Black Butler: The Stellar Dove

6.2

  "Got caught sneaking around, did we?"

I looked down, covering my face with my hand in embarrassment. "Y—yes... I'm sorry, I was just going down the hall to the balcony. I had a nightmare and needed some time to get my thoughts together—"

"Say no more," he sighed. "I'm not upset with you. But if it happens again, please call me. I don't want you wondering these halls alone. This manor is not a good place to be out and about alone at night."

"Um, alright," I answered quietly. I was put a bit off-guard by his reaction. He didn't scold me for pushing my limits by running around his master's mansion. He sounded more like a concerned mother than anything. "If I may ask, what are you doing out here?"

"Me?" the butler sighed, looking up. "The same reason as you. I needed time to think."

"Oh, well, if that's the case, then I'll let you have your break. I know how busy you are..."

"You're welcome to stay," he smiled. "Your presence is more of a comfort to me... compared to the others."

I smiled softly, giggling as I remembered Mey-Rin and Finny. "They're a handful, aren't they?"

"That's an understatement," he shook his head. "My job consists of being a butler and fixing all of their mistakes."

"It's a miracle how you can keep up with them all," I smiled.

"Oh, it's no miracle," he gave me a mysterious smile. "I'm simply one hell of a butler."

My expression changed to something like a mix of confusion and suspicion. There was something about the way he said that that made me think the phrase had significance. I didn't linger on it, though, considering it was late and my mind wasn't at its best.

"Now that I think about it, you really are," I looked down, blushing at remembering something. "Did you... carry me all the way here? Or did you call for a coach?"

He looked a bit surprised at the question, but quickly regained his poise. "I carried you."

"Oh..." I remembered how comforted I felt, how securely he held me. I would have trusted him to carry my across a tight rope over a fiery pit than to have stayed alone in the streets. "But... if that's the case, how far away is the manor from where we met?"

"Quite a distance," he told me.

I looked up at him again, blinking in confusion. "You're awfully mysterious," I admitted. "You interest me."

"As do you," he smirked slightly.

I couldn't understand the conversation we were having for a moment there. He was clearly trying to say something—something with his eyes or the shape of his mouth or his movements—but, unlike his master, I could not yet read his language. The feeling that I was overlooking something obvious was beginning to plague me.

"Please," I looked down, brushing the feeling off. "I'm sure I'm like any other noble lady. You, on the other hand... you're unique. No, that's definitely not the word I'm looking for. You're too perfect." I looked away from him, smiling. "Honestly, I can't imagine you messing up."

The butler almost chuckled. "My lady, if you truly knew me, you would know I'm far from perfect."

"Then what are you?" I laughed, confused. "I'm missing something here, I know, and I'm dying to find out what."

"You shouldn't burden yourself with trying to learn someone else's identity alongside your own."

"Then what about this?" I returned the smirk, walking to his side. I might have stopped just a little too close to him, but I didn't much care. "I get three guesses at what you're hiding, and then I'll quit. You must tell me if I'm right or wrong."