It was really amazing to see that for Serena. The more often the prince made her obvious compliments, the more Sebastian's mood seemed to sink. Of course, he still kept his composure, but Serena knew him well enough to realize that he wanted to pour the hot tea over the body of the prince.
And even if she felt a little shabby, Serena also insisted on flirting with Prince Soma. It was good for her to finally be the one who teased him and not the other way around. She also wanted to test if he was actually a little jealous.
"I probably still can not persuade you to let your butler go for me?", Ciel Phantomhive actually tried again after a while. Serena looked at him briefly with a polite smile and a raised an eyebrow. She had been right in her assumption.
"I'm sorry, but no matter how many times you ask, I will not agree to your request.", she answered immediately, giving her jealous butler a brief, amused look. However, he did not look at her, but devoted himself fully to Elizabeth.
"Too bad.", the son of the Earl sighed and looked briefly at Sebastian. If he knew he was trying to recruit a demon, he'd change his mind quickly, Serena thought. Nevertheless, she also wondered where this great interest in her butler Sebastian came from. Of course, he did all his duties extremely well and perfectly, but other butlers could certainly do that as well. So why was he so fond of him?
"Are you planning to marry in the near future, Lady Sinister?", Prince Soma burst out next to her, and again Serena had to cough briefly and with surprise. This prince was beginning to look more and more strange to her, because what was such a question?
"Um ... no, I don't think so.", Serena replied, trying a short polite laugh, but she did not quite succeed. Had she flirted with him a little too much and given him such false hopes?
"But Prince Soma.", Elizabeth laughed, "You can not ask something like that to a lady so directly.". For a moment, he looked at her in surprise and Serena could not understand that he did not seem to know that.
"English people are sometimes really hard to understand.", he murmured for a moment. However, Serena doubted that such a circumstance was different in his homeland. There, the women were not asked that kind of thing that easy and straightforward.
For a moment Serena cleared her throat and now wanted to change the subject as soon as possible, because shortly the faint suspicion flared up in her that the prince would want to make her a marriage proposal today!
"Ciel, how is your father?", she asked, although she was aware that this was a pretty bad topic change. But as long as she did not have to talk about marriage, she did not care.
"My father?", Ciel Phantomhive inquired shortly, "He's fine. He's just ... busy again at the moment.". Serena nodded and sipped her tea briefly. She would much rather have talked to Vincent Phantomhive than to his son, but now she had to be content with stories about the Earl.
"So?", therefore she asked and did not want to make a speech break, in which the prince could start again from any feelings and marriages.
"Yes ... he ...", Ciel Phantomhive began and was obviously not sure if he was allowed to talk about it at all. He probably did not even know that Serena was informed that his father was the watchdog of the queen.
"He has been to many dinner parties lately.", his fiancé said encouragingly, definitely not talking about the watch dog's activity, but about the normal actions of a common earl. She probably did not even know the true identity of her future father-in-law.
"That's true.", Ciel Phantomhive agreed with her, visibly relieved to be able to handle this issue that way.
"However, he has said that at these societies have been a lot of unpleasant people lately.", Elizabeth happily continued, "He has been complaining about the manners of a gentleman in particular. What was his name? Echill? Ergil?".
Immediately, Serena was listening, because she recognized in this name a great resemblance to something that had burned deep in her memory.
"Erchyll?", she tried to help the unsuspecting Elizabeth, who immediately looked at her radiantly.
"Yes exactly! That was the name!", she exclaimed, squeaking and Serena tried to cover up the onset trembling of her hands. That could not be a coincidence by now, she thought.
"Bryan Erchyll?", she tried to make sure and looked at Elizabeth piercingly. She was obviously a little irritated by Serena's piercing gaze, but nodded.
"I think that's the name of the man.", she said, still smiling. Serena's heart was beating loud and fast in her chest. How could it be that the second name her father had told her at that time came across her through the Phantomhives? She doubted it was sheer luck that brought her this circumstance. However, she also told herself that she should not question this and just be glad to have a new track.
Bryan Erchyll, the second of the three men responsible for her family's tragedy, and perhaps through him she could also find out where her little brother was. Who would have thought that this tolerable meeting would turn out to be such an asset, Serena thought sourly.
"Do you know this man?", Ciel Phantomhive asked, watching her attentively, "If so, then you should stay away from him. My dad told me a few ... things about him.".
He probably hinted that the Earl had met this man in the course of his activity as Watchdog of the Queen, Serena guessed. Of course, that certainly did not deter her.
"Oh, not directly.", Serena replied evasively, "I only know someone who is in contact with him.". Ciel frowned a little, obviously disliking that Serena seemed to be familiar with someone who was in contact with this Erchyl.
"Between the two, well, how should I say it?", Serena teases her story further, " There is still something to clarify between them and the person I know told me that if I have the opportunity, I should find out anything about this Erchyll.".
Serena thought it was a little stupid to lie to the son of the earl and then with such a crude and quickly invented story. She could only hope that Ciel Phantomhive was not too suspicious.
Maybe Serena was blessed with happiness that day, maybe the Earl's son was not really a suspicious person or maybe he was hoping for Sebastian. In any case, he actually replied to Serena's story, bringing her information that made her goal ever closer.
"I can not tell you much about this man. I am only aware that in London he is very likely to be seen in one of these numerous clubs. "Noblesse" was the name, if I remember correctly.", Ciel Phantomhive said, looking at her attentively.
Serena had to make every effort not to show her open joy, because after all, this was outwardly only incidental information for her. Inwardly, she cheered, however, because she had finally discovered another trail.
"Thanks for this information.", she answered as calmly as possible and took a triumphant sip of tea. Now, all she had to do was wait until her guests leaving, so she could talk to Sebastian.
Of course, it took a while until Ciel Phantomhive decided it was time to leave. During that time, they continued to talk about banal and superficial subjects, and of course this was not without further compliments and pranks from the prince to Serena. She silently let everything pass, because she could think about that she finally had a trace to Erchyll.
When she finally stood at the front door to say goodbye to her guests, Serena got the impression that Prince Soma was intentionally moving very slowly to spend as much time as possible with her. Also, his hand-to-hand kiss was a little too long for Serena's taste, and his lips actually touched her palm for a brief moment.
But when the heavy door slammed shut behind the prince's butler, Serena breathed out loud and relieved, feeling her whole body relax immediately.
"Gosh!", she said and stretched, "I thought they never wanted to go.". Sebastian, who was still standing next to the door, raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at her with a weak but cheeky grin.
"But after all, this meeting was well worth it for you, Lady Serena.", he said and Serena immediately knew what he was referring to. He could as well have said: I told you! After all, it was his merit that this meeting had even come about in the first place and Serena had to endure it now or not, that he once again tasted his triumph.
"Yes ...", she mumbled, gritting her teeth, because she hated it, if she had to give him that right, "That's right.". His grin widened a bit and she could look at his satisfaction. Probably because of that grin, Serena could not resist addressing him to his apparent jealousy of the prince.
"But you seem to have been rather displeased with the presence of a certain guest.", Serena pointed out and immediately her butler's expression darkened slightly.
"I do not know what you're talking about, Lady Serena.", he answered immediately, stubbornly looking her in the eye. Unbelieving, Serena raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Oh really? I think you know that very well.", she countered, "Why else did you look at the prince as if you wanted to throw him out the window?". Sebastian's face remained unchanged, but Serena knew that he was raging inside, that he just did not want to show it.
"You must have misinterpreted that.", he now halfheartedly evasive and Serena rolled her eyes again. With a stubborn look she continued to look at him and he looked back as well. However, Serena sensed from his brief answers and the way he looked at her bitterly that she must have met a point he did not really want to admit.
"I do not think so.", she continued, "Especially when the prince gave me exuberant compliments, you looked like this.".
"That's because I was not fond of his behavior. That's not how yone behave towards a lady.", he replied and his gaze and his mouth pressed into a line told Serena that it probably did not make sense to deepen this topic further.
Serena sighed softly, because somehow she was a little disappointed. She secretly hoped Sebastian would at least partially admit that he was a littlebit jealous. But her butler could sometimes be just as stubborn as she was, blocking everything. She did not know exactly if it was his pride or if she really had just imagined that slight jealousy of him. Actually she should have expected something like that, she thought to herself.
"What do you think of this new information?", she changed the subject and looked at him a little softer, "Is this club "Noblesse""known to you?".
Sebastian's gaze also became a little friendlier when he noticed that she had dropped the previous topic. With a faint smile on his face he tilted his head and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"No, but that should not be an obstacle.", he said, "But do not pretend that you have not already decided to go to this club in London as soon as possible, Lady Serena.".
Published on 13.07.2019
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