That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Wretched

"—Well?" Ciel asked Soma, sitting across from him at one end of the dining table. "How much longer do you two plan on staying here at the manor?" It had been several weeks now

"I'm staying just so I can spend the long-awaited winter holiday with you, so how could you say that!?" Soma huffed.

"Don't go making up your own holidays!" Ciel scolded him, turning the page of his newspaper. An article about the death of the president of a diamond trading company caught his attention.

"You see, today is the day that I shall beat you in chess!" Soma declared brightly.

"Forgive me, but I have to work today," Ciel said, not sounding very apologetic. "Come, Sebastian."

"Yes, Sir," Sebastian said, pulling the chair out for him as he stood up.

"But you said that yesterday too and only played one game with me!" Soma protested, pouting.

"Why don't you try improving your game by studying up on chess problems while I'm working?" Ciel suggested coolly. "You're too weak."

"Dammiiit, I'll get you!!" Soma shouted after Ciel as he left the room. "Agni, assist me with my special training!"

"≤Jo aagyaaa≥!!" Agni replied, ready to help his prince.

"..." Sebastian watched them while Ciel trudged on.

"To work, to work," the young earl muttered.

=†=†=†=†=†=

{Around afternoon teatime...}

"Geez! I should have had Mei-Rin help me with this!" Chêne said, quickly collecting the laundry hanging on the lines under the overcast sky. It definitely smelled like rain, so she had to get all the dry sheets and clothing inside quick! "Hmm?" she said when she thought she saw a flash of white out the corner of her eyes. "It couldn't be..."

—^—^—^—

"Haaah—" Mei-rin sighed deeply, staring up into the grey sky through the kitchen window. "The sky seems awful cloudy, it doooes!" She wondered if maybe she should go help Chêne bring the laundry in. "I hope the rain at least holds until the dry laundry is inside."

"Geez, the weather really is a mess in this country," Bard said while he peeled a potato. "Can't help gettin' all depressed when the sky's always this gloomy." Several lines appeared in the kitchen door to the outside.

BANG!

All at once, the door seemed to explode into the room in pieces. Bard jumped. He was so surprised, he nearly lost his cigarette.

"Pardon the intrusiiion!" A young man in white with white hair said brightly as he strolled into the kitchen with another young man dressed in white. "Is Earl Phantomhive at home?"

"Who wants to know?" Bard asked as he and Mei-Rin moved into defensive positions, ready to stamp out trouble at its source.

"Ohh~?" the first young man said, grinning slyly. "Are you two going to... play with me!?" he asked, drawing his sword and attacking with the speed of a professional hitman. It was all they could do to dodge.

"!?" Bard gasped, skidding to a stop. In the blink of an eye, the young man was right on top of him, preparing to swing his sword again at him. "He's fast—!"

BLAM!

The violent intruder jumped back away from Bard, dodging the spray of bullets Mei-Rin unleashed to save the chef. All the shelves of china that had been behind him before he moved were completely destroyed.