Ciel was angry - Amu avoided him like the plague whilst other men came and visited her every week, and she obliged them.

Cheslock and Edward came together from school every Friday to have tea with her after classes. Cheslock had concluded that Chaise and Amu were the same; he claimed her eye colour was the giveaway.

Edward was surprised at all this and appalled that she infiltrated an all-male school without getting caught. Edward scolded her lightly, but his attention was elsewhere. He had competition. Cheslock was brazen in flirting with Amu. Amu carefully avoided giving him any sign that she returned his feelings, but Ciel could tell she liked him.

Ciel dug his nails into his desk, catching Sebastian's attention.

"Young master, you should stop with all of that. You are engaged to Lady Elizabeth."

Ciel threw a glare at his manservant, "Why bother? You and I both know I won't have a future."

Sebastian smirks, unable to help himself. Ciel chose to take up the contract that Sebastian would assist in completing his revenge mission—the substance of their agreement. In return, Sebastian will receive Ciel's soul.

Ciel groaned; he never imagined that he would fall in love and be happy since the cultist incident. Yet, Amu was here - charming everyone around her and him included. Ciel wanted to love her openly and have what his parents had, but she was so angry at him.

How do I get her back?

Cheslock, meanwhile, had just entered the grounds with Edward in tow. Finny told them Amy would be here but was nowhere in sight. Edward was the first to call out to her, but instead of an answer - they heard a whistle.

Both teenagers looked up to see Amy sitting in the tree on the highest branch. Edward, as usual, started to panic because she was a high way up from the ground.

Cheslock, on the other hand, smirks at the challenge. He removes his jacket and slowly climbs, ignoring Edward's warning to stop. When Cheslock finally closes in on her, the pinkette leans down and takes his hand - Cheslock is surprised at how easily she lifts him onto the perch next to her.

What strength she has for a growing girl.

"You look pretty today."

"You say that every day Lock."

Cheslock smirks at her nickname for him before leaning in and kissing her on her temple, causing Amy to turn and pout at him.

"I thought we established you shouldn't do that."

"I don't care about rank, Amy. We have something, and you know it."

Amy turns from him, avoiding eye contact, "Why aren't you angry with me? I disguised myself as a boy to infiltrate Violet House. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."

"What's there to forgive? Phantomhive ordered you to do all that. I'm glad I met you as you are, or I would have never figured it out. Your acting skills are superb."

Amy smiled at the praise, "I try."

Cheslock grins at her smile, "You would do amazing in theatre. You should audition for a play or join an agency."

"I'm afraid being a Phantomhive servant is a round-the-clock job."

Cheslock's expression changes. Edward had told him about Ciel's 'duties', and with Amy infiltrating the school on his orders, it was clear she was roped in to assist if necessary.

"It's dangerous working for him, isn't it?"

Amy shrugs, "I can take care of myself. My grandparents taught me self-defence and weaponry."

Cheslock wonders why her family thought a female needed to know such things but kept that thought to himself. He vividly remembers 'Chaise' shooting a shotgun at the school.

"You could get hurt, Amy."

Amy turns to meet eyes with him and manages a sweet smile, "When it comes down to it, Ciel would never let anything bad happen to me. We're friends, at the least. He's a good person and took me in when he didn't have to. I owe Ciel my life; being his servant is the least I could do."

Cheslock couldn't help but admire her confidence in Ciel as her master and friend. They were around the same age, so it should not surprise him that they were on a first-name basis. Yet, he could tell they had something special, her face softened, and her shoulders relaxed every time she talked about him.

"Hey!"

Cheslock groans, seeing Edward had followed to climb up after him. Reluctantly, he leans down and helps Edward to sit beside him.

"Amy, you shouldn't be sitting up in trees like this! What if you had fallen?"

Amy laughed at his concern, "I just wanted to enjoy the view and the smell of leaves. It's nice, isn't it?"

Edward sighed, looking up, and he agreed that the sight of the city from his perch on the tree was magnificent. The smell of wood and fall was all around, calming him.

"Still-"

"Ed, shut up. Stop being a mother hen."

The two males glared at each other, and Amy rolled her eyes. It was like Tadase and Ikuto all over again. She tuned them out as they argued.

Tadase wouldn't pursue her because Amu wasn't Amulet Heart. Ikuto teased her but never seriously attempted a relationship with her because of his internal struggles. They tried to get her attention and flirted with her when the opportunity came, so when they were in the same room - they argued just like Edward and Cheslock were going now. Amu could never be sure if Tadase and Ikuto were sincere towards her romantically as herself.

When Tadase told her that she should cheer up and smile like what Amulet Heart would have done after she lost her guardian characters, Amu had a fit in the Royal Garden. She left in tears.

When Tadase eventually came by to check up on her the same day, Amu kissed Ikuto before him, breaking his heart. Ikuto knew she kissed him spitefully, but he wasn't angry. Ikuto seemed hurt at being used if Amu didn't know any better. After that, Ikuto did not flirt with her anymore as Amu had started to change - distant and cold as her characters were gone.

Out of her eye, she sees Kurosu looking at her worriedly. Amu reluctantly twitches her lips into a small smile for her guardian character, but they both knew Amu was troubled as she recalled Ikuto and Tadase.

"Penny, for your thoughts?"

Amy turns, seeing Edward has spoken to her and Cheslock has his hand on her back, both looking worried. She must have been too quiet.

"A penny is rather cheap of you, Midford."

Cheslock smirked at her joke while Edward flushed a little; her mischievous smile never failed to make his heart thump in his chest.

"Let's get down, shall we?"

Ciel was doing paperwork in his office when he heard shushing sounds from the hall. Curious, he gets up from his desk and walks toward the door - just in time to see Sebastian pressing against Amu in the corridor, his eyes flashing pink. Ciel gripped the edge of the door, watching and waiting, determined to find out what he was up to.

Amu's back was against the wall, Sebastian's gloved hand over her mouth with his knee between her legs. The butler's hand forced her small wrists above her head - not allowing her to move.

"I told you repeatedly, little Amy - you cannot allow yourself to have feelings for humans unless you prepare for the consequences."

Amy glared at him, irritation evident in her eyes, only causing Sebastian to smirk.

"I know you are unhappy with me, but you and the young master would never have had a future together. I've told you already - Edward and Cheslock may come to visit you, but you should not allow yourself to be intimate with them. I warn you as your kin, be careful because if you have your first coitus with a human, he will be bound to you for life."

Amu's expression hardened, and Sebastian understood that she knew all this already, so she politely declined both boys' affections.

Ciel meanwhile continued to hide, embarrassed that Sebastian was talking about coitus with Amu. They were both still teenagers; he heard rumours at the school that some students their age had engaged in foreplay with their beaus but rarely coitus. Why was Sebastian even talking about such a subject to her?

"On the other hand, if you allow me to fuck you - you would know exactly the kind of pleasure you can expect from a real man who knows what he's doing. As an additional incentive, whatever humans you would have sexual relations with after, they would not be bound to you unless you actively swear them into a slave pact. It is a good deal, no?"

Ciel tilts his head and sees Amu looking downcast as if she is contemplating his offer. He did not understand any of this. Ciel swallowed and turned away, moving toward his desk.

He rang the bell for Sebastian, and within thirty seconds, he was in the room - impeccable as ever. The sinister and dominant aura Sebastian emitted while he had Amu against the wall was absent, and it irked Ciel not to know what was transpiring between them.

"Bring Grell to my study when he arrives. I want to talk with him."

Sebastian frowned, "May I ask why, young Master?"

"No, you may not. Once Grell is here, you may return to your other duties. I do need you standing by."

If Sebastian disagreed with this order, he did not show it. Instead, he smiled politely and bowed. "Certainly, milord."