Adalina was doing her chores, minding her own business, when she was suddenly hit with a throbbing headache. Images flashed before her as she began to recall some of the events from her time at the manor. She remembered having to steal from people in order to survive. She remembered meeting Sebastian and his offer for her to work alongside him. She remembered working with Sebastian to scare off anyone who meant Ciel harm.
She remembered meeting the servants and the young master for the very first time...
Adalina and Sebastian entered through the servants' entrance of the manor.
The butler had taken off his tailcoat and put it around the young woman so as to help her regain a small shred of her modesty.
Adalina followed Sebastian nervously, a part of her still worried that this was all too good to be true and that something terrible was about to happen.
But her fears were never realized, and Sebastian remained the perfect gentleman.
"Miss, I'm afraid that we don't have any clothing available at the moment, so you will have to borrow one of the housemaid's dresses," he explained to her. "I'll see about getting you something more suitable to wear before the day is out."
"Sebastian!" Finnian wailed as he ran to the butler. "I'm so sorry! I know you told me to be careful, but-" He stopped and looked over at the woman. "Who is this?"
Sebastian smiled at the gardener, choosing to ignore his complaints for the time being and take care of them later. "This is our newest servant, Miss..."
Sebastian stopped when he realized that he had never gotten the young woman's name. He quickly retrieved a piece of paper and a pen and handed them to her.
With a shaking hand, Adalina messily wrote out her name.
Sebastian took the paper back from her. "This is Miss Adalina."
Finnian was confused about the exchange between them and why the woman hadn't just said her name, but he chose not to say anything and smiled broadly at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Adalina made no response, and Finnian wondered for a moment if he had said or done something wrong.
"Where's Mey-Rin?" Sebastian asked. "I am in need of her assistance."
"I'll go find her!" Finnian answered happily.
"Bring Bard with you as well."
Once Finnian had left the room, Sebastian turned to Adalina, sensing how scared and overwhelmed she was.
"Please do not worry," he told her. "It may seem like a bit much now, but you will warm up to them quickly, I assure you. Once we get you into something more appropriate, I will take you to meet the young master."
The other three servants entered the room.
"You needed us, Mr. Sebastian?" Mey-Rin asked excitedly.
Baldroy and Mey-Rin looked over at the young woman much in the same way Finnian had.
"Everyone, this is Adalina, our newest servant," Sebastian announced.
Adalina nervously bit her lip as they all stared at her for a moment.
Baldroy took a step towards her, and she subconsciously took a couple steps back away from him.
Realizing his mistake, Baldroy stopped. "Nice to meet ya."
Sebastian gently put one hand on her shoulder. "Mey-Rin, please help Adalina into one of your dresses until she can get some clothing and uniforms."
"Of course, sir! If you'll just follow me, miss!"
Adalina looked up at Sebastian for a moment.
"And one more thing," the butler quickly added. "Adalina does not talk. So please don't be offended if she does not respond, and do not try to force it out of her as you will only be disappointed."
There was a small bit of silence in the room as the servants processed what he was saying. Did Sebastian really hire a mute woman to work at the manor? And if their own histories were anything to go by, what was the real reason she was hired?
Adalina followed Mey-Rin to her quarters, nervously clutching Sebastian's tailcoat around her body.
"Now let me see..." Mey-Rin muttered as she went through her dresses and uniforms.
She pulled out a dark peach-colored dress with long sleeves and a black ribbon high on the chest.
"I think this is the best thing that would fit for now. May I help you put it on?"
Adalina swallowed thickly and let the tailcoat drop.
Mey-Rin tried not to stare at her clothing. For a brief moment, she wondered if Sebastian had hired a prostitute to work at the manor.
Adalina sensed Mey-Rin judging her clothing and self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest.
Mey-Rin silently berated herself for staring. After all, she was in no position to judge a fellow servant about her past.
None of the servants knew of one another's past before coming to work at the manor. It was an unspoken rule that they just didn't ask. If Mey-Rin didn't ask about theirs, they didn't ask about hers and that was how she wanted it. She was sure the same went for the young woman. If the multiple cuts and bruises all over her were any indication, her time before coming to the manor was anything but pleasant.
Mey-Rin quickly helped Adalina change into the dress. It was a little loose on her since she was skinnier than Mey-Rin due to her malnourishment over the past several months.
"There you are! It looks lovely, yes it does! Now let's go find Mr. Sebastian!"
Adalina followed the maid out of her quarters and back to the room by the servants' entrance.
Sebastian smiled when he saw the two women approaching. "Well done, Mey-Rin."
Mey-Rin began blushing furiously. "T-thank you, sir!"
The butler held his hand out for the young woman. "I shall now take you to meet the master."
Adalina nervously took his hand and followed him up to Ciel's study.
Her heart pounded in her chest, afraid that the earl might reject her upon meeting her.
Sebastian politely knocked on the door before entering. "My lord, I have someone I would like you to meet. This is Miss Adalina. She will be a servant here at the manor."
Adalina was shocked to find that the earl of the household was a child no older than 13. She had been expecting to meet a man at least in his early 20s. When Sebastian said he served a 'young master', she didn't realize he meant this young.
Ciel looked Adalina up and down, judging her appearance and how she carried herself. It took a moment, but he recognized her as one of the beggars off the street he had seen while in town working on a case.
What had Sebastian seen in her that made him hire her at this manor?
"Adalina, this is Earl Phantomhive."
Ciel slowly approached her.
Unsure of what she was supposed to do, Adalina curtseyed.
The young boy held his hand out for her and she nervously took it. "I'm honored to have you here. Sebastian will fill you in on your duties here and what shall be expected of you."
Adalina curtseyed again.
Ciel raised an eyebrow at her silence, but he didn't say anything.
Adalina released a small breath at his acceptance of her. Her life as a captive and her life on the streets were over. No one had tricked her. No one was going to hurt her.
She now had a new purpose.
She was officially a Phantomhive servant.
When Adalina returned to her room that night, she leaned against the wall and sank down to the floor.
Then she put her hands to her face and began crying.
Adalina wasn't exactly sure why she was even crying.
Maybe it was because the reality of her parents' death had finally hit her after all this time. Maybe it was because she was overwhelmed with relief that her previous life on the streets was really over. Maybe it was because she was afraid that this was all still too good for her and the master of the house would kick her out before she had time to appreciate her new position. Maybe it was because everyone in the manor had been so nice to her and she hadn't experienced that kind of warmth in years.
Whatever the reason was...she couldn't stop.
But what Adalina remembered most of all were two pink glowing eyes.
She remembered all about learning the truth of Sebastian. She remembered him forcing himself on her some nights after that encounter.
Adalina took shallow breaths as the images stopped.
She was living in the same house as a demon. Ciel had signed a contract with a demon. Why was she still living here if she knew of Sebastian's true identity?
Maybe that was why he was so attached to her. Maybe he had marked her without her knowing.
"Are you all right, Adalina?"
The young woman frantically spun around at the sound of the butler's voice.
Sebastian frowned as he sensed the fear coming from her. In fact, it was much like the fear he had sensed...when she had learned he was a demon.
"Have some of your memories returned?"
Her wide-eyed panicked stare gave him his answer.
"I'm assuming you remembered what I really am. Although, judging from your expression, you don't remember anything else. Adalina, please trust me when I say that I have no wish to harm you. In fact, we have worked together on a few cases the young master was completing for the Queen even after you learned the truth. You do not have to be afraid. I promise."
His promise meant nothing. He was a demon, and a demon's promise was worthless.
Breathing heavily in terror, Adalina turned and ran.
Sebastian stared after her and clenched his hands into tight fists. Once again, he desired to kill Lukas and make his death very slow and brutal. He had gotten so far in his relationship with Adalina and now here he was starting all over again with a woman who was absolutely terrified of him.
The only woman he had ever had feelings for, and she wouldn't get within a few feet of him.
He definitely knew better than to try his last approach when this happened.
He could only hope that the rest of her memories would return soon.
Adalina ran down the hallway in the opposite direction, desperately trying to put as much distance between her and Sebastian as she possibly could.
She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and she ended up running straight into Baldroy.
"Hey, whoa, whoa!" the blond-haired cook exclaimed as he caught her to stop her from running. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down, Adalina! What's the matter?"
Adalina looked up at him with wide, panicked eyes as she caught her breath.
"Did somethin' happen?"
What was she supposed to say? Did the other servants know of who Sebastian really was? How could they? She often wondered how they even knew their own names.
It wouldn't matter even if she did want to tell him. She couldn't say the words.
Instead, she just moved into Baldroy's arms. She knew he couldn't protect her from Sebastian, but the feeling of his comfort was enough for the moment.
The cook's eyes widened for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her. Never before had Adalina done this to him. She was always so secluded and wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't allow anyone else entrance. Whatever had happened to her must've been enough to completely shake her out of those thoughts.
"It's okay," he said quietly. "You're safe here."
"Hey, Sebastian."
Sebastian turned around when he heard his name called. "What is it, Bard?"
"What's goin' on with Adalina?"
"What do you mean?"
"She came up to me today in a total panic. I haven't seen someone that scared in a long time. Did somethin' happen to her?"
"Adalina has been through a lot in her life prior to becoming a Phantomhive servant as you can guess by her muteness. And she certainly went through a lot these past several months doing tasks for the young master."
"So you think she's gotten some of her memories back?"
Sebastian neither confirmed nor denied that claim.
"If she's rememberin' her past, that might explain it." Baldroy smirked a little as he began walking away. "It's funny. I thought for sure you'd be the one she'd go to in that instance."
Sebastian once again fought to keep down his temper. He had had to control his temper a lot in the past, especially when dealing with the three idiot servants, and multiple times he had been extremely close to killing them.
But this took the cake.
Adalina was getting too close to Baldroy for his liking. Just because he had rejected her didn't mean that someone else could have her. If he seriously ended up losing her to that idiot chef, someone was going to die.