His Butler, Faithful

Another Gruesome Murder

“It is time to rise, young master,” said Sebastian, coming in with a tray of tea and Ciel’s morning paper. “This morning’s tea, as requested, is Harrods’ White Darjeeling.”

Ciel sat up in his bed, stretching his arms and yawning. “My paper, Sebastian?”

“Here you are.” The butler handed Ciel the morning paper, whose headline startled Ciel into a scowl.

“Another murder?” he growled. “It says here it occurred two nights ago, when you went to retrieve April.”

“I guess that means our new maid isn’t our prime suspect,” said Sebastian, pouring the tea into Ciel’s cup.

The young Earl hesitated, the paper trembling slightly in his hands. “Well, Sebastian, she isn’t a suspect at all.”

“Why, young master, how do you know?” asked the butler, giving his master his tea.

“I don’t know,” said Ciel. “I just have a strong feeling.”

“Since when have you relied on feeling over fact?” Sebastian chuckled.

Ciel sighed heavily and rolled his eye. “Leave me be, Sebastian. Have April dress me while you prepare the carriage. We’re going into town to inspect today.”

Sebastian grinned and bowed. “Certainly, young master.” How amusing, he thought to himself. He left Ciel’s room and proceeded down the hall.

He’d decided to take advantage of April’s competence and had her manage Mey-Rin and Finny’s work, while he oversaw Baldo (or, rather, he took over his job completely after another blow torch incident this morning).

He happened upon the two maids dusting the parlor as he passed. “Ah, there you are,” he said, entering through the glass doors. He smirked when he saw Finny trimming the hedges through the window, where April was nearby. Working with Mey-Rin while keeping Finny in check; how resourceful of April.

“Mister Sebastian!” Mey-Rin cried, dropping the duster (and nearly knocking over the vase) and saluting him.

April caught the vase before it dropped to the floor and placed it back, twirling her own duster as she faced the butler. “Yes?”

“The young master needs to be changed this morning. He is preparing for a day out in London again.”

“Young master sure does that a lot,” said Mey-Rin.

“I will be with him right away,” said April. “Remember what I taught you, May. Slow and steady keeps the china unbroken!”

Mey-Rin laughed. “Yes, of course, Miss April!”

“So, I see Miss April and yourself are getting along?” said Sebastian, after the young maid left to attend Ciel.

Mey-Rin nodded. “She is such a dear, she is.”

“How horrific,” Ciel muttered, scanning the body once more. It was another beautiful young woman, not much older than himself. This time, half her body had dissolved into this strange foam.

“Some sort of chemical,” he overheard one of the officers from Scotland Yard say.

Ciel narrowed his eye. “Sebastian,” he said.

“Yes?” came his butler’s reply.

“This is the little mermaid.”

“Pardon me, sir?”

Ciel let out a deep breath. “Last night, I had April tell me the story of the Little Mermaid. In the end, she died and became sea foam. Not to mention, this girl was very beautiful. Clear skin, blue eyes. This is a representation of the mermaid’s death in the fable.”

“What a strange coincidence she told you that story,” Sebastian mused.

“Coincidence? Or did April somehow know? Sebastian, do you think she’s a Reaper, like Grell?” the young lord gasped.

“Oh, gracious me! No,” said a very familiar voice from behind the two.

Him, Sebastian thought with a grimace. His voice never failed to make him cringe.