Kuroshitsuji: The Contract from Birth [Ciel Phantomhive]

[4] Her Butler, Chance Encounter || 2

If there was ever a moment for me to admit to not have any knowledge of someone's existence, I may have thought about admitting it then, because as I turned to face the woman who was speaking to us, an expression of utter confusion etched itself onto my face. Ciel, on the other hand, seemed unfazed.

"Naturally, you were on the suspect list from the very beginning," I rolled my eyes and Rodric scoffed lowly, but Ciel continued on, "But all of your alibis seemed flawless."

"You mean you actually suspected your own aunt?"

This was even more of a shock for me. I hadn't realized Ciel could possibly have more relatives. My eyes flitted to the woman who had revealed herself from the shadows. Indeed, this woman was related to Ciel, if you looked past the bright red fire she was wearing. She had ruby red locks, much like Grell's hair, and wherever else you looked, was also dripping red. Her dress, her lips, shoes, coat, and shoes seemed to have all been dipped in bright blood, contrasting the dark and wet alley we were all in. It was blatantly clear that Ciel and this Madame Red looked nothing alike in pigment, but in the eyes were the same look of determination that seemed to spark attention.

"I was looking for a murderer; the degree of relation to me did not matter," Ciel told her, and I suddenly felt out of place. Rodric must have sensed this because he placed a gloved hand on my shoulder as if it was a sort of assurance. "None of the humans on the suspect list could have been responsible for all the murders.

"But if one of them had an inhuman accomplice, that would change the game completely. It had to be someone who could enter and leave the room without being noticed; someone who could travel from the Viscount's home to the East End instantaneously. In the end, you two were the only ones who could be Jack the Ripper... you Madame Red and Grell Sutcliff."

Grell was smiling wide, listening to Ciel continue on with his explanation. I kept my impression hidden, but hated to admit that he did quite the job on finding out who this duo was. Madame Red was just the same, her expression grave, eyes locked on her nephew. She seemed to be on the verge of causing an uproar; I could see it in her ruby eyes.

"I began to look into what else the victims had in common besides prostitution. And then, I noticed they'd all undergone a certain surgery at the hospital where you work."

Ciel brought out a sheet of paper from his coat pocket, and that's when I realized that he was wearing peasant clothing. Though it caught my curiosity, I shook it off and my glance flitted to Rodric, who seemed amused at Ciel's deductions.

"We made a list of all the patients. One, the only one who was still alive, was a woman by the name of Mary Kelly. We knew if we waited around here you would come for her eventually..." Ciel's voice faltered ever so slightly, and he looked down, a bit crestfallen, "But we were too late..."

So Mary-Kelly was the name of the woman who died a few moments ago before me. She had fairly good lungs.

"My darling nephew, how unfortunate this turned out to be..." Madame Red said after a moment of silence, she herself seeming sorrowful as well, "If you had let it go, we could have played chess again."

My watchful gaze sharply turned to Angelina and I saw the rage in her eyes finally break. That singular sentence explained her motives, and she had no care for paying for her crimes. I was too slow, and Rodric pulled me back before I could push Ciel out of the way. He locked me in his arms and I watched with wide eyes as Angelina yelled at Ciel with complete loathing.

"But now... you've taken everything!"

To my shock, Grell was the one who attacked Ciel, suddenly whipping out his chainsaw once again and swinging it down upon his head. My mouth parted to command Rodric, but Sebastian caught the whirring weapon between his palms and stopped it before I could form the sentence. I had forgotten that Sebastian was a demon butler as well. In single shove, Grell was pushed away, flipping back in the air and landing with his maniacal grin.