The White Butterfly of Phantomhive

Chapter 37: A serious condition. Who is Father?

Ciel whips around to find the Princess of the circus standing behind him. "Don't move." Doll says. She puts down her lantern and flips over Ciel and lands in front of him. "Sebasti-!" Before Ciel can call for Sebastian, she quickly hushes him and covers his mouth. "Be quiet." She said as she showed that she had restrained the hostile snake. She had protected him...why?

"Oi, Doll!" Dagger shouts out, looking for her.  He smiled when she steps out and walks over to her. What are you waitin' for? Come on and get change so we can go- AAAAHHHHH!!!" Dagger screams in fright when Doll presents the wriggling snake to Dagger. "One of Snake's snakes is loose. He needs to be more careful, we've told him not to let them out." She tells him with her solemn tone.

"Snake! Get this blasted creature of yours!" Dagger shouts, keeping his distance away from the scaly serpent as Snake walks over to the two. "I don't like risking my life just by walkin' around." Doll said as she lets go of the snake and it lovingly wraps itself around Snake's shoulders. It gave a lowly hiss to his ear before the serpent-dancer wordlessly walks away. "Please keep 'em locked up, mate. Well, I'm off to the mess tent." Dagger says as he departs from the area as well and he and the others went to go get something to eat.

With them gone, Doll grabs Ciel hand and leads him away from the restricted area and out of prying eyes. "Right. We should be in the clear now." She says as she looked back at the tents, not seeing anyone else around. Ciel lets out a cough as he turns to Doll in confusion. "Thanks, but why did you help me?" He asked.

"You still haven't figured it out, eh? Let me show you. It's me." She asks as she undoes her ribbon and takes off her white wig. Letting loose her brown hair.

"Freckle-face, it's you!?" Ciel shouted in astonishment and points at his roommate. This whole time Doll, a first-tier performer has been Freckles. Which helps explains why she helped him in the first place. Doll's dull and solemn personality took a huge 180 and became annoyed with that nickname he gave her. "Hey now, is that any way to address a lady? Didn't Kitty teach you right?" She asked.

"You're a bloke but you wear a dress on stage?" Ciel asked, bewildered by this as he was pretty sure that Doll...or Freckles...or whatever their name is, was a guy. Doll didn't take too kindly to that and stepped up to him. "You are very rude, aren't you? I'm a genuine maid, thank you. Here, I'll prove it." She says as she takes his hand and places it on her breast. "There, ya see?" Ciel, utterly mortified, and withdraws his hand and gets away from her.

"What have a look-see down below while you're at it?" Doll asks him with a cheeky smile on her face. Ciel, of course, hastily declines. "No, thank you!"

"So what were you doing around Snake's tent anyway?" Doll inquired. Getting back to the issue in hand. "They must've told you it was dangerous."

"Well, I-." Ciel began to say, pausing to think of a good story to satisfy her. 'I'll have to lie. An unsavoury cover story will be most convincing.' "You caught me, I'm sorry! But I haven't stolen anything today, I swear! I'll be good, I promise, only please don't run me off!" Ciel cried, clutching his head and pretending to be deeply remorseful of his actions.

"What are you...? Wait, today?" Doll asked.

"I might as well tell you! My sister and I lived on the East End before we became a page and cook! She's the only family I've got left in my life, I did whatever I had to by for her sake! I know stealing is wrong, but old habits are hard to shake, my last master gave me the sack!" Ciel sobbed as he fell to his knees. Continuing with this little charade. "If the circus turns me out, I'll have to go back scraping by on the East End! My sweet sister won't allow me to go back there alone, and it'll be my fault if she's forced to come with me!"