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the-letter-horror-lover · 2 years

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Mistress of the House by A young writer

Anime » Kuroshitsuji Rated: T, French, Romance & Drama, Ciel P., Elizabeth M., Words: 61k+, Favs: 6, Follows: 5, Published: Apr 11, 2019 Updated: Oct 9

11Chapter 1: prologue

-x-

Two months ago, I got married, it was April 13, 1891. I was then only 19 years old. But having waited my whole life for this day, I was not complaining. To be honest, I hadn't even thought of that. Why complain when you marry the love of your life. I had some doubts in the past. But that period is over now. I was naive, full of anxieties, uncertainties, complexes. Then the situation was far too complicated for a child of barely 14 years old.

For my wedding day, Nina had sewn me the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. And without wanting to sound arrogant, I must have been the most beautiful woman in England at the time. I would have liked to see him react to my grooming. For example, blushing, being speechless, or even looking away in shyness. He just smiled at me as usual, however he complimented my dress. I know he doesn't like to show his emotions. I get it, and love it that way. But sometimes I hope he shows me his heart, the same way he hopes I shut up.

Star not really loving the world, we got married in a small chapel. There was only family, and a few friends. The reception that followed our unions was sumptuous. The food had been delicious, and although my beloved had two left feet, he agreed to dance with me until midnight.

It was, strictly speaking, the best day of my life.

Only, the thing that follows any marriage. Never happened.

It didn't bother me. I know what Astre went through, and I don't want to rush or force him. Anyway, we hadn't planned a honeymoon. Knowing his importance to his majesty, it would have been inappropriate to make him travel to the end of the world, only to try to procreate. Attention, I am not saying that we will not have children. We must perpetuate the line of Phantomhive, then honor what God has given us. However, we will wait for the right moment, and I am proud of this decision. However, I avoid talking about it. If someone asks me, I answer that we did. I don't want people to know that we haven't consummated our marriage yet. If this is known, shame will descend upon House Phantomhive, and despite my family's penchant for Astre, they will not

So I am silent, I wait, I watch, like the wise dog that accompanies the royal watchdog.

Anyway, we've only been married two months. There is no rush, we have life ahead of us. However I am worried. The first two weeks, everything went well. Schedules adhered to. The walks are fun. Pleasant dinner. But after that it started to deteriorate. First he didn't have time for tea with me. Then he goes to bed extremely late. And now sometimes he doesn't come to the supper table anymore. This worries me, but I am silent. He must have an important mission, it will pass.

-x-

Attention! Very important read! Before reading this please know that I would rather respect history than be politically correct. So in this story there will be certain themes or phrases that can be taboo and seen as racist, xenophobic, misogynist, pedophile, incest, antitheism, homophone, abuse...ect

I hope that whoever reads my story will see that what will be said are not my real thoughts, but so-called normal and correct Victorian-looking thoughts.

Know that I am not judging either. I'm not trying to moralize or anything. I just want to write a historically correct love story of my favorite couple. I hate when in our movies or modern series we change the

The protagonists will not be exempt from certain ideologies / doctrines that can be said to be unacceptable today. I will of course be careful to stay in their characters.

So. Thanks for reading. Sorry for the spelling mistakes. And I hope you will like this first chapter.

-x-

In this 19th century England, the sun had just risen. A cool, light mist overhung the plains. The Phantomhive couple, still in their dressing gowns, were seated at the breakfast table. Their butler served them, the valet and maid not far to help. A serene silence reigned. Then softly, as usual, Elizabeth initiated the conversation after a sip of tea "Do you have anything special planned for today?"

Astre glanced at him over her newspaper before resuming her reading. "Nothing out of the ordinary." A time "Why?"

"Nothing. I was hoping we could take a walk together today...Or have afternoon tea together...Or even have dinner alone." The more she spoke the more her voice diminished, as if what she was asking was forbidden. Then the Countess lowered her husband's diary with her delicate hand, so the young woman could look him straight in the eye. "Astre, please listen to me." The Count sighed, and pushed his newspaper aside. His attention now only rested on his wife. He gestured for her to continue. "Except for breakfast, we don't spend any time together. And sometimes you're barely up when you're already at your desk. But that's not the worst part. What really worries me is -" Star, seeing where the discussion was going, stopped him dead with a wave of his hand. Then took a sip of his tea.

"I've already told you a thousand times, I have work to do." He declared in a stern tone, meaning that there was no room for discussion. Just to believe that Elizabeth would shut up just because he wanted to would be to misunderstand her.

"And you think I don't know? I've been silent long enough, Mr. Count Phantomhive! At first it was just that you occasionally didn't come to our table to eat. Now it's all the time. time. And we've only been married five months." Astre got up, finished her tea, then left for their room. But that did not stop the young woman. " Five months!" They were going up the stairs. "Your dark circles are already down to your cheeks, and you've lost even more weight." They had arrived in their room, Sebastian was helping the count to dress, and Mey-rin the countess, each with their backs turned towards the other. "You are very pale!" She said, her voice full of concern. "Are you thinking at least of sunbathing?". For a moment the only sound that could be heard was that of clothing. Then she resumed "The last time I met one of your business acquaintances, he asked me if you were not sick. You can imagine what you look like to people from the outside! Even them see that you have need for rest." Elizabeth, with her skirt and riding shirt on, allowed herself to turn back to her husband. "You listen to me?" She questioned him. The maid combed her mistress's hair in a beautiful romantic bun.

The young man sighed. His butler finishing adjusting his costume. "And you? Are you listening to me?" He replied with a disinterested air.

She frowned. And Mey-rin, who had come to button her jacket, was slightly pushed by her lady. "Oh, don't play that game with me Astre!" Then she put on her white leather gloves. The Count left the room to go to his study, Elizabeth still at his heels, and the servant following close behind holding Madame's hat and riding crop. "You know what you're insinuating is wrong, and if you need an ear I'll always be there for you. If I wasn't listening I wouldn't be here following you." He stopped abruptly in his tracks, his straight, confident posture not budging. The young woman having good reflex she stopped before risking an impact.

The Earl turned from a bus to his wife and smugly said, "I've heard enough, Elizabeth. I haven't got time. And I haven't got your time. I must have job. I'm not a woman." After making that statement he instantly regretted it. Especially when he saw the pain on her face. But he didn't show it. He will never show any weakness in front of her again. So he continued on his way, and just made this last remark "You said it yourself, we've only been married five months. Let's avoid getting angry over trivial things.". Then he locked himself in his office, Sebastian following him.

The Countess could not believe what she had just heard. She was disappointed, offended and extremely angry. Elizabeth would never have thought to hear such a thing coming from the mouth of the one she loved and admired. In her frenzy, she snatched the riding crop and her hat from her maid. Mey-rin was slightly surprised. His angry lady never bode well.

While descending the steps of the mansion, the young woman put on her top hat. She properly fitted her veil over her face, finally shouting at the top of her lungs "Finny my horse, and quick!"

-0-

Count Phantomhive was already at his desk, calculating and analyzing the hundreds of reports from his domains. His butler next door was pulling out files on the Funtom company that he would have to settle later. That same butler, who didn't seem to want to take that look off his face. That look that said clearly: you shouldn't have. You have gone too far. You didn't really mean it. She wasn't totally wrong. You don't talk like that to a lady. You won't have chocolate cake for the snack. That look... Oh how irritating.

The young man sighed for the umpteenth time today, then spoke "What is it?"

Sebastian turned falsely surprised towards his master "Are you talking to me, my lord?"

The only answer he gave her was a jaded look.

"Are you insinuating something?" His butler gave him a smile.

"Stop that demon game. You know what I'm talking about." Star scowled.

Sebastian approached the young man, and leaned close to his master "If you insist, my lord. I find that-" he didn't even have time to begin his reprimand when the count had already interrupted him.

"Oh shut up! I'm not paying you to boss me around." Groaning, he continued to scribble on his work.

This time it was the butler's turn to sigh. Sebastian wasn't going to insist, he had known his master long enough to know how stupid and stubborn he was. "If you allow it, my lord, I will go about my other duties." Astre made him a disdainful gesture of the hand for him to go away. The demon almost left, nevertheless allowed himself to say a last word "By the way. You don't pay me, my lord." And, hardly, he had time to close the door, that Astre, being provided with some file, began to launch the projectile towards him out of anger. Of course, he missed his target by a long shot.

Being alone now he took a deep breath before collapsing in his chair. He gripped the bridge of his nose between his thumb and middle finger. He sighed. The young man looked around him. His dark circled eyes passed through his papers on the floor, finally landing on his clock. 8:00 it indicated. The boy opened one of the drawers of his desk and took out a nice box of cigars. He lit one. Sieglinde told him that with his asthma he had better avoid cigars. But what could it matter. He won't die of this.

His shoulders were heavy. Elizabeth is right, he is exhausted. But he can't sleep, and he ends up treating her like crap. But it's because of the fatigue, he says to himself, the fatigue's fault, it's always his fault. It turns our body into lead. She throws sand in our eyes. It forms a dome around us, and if someone enters it, it forces us to get angry.

However, he has no time to think about it. Count Phantomhive sat straight back in his chair. Sniffed his cigar one last time. Quill in hand attacked his papers again. Then shouted in a controlled voice "Sebastian. Pick it up."

-0-

In the fields of the English countryside, Lady Phantomhive's horse ran at full speed. A burning anger burned in the hollow of his heart, and made his body boil with rage. However, she remained proud, the Countess would not stoop to abrupt and broad gestures to express her dismay. She remained upright on her horse, her side-saddle posture not moving an inch.

The previous elements clashed in his head. She had to get rid of it. Elizabeth considered going to the orphanage. She went there at least two or three times a week. So paying a visit there wouldn't be weird. The children were always so cute with her. They always put her in bed, relaxed her, and also exhausted her sometimes. But only by their games. They are really adorable.

Well, it's decided. She would go there. Only this time she has nothing to offer them. It would be inappropriate to come empty-handed. Her mother would scold her. But his mother is not there so... Never mind.

After an hour she was in front of the orphanage. She got off her horse, the young woman didn't bother to tie her up. He won't run away, Sebastian raised him. And if he ever leaves, Elizabeth will just have to whistle.

She knocked on the door. Maria come and open the door for him. Maria is a thirty-two-year-old woman who works here. She has light brown hair, and a certain overweight. She has a strong accent, because she is the daughter of peasants. She has been married since she was 15. Her husband never does anything all day except drink, bet on stupid games, and demand money from his wife when he doesn't beat her... In spite of that, she always keeps smiling. She has 9 children, all boys, poor thing. A little rowdy but not mean. The three eldest found work in London. We haven't seen them for a long time, and not knowing how to write, no news of them has come. The rest of his sons help nearby peasants or noble houses, bringing some money home. Except the last two. The oldest is five years old, if he doesn't spend his time here, he spends it with his grandfather to learn the trade. The youngest is only two years old, and according to the orphanage he shows exceptional qualities when it comes to running away from his mother at the time of his toilet.

Maria, seeing who was coming to visit them, gave a big smile "Madame la comtesse! How are you? Come home quickly." She shifted to the side to let the young woman pass, then closed the door behind her. "It's not common to see you at this time. You usually come more towards the afternoon. Anyway, we're not going to complain, the little ones love you. Although now it's not too much time..."

Elizabeth was about to answer, only a voice echoed in the hallway. "Maria, who was that?"

The above-named, hands on hips replied "No need to use the past ma'am. She's still there.". The peasant girl motioned for the blond young woman to follow her, so they both arrived in the central room. It was a large rectangular room, it served as a dining room as well as a living room, or games room in some cases. A long wooden table was strewn to the left of this room, and it was surrounded by a number of chairs. On the right a multitude of photos were placed on a brick fireplace, its fire was extinguished, autumn should arrive soon, but for the moment the weather, although we are in England, was warm enough to do not turn it on. Not far from there, a dirty khaki and white carpet, two blood-red armchairs. And on the

Elizabeth was the first to greet her, "Hello Madame Eloie."

Her gaze turned slowly in their direction. Seeing who was there, she stood up, then curtseyed "Madame la comtesse, it's a pleasure to see." She gestured with her hand to the chair in front of her "Sit down, please.". This is Madame Eloise Eloie. She is 63 years old, and is the mistress of the place. In appearance, she is a thin woman with withered and pale skin. His character is no better. Discipline is her watchword, but to tell you the truth, she's not totally wrong. It is thanks to this that she succeeded in her life. She's a little too harsh at times, and scary when angry. But Maria is there to calm her down, so that's fine. Before, it was her husband who kept her from scolding the children too much. Only he died eleven years ago. Work accident. He fell off the roof he was fixing. It was a blow to the orphanage. He was a loving husband and a real sweet daddy with the kids. Madame Eloie struggled to recover. Although usually she is not very smiling, at this time she was even less so. When he left, she was reminded of all the little things he did for her... Like wrapping a blanket around her shoulders when the breeze was blowing too hard. Eloise always complains of being frozen, so he made sure she wasn't too cold. But all that is quickly over. His two eldest daughters were devastated, and his son devastated. We have never seen Eloise cry. But sometimes when she looks at the picture of her late husband, her eyes water up.

Elizabeth did as she was asked and settled into the red armchair. Well, not without taking a look at who was in the pram. "I don't know that one. What's his name?" She asked for her face shining with maternal love.

Maria replied, "The little guy happened to us last night. So he doesn't have a name yet."

Madame Eloie continues "The children want to call him the bridled, because of his eyes. Which is ridiculous, we will agree." She looked the young woman up and down "Are you planning to take off your hat, Madame la Comtesse?"

Elizabeth flushed with embarrassment, "Oh, yes! Excuse me..." Then quickly took off her headgear. "By the way. It's true that this child doesn't have a normal head. Does he come from Asia?"

The hostess nodded "I'm afraid so. It's worth traveling if after that it's to abandon your children."

"Oh! Come on ma'am don't say that. Hopefully the poor people didn't have a choice!" scolded his second.

The Countess got up to approach the pram "Finally good. That doesn't prevent it from being adorable. Can I carry it?"

"You are welcome." Granted the eldest of her ladies.

Elizabeth wasted no time then took him in her arms. "Oh, how cute! He looks even better up close." Then placed a kiss on his forehead. Still carrying the baby carefully, she returned to her seat. "The house seems pretty quiet today. Or are the kids?"

Madame Eloie rolled her eyes. "They are being punished."

"Hey? What did they do?" Asked the young woman.

"They had a pillow fight, ma'am." Maria, though she wanted to keep her face serious, her lips couldn't help but pull upwards at the memory.

The hostess grimaced seeing her subordinate's reaction "You shouldn't laugh about it Maria! The way they acted was extremely rude for future Lady and Gentlemen."

"Because you still plan to make them high society people out of them? Why do? If they ever do, people will only laugh when they learn of their origins. Believe me! It's much better to stay in his box." She turned to Elizabeth "It's not against you ma'am the countess, you're very nice you, but...

"Don't worry, Maria. I didn't take it the wrong way. I even agree with you. People in the top are not easy. Then mixing companies too much is not good. It brings always problems." Elizabeth answered sincerely.

Maria turned to her employer "You see ma'am. Even the nobility is on my side."

The old woman frowned "Go back to your chores, insolent. Being the outcasts of society doesn't allow them to behave like savages! Now by."

The aforementioned grumbled, and dragged her feet to leave "Well ma'am..."

"Please excuse us Madame la Comtesse. Our persons are unworthy of your presence." And on his words she fell gracefully.

"I beg you, Madame Eloie. These are things that happen. Then I came at a bad time, that's all." Elizabeth smiled at him "By the way. How about George for this handsome man." She proposed, giving the baby a little kiss.

The old landlady smiled back at her, "As you please Madame la Comtesse."

"Oh, no. Everyone has to agree. Ask if it's okay for the kids too. After all, he's their new little brother."

"If you wish it will be done."

Suddenly exclamations of joy, and running footsteps echoed through the house. You could feel the ground shaking under her feet, and the baby in the guest's arms began to cry from the agitation. Soon 27 children were gathered around the countess to greet her. Kissing him, and cuddling whatever he had managed to catch. They asked a thousand questions at once, and told a thousand things at the same time. Elizabeth was trying to calm them down, but she wasn't very good at controlling so many children at once. Fortunately Madame Eloie was there. She just had to clap her hands twice, and the kids calmed down. "Let's see children! A few outfits. I remind you that you are being punished. Then how do you know that Madame la Comtesse is there?"

The tallest of the boys, Rémi, answered "It was Maria who warned us."

The old woman sighed in despair. Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle at the sight. But quickly changed the subject "Well! Just children we were talking about you."

One of the boys, with extremely dark hair named Tom, exclaimed "We?"

The countess nodded. "Yes. We were choosing a name for your new little brother."

A little girl with red curls approached "But we already found one. It's the bridled one." The children laughed around.

Rémi spoke, and thus stopped the laughter "But a real first name Léa. You would like to be called carrot hair."

The little girl replied sulky crossing her arms "Anyway you call me that even if I have a real first name."

"The children." Madame Eloie was beginning to get impatient. They fell silent again.

The Countess took the tension off once more. "So, I was saying, a first name. And I suggest you call him George! Is that okay with you?"

Tom asked "Isn't that too good a name for such an ugly baby?"

Another little one with glasses too big for him was offended "It's nasty. Anyway, you're nothing but a pretty step. The baby, it's not because he has a problem with his eyes that he is ugly. Look, Lili she also has very small eyes, and yet you-"

The little Tom in question stopped the other by covering his mouth with his hands "Shut up Luca you talk too much!"

Elizabeth continued to laugh at the children's antics. It was too cute and funny to watch. But she had to stop them. "Good! I'll let you think about it, until the end of the week. Now I have to go home."

The reaction of the little ones was immediately disappointment and complaint. The Countess got up to go and put the baby back in her pram. And she had barely put the baby down when a tearing of tissues was heard. Everyone turned back to the source of the noise. And it was towards a little blonde girl whose hair was braided, which had caused this sound. In her hands she held Elizabeth's hat, the veil was almost completely torn.

What does not delight Madame Eloie "Oh, Jane! Came here right away." The little girl obeyed, but with fear. "You saw what you did." She snatched the hat from her hands and then kicked the criminal's buttocks. "You will be deprived of meals. On the corners!". Little Jane was crying and go go, but the Countess stopped her.

"Come on, it's not worth getting carried away over so little. I've got plenty of hats like this." She offered her cloth handkerchief to the little girl, then gently took her top hat from the mistress of the place. She removed what was left of the veil. The fabric of the hat was slightly damaged, but it was not serious. "Here. Like new!" She put it on Lea's head. "Besides, I'm giving it to you. It's to apologize for coming without a present this time."

In his most beautiful gentleman's voice, Rémi answered "But your mere presence is a gift Madame." Then made a deep bow. This relaxed the atmosphere, and everyone laughed.

"Thank you Monsieur Rémi. But now I really have to go." She herself bowed nicely. And took the way to the door.

Only Madame Eloie caught up with her. "Wait, Madame la comtesse. You can't leave bareheaded." She handed him a boater "Here it's one of mine. It hardly befits someone of your rank. But it will keep modesty. I beg you to take it Madame la comtesse."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "And please keep it. My modesty will be fine."

The old woman began to stammer "But, Madam-". She had no time to finish her sentence when the Countess was already on her horse.

"Don't worry Madame Eloie. There is never anyone where I gallop. And if by mistake there is someone, I will only be a noble woman who has lost her hat." On this last sentence she left at a brisk pace.

Maria had just gone out and sat down next to her lady. "She's lucky Madame la comtesse. I would have done such a thing, my husband would have whipped me directly."

-o-

Elizabeth had just arrived at the mansion. Mey-rin greeted her "Welcome back Madam. Oh! But where is your hat."

"I gave it to the children in the orphanage." She took her maid's hands "Oh, Mey-rin you should have been there. There's a new little one and he's so cute! Even though he's Asian." The Countess took off her gloves. "Run me a bath, Mey-rin."

The sniper was amused to see her mistress so happy. Then she remembered something. "By the way, Madam!" She reached into her pockets and pulled out a letter, "This letter has arrived for you. It's from the Rosemary Twins." Elizabeth took the letter, and Mey-rin went to prepare what her mistress had asked of her.

The countess opened the letter. Then bed.

Dear Elizabeth Phantomhive. (How well that name suits you my dear.)

Elizabeth rolled her eyes with a smile.

Our tender big brother Léon, returned yesterday morning from his long trip to Japan. So we decided to organize a small reception, this afternoon, where he can tell us about his adventures. Of course, you who know us too well know that you wouldn't miss an afternoon with friends prepared at the last minute for anything in the world.

Come just before four o'clock strikes my dear. Otherwise you will miss the beginning of the story. And if your husband isn't too busy playing solitaire, ask him to come.

We kiss you.

From by sisters Rosemary Anna and Louise.

Elizabeth smiled but with a sad smile. She was going to go there for sure. But Astre... Although she already knew the answer, she tried her luck anyway. The Countess had just arrived in front of her office. She knocked. No answer. She knocked again. Always nothing. Elizabeth allowed herself to enter. The office was empty. She sighed.

"Looking for smile Madame? Said Emily."

The Countess turned slightly surprised "Oh! Snake! I didn't hear you coming." His gaze passed from the valet to the snake on his shoulder "Yes, Emily. I'm looking for Astre. Do you know where he is? It's rare to see him leave his office. Then he told me he had nothing wrong with him. special today."

"The queen begged her. Emily said."

"Ah... Alright... Thank you." She went to her room, disappointed not to be able to go there with the one she loved. Elizabeth even though she knew he would have said no. Would have liked him to be there, and for once to say yes. So they would have gone there. Both. Even if in the end he would just end up whispering sarcasm in her ear. But she wants to hear them, her sentences. Often they are meaningful and funny. Just imagining it saying... It's not funny...

-x-

Elizabeth was in her bath. His mind absent from the real world. She was dreaming? No. Thought? No more. The countess's eyes were staring into nothingness. It may seem absurd. But it was true. His inert body had been rotting in the soapy water for an hour. The water had turned cold. Her lips turned purple, and her hands shriveled from the humidity. If it weren't for her weak breathing, we might have thought she was dead.

A deep sorrow sheltered his heart. But Elizabeth wouldn't cry either. She wouldn't cry anymore. The tears are over. It's for spoiled children. She is an adult. Anyway, she's not really sad. Its location is perfect. She has a husband with a high condition. Beautiful dresses, resplendent jewelry, fashionable shoes. The mansion is spacious and well decorated. The gardens are flowery and Finny has installed a swing there at his request. We let her do all the activities she wants. She does not lack friends. And to top it off, the servants of the house are excellent at their job and always nice to her. She is very happy in her everyday life. So she won't complain. Only, she worries about the one she loves...

In the calm manor, suddenly the agitation was felt. Quick footsteps echoed on the tiled floor. This awoke the young countess from her momentary torpor. She got out of the tub, then put on, without waiting, her dressing gown with puffed sleeves of pale pink cotton decorated with ribbon itself. Elizabeth ran out of the bathroom, forcing her through the walk-in closet, eventually landing in her and her husband's bedroom. Speaking of the latter, he was right here. At the sight of her husband she felt overcome with remorse. Her anger that morning, she thought, was now unexplained.

The Count did not deign to turn his gaze to his wife. Her cobalt blue eye focused on the lines her majesty the queen had addressed to her. He was rereading.

My dear child.

Well hello! How is your wedding going? Should your expect from future little Phantomhive?

Star sighed to remove her embarrassment caused by the queen's humor.

By the way, speaking of offspring. I have a very good friend of mine who hasn't heard from his son for three months already. I would be good to go visit him myself, only my health is getting more and more fragile. I was hoping you could go in my place. So take young Sullivan with you. I'm sure female company will do him the greatest good.

This is where we last saw him. Have a good trip.

Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria.

From the envelope the young man took out four banknotes. He looked at them, apparently he had to leave in four hours for Liverpool. He frowned, he thought at that moment that the queen definitely had a time management very different from ordinary mortals. Focused on his organization for the day, the Count only noticed his wife when she coughed to get his attention.

Slightly embarrassed, she gave him a smile. Then spoke "Astre... I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have spoken to you like I did this morning. I was out of place..."

His beloved gave him the same smile "It's nothing. I also went too far in some of my remarks.". He turned his back on her, then rang the bell to summon Sebastian. Elizabeth ventured a step forward to get a hug that ended their quarrel. However she remembered that her husband hated them, so the young woman slowly retracted her arms.

Sebastian entered, and saluted "You called me, my lord."

"Yes. Get my stuff ready for at least a month or more. I don't know how long I'll spend on this mission. And tell Snake too, he's coming."

"Well my lord." And sure of his words he left as majestically as he had arrived.

Astre put the letter on the bed and went to search her bedside table. The paper exposed, the Countess allowed herself to come closer to read it. She blushed at the notion of a child, but one passage in particular stopped her. Sullivan . Elizabeth may have a good friendship with the latter, but that does not prevent her from being disturbed. Her husband went to spend, she doesn't know how long, alone, in the company of another woman of good society. For her it was not possible so she declared "I'm coming too!"

The Count immediately turned around, his eyes wide open, and asked "Pardon?"

With her head held high she replied, "You heard me correctly. I'm coming."

Still bewildered he questioned her "You don't think about it seriously all the same?"

"I'm dead serious, my dear friend." After this sentence Elizabeth went behind her screen and took off her dressing gown. "Call Mey-rin will you."

Star rang the bell again, then continued to express her thoughts "Be reasonable at last. Where I'm going is no place for you."

She sneered under her breath. "Visiting a friend of the queen in Liverpool? Oh yes, how dangerous it must be. Accompanied by Sieglinde besides..."

At the understanding of the first name of the German he sighed. That's it. He understood why she wanted to come so badly.

Mey-rin had just entered the room "You called me my lord?" Astre pointed wearily to the screen. The maid walked without protest towards the direction indicated. Once she saw her naked mistress, she immediately rushed to go get her underwear. Mey-rin came back and helped the countess put them on.

The young man, still present, inhaled and exhaled slowly. Once sure he was calmer, he resumed speaking in a soft, controlled voice, "Lizzy. I understand your concern. But you've got nothing to worry about. You know how I am..."

Elizabeth still insecure retorted "The queen has requested a female presence! I could very well replace Sieglinde..."

The count replied "Elizabeth... What the queen wants is not a woman. But a doctor. I can translate the whole letter for you if necessary..." Then murmuring he added "But I I'm not sure you'd like it."

The young woman's shoulders slumped, then she sighed before resuming "Fine...Go ahead..." A pause. "Turn around please." He did as requested and his back faced the screen. The Countess crept out of her hiding place. Then slowly she wrapped her arms around her husband's chest and rested her head between the hollow of his shoulder blades. Astre, at the gesture, stiffened. In an attempt to show his support and affection he patted his wife's hands in a not very tender way. Elizabeth barely noticed the gesture. She tightened her grip, thrust her face deeper, took a deep breath, then suddenly ran to hide behind the screen again. And in a not very happy voice, but full of sincerity said "Good luck for this mission, Astre... I

Elizabeth graciously checked to see if her cheeks had been wet, and was relieved when she felt them dry. The young woman regulated her breathing for a moment, then turned to Mey-rin. "Bring me one of my afternoon dresses. I'll have dinner here, and go to the Rosemarys by 3 pm."

The maid asked "A preference for color, Madame?"

In a low voice the countess nodded "Yes. Sky blue."

-0-

Astre, accompanied by Sieglinde, was in his car going to London to take the next train that will take them to Liverpool. Sebastian was driving and Snake was at his side. The young German was talking to the Count, but he seemed determined to do nothing but stare out the window. Sullivan having obviously noticed her, didn't stop talking. She had been trying to get him to react for more than an hour, but there was nothing to be done. She had talked about science, philosophy, sex. Everything a good English girl should never say. Yet not once did he raise an eyebrow. Only Sébastien knocked on the phone to tell him to stop shouting his obscenities.

For a moment the German was silent. She sighed, then tactlessly asked graciously, "Okay! What's going on. Elizabeth refused that you-" Knowing full well what she was about to say, Astre was quick to cover her mouth.

Red-cheeked and piercing-eyed he said, "You can talk about all the filth and horror you want, but not if my wife's name is on it." To show her agreement she raised her hands in the air, and told him with a look that she surrendered. At this gesture the Count withdrew his hand, sat down properly, and smoothed his suit hoping to make the sudden behavior disappear.

Sieglinde glared at him teasingly, then continued speaking. "That's the second sentence you've spoken to me today. The first was: Hello, hurry up, we don't have time." She took a few seconds of pause. And resumed calmly "Are you trying to seduce me by any chance?" The young man's response was to give him a beautiful look where you could distinctly read dies. At this she gave herself a tender attitude, then put her hand on his. "Let's see Astre. You know we can't. That would create ruin between our two families!"

The Count violently wrenched his hand away, before dismissively dismissing Sieglinde with his cane. "Stand back Sullivan...stand back..." He knew full well that there was nothing behind the German's words. Only, jokes like that usually didn't make him laugh much, but now even less.

The scientist sank ungracefully into the seat, then continued, "Come on, my favorite lover. Tell Sulli everything."

Astre gave him a jaded look for the umpteenth time in 30 minutes. "Do you really want to know?" She blinked and replied with a small yes. At that moment he wore a false smile "To tell the truth, first of all, you are very badly seated. Then, you talk like a man who lived in Whitechapel. Afterwards, you exasperate me. And finally, I question Sebastien's methods when it comes to education."

Despite all her reproaches, Sieglinde's teasing face did not move an inch. "I understand. Seeing how he taught you to dance. You wonder why he's still here."

The Count scowled and sighed inelegantly. To which, Sebastian knocked again on the cabin to reproach him for his manners. And because he is now an adult and a mature person, he blew even harder, before collapsing, arms crossed, in the back of the bench. What the German could not help but remark to him that he was very badly installed.

-0-

Elizabeth had just arrived at the Rosemary mansion. She got out of her car and was greeted by a valet and the butler of the house. "Hello Madam Countess." He saw a reverence. "Please follow me." They arrived in the entrance hall, the servant allowed himself to take the umbrella and the hat of the young woman.

Then a chocolate-haired lady, elegantly dressed in pale green and lace, threw herself into the guest's arms, "Elizabeth! How happy I am to see you again!"

Madame Phantomhive laughed, forgetting the misfortunes of her day. She hugged him back. "Me too, Anna."

They moved away from each other, the brunette resumed "You are the first arrival." The young lady took the countess by the hand "As always, of course!" Then they began a walk towards the living room "I see that sir has not deigned to come."

Elizabeth lowered her eyes slightly ashamed "He's on a business trip. I'm sorry about that..."

Anna smiled at him "You don't have to apologize for that, let's see! Men work, that's how it is. And yours more than any other. So it doesn't matter. Smile! We'll just be friends close... Oh! And there's James too." The blonde, after this declaration, looked at her friend with questions. She knew a James well, but he's been in South Africa for three years already, on business.

The Countess was going to ask, only she didn't have time. They had just arrived at their destination. "I'm being talked about? I hope it's more good than bad." A man, about twenty years old, had just spoken. He had wheat-blonde hair, short and curly. His pupils were a hazelnut color so clear they looked like gold. Yet dressed appropriately, it had nothing to hide his well-sculpted figure. His whole being was charming.

Anna laughed "Well. If you want to know everything. We were telling the worst horrors about you!"

With a smirk he answered "Finally Ladies, it is not worthy of a future lady to spread gossip."

"You are mistaken my dear friend. The young woman you see here." The brunette waved Elizabeth gracefully, "Not a miss anymore. She recently married Count Phantomhive."

The man took the guest's right hand and kissed his hand* "Delighted Madame la Comtesse Phantomhive. My name is James Connor. I am an archaeologist and a doctor in my spare time."

She looked at him suspiciously. Connor isn't really a name a person of good family would have. Nevertheless in her good manners, she offered him a smile "I am Countess Elizabeth Phantomhive. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Good now that introductions are done. Let me congratulate a good friend, on the wedding I couldn't attend." A slender-looking young man, with slicked-back brown hair and an elegantly upturned mustache, carried a pretty rectangular box painted red.

The blonde woman smiled right away. "Oh, Leon. You shouldn't have. You're too kind." She approached him slowly admiring the box and not daring to touch it.

"On the contrary Lizzy. He's not good enough." A young lady like Anna, seated on a sofa, had just spoken. The only difference between the two was that the dress of this one was chick yellow.

All heads turned to her. Then the owner of the estate spoke, "You just don't understand art. You loved drawing. I thought you would have. Finally asked a woman to interpret things she wasn't created to do. The journey had driven me mad to hope."

"Louise! Leon! You're not going to do this again!" Anna grumbled.

The Countess went to sit next to the second sister and in a tone of humor said "What brought you that you were in such a bad mood?"

"What bothers me is no longer his scribbles. It's his words." The twin replied.

Elizabeth looked confused "I can't see Leon saying anything to the point of offending you."

The damsel in yellow sighed "You are as blind as the others."

Anna exclaimed "And if you stopped basing your life on old mad French events, your hysteria would heal better!"

Louise stood up outraged. "I treat this as best I can! And you know it. Besides, it's thanks to some of his crazy people that our doctors no longer twist their handles to help many women in my case!"

The two sisters continued bickering, paying no more attention to their guests. Elizabeth was very embarrassed by the situation. She had never seen the Rosemary twins so angry with each other. Leon seemed to be in the same situation as her, and James was already down to his second glass of whiskey barely paying attention to their words.

Finally what stopped the battle was the arrival of two other guests that the butler announced. "Mister Gregory Violet. And Mister Ches-"

"Cheslock!" The Countess cut off cheerfully at the idea of spending some time with a friend of her brother's. She was up for a hug, but he stopped her.

"Easy. I'm not your brother." He growled.

"Y-yes. Of course... Please excuse me." She gave him an embarrassed smile. And with extreme haste and little delicacy he kissed her hand, just out of politeness. Gregory did the same but in a more weary way.

The hours passed and the good mood was there. Leon told how Japan was, and explained how he had met James. Unsurprisingly during the story we learned that he was American.

At first Elizabeth wondered why Gregory and Cheslock were among the guests. Apart from the few evenings with Edward she hadn't seen them go out much. And had rather understood that they did not like the company too much. But when she heard about oriental paintings and instruments, the Countess didn't ask herself any more questions and laughed at herself.

-x-

Thanks for reading. I hope you liked this chapter. I apologize for the spelling mistakes. Please feel free to comment.

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-x-

The Countess Phantomhive was in her car. It was dark, night had fallen, however the stars have not yet arrived. She was going home. In his big empty mansion. It's not that there's usually a lot of life, but her love isn't there, the young woman felt even more alone.

She sighed. Elizabeth had enjoyed the company of her friends, only she would have done without going there. At this moment she had no heart for anything.

The car stopped. And Finny comes to open the door for his mistress. "We have arrived, ma'am." Then he helped her down.

"Finny, carry his two boxes to my room." She ordered in a tired voice. It was her wedding present and that of her husband, offered by Leon. She forced herself to smile a little "And tell Mey-rin to bring me my meal to my room. I'm exhausted, but I'm starving." After giving her orders, the Countess went to her apartments, then she went to the wardrobe. Normally she would have called for help to get undressed, however she wanted to avoid any possible conversation from happening.

The young woman took some time to undress not having the habit of doing it herself. But she got there. And the mere thought of having managed to remove her corset by herself made her smile slightly. Once her nightgown and her dressing gown put on, Elizabeth went to sit in front of her dressing table, from there she began to remove the pins that held her hair. In the reflection of her mirror, she could see a tray of food sitting on her bed and the two boxes sitting on one of the sofas in their bedroom. For the moment she didn't pay much attention to it, then continued to free her bun of the pins. Her hair now freed from its grips, the Countess brushed it gently, singing an old melody.

-0-

The train bound for Liverpool rumbled and whistled. Even in first class you could make out the terrible black spat of the beast. The cages shook and the glass of the windows vibrated. Impossible to rest properly thought the young man with the eye patch. He sighed, the night was cold. It was the worst train he's ever taken. He would give anything to be in the warm, fluffy covers of his bed right now. Thinking back to his sheets, a familiar smell comes to mind. A sweet smell of fruit and flowers that had soaked into the bedding over time. A pleasant and soothing smell. Astre breathed in a calm rhythm trying to keep this perfume in her mind. But he snapped out of his meditation when the unsightly, incessant snoring sound of his enforced teammate grew louder than the roar of the mechanical machine they were in. The count's gaze turned to Sieglinde. His body was slumped on the armchair and against the window. Her legs slightly apart. His head was back leaving his mouth wide open and a stream of drool running down his neck. Disgusting and sickening sight, worthy of an ogre, thought the young man. His head was back leaving his mouth wide open and a stream of drool running down his neck. Disgusting and sickening sight, worthy of an ogre, thought the young man. His head was back leaving his mouth wide open and a stream of drool running down his neck. Disgusting and sickening sight, worthy of an ogre, thought the young man.

Someone knocked on the door and then entered. It was the butlers with blankets. "I have brought you something to warm you my lord." Michaelis settled one on his master's lap then turned to the young German. He stared at her for a minute, sighing in despair at her conduct. Sebastian took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the doctor's chin. He reinstalled her properly and then covered her body with the remaining blanket. His work now complete, he sat down at the same banquet as the young count he was serving.

The minutes were getting long, but luckily for them Liverpool weren't that far away.

-0-

Snake was in the baggage car. Simple luggage did not interest him, it was his friends who took care of it. He was rummaging and picking the big wooden crates hung firmly with ropes so that they wouldn't fall. Most had furniture, or seemed to have it. They had a double bottom, that if you lifted them, legs and arms of a child if you found them. The limbs were wrapped in white linen, covered with salt, and surrounded by lilacs.

Snake writes his report on a small piece of paper and then ties it around Oscar's neck. The snake passed through an air duct, thus leaving the sight of its master. The valet, seeing that his message was going to be transcribed, went back to looking.

-0-

The Count was sleepy now. His ears having become accustomed to extraneous noises, it was easier to relax. Only he quickly came out of his trance when a green mass fell on him. In his panic, he screamed and sent the animal flying with the back of his hand.

Sebastian stifled his laughter, and picked up the reptile. "Calm down my lord. It's only Oscar." The snake after this not very warm welcome growled after Astre.

The young man took a long breath and uncertainly apologized to the green being "Um...Yeah...uh...sorry. I guess."

The butler untied the piece of paper attached to Oscar then handed it to his master. The Count took it and read it.

Wooden box. Furniture. Double bottom. Arm, leg child. Lilac, flax, salt.

Astre gave the paper to her butler "Burn it." And his servant did. He put his hand towards the snake, a sign that the young man was waiting for the reptile to climb. Once Oscar on his arm he whispered near him "You will tell Snake to leave one of you in one of the boxes. Once the box has arrived at its destination, the one sent will find us thanks to the sense of smell. But if the box starts to stray too far, to the point that he won't be able to find us afterwards, he will have to turn back right away." The snake listened to him until the end, then went back the way he had come.

The Count sighed, and remained slumped in his seat. Several minutes passed in silence. The cogs of the machine not losing their purpose. Then slowly, slipping on the horizon in the fog of the night, the city began to point the tip of its nose.

The young man, at the appearance of their destinations, thought it would be fashionable to wake up his partner now. Then, with the tip of his cane, he decided to shake his friend carelessly. Sebastian glared at him for his bad manners, but he ignored it. As Sieglinde didn't seem determined to wake up, this annoyed him and he groaned. Then with a delicacy that reflected his Gentleman manners at this very moment, Astre kicked him in the ankles. At the pain the young girl woke up immediately. Grimacing and rubbing the martyred place the German said to him "You know very well that I am sensitive near the feet. Where did your dear English label Phantomhive go?"

"Somewhere rotting with your elegance." He answered in a neutral tone.

She grumbled, stuck her tongue out as if she were still eleven, then after a while, looking him straight in the eye, Sieglinde asked him, "Well. Why did you wake me up, my dear?"

"First of all, we're soon to arrive. Second, there's a discussion we need to have before getting off this train." He said calmly.

"Why didn't you tell me about it when we were in your carriage?" Asked the young doctor.

With a jaded air, he said to her "Simply because I didn't want to talk to you. Besides, I still don't feel like it. But hey... for the crown... you know... you have to know how to do it, I would say even more forcing yourself to do things that are restrictive."

In a flat tone she nodded "I see..."

The Count took a deep breath "Perfect! Good. Let's get back to basics...You will grant, that two people whose names are known throughout England as a mad German scientist and a toy salesman plus the dog of the Queen, strolling side by side in industrial capital Liverpool, is more than sleazy and would alert anyone with a bit of common sense."

Sieglinde nodded "Personally I think the problem is you." A silence passed, and the butler held back a laugh. "I mean: when you go somewhere the place automatically becomes suspicious. It's not because we're both. You know what I mean? For example, when you go to bed, your bed becomes acting sleazy." Astre still didn't say a word and seemed to really want to get it over with. Then the German resumed "But otherwise, so far your reasoning is correct. Please continue."

Star breathed again "Good. In this case to avoid any questioning from others. We will pose as a couple of rich fabric merchants, who seek to export their goods more quickly and easily. Thus we have chosen the wonderful city of Liverpool to help us!" after this declaration, the count dreaded the remarks and jokes of bad taste that his partner was going to throw at him.

And as he expected, Sieglinde gave him a seductive look "Of course, Honey." She winked at him "What is our name, my love."

The young man looked at her with irritation and disgust "Andrew... We will be the Andrews. Sophie Andrew and Mark Andrew."

"Mmmmmh perfect." She exclaimed with a teasing smile.

-0-

Once the train stopped, the Queen's watchdog and her retinue descended in the direction of a hotel. Sieglinde had to return to his wheelchair, which was followed by a whole bunch of complaints, which the count tried to ignore. When they arrived, Astre asked for a room for himself and the doctor, then a room for his servants.

The rooms where the young man and the German were going to live together were quite modest for their rank. The floor was parquet, the walls lined with fashionable patterns, and the windows were covered with fir-green velvet curtains. There was a double bed with two bedside tables on each side, a chest of drawers, then a dressing table. On the left wall there was a varnished wooden door that connected them to a bathroom. To complete the whole, a four-flower chandelier perched on the ceiling, and a small decorative impressionist painting hung on the wall leading to the hallway.

Sieglinde took advantage of the free space in the room to stretch her legs. Then she sprawled on the bed with a noise that the Count classified as ungraceful. But that didn't stop him from doing the same. The trip had exhausted him. It was now 5:00 am, and they only had 3 hours before getting up and surveying the city. That day was one of the rare times the boy had no trouble falling asleep.

-0-

On the Phantomhive mansion the sun had been up for 4 hours already.

Wrapped up in her soft and warm blankets, the countess of the estate no longer wanted to get out of bed. Breathing softly, her face buried in the cushions, Elizabeth had already been awake for at least two hours. Mey-rin had served her breakfast, and she ate it with pleasure. Only knowing that she wouldn't have anything important during the day, the young woman didn't see the point of getting up. Even more when his bed was so comfortable. Then Mey-rin vainly knocks on his door. The countess groaned at the inconvenience caused, nevertheless she sat up on her mattress, and in her most beautiful voice said to him, "Come in."

The maid complied, and spoke with a smile "Your brother has come to visit you ma'am."

At his words Elizabeth brightened. She threw back her covers as fast as she could and started running out of her room. From the top of the entrance hall stairs she saw her brother. "Edwards!" She cried full of joy. The aforementioned turned to her, offered her a bright smile, and while his arms towards her. The young woman quickly descended the stairs then jumped into her brother's arms. "I had missed you." She told him.

Without letting go of the embrace, he replied, "I missed you too." Then he looked at her "But, you are not dressed?"

The Countess lifted herself from his arms, and her face slightly red with shame said to her, "I may have dragged in bed a bit. A bit..."

The Marquis chuckled "You're lucky mother isn't here." As a sign to keep it a secret, Elisabeth put her finger to her mouth, giggling. They continued to laugh in brotherly complicity before the blond man started talking again. "Cheslock told me you were at the Rosemary's yesterday. Did that go well?"

The young woman lost her smile a little, but continued all the same "Yes, yes. Everything went well."

Edward noticed her change in attitude. He knew that his sister's relationship with Astre had deteriorated. Whenever she felt unwell, she called him. He took her back in his arms then said "You want me to go and hit Phantomhive?"

The Countess sneered "How can you come to the conclusion that he's the one to blame for my discomfort now?"

The marquis answered "Because when you are morose it is always his fault. It is because he did not accompany you to the Rosemarys that you are sad!" This time it was he who pulled away from the embrace "Besides where is he?"

Elizabeth sighed "Went on a mission for the queen."

The blond man looked at her with pain. Seeing her so destitute broke his heart. Especially if the cause of this sadness was his brother-in-law. Then he gave her a final hug and said, "How about some horseback riding? The weather is great today! Then we could do some fencing afterwards. Would you like?"

The young woman smiled, kissed him on the cheek and said, "You are the best big brother in the world." Then she started to go back up the stairs. "Wait in the living room. I'll get ready."

-o-

It had been a while since Mr. Midford and Mrs. Phantomhive had been out, their horses galloping through the English countryside. They raced three times. The first time Elizabeth won. The second time it was Edward. And as the third time they could not find out who had won the marquis left the point to his sister. They had also met some peasants from the Phantomhive domain. So naturally, they greeted them. The walk was going well, and the Countess had forgotten her worries.

The path he had just started started heading towards the forest. Without delaying the young woman launched as challenges that she would arrive before him at the wood. Her brother caught up with her quickly, but started to slow down when he heard a shout.

"Marquis Midford." Appela-t-on encore.

And that's where further in the forest he saw two people. One of which he knew very well. "Baron Rosemary! How are you?" The two eventually come together and stop to greet each other.

"Good, and you?" He asked politely.

"Wonderful, thank you." Edward looked at the second man "And who is your friend?"

Leon was about to answer, however Elizabeth arrived "Leon, James! It's nice to see you again."

The two called gentlemen saluted with their hats. "The pleasure is ours Madame la comtesse." this allowed James to answer.

The dark-haired man commented, "Well, Edward. Now you know his first name."

The young woman in the group blushed "Oh please excuse me. It was not my intention to cut you off."

Leon chuckled "There's nothing wrong Elizabeth. I was just teasing you." His gaze turned back to the marquis "I present to you James Connor. Archaeologists and as he puts it so well himself..."

The aforementioned continued "And doctors in my spare time."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Connor. I am the Marquess Edward Midford, leader of the Knights of England, and also the brother of the lady who accompanies us." He held out his hand to her.

James hugged her without hesitation. "It's an honor Monsieur le Marquis."

"May I ask you gentlemen a question?" asked the countess.

The Baron allowed himself to answer for both of them, "Please, we're all ears."

"What brings you to my husband's land, and what are you doing so far from yours? Wasn't she pretty enough to gallop there?" This time it was his turn to tease him.

"Actually Madam, I'm afraid it's my fault." James spoke. "We talked so much about our travels yesterday that we barely listened to yours."

Elizabeth chuckled lightly "I'm afraid to disappoint you my dear. I've never had a great trip."

"Really? But then where would you have learned fencing if not in Egypt among the greatest swordsmen!" he asked with feigned innocence.

"Oh! I see you have been told about my swordsmanship." She declared while looking at Leon with accusing eyes. The last one's only reaction was to shrug and sneer.

"Indeed Madam. And I wanted to see if the rumors were true." The archaeologist nodded.

"Well. It's your lucky day gentlemen! My brother and I just wanted to go head-to-head. How about joining us?" The young woman suggested to them spontaneously, then without waiting for their response, she turned her horse around and galloped towards the mansion. You could see a glint of challenge shining in his eyes. And Edward happened to have the same flame. So without flinching, the troop set off at high speed towards the imposing Phantomhive house.

-x-

Well, that will be all for today.

I hope this chapter has you more, and I thank you for following my story.

Do not hesitate to leave comments, whether negative or positive, they help and encourage you to write.

See you next time!

Hello

So I don't know why, I can no longer respond directly to the comment on the fanfiction site. So I answer you here :)

For guest: Thank you very much for this comment. I am extremely happy that you like my story despite my faults. As usual I will do my best and continue my story until the end. (And thank you for appreciating History with a capital H. Many prefer to ignore it so as not to offend anyone. Just forgetting does not erase, and then there are inconsistencies everywhere and it annoys me!) Voili voulou, kiss.

To SweetAngel91: Thank you very much. As for a beta reader, I have one person in mind. Only I'm too afraid to get in the way, and that he finds my story strange. Even though I know that person currently reads my stories from time to time. But hey... If I'm brave enough I'll ask him. Kiss, and thank you again for commenting and following the story. It makes me very happy :)

Also, in a previous chapter I put * on the hand kiss action, and then I completely forgot to say why. Well now here is the explanation. Often in movies when a man kisses a lady's hand he kisses her hand. And that's where I said stop! In reality there was at least 5-10 cm of space between the hand and the lips. Then of course on the right hand. And a little extra for those interested, it was only done if you had a roof over your head.

Good now that it's done.

Here's the rest~

-x-

The Countess Phantomhive arrived at her mansion throwing open the doors, her guests following behind her. She took a few steps in the enclosure then called from the top of her lungs Mey-rin.

The maid introduced herself the minute after "Yes ma'am."

"Get my fencing gear ready and tell Bard to make some tea." Elizabeth happily ordered.

"You wouldn't have whiskey or cognac. I'm sorry, but I'm not fond of tea." James cut in quite relaxed. The hostess was somewhat disturbed by this request. After all noon hadn't even arrived yet, and it wasn't the noblest drink.

The Baron took advantage of the silence to mock his friend's request. "And despite that you still followed me to England." The nobles present laughed heartily at this comment.

This relaxed the atmosphere and the young woman therefore consented to the wish of the archaeologist "I leave you the whiskey. We have some but it is only for the guests who desire it. My husband and I are not crazy about it." Then turning to Mey-rin "So you'll take out the whiskey with it. And don't forget the ice cubes."

"Good Madam." Thereupon the maid bowed and went to perform her duties.

"Alright gentlemen, I'll let you wait in the drill hall, because that's where we'll be facing each other. Unfortunately, I don't have any fencing clothes for you. You don't mind, I hope?" Asked the hostess.

"Don't worry Elizabeth. We'll stick to our shirts to take our defeat." Leon joked. They laughed again, then the Countess left for her quarters to change.

-0-

"Bard, Bard, Bard!" cried Mey-rin, descending the stairs leading to the kitchen.

The cook was reading the daily newspaper, sitting quietly on a wooden stool, smoking a cigarette. Seeing her tranquility leave he replied gruffly, "What? What's the matter."

Once downstairs she exclaimed "You'll never guess who's upstairs!"

"The Queen?" He asked selflessly.

"No. There's the mustachioed Baron, and a man whose first name I don't know yet. But you would have seen her!" The maid sighed "He is handsome as a god."

"Great." He closed his diary and stubbed out his cigarette under his shoe.

Then from afar. Another voice was heard calling Bard's name. The voice came closer from the door leading to the garden and finally made its way to the kitchen to exclaim "You'll never guess who's upstairs! Oh Mey-rin you're there too. You'll never guess-"

The cook cut him off "I think she heard you the first time."

Finny happily declared his discovery "There's the mustachioed Baron upstairs, and another man. And, and he reminds me of someone. Well, not exactly someone. Not something anymore... But it took a someone to do the something."

Bard cut him off again, "It's okay, it's okay. We get the idea I think."

"Or not at all." The maid whispered.

The cook stood up "Good. Anyway we have more important things to do." Then he started to leave through the door that led to the garden.

"Where are you going?" asked the gardener.

Bard paused "That depends. Where are they?"

"I believe I heard the young mistress say that they would be in the exercise room." Mey-rin said, thinking out loud.

The older Man resumed his walk, declaring, "Well. I'll be in front of the exercise room window then."

The bespectacled lady caught him by the back of his collar before he left "What are you going to do there! Spy on them! More important things to do my eye."

The cook extricated himself with skill from the maid's grip "Don't play the innocent! You were going to do the same."

Mey-rin's cheeks flushed a deep red. She never hid her thoughts very well, and the shame of having thought of playing voyeurism caught up with her quickly. But in a desperate attempt to cover up her unhealthy thoughts the maid crossed her arms and began to cough, loudly and in a somewhat grumpy way she changed the subject to her "Anyway you can't leave. You have to prepare tea for three people and a green of whiskey with ice cubes. Now you will excuse me gentlemen. I have to go and help the young lady put on her fencing outfit." Then with a firm step she turned away, walking towards the stairs.

"What tea?" The cook shouted his request.

"The young mistress did not specify." The maid replied, slamming the door as she left.

"Okay, low go for traditional." Bard said, scratching the back of his head, Mey-rin's anger barely affecting him.

-0-

While waiting for the arrival of the lady of the place, the gentlemen had already taken off their jackets and started to warm up. Edward had called Finny to pull out four rapiers, and the servant was done. Once his task was accomplished, he disposed under the watchful gaze of James.

"It's still strange that in such a large mansion, we have to hire a gardener to get us swords." laughed the archaeologist. "Excuse me, Marquis. But isn't your brother-in-law stingy?" He says in a somewhat sarcastic way.

Mr. Midford was immediately taken aback by the remarks that the man in front of him had just made. He and stood wide-eyed and speechless. The Baron's only reaction was to curl up slightly and put on an embarrassed face. He would have liked to say that he hadn't expected such a comment from his friend. Only he knew him too well and knew that at some point he would have said an unorthodox phrase alerting all of England to his passage.

Edward finally recovered from his shock. Having had time to analyze the exact words of the American, he definitely couldn't let it pass. We had just insulted his brother-in-law for the sin of greed after all. However, he didn't let his anger take over. He is a gentleman from England, and anger was also a sin. Then in a loud, but controlled voice, he declared "For an untitled person you are of course sure of yourself. Especially for daring to articulate such a thing." He moved closer to James's face, looked him straight in the eye, then under his breath said "Do you even know what you just proclaimed?" Then without hesitation he slapped her face with the back of his hand. "Avoid publicizing such nonsense. I'll be grateful to you."

Head lowered by the force of the strike, the man glared at him. Nevertheless, jaw and fists clenched, he apologized "Please forgive me Monsieur le Marquis. This won't happen again."

"I hope so. Be grateful that I haven't kicked you out of this house already. If you really want to make amends, don't come back to his lands after this meeting. I refuse to see my sister dating such an unsavory person. " declared the marquis, the fury imprinted on his face. Then slightly pained he turned to Leon "You disappoint me Rosemary. Knowing that you sympathize with this kind of person."

The Baron bowed, "I'm sorry about that Mr Marquis. Only I assure you that despite his somewhat off-topic humor, Mr Connor is quite a good man. Give him a second chance."

Edward shifted his gaze back to the archaeologist. He judged him from top to bottom. And in a dry tone said "We'll see..."

Leon smiled and stood up "Thank you Monsieur le Marquis."

Still with gritted teeth James repeated his friend's phrase "Yes. Thank you Monsieur le Marquis."

Then like a cool breeze, the Countess arrived dressed in her fencing outfit. Without even noticing the dangerous climate she exclaimed happily "Here I am gentlemen, are you ready?" The delicacy of his steps and the elegance of his person somewhat calmed the present tensions. Nevertheless the atmosphere was still not the warmest. You could clearly feel that something had happened. Then the lady worrying about the well being of her guests dared to ask cautiously if anything had happened "Are you all right my friends?"

All smiles Marquis Midford replied "We are doing wonderfully my dear Elizabeth. We have only had some disagreement over some men's business."

"Oh! Well then I'd rather not get involved." The young woman approached her guests "If not gentlemen, would you be so kind as to inform me who will be the first of her courageous people to want to confront me?"

While the nobles were discussing the order of matches, in the background a servant with a round bezel gently placed a tray of tea on a small white marble table surrounded by three Louis XVI chairs. Thinking that they wouldn't notice her, she took the opportunity to admire the beautiful stranger. Looking at him now without his jacket to hide him and his rolled up sleeves Mey-rin found him even more handsome. His muscles were much more visible that way. Then when his eyes came to her face, she noticed he was looking at her with a smirk and mischievous eyes. The servant jumped in shock at being caught in the act. Without waiting a second longer, her cheeks flushed with shame, she fled. Only when opening the door did Mey-rin hit her forehead. The noise alerted the nobles and they turned to her.

Leon laughed at the action and Elizabeth followed him but apologizing for her maid's manners "Excuse us. She's a little clumsy, yet she gives us excellent service." The countess moved away from the gentlemen then warned herself "So my dear brother! Are you ready?"

Edward lined up with the Countess, then on guard, "Always my dear sister."

-0-

After a few hours of attacking, dodging, counter-attacking, withdrawing, and hitting the Baron and the archaeologist were exhausted having slumped in the chairs near their drinks. The hostess was slightly out of breath and was gently wiping her face with a towel. While the Marquis for his person it is hardly if he perspired.

The young woman in attendance exclaimed "Geez Edward, I would never match your stamina."

Taking a sip of tea her brother answered her "And I never your agility Elizabeth."

"And I never nothing." joked Mr. Rosemary.

James followed her laugh, then complimented the lady of the house, "Madam Countess, let me tell you that the words I have been told about your gift are far from exaggerated. You are a true prodigy, well what can I say- I, fencing genius."

The aforementioned sneered at the compliment with a jingle "Thank you so much James. You are too kind."

"Oh, don't play humble people around me. Just accept my compliments, that will be the best thank you." Said the archaeologist while reserving a glass of whiskey.

The young woman continued to laugh then nodded "Very well sir. I am happy to accept them."

Out of the corners of his eye James saw Edward looking at him like he was the worst thing in the world. Only he just gave her a smile and then looked back at the Countess.

-0-

They continued to spend time together until a quarter past one in the afternoon. After that Le Baron and his friend left. Elizabeth stood to say goodbye to them on the bottom of the door until there were little dots in the distance on the path.

Once her friends left she turned to Edward who was looking at her with a slightly stern look. Not knowing why his brother was giving him such a reaction, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Is there something wrong?" She asked gently taking the hands of the Marquis.

At this question Mr. Midford sighed. He gently removed his hands from his sister's tender grasp, then gently led her, one hand resting between her shoulder blades, inside the mansion. "It's nothing Elizabeth. Let's eat, shall we?"

-0-

Meanwhile in a hotel in Liverpool. A Count and a scientist were planning their investigations. Or rather a young adult suffering from an asthma attack was trying to plan an investigation while a big child was having fun with her steamy experiments.

Since the beginning he hadn't said anything, remaining calmly seated on the bed, his files and plan spread out around him. But when his third little machine started to burst, sending bolt and nut flying hurting his cheek he had had enough. Astre got up straight away and then walked over to the German sitting on the floor. "Good. Enough now Sullivan! I've had enough!" He proclaimed.

"Easy. We could hear you my dear Mark." Said Sieglinde paying more attention to his broken machine than his partner.

The Count took the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger, then inhaled deeply to calm him down. Only the only thing he did next was to cough violently from the smoke that one of the machines was constantly spitting out. This is where Sebastian began to intervene.

In a few strides he was near the window. He was going to open it, but already feeling the polluted air through the windows, he held back. Instead he decided to confiscate the scientist's belongings by taking them outside the room.

At this Sieglinde grumbled, but hearing Astre's loud cough she got up using the furniture around her, then just after she made sure that the young adult accompanying her sat on a part of the bed which was not covered by papers.

"There, there. Everything is fine my dear husband. I am here." She said in a disinterested way while stroking his back and helping him catch his breath.

"I hate you." Astre spat between two coughs.

"I know my love. Breathe, breathe." Sieglinde continued to ignore the Count's words while miming his own words. Silence reigned for a while and the young man had managed to catch his breath.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly one last time to calm himself completely, then he looked the scientist straight in the eye "You are a real danger to humanity."

In response she smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. At this action Astre moved away from her as much as possible then began to furiously rub her kissing cheek with her sleeves as if she had been poisoned. "Never do that again!" He cried out in disgust.

Looking at his reaction the German only burst out laughing. "You are so prudish."

At this remark the Count only grumbled and groaned. Then without even being seen coming, Sebastian had already started to heal the wound that his master had on his cheek caused by the explosion of Sullivan's machine. "You should calm down Miss. Finally Mrs. Andrew." The butler closed the first aid box. "And you should remember your wife's first name is Sophie, sir."

The Count sighed, and tactlessly changed the subject "Any news of the snakes yet?"

"No sir." Humbly answered the servant. Yet he added, "Patience is a virtue, sir. And he hasn't even been gone a day. We can take it that-"

But Sebastian could never finish his sentences Snake had just entered. He was careful to close the door behind him, then leaned closer to the Count's ear to whisper to him, "Three boxes have been left in front of a tavern with a broken badge and a one-eyed man with a mustache. Then a thin, dark-skinned girl. as the cocoa appeared and dragged the crates inside. Shortly after, the men with the rest of the crates went to the station to ask for tickets to Manchester. Said Emily.

"Good. Thank you Snake." Thank Astre. After that the young man began to reflect for a moment with his hand under his chin to help him concentrate better.

Five minutes had barely passed, when leaning his back against a wall, he began to give his orders "Sebastian bring the nigger here, I'll question her. Snake stay with Sullivan in our room." Star straightened up and began to put on her coat "I'm going to the station to get us tickets. Execution!"

"Yes my Lord." Said the two servants. Of course not forgetting Snake muttering Emily's name.

-x-

That will be all for today.

I hope this chapter will have you more.

And thank you so much for following and enjoying my story. I will continue to do my best (￣^￣)ゞ

*youtuber voice* feel free to leave a thumbs up and drop comments. Kiss kiss (fall in love)

*ending of jojo begins to play* to be continued.

-x-

Wandering the cold, dusty streets of Liverpool, a demon was searching for an inn with a broken badge. It will soon be more than two hours that he inspects each brick building from left to right and from bottom to top. But luckily, it seemed like luck never left him for too long. Just past him, a dark handsome, skeletal-bodied young teenager was carrying sacks of goods hurrying down a narrow alley. Although this person appeared to be a boy due to his shaved head and loose clothing; the butler could clearly smell that sting in the child's body odor which showed that she was indeed of the opposite sex. Sebastian approached her subtly from behind and before she even noticed his presence,

Not wanting the damsel to suspect her, the demon spoke to her as if she was who she claimed to be. "Please excuse me, young man, for bothering you when you seem in such a hurry. Only I have a few questions for you."

The girl's tired eyes stayed for a few seconds on the perfect face of the man in front of her. Her bony body curled up on itself she thought about the words spoken by the demon. Her gaze wandering heavily from right to left, she eventually came to the conclusion that despite his handsome features he was definitely not a trustworthy man. Nevertheless, the young girl having nothing to lose, she decided to follow her game "Ah... And what is it?"

Sebastian, staring into the victim's, seeing his dull, soulless eyes and giving little importance to life; decided that beating around the bush would be pointless. "Good! It will be very short, I promise you.". With heavenly grace he extended his right arm towards the damsel "Do you mind if we walk?"

Without thinking too much she grabbed his arm, then for convenience and courtesy the demon carried the girl's groceries. The two began to walk slowly. Sebastian resumed "So, first of all tell me; do you work in a hostel with a broken badge?"

"Yes." She answered simply.

"Good." Smiled the demon. "Is a one-eyed man guarding the entrance?"

"One-eyed?" The girl asked.

"A man with only one eye if you will."

"Ah yes."

"Perfect!" He exclaimed. "Now last question. Would you rather have a tee or hot chocolate?"

The lady was somewhat shocked by this unexpected request. She was about to answer when she was even more confused looking at where she was. The scenery of the dirty streets of Liverpool was changed into a clean average hotel room. Without even paying attention to the two people in the room, she addressed Sebastian "It was short indeed. A little too short to be normal."

The man smiled "Let's just say I'm one hell of a butler."

-0-

Hearing her servant's favorite phrase, Astre rolled her eyes. It happened when that moment the Count was in the adjacent bathroom, changing clothes. After buying their train tickets, the young man had the misfortune to trip over a slab and fall into a puddle of mud. Inwardly he tells himself that this will teach him to daydream in the midst of a mission for the crown.

Sighing at her bad luck, Astre ended up getting out of the bathroom anyway. "Shut up Sebastian." He declared in his disinterested voice, having too much habit of repeating this sentence.

His presence in the small room added weight. The girl, who until then had been quite calm, began to sweat. This reaction made the demon smile; Did she value her life more than she claimed? Or does the sight of a one-eyed man disgust her? After much consideration it annoyed him that a selfish, whiny kid inspired more fear than that person. Anyway, the human brain is so complicated.

The count examined the newcomer with great attention, then, silence still reigning, he grabbed the wooden chair near the dressing table and made the young lady sit on it. Astre continued to observe him for a while. In his head were spinning many options for the interrogation. Should he go straight to the bute? He doesn't know yet. She looks distressed, but like anyone who suddenly finds herself in front of him. The young man always knows what to do to get the truth out of young children and adults. Their mind is already worked and with the right words or objects they tell you all about their life. When you are eleven years old you think too much and never do the right thing. However the time of silence is counted,

The still heavy atmosphere lightened slightly when he sighed. Sebastian rolled his eyes at his behavior but said nothing; his master wearily ordered him tea, and with a respectful bow the butler complied.

His gaze returned to the seated girl. He tried to crack a sympathetic smile and then asked, "Tell me. What's your first name?"

She looked from left to right, sniffling and scratching the back of her head she replied "I know who you are."

The Count was not at all surprised by this statement. "Ah good! And how?". To tell the truth, he doesn't really care, only if he goes his way, maybe later she will go his way.

"I saw you in the paper." She pointed to Sieglinde "And her too."

"Do you know how to read? That's unexpected."

The girl shook her head sharply from left to right "No." There was a moment of silence. Then she resumed "They are talking about you people upstairs."

"Who are the people upstairs?" After this question Sesbastian arrived in the room with a tea cart. He gave the first cup to his master, another to the German chemist, and the third to the lady. The latter hesitantly drank the tea and never answered this question.

Instead she asked another "Am I going to die?"

Star took a sip of her tea, "At whose hands are you afraid to die?"

"Yours."

He looked at her and smiled "In that case, yes. Unless you find yourself indispensable."

At this notion she quickly rose from her chair. "I know what my bosses buy! I can help you!"

Resting his cup of tea on the tray the young man answered "This information is not new to us, therefore not essential."

"I know where my bosses sell!" cried the girl.

He sighed. "Lower your voice, please. Besides, I don't care about your bosses. If it was your bosses that interested me, it's not me who will be questioning you, but the police." Unceremoniously he took her by the shoulders and forced her to sit down. The lady's cup slipped from her hands and the vain tea crashed to the floor. The butler looked at the distraught with exhaustion at this new chore. The Count didn't pay attention and looked her straight in the eyes to whisper "If you were afraid to die now don't worry, it won't happen. It would be a stupider move than to kill yourself in this hotel." He straightened up and went back to get his tea.

The shocked girl was now stiff with fear. And the tears at the edges of the eyes she tried a last approach "If-if if I shout you would do what? Huh? You would be caught on the fact of having captured a child."

The Count chuckled lightly and said without even looking at her, "You're a nigger. I'll just say you tricked my butler into my room and stole some trinket." The truth and the misfortunes that her poor birth brought fell on her shoulders and silenced her once and for all. Astre seeing that she was going to obey him took the opportunity to question her on what really interested her "Do you know who the delivery men work for?"

"No...well...maybe. No, well, no."

The young man moved closer, and crouched down to be at eye level. "Any lead is good to take." He sighed.

The sudden proximity made her flinch, and stuttering she replied, "I just heard a strange name. Fretrich krichkot."

Confusion settled on the Count's face. Unsure he repeated "Frétriche Krichkot?" The girl nodded her head sharply in approval. As he turned to Sieglinde for some help, the German only gave him a mocking smile.

-0-

At the Phantomhive mansion the Mistress of the place accompanied by her brother had now finished dinner. They were chatting happily in the main living room, enjoying each other's company to the fullest. Only, the Marquis had to leave. It turns out that he too had a job. Elizabeth hugged him tight, the Marquis kissed him on both cheeks, then he galloped off towards London.

The countess, once alone in her mansion, no longer knew what to do with herself. Sighing from her loneliness, she shuffled back into the living room, only to slump heavily into one of the armchairs. She thought back to one of her embroideries lying around in the corner of her room that could keep her occupied. However, now she didn't really want to.

It's at times like this that she would like to have a dog. The young woman had repeatedly begged her husband for one. Yet no way to make him say yes. He hated them as much as cats, and claimed that dogs felt the same way about him. Nevertheless, she continued to try to persuade him into adopting one. Until the very happy day, when he returned from a short business trip with a cage containing a couple of cockatoos in his hands. Elizabeth, seeing the new company, couldn't contain her euphoria and kissed her beloved on the cheek. Then, without thinking about her gesture which had inflamed the Count's cheeks; she took the birds to their flowery greenhouse where a giant cage was strewn, but had never been used.

At this thought the young woman sat up. His birds of course! How could she have forgotten them. Besides, that'll keep her busy. With that in mind, the Countess set off at a brisk pace towards the greenhouse. Once she got near the cage the cockatoos started calling her by her nickname "Lizzy! Lizzy!" They were screaming.

Elizabeth replied in a singsong voice as she opened the cage "Here are my babies! Mom is coming.". The open door the birds rushed to their mistress. She held out her arms for them to perch on, only the male chose to land on her left shoulder and nibble her ear, while the female respected her lady's request and settled on her forearm. right. What the young woman remarked in a falsely offended tone "Mr. White! You should take example from your spouse. Here is someone who received a great education."

Although the countess didn't really take this observation to heart, the cockatoos took it. And the female's pride skyrocketed, giving her partner a condescending look. The enraged male was about to attack, only Elizabeth offering him a kiss on the beak followed by the phrase "Though, I don't mind that completely." And this time it was Mr. White giving his wife a condescending look. The sulky female began to fly away from the greenhouse inside the mansion. Her loving husband despite their rivalries, followed her to console her. Then, not far behind them, their mistress was laughing.

Mrs. White flew over the stairs and the corridors to arrive in front of Astre's office. She was very disappointed when she knocked and no one opened the door. Soon her companion joins her in rubbing his head against hers in apology. Which she graciously accepted before complaining again that the door wouldn't open. The countess arrived at their levels and displayed a sad look seeing where the cockatoos were waiting to be able to enter. She sighed and announced "Unfortunately, he's not here my friends."

The birds turned to her to repeat in unison "Not there?"

Without hiding her thoughts, she answered "Yes. On a business trip..."

The couple exchanged several looks before deciding that perching on Elizabeth's shoulders was the best way to offer her a comforting hug. Their feathers tickling her and the gesture touching her she started laughing again. When suddenly, the male had an idea so that she no longer loses her pretty smile. Grabbing the top of one of the young woman's puffy sleeves with his fingers, he pulled her towards the stairs, exclaiming "Piano, piano!"

The countess's face lit up. "But, yes! Of course, let's play the piano." Then clapping her hands and hopping she headed for the living room which contained the grand piano. The birds settled on the desk and their mistress joined them in settling on the padded stool. "So tell me. What do you want to hear me play?"

The female cries "Sentimental waltz!"

"Tchaikovsky! Very good choice, my dear." Elizabeth was about to start, but Mr. White came down hard on the keyboard, ringing the notes touched in the room.

"No no!" He exclaimed "Chopin!"

The countess invited the male to climb on her forearm. "Come on, a gentleman always lets the lady choose what she wants to hear." He accepted the help of his owner who put him back on the desk. "Don't worry. We'll play any Chopin piece next."

Elizabeth's delicate hands gently began to caress the piano keys. She was happy that Mrs. White had chosen the sentimental waltz. The beginning of the piece always brought him a certain melancholy. But what she preferred in this music is when the melody gets carried away slightly and then descends. Reminding her of what love can cause. Ups and downs. An immense sadness then forgotten when we see the loved one.

It's been a long time since she performed in front of an audience. Having the White couple as an audience was a privilege. However, she would have liked to play for her loving husband. After all, she only played once in front of Astre as the only spectator. He smiled kindly at her, clapped politely, then left. After all he was only checking if the Countess Phantomhive was fit to perform for the Queen of England, one afternoon when Elizabeth was coming to have tea at the palace.

Clicking the last button she sighed. A thought haunted his mind. How she wishes her feelings were returned.

-x-

Hey yo bitches what's up?

Here you will have to settle for this mediocre chapter for the moment.

Feel free to leave comments ^^

Kiss, kiss. See you next time.

-x-

More than a month had passed since Astre Phantomhive left his domain. Now in the middle of October, the mansion was surrounded by the brightest colors of autumn. However, the vermilion colors of nature do not help to bring warmth. An icy wind enveloped England. Yet that failed to compel the Countess Phantomhive to stay by her fireplace. She just put on one of her seasonal outfits, then went out.

The young woman was strolling in her gardens; hands behind her back and gaze directed at her shoes, her mind absent from the world her body walked. Again, she wasn't thinking of anything in particular. Her walk led her to the swing that Finny had set up for her. Elizabeth sat up and began to gently rock. With each swing, the cold air hit his face. But apart from blushing her cheeks, it did nothing to the Countess.

Then pulling her out of her trance, hands covered her eyes. A male voice was about to say something, but she didn't have time. Out of panic and reflex, Elizabeth grabbed the man by his right arm. Then, bluntly, lifted him over his shoulder to finally land him on the ground; which immobilized the stranger for a moment.

Only, now that her attacker was in front of her, the young woman recognized him immediately. Putting her hands to her lips in an attempt to hide her bewildered look, she stunned, "Mr. Connor!" . Then without waiting the countess rushed to his side to help him up "Oh my gods. Please forgive me. I'm really confused..."

Politely refusing Elizabeth's help, James stood up, dusted himself off and spoke "Don't worry. I'm fine." Then he uttered this last sentence with a sneer "I will be now that surprises are not your forte."

While picking up the newcomer's top hat she replied "Nope! I love surprises! Only when it comes from behind, I admit I tend to confuse them with an attack." Then she handed him her hat.

The American took it with pleasure, and replied with a low voice "It's a pity."

The young woman noticed that there was a double meaning, but she did not understand it. So for only reaction she offered him a smile; then as the archaeologist made no move to continue the conversation, the countess allowed herself to ask a question "May I ask you what you do in my field, sir?" She inspected the surroundings and added "Alone?"

James gave an embarrassed laugh before replying "Well, you see... I have to cross Phantomhive lands to get to a certain destination. I thought then, it would be a good idea to visit you."

At this statement Elizabeth smiled "How kind of you." Then taking her eyes off James she whispered as low as possible "Not many people take the time to come see me despite their jobs."

To which he reacts "Please excuse me, I did not hear you. May I dare, ask you to repeat yourself, Madame la Comtesse."

Returning her gaze to the man in front of her, the young woman rushed to babble "Oh! Pardon my rudeness. I was only talking to myself." Fiddled with her hands to pass the awkwardness, she proposed very quickly if Mr. Connor would have time to have tea with her. To which he humbly replied that he would be honored.

-0-

Time passes and it is almost the end of autumn. The archaeologist visits the Phantomhive mansion almost every day, stating that with business bringing him around, it would be rude not to say hello.

At first they only had tea together. But soon, James' company becoming necessary to the Countess' growing loneliness, she invited him to come over for dinner.

Although the beauty and kindness of the American can charm anyone; his inability to be able to form good conversations for a Lady of Elizabeth's rank greatly worried the servants present at the manor. Several times the trio is asked if they should inform their master. Only Bard always reminded that it would interfere with the affairs of the crown and they didn't know Star's location anyway. Even though they all knew that if there was a real emergency, the house butler would be the first to know. All the more reason not to warn their master.

The servants then decided that they would keep an eye on dear James Connor. As soon as the latter arrived in the precincts of the manor, Mey-rin placed it far enough away to have him as a perfect target for his weapons; Bard hid his presence enough to be able to eavesdrop; and after the man left Finny was always going to check the rooms where James had wandered, checking that he hadn't hidden anything suspicious.

As of today there is only this to declare: The target often comes too close to the Countess, which earned her a bullet in the left shoulder, and another day a bullet in the right thigh (His two incidents were of course masked by Bard deploring that he had seen operatives, and that the young man had received stray bullets. Because if Mey-rin had said this excuse, his mistress would never have believed.).

The archaeologist has a role similar to that of confidant to the countess. She only tells him of her love for the Count and her concerns. Sometimes he tells her about his travels to the end of the world, overflowing with a thousand fantasies and dreams of adventure; which never fails to amaze the young woman. It happened that the lady of the premises cried in front of him. It is then that he tries to console her for her loneliness, often crossing the line of convenience. However, the servants, seeing the pain on their mistress's face, neither had the heart nor the strength to take that comforting shoulder away from her. However, Mey-rin remains on the lookout. If he goes further than a simple hug, she prefers to be ready.

Other than that, this man tends to forget his stuff too often. One shot is a watch, one shot pliers, then another time a handkerchief. But never anything dangerous. But one day, Finny found a lighter after the American's visit. We couldn't hold him in place anymore, he was absolutely panicked. Mey-rin and Bard took days to calm him down, telling him he was imagining things that weren't there. The gardener refused to sleep for a week. He wanted at all costs to stay close to the door of the countess's apartments, in case an attack appeared out of nowhere.

But in the end, nothing ever happened.

-0-

At night it fell on England. The dim streetlights did little to hide the oppressive darkness of the late hour. This went perfectly with the scene that was playing in a clandestine port in the south-east of the country.

The heavy rain fell and echoed on the cabin of a small steamer. In this same cabin, three bodies were strewn on the floor. Their blood draining to smear on the carpet.

The Count was there. He had just killed Friedrich Christ-kot, and two henchmen. The dark-skinned girl who had reported the man ended up spitting her meal out the boat's porthole, the scene too bloody for her mind. At her side, the German scientist caressed her the said to try to relieve her.

Watching with pity and disgust the reaction of the young women, Astre spat out her orders to her butler, "Sebastian, search the cabin for notes regarding transactions and clientele." On those, not supporting this pitiful spectacle, he turned on himself and left.

Once outside in the rain he breathed. The air polluted by the smoke from the boats was not the most pleasant. But it was greatly diminished by the inactivity of the port and the humidity offered by this rain.

He pulled the chain of his watch out of his jacket. The hands were pointing exactly at the Latin 1. And the time was confirmed when in the distance the Count heard the bells of a church ringing.

His eyes decorated with deep rings, swept the flagstones and plank of the port. Seeing no one on the horizon, he pulled out a gun from inside his coat. He opened it, took three bullets from a pocket in his pants, and loaded his gun. As he finished, his butler emerged from boarding with several papers in hand. He handed them to his master, and the latter took them with his right hand, when the other put his pistol in the back of his pants. The young man leafed through the pile; many names of nobles and disreputable establishments appeared there. Nothing disturbed him among his files; until three sheets written in indie come out. Astre's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at Sebastian standing beside him "What is that?"

"A contract my lord." He answered humbly.

"I suspect, I'm not stupid! What is written? Indie is one of the few languages you haven't deafened my ears to." To support his words, he violently gave the file back to the demon.

The butler, on the other hand, was unfazed by his master's mannerisms and followed calmly. "To sum up; let's say these sheets link a certain Rani Amar to the man you just murdered."

Without flinching the Count ordered "Develop."

"This contract stipulates: that any decision regarding the merchandise of the dead children, will be a collective decision, and only approvable by Amar Rani and Christ-kot Friedrich. And something else, but forgive me, my indie is a little rusty. Want you contact Mr. Soma for more information?"

Averting his gaze from the man in black, he declared "You are able to assimilate many things, and yet you lack intelligence."

Then turning around and readying his weapon, he whispered, "It's almost amazing." After that he took a few steps towards the boat where Sieglinde and the chocolate-skinned lady were. He opened the metal door. The sound of rusty, timeworn screws was heard. Then everything happened very quickly.

The door open, he pointed his gun at the girl. Sullivan seeing what was going to happen, tried to protect the child at his side. But Astre was too good a shooter. The bullet landed right in the middle of the girl's forehead, her blood spurting onto the scientist's face.

Sieglinde looked horrified at the eyes of the dead child in her arms. The last thing that so reflected was the terror and the stoic face of his bruised.

The German, her face full of hatred, turned towards the Count to cry out with tears in her eyes "She was only a child!"

Impassive he answered "Thousands of people die every day. One more or one less." Then without looking back part.

But Sieglinde was not done. Picking up those crutches she followed him "Who do you think you are?! She hadn't done anything! She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time! She was a victim! We could have helped her!"

Continuing it works the Count replied "You seek to understand what you already know. She knew too much. Whether she is innocent or not, it doesn't matter."

Sullivan tried to reach for him, but the young man's quick steps were impossible to match for a weak girl on crutches. The rush tripped her up, but luckily for her Sebastian caught her before she hit the ground. But seeing that his master did not slow down despite this incident, he decided to carry the young lady.

At this pace, the group quickly left the clandestine port, and at the same time recovered Snake who all this time was watching the entrance.

Came out of the walls of crime, the German couldn't afford to speak so loudly anymore, nevertheless the rage of these feelings did not weaken "You're stupid! You just had to keep her by your side! She could have become a servant or, I don't know, a companion for your wife!"

Star laughs low. “A lady companion? Knowing Elizabeth, she would obviously have accepted. Except that as you said, she is my wife, so I am her husband and protector. days with the first nigger found on the street!" He caught his breath. "Second; you did talk about making her a servant didn't you?" He looked at her "Over time, I have become accustomed to only one talent required, to select my servants. They must know and be able to kill anyone at any time and in cold blood." The Count's eyes returned to the road "That kid couldn't even cut bread with a knife."

Sieglinde's face twitched even more in anger, and as her eyebrows creased, her stitches tightened on the butler's coat. "If I had you at hand, I would have hit you!"

"Too bad, your arms are too small." He replied.

Then she declared "And me then! I don't know how to kill someone. And yet I am still alive."

"You are smart Sullivan, but anger makes you illogical." He had just reached his car. Snake opened the door. "You are here because Her Majesty the Queen wants you to. Besides, Wolfgang, whom I know nearby, would not hesitate to attack me if I came after you."

Stunned the scientist asked "How do you know that!"

Without losing his calm Astre spoke "I know that you are not really my "sidekick" for this mission. I also know that the letter that his majesty sent you does not have the same content as mine. I finished my mission, our road separates tomorrow." He entered the carriage while Sebastian helped the young lady to settle.

The butler looked shocked himself, but for another reason "We're not heading to India, my lord?"

"No. The name on this sheet is enough. She'll send someone else. Then if she doesn't order it, I don't see what I'm going to do in India." He replied with disdain.

Stepping back gracefully from the cabin, the butler smiled, "Good, my lord." Then he closed the door.

Sieglinde turned to Astre again "You sent Sebastian to spy on me. Didn't you?"

Giving him a smile similar to the one the demon had done earlier, the Count replied, "Of course, I'm not inhuman."

-x-

And that will be all for this time.

Sorry for the wait, and thanks for reading.

Do not hesitate to leave a comment whether positive or negative, it pleases and encourages. biz biz.

-x-

It is December 1, 1894. It is 2:27 p.m. in London. The streets are cold and covered with frost. The chimneys of the houses spit out the black smoke from their lungs. All of England is enveloped in the languid aura of winter, and the gilding of Buckingahm Palace is no exception.

Coming out of this palace, Count Phantomhive followed by his butler. The frown never seeming to want to detach itself from his person, he headed with a determined step towards his car.

Very quickly, the young man and his suite took the road towards his land. The trip to the capital had already exhausted him and now he had to leave for another little more than four hours on the road. And to add to his misfortune, her majesty the queen had surely not helped by insinuating to him that certainly he would not go to India immediately, but that he should prepare for the eventuality of going there. go soon. The knowledge of another long and bumpy journey gave the Count a deafening headache.

To try to calm her down, he rubbed his temples with his fingertips and practiced some breathing exercises. Only, it was of no use. Astre rummaged frantically in his coat pockets looking for his cigar case. Eventually he found it on his second search in the right pocket of his coat. His joy was great, but quickly faded when he saw that the box was empty. Angry at not being able to relieve his suffering other than with time; the Count threw the silver case angrily through the carriage. The box bounces off the front seat, eventually landing half-broken on the floor.

The inferno of his dissatisfaction swirled in his chest, forming a tornado of dismay, confusion, and embarrassment at his weakness. His mind haunted by his fragile physical condition, he curled up in the back of his chair, tightened his coat around his body, then closed his eyes.

The evil that was crushing his head was not going away. Despite the heat of his anger, it did not warm him. The nights that his mission had given him were all too long and separated from the rest the Count needed. Then when the possibility of dozing off came, if she wasn't swept away by nightmares, she was thrown back by discomfort and worry. In short, he found himself even more exhausted than before his departure a few months ago.

After this sudden realization, his first thoughts were that Elizabeth was not going to be happy with her overworked state. She would probably scold him. Ask him a thousand questions about his well-being, tiring him even more. Have him prepare a bath. Would ask to put a hot water bottle at the foot of their mattress. Would help him get comfortable in their blanket. Then finally, would pass him a cup of hot milk with honey. By the way, she will have made the drink herself; because after having read in a novel that the action of preparing something for the loved one was a proof of love, his wife declared the plebeian gesture to be extremely romantic. So without waiting, she was trained to prepare her favorite drink.

Obviously, the brew wouldn't be as good as if Sebastian or the late Tanaka had brewed it. But knowing that Elizabeth was working so hard on such a small thing. All this to make him feel some semblance of comfort… It wasn't so bad.

His journey continued, and time passed. One o'clock; two o'clock; three hours; four hours; five hours. Then finally, Count Phantomhive found himself outside his mansion. Nightfall, starless sky, 7:30 p.m. has just passed. But we all know that winter has always been quick to wipe even the slightest trace of sunshine from its skies.

Snake opened the car door so his master could get out. The tired eyes of the young noble instantly fell on the imposing stones of his house. Then his gaze went to the window of the second living room. The light was on and a distorted piano sound could be heard.

Even before Astre arrived at the bottom of her door, the demon at her side whispered "Looks like the Countess is accompanied tonight."

The young man turned back to his butler, and suspiciously asked "Who is it?"

To which the servant humbly replied, "I cannot tell you, master. The soul being near your wife is unknown to me. But I am certain that it belongs to a healthy adult man." At the end of his sentence, the demon's smile widened.

#black butler fanfiction

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