( chapter eighteen ! )
"You shall be late should you take any longer!"
It is a simple evening, foggy but like every other day before it. Rain threatens to spill across the land and soak those in its path, creating a smell in the air that pleases the young Leah Barrett. If only carriages could ride better in the rain she would feel even better, preparing herself for the ride to Ciel's manor.
Outside of Leah's bedroom door, Daniel relentlessly knocks in an attempt to hurry his sister along per his father's orders. However, this doesn't push her to move any faster, and happily takes Anna's help when she fixes her hair and packs some of her items into a case.
She sits before her vanity with PomPom stationed on her lap and begrudgingly looks at herself through the mirror, while her pet chooses to observe Anna moving across the room. Despite her typical lack of patience — and the fact that she is extremely easy to irritate —, Leah is fine to ignore Daniel's calls in favor of smoothing out her champagne-colored dress or adding extra rouge to her cheeks. 'I don't understand why he doesn't just walk through the door? Nothing is stopping him.'
"Surely there is nothing more left for you to prepare? This is ridiculous!" Daniel huffs from the other side of the door.
Rolling her eyes, Leah allows PomPom to brush his soft nose against her hand with a small smile. "I am nearly ready!" she calls out.
Leah shifts PomPom around in her arms and stands up from her seat, carrying the dog over to where Anna is adding the last few items to the case. There aren't many items. Simply a few dresses and undergarments, paired with essentials like nightgowns or hygiene products and shoes that the girl can wear with her outfits.
The occasion is only a party at Phantomhive Manor that her fiancé invited her to, but with Ciel's permission — and Lucius' of course —, she shall be staying a couple of nights after. She hid the question behind stating it could be a late birthday gift, disregarding the fact that Ciel had gotten her three separate items besides the dog. But everyone knows that has never deterred the girl.
"I am packed, yes?" asks Leah, moving her face to the side to avoid PomPom attempting to lick her cheeks.
Stuffing a final pair of tights into the case, Anna gently shuts it and makes sure it can't be opened while traveling on the back of the carriage. "Yes, Mistress," she says quietly.
Leah doesn't respond when Anna answers her question and walks over to her door, swiftly opening it and coming face to face with Daniel staring down at her. Brushing past him as PomPom barks in his own form of hello, she sets off down the hall and towards the main staircase, more excited about leaving than she anticipated.
"Took you long enough," mumbles Daniel, following after her. "You do look pretty, though," he compliments her, admiring the half-up-half-down hairstyle that draws attention to her soft brown locks.
Turning her head around, she teasingly sticks her tongue out. "I know."
Footsteps fill the halls as Leah prepares to make her leave, a quiet and concentrated Anna following behind the siblings with the large case in hand. The women must leave within the next half hour to avoid the future rain that will begin to pour from the sky, but Leah is easy to sidetrack and the sight of her cat is no exception.
Laying on the center of the floor is none other than Samson, Sam for short. He is a large cat covered in long orange and white fur, only half of his breed is known to be a Maine coon. The feline is a notorious menace given by a family friend who no longer wanted him, falling into the arms of a young Leah who begged for her father to keep him.
Picking up her pace to shuffle over to Sam, Leah instantly appears much happier than before. "Sam!" she squeals. "Oh, you are just so cute!"
Leah sets PomPom down on the floor in favor of kneeling beside her cat, though she is hesitant to stroke him. 'If I pet Sam will I make Ciel sneeze?' she asks herself.
"Could you hand me a pair of gloves?" Leah questions a passing maid with a basket of laundry situated in her arms.
Startled by the sudden question, the maid fumbles around to give the teen a fresh pair of white gloves. "Yes, Mistress!" she stumbles over her words.
Offering a smile in return, Leah carefully sets aside the pair of gloves she is currently wearing to place the new ones over her hands instead. Cooing at Sam, she whispers many words of affection and runs her covered hands over his soft coat, trying to not rub herself against him and get any loose hair on her clothes.
"You are very skilled at wasting time," Daniel teases as he patiently waits behind his kneeling sister with Anna only a couple of steps behind him.
Leah pulls away from Sam with a roll of her eyes, picking off her gloves and listening to the subtle purrs. "I am merely saying goodbye. He will miss me while I am gone," she gives Sam air kisses as she stands and allows PomPom to wander off and play by himself.
"Yes, the cat shall miss you so much while you are gone for only.. three days?" he mocks.
Replacing her gloves with her original ones, she leaves the spare ones on the floor and sets off down the hall, reaching the main staircase and walking down. "Oh, hush!"
Near the bottom of the staircase, Lucius and Vivienne are in the middle of a discussion about household matters. It is nothing worth paying mind to, which is why Leah walks directly past them and beckons Anna to move along faster so the two of them can make their exit.
"Mama, Papa, I am leaving now," she announces but is met with no response. "Mama! Papa!"
The parents turn their heads at the sound of Leah raising her voice, not paying attention to the pout that sits atop her cherry-tinted lips.
Lucius is the first to speak up. "Yes, darling. Stay safe," he nods along to his words.
"Don't get into trouble!" Vivienne adds on to her husband's sentence, before shifting her attention back to their original conversation.
Facial expression hardening, Leah can't help but feel upset at her parent's lack of enthusiasm for seeing her off. 'Events end and everything goes back to normal..'
Sighing through his nose at his parent's reaction, Daniel steps forward to give Leah a crooked smile and brushes an out-of-place hair from her cheek. As sad as it is, he seems to be the only one who pays enough attention to notice that she simply wants someone to say goodbye.
"Be safe, yes?" he asks, though he knows she will.
Leah flashes a downcast smile and dives to wrap her arms around her brother, burying her face into his shoulder. "I will."
Hugging the younger girl in return, Daniel gently pats the back of her head before pulling her away by her shoulders. "You should get going now before the rain begins," he suggests.
Nodding in response, Leah and Anna both file out of the door to see Thomas waiting beside the carriage. Anna hands the case over to the stoic butler who places it on the back, situating it for the ride.
"You are prepared?" asks Thomas, wanting to double-check with the women.
The Barrett huffs at the sound of his voice. "Shut your mouth," she says, entering the carriage.
Anna can only offer Thomas a look of pity as she follows in after Leah, settling in a seat across from her. The most they can do is hope the girl's mood lightens up when they reach their destination.
Phantomhive Manor looks as expected, clean and pristine. However, this time around it is filled with guests of various occupations waiting for the Earl to descend from the stairs and allow the party to commence. The chatter fills the entrance room and no eyes fall upon a particular author who stands near the center.
Taking Thomas' hand, Leah steps out of the carriage with Anna in her footsteps, watching Finnian retrieve her case with ease. She chooses to flash the gardener a quick smile but doesn't stay still a moment longer, nearly jogging to enter Ciel's home after having sat for an hour in a carriage.
"Goodbye, My Lady," Thomas calls out, staring at the back of her head.
Stopping in her tracks, Leah turns her head to face Thomas with a hint of hurt in her eyes. "Goodbye," she grumbles in response as Anna opens the door for her.
Entering the building, the Barrett earns a couple of head turns but pays them no mind, choosing to focus on trying to find a recognizable face. To her luck, she immediately locks eyes on Ran Mao who stands closely beside Lau, a brown-haired man she doesn't recognize speaking with them. She glances behind herself to check that Anna has also entered before speeding over towards her friend.
"No such thing! I'm nothing special at all!" Arthur waves his hands to nervously deny something Lau has said. "I've never met the Earl before, so I really don't know why I've been invited.." he trails off.
Leah's brows furrow in confusion as she walks in on the conversation and stops Lau's chance to speak. "Ran Mao!" she calls out, stopping beside Arthur. "I am glad you are here, I'm afraid I don't recognize anyone else.."
The author nearly yells when he turns his head to see the girl below him, having not heard her abnormally quiet steps as she was approaching. Leah hardly even glances at him though and situates herself closer to Ran Mao, ready to begin talking away until Lau opens his mouth before her.
"Ah, the Lady has arrived!" he smirks in his own form of a greeting.
Flashing a tight-lipped smile, Leah dips her head in acknowledgment. "Hello, Lau.."
"How have you been? I trust seventeen has been treating you well?" the Chinese man asks, a reminder that it has only been a little over a week since her birthday. And the potentially scandalous events that occurred the night of.
"It has," Leah glances off to the side in disappointment. "My mother had my hems lowered, I am still getting accustomed to it. She says they will be at floor length before I know it."
Lau lets out a chuckle. "The dreaded debut into society, eh?" he teases the Barrett at the thought of the way she was acting during the Viscount Druitt's ball. "Have you met the wordsmith?"
Blinking in surprise at Lau's sudden change of topic, Leah shakes her head at his question. It isn't until he shifts his hand to a point that she follows it and trails her eyes up to Arthur's face, noticing the sweat dripping down his forehead.
Face freezing in surprise at the sudden acknowledgment, Arthur stands straighter and forms a crooked smile. "H—Hello!"
Lau adds to Arthur's nervous greeting. "He is a wordsmith! Claims he hasn't even met the Earl."
"Because I haven't!" Arthur stumbles over his words once more. "I don't understand why I received that invitation.
"Who knows? I don't know what that moody guy is thinking," Lau pokes a finger into Ran Mao's cheek, asking for backup on his statement. "Though I suppose his fiancé can be much more moody.."
His words earn a huff of annoyance from Leah, puffing out her cheeks and knitting her brows. She nearly turns around and walks away on impulse but Anna's entry into the scene stops her, the maid quietly standing a few steps behind her.
Arthur releases a breath. "Fiancé?" he asks.
Once again Lau points to the person he speaks about, earning a noise of surprise from the writer. He hadn't expected someone so young, though he can't be entirely surprised.
"I am Leah Barrett, daughter of Marquess Barrett. I am Earl Phantomhive's betrothed," she drones, beginning to become sick of having to repeat the words whenever she meets someone new.
Moving his head back in surprise, Arthur recognizes the name of her father. "Huh?!" he realizes that everyone in the room is seemingly attached to money or a good title.
"Without a doubt, something interesting will happen.." Lau interrupts and opens his eyes, staring at Arthur, "probably."
This time around, both Leah and Arthur send Lau a strange look. However, Lau simply pats Ran Mao's hair. It is the first time the Barrett has ever seen his eyes, assuming that he must just miraculously never open them. 'Strange, that one is.'
"Moreover, the Earl hates the staunch social life and is famous for being a rare character who hardly ever shows himself," Lau ignores their glances and lets Ran Mao shuffle over to Leah, continuing his explanation on Ciel. "I think this is the first time that he's invited people into his own house? Aren't you lucky, Mr. Wordsmith!"
Arthur once again becomes nervous and clutches his hands to his chest. "What kind of person is he?!"
"Let's see.." Lau places a finger to his chin in mock thought. "Basically he has either a sour or angry look and extremely high pride."
Arthur almost screams as he pictures a much older, stern-looking man in his head.
Adding another finger near his mouth, Lau begins to start becoming dramatic. "It's also said that he wears a pirate-like eye patch."
This time a real scream is earned from Arthur, now picturing a terrifying man in his head. However, Leah subtly shuts down Lau's fun when she gives him an unimpressed look.
She turns her head to Arthur, putting in minimal effort to calm his nerves. "I would say he just does not appreciate nonsense," Leah adds while Ran Mao nods in agreement.
"Why don't you leave your teasing of the guests at that?"
A voice rings from the top of the staircase, drawing the group's attention. Standing there with a hand on his hip and a cane in the other, Ciel Phantomhive holds his head high in a plaid suit as he looks over his guests. Stationed behind him as usual is Sebastian, prepared to follow in his master's footsteps.
"Huh?" Arthur looks up at Ciel in astonishment. "He looks a bit.. young?"
Nodding with a smirk, Lau points a finger at the boy. "Yep. That little boy is Earl Phantomhive. He's cute, right?"
"Little was unnecessary!" screams Ciel, a look of pure agitation painting his face.
"See, he's angry," Lau remarks in dismay.
Clearing his throat, Ciel announces himself with a soft look on his face, despite his dull eyes. "Thank you for accepting my invitation today. I am the head of the house, Ciel Phantomhive. After the dinner party starts, I'll once again call upon each of you in order to exchange greetings. This includes both my regular clients and the ones that I'm meeting for the first time," he takes a look at each of his guests and is alerted by a missing face. "But it seems that the guest of honor isn't here yet?"
"With this foul weather, his arrival seems to have been delayed," Sebastian leans down ever so slightly to speak in Ciel's ear.
Outside the windows, rain pours down against the glass and darkens the sky, creating an atmosphere that Leah quite enjoys. But as she aimlessly glances out one of the windows, Ciel and Sebastian are busy contemplating what move to take with the guests already standing in the room.
'I am glad we got here in time.. Surely this would be a nightmare to ride in.' Leah thinks to herself, fiddling with the gloves on her hand.
The ambiance is calming until Meyrin scatters into the hall, giving a small bow. "There is a guest arriving!" she announces, queuing Tanaka to open the door for two gentlemen.
Stepping inside, the two men approach Ciel who now stands near the door, entirely losing Leah's interest once they start introducing themselves. She huffs in annoyance and subtly begins to bounce on her heels, glancing around for a sign of another guest leading them to a different activity.
"This is a bit boring, Anna," she complains.
Releasing a quiet sigh, Anna looks up at Leah and tries to nod in an understanding manner. "Have patience, Mistress. It is only—"
Sebastian unintentionally cuts Anna off before she can finish speaking, holding a card in his left hand. "Well then, I'll call out your names so please proceed to the dining room in order."
"First.."
Gathered in small groups, the guests all host discussions and introduce themselves to one another. The largest group stands in the center of the room, filled with men except for Leah who sticks close to Ciel's side.
"The shrewdness with which his grandfather served the prime minister during his time was heard of even in Germany," Georg Von Siemens, the honorary director of the Bamberger Bank, speaks up from his spot and gestures to the man beside him. "He's just like his grandfather."
To the left of Ciel and Leah, Carl Woodley — president of the Woodley Company, a diamond polishing business — glances over at Georg with a smirk on his face. "If you're talking about Earl Grey, he's from such a distinguished family that even his name is attached to a flavor of tea. To think there would be a day I'd be able to greet him."
Charles Grey dismisses the words and peeks his head over at Ciel. "Because it has not been long since I succeeded as an Earl, Earl Phantomhive is more of an expert here," he chimes in with a smile.
"I'm not there by a long shot," despite his words, Ciel still smirks with pride and closed eyes. "The company wasn't founded until my generation, so if you're talking about enterprises I think that Master Woodley is the most capable."
Leah fights the urge to mimic clawing her face off, the conversation killing her inside to listen to. 'Dear God, do men only speak about business?! How boring must your life be?!' Glancing around the room, she spots Anna near a table admiring the refreshments but not bothering to attempt to strike up a conversation with anyone.
It isn't uncommon for Anna to be on her own, away from the nobles. Though, Leah often feels a sense of pity when she leaves the girl on her own. Perhaps it is for the better, as Anna's personality is quite dull. The Barrett can hardly remember the last time she saw Anna let out a laugh, always clouded by finishing her duties or generally not engaging in conversation.
"It's still just a humble business," Woodley pulls Leah out of her thoughts with a chuckle. "The technology used for polishing diamonds will be supporting the heavy industries from now. It will certainly.."
His voice fades for Leah as she begins to tune him out, lacking interest in listening to men talk about diamonds or partnerships. Taking in a breath through her nose, her eye twitches in slight irritation.
Leah leans her head closer to Ciel's, placing her lips right beside his left ear. "This is rather boring, no?" she keeps her voice low to prevent anyone from hearing her.
"Shh!" is all Ciel can offer in return, wanting to make sure her mouth is kept shut to avoid upsetting one of the guests.
Pouting dramatically, Leah huffs and looks in the direction of a wall in a display to show she doesn't enjoy being silenced. This doesn't work though as the men continue their conversation, the others even joining in on the main circle. 'My two-year-old cousin is more entertain—'
"From Kunlun..?!" Patrick Phelps — a supervision executive of the trade division of Blue Star Line Company — exclaims, drawing Leah's attention to his sudden discomfort and wide eyes.
His change in demeanor is not helped when Lau opens an eye to shift it over to the blonde, leaving Phelps shaking in his place. But just as quickly, Lau focuses on Georg to start mentioning potentially expanding to Germany, allowing Ran Mao to sneak up behind him and sensually rub herself against the man.
'As much as I love Ran Mao, she truly lacks a bit of shame and decorum..' Leah cringes at the sight and nearly shivers in discomfort.
Georg Von Siemens also clearly feels a sense of discomfort, forcing Ran Mao away by grabbing her shoulders. Though the flush on his face might say otherwise. With a blank look, Ran Mao shuffles back over to Lau's side who stands with Ciel and Leah.
"Seems like he doesn't like us," Lau says awkwardly.
Staring in annoyance, Ciel releases a breath. "What are you doing."
Leah opens her mouth to partake with a witty comeback but fails to let any words leave her mouth when a pair walks up to join the group.
"I'm sorry to disturb your conversation," says Grimsby Keane — a theatrical producer — with the opera singer Irene Diaz by his side. "Thank you for inviting us today."
Everyone turns their heads to look at the pair, most marveling at Irene's beauty whereas Ciel, Lau, and Charles seem unaffected. After introducing themselves, the topic of conversation quickly shifts to business once more, causing Leah to audibly groan. Peeling herself away from the group, she begins walking towards a window Anna also happens to be standing by.
On the other hand, Ciel notices his fiancé leaving and opts to follow after her as the group disperses to do their own things. He doesn't attempt to break Leah's silence, recalling what she expressed to him on the night of her birthday but he can't help but want to say something. After all, they've hardly spoken a word to each other.
Ciel's eyes wander over Leah's figure and come across a shining jewel drawing his attention. "You are wearing it," he points out.
"Wearing what?" Leah turns her head to furrow his brows at Ciel.
"The necklace I got you for your birthday," he lifts a hesitant hand to her collarbone, gently lifting the necklace from her skin to examine it as though it is his first time seeing it.
Glancing down, Leah's lips part in understanding. Wrapping around her neck is a gold necklace, adorning many small diamonds centering at the details of the item. It hangs low on her chest, the centerpiece of the necklace drawing attention with the many jewels or small, flower-like details.
"I thought it went well with my dress," she lifts her eyes to meet Ciel's. "Though I believe I've always been more of a silver," she teases.
Ciel's face covers in a blush, not having considered that she may prefer silver over gold when he was picking out her gifts. Attempting to reply, Leah beats him to it.
"I shall get a refreshment, yes? Do wait for me," she smiles softly, reaching her eyes and showing the boy that it is genuine.
Leah quietly excuses herself and makes her way over to a table holding drinks, though most of them appear to be alcoholic. Pursing her lips in frustration, she begrudgingly plucks a glass of champagne between her fingers and takes a hesitant sip. However, she nearly chokes at the sudden feeling of a hand rubbing her back and shoulder.
Looking up in discomfort and immediately shifting away at the touch, her eyes meet the face of a very drunk Georg smirking down at her. "Please do not touch me," Leah keeps her voice clear and steady despite wanting to scream.
Georg has a look of confusion painting his face, clouded by drunk judgment. "It's hard not to with that pretty face of yours," he disregards Leah's words in favor of grabbing her by the forearm and pulling her into him, also dragging Irene into the mix after previously harassing her.
"Do not touch me with your foul hands, you revolting creature!" she raises her voice with a sharp slap to his face, face contorting in pure disgust.
The sounds of anger begin to draw attention from the other party guests, particularly Anna. She fears that Leah may take her anger a step too far, as she normally does, and cause harm to herself or her reputation.
Huffing in annoyance, Georg stumbles back and shows his displeasure quite clearly. "Who are you to speak to me like that?"
Before Leah can start screaming at the top of her lungs, Irene has had enough. "I told you to please stop it! To have you all over me with your disgusting hands.. I can't take it anymore!" she crosses her arms over her chest in discomfort.
Phelps behind them is worried, trying to intervene. But Ran Mao remains firmly attached to Georg, seemingly not phased by the fact that the man is a disgusting pervert.
"What?" Georg sneers. "You're at fault for wearing those clothes! You really want to be touched, don't you? Don't pretend to be sweet and innocent now," he pulls Irene into his arms.
Irene's face darkens and she brings a gloved hand down onto his face. "Insolent jerk! Have some shame!"
Deciding to join in on the assault, Leah takes the glass in her hand and lifts it above her head, disregarding all of the guests watching her closely.
Anna's eyes widen at the scene and swiftly walks over, trying to reach out a hand to her master. "Mistress, please don't be rash!"
Not heeding the words of her lady's maid, Leah brings the glass crashing down onto Georg's face, spilling the liquid and shattering the item. The broken glass leaves an open cut on the man's nose, leaking blood that slowly trickles down his cheeks.
"Why you.." Georg, now on the floor, also grabs a glass and tries to splash it on the women in anger.
But before the liquid can meet either girl, Ciel throws himself in the way to take the damage. Drenched in the champagne, he turns his head in disdain and uses himself as a wall between the three.
"This is a dining hall," he speaks up. "In any case, that will be enough from you three for today."
Leah lets out a cry of frustration. "It is not enough. I want him to die!" she whines.
"Mistress!" Anna cuts in, trying to silence the girl before she can say anything worse.
However, it seems like there are worse problems at the moment than Leah. Like Grimsby, who appears far from pleased at the display he is seeing.
"You old pervert! Don't touch my woman so.." he shoves a hand into a bottle of wine on ice, picking it up and sending it flying in Georg's direction, "easily!"
The bottle of wine spins in the air, aimed directly at Georg Von Siemens' face as he exclaims in shock. Raising his arms to block the blow, it is mere inches away from his face before Sebastian miraculously swoops in and catches it. Much to Leah's dismay.
Popping the cork mid-air, Sebastian gracefully lands atop a ladder to show a sudden display of stacked wine glasses. He pours the liquid from the top in the manner of a fountain, watching it drip down the glasses as they each slowly fill. All watching in amazement, the guests can hardly bring themselves to look at the butler stationed beside the display.
"It's a fantastic wine from the village of Purcari in South Eastern Moldova," he holds the bottle of wine in his gloved hands with a smirk. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please enjoy it."
The guests explode in lines of surprise and praise, particularly the men who merrily rush for a glass. But one remains unimpressed. Leah. Simply staring up at Sebastian, her head tilts to the side in confusion and judgment.
'He is just like Thomas.' Leah thinks to herself, starting up at the butler on the ladder, but her face slowly begins to drain the little color it has. 'He is just like Thomas..'
Dining with a content aura surrounding her, Leah doesn't even notice the chaos beginning to form around her. When the tablecloth is ripped from under everyone's plates, she can't help but gasp at the clattering sounds of the dishes.
"Oh my!"
"Oh? Where did the tablecloth go?"
Finnian and Baldroy are quick to rush to the scene, grabbing Meyrin on both sides of her arms and starting to drag the dizzy maid out of sight.
"A speck of dirt, most unsightly. I had the cloth removed so it wouldn't distract us. Think nothing of it," Ciel speaks with a light smirk on his face, holding a piece of raw meat in between his chopsticks before swiftly taking a bite.
'That pair are so strange.' Leah thinks to herself, awkwardly continuing to eat her dinner and trying to not acknowledge the now missing cloth.
Ciel gives a prideful smirk while Leah and Anna exchange a subtle look, "Then, I'll immediately go investigate and quickly research all the suspects' reports." Sebastian says with a smile.
Sebastian, the ever so elegant butler, bursts open the door to the moving carriage, startling the passengers inside. Calling back to Grell guiding the carriage, he speaks with the seemingly nervous woman before shifting his attention back inside the moving vehicle.
"Then, please excuse me if I leave now," slamming the door shut, Ciel appears unphased after previously shooing the butler off. The rest of the group, however, is very much filled with concern and surprise.
"Wait a minute?! Isn't this horse carriage still running?!" Madame Red shouts, Lau beside her as they peer out the window.
Staring off at the space that Sebastian previously occupied, Leah turns to Anna with a questioning blink. "My.. he is just as deranged as Thomas," she breathes out, which earns a faint giggle from the maid.
"Calm down, Madame Red. Let's first have a cup of afternoon tea and rest," Lau glances back at the red-haired woman, opening the door to the townhouse. "Ok..?" his words fall short when he notices Sebastian standing before him.
"Welcome back. I've been waiting for everyone for a while."
Ignoring Sebastian's bow, Leah and Ciel file into the house while Madame Red and Lau stay behind them, staring at the butler clad in black. The two teens hardly pay attention as Sebastian explains the tea and dessert, filing to the next room.
As much as the Barrett enjoys being in her thoughts, the train is quickly interrupted when she is brought back to hear Lau make exaggerated noises while impaling the box with Sebastian inside. The guests all look with utter shock and worry at multiple swords stabbed into the cupboard, a smiling Lau to accompany it.
"He suddenly went from the top?!"
"He really did it without restraint!"
Lau, who seems entirely proud of his work, sparkles, "Alright, let's see if he's alright?" he suggests.
Taking the swords out of the cupboard and undoing the chains, the door to the cupboard ominously begins to swing open. Everyone watches in silent worry before bursting into shouts of surprise when Sebastian steps out completely unscathed.
"My apologies. I've lived for such a long time, but it's only cats whose fickle emotions I cannot read." Sebastian cheerily smiles.
Furrowing her brows, Leah continues to walk to turn her head back to get a look at the butler clad in black. 'Lived for such a long time? He only looks to be no older than 30..' Pushing aside her questioning thoughts, she walks alongside her fiancé and makes small, unneeded adjustments to her coat to busy her hands.
"Then, I'll be earnestly teaching Smile knife-throwing," Dagger smiles eagerly. "What about you, Black?"
Sebastian's expression hardly moves, "I don't have any particular preferences."
"You've got good reflexes, don't you? If there's something you see and it looks like you can do it, give it a try," Dagger encourages, not expecting Sebastian to speed past him with a simple 'yes.'
Running across the tent, the demon butler is quick to get up on the trapeze and perform a flying blanco. Mere moments later, Sebastian is juggling, followed by pole climbing, passing through fire, high wire, and trampoline. Though, just as he attempts to perform sword-eating, Dagger is quick to cut in.
Waving his hands in a sweat, the blonde stares up at the butler clad in black. "Enough, enough!"
"Show off.." Leah mumbles. "Just like Thomas."
William, under the name of Suit, glances down and releases a breath of air. "I thought I sensed an unpleasant aura. So it was you, was it? Honestly," stabbing his death scythe into the floor, Ciel nearly throws Leah out of the way before she can be impaled. "What did you come to fish around for this time? You devilish fiend!" he points the scythe to Sebastian's neck, now gaining a crowd of scared individuals.
The demon remains unexpressive, keeping himself in front of the two nobles. While Ciel is staring in dread, Leah is quick to fix her clothes around to hide any piece that came out of place when she was moved, determined to show as little skin as possible.
"De..vil?" The crowd begins to talk amongst themselves with wide eyes.
"Even under the best of circumstances, in this time of Grim Reaper shortages.. With a demon appearing like this, I suppose it will throw off my schedule," William complains.
Leah pauses and tilts her head. 'Demon?'
The memories play in Leah's head like a movie, leaving her trapped in her spot, staring up at Sebastian with wild eyes. 'Oh my God..' Her breath gets caught in her throat. 'It was right in front of my eyes.' The two lock eyes. 'If Thomas exists, surely other demons do as well!' Sebastian tilts his head and gives a condescending smile, trying to appear sweet to the girl.
"Mistress..?" Anna calls out to the frozen Leah, noticing that she seems off when she doesn't reply immediately. "Mistress!"
Coughing when she attempts to simultaneously take a breath in and out, Leah is pulled from her thoughts as she turns to look at Anna with a forced curl of her lips. "Hm?"
"Are you alright?" asks Anna.
Leah nods with a strange demeanor, showing her mediocre acting skills when she pulls herself away. 'Does Ciel know? Am I wrong? Perhaps I am just dramatic?' She fights the urge to shake her head like a dog before the group of people, approaching Ciel's side as he attempts to dry himself.
"So once that solemn man gets some alcohol into him, this is how he becomes?" Ciel directs his question towards Sebastian with annoyance, speaking in French. "From the looks of it, he's a repeat offender."
Sebastian closes his eyes with a smirk. "Even so, showing how little self-constraint one has.. I won't whether he's just an immense fool or whether he knows no shame at all," he drags an eye over to Leah.
"He is a man. Of course he knows no shame," Leah replies in fluent French. "After all, you men are known for your egos."
Eyes widening in shock at the sound of Leah's voice speaking articulate French, Ciel wonders just how many things she knows that she's never mentioned. "Seems like the incurable type of guy that'd make a doctor hopeless," he retorts, subtly enjoying the giggle he pulls from his fiancé.
A laugh sounds from the side of them, pulling the trio's attention to Arthur who sits in his seat with a hand to his mouth. While Leah and Sebastian stare rather blankly, Ciel smirks and places a finger to his lips.
"Shh."
The night drags on and the rain shows no sign of stopping, pattering against the windows. Most of the guests surround the lounge in the room, staring at Georg who has now fallen asleep after his night of drinking and acting like a fool.
"Has Master Siemens fallen asleep?" Charles takes a sip of wine as he glances at the man beside him.
Phelps also takes a look and a bead of sweat drops from his forehead. "Seems like it.."
Seated in his chair beside Arthur and Leah, Ciel fakes feeling tired as he observes the scene. "Sebastian. Take the Lord to his room. I'll retire too," he says as he stands up with a yawn.
Moving over towards the door, everyone watches as Sebastian easily lifts Georg on his back.
"I'm very sorry, but I'll excuse myself as well," Ciel announces.
"Ahh, the Earl is going to sleep already?" Lau asks in surprise.
"For a boy such as myself, it's bedtime already," Ciel walks over to press his cheek against Leah in a mock kiss. "Please relax yourselves."
With that, the master and butler take their leave. The guests decide on playing billiard, which Leah wants to join in on, but Anna has other plans.
"I believe it is time for you to retire as well, Mistress?" she suggests.
Leah gasps dramatically and an upset look spreads across her face. "Anna, no! I am not even tired yet!" she whines, earning a chuckle from Lau who watches.
"You know how you get. You'll become tired any moment now and suddenly you become mean to everyone," Anna clearly knows Leah better than she knows herself, trying to spare everyone from the wrath of the girl's mood swings.
"But—" Leah tries to object, but almost like clockwork, she begins to feel a slight sense of fatigue. "No.."
Anna doesn't listen to her protests, guiding Leah towards the door and having her wave everyone off with a goodnight. The earlier she can get the teenager to sleep, the earlier she can retire from her duties for the night. Even if she has to listen to initial whining.
As much as Leah doesn't want to sleep, she finds herself sitting in front of the vanity as Anna performs her night routine. Her eyes hold a sense of sleepiness that betrays her words, ready to collapse onto the bed that is mere feet away from her and enter the land of dreams.
It isn't that simple though, as a loud scream pierces through the halls and draws alert from everyone in the manor. Both Leah and Anna glance at each other and the door, going back and forth.
"What was that?" Leah asks hesitantly, suddenly wide awake.
Anna places a cream down on the table with a nervous shake of her head. "I do not know, Mistress," she whispers.
Against her better judgment, Leah rises from her chair and opens the door, looking around to see if she notices anyone. When she doesn't, she gestures for Anna to follow and navigates through the sound of voices that come from down the hall. She shouldn't have.
Leah comes across the room where all the noise is coming from, sighing in irritation. 'Must they make so much racket?'
"Do you people have no respect for those that are trying to sleep?" she walks in wearing only her nightgown and a robe, her bare feet stopping against the floor when she sees Georg Von Siemens' lifeless body in the chair. "Oh!"
Turning around at the sound of his betrothed's voice, Ciel swiftly takes hold of her and buries her face into his shoulder. "Don't look!"
If this was any other scenario, Leah's face would be as red as a tomato. But unfortunately, she is in the same room as a dead body.
"Is he dead..?" Leah can't bring herself to raise her voice above a whisper.
Anna stands behind the pair with wide eyes, though nothing else about her expression seems to be disturbed. Despite her fear, she aims her focus at Leah and her comfort, bringing a hand to her hair and running it through. But at the sound of Arthur's words, her hand can't help but pause.
"He's dead!"