The Demons Bride (Black Butler)

chapter 24

This type of text is normal.

This is thoughts and cinematic records.

This is demonic speech.

This is thoughts and demonic speech.

[This is functions for the start and end of cinematic records.]

                                                               Butler, Careful Tending. Bride, Nursemaid

Joker opened the doors of the mansion, his shadow cast across the floor like a looming wraith.

"Father, I'm home," he called.

He was met with silence, but it didn't unnerve him as he stepped inside. Using a lantern to light the darkness, Joker walked up the shadowed staircase and down a long corridor until he stopped in front of another set of double doors.

"Pardon me, Father." He said as he pushed the doors open. "I'm sorry for calling so late. I'd like to speak with..."

A voice called out to him in the darkness.

"Oh, Joker, welcome home! What a good lad you are, coming back so soon!"

Joker slowly stepped into the room, walking straight towards the owner of the voice.

"Now, where is he? He's with you, isn't he?"

Lightning flashed outside the windows. A man, Baron Kelvin, sat on a sofa with a little boy sat beside him and a little girl on his knee. Joker shook his head quickly.

"Ah, no, not yet..." he replied.

"Oh, so you're a bad boy."

Joker placed the lantern down on the floor and went down on his knee.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried. "The Yard may have identified us as suspects."

The man stared at him as the little girl lifted a cup to him.

"Tell me."

"A couple of the new recruits apparently snuck into our tents. We're afraid they may have seen your letter, Father. If they're in the Yard, we can't just dispose of them. It would put the circus itself in danger." Joker explained, casting his eyes down. "I always thought that trio was odd, but that child..."

The air stood still.

"Child?"

Joker looked up.

"Father...?"

Kelvin's hand went to rest on top of the boy's head. The boy's eyes were blank, and unseen, even as his hands smoothed against his lap.

"A child? Not one with an eye patch, surely?"

Joker furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Y-Yes, he did have one..." he answered.

"A trio, you said?"

"Yes. One was a man in black... The other was a pretty young lady with blue eyes..."

"A boy, his butler, and governess!"

"They did say they'd been a butler and governess..."

The teacup smashed on the ground.

"It must be him! It must!" shouted Kelvin.

He rose to his feet and staggered forward.

"Huzzah! It's him! Ciel, the Earl Phantomhive!"