𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕼𝖚𝖊𝖊𝖓'𝖘 𝕷𝖎𝖔𝖓: 𝕯𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖎𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖉

Prologue

TW: Mentions of poison and that asshole guy from the first book who chased after his niece

"It has cleared up most magnificently, young Master, Lady Y/N." Sebastian followed the two as they descended down the Phantomhive manor's front steps. The butler carried the luggage of the two in his arms as they approached their carriage. "What a splendid day for going to the circus."

"I couldn't agree more," Y/N grinned. "Truly wonderful weather for a day out." Y/N thanked Ciel for the hand he offered her as she climbed into the carriage's cab.

"The young Master, Lady Y/N and I shall be working in London for some time," Sebastian called back to his fellow servants.

"You all take care now!" Baldo waved from the top of the stairs.

"Safe travels!" Finny shouted with his bright smile as he jumped up and down.

"Please come back soon!" Mey-Rin wiped away a tear that fell from behind her glasses.

"You lot..." Ciel turned to address his servants one last time before he left them relatively unsupervised. "Take care of the manor while we're away." The three servants all exchanged a knowing look, their eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Yes, my lord!" Called out the servants as their Master, the Lady and Sebastian drove off.

"So, it's off to the Yard's file room to collect information then?" Y/N asked Ciel as the manor disappeared in the window behind her.

"Yes. From there I suspect we shall have to visit him, then the circus itself to see if we even have a case," Ciel muttered as he stared out the window.

"Mmm, I wouldn't hold my breath," Y/N warned the young Earl. "I've got a feeling this case is going to be an eventful one." Ciel looked over to her, the excitement showing in her eyes made him feel slightly unnerved.

"I doubt that," he scoffed. "It's just a circus, after all."

"Ah, not just any circus," Y/N laughed as she pulled their tickets from her coat pocket. "It's the 'Noah's Ark Circus'."

"A biblical reference made in such poor taste does not make me any more excited for this case," Ciel scoffed. "Kidnapping children, really? It's one of the lowest of the low crimes in my opinion." Y/N didn't say anything, she didn't need to. She already knew why the Earl despised the crime with such passion. The woman just nodded in agreement before leaning back in her seat and thinking about what she needed to prepare for. In order to join the circus she would need an act, and unlike Ciel, she probably wouldn't get by with something as simple as rigged knife throwing. "I could do contortion," Y/N thought, "Anything I break or dislocate will just mend itself." It wasn't a bad idea, but the young Lady wasn't so keen on it the more she thought about it. She wasn't a professional contortionist. One fatal slip up and she'd have a circus of very suspicious clowns. "They already have a snake charmer and a beast tamer. Besides, I've never actually charmed a snake or tamed an exotic animal. Maybe I could do something like elephant riding? I don't remember if they have an elephant though..." Y/N eventually gave up trying to think of an act, she had a few days to come up with something anyway. Y/N let out a sigh of defeat and turned to look out the window at the forest they were now passing through.

"You were thinking of something," Ciel observed. "You had that look in your eyes."

"I've got a look?" Y/N smiled and raised a brow. The Earl nodded before inquiring what she could've been thinking about. Y/N quickly lied, "Why kids? I mean, the circus is most likely a ruse, but then why a circus? You could abduct children just as easily if you disguised yourself as a peddler or a policeman and you wouldn't need half the costumes and props. Not to mention the attention a circus draws."