That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Freeloading 2

"Young Master. We have arrived," Sebastian announced once they had reached their destination. He had led them to what looked like the street entrance of a basement, and the staircase seemed to lead on forever, but Ciel couldn't really see much, since it was cast in shadow.

"—You sure this is it?" Ciel asked. It just looked like a rundown hole in the wall to him.

"Yes, Sir," Sebastian replied confidently.

"I have to say, for some reason, I didn't expect that guy to pick such a low-key place... I'd half expected something a little more showy," Chêne said honestly, smiling wryly. "It always feels a little weird going 'underground' since we don't have basements in New Orleans, since we're technically below sea level... we don't even burry our dead in the ground. We have to build mini mausoleums to shelter and protect their coffins," she said as she stared down the dark stairwell.

"You need not accompany us. Our destination is not any place for a lady," Sebastian said, flashing her a shit-eating grin. Chêne raised an eyebrow at him, and scoffed.

"Since when have I ever been 'a Lady'? Besides, Ciel is going, and he's thirteen. You'll have to do better than that if you want to get rid of me, Sebastian!" Chêne huffed indignantly as she immediately started marching down the dark stairwell. Sebastian smiled wryly in amusement.

"Well then, Young Master. Shall we brave the darkness as well?" he asked Ciel, smirking.

"Hmph! Do you really need to ask?" Ciel deadpanned as he followed after Chêne. After they had gone a certain distance, they found that the stairwell was illuminated by the dim glow of Chinese lanterns that had been affixed to the stone walls here and there.

"Do watch your step," Sebastian warned Ciel. The dim lighting might be enough for Sebastian and Chêne to see perfectly in, but Ciel was still just a human, and it was probably just barely enough light for him to even be able to make out that there were steps. They soon reached a double-door that had been decorated with an ornate oriental motif.

"Now this is a little more like what I was expecting!" Chêne said, smiling wryly.

KACHACK.

"!" Chêne and Ciel said when Sebastian opened the door, and a cloud of smoke washed over them, baptizing them in a sickly sweet scent. Chêne gagged, and she and Ciel coughed when they inhaled the overwhelming scent. Chêne grimaced. She really hoped that smoke wasn't what she thought it was...

"What an awful smell..." Ciel said as they both covered their noses. Chêne glanced at Sebastian, and was surprised to see that he wasn't affected by the weird smoke at all... which was strange because his nose was even more sensitive than hers, so it had to be torture... Sebastian had amazing will power.

"Try not to breathe in too much of this smoke, Ciel..." Chêne warned him as they stepped futher into the strange 'establishment.' She hoped it wasn't possible to get a addicted to opium just from smelling it...

"... So you've finally managed to find this place... Earl," said the very man they had come to see. Ciel could just make out his silhouette in the smoky and dimly lit room. The mysterious man was lounging on an oriental sofa, and there seemed to be another person with him. "I see you have brought Miss Maid with you, as well... How strange to be facing you here like this." The mysterious figure said as he took a drag on his pipe, and exhaled the smoke. "But I've... always believed this day would come," he said as they came closer.

"And what sort of day would that be?" Ciel demanded darkly, vein mark throbbing on his forehead.

"Just what are you trying to say, Lau?" Chêne asked sternly, giving the Chinaman a sharp glare, as a vein mark throbbed on her forehead. Now that they were closer, they could see that the person sitting with Lau was actually a pretty (and somewhat scantily clad by Victorian standards) Chinese girl who was sitting on his lap, and there were lots of other scantily clad girls too. They were all lying on the sofa, and fawning over Lau as he lounged nonchalantly and smoked his Chinese pipe. What was this—his harem!?