The parlor doors burst open not even a few seconds later, and Yuki came in, arms entirely filled with heavy trays, each holding a multitude of drinks and kettles, and behind her, Salvador followed, while his own pair of hands held a clearly steaming hot tray. I sat up in shock and my eyes widened, along with everyone else in the room as we tried to press ourselves as much as we could into the seats to avoid being trampled by their obvious enthusiasm. Mey-Rin, the twins, and Finny stumbled in soon after, obviously not yet completely awake as Baldroy shoved them all into the room, his own smile wide.
"We heard you were all awake, so we made some food!" Salvador proudly explained, setting the tray down as Sebastian quickly removed the China to save it from being crushed. The room slowly but surely became filled with the smell of the oh-so-familiar Mexican spices, and my face lit up in a wide smile. Ciel's eyebrows twitched in agitation at the loud announcements, but more so when he glanced down and saw a number of servants fallen on the ground, sleeping soundly on top of each other as Yuki began passing out the snacks, not caring that it was now four in the morning and too early for breakfast.
As she shoved a plate of enchiladas into Ciel's hands, she turned to look at me."So, what were you all discussing that's more important than sleep?"
Eagerly, I snatched the plate from Yuki's hand and quickly began cutting into the Mexican dish, mouth watering already from the smell alone. Salvador hadn't made these in months (since he lacked the motivation to do anything within the kitchen most of the time), and they were ridiculously good. Or maybe it was just that I've never had any other Mexican food, but I doubt his aren't considered exquisite in his home country.
"My Lady, you've had quite a lot to eat already, aren't you full?" Sebastian asked, eyes a bit wide as I continued chewing happily. His comment made me raise an eyebrow at him and Rodric quickly intervened, smiling nervously and waving his arms in front of him.
"My Countess just simply loves food," he explained, and Sebastian quickly nodded. "Please let her eat as she likes... please."
Yuki slapped her fan that she always seemed to carry around on Sebastian's head with a frown.
"Don't question a Lady's etiquette!" she snapped.
"Back to answering both Prince Soma's and Yuki's question: The coffeehouse West owns has a main dish of curry. In other words, West is trying to get a 'Royal Warrant' with curry." Ciel explained, hesitantly biting into the Mexican dish.
"I thought you said you didn't like spicy foods." I pointed out, and almost immediately, his mouth began to emit flames, while he frantically reached for his tea as his face turned a bright shade of red. I chuckled and shook my head as Salvador watched in confusion, scratching the back of his neck. Sebastian and Rodric quickly went to work to extinguish the flames, but Ciel's temper did not simmer.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he snapped, pressing a napkin against his tongue while he glared at me. Continuing to bite into my food, I rolled my eyes and pointed the fork at him. When I opened my mouth to speak after chewing what I had in my mouth, Salvador quickly stepped in, bowing his head a bit in remorse.
"Discúlpame Conde, I didn't think that it was that spicy, I forgot that not everyone has such a tolerant tongue como mi Condesa1," he apologized, but Ciel looked away.
"Yes, well, it's terribly spicy." he said once more, before pushing the plate away, "If it was less so, I would say it was delicious."
Salvador's wide grin broke out when Ciel spoke, and he saluted him with another bow, his hand going up to caress his mustache.
"Yo me encargo de eso, Conde2!" he exclaimed, before sprinting out the room with Baldroy right at his heels. I gave a soft sigh, glad that there had been no disrespect. As I turned to ask Yuki for more, I saw Soma's timid hand in the air, as his other held a now empty plate.
"What is a Row-Y'all War Rent?" he asked, and Lau nodded.
"Ah, your Highness, terribly sorry," he said in apology, "Let me explain--"
"No!" I quickly intervened, not willing to go through another one of his awful fake ruses, "I doubt you even know what we're talking about."
Pushing my plate onto the wooden table, I stood up and brushed off my dress before beginning to explain, the spiciness of the enchilada's now faintly on my tongue.
"England has a curious system. Members of the Royal Family can grant a seal of 'approval' to merchants and artisans of whom they are fond. That seal is known as the Royal Warrant. And..." I said, raising a finger, "stores that hold the Royal Warrant can display that seal on their signs."
Ciel nodded, and I sat down, waving my hand toward him for him to proceed.
"When a brand receives a warrant, its sales are guaranteed to increase. We were considering applying for the Royal Warrant for our confectionery and toy brand."
"Some stores have tripled their sales... As Queen Victoria's sets the trends for everything, from fashion to food." Lau added.
"The rage for curry has evidently slowed down, so West must want that title, whatever the cost," Rodric concluded, mumbling softly as he began to clean up the trays along with Yuki and Sebastian.
Soma raised his hand in comprehension. "I understand that West wants the so-called 'Royal Warrant'. But what does that have to do with the hanging incidents?"
At this, Sebastian chuckled darkly and began to adjust the bottom of his glove, smiling maliciously.
"There are two conditions to obtaining a Royal Warrant..." he said in a low tone, and I shivered at his sudden change in demeanor. He opened his mouth to continue, but Rodric scoffed and nudged Sebastian aside, eyes closed as he shook his head in disapproval. Ciel almost choked on his tea and I let out a small laugh as I saw the red-eyed demon's obvious expression of astonishment.
"Why must you be so dramatic with every explanation you give?"
Stepping back to his spot and brushing off his suit, Sebastian growled and ran his fingers through his hair, glaring rather nastily at a smirking Rodric.
"As I was saying," he hissed, "The first is to 'have the product's quality recognized at a fair'."
"And the second is 'gratuitous service to the Royal Family for three years'." Rodric finished, patting Sebastian's shoulder.
Soma's eyes winded in realization, and he stood up from his seat in shock.
"For three years, West has been servicing the Royal Family with his imports for free. He then caused those incidents to destroy his rivals, who are participating in the fair next week." Ciel continued to explicate, "military personnel were attacked as well, so it looks as if the culprits were Indians who held a grudge against England."
"So West has been using Mina to force Agni to participate in this silly plan..." I mumbled, "and Agni is doing this in the sake of his 'God'."
Soma glanced towards me in confusion, mouth open in an 'o'. "Eh?"
The noise of papers being lifted into the air sounded and Sebastian handed Ciel a small stack of parchment. I could tell from where I was standing that they were the letters left at the scenes of the crime.
"There was an important clue left behind in each note, one that was camouflaged rather cleverly, and I nearly missed it."
He pointed to the small picture of a tongue being stuck out at the bottom of the sheet and smirked. "Right here."
"Lord Randall was ranting that the mark was an insult against England, but its real meaning is something else entirely."
Ciel turned around and indicated to a rather large statue that clearly came from Soma's possession, golden and almost five feet tall.
"You pray to that, don't you?"
I walked over to the rather odd-looking sculpture, hand at my chin as I analyzed it further. It was not until I began searching its face that I saw the connection.
"Her tongue is lolling out," I said, turning around to face Ciel. He smiled and nodded, once again pointing to the note.
"Agni drew this, representing his own God in comparison. He did it all for you."
"Both his prayers and his apology were drawn into this mark," Rodric said, placing a hand on Soma's shoulder as Sebastian handed him the letter.
"Mr. Agni worships you and lives for you even after he has left your side," Sebastian added, "You have been blessed with a wonderful butler."
I turned my head to watch Prince Soma, who was now clenching the sheet tightly in both hands, tears at the brims of his eyes as he struggled to compose himself. Seldom was I known to comfort someone in tears; the only possible situation that I recalled doing so was to Ciel when Madame Red passed away. And so my arm twitched as I fought to think of the appropriate action, but luckily Lau spoke up, and I breathed out softly in relief. I didn't want to do anything I was uncomfortable with.
"What a heartwarming story! I think now we should wash our hands of this affair." he quipped, clapping his hands, "How about we have the yard handle the rest?"
Immediately, Soma slammed his palms against the table, and I jumped, eyes wide as I thought he was going to throw a tantrum once more.
"But what will become of Agni, and Mina!?"
"Who cares?" Lau said, and I raised an eyebrow.
"We know that this does not concern our side, the Underworld," Ciel said with a yawn, "And we're not running a charity."
Soma seemed rather hurt by his reply, but nevertheless clutched onto the paper once more, teeth bared.
"I understand... this is indeed my problem. I will think about what I can do to solve it on my own."
Rodric and I shared a glance, and at once, I knew that we both were sharing the same thought. Prince Soma was no longer hanging on to whatever small shred of help he had. He was now determined to fix his situation, even if it meant doing so alone. More so, he finally recognized that his own problems did not mean that he had the right to drag others down with him. In a type of way, I was proud.
"Good for you," I quickly said, walking over to him and placing my hands on his shoulders to sit him back down. Ciel's eyebrows furrowed but I continued, smiling wide. "But you forget, a snake is able to work both underground and above. So this is actually a problem that involves Rodric and me."
I then turned to glare at Ciel, who in turn glared back, unsure to where I was getting at.
"And being dragged around by my dear Earl calls for some type of compensation. After all, I wouldn't be as involved as I am if he had kept his guests properly situated."
Ciel clenched his teeth and closed his fist, turning away.
"A Royal Warrant would not be that bad of a reward. And since I meet every criterion to attain one, I think participating in this fair would be a rather splendid idea."
"Now wait just a moment--!"
"Therefore," I said, ignoring Ciel's attempts to interrupt me, "if the DelMare Industry participates and wins, the Royal Warrant will be mine."
Rodric smirked, stepping over to stand behind me as I closed my eyes in pride, knowing that this little show would irk Ciel a good enough amount to entertain me. There would be no possible way he would allow me to do so and not try and stick his nosy little head in.
"In my business, I sell whatever is trending, thanks to the Queen's quick influence. We are invested in almost every type of industry of Europe, and are expanded throughout the globe." I elucidated, and even Soma blinked in respect, "Naturally, food is also in inventory."
"But you only have one week to set up and prepare a culinary department that relates to curry." Lau pointed out, and I shook my head with a smile.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," I laughed, and at that moment, Yuki, who had been quite quiet the entire time, placed her thumb and forefinger in her mouth and blew, whistling incredibly loud. Footsteps quickly began approaching the parlor, and Salvador, Erin, and Eren came rushing in, each now wide awake and smiling joyfully.
"Rodric?" I said, and he nodded with a bow, each servant following his actions.
"As loyal servants to the Countess, it goes without saying that we can manage something as simple as this," Yuki said, and the twins jumped in excitement.
"I don't really know what we're agreeing to--" Erin began saying.
"But I hope that it's fun!" Eren finished, to which Salvador laughed heartily.
"Estamos aquí para3--"
"Impossible!"
Salvador smiled politely and bit his tongue, arm still raised.
"I wasn't finished yet, su Alteza4--"
"You can't possibly win against Agni in a curry contest!" Soma cried out once more, and even Rodric raised an eyebrow at his claims.
"And why not?" I asked eyes narrowed.
"He has the Right Hand of God!" Soma said, and even Ciel spoke up at this.
"But this is not a fencing match, it is a curry contest," he said, but again Soma shook his head defiantly.
"Precisely!"
"I sincerely apologize," Yuki interrupted, clearly perplexed, "I don't see your point exactly, your Highness..."
"You do not know Agni's true power... you do not know real curry."
"Curry?" Salvador whispered. The twins shrugged and Yuki sighed heavily.
"An Indian dish, you twits."
Prince Soma shut his eyes tightly and let his head fall, and Sebastian shared a glance with Rodric before he finally spoke.
"The quality of real curry is determined by the spices in it. One must choose from hundreds of spices. The amount of each spice one uses determines the curry's taste, heat, and fragrance... The spices affect everything."
Salvador, Yuki, and Rodric nodded at this, seeming rather focused on his words. They were, after all, the best cooks I've ever encountered, so it made sense as to how they would be understanding this.
"One has an infinite array of choices. Making the best curry is like finding one truth out of all the truths of the universe. But Agni's right hand can do that. With only his fingertips, he selects the best spices from an innumerable selection and mixes in the optimal amounts... to create the curry that is nothing short of a miracle. His power to imagine and create the world from nothing is indeed within the realm of godliness. That is why Agni, with his Right Hand of God, is called... Kali's Right Hand!"
"So the Right Hand of God refers to godly 'curry-making skills', not 'strength'!" Lau deduced, smiling wide. Ciel rolled his eyes at Soma's speech and looked up to Sebastian, to which I raised an eyebrow at.
"There you have it, Sebastian," he said, "you and Rodric are going to be quite busy now, aren't you?"
Instantly, I raised my finger and shook my head.
"Now wait here Phantomhive--!"
Sebastian's low chuckles cut me off and he bowed to me, red eyes glinting. Rodric placed a hand on my shoulder, and even Yuki shrugged in indifference.
"The more help the better, my Lady," she advised gently, before placing her hand over her mouth and lowering her voice. "Besides, we burned the Earl's kitchen down, so the least we could do is let his Lordship tag along."
Bloody hell. This didn't involve him in the slightest, so why was he always being such an arrogant arse and sticking his nose where it didn't belong? It was his fault after all that I was now stuck in the middle of this; naturally, I would solve it myself, without any third-party assistance. Contrary to popular belief, I rather enjoyed involving each member of my Manor in my cases, since they never ceased to be entertained and be entertaining. However, I was fairly certain that this would be a quick predicament to fix, and I didn't want to share the workload, no matter how small the amount. But I trusted both Yuki and Rodric with my life, so of course, I reluctantly agreed.
"Just stay out of my way, Ciel," I warned, and he smiled cheekily.
"It seems we have quite the foe to beat, don't we?"
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| R E F E R E N C E P O I N T S |
1.) "Discúlpame Conde, I didn't think that it was that spicy, I forgot that not everyone has such a tolerant tongue como mi Condesa." means Forgive me, Earl. I didn't think that it was that spicy, I forgot that not everyone has such a tolerant tongue like my Countess in Spanish
2.) "Yo me encargo de eso, Conde!" means I'll take care of that, Earl! in Spanish
3.) "Estamos aquí para--" means We're here to-- in Spanish
4.) "I wasn't finished yet, su Alteza--" means I wasn't finished yet, your Highness-- in Spanish
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...My Countess orders, I obey; Anyone who dares interfere, will have Hell to pay...