his sentences while we were talking in the library! I think he must be really tired, so maybe you should take him to bed, mhm!"

Sebastian nodded, placing his empty plate on the kitchen worktable. "Yes, it sounds as if he must be. Thank you, Prince Soma. I shall attend to him at once."

As he left the area, he could hear Agni start up his usual mother henning. "Prince Soma, you weren't ringing for me, were you? I'm so sorry, I didn't hear! I should have been listening for the servant's bells just in case!"

"No, no, I always forget about those silly things! I can walk just fine, you know. Say, is there any rassomalai left over? It was sooo good, I want more!"

"But my prince, you already had two servings for dessert…"

"It's okay, I'm hungry again!"

Within a few moments, Sebastian was at the second story's library door. It had been left partially open by Soma, so he entered into the subtle orange glow without knocking. Right away, he saw Ciel had settled himself in one of the plump rolled armchairs by the fire, with his head slumped to the left and a copy of London Society sprawled across his lap. The day had finally caught up to him.

"My, my…" Sebastian closed the magazine and placed it on a side table before scooping the boy up: one arm tucked under the backs of legs, the other below his shoulders. They had done this a hundred times, and yet Sebastian felt a slight unbalance in the action. He really is getting bigger. He shifted his charge slightly to account for a more comfortable hold; Ciel didn't even stir. Truly, he was out like a light.

It wasn't until they made it to the bedroom that Ciel was forced to rouse just slightly. Sebastian lowered the boy onto the edge of the bed in a sitting position and crouched down to remove his shoes. He spoke gently, "Young master, I've brought you to your bedroom. It is time to get you ready for sleep."

"... Hnnmmmnn…?" Ciel made a groggy noise from the back of his throat. His face cinched up briefly before he opened his eyes to half-lid. "... s'bedtime already…?"

Sebastian finished unlacing Ciel's shoes and pushed the legs of his trousers up to unhook the stockings from their garters. "Bedtime is whenever you are tired, young master. Right now, it is nine o'clock, if that is what you are wondering. But I do believe your body is telling you that it wants to rest."

"But we…" Ciel blinked like he was puzzled, then rubbed his hands all over his face and shook his head. "We didn't have our nightly meeting," he finished.

The stockings were rolled up together as a pair and put aside. Sebastian stood, chuckled. "There's no need to force it, sir. It's all right to play truant in cases like this. You can barely stay awake, after all."

Sebastian went over to the closet to fetch Ciel's nightclothes. He heard behind him, "I'm not going to 'play truant.' You had me agree to talk with you every night up until the Funtom Event, and I haven't backed down once. A deal's a deal, damn demon, or did you forget?"

Sebastian couldn't resist smiling wryly at the closet's interior. My own words coming back to bite me; what a surprise. He draped the long shirt over his forearm and turned around again. "All right, young master. We will keep our usual appointment, as you wish. You've already had your nightly tea, however, and I've been told that you've been drifting off in the middle of sentences, so your ability to remain awake shall be our timer, I think. But let's get you into your pajamas and have you brush your teeth first. Then perhaps you will have changed your mind about this."

Of course, he should have known that the boy's stubborn resolve would exert itself. Ten minutes later, Sebastian was pulling back the covers and Ciel was explaining, "I'm not going to lie down yet because then I will fall asleep. And I'm sure as hell not going to let you win that easily." He sat back against the pillows and failed to suppress a yawn. "Damn it… Take me seriously, all right?"

Sebastian smirked. "All right."

Ciel glared at him for a moment, then pointed to the foot of the bed. "Sit there."

Sebastian sat there.

"Don't stare at me so closely."

Sebastian faced forward.

"Don't interrupt me."

Sebastian didn't speak.

Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Ciel reach out to the side of the bed and toy with a corner of his favored pillow. He did this for a minute, as if deliberating, before he started talking. "This morning, when we first showed up, something I didn't expect happened," he said. "And I don't mean Nina showing up… and I don't mean getting cross with her and Soma about touching me either. It was later." He paused. "When Soma apologized to me before we left for Sedgemore House, he… he asked if he should… request permission before hugging me in the future. And that made me feel annoyed, naturally. I mean, I don't want to be asked that all the time. It would be far too awkward." Ciel paused again.

Despite Ciel's recent warning, Sebastian intrinsically understood his input was wanted here. "Yes, I can see why you would feel that way. Surely the prince would ask you very frequently, and it may be cumbersome to answer every time."

"Right," said Ciel. He brought the pillow up against his chest, tucking the lower half of his face in it. "I mean, it's cumbersome, but it's mostly embarrassing. Because I wouldn't ever want to give Soma the satisfaction of a 'yes' to his stupid hug question. I'm always going to say no."

The pieces were falling into place. "And," said Sebastian, "you would rather the answer wasn't always 'no.'"

Ciel glanced away. "I don't know. I don't know what I want. I feel like… like the things I want are completely contradictory, that they don't make any sense. I don't make any sense." He tucked his whole face in the pillow now. "Ugh. If I weren't so tired, I wouldn't be saying all this. I at least know that much. But I also don't really know what I'm saying."

"I think I do." Sebastian couldn't help it; he faced him now. "Young master, wanting to be hugged by people you trust isn't unusual or shameful. It is very human, in fact. And considering how much of our contract you've gone without wanting this very human thing — for understandable reasons — I believe it is something worth being proud of, too."

"... Something worth being proud of?" Ciel studied him over the top of the pillow, then scoffed. "No it isn't," he said, with the ghost of a snarl.

"And why not, sir?"

Ciel glared at Sebastian again. "You just said it yourself. It's normal and human. Not anything incredible at all. You sound just like Soma, trying to get me to celebrate something as ordinary as growing taller. What's the point? It's not remarkable in the least."

"But 'remarkable' is in the eye of the beholder, yes?" Sebastian tried. "It will be remarkable for Prince Soma if he is able to listen attentively whenever he is being spoken to, wouldn't you agree? Though that would not be remarkable for you or for many others, for the prince it is something that he must put great practice towards. That is what makes it remarkable."

Ciel had been slowly making a face of discomfort as Sebastian talked. "I still don't feel any bit proud. I feel stupid."

"Well," said Sebastian, "I hope that your 'feeling stupid' can exist alongside the idea that your growing desire for physical contact is both human and worthy of pride."

Ciel sighed out his nose and rolled onto his side as a dismissal. "And you'd know all about being human, would you? Damn demon and your smug responses. I wish we hadn't talked after all."

With a small laugh, Sebastian stood and tugged the thin summer blankets up to the boy's shoulders. "And I am very glad that we did. It seems that you had a lot that needed to be said." Then, before he could hope to keep the words inside his head where they belonged, Sebastian told the boy, "Even if you don't feel it yourself, young master, I am very proud of you today."

Ciel lay still. He didn't respond.

"Goodnight, then, sir. I'll see you in the morning. I wish you only pleasant dreams."

With not even a blink of movement, Sebastian had snuffed out every light in the room at once. Then he opened and closed the door behind him with a gentle click and stood in the light of the hallway by himself.

Oh, this could not possibly be any worse.

All day… All day long he had struggled but that only made it harder. The more he'd tried to repress his thoughts, the more they'd come surging forth, desperate to make him consider it, desperate to make him think it. But it was no use anymore. This contract had forced him to speak only truths for years and now he couldn't even lie to himself.

Sebastian had thought maybe he would hear some nuance in the way Bard and Agni spoke; something to separate himself from their lot. That was the reason he had prodded them to talk about their own experiences with parenthood, in its different forms. And yet—

"The young master always falls asleep in the carriage if he has to travel in the morning. But I bet you already knew that, didn't you?"

—even though he thought it would be the opposite—

"Lord Ciel made it quite clear that he does not like to be touched without permission, but… that rule holds especially firm with adults, doesn't it? With you being an exception, of course."

—all it had taught him was—

"Even if you don't feel it yourself, young master, I am very proud of you today."

—that he was definitely turning into one of their kind!

Sebastian hissed and ran a hand through his hair. What could it mean, a demon becoming not just a guide but an actual caring parent to a human, against his better judgment? Did it mean he was losing his power? Transforming into something like a mortal? About to squander this precious soul to a stronger creature? All of the above?

… None of the above?

But the foreign magic inside of him…

Sebastian closed his eyes. For the second time that day, he felt he understood Ciel very well: to self-reflect was exhausting work. So he'd take a page from Ciel's book, too, and not think about it anymore for the moment. It was high time he had his chance at a little recreation of his own. It was time to look for cats.

※: The Fashion Book was a mail-order catalog owned by what is known today as Debenhams and at the time might have been known as Debenham & Hewitt (they went through a lot of name changes in the late 19th century). Their selection seemed to include domestic items ranging from drapery to hosiery.

※※: The outfit designs are based on a piece of official art of Ciel and Soma dancing in what might be Indian costume.

※※※: There's a handful of different careers listed here that may need some clarity, if you're interested. A carrier is a person who drove a wagon or carriage used to transport goods. A day man was a casual worker paid by the day for his labor. An upholder is an auctioneer's assistant. And a lorry boy was a young person employed by a carrier service to assist with delivery and to clean up after the crew. Thanks to for the info on Victorian occupations!

※※※※: Smithfield Market was a place that had long been known as a very poorly-kept area for selling cattle and beef, but by the 1860s had been converted into an enormous and much cleaner indoor butchery with no live animals. In 1890, the markets were still best known for meat sales, now including poultry and fish in their repertoire, but it was also a place for shoppers to wander around and look at gardens, fountains, and architecture.