Kuroshitsuji: The Contract from Birth [Ciel Phantomhive]

[37] Her Butler, Unconcerned

The morning light had barely begun to shine through the thin curtains when harsh, quick and panicked knocks woke Ciel and I up abruptly, scaring me enough to fall off the edge of the bed and onto his lap clumsily. The covert I was wrapped in fell with me and we ended up entangling ourselves in a flustered mess, each movement that we made to try and get us out only ending up worsening the situation.

"Ciel! Adelin-- Oh."

I popped my head out from under Ciel's arm and turned red as Isabella stood in front of us, hand covering her eyes and lips pursed in a tight, thin line.

Ciel shoved me off and I grunted as my behind made contact with the hard floor. Quickly, he began to protest.

"It's not what it looks like--"

"No, no, I apologize, I should have knocked since you're both engaged... b-but something terrible has happened!" she exclaimed with trembling lips.

As I stood up and brushed myself off, I finally took notice of how pale and sickened she seemed. Slowly, she let her hand fall from her eyes and she pointed a shaking finger to the ceiling.

"S-Someone's been m-m-murdered!"

I practically had to carry Adelina up the steps to the third floor after we had quickly finished dressing ourselves to face the scene. She was in shock and was too afraid to face who had been killed.

As expected, practically everyone was crowding the bedroom where the murder had occurred and both our demons were at the heart of the circle.

Yuki was at the edge of it all, holding the children --with the help of Baldroy and the twins-- from stepping any closer by extending their arms out and blocking their paths. When Mey-Rin caught sight of us both, she hurried over and offered us some tea.

"You mustn't get any closer, Miss," she warned, tray shaking in her hand. "It wouldn't be wise, no it would not."

With newfound courage, Adelina shoved me away and began marching up to the crowd, despite my protests. Sighing heavily, I followed her immediately and maneuvered my way towards the middle.

The sight certainly did take a moment to take in, but Adelina, surprisingly, did not falter.

The crippled, lifeless body of a young man laid still on the carpeted floor, a halo of darkened blood surrounding his head and torso while even more bloody spots littered his corpse.

The act of murder certainly was violent. Almost angry.

I glanced to Adelina in slight worry, but she was only frozen in shock. Thankfully, no longer fear.

"Rodric, anything?" She asked quietly, to which he shook his head to.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, my Lady," Rodric responded solemnly, glancing down at the man, "I'm afraid our killer was incredibly precise with his actions so to leave no trace."

Sebastian nodded and looked at me with a faint smirk.

"Quite."

"Mon Dieu!"1 Sir Gunther shouted as he pushed through the wall of curious, sickened and appalled guests. He slowly removed his hat to expose a balding scalp and placed it against his heart, taking a moment to mourn in silence before glancing to us in surprise.

"What are you all doing? This is no place for you, not now!" He exclaimed with a wave of his hand, but before he could continue, I pulled out my badge from my jacket pocket and flashed it in his face.

It took a second for him to register what I had placed in front of him, but after squinting at it for a few seconds, he gasped and clasped his hands together at his chest in what seemed to be relief.