It was the next day, the third day since the last letter was sent. I have at least four days left to determine who the killer is.
And I'm just here in the dining room, eating my breakfast calmly.
Running into problems headfirst would be a problem in itself; I have to stay calm. Besides, Sebastian won't let me die, he would have to get the payment of his services first: my soul.
I wonder... What would happen to the servants once I'm gone? Would they look for me? Cry? Grieve for me? Tanaka would be the most affected, since he had known me since I was a child.
Never mind that, I went back to my study once I was done, working on my paperwork. Alice was the one to bring me my snacks today, two and a half hours after I ate breakfast.
"Master Ciel, we have apple and raisin dip pie for today's snack, as well as Earl Grey tea. Please enjoy." Alice said as she placed the plates on my desk. I moved my papers aside, and she helped me even if I didn't ask her to. I refused to snap at her.
... I needed the help anyway. But of course I wouldn't tell her that.
"Alice."
"Yes, Master Ciel?"
"You can call me 'Ciel', we are of the same age anyway."
"But--"
"It is not an order, more like a favour, Alice. Really, I want you to call me 'Ciel'... Only Elizabeth -- Lizzy -- calls me that, as I am sick of hearing formalities, to be honest. Formalities only comes with the adults, but as much as I want to be seen as an adult, I am still a child." And I won't live long anyway. Besides, I just... feel like it. I gave her a pained smile. She stopped her movements, but then placed the papers on my desk with care.
"Of course... Ciel."
That's for her to start trusting me.
I wonder what she has hidden deep within her mind that could help me with my case. I'm sure if she has her memories back, she'll be able to determine who is the killer. Probably.
Though I don't want that to be a probable for long. I want it to be a certainty.
"Alice, have you remembered more of your childhood?" I took the plate with the pie on it and ate.
This is Sebastian's work, for sure. Where is he anyway?
"I..." She paused, looking up with a finger on her chin, thinking with pursed lips, her expression grim. "Yes, a little."
"Will you tell me about it?"
"... About my parents... They died - murdered - and after that, I lost everything that my parents left for me. Then I started roaming where my feet would bring me. I was taken in by a good man working under the Queen, that is how she had known of me. Then the good man died, and the Queen took me in, since I don't know anyone and the Queen is a good woman." She provided. "That was all I could remember..."
"I see." I chewed on the pie. "How old were you when you lost your parents?"
"I... I was about eleven. You see, my parents were hunted, as I gathered, so they can only hide for those eleven years before they were found." She looked down on the desk. "But the time I had spent with them was so precious. They loved me, gave me everything I wanted, protected me. I had friends... But those were taken from me within a night."
Those were taken from me within a night.
I stopped eating, her words echoing through me, forcing a memory -- that I have tried to forget -- to resurface. I grit my teeth and forced myself to calm down, trying to think of an other subject other than myself. I sipped on the tea as another way to to calm me down.
So this was what she meant by having a good life before she was orphaned...
She must have noticed that I stopped eating because she looked worried. "I must have made you uncomfortable with my story, I should leave--"
"No. Stay."
"Are you certain, Ma--Ciel? If I had somehow made you feel bad, please tell me so."
"It is fine. Will you tell me more of that story book?"
"Oh. Oh, of course." She looked taken aback, but nevertheless, complied. "The story book was told to me by the good man--"
As she continued to explain the story thoroughly, I can't help but think:
She gave me a part of her memories, but never even asked for my past in return. (Well, I did ask her to share.)
Even without letting her call me by my name, will she trust me this much?
A peculiar, naïve girl.
>>><<<
We walked around London again.
I took Sebastian and Alice again.
Alice seems to be deep in thought, I wonder what is bugging her? Her lips are pressed tight together, and she's tense. Did something happen earlier?
Sebastian is not being his usual smiling self too, and he looked disappointed. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.
Did something happen between the two? And it's just the third day! Seriously these two...
"... I want to go to a candy store." I blurted. This seemed to get Alice out of her reverie.
"Master Ciel, we went to one just yesterday--"
"Didn't I tell you it is okay to call me 'Ciel'?"
She blushed, ashamed. "We are in a public place, sir."
"I understand that, but it will be their own problem if people will express their shock or disgust. I did tell you to call me by my name." I turned on my heels then to walk into a candy store. Being as they are, Sebastian and Alice followed me.
"I understand," she hesitates a little but, "Ciel." I gave her a satisfied look and browsed through the chocolate section of the store. They're not as good as my company's chocolates, but they might as well do the job of giving me the taste I want.
If I give Alice a chocolate, will she cheer up?
Why am I even thinking about that.
"Rin! Not too many!" I heard somewhere in the store.
"But Lenny, I want more candy! Especially these orange ones!"
"Rin, you are going to get fat at that rate."
"I am not fat and never going to be! Take that back!"
"Ow, okay okay!"
I rolled my eyes at what I heard and had gotten hold of a bag of candy and some chocolate bars when I heard something that made me pause.
"Hey Rin, where do you think Mika is? She hasn't returned since yesterday."
"I don't know. Maybe she returned home?"
"There's no news about it though."
"I'm worried."
"So am I, but let's go buy these, all right? Maybe Mika will come back today. Come on."
"Okay!"
I continued to ponder who they were until I heard the door bell's ring sound through the store, signifying that they had gone out.
That's when I knew who they were.
Rilliane and Allen d'Autriche.
The twins.
Mika is Michaela.
I dropped the candy bag and chocolates and went out after them, but I lost them.
I don't even know how they looked like today.
How stupid.
I went back inside to see Alice holding what I dropped, and Sebastian smiling.
I should slap that man, for not telling me who they were.
"Ciel, why did you run away so suddenly?" Alice looked so worried so I sighed through my nose.
"Never worry, Alice. I only thought I had seen something of familiar." Well, it's a half-truth?
"I see. Are you still going to purchase these?" I looked at the sweets. I scoffed.
"Sebastian can go buy them. Go give them to him, Alice."
Sebastian only chuckled and took the treats away to pay for them.
I looked at Alice, who looked at the candies in awe. Had she never tried them before...?
"Alice, have you never tried them before?" I asked. She jerked back from the products.
"I ah... Yes." She admitted.
What? For real?
I hummed. "I see. I could give you some of my company's treats." I offered as I pinched one round candy between my fingers.
"Are you certain? But I could buy candies using my own money."
"I insist, Alice." She stayed silent after that. I decided to give her a piece of me. "When... I was a child, my parents always give me sweets whenever I was a good boy." She looked up at me in surprise.
"Huh?"
"Of course, being the child I am, wanted more of those candies. My parents call me greedy, but they laughed at it and patted me on the head with happy smiles. Then father designed a small ship carrying lots of candies for me." I fondly remember that memory. Elizabeth and I were playing with it, I remember. That was before they attacked--
I shook my head. Not this again. I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Ciel, you are pale again. Are you all right?" She worried as she dabbed my forehead with her handkerchief. I hadn't noticed that I had started to sweat. My face heated up. She's too close.
Where is that damned demon?
"I am fine." I waved her away gently, looking away from her.
Since when was I gentle?
I heard Sebastian chuckling behind me and I punched his arm immediately. "You were taking so long." I glared at him as I panted, a little short of breath. I almost screamed there...
"I am sorry, young master, there were a lot of children by the register." He had his usually sly smile now. I glared at him harder.
"Never mind that, let us be off." I scoffed and started walking outside, meaning to go back to the townhouse.
What was that about Alice anyway?
And the twins...
Where did they go?
Where do they hide?
All this thinking makes my head hurt.
Why is this happening?
What is happening?
>>><<<
I ended up eating those treats with Alice after lunch.
It really was her first time eating those (she told me that she doesn't remember eating them before, but she might have), and she was very delighted to have done so.
My candies are sweeter though, I can guarantee.
Then Alice bid an excuse to continue working.
I made her stay longer.
I... just felt like it.
Alice only gave a faint smile and sat back down, complying.
I took out a chess board from my desk. "Do you know how to play chess, Alice?" I set the pieces to their places and looked at Alice, smirking. I took the black pieces for myself, as usual. She was staring at the board with wide eyes.
"I--I do. I learnt it while the good man was alive. He taught me how." She stared at me. "You... want to play a game with me?"
I nodded. "Since you have lived with that good man, I wanted to see how he taught you to play. And I want to know how much he told you about, well, us. Aristocrats."
"And that includes chess?" She asked incredulously. Noticing her words, she blushed and placed her hands on her mouth, like she hadn't meant for that to come out. She must've thought it came out as rude. "I--I'm sorry--"
"It is fine. But yes, that includes chess."
"May I ask a question?"
"Go ahead. You can speak to me like an equal, since we are going to play chess on even grounds."
"... Why are you pardoning me so much?"
"Oh, I wonder so. It may be because you are new?"
"It may be also because you want to use me and you need to gain my trust?"
How clever.
"Well, that is what pawns are for." I smirked as I picked up a pawn with my right hand and lifted it so it would be the same size as Alice in my vision. She stared at the pawn I had between my fingers. "After all, I am the player. I control the pieces."
"Wouldn't it be the same as being the king?" She poked her white king, and I put down the pawn to its place. "But the king always hides behind his men, and lets the queen fight for him. He also lets them die for him while he runs away from the enemy. Is he a weakling?"
I chuckled. "Not at all. The other pieces do all they can to protect the king. For if there is no king, there will be no kingdom. He is the most powerful, ordering his pieces to fight for him and the kingdom. He controls his men."
"Though he does not fight alongside his people?"
"Though he does not fight alongside his people."
"Fear."
"Hm?"
"The king uses fear then, to control them."
I chuckled. "That is true. Without fear, it would be hard to control them."
"I see. But alongside fear, shouldn't there be admiration?"
"... Admiration can only get you far. There will be a chance that someone will loathe you, and end you."
I stared at her as she stared at the white king, an unreadable expression on her face.
Wait, did eyes just turn red...?
Huh? Strange, I thought it did.
I stared at her eyes as she continued to stare at the king, eyes narrowed. Then her head snapped up. "I--I am sorry! I-- you told me I could speak to you like an equal so I did--"
I chuckled. "I did, didn't I? Shall we get the game started then?"
"O--of course! Pardon me."
She got her pawn and moved first.
>>><<<
I won by a hair.
I was furious. Never did this happen before. I underestimated her, a bad move.
There's more to her than I thought.
I hid my thoughts with a smirk though, and I shook her hand for a show of sportsmanship.
All my anger faded.
Her hand is unbelievably warm, does that mean my hand is cold...?
"A good game." I greeted instead. No way she's going to know of my thoughts. She nodded.
"I have never played serious game like that. I had fun." She took back her hand and stood up from the chair, bowing. "But I must go to my duties now."
I nodded. "Thank you for playing a game with me."
"No, thank you, Ciel, for teaching me." I blinked.
Huh...?
After that she turned and left.
I taught her? I thought the good man did. It's evident that the good man showed her the game thoroughly.
She understood every piece of chess.
Yet, I can still call her a peculiar, and naïve girl.
But what was that earlier...? Her eyes changed color in a split second.
Just who are you, Alice?
You're making my head hurt.
It really is hurting.
You're so mysterious...
•|•|•|•
A little girl, other than Elizabeth, laughs as I fell on my face. "Ciel! Ciel!" She calls to me, waving her hands up, urging me to move faster.
"Wait for me, -----!"
•|•|•|•
... What was that?
Have I met you before...?
Is it possible?
Ugh, so many questions.
Time is running out.