( chapter seven ! )
"—But turns out, I had just been seeing things."
An opium den fills with smoke on the East End, but that somehow doesn't deter the young Leah Barrett from hopping over any time she likes. Ignoring the fact that such a place is not fit for a lady, she sticks around to speak to Ran Mao and tell the female attendants any story she can bring to her mind, as she's doing now.
Seated in a plush chair, Leah wears a cherry red dress, a headpiece, and shoes of a similar shade. The soft brown locks she prefers to wear down are halfway pinned up, lower pieces left to lay across her shoulders with slight curls added to the end. Anna is, of course, stationed behind her to act as a chaperone despite telling Leah they shouldn't go.
Parting her lips to speak, Leah is unexpectedly interrupted when a pair of footsteps descend the staircase into the den. Both Leah and Lau look up to be met with none other than Ciel Phantomhive, an only natural look of displeasure displayed due to the smell in the room. And perhaps the numerous women surrounding Lau as well.
"Welcome, Earl! Long time no see!" Lau smiles and Ran Mao shifts on his lap to view the young boy, "How have you been? Wasn't it your birthday recently? Congrats." he tips the long pipe in his right hand.
A flush spreads across Ciel's cheeks but it doesn't do anything to hide his look of irritation, "I don't really care about such things." Ciel mutters before standing straighter. "I have something to ask you." he says, eyes trailing to his right when he notices his fiancé in a chair not far from them.
"Leah?! What are you doing here?!" Ciel yells in surprise. The Phantomhive is never all that shocked to find her in unexpected places, but this is farther from her normal.
Giving a sweet 'Hello', Leah smiles softly and holds her hands in her lap. "I told you, I'm friends with Ran Mao. I like to visit from time to time." she explains, choosing not to acknowledge any strange look Ciel gives her.
"Does your father know about this?" Ciel raises a brow in disapproval and lifts a hand to waft some smoke out of his face.
There's an awkward silence that stills the room, "He knows I am out of the house, yes." Leah blinks to her vague answer.
"So he does not know you're here?"
"He knows I'm not at home."
"But not here."
"Technically speaking, yes.."
Pursing his lips in disappointment, Ciel fights the urge to shake his head while turning his attention back to Lau. Ran Mao staring at him from Lau's lap causes the boy some small discomfort but he doesn't dare shift in his spot, standing tall.
"The Earl had to come all the way to Anagura to ask me about 'that' incident.. Am I right?" Lau questions.
A pair of female attendants approach Sebastian, offering him to smoke, which he denies. In Leah's small corner, she looks over at Anna with squinted eyes.
"What incident are they speaking of?" Leah whispers, the air leaving her lips tickling Anna's ear.
Anna shrugs, face never once contorting to change its expression. "I'm afraid I don't know, Mistress."
"How can you not know?" The Barrett complains.
"I can't know everything.. I spend most of my days inside the manor as well." Anna sighs.
Releasing an irritated huff, the teenager folds her arms over her chest. 'I most likely don't want to know. But I do, so I must know.' Flickering her eyes towards Ciel, Leah tunes back into his conversation with Lau.
"—Allows me to do business in the underworld of this country."
Ciel stares forward, "So."
"Well, firstly I also want to ask you one thing," Lau starts, continuing when Ciel gives a sound of question. "What exactly is 'that' incident?"
A dark aura surrounds Ciel at Lau's words as his eye twitches in irritation. The Chinese man can only bring himself to smile, ignoring the energy that is emitted due to his behavior.
To no one's surprise, walking through the East End of London is none other than Ciel, Leah, Lau, and their respective servants. Despite initial reluctance on her fiancé's end, Leah naturally squeezed herself into the situation as she always does, giddily walking alongside the blue-haired teen.
"So you want to arrest that mischievous kid." Lau walks a little ahead of the engaged pair.
"Since there are no casualties it must be because he's targeted upper-class citizens or soldiers," Ciel mutters.
"Setting an example for the common people?" Questions Lau, "It must be tiring for you, Earl."
Ciel huffs in annoyance, "Nonsense."
Strolling behind his master, Sebastian walks alongside Anna, "Nevertheless, we have walked for a long time now so where is this stronghold of Indian people?" The demon glances off to his right and past Anna's head, observing the buildings they pass.
The group walks a few more feet before coming to an unexpected halt. Shifting her attention to the Chinese man in front of her, she can recognize the smile she knows to be his 'trouble' smile.
"Ah sorry, I got lost in the conversation so it seems that we are lost now!" Lau apologizes, forcing a grin.
"Of course.." Leah sighs, walking ahead of the group.
Ciel naturally follows after the Barrett, catching up with little effort, "Well firstly we'll return to.." his words at cut short when he collides with someone's arm.
A man older than Ciel stares at his face for a moment, a vexing look etched onto his face. Thinking quickly, the man doubled over to hold his side in feigned pain.
"It hurts! My ribs cracked!" The man yells, drawing the attention of others on the street.
Leah and Ciel stare in shock, "What?" They say in unison.
"Someone, come and help!"
"Are you ok?!"
"What's wrong?"
"He is so cruel!"
"Oh.." Lau sighs.
Now surrounding the group are a multitude of Indians, whom Leah swears were not there before. Grabbing onto Ciel's arm, the brunette sticks close to her fiancé's side, Anna keeping a hand on her shoulder as well.
Leaning down to grab Ciel by his outer coat, the Indian man brings his face closer, "Showing up in a place like this.. you're asking for it!" he looks the Earl over. "Those clothes you have there are quite nice young man. A noble, eh?" The man asks.
All he gets in response to his question however is Ciel slapping his hand away, locking firm eyes onto the man standing before him. This doesn't ease the man's attitude in the slightest, if anything, it rosés more anger from him.
"Pay me consultation money!" The man shouts with an outstretched hand, "Strip off everything you have and give it to me!"
Silence and an unimpressed expression sit in Ciel's bubble, but Leah seems much more concerned about the problem at hand. "Pardon?"
"It seems we are caught amongst some irritating punks yet again, Young Master," Sebastian says, scanning the people that circle them. "Shall I..?" he asks, a question directed towards his master.
Ciel stares with an air of authority, "Dispose of the right away."
"As you wish," Sebastian smirks and pulls at the end of his gloves, preparing to give a show. However before he can start, the man speaks again.
"I'll tell you.. all of us here despise nobleman. They brought us all the way to England and then dumped us like trash! All you British are selfish!" The man shouts, his nose scrunching tightly.
"That's right!" A band of voices agree.
Leah glances around, giving all of them a strange look. "Well leave me out of this, I'm not British.." her words only gain a slight nudge from Anna to quiet her down. Anna is quite lucky Leah is so fond of her, as the girl holds back an urge to scream at the maid for touching her in such a way before remembering it's one of her favorite people.
Surprisingly enough, Leah considers Anna a friend despite the difference in social standing. The Barrett's lady's maid is only seven years her senior and they've spent countless hours together. Naturally in her adolescent years, Leah grew to think of the girl in the way someone would their older sister. She partially raised her after all.
"Because of you guys, we ended up living like miserable gutter rats!" Shouts the man, pulling a knife from his pocket.
"That's right!" The others shout in unison.
"Our country was walked all over by your shoes"
"We'll give you a taste of how it feels to be plundered and humiliated!"
"That's right!"
"First of all, I have something to ask all of you!"
"That's right! Firstly we have something to ask!"
The man raises the knife above his head with a deranged look in his eyes, "If the answer is useful, I will treat you to some delicious food as a reward."
As other voices shout in agreement, Leah deadpans at their words. 'How come everyone we run into just happens to be insane?'
"Wait a second.. that's not how it goes."
Approaching the unruly group is Prince Soma, his loyal butler Agni following in his footsteps mere feet behind him. The prince's face seems quite serious as he comes to a full stop,
"We're searching for someone. Have you seen any Indians who look like this?" Soma pulls out a poorly drawn picture of a woman, holding it up with his index finger.
Everyone stares at the prince in confusion, save for Leah's confusion which is due to looking around and noticing a lack of a certain Chinese man. "Where has Lau gone?" she questions, furrowing her brows and wondering how he could've possibly just snuck away.
No one answers the girl as the people keep their attention on Soma, especially the man who started the entire ordeal. "What the?!— You're in the way you bastard." he yells, holding up his knife to the prince's face.
"How rude.. calling me such things." Soma pushes past the man, ignoring his protest as his eyes settle on Leah, Ciel, and their respective servants. A glare forms in his eye but he finds it hard to not see Leah covering her ears at the man's language amusing, being entirely unserious in such a situation.
"He has a butler.." Soma stares, "You are a British noblemen?" he asks.
Ciel remains aloof, "So what if I am?"
"Then, I shall side with the people of my country. Agni.." Soma glances towards his butler, "Defeat them."
An aura surrounds Agni as he becomes even more serious than he was before, yielding his right arm. The bandages are slowly unwrapped, revealing what looks to be a normal hand to everyone else.
"Your wish is my command." Agni responds, "I will swing this fist blessed by the gods for my master's sake."
Sharpening his gaze, there's barely time to react as Agni turns on his heel, fist colliding with Sebastian's left arm. A startled gasp leaves Leah, taking a couple of steps back until she bumps against Anna who, despite being scared under her unexpressive structure, holds a firm grasp on her upper arm.
Much to Ciel's dismay, he is picked up by Sebastian as the demon dodges and takes hits from the Indian butler's blessed fist. Holding him like a doll, Sebastian pays little mind as he locks in for his safety.
Amidst watching the fight, the other Indians are reminded of their original plan. While the first man they encountered runs up to Sebastian, another man attempts to get close to Leah, reaching out a hand to her.
Taking a disgusted step back, a harsh gleam flashes across Leah's eyes. "You dare try and touch me with your filthy hands?!" Raising a hand, the brunette brings it crashing into the man's cheek, effectively knocking him to the ground.
"Where did you get such strength, Mistress?" Anna asks, a rare look of surprise painting her face.
"I'm not sure.. I swear I didn't have it until now." Tilting her head, Leah tries to recall any time she's had any sense of strength. For many years, if she didn't have a weapon, she was practically useless in a fight. 'Perhaps it's something that developed recently?'
"Hey! We barely stepped foot in this place and those guys picked a fight with us! Do all Indians act like barbarians and Indiscriminately attack the British?" Ciel complains, trying to get Sebastian to put him down.
Soma side glances at Ciel with a raised brow, "What?" he turns his attention back to the group of Indians who originally attacked. "You lot! Did you really attack these people for no reason?"
"Eh? A reason.." One man asks.
"That's not right! Picking fights without a reason is childish. Agni," Soma shakes his head and huffs in annoyance. "Our brothers are the wrong ones here. We shall help this boy now!"
A faint 'Yes, sir!' leaves Agni and everyone stares in confusion. Before long, the Indian butler is standing on top of a pile of men with a bright smile on his face as he looks at his prince. "It is done, Lord Soma."
"So you guys.." Prince Soma bends down to retrieve Ciel's hat. "I hope you're not hurt or anything?" he asks.
"No," Sebastian replies.
Soma approaches Ciel and slams the hat down on his head, earning a noise of surprise, "Also boy, this kind of area isn't the place for someone like you to wander about. Especially a lady." he trails off to look at Leah. "So anyhoo, I'm in the middle of a search so need to split."
Giving one last glance as he walks away, Agni follows behind after a quick bow and leaves the rest entirely confused.
"Well he seems nice, I suppose," Leah breaks the silence.
A voice sounds from behind them, causing them to turn, "Yes, those two are amazing."
Ciel and Leah stare up at Lau admiring from the roof of a building, trying to hide their agitation with his antics.
"And what exactly have you been doing?" Ciel asks.
Lau smiles brightly, "Just waiting for the right chance to jump in."
"I believe you truly mean that you were just going to stay up there until the situation was resolved." Leah stares up at the man, completely unamused.
Lau can only flash the teenager a smile in response before making his way down from the building to rejoin her and Ciel.
Uninterested in the conversation turning back to Soma and the men that attacked them, Leah walks off down the street with Anna on her trail.
"Don't walk off, Mistress. It's dangerous.." Anna advises, working her shorter legs to keep up with Leah's pace.
Turning her head to glance over the maid, Leah hums quietly. "Do arrange for some clothes to be gathered for me, I shall stay at Ciel's townhouse!" She orders.
"Does Ciel know you'll be staying?" Anna tries her best to not question Leah when she is asked to do things, but it can be hard when she's always doing things she's not meant to be doing.
"I'm sure he won't mind. He's never complained before.." The Barrett urges.
Sighing through her nose, Anna nods and plans to make the preparations for herself. However, the maid hardly has much time to think when she constantly has to keep track of Leah, simultaneously having to meet her pace before she falls behind.
Inside Ciel's townhouse, the Phantomhive and his fiancé stand inside and overthink the encounter. Well, Ciel is doing most of the thinking. Leah admires the snowfall that she was previously pulled away from by Anna, who managed to succeed in getting the necessary supplies for the girl to stay at the building, much to Ciel's initial dismay.
"How tiresome," Ciel complains, an irritated and tired expression painting his face. "Fancy calling me out to London because of this boring case!" he fumes, stomping through the house.
Leah follows Ciel naturally, but rather than sticking close to him like she normally does, she walks with Anna. Biting on her bottom lip, the girl turns to her maid and trains her eyes on the floor,
"Do you think it would be inappropriate to take my hair down?" The teenager asks with a tilt of her head, keeping her voice down so no one else hears. Leah doesn't want to complain of a headache but her hair has been up all day and the loud noise from earlier didn't help.
Anna parts her lips, "Mayhaps—"
"Young master! Welcome back!" Behind a wall, Tanaka, Bardroy, Meyrin, and Finnian all cheerfully welcome the Phantomhive.
"Hello, Finnian!" Leah happily greets the gardener with a gleaming smile, waving both of her hands.
There's a faint flush that covers Finnian's cheeks as he waves back, "Hello, My Lady!"
"Well now. You two must be tired due to the cold. I will serve you tea immediately." Sebastian smiles while holding up his right hand.
Ciel releases a tired breath, "Instead of English tea let's have chai, that would be better."
Before Leah is capable of complaining to Anna about her fiancé's tea of choice, the front door to the townhouse abruptly opens. Everyone turns their heads to get a look, only to see Prince Soma and Agni.
"What the?!"
Soma looks around in wonder, "It's a lot narrower than my palace." He speaks, head aimed up.
"Why the blazes are you here?!" Ciel yells, forgetting Leah is beside him to hear his voice dig into her ears.
"We met just earlier today? Did you forget?" Soma gives Ciel a strange look. "Besides, I saved you. In India, it's common to welcome and entertain benefactors. We even have a saying for that 'entertain the guests even if you must sell your treasures.'." he explains.
Leah wrinkles her brows, "Well.. this is England, not India. We don't follow the same customs as you." she points her nose away, yet again earning a nudge from Anna to shut her mouth.
The Barrett sends a warning glare towards her maid, hardly paying attention to Soma who's now asking for a bed. 'I'm so sick of having to deal with these strange people.'
Breaking her from her thoughts is Agni who is halfway up the stairs, "Prince! I found it!" he cheerfully announces.
"Listen to me!" Ciel yells.
Soma walks up the stairs, still observing his surroundings, "However narrow it is, I've decided to stay here." The prince announces.
Leah and Ciel both trail after the Indians, the Phantomhive still trying to protest,
"Wait a minute! Why do I have to look after you guys?"
Taking a seat on the bed, Soma leans on his arm before fully moving onto his stomach, "I didn't really consider staying at an inn. Is it common in England for people to kick benefactors out into the cold?" Soma asks.
"Yes," Leah states.
Ciel tries to not start shaking with anger, "Apart from that. Just who the hell are you anyway?" he demands an explanation, face written in utter irritation.
"Me?" Soma asks, lifting his head to the side. "I'm a prince."
"This person is the twenty-sixth child to the King of the Princely State of Bengal," Agni explains, pointing a hand to Soma who is now lying on his side. "Prince Soma Asman Sandal."
Soma has a faint smirk on his face, "I'm going to stay for a while, alright."
Unmoving from his spot, Ciel bares his teeth with a twitching eye. He took it somewhat well when his fiancé invited herself to stay, but now an Indian prince who doesn't listen to a word he says. The Phantomhive is close to exploding in his shoes.
"Then as a symbol of our new friendship, this Agni will serve you chai!" Agni joyfully holds up an item in his hand. "On a cold day, chai tea with ginger can't be beaten!"
Heading off to the kitchen, Sebastian follows closely behind the Indian butler and tries not to complain about him stealing an aspect of his work. Leah however groans in annoyance,
"I don't like chai!" she whines, nearly stomping her feet in the manner of a brat.
Anna, observing the behavior of her mistress, tries to laugh it off even if she can't. "Mistress, you seem a bit.. tired. Why don't you retire to bed early?" she suggests, trying to allude that the teenager is cranky.
"No!" Leah huffs, turning away from her lady's maid.
Not seeming the mind the Prince's arrival, the Phantomhive servants gleefully listen to Soma tell them all types of stories and facts about India. But behind them, Ciel is trying to keep his cool.
"It seems like there is going to be some lively times ahead, eh Earl?" Lau laughs along with his words.
There's a long silence that sits with Ciel as he listens to all the noise around him before finally cracking.
"Get out!"