Humbled ((Undertaker X Reader))

Act Sixteen: Death

"You look beautiful," The Lady tucked some hair behind my ear. Her face forced an awkward, yet pained smile, "Your wedding day, I bet you're excited."
"Of course she is," The Lord puffed his chest proudly, "We've been preparing for this day for nineteen years now, it must be perfect! Although I thought we would have had more guests."
They had no idea about anything, did they? No idea about their son, no idea about the imprisonment.
No idea about my parents.
Was there a point in telling them anymore? Should I even fight at all? I thought I had a chance once he released me from my room, but with every passing minute I was losing hope.
The Lady hesitated, casting a glance at her husband before reaching my way. Her slender, delicate fingers brushed over the sleeve of my ivory wedding dress as her eyebrows knit in concern,
"Are you not...? Forgive me for asking, (Y/N), but ivory is reserved for the... Well, the impure, darling. Is there another man?"
"Are you sure it's ivory? It just looks like a white wedding dress to me." The Lord piped in curiously, only to get a scolding look from his wife,
"Of course I'm sure, I wore a wedding dress myself, dear. This is not white, it's ivory."

White or ivory, it didn't matter. I pulled away from the Lady only to wrap my arms around myself. It brought little comfort, but it was all I could do,
"It's a lie, I never did anything. Despite what Nicholas says, I never did anything impure with that man. I was only an intern."

Their faces looked to fall in sadness, but it was clear they couldn't do anything about it. Even if they believed me, it was too late to find a new dress now. After a long, shared silence, the woman exhaled and placed a gentle hand atop my head.
Her pat was...
This feeling, I remembered.
The loving touch of a mother. The very same my own mother once gave me very long ago. The touch that Nicholas tainted.
The Undertaker gave me the very same, but it was a different kind of love.
I had forgotten what this felt like.
Before I could stop it, tears were rolling down my cheeks and I quickly had to wipe it away,
"Thank you, my lady. Forgive me for crying, that is improper of me."

Before she should respond, a servant maid into the garden with us, quickly bowing her head,
"My Lord and Lady, the Earl has arrived!"

As if on cue, Ciel stepped outside, standing tall with an expression upon his face that mixed boredom and annoyance. He dressed proper for a wedding, but it was clearly thrown together.
For a moment, our eyes locked, but he turned back and said something I couldn't quite hear. A second later, his butler followed after, staying by his side like a shadow.
And then... There he was. Nicholas pushed out the door behind them with visible anger. He carried himself with pride, but there was no hiding his frustration. Not even giving the two a glance, the man stormed up to where I stood with his parents.
"I invited the Earl. What's the servant doing here? That's the man from your last escape, I still remember. Who is he? What are you planning?"
"Darling, he's only a butler," The Lady's face fell back with shock at her son's fuming hissing. "Earl Phantomhive goes everywhere with him. I don't think (Y/N) was trying to do anything."
She was on my side? I didn't mean to have her lie on my behalf, but up against his mother, Nicholas was forced to back down, almost like a scared dog with his tail tucked. While he was still visibly angry, he forced a smile and turned back around right as the two approached with their own, obviously fake smiles.
"Hello, you must be the groom," A tease leaked through Ciel's voice with his farce, "Rather small for a noble wedding, isn't it?"
"Ciel Phantomhive," Nicholas practically grit his teeth, "We just wanted a small gathering, my bride insisted on your attendance. How could I refuse?"
What a load of bull. Still, I remained quiet and watched the show.
The Earl slowly scanned the garden with a hint of curiosity before his attention moved to his butler,
"Did you bring the wedding gift?"
"Of course, My Lord,"
The red-eyed man reached into his pocket and retrieved... A handkerchief?
No, there was something folded inside. The butler opened the delicately folded cloth to reveal a midnight ribbon, darker than the night sky.
It certainly was strange, but Nicholas was the most confused as his eyebrows raised,
"What is that? Is this a joke? What can we do with a ribbon?"
"It's for the bride," Ciel dismissed his complaining with a wave, "We had a mere few hours to prepare, it's your fault for not inviting me sooner. Surely you had this planned for some time, why wait until the day of?"