Kuroshitsuji: The Contract from Birth [Ciel Phantomhive]

[9] Her Butler, Hunting

As we reached the stables, Ciel made it quite clear to be the obstacle between his aunt and I. Elizabeth, however, paid no mind to this thick tension, instead pestering and squawking about anything to the Earl, exasperating myself and Rodric a great deal. Cute this, cute that. My, how could he put up with her so effortlessly?

"What do you think of this, Marchioness?" Sebastian asked her, finally stopping in front of a rather large horse. "I have especially bought a horse with a black-blue coat as the master's personal horse. It has always been my wish to show this to the Marchioness."

He gestured to the horse and the Marchioness looked up at it in awe.

Using this moment to my advantage, I elbowed Ciel angrily and glared at him. "You're family is--"

"--I already know," he answered with a sigh, shaking his head.

Elizabeth was chirping on about how much she had missed him besides us when his aunt interrupted. "Ciel, do you want to go hunting with me right now?"

"With Aunt Francis?" Ciel echoed, surprised. Rodric's eyebrow raised and I leaned against the stable post, listening to their conversation. After a few seconds, Elizabeth walked up to me and presented me an assortment of sweets, her smile bright. She was clearly not one to notice when she was being a nuisance.

"Would you like one? They're the Funtum Sweets. The newer ones." she offered, placing them out for me to see. "Vanilla, green tea and strawberry!"

I didn't trust anyone just handing me a sweet, but Rodric's encouraging smile made me feel as if it was alright. Blinking, I took the vanilla one and nodded in thanks, popping it in my mouth. It was... incredibly good. I had never actually tried a Funtum Sweet because of the sole reason that Erin and Eren ate them all before I could have one. I didn't think much of it so I never ordered for them to save me one. Elizabeth was about to offer one to Rodric when I snatched the rest from her hand, eating the strawberry one quickly.

"Aren't they good?" she asked with a smile, taking out a few more and placing them in my palm. "I always have a few with me. Ciel is such a good business man!"

I rolled my eyes and tucked the empty wrappers into my dress pocket. Rodric was chuckling behind her and I shot him a look, continuing to eat the sweets. At least now he knew what to add to the weekly list of staples.

"This is a good opportunity for me to observe what sort of man my daughter is going to marry. Or perhaps... hunting is too strenuous for Earl of Phantomhive who possesses such a small, skinned build of a girl."

Despite my great dislike for Marchioness Midford, I couldn't help the laughter that almost escaped me, and so in attempts to muffle that sound, I tried to suck in a gasp of air. I ended up sounding like I was choking, and evidently unintentionally swallowed my candy. A hand began patting my back as I tried to spit back out the sweet that was stuck at the back of my throat, and gently, Rodric pulled it out of my mouth once it was there and tossed it away, his expression serious.

"Please, be more careful."

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, her hands clasped at her chest. "What were you laughing about anyways?"

I was about to respond when Ciel called out to Sebastian, shooting me a knowing glare. Not wanting to embarrass him any further, I shook my head at Elizabeth's question.

"Just something I remembered, I'm fine."

"Alright!" Ciel said, looking up at his aunt with a fierce determination. "Sebastian, make preparations!"

"A competition!" Marchioness Midford announced, her arms at her hips. Sebastian, Rodric and I exchanged glances, aware that this would be somewhat eventful. If there had been anything that I came to know about Ciel Phantomhive, it would be that he was a prime competitor.