Kuroshitsuji: The Contract from Birth [Ciel Phantomhive]

[18] Her Butler, Lecturing || 2

It was dark. No light shone past the ripped, expensive drapes that adorned my nailed shut window, but I didn't mind since for months now, I was usually only awake during the night. Sometimes when it was daytime, I could walk around to make sure my body was functioning just as much as it should. But that only happened around once a week. The flower was there on the wall again, bright and beautiful, making me smile as I traced its petals with my dirty finger. My finger touched something sticky as I reached the last petal, and I cringed as tears began to form in my eyes.

I don't remember why I'm so alone.

I stretched my neck to try and look over to the only entrance to my room and I winced at the stinging pain as I did so. My fingers raised to my collarbone, and I could feel bits of torn, raw flesh hanging from my neck, explaining the throbbing discomfort. Can't call for Mother. Can't ever call for Father.

My legs adjusted themselves, and a long length of rope fell from the bed and onto the floor with a loud thump. I jumped and stared wide-eyed at the doorway, expecting someone to come in and yell for the noises I was making. The doorknob turned, and the tall silhouette of a man made me breathe shakily, but then a second shadow made itself visible. Then two more. And another.

"Adelina?"

-

"Adelina?"

I sighed heavily and glanced up, seeing Soma and Rodric and remembering where I was.

"I... I don't remember exactly how my parents died," I slowly explained, "All I remember is water, and that it wasn't their fault..."

I clenched my jaw and turned away, flattening out the front of my dress to distract me from an oncoming headache I always seemed to get whenever I tried to recall memories from the past.

"I hit my head when the carriage flipped over into the lake so everything's a haze, and by the time Rodric knew what had happened, I was clutching onto my life by thin strings."

I glanced up at the demon, and he looked away. It must be rather embarrassing for a devil to fail and be fooled by humans so easily.

"It had been planned from the start: drive the butler away, and then sabotage the carriage ride. The DelMare's would drown with an ironic death."

Seeing Soma's confusion, I cleared my throat and clarified, raising a hand. "DelMare means 'of the sea' in French."

After seeing him nod, I continued.

"After being taken home, the manor and I vowed to never rest until whoever had tried to eradicate the DelMare's was six feet underneath, broken and suffocated... Which is why I occupy myself in doing the Queen's work in order to fulfill my parent's industry just as they would have wanted while gathering information on their murderers from the Underground."

Soma's eyes were wide. "But if you don't even remember--"

Cutting him off, I shook my head and smiled softly, already having predicted that he wouldn't understand.

"You see, even if I don't remember the exact events that happened, the pain, agony, and misery have always been prominently clear. And I will never forgive them for it. Whatever you feel as though you need to accomplish, do so by giving your all. And so you should follow in wise words from my father." I said, closing my eyes and walking up to him.

"If you aren't proving your worth, do so, because triumph and fools do not go together."

A hand fell on my shoulder and I glanced back, seeing Ciel and Sebastian patiently waiting for me and Prince Soma.