A/N: Let's begin the Red Butler Arc~ I thought this chapter jumped around too much but meh. A lot of the dialogue was important, unfortunately. I'm too tired to proofread more than twice, so uh, sorry if my dumb ass brain missed a stupid mistake.
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"It's been a while since we've been to the townhouse in London, hasn't it?" you asked idly as you, Ciel, and Sebastian strolled to the entrance. "Even if this visit is just for a mission."
Ciel sighed, looking tired and annoyed. What else is new? "Regardless of who sent that letter, I hate crowded places."
"Well, it is the social season, and we're in London. It was unavoidable," you pointed out dryly.
"Think about it, young master. Being away from those four will be far more peaceful," Sebastian smiled. Ciel grimaced, and you nearly did the same. As much as you liked them all, they were no doubt, an eccentric bunch. They were rather loud and chaotic (minus Tanaka), and quite honestly, all of you needed a small break from that. None of you were full of the limitless energy that the Phantomhive servant trio seemed to have.
"He does have a point," you exhaled. Ciel hummed in agreement as Sebastian opened the door and...
"Jeez, where do they put the tea leaves in this house?"
"I can't find them either."
The three of you face-faulted. Well, Sebastian did internally.
"Madam Red? Lau?" you raised an eyebrow, exasperation crawling up your spine.
"Why are you here?" Ciel twitched, clearly on the last string of his patience.
"Well, I heard you were visiting London. How could I not stop by?" she smirked. "Besides, it's been so long since I've seen (Y/n). And none of that 'Madam Red' nonsense dear, just call me Auntie An," she cooed, bringing you into a hug.
"Auntie An..." you sighed. "Well, whatever. What are you doing here then, Lau?"
The Chinese man also gave you a smirk, and you felt the nonchalance rolling off of him in waves. It was times like this that you were grateful for your powers, because dammit you couldn't read this man when his eyes were shut 99% of the time.
"Many interesting things happen around you two. I couldn't help myself and came here," he shrugged, smiling.
They both have such wishy-washy reasons...
"We didn't know guests would be coming. I apologize for not accommodating you earlier," Sebastian bowed.
He sounded perfectly neutral to most ears, but you'd known him for the past two years, and being the most common cause of his irritation, you could easily tell that he was incredibly displeased by the intrusion.
"I'll go prepare some tea for you both immediately," he said as he exited the room. You were pretty sure he was going to throw a silent tantrum on his lonesome in the kitchen.
A few minutes later, as per the usual, the drinks were all out. You took a sip as Sebastian spoke to Madam Red.
"My, it's the same kind of tea, but the way you make it makes such a difference in the taste," she praised. You smiled into the rim of your cup. After all, you had been the one that taught Sebastian that preparation technique back when his tea tasted like utter shit. "Grell, you should follow his example," Madam Red lectured her butler.
Grell looked nervous as he agreed. "Y-Yes..."
Poor butler... Sebastian's standards are inhumane, you thought as you glanced at the Durless servant. However, you felt your brows furrow more the longer you looked. That's strange...
Grell didn't feel human. There were hardly any surface thoughts or emotions that you could detect despite the visible nervousness in his features. Besides that... the strangeness of Grell's very presence was subtle, like an unearthly quality surrounding a human body. Grell didn't have the same aura as Sebastian, but rather, Grell felt like... Grell felt like Undertaker. The realization made you pause and frown. Why is that...?
The Durless butler seemed to have felt your stare, because he turned towards your direction. Ah, oops, I was being impolite. You gave a small smile and wave, hoping to make up for it by easing the lingering awkwardness.
"Anyways," Madam Red spoke up, catching your attention again. You didn't notice Grell's stare as your gaze left his.
The reaper herself wondered why she felt so warm seeing your smile. Such a kind smile... it was rare to see in the department, especially with the cold Will as her superior. It was a rather nice change of pace, even if it came from a mere human.
Meanwhile, back with Madam Red...
"No matter what, you're so handsome every time I see you~!" the woman grinned, stroking Sebastian's ass.
"Pfft," you almost spit your tea back into your cup, struggling to clamp your lips together as you saw the demon jump in surprise. You could practically see his goosebumps through his suit. Considering that he was usually doing the harassing, it was beyond hilarious to see him be on the receiving end for once. Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh...
"Why don't you simply quit working here and come serve me!" the enthusiastic doctor cooed, thankfully loud enough to mostly cover your snickers.
"Madam Red..." Ciel grit out in irritation and embarrassment, allowing Sebastian to escape. The demon didn't hesitate to send you a glare for laughing at his expense as he moved to the earl's side. It only made you laugh that much harder.
"Speaking of quitting work," Lau grinned as you finally got a hold of yourself, leaning closer to you from his seat besides yours. "Lady (Y/n), why don't you come work with me?" he proposed, taking one of your hands in his.
You stumbled over your words in surprise as he lifted that hand and pressed a kiss to your knuckles. Was Lau always like this?
"It'll be very fun," the opium den owner spoke lowly, eyelids lifting a bit to give you a sultry look. "I'll make sure your time is enjoyable with me."
"No," Ciel scowled, answering for you with a glare in his business partner's direction. There was no way he was giving his sister to someone like Lau; he wasn't anywhere near good enough. He didn't want the man's disgusting lips anywhere near you either. (Yare, yare, we've got a possessive little bro.)
"Keep your dirty paws away from my precious niece!" Madam Red exclaimed, hurrying over to bring you closer to her after slapping away Lau's hand and pushing his face away.
Lau shivered when he felt something ominous from behind him and turned around only to find Earl Phantomhive's butler glaring daggers into his soul. He nervously backtracked at the obvious danger.
"Ah, it was just a joke. Though it does upset me that I've failed to acquire the fair lady's hand..."
Ciel scoffed and rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Whatever, let's talk about business now," he said. "We've heard about the case of prostitutes being murdered on the streets lately."
"Yes, it's been the news of the city. But what are you going to do about it?" Madam Red asked.
"This isn't a normal case. The killer's ways are abnormal. That's why 'she' is so worried about it," Ciel frowned, taking a bite of dessert.
"What do you mean?"
"Based on the information we've gotten, the most recent victim was Mary Ann Nichols. They say the wounds were made by a sharp tool in quick cuts, resulting in a painful death. In other words, the targeted prostitutes appear to have been ripped to shreds," you mused, taking a bite of your own dessert.
Ciel hummed around his forkful tart. "They call the killer, 'Jack the Ripper.' I wanted to know the circumstances so I rushed to London," he said flippantly.
"Fufu~" Lau chuckled. "The watchdog and vixen were dispatched so quickly... but do you really have the guts to go to the crime scene?" he drawled as he traipsed closer to you both.
The little Phantomhive narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"
"Well~ This murderer is obviously an abnormal madman. Will you be scared? Little earl? Young marchioness?"
"I came because I was worried for my fiancee. There is no need for me to answer your pointless questions," Ciel scoffed, giving Lau a pointed glare. The man was far from intimidated, only smirking.
"That's a good look in your eyes~" he murmured, before turning to you, cupping your face and tilting your chin up. He ignored the burning stares piercing his hand. "And how about you, my lady?"
You gave him a flat stare. "If I couldn't handle such a trivial issue, I wouldn't be the Royal Vixen. Don't ask such a ridiculous thing and waste our time."
"Hmm~ Yes, that's quite a lovely look on your face," he grinned, leaning back. "Let's hope that you stay this interesting even in the future. Now, let's go on a stroll!" he chirped, grabbing yours and Ciel's hands.
"Wait a minute!!" Madam Red yelled, clearly irritated. "I barely get any time with either one of them, and now I can't enjoy a peaceful tea time?" she huffed. "If you're going, I am too. Where is this crime scene, Lau?"
"Madam, don't you know?" Lau tilted his head. "I don't know either," he shrugged.
Lau immediately got a scolding about being arrogant from your red-headed aunt, though you'd have liked to argue that he was being more dramatic than anything.
You and Ciel shared a glance and sighed in unison. "It looks like we'll have to pay him a visit."
"He's not that bad," you grinned.
Ciel gave you a deadpan look of exasperation. "That's because you're both crazy," he muttered.
You giggled. "Loosen up, little earl~" you ruffled his hair playfully.
"Don't call me that," he scowled.
"Mhm. Okay, little earl."
"Tch."
~-~-~-~-~-~-
"So... what is this place?" Lau asked as you all stood in front of Undertaker's dilapidated shop.
You ignored the commotion behind you, excitedly walking into the shop and looking around. You hadn't seen the man in a while, so today's visit would be rather fun.
"Undertaker?" you called out, searching for his presence.
"Hehehe~" His giggle echoed in the dark building. Your eyes immediately locked on the coffin to your right with a wide smile. "Welcome, dearie~" Undertaker cooed, crawling out from his literal death bed and wrapping himself around you.
You glanced over at the others, seeing Madam Red and Lau frozen stiff in shock. Grell had even fallen to the floor. The reaction made you quietly laugh.
"Auntie An, Lau, Grell, this is Undertaker," you said, introducing the man who gave them a careless wave.
Undertaker poked you softly on the cheek. "Would you like to try sleeping in one of my coffins, (Y/n)-dearie~?" You didn't know it, but he was sorely tempted to tack on a "with me" to the end of his question.
"You know why we're here, and it's not for that," you smiled in amusement. He chuckled.
"Indeed," he grinned, moving you away from Sebastian, his arm still protectively wrapped around you. The demon noticed this and frowned. "Since you and the earl came all this way, I'll help."
"You know something?" Ciel asked curiously.
"Please take a seat first, I'll go make tea," Undertaker chuckled, scuttling off to get the beverage. Everyone was looking around skeptically, seeing nowhere to actually sit.
"Just sit on the coffins over there," you pointed to several of them. They gave you weird looks to which you shrugged. "Those are all empty, so you'll be fine."
"Yes, yes, listen to dear (Y/n), just sit on top," Undertaker came back in with a tray of tea-filled beakers. You quickly decided that you were going to forgo the tea, knowing that he used those beakers for holding things other than beverages.
Before you could move to sit on one of the coffins yourself, Undertaker's fingers had wrapped around your wrist and tugged you toward him. In seconds, you found yourself seated right next to him, pressed against his side. If you had time to be flustered, you might've been, but your mind was occupied by something else. He was fast. Faster than you expected. You actually hadn't felt him about to grab you until his fingers were already ghosting your skin.
Which really begged the question: Who, or what, was he really? And by association, what was Grell? If Grell really was something inhuman like you suspected, why would he be Madam Red's butler?
While your brain was letting all kinds of speculations fly, several others in the room who had watched the Undertaker's actions suddenly felt a surge of irritation. You were practically on the man's lap at that distance!
Feeling an intense gaze, the silver-haired man lifted his head and found Sebastian's wine-colored eyes glaring at him. It only made him curl his arm around you tighter. Sebastian resisted the urge to growl, and momentarily had an internal crisis, wondering why he was acting this way. There was no reason to feel so... possessive over a mere brat that he didn't even hold a contract with.
The sudden tightening of Undertaker's hold brought your mind back to reality. "Uh, Undertaker? Why am I sitting here?"
"I just want to spend more time with you, dearie~ It's been a while since you visited," he muttered into your hair, coming up with the first excuse he could think of.
Your questioning look didn't disappear, but you agreed anyways.
"Hmm. If you say so," you murmured, playing with his hair as he stroked your head.
"Anyways, you wanted to know about Jack the Ripper?" he inquired.
You nodded, eyes lighting up as he held one of his bone-shaped cookies up to your lips. You happily took the cookie and began munching on it, returning to braiding his silky hair. Undertaker chuckled and continued to pet your head. By now, Sebastian was itching to just tear you away from this insolent thing.
"Hmm, everyone's been scared because it's become a disturbance, but it's not my first time handling such a thing," Undertaker said.
Your fingers paused. "It's not the first time?" you frowned.
Undertaker nodded. "There were cases before where prostitutes were killed. They were even killed in a similar way," he informed you, extending his jar of cookies to Ciel, who cringed and declined. "The police didn't think it was a big deal at first. But they all had something in common."
"Something in common?" Ciel questioned.
"What is it?" Sebastian asked.
You looked up just as curiously. Undertaker grinned, chuckling.
"Well, I wonder what, indeed... Is it bothering you?" he teased.
Ciel scowled. Or maybe that was just his resting bitch face. You wouldn't know; his face always looked that grumpy nowadays.
"Ah, I see," Lau exclaimed. "You're quite good at business. Then, how much money do you want for this information?"
"No, no!" Undertaker yelled, clutching you tighter, to both Sebastian and Lau's ire. "I don't want the queen's coins!"
"Ugh..." Ciel groaned.
"Now then, Earl, my only requirement," he giggled. "Show me a first rate laugh! If you do, I'll tell you what you want to know!"
"This is why your building is so rundown," you sighed.
"Hehe, don't worry dearie~ I can take care of myself," Undertaker reassured you.
"What a weirdo," Ciel deadpanned. Sebastian looked close to voicing his agreement.
"It can't be helped, Earl, Marchioness," Lau strode forward dramatically. "Let me handle this."
The Chinese trader yelled out what was probably meant to be a joke... and completely and utterly failed to get a single reaction. You and everyone else stared at him blankly.
"Hmph, looks like he still won't talk. Step aside, Lau. I, Madam Red, a beauty of high society, will make him tell us!"
The moment the first word left her lips, you felt Undertaker's hands cover your ears. You tilted your head back to see him frowning at the woman, and you tapped him curiously. He simply smiled and shook his head, keeping his hands where they were and muting the sound around you. Your eyes roamed around the room and landed on the sight of Sebastian doing the same thing to Ciel.
Is Auntie An saying something inappropriate then? You didn't get why Undertaker had to cover your ears if that was the case. It wasn't like it was anything you didn't know about. (He just saved you from a lifelong desperation to bleach your mind, be thankful.)
Undertaker began to grow impatient as Madam Red continued spewing drivel that was too disgusting for your ears and wasn't funny in the least. After a long hour, he gave up on waiting her out and slapped an x-marked mask over her mouth.
"Then, Earl, it's your turn," he grinned. Ciel turned to you pleadingly, about to ask for help when he was interrupted. "Nope~ No asking (Y/n)-dearie for help. That doesn't count because she makes it too easy~"
Suddenly, your vision was filled with the sight of Sebastian's torso. "It can't be helped then," Sebastian stated, having strode over and pulled you out of Undertaker's grasp.
"Oh? The butler is going to try?" Undertaker tilted his head with an amused smile, even as his eyes narrowed from behind his bangs when the demon took you into its arms. He didn't like it, seeing you being held by that creature.
"Everyone please step out for a moment," the butler ordered.
"What are you going to do?" you raised an eyebrow as he set you back on the ground. "I don't see why we have to leave..."
"You must not peek inside. Understood?"
"But wh—"
"Understood?"
You pouted. "Fine, whatever."
And that's how everyone found themselves outside the shop, waiting in silence. You flinched when the building suddenly shook with howling laughter, the sound loud enough to knock down the sign hanging over the entrance. Warily cracking open the door, you were faced with a smiling Sebastian and a hunched Undertaker gasping for breath.
"Wha... What the heck did you do?" you asked cautiously.
"There is no reason for you to know, my lady," Sebastian smirked.
"Hehehe~ C'mere, dearie," Undertaker gasped out, clearly still in bliss. "I've seen my heart's desire..."
"... I'm not going to ask," you sighed.
"Are you going to tell us what you know now?" Ciel tapped his foot restlessly as he re-seated himself.
"Hehe, yes, yes, of course. Anything you want to know," the silver-haired man stood up and walked over to you. "I always thought there weren't enough guests..."
Everyone stared at the strange man in befuddlement while you pondered his words. Guests? If we're talking about the victim's bodies... Your face scrunched in disgust.
"Fufu~ Looks like our dear marchioness has figured it out," he chuckled, causing everyone else to turn towards you.
"...He's talking about their internal organs," you muttered. The others stiffened.
"Don't you think the eternally sleeping guests in my coffins are so cute?" Undertaker asked, grinning widely from where he was draped over your shoulders. "My hobby is to take out the organs for research~"
Madam Red, Lau, and Grell, all three of whom had accepted the beakers of tea, immediately turned pale, looking sick as they hurriedly pushed away the drinks.
Undertaker only laughed. "Heh~ Actually, that prostitute isn't a whole woman anymore," he informed the group.
"Not whole?" Sebastian frowned thoughtfully, still eyeing the way the Undertaker so brazenly touched you. So ungentlemanly and impolite... And beyond irritating to look at.
"Yes, a certain guest was missing. One that only a woman would have. Each and every one of those prostitutes was missing this very precious one."
Only a woman has it? Then... The corners of your lips pulled downward, disturbed by your own conclusion.
"It... Was it the uterus?" you hesitantly asked, face a bit pale. Everyone noticed with varying degrees of concern, although none were able to voice it before you were answered by the man holding you.
"That is correct," Undertaker said softly, petting your head. "Her womb is gone."
"Then, was anything else missing or damaged?" you inquired.
"Quite quick to catch on, aren't you, dearie?" The man looked rather proud for someone without visible eyes. "No, only the womb had been taken out. They were dripping blood, but that uterus was removed with precision."
"Ah, so it couldn't have been done by an ordinary person," Sebastian concluded, finally jumping into the conversation. You nodded in agreement.
"Organ removal in general is a rather complicated process for someone to perform accurately without any sort of medical or anatomical knowledge. On a street of all places, there is a large risk factor of getting caught as well."
"Yes, yes~" Undertaker murmured. "With such a short amount of time to act, he would slit the throat first." As he said this, he gently held you against him and lightly dragged his nail across your throat to indicate the cut.
Your audience felt rather unsettled watching. You looked too vulnerable for their tastes, especially with the Undertaker indicating different fatal marks to your body. Ciel had to clench his fists and remind himself that you weren't in danger, and that no one was going to cut you up like that on his watch. They'd be long dead before it ever happened.
"After that, he'd proceed to cut open the stomach. The accuracy in the culprit's work was definitely done by someone experienced," Undertaker explained, tracing a circle over your abdomen.
You clicked your tongue, being the only one unperturbed by his actions. With that sort of precision, the culprit still brutally shredded the victims' bodies, so what was their goal? Why the uterus? Why bother with precision if the body would be torn for sport?
"It's very, very likely that our murderer is an expert," Undertaker said, his hair tickling the back of your neck as he loomed over you. "He will keep committing crimes unless someone stops him. Do you think that you both can stop him?"
"Even our world has its rules. He wouldn't murder random people for no reason," Ciel spoke up. "There must be a manipulating influence from behind."
The young Phantomhive stood up and moved towards the exit.
"Sorry for intruding, Undertaker. Come on, (Y/n)."
"Bye, Undertaker," you waved with a small smile as you moved to follow the younger lord.
A fond chuckle answered you. "Goodbye, dearie~"
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"What do you think after hearing that?" Ciel asked you and Sebastian on the carriage back to the manor.
"I've been thinking they must be an anatomical expert, one who knows the coming and goings of the police. The culprit could also be taking the organs for some kind of ceremony or black magic cult," Sebastian speculated.
You frowned in thought. The anatomical expert part made sense, as did knowledge of the police's whereabouts. After all, the ability to maneuver around with such gruesome kills meant the killer was very good with premeditated murder, and could plan ahead... Planning ahead required knowledge of all things that could prove an obstacle, including the police. However, the rest was something you doubted.
"Taking the organs for ceremonies or ritualistic purposes doesn't really make sense does it?"
"What do you mean, (Y/n)?" Madam Red asked.
"I mean, it's clear enough that the culprit could easily make the kills a lot cleaner and bring far less attention to themselves. If they were going to accurately remove the organs, or more specifically, only the womb, why mutilate the victims as well?"
Several pairs of eyes widened as they processed your words.
"Wouldn't a kill like that have been emotionally-motivated? Most practical kills go for the easiest and fastest strike. But these kills were torturous when they didn't need to be. It's like they're driven by hatred. Furthermore, they only targeted one specific organ. If it was for a ritual or something, wouldn't they go for whatever they could get their hands on if it was accessible?"
"... Then what are you saying about the killer?" Madam Red frowned, looking a bit stiff. Her emotions were flaring, and it sent warning flags through your brain. It couldn't be... could it? You bit your lip, forming your words carefully. If what you suspected was true, what could've been the motivation? What matched her history?
"Well... thinking of motivation... the most prominent trait of the womb is that it carries a child. So, it's likely that the killer either holds a grudge against having children... or against those who can bear children."
You saw Madam Red visibly flinch just the slightest, and you felt a part of you die deep inside. This was Auntie Rachel's sister. A beloved relative of the first person to ever welcome you as family. Was she really the one who did this?
"Hmm," Sebastian sighed. "Still, we cannot dismiss the possibility of a black magic cult. They could just be very specific about rituals and ceremonies they perform, and your explanation could've been an additional motive as well. Perhaps they had a personal motive to their practical one. Or, the killer could just be a madman who enjoys killing for sport."
"...I suppose that's possible..." you trailed. The tension in Madam Red's shoulders left, and her emotions calmed. You were conflicted. Should you read her mind, you might possibly solve this case in an instant, but that would just prove that you no longer trusted her, and you wanted so badly to believe in her innocence.
Secretly, you hoped you were wrong and reading too far into things... but the killer in you, the one that bathed in blood on the queen's orders, continued to tell you that you weren't. Silently, you made a note to yourself to look further into the matter on your own. If something didn't match up with your suspicions, you might be able to rest easy. But until then... you eyed the woman you'd considered an aunt, even a maternal figure, with a new wariness. Until then, you'd have to be careful.
"Still, we haven't narrowed our suspect pool at all, and it's the social season. There's too many people gathered in the capital," Madam Red spoke up. "And there's so many possible culprits. Not only London doctors, but head physicians and medical students as well."
Yes, it could be any doctor, anyone in the medical field. It could be someone like you.
"Then, we should compile a suspect list," you suggested, glancing at Sebastian, who nodded with a smirk.
"Please wait a moment."
"Huh?" he received blank stares from both Madam Red and Lau.
"As the Phantomhive butler, how could I not accomplish such a small matter?"
There was still a dumbfounded silence in the carriage, so Sebastian didn't bother waiting for an answer.
"Let's go, (Y/n)."
"HUH?!" the two passengers who were out of their depth completely panicked.
You allowed Sebastian to pick you up lifelessly, staying calm as he slammed open the carriage door without a single regard for the clearly freaking out Durless and Lau. Ciel simply shooed you off.
"Grell, was it? Please drive the carriage back safely," Sebastian smiled, hanging against the side of the vehicle.
"You can do it~" you tried to cheer enthusiastically, your troubled emotions slightly killing the mood despite your efforts.
"Y-Yes," Grell stuttered, looking flustered. You didn't think much of it since Sebastian was literally about to leap out of a moving carriage; it would be weird if Grell wasn't affected at all.
With that, the demon adjusted his grip on your waist, giving you time to wrap your arms around his neck, and took off, rushing past numerous buildings at high speeds.
~-~-~-~-~-~-
You sagged as you finished skimming through the complete list of alibis that you and Sebastian had come up with. Of the entire group of possibilities, only one seemed to stand out, and it wasn't Madam Red.
Her alibi makes sense... but it still feels weird. Why was she acting the way she was in the carriage? You let out a frustrated groan as you rubbed your forehead, trying to stave away the incoming headache the entire situation was giving you. What were you going to tell Ciel?
"Is something troubling you, (Y/n)?" Sebastian's smooth voice interrupted your chaotic thoughts. It was oddly soothing. Too bad that voice came from such an asshole though. "Please refrain from mentally cursing me out, my lady."
"I can't help it. It's an instinct when it comes to you," you shot back.
If Sebastian didn't care so much about ruining his butler aesthetic, he would've rolled his eyes. Instead, he pinched his nose bridge in annoyance. His gaze flitted back to your face, which was scrunched up in stress, and he let out a heavy sigh. He knew that you had at least formed suspicions similar to his and that it was bothering you more than you would ever admit.
This is why human emotions are such a nuisance, he thought. Despite the life you lived, and the things you did, you were quite softhearted. More so than the young master, at the very least. A bleeding heart. It caused you much internal conflict, something he'd noticed over the time he'd spent as the Phantomhive butler. What troubled him even more was the fact that your state was actually discomforting to him. Why does it even matter to me? he wondered in frustration at himself.
You were still rubbing your temples when a warm cup of tea was placed in front of you, making you pause.
"Chamomile tea should help you relax a bit, my lady. It isn't like you to stress over a case like this," Sebastian mumbled with a minute frown before he turned away. Your eyes widened.
"...huh," you faintly uttered, too surprised to react any further as he walked off. "Was that... him being concerned?"
You felt your lips slowly pull up before you caught yourself and shook yourself out of it.
"No, no. There's no way," you grumbled. "... No matter what, he's still a demon..." you sighed, feeling a little more sullen as you turned back to the list and took a sip of the tea, your body losing its tension as the drink's warmth washed over you. But... the gesture was nice of him regardless.
Eyes roaming over the names a final time, you made your decision. For now, let's go with where the evidence points. I'll deal with what comes after when the time calls for it.
~-~-~-~-~-~-
A/N: I realized I haven't explicitly stated who knows about the reader's abilities yet. So far, only these people are aware of what exactly she can do: the Midfords, Double Charles, the Phantomhive servants, Sebastian and Ciel, Queen Victoria, and John Brown. Grell and Undertaker suspect that she's not normal, but haven't confirmed.
The rest of the Aristocrats of Evil know her tasks as an assassin under the queen's orders, and all other nobles of society just think she's a socialite and guardian of the queen (similar to Double Charles and John). Most commoners don't actually know her face since she doesn't publicly announce her identity much. They just know she exists.