( chapter twenty-four ! )
"I don't like you; you fooled me!"
Stomping down the halls with a huff is none other than Leah, some way ahead of the others trailing behind her. While most would be ecstatic that the killer has now been apprehended, she is filled with a begrudging anger that echos with her steps.
When the plan was set in place and the group sat in Ciel's room, she felt fine. But, when it was revealed to be Ran Mao under the blanket rather than her dear fiancé, she couldn't help but be pissed—to put it bluntly. No one knew what exactly Jeremy's plan was—fooled by a man she deems lesser than her? Insanity.
So, now rushing through the halls of Phantomhive Manor to Woodley's room—the group having been informed by Tanaka that Ciel and the others were hiding inside, Leah mumbles under her breath and makes clear jabs at Jeremy.
"Who do you think you are?" she seethes, keeping her gaze straight head. "I would hope nothing important because you are no one!"
Behind her, everyone else remains silent. At least Charles and Arthur do. Anna and even Ran Mao have been trying to calm the girl for the past few minutes, while Jeremy only serves to fuel Leah's anger every time he opens his mouth.
"I do apologize for upsetting you. That wasn't my intention," Jeremy shakes his head, though he fails to show any remorse. But who would?
Leah throws her head back but continues walking. "I do not care what your intention was!" her voice nearly raises to a yell.
Anna, brave enough to walk closer to her, carefully fiddles with discarded heels that Leah threw at Jeremy. "Mistress, perhaps you should take a moment to calm yourself?" she suggests, which causes Ran Mao to nod in agreement, occasionally glancing at any golden-rimmed paintings that they pass.
"Stay out of it, Anna!" Leah demands, speeding up when she catches Tanaka standing in the doorway to the room she's been looking for.
Further in the back, Arthur also follows along while Charles, Anna, Jeremy, and Ran Mao keep their pace. Watching her master enter, Anna takes a moment to mutter an apology on Leah's behalf, though she knows that she would protest if she were to hear this. Regardless, Anna immediately follows after her into the room.
"That man—" Leah starts almost immediately after walking in, her finger pointed towards the open door that almost makes it seem as though she's speaking about Tanaka. "That unfortunate-looking man should deem himself lucky I do not cut off his head!"
Her eyes fall upon Ciel, who sits cross-legged on the bed in the room, covered in nothing but a coat and surrounded by anyone who hadn't tagged along to catch the killer. Even the servants hold weapons— sort of. Meyrin and Finnian both carry brooms while Bardroy has a fire poker, the three presumably having been waiting for a potential attack.
"And you all just sit here..? Like simpletons. No better than him," she doesn't think before she speaks.
Some open their mouths to try and retaliate, but they don't have the chance to when the door is abruptly opened, revealing Arthur and Charles.
Their entry is shortly followed by Anna and Ran Mao, the maid trying to take the shoes off of Ran Mao's hands because she is wearing them as if they are gloves. The only person missing is Jeremy, who Leah would rather not see.
"We brought the killer along," says Charles nonchalantly, throwing a thumb over his shoulder to point at a looming shadow approaching him from behind.
This elicits a shriek from Irene, which trails on a bit longer than it should when Jeremy makes his entry, holding a tied snack in his hands. The reptile hisses and mildly squirms in the grip but makes no real progress in escaping since the middle of its body currently forms a knot, much to the displeasure of Leah, who deems it cruel.
"'This' is the killer," Jeremy gives an unnerving smile, holding the snake out for everyone to take a good look.
"A snake?!"
"That's ridiculous!"
Leah rolls her eyes and crosses the room to take a seat on the bed beside Ciel, though she doesn't bother sparing him a glance. 'All this fuss these last few days just for the killer to be a measly snake.. Ridiculous.' Now that she has practically been completely stripped of the title of potential murderer, she seems to be letting herself slip after staying quiet for so long to avoid suspicion. That and the girl feels a bit tired; she's beginning to fuss in the manner of a toddler.
"It's hard to believe, but it really came to get the young lady wearing the Earl's clothes," Arthur flushes as he avoids Ran Mao's eyes that bore into him as she nods, choosing to keep his own locked on the snake.
As Jeremy begins to explain how the snake might have been trained and how Patrick Phelps was killed—by having Ciel's scent due to sleeping in his bed, Anna takes it as her sign to approach Leah on the bed.
She kneels without a word and gently lifts one of Leah's feet from the floor, carefully placing one of the shoes she snatched back from Ran Mao on her feet. The Barrett stays silent and doesn't make a complaint, allowing her once bare feet to be covered. It is unbecoming of a lady to walk around barefoot, as her mother would say.
Speaking of Vivienne, if she could see Leah now.. The woman would die of heart failure. To see her behavior in the last few days would go against anything she has told her. Not that she was the one to teach her anything about being a lady.
Trapped in her thoughts, Leah doesn't even realize that Ciel has gotten off of the bed until she hears his voice filled with protest.
"At least put something on!" screams the Phantomhive, drawing Leah's attention to notice how Ran Mao is pressing her almost bare chest against him as he struggles free. "In any case! I was made to wear the butler's coat to hide my body odor?" he coughs into his hand, trying to rid the blush on his face.
Ran Mao, left behind with Lau as Ciel steps away, decides to now wander over to sit beside Leah, who is twirling her feet at the ankle, examining the shoes that are returned to her feet. She leans against the teen, staring off at the wall, which Leah doesn't particularly seem to mind.
"However, it's illegal to transport poisonous snakes on trading ships," Arthur is taking another peek at his notebook. "I used to be a doctor on a boat that sailed the African sea course as a part-time job, the luggage was checked quite strictly."
Leah's face contorts into one of subtle judgment and irritation. "A doctor, but you call yourself a wordsmith," this statement only earns an act of silence from Anna, who clamps a hand down over her mouth.
Stifling a chuckle, Lau places a hand on his chin in thought. "Which means it was smuggled. Bribing a privately managed freight ship is probably the easiest way," he adds to Arthur's words.
"Indeed, you'd need close connections with an African business," says Ciel.
Arthur nods. "If you're talking Africa, imported products would be gold or dia.." his voice trails off to silence.
Amongst everyone, Leah is the first to set her eyes on Woodley, the man who works with a diamond company. 'How joyous. I don't like him.' The others follow suit and gasp loudly, some taking steps back. Woodley's body language is stiff, a look of shock wiping over his face, and the sound of rain crackles in people's ears.
Even the Barrett takes a small scoot to the side, nearly sitting on the pillows and brushing against the headboard. Ran Mao, not entirely interested or showing expression, simply moving closer to Leah and continuing to lean against her. Their heads brush against each other's—something that typically would fill Leah with an urge to move away. But, with all eyes on Woodley and her relatively close relationship with Ran Mao, it is pushed to the back of her mind.
"N—No.. It wasn't me!" Woodley brings his hands up in defense before pointing an accusatory finger at Lau just as fast. "T—Trading is Kun Lun's thing, isn't it?!"
Lau nonchalantly lifts his hands and shoulders into a shrug, a faint smirk on his lips. "Aww, too bad! We don't do business with any African companies."
Deciding it's his turn to chime in, Charles gestures towards Woodley with a look of uncertainty. "Well, it really is a bit much to be deciding the killer based on the snake being from Africa alone."
"I think it is fair," says Leah with a shake of her head.
No one seems to be listening to her, though, as Woodley continues to defend himself and ever so slightly perks up at Charles' words.
"T—That's right! And what about when Siemens was killed?! I have an alibi!" he yells, sweat dripping down his face and nearly getting into his eyes, which are wide open.
Jeremy crosses his arms, his infamous smirk covering his face. "That alibi might not be worth all that much."
"What?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if the corpse the butler and the others found wasn't a corpse?"Jeremy's face begins to look ominous, earning a look of disgust from Leah.
"What?!"
Arthur shakes his head helplessly and stammers. "But he didn't have a pulse, and there was blood on his chest.."
"Did you thoroughly inspect the wound?" asks Jeremy.
"That's.." Arthur glances at the floor. "It was quite dark, so I wasn't able to.."
"Does everyone know of the potion Juliet drank in 'Romeo and Juliet'?" Jeremy suddenly asks.
Irene raises a brow in his direction. "You mean to go into a state of apparent death but come back to life?"
An eye roll comes from Leah's side of the room, hardly trying to hide how she feels. 'How ridiculous..' Jeremy has ruined her mood for the day.
"You mean.."
"That's right. It actually exists," a finger is pointed up by Jeremy. "A poison that would induce this state!"
"Wha—"
"There is a substance called Tetrodotoxin that was recently discovered and is being studied. It seems that if you refine it in a certain way, you will achieve a state of apparent death much like Juliet's," explains Jeremy, his words causing everyone's thoughts to be plagued by the story.
Arthur's brows furrow in thought, his gaze drilling into Jeremy. "Tetrodotoxin is the poison puffer fish and octopuses carry, isn't it?"
"As expected, you have the latest information, Doctor," Jeremy tips his head in complementation. "When I investigated Lord Siemens' body, I noticed a faint scent of the sea. Perhaps that was the scent of a poison made using puffer fish," his gloved hands collide and make a muffled clapping sound. "I just have one question here. Why would the scent of poison come from someone who had allegedly been stabbed?"
Leah shifts her gaze towards Anna and makes a gesture with her hand to mock how much Jeremy speaks, though Anna slaps her hand down before anyone else can see. Ran Mao does give a silent laugh.
Looking up, Ciel's brows knit. "It was a setup?" he suggests, causing Charles to perk up ever so slightly.
"Indeed. He himself drank the poison, got rid of the bottle, and pretended to be dead. Then, it wouldn't matter what room he was put in. He probably figured that people without specific medical knowledge wouldn't examine the wound closely; hence, it would work as a temporary deception at least," says Jeremy.
Arthur sighs and looks away, disappointed in himself. "I should have looked at it more carefully.."
"But," Jeremy starts, "when I checked the body just now, he was certainly stabbed to death."
"What?"
Groaning quietly in exasperation, Leah drills holes into Jeremy with her eyes. "Did he fake his death? Did the pufferfish poison unintentionally kill him? Did he drink the poison and finish the job? Did someone else do it?" she rapidly fires questions at him, her patience waning. "Which one is it?!"
The constant talking. The constant discoveries. The constant doubling back on statements. The constant leading them on just to reveal new information that changes the story. It is all driving Leah absolutely mad. When will it end? Before or after she loses it and strangles Jeremy?
This earns her nothing but a smirk from the man. Almost as if he is taunting her. 'I would skin that face off if I could.'
While Ciel appears surprised at her sudden outburst, Lau is unfazed. "So what was meant to be a fake turned out to be a real murder?" he asks, beckoning Ran Mao over, who slowly stands and makes her way over.
"If we look at the situation, the killer might have wanted to lure the Earl into a trap," Arthur suggests.
Ciel reluctantly pulls his gaze away from Leah, brows raising at the mention of him. "Me?"
Arthur nods, thinking back to the events of a few nights prior. "It's impossible to know whether Lord Siemens was an accomplice, though, because he seemed quite out of bounds once he had some alcohol in him," Leah's face curls up in disgust when she remembers the feeling of the man's hands. "The killer might have invited him to 'give everyone a good scare' or something."
"But the Lord and myself had never met before, there is no reason for him to want to lure me into a trap," Ciel seems thoughtful, but it almost looks like a facade. "We can just look at it as him being silenced by being killed," he nods along to his own words.
"How sad.." sighs Arthur.
This catches Leah off guard, raising a brow to Arthur. Sad? Did she hear him correctly?
Jeremy tilts his head in gesture along with his hands. "There would have been plenty of chances to talk to him during the buffet party," he states.
Any other words fly over Leah's head, entirely caught up in what came out of Arthur's mouth. Her face contorts in numerous ways, all a flash of disgust or mild confusion. One may think she looks insane or even possessed.
"Sad?" she speaks up, her voice condescending. "I don't feel sad for that incestuous-looking pervert," the pure disdain within the words is evident, catching everyone's attention.
For a split moment, the room goes silent. Everyone's brows raise or furrow, eyes widening. But despite the shock and surprise, Leah's face is straight except for the lingering disgust.
"..Incestuous?" asks Ciel, his voice sounding uncertain, as if he is unsure if he hears her correctly.
"Yes," Leah nods, confident in her words. "He looked as though his parents were siblings.."
Over in the corner, Grimsby shakes his head wildly, struggling to comprehend what he just heard. "Why would you say that?!" his voice raises a tad bit too high, striking Leah's nerves.
"Because it—"
The insult isn't thought over for long, though, as Woodley begins yelling in defense of himself.
"If so, anyone here could have egged him on! I don't even have any kind of alibi!" he yells, his voice nearly cracking as marks of irritation appear on his forehead.
'Interrupted me. How rude.' Leah huffs.
"We could inquire as to what everyone talked about with Lord Siemens, but.." Jeremy shrugs without a second thought. "Let's not. Humans are lying creatures."
Leah's face contorts into one of discomfort. 'Again with the creatures. I'm beginning to think he is Sebastian's long-lost brother.. What a freak.' She sends Jeremy a side glance, which he catches.
Pursing his lips, Charles speaks up. "That's right, in fact, you could be lying as well. If he drank a poison, where'd the bottle go?" he asks.
"Thank you!" exclaims Leah. This is the first time she has agreed with Charles in the entire two days she has been here. It almost earns a smile from the man, but he holds it back.
Ciel releases a noise of acknowledgment, but the question doesn't need much thought to it. "That's easy, he got rid of it in a place no one would examine right away," he gestures with his hand. "In the fire, for example."
"That's right," Bardroy nods, reminding Leah of his existence. "There was a ridiculous amount of wood in the fire back then," he recalls a conversation he shared with Sebastian before his death.
Flipping pages is the only sound to fill the room for a mere moment, sweat dripping down Arthur's face as he tries to find something that could justify this.
"We definitely wouldn't find it there. And if he collected it once, the afterglow had died out.." his eyes dance upon the page, set in a strangely fast rhythm.
"However, that wasn't possible," Ciel's voice is low, "because of Sebastian."
"That's right!" Arthur's voice raises higher than it should, causing Leah to cover her ears. Not because it hurts but simply because she is petty. "Before he could destroy the evidence, the butler had already come to collect the ashes!"
Woodley's face darkens, beginning to appear panicked. "Tha— That's nonsense!" he bellows.
"If he has found the proof of a setup, his precious alibi would go up in smoke," Arthur ignores any of Woodley's protests. "He acted quickly and immediately killed Sebastian. Next, he recovered the evidence and returned to his room.." the hypothetical events replay in his head.
"Then the one who has it is the killer! I don't have any such thing! You searched us, right?!" Woodley begins to try and cover himself, reasonably so.
A grimace flashes on Leah's face, wishing the voices would lower. It has been what feels like nonstop yelling and accusations for the past couple of days. 'Someone shut him up..'
"That's right," Ciel's lips curl. "Outside the hearth, that is. Isn't it the perfect hiding space? It's not like we would come to search the room again. If you recovered and destroyed it after we were done searching, it'd be perfect," all eyes drift over to the fireplace, filled with interest and mystery.
Woodley's fingers twitch in agitation, and his shoulders somehow become more tense. "Th.. That's a false accusation!" he carefully tries to hide a faint shake in his voice, it's hard to decipher whether it is from a place of anger or fear. "There's nothing like that here!"
"Then show us!" yells Grimsby in response, already moving over to the fireplace. "Let's see if it's there or not!"
His hands aggressively take hold of the fire poker sitting still at its side, adjusting it between his fingers. The still is sparse, as Grimsby almost immediately begins to swat at the remnants within the fireplace, causing smoke and dust to fly into the air.
A set of coughs ring throughout the room, the smoke carrying itself high and surrounding figures, nearly drowning them out. If it wasn't for the rain, a window would be opened. But, there is a noticeable new item that lays on the floor that catches everyone's attention.
"Glass shards?!"
Small shards of glass cover a small spot on the floor, accompanied by stray burnt pieces of wood that threaten to crumble under the lightest touch.
Woodley's eyes widen, his words caught in his throat. "What?!"
"But it's not like we can tell what it was like this.." says Arthur, following Jeremy, who crouches before the glass.
Speaking of moving, Leah has now wandered over to the door that is cracked in an attempt to gain fresh air. Smoke nearly filling your lungs isn't a pleasant experience, but it thankfully clears quickly.
Lifting the pieces into his gloved hands, Jeremy disregards any safety precautions. "It'll be fine if we pick it up and put it back together."
Both Leah and Arthur stare incredulously. "That's impossible! It's been reduced to bits!" exclaims Arthur, who only has a view of Jeremy's back.
"Nonsense, it's like a puzzle without a picture," says Jeremy, meticulously placing the pieces back together and letting the restored item sit in his hand. "It's done."
"Wow!"
The guests stare at the small bottle in shock. How could Jeremy piece it back together with such ease? But Leah isn't as impressed.
Slowly turning her head to Anna, she points with an uncomfortable posture. "That is witchcraft," she spits.
Anna, also mildly shocked, gives an uncertain nod. "I think I may have to agree with you this time.." her voice is quiet, trying not to draw attention to either of them.
Outside of their little corner, the others are closely observing the bottle. Though no one dares get too close to Jeremy.
"Looks like an ampule of medicine," Jeremy states.
"T—To find this here means.." Arthur's voice is shaky as his hand faintly pounds.
Not so silent, Grimsby turns and immediately points a finger at Woodley. "You're the killer, after all! You murderer!" his voice booms.
Woodley, with his hands stretched out, hunches over and steps back. "I.. I have no idea what this is!"
"To want to trap a boy.." whispers Arthur, almost appearing sad. "Why on Earth would you do that?"
"I—" Woodley doesn't get a chance to explain himself.
Ciel cuts him off. "Diamonds."
"Huh?"
The words leave Ciel's mouth as though it could be common knowledge. "There was a top-secret plan for a major company in the diamond industry, Roze, and my own company that possesses the world's leading technology to cooperate and take off in the jewelry industry. But, a few days ago, the autocratic president, Mr. Roze, was murdered, and the plan was put on hold. However, if the plan was put into motion again, the Woodley company that boasts of having the latest technology would certainly receive some damage."
Everyone takes in the explanation, nodding to say that it makes quite a bit of sense.
"That's why you thought you'd kill me now, right?" Ciel sends a sharp glare in Woodley's direction. "It was a careless thought anyway."
"I didn't do it, please believe me! I'm being set up here!" the voice of Woodley nearly rattles off of the walls as he points a finger toward the teen, piercing the ears of all those standing around him. "By this boy.. the Queen's Watch—" tears prick the corner of his eyes.
The shouting comes to a sudden stop, Woodley not having a chance to finish his accusation. Behind him stands Charles, his eyes devoid of any emotion. With a sharp breath, his sword is pressed against the front of his neck.
Charles' voice is low but loud enough for the sharpness to be heard. "Shut up." the sword digs a tad bit deeper into Woodley's neck, threatening to draw blood. "I don't need your explanations. I'll listen to your stories in jail."
Leah wishes to let out a chuckle, especially at the sight of Charles apprehending Woodley, who is about half a head taller than him. And she very much would. But to draw that attention to herself in this moment? Perhaps not the best idea.
"I.. I didn't.. I didn't do it!" shouts Woodley, his mouth wide open.
"If you don't want to be killed, I suggest you be quiet," Charles's chin rests on Woodley's shoulder, sword aimed below the other man's chin. "I'm in a really bad mood right now."
The will to laugh slowly dissipates when Leah notices Ciel moving in her direction. If she didn't know any better, she would assume he wants to speak. But that thought is thrown at the window when he shares a glance with her, grabbing ahold of a set of chains that happen to be sitting by her.
"Earl Gray," Ciel pipes up, the chains nonchalantly gripped between his hands. "I have quite a fitting item here. How about we use it?"
Sharing their own glance, Charles takes the item and quickly wraps it around Woodley. The chains surround his torso, wrapped three times but also locked at his wrists, entirely restricting his movements outside of his legs and head.
It is silent within the room as Charles leads him out, leaving everyone else behind to their own devices.
This silence almost stretches before Leah breaks it. "Finally.. That man is quite irritating," she sighs, leaning her back against the wall.
"I'm so relieved.." Irene pitches in as well, standing closely beside Grimsby.
The silence threatens to persist, but Finnian is now the one to speak.
"Come to think of it, what was that dark red liquid then?" he asks curiously.
Leah subtly nods her head, recalling the fluid she peeped Meyrin looking at. She didn't want to question it, but if Woodley is the culprit, then it must truly be something as simple as she thought it was.
Ciel raises a brow. "Dark red liquid?"
"The maid seemed to have found a dark red liquid inside Ms. Irene's room," says Jeremy. "She was wondering if the always young and beautiful looking Ms. Irene was a vampire," he almost snickers.
Holding Irene tighter, Grimsby doesn't take this accusation lightly. "What's up with that?! Are you questioning Irene?!" he shouts, Irene's attempts at calming him aren't entirely working.
Leah rolls her eyes and walks over to Ciel, stopping beside him but not before sending a look towards Arthur. He can't tell if it is meant to be friendly or threatening, but he is too scared to question. With the way she yells at anyone with little care for who they are, Arthur isn't sure he wants to be on the other end of that.
"I dare say the contents of the bottle were.." Jeremy reaches into his pocket and retrieves a leaf that has somehow not crumbled, "this, right?"
"A leaf?" asks Meyrin with a strange undertone.
Finnian, however, lights up. "Ah, that's a red perilla!"
With furrowed brows, Leah tilts her head. 'Finny actually knows something about plants?'
"The red perilla has an anti-aging effect," explains Jeremy, earning a flush of the cheeks and a nod from Irene. "The extract that is taken from its boiled-down leaves is the origin of your beauty.. is it not?"
"Th.. That's right. I'm sorry, I never thought it'd turn into something like this.." Irene holds her cheeks in her hands in a bad attempt to hide her blush. "I take it because I want to remain young with him forever," she steps closer to Grimsby to wrap an arm around his own.
"Irene.." whispers Grimsby.
Unlike some who may be touched, Leah's face curls in disgust. She nearly shivers with her entire body.
She doesn't try to hide this either, her voice clear for all to hear. "That made me sick to my stomach."
The servants hide their laughs, also finding the line not so lovely.
"This can also restore fatigue," Jeremy lifts the bottle to gaze at the liquid inside. "So upon that notion, why don't we celebrate the solving of the crime with a toast of this?" he takes glasses and pours some inside, passing them around to the guests.
Leah—hesitant and picky as always—sniffs the drink, feeling a faint displeasure at the lack of smell. She tries not to let this bother her, though. If Ciel tries it, then so should she.
Beside her, Ciel gives a rare smile as he stands shoulder to shoulder with her, his gaze focused on Arthur. "Well, if Mr. Wordsmith would like to make the toast then," he suggests.
"Wha— Me?!" Arthur flushes with embarrassment.
"Because of the indispensable help you gave us today," Ciel closes his eyes.
Leah shrugs. "He wasn't that good.." she mumbles, playfully clinking her glass with her fiancés.
Regardless, people pay her words no mind in favor of gathering around, holding their glasses up high.
"To celebrate solving the crime.." Arthur smiles wildly as the soft sound of glass colliding fills the room, "a toast!"
By the afternoon of the next day, carriages fill up the front of Phantomhive Manor, waiting for their respective guests to file in and leave. Rain no longer pours from the sky, instead replaced by the shining sun. The only remnant that remains are small patches of water that litter the ground or an occasional gust of wind. Other than that, most would say the weather is pleasant.
Leah stands among the guests, surprisingly patient, given her behavior the day prior. She waits for Anna with her hands folded in front of herself, lightly bouncing on her feet. It's evident in her posture that she is relaxed and assumingly in a good mood. Some are inclined to still tread carefully, though.
Her attention is focused on the soft, wet blades of grass that cover the surrounding land. She could stare forever, her blue eyes absorbing the beauty of nature. Lost in thought without a care in the world. But, of course, that is much too good to be true, the train crashing at the sound of her lady's maid approaching.
"The carriage is ready, Mistress," she says with a subtle bow.
Flickering her eyes up to her face, Leah gives a curt nod and steps past her. To the right of all the carriages sits one decked in her family's colors, the pale and dark shades heavily mixing. The Barrett pays the color no mind, though, focusing on being able to sit down and return home.
Murder mysteries wear her out, no doubt.
Leah's steps are light, her long legs carrying her with a brisk walking speed. She doesn't bother to pay attention to her surroundings now. Home, her bed, a break, it all sounds like a haven. But, she is punished for her thoughts when her shoulder is bumped.
"My apologies!" the voice comes fast, hardly giving Leah a moment to register the hit.
Turning her head just behind her, she is met with the sight of Arthur, who has his hands placed in front of him, seemingly preparing to apologize profusely. The man almost looks scared, most likely from seeing how Leah can act when she dislikes a person. He doesn't want to be in that kind of fire, and hitting her will only make it worse.
She eyes him up for a moment, her eyes squinting under the sunlight. "It is alright; it was just a bump. It doesn't hurt," her voice is uncharacteristically quiet compared to the yelling Arthur feels accustomed to.
Arthur's mouth opens as if he will say something, but then it closes. The only thing he can manage is a stammered, "Good day."
Neither of them offers more to the conversation, setting off down their respective paths. However, Leah can't resist stopping him just one more time as Anna opens the door to her carriage.
"Say, Mr. Wordsmith," she calls out, causing the man to stop in his tracks and look back. "Do write me a letter when you publish one of your books. Mayhaps I shall buy it. Unless it is bad, then do not waste my time."
Offering no further words, Leah climbs inside of her carriage, leaving a flushed Arthur behind her. Anna follows after her and places herself in the seat across from her master, closing the door and peering out of the window. Both of them are silent, but it's comfortable, and neither can complain.
Wind blows through their locks of brunette hair, pushing against their skin in a way that makes Leah want to close her eyes and disappear to a sanctuary where she can be at peace. This trip has been far from what she would ever ask for. A much-needed break that she won't get will do her good.
Leah, sitting closer to the door, stares out at the trees before her eyes settle on tufts of blue suddenly entering her vision, a familiar face blocking her view. Standing before her is her fiancé, harboring his usual solemn expression, but she can almost make out a hint of remorse.
There is a pause that surrounds the pair, neither making the first move to speak. Ciel seems as though much is on his mind, while Leah's eyes show a distance in the situation. In most scenarios, the Barrett wouldn't bat an eye at this silence, but her betrothed being the one to approach her so suddenly makes it hard to ignore.
Shifting on his feet, Ciel's lips part as he takes in a quiet breath as if to prep himself. "I'm sorry this party wasn't what you expected. It wasn't what I expected," his words carry a hint of something that Leah can't place her finger on.
A long moment goes by as Leah doesn't answer, simply boring her eyes into his own. She almost can't think of what to say, her mind both jumbled and dull. Ciel doesn't let this deter him, though.
"I can make it up to you," he suggests with an almost unnoticeable tilt of his head.
Leah's breath almost catches in her throat. The offer is sweet of him, that she can't deny, but to know that Ciel is used to the behavior of spoiling her feels almost embarrassing. If he was any other man, surely he wouldn't want to put up with her.
"No, it is alright," she murmurs with a shake of her head, placing her hand atop of Ciel's own and feeling his fingers twitch beneath. "I was being spoiled when I asked you for a separate gift.. You got me more than enough," a small but genuine smile graces her lips.
Wrapping her gloved hand in one of his own, Ciel gives it a light squeeze. Their hands sit, conjoined on the window opening for all to see if they look close enough.
"I trust you will be safe on your return home?" he nods, certain with the answer he will receive.
The Barrett suppresses a half-hearted giggle. "You know I will," she purses her lips. "I can have one of the servants call your telephone when I arrive if you'd like."
Ciel gives a rare grin. "I should like that.." he whispers.
Without another word, Ciel steps away from the carriage door and allows the driver to set it in motion, watching as Leah shifts back to her original spot and flashes a smile at Anna. It certainly isn't the last time they'll see each other, even if it feels as such while they watch the carriage drift away.
Though, Leah can't help but place half of herself out of the window to send a goodbye wave to her betrothed.
"Until we meet again!" she calls out with a wave, the carriage straying further and further away until Ciel is no longer in sight.
Barely a week has passed before Ciel and Leah reunite once again, though it is under rather sad circumstances. The matter being Sebastian's funeral, to remember the loss of a man so loyal.
Such an event is naturally depressing, filled with streams of tears and hiccups of those closest to him.
The coffin holding Sebastian's body is carefully carried by Agni, Bardroy, Finnian, and Tanaka as they all carry it toward the open grave with measured steps and Undertaker by their side. In the back, Leah, Ciel, Elizabeth, Soma, Meyrin, and Thomas all trail behind.
His body is easily lowered into the grave and covered; eliciting choked sobs that don't become louder until everyone gets a chance to read the headstone.
Butler Sebastian Michaelis rests here.
It is a sad sight, and although most in attendance can hold themselves together, Elizabeth, of all people, is surprisingly the one to fall apart first.
"Ciel!" she cries, throwing her arms around her cousin with a tight force. "Sebastian is a liar! He's so cruel, promising he would never leave Ciel by himself.." her voice would become a whisper if it wasn't for her loud sobs.
Soma, crying just as much as Elizabeth joins in on the hug and attempted comfort. "Don't cry, Ciel! We'll be with you forever!"
"Forever and ever!" Elizabeth chants.
The crying fest is soon joined by all of the others, save for Leah and Thomas, who stand off to the side, quietly observing. Neither was particularly close to Sebastian. Leah came solely to comfort Ciel and offer her condolences; she isn't heartless. And Thomas, to no one's surprise, has been dragged along.
Elizabeth's words relay in Leah's head. "A liar..? That is so ridiculous. He can't help that he was murdered," she mumbles loud enough for only Thomas to hear.
Fighting back a chuckle, Thomas keeps his hands neatly folded behind his back. "Grief makes people say things they don't always mean."
"Elizabeth is always saying stuff she doesn't mean. This sounds like any other ridiculous thing she says," Leah offers a faint shrug, the veil in front of her eyes moving with her.
This time, Thomas lets a noise slip, but it is drowned out by the tears. "Do you not—"
Before the demon has a chance to finish his sentence, the grave beside Sebastian's tombstone begins to ring. It shakes with a determined rhythm, one that is hard to mistake as anything other than someone in the grave ringing it themselves.
"The bell on the grave is ringing..?"
Finnian's brows furrow. "Even though there's no wind.." he says.
"Oh my.. Should you really be standing around like that?" Undertaker laughs and takes a peek at everyone. "If that bell rings.. it means he's still alive."
This information startles everyone, and the men are quick to grab shovels or start digging with their hands.
"Dig him up!"
Back in her corner, Leah doesn't take this news so lightly and her heart skips a beat. Sebastian. Alive? After she saw him stabbed right through the chest? Or seeing a fire poker be pulled out by Ciel's own hands? It's impossible.
She shifts uncomfortably, crossing her arms over her torso, rubbing against the fabric of her black dress. "That makes no sense.." she mumbles, a look of distraught covering her face, which is only fuel when Sebastian sits up in the coffin.
"What is wrong?" Thomas raises a brow and looks down at her, his blonde hair reflecting the sun.
"He shouldn't be alive," Leah says, more clearly than last time. "He was stabbed in the chest. I saw it when it was still inside him, and I saw it as it was pulled out. No normal person can simply rise from a grave after that," she nearly shudders as she remembers the look of Sebastian's lifeless eyes.
Thomas flicks his gaze over towards Sebastian, who is now being covered in a mound of the others, crying and drooling all over him. He can't deny that he finds it amusing, just like he finds Leah's confusion amusing. But he would never let her know that, his precious lady.
A smirk touches his lips, gazing back down at the Barrett with an odd look in his eye that she doesn't notice. Thomas can't help but wonder if she's catching on. That is something he simply won't let her know until she asks herself.
"Something isn't right with him," Leah shakes her head. 'No man can just get up.'
The thoughts of Sebastian being a demon resurface. It can be the only plausible explanation. Something that isn't human. 'My head hurts..' Leah winces, wringing her gloved hands together.
None of it makes sense to her. Why are the servants acting as if this isn't the case? Even Ciel himself. She can't stand it. It makes her feel crazy.
Face contorting with confusion and discomfort, she takes a step back and makes brief eye contact with Ciel. "I am not watching another moment of this," with no further explanation, Leah begins to walk away.
Making no complaints, Thomas follows after her without further question. The demon has no other reason to stay, especially for something as vile as Sebastian Michaelis.
Their walk is slow and melancholic for a long few minutes, near silent save for the sounds of wind or the occasional rustle of fabric. Despite often being uncomfortable or scared around Thomas since her discovery of his true form, Leah can't help but also feel safe around him. It isn't until Leah decides to speak, with a childish pout on her face, that the silence is broken.
"Perhaps you can die next?" asks Leah, as though this is a sane suggestion.
Thomas doesn't offer a reaction, only staring ahead with that same unnerving look in his eyes.
"Perhaps."