For What It's Worth

Untitled Part 10

Ciel licked some of the blood from his fingertips and let out a moan that bordered between disgusting and sexual. 

Undertaker didn't even bother looking at him as he worked on his second cup of tea. "You think your dear Lizzie will still be subdued if she sees you practicing cannabilism? Must you be so deranged?"

He rolled his eyes and licked up one long perfectly manicured finger. "You don't really care Undertaker; you just want Claudia. And as I look enough like her, no harm will come to me."

He threw what he hadn't consumed of the recently dead corpse in the corner making doe eyes at Undertaker who was still not looking at him to try and convince him to clean his mess up. "I am hardly threatening you. But can't you act a little  more, human?"

"Why bother?" He looked up from the dead woman with multiple organs missing on the table who had been displayed like a charcuterie board for his amusment mostly. "We both know what I am."

Undertaker clicked his teeth but said nothing more.

"Your dear Claudia will be just like me. Requiring constant blood and messy feedings from corpses until she stablizes, which for me was eight years. As long as she's been dead, well it will likely be much longer. The live ones helped me the most though. Not sure if it was the screams or the taste." 

Undertaker set his tea glass down with a harsh thump. "Claudia will be nothing like you. She will regain her control quickly unlike your unabashed gluttony."

"She may." He said running a hand through hair that was so fine he had to be careful or he would rip it straight from his unfeeling scalp. "But I wouldn't count on it. As fun as we are, never forget what we truly are or you yourself."

Undertaker laughed heartily in his truly insane way. "I never pretend to be human; Claudia loved me as a reaper and as that I shall remain. Let us exact our plan just reign it in enough Elizabeth doesn't lose her head. Literally or figuratively."

That got Ciel to join in the insane screeching laughter all tension effectively broken for the time being.

Sebastian checked the mail that day, thinking to himself how grand it was Elizabeth had made zero attempts to contact Astre while also finding it incredibly out of character. He didn't want to bring her up since he knew that would dampen his master's mood, but he knew if she didn't reach out eventually he would have to. Noble engagements didn't just get frozen out; they had to announce a reason, real or fabricated depending on any indiscretions, and be formally dissolved by family elders or guardians. In Elizabeth's case, her parents would need to formalize the dissolution. In Astre's, Sebastian would serve as his ward to do the dissolving. 

Though a marriage could still be forced if one party refused to sign the document, the Midfords were intelligent enough to know that unhappy marriages tended to end in bloodshed. They would sign the document for their daughter's safety if for no other reason.

Sebastian inhaled sharply at the letter with the Midford crest on it. He had hoped for a split second it was from Edward who genuinely seemed to care for Astre but knew with the girly exaggerated scrawl on the return address, this was Elizabeth's doing.

He resisted the urge to throw the letter into the fireplace or ball it up and chuck it straight into the disposal bin. He would read it with Astre, maybe giving him another opportunity to kiss the young man. Properly on the lips this time.

"Mail, Sebastian." Astre commanded as he took his breakfast in his office again due to the heavy volume of work he still had to finish. 

"You never take a break young master. That isn't good for someone of your age."