The Final Curtain (Kuroshitsuji)

Chapter Three: The Undertaker's Acquaintance

Having summoned the household staff to the kitchens, Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Right... out with it, then, I suppose. Given the recent developments to the Young Master's condition, I will be assigning each of you an assistant in order to ensure that the work actually gets done around the manor."

There was a clamor of protest from Bard, Mei Rin, and Finny. Sebastian silenced it with a mere stare.

"I do not belittle the banner job the three of you do in protecting the estate," Sebastian said, in an even tone. "In fact, I have not given you enough credit in the past. However, the simple fact is that work still must be done in the household, and you are all relatively incompetent as house servants.  This is the best thing to do."

"I have just the person for you," Undertaker piped up in his creaky voice, suddenly appearing in the doorway. 

"Oi, when did you get there?" Bard exclaimed.  Undertaker ignored him, speaking directly to Sebastian. 

"I know a girl who  can assist all three of your servants with utmost precision," he explained.  "Someone rather close to me.  She has been a marvelous help at the shop lately."  Undertaker gave Sebastian a pointed look, peeking out from under his bangs so that his eyes glowed.  "Of course, you will have to ask her yourself.  What say you?" 

"Perhaps," Sebastian mused.  "Might I have a word with you further on the subject?  In the hall, please, sir?"

Undertaker followed the butler into the hall with an amused expression.  "If you would like to visit the mortuary this afternoon, you may speak with the girl in question," he said. 

Sebastian regarded the old shinigami carefully.  "What are you not telling me, Undertaker?"

The mortician sighed.  "Only that the woman in question is very dear to me.  You and I have always gotten along fairly well despite the discomfort between reapers and demons, but should any harm come to her during her time at the Phantomhive estate - any harm that can be traced back to a member of this household - I will not cease until I have made it right, you see?"

Undertaker still kept his mildly deranged smile for this conversation with the butler, and it made the threat all the more real.  Sebastian smiled and nodded.  "There are no spiders in this manor.  Only a dark crow and a rather fussy vulture.  Whomever your acquaintance may be, I assure you she will be safe here." 

"No spiders..." returned Undertaker, understanding perfectly what the butler meant.  "Yes... how awful it would be to find any spiders left in England." 

With that, the old mortician took his leave, and Sebastian returned to the kitchen to find Soma and Agni speaking in low voices with the rest of the servants of the Phantomhive manor.  Each of them turned to face him, making him feel almost uncomfortable. 

Almost, but not quite. 

"It all makes sense now!" Soma exclaimed, looking up into the butler's face with a mixture of boldness and terror.  "Your inhuman abilities, your coldness towards Ciel...!  I knew all along something was different about you!" 

Agni rested a hand on the Prince's shoulder, causing him to be quiet.  The khansama fixed Sebastian with his kind grey eyes, which failed to represent any particular feeling.  The butler dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and placed a gloved hand over his heart. 

"Agni," said Sebastian, not even looking up.  "My deepest apologies for keeping this secret from you.  I called you a friend, and yet I hid the cornerstone of my true nature from you, though I knew you were among the most loyal of companions.  I humbly beg your forgiveness." 

Everyone present in the kitchen stared in utter shock at the raw display of regret and emotion from the butler who was ordinarily either very stoic or very smug.  Agni placed his bandaged hand on Sebastian's shoulder and beckoned for him to rise.  "What sort of man is he, who has been forgiven and yet does not forgive?" he questioned his friend, a single red tear falling from his eye down to a small smile, while Prince Soma and the Phantomhive servants glanced at each other proudly. 

"Demon or not, we owe you our livelihood, and our lives!" Finny told the butler, placing a hand on the sleeve of his coat and looking up at him with eyes wide with admiration. 

"Yeah, and you've survived all sorts of experiences that would kill any ordinary person," Bard added, crossing his arms.  "Anyone who can do that, human or not, deserves respect."

"But it doesn't change that you still should be nicer to Ciel!  Be his Agni!" Soma tugged at the end of Sebastian's tailcoat in irritation.  Sebastian, for his part, did not scold the young prince for it this time, as he was too preoccupied with the words coming out of the mouths of his companions. 

"You are our leader, Mr. Sebastian, yes!" Mei Rin stated with determination.  "And never forget it!"

Prince Soma hesitated for a brief moment before pulling Agni and Sebastian into a tearful embrace.  Soon enough Bard, Finny and Mei Rin followed suit, and Agni even began to shed tears as well at the sight of his prince being so moved. 

Sebastian could only stand still and allow everything to be done.  He had other matters to ponder, one of the foremost ones being the peculiar feeling he was experiencing in his chest.