There was a moment of silence after I asked that. It looked like they didn’t want to answer the question I just asked them and that annoyed me the fullest.
“Answer me! That’s an order!”I yelled angry.
“Ciel Phantomhive died twenty-five years ago.” began Ciel the story. “Even though he died he didn’t disappear from this world.”
I looked at him and knew there was going to come a story that was probably going to change a lot in my life. But I didn’t care, it was what I wished for right now after all.
“Ciel Phantomhive, well I mean the ‘new’ Ciel Phantomhive is sitting right in front of you.”
It felt like there was a pain lifted from my heart. I should’ve known this from the beginning.
“Ciel Phantomhive, I mean ‘me’, I didn’t really die. I just changed... into a demon.”
And after those lines a story began.
“I was eleven years old when I summoned Sebastian. That wasn’t even his name, it was the name I chose for him. After that people would only call him by that name. And so would I. I formed a contract with him which said that he was allowed to eat my soul if he would fulfil my wish. My wish was revenging those who humiliated me and those who killed my parents. And that’s how it went. While fighting side by side Sebastian and I found the culprit and Sebastian killed him. There is an even bigger story about that, but that is not important.
On the edge of dying, Sebastian took me to an Island where he would eat my soul and that is where I should’ve died. But things turned out wrong. Another demon named ‘Claude’ was interested in my soul and stole it from Sebastian. You cannot eat a soul without the body so the soul was left in the ring I always wore on my finger. After a while Sebastian was able to take it back and I came back to life. But I lost my memories about the finishing of the contract and about the death of the culprit. Sebastian, who didn’t say anything about it, still followed me and waited for the moment my memories would return.
But Claude didn’t stop after he took my soul once. He wanted it and thought of a plan to take my soul. He merged my memories with a boy he formed a contract with that on that moment. Because of the merger I said to Sebastian he had to leave and formed a contract with Claude. The boy was called ‘Alois Trancy’. I had his memories and as a little time passed he took over my complete body and soul. He, who was longing for love, decided in his weakest moment to form a contract with a demon which was by Claude’s side. Hannah. Hannah formed a contract with Alois who was in my body. The contract with Hannah was about my soul that shouldn’t be eaten by one of the demons that fought over me. That happened the moment I regained my memory and Sebastian found out about that.
Claude and Sebastian, who fought over my soul, decided on a final battle which would mean the end of one of them. Sebastian killed Claude and Claude his soul was eaten by Hannah. After Claude died the contract of Alois was almost fulfilled so Hannah ate his soul out of me. After that she turned me into an demon. And Sebastian found out about it while trying to save my life.
And because I changed into a demon I wasn’t able to live my life further. I didn’t know about the changes I would be going through and I also longed for human souls. I left everything behind and left with Sebastian who was cursed to be my butler forever because he never ended the contract and promised to be my butler until the very end. What he didn’t know was that there isn’t coming an end now I am also a demon.”
After he told me that he removed his eye-patch and looked at me. I saw a pentagram in his eye which really resembled the one that I had in my eye. There was only a slightly difference between them.
“This is the contract I have with Sebastian.” he said. Sebastian removed his glove with his mouth and the devils trap on the hand of Sebastian’s hand was the confirmation of the story.
I touched my eye-patch.
“Then tell me... Who is it that I formed a contract with?”
“With me.” answered Ciel me. He removed his glove and showed me a Devils Trap on the top of his hand.
I finally understood everything. That was the reason why Sebastian called Ciel “Young Master” and that’s the reason why they were together.
“I understand it. But what about my soul that I promised to the both of you?”
“If the young master is kind enough to let me eat it, we will share your soul together.” said Sebastian.
I sighed. “Because you told the truth immediately, I won’t punish you.”
“You are so kind.” said Sebastian while he bowed his head.
“But I have one condition if you want to keep this contract formed...”
“And that is?”asked Ciel.
“I don’t want you to use Sebastian for your own personal pleasure for as long as I am alive. He is now my butler and so are you.”
Sebastian’s eyes widened and he looked at me.
“If that is what you wish, then I won’t use Sebastian as my butler, for as long as you are alive.”
“That’s an order.”
“Yes, My Lady.” said Ciel. He bowed his head while his hand was on his chest.
“Yes, My Master.” said Sebastian and also he bowed his head while his hand was on his chest.
I felt a burning sensation in my left eye and I knew they would obey me for as long I was alive. I loved the power I felt in my veins and I could only smile because of it. And so did Ciel and Sebastian. They smiled.
“She does quite resemble you, doesn’t she, young master?”
“It is exactly as you say, Sebastian.”
I looked at them and they smiled at me. There was a minute of silence and I knew they weren’t going t speak about it again.
“So...Which tea do you want this afternoon, young lady?”
“Sebastian!” I yelled. It only took him a few seconds to open the door and show his face to me.
“What is it, young lady?”he asked politely.
“How are the preparations for the masquerade ball going?”
“Almost finished. We only have to pick a day.”
“Any suggestions?”
“I was thinking about upcoming Wednesday.”
“That’s alright. Make sure you sent the invitations soon.”
“See them as already sent right now.”He said while he bowed his head.
“I didn’t expect anything less.”I answered him.
I opened my book again and read it in it. The whole storyline didn’t interest me but it entertained me when I was bored so I guess it was alright like this.
“Isn’t it almost time for you to go to sleep?”asked Sebastian while smiling.
“What time is it?”I asked without looking up from my book.
“Almost eleven o’clock, young lady.”
I put down the book and looked up.
“Prepare my bed. I’ll take a bath tomorrow morning.”
“Understood.”He said and he walked out of the door. I sighed. Today had been a tiresome day and I felt how my body was longing for some sleep. I looked outside trough the window and smiled slightly. I knew that the murderers of my parents were there somewhere, and I also knew I would kill them once I found them. Now I finally gained the name as the Queen’s watchdog there was really nothing that could stop me.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened and it was Ciel who walked into the room.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’m very sorry, my lady. But there is someone downstairs waiting for you.”
“Who is it?”
“He calls himself Edward. J. Johnson.”
My eyes widened and I stood up. I began to walk to the door which Ciel quickly opened for me. It couldn’t be, it was impossible. I haven’t seen that boy for like ten years. Why would he come at a time like this? I walked down the stairs and lifted my dress as I took the steps. Ciel was walking behind me and he would catch me if I fell again. I came downstairs and walked to the living room. Ciel opened the door for me and let me in. When I walked into the room I immediately saw him standing in the middle. He was tall and that kind of confused me. When I saw him in my memory I would still see a small boy with big brown eyes.
When he heard me entering the room he turned around. He was extremely handsome. He smiled when he saw me.
“Countess Shiver, it’s an honour to see you again after such a long time.”
“I should be the one saying that, Earl Johnson.” I humbly bowed for him and saw in my right eye that Ciel did the same.
“Raise your head. Don’t be so formal with me.” he said smiling.
I did as he said and lifted my head.
“What brings you here at this hour?”I asked.
“I was on my way home when I suddenly felt the urge to see you.” he said. He began to walk towards me and stopped when he stood in front of me.
“It’s been such a long time.” He suddenly wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. I saw in my eye that Ciel moved a little when the Earl hugged me. But I gave him a sign to not do anything.
“You’ve grown so much. You are so beautiful right now” he said.
“You too.”
He let go of me and looked at me. His face was still smiling and I felt a little uncomfortable. It had been such a long time that I didn’t even know what to talk about.
“Let’s sit down.”I said.
“Yes, thank you.”
We walked to the sofa and sat down. He only looked at me and that made me even feel more uncomfortable.
“Could you prepare some tea, Ciel?”
“Understood.”
Ciel left the room and closed the door behind him. Now we were alone.
“Is there something you want to talk about with me?”I asked him.
“Not really. Like I said, I suddenly felt the urge to see you and when I finally saw you I was so surprised. You’ve grown so beautiful. I’m amazed, Katherine.”
His hand reached for my long brown hair and he stroked it. Then suddenly I felt how he found the strap of my eye-patch.
“What happened to your eye?”he asked.
“Not much. It’s for protection.” I was suddenly annoyed because he wouldn’t talk about serious stuff.
“I’ll ask Sebastian to prepare a room for you. I guess it’s too late to leave now. It could be dangerous.”
I stood up and wanted to walk away when he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I lost my balance and fell, right on his lap.
He wrapped his arms around me and sniffed my hair.
“You don’t know how much I missed you. How much I longed for you. When you didn’t wrote me back anymore I thought I would die. I heard that your parents were killed and that you locked yourself up. And there was nothing I could do because I couldn’t get in touch with you.”
There was a moment of silence and I heard how he sniffed my hair again. I was sitting in a very uncomfortable position and I tried to escape from his embrace but he didn’t let me.
“I can’t believe I’m holding you in my arms like this.” he said.
I tried to escape again and this time he let go of me. I stood up and could only look at him.
“I’m sorry... It’s just...”he stammerd.
“Earl Johnson. When my parents died I decided that I wouldn’t make any promises that I couldn’t fulfil...”
On that very moment Ciel en Sebastian came in with the tea. Sebastian bowed politely when he saw the earl and Ciel only looked. They walked to us and poured the tea in the cups.
“I hope we didn’t interfere with anything?”asked Sebastian.
“No. No you didn’t.” said the Earl.
“May I ask you something?”asked Sebastian while he gave the cup of tea to the Earl.
“Go ahead.”
“What are you to the young lady?”
I felt like punching Sebastian because I didn’t want them to know the truth about me and the Earl.
“Watch your manners, Sebastian.” I said angrily.
“Forgive me for my rudeness, young lady.” He said and he bowed his head.
“It’s not like it is a secret though.” said the Earl. I immediately looked at him and tried to make clear to him that I didn’t want them to know. But the Earl was too busy with being happy that he didn’t notice the look on my face.
“She is my fiancée.” he said with an enormous smile on his face.
“Your fiancée?”
“Yes. Our parents decided on it. But I truly fell in love with her so I didn’t really care they decided it without our permission.”
Sebastian looked at me smiling and Ciel didn’t even look. The Earl was also looking at me which only made me more angry about the fact he just told them. I decided to break up the engagement but then my parents died. I locked myself in my house and ignored all his letters. I was too tired to tell him that the engagement was off, and I hoped he would understand by ignoring him. But I guess he didn’t. He even visited me after ten years of not seeing each other.
“I’m surprised.” said Sebastian.
The Earl nodded and took a sip of his tea. I still stood there and didn’t even thought about sitting beside him again. The last time I saw him I was seven years old. He was a spoiled brat and was never considerate of other people’s feelings. He acted like he ruled the world and that annoyed me so many times. My parents told me to be nice and so I did my best to make him like me. It turned out that he became to love me. His parents left for a while to America and they took their son with them. He wrote me every week, and every week I answered it. But then my parents died... He still wrote me but I was tired of answering. He came back but I didn’t want to see him. And that’s how it went.
“Are you planning on staying over tonight?”asked Sebastian.
“If it isn’t a problem with Katherine.”
He looked at me and I turned away my face. I began to walk to the exit and Ciel followed me and opened the door.
“I don’t really care. Sebastian, fulfil all the requests of the visitor for the time he is here.”
“Yes, my master.” said Sebastian. He bowed with his hand placed on his chest.
“I am going to sleep. Have a goodnight.”
And then I left. I was really tired and annoyed and the only thing I wanted now was some peace in my mind. I sighed, my head hurt.
“Are you alright, my lady?”sounded Ciel’s voice behind me.
“I am.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
I just let him follow me and began to walk up the stairs. My head began to hurt even more and I started to feel really terrible. I pulled up my dress a little and walked up the stairs a little quicker. But then my head suddenly just quit with everything. I felt how tired I was and my eyes suddenly closed. I felt how I was falling. And again, on the moment I expected to feel pain, I felt something catching my back. When I opened my eyes I saw it was Ciel.
“Be careful, my lady.” he said. He put me back on my feet again and the only thing I could do was watching my steps again.
“I don’t want to walk anymore. Carry me.”I ordered him.
He suddenly showed me a weird smile and wrapped his arms around me. He lifted me up and I held on to him tight. He began to walk up the stairs.
“You never showed your weak side before, my lady.” he said with the same weird smile on his face.
“This isn’t my weak side. I just don’t want to walk.”
“And as your humble servant, I’ll do as you wish.”
He carried me up the stairs and brought me to my room. He laid me down on my bed and stood up again.
“Do you want me to help you preparing for your sleep?”
“No. I want Sebastian to help me.”
“As you wish.” He bowed his head and left the room without a sound.
I took off my shoes and threw them in the corner of my room. I fell down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Finally there was no sound around me. I finally had some peace in my mind. At that very moment the door opened and Sebastian came in.
“Oh my, Oh my. Sleeping in your usual clothes isn’t good, young lady.”
“I’m not sleeping yet.” I stood up from the bed and turned my back to Sebastian who immediately began to untie my dress. I undressed myself till the corset, which he would take off. When he did that I finally felt like I could breath. He brought me my sleepwear and he helped me with putting it on. After that I turned myself to him and he removed my eye-patch.
“Now you are ready for your sleeping, young lady.”
I walked to my bed and laid down. He put the blankets over me and blew out the candles beside my bed. The only light in the room now were the candles he took from the table which he now held in his hand.
“Goodnight, young lady.” he said. And after that he left the room without making a sound. The room was now filled with a total darkness and suddenly I felt alive again. With my eyes open I listened to the sounds from outside and made sure there were no sounds downstairs either. And then finally I was able to close my eyes and sleep in a pleasant darkness.