Black Butler: Demons in our Hearts

Chapter 18: Another Challenge Looms...

Home, Home on the…something. Kat wasn’t entirely sure that the Phantomhive Estate would count as a range of any kind. It was such a pain in the tail feathers, ever since they had gotten back she had had to keep up with her training as best as she could and not neglect her other duties.

So now it wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary to find her up at around three in the morning, well before anyone else in the household was awake.

Maybe it was the quiet that was getting to her; she just couldn’t take it anymore! The Earl had received no new information on the kidnapper that was still taking girls off the street in London and so had not yet given Kat any new orders regarding the man. It’s not like I didn’t offer to find some information myself. She thought sullenly as she pruned a dead rose from its moorings. I need to find something to do, I’d do almost anything, and I’d even go out wearing those high heel death traps, just to get out of this boring place!

Kat straightened, and laughed that was a ridiculous idea, the fact that she, a commoner, had danced with some of England’s most elite was already more than scandalous.

“Kat! Kat, we got a problem up in the kitchen, Sebastian said he needs you r help there right now!” Vinnie called from the kitchen door.

Dusting off her pants as she went Kat pulled off her dirty work gloves, what on earth? Normally, he never asks for help so blatantly. Lost in her thoughts she didn’t notice someone was in her way until she ran right into the person. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Who is this?

The big man blinked for a moment before smiling down at her, “It is no issue, it is I who should have been watching.”

“Kat, this is Agni, he is the servant of the Indian Prince Soma, and he will be staying here at the manor along with his master, during their stay.” Sebastian thrust a stack of trays in her hands, “Take these and scrub them, Baldroy seems to have disappeared along with those other fools.”

“Now, Master Sebastian, that is not kind to speak of your comrades in such a manner. Here,” he took the trays form Kat’s arms, “I can polish these for you.”

“You don’t have to.”

He smiled the white of his teeth vivid against the tanned skin of his face, “It is perfectly fine, I cannot lie idle while others work.”

Kat hesitated; she did have other things she had been assigned for the day, “Are you sure?”

“I am sure.”

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“Sir Agni, you seem rather preoccupied today. Is there something the matter?” Sebastian plunged his hands back into the tub of hot water, searching for stray silverware that lay at the bottom.

“No, Master Sebastian I…I suppose I am, that young lady was rather lovely wasn’t she? When did she come to work here?” Agni polished the silver serving tray, a slightly glazed look in his eye.

A touch of anger spread through Sebastian at the Indian’s words, what right did he have to call Kat lovely, really? His annoyance crept into his tone, “I’m not sure about the lovely part, but she came to work for us around a year ago.”

“Really, how did she come to be here? She is not like the other servants here.”

Sebastian cut him a look from the side, “Are you implying something, sir? No, forget it, you are right Kat is not like the other servants, she is actually competent. I would like to wonder though, are you interested in her?” Agni didn’t answer right away so the butler went on, “I would wonder if you could be interested in her and serve your prince at the same time?”