Kuroshitsuji 1. Chapter 1

_So finally I've rewritten this story, or at least began to. It's not really anything like the other one.. but still kinda like it! I hope you enjoy it! 3 _

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"My Lord, do try and appear as if you are at least enjoying this. A lot of people went to great lengths to try and please you." The young man in question looked up icily, meeting the intense gaze of his butler.

"Don't patronize me. You know very well how I feel about such events." He muttered under his breath, barely able to conceal the flash of red that flickered through his one visible dark blue eye.

"That may be so, but this is the first time you have been in public light since your … accident. Show some appreciation for their effort." Ciel rolled his eye, before glaring pointedly at Sebastian. "I didn't grace the pits of Hell to be brought to an even crueller Hell." Ciel muttered. His butler merely chuckled, disappearing momentarily to fetch him more to drink, hoping the alcohol would do some wonder to subdue his temper.

Ciel was in no mood to listen to a lecture on behaviour and common courtesy from his _butler_. Although, he knew the damned butler was right. No one aside from Sebastian knew the true details of his … _accident._ Lizzy had been distraught at the news that her beloved fiancé had nearly met his demise like his parents in a fire in his country home, leaving him in such poor health and mind he kept out of public eye completely for six long years.

It was easy to make her believe such a tale.

Much easier than trying to convince her that now, the young Earl had no remaining shred of humanity. It took every ounce of his self-control to smother the smile threatening to break through his stony features. He was revelling in his new demonic form. The power that surged through his every cell … it made him feel invincible, the lustful looks directed towards him by every woman presented within the room – be she married, young or old; his charm and charisma could entice anyone to do his bidding. It was pure, unrestrained power.

He had no desire to return to his old life.

After all, now he was _unstoppable._

Besides, he had been gone for such a long time, so many years. He had seen all the horrors men attempt to describe but fail at miserably. Hell, the real burning Hell. Authors and poets had done a most terrible job attempting to describe and give shape to the pits of Hell. Oddly enough, he had found it refreshing, awakening, _empowering._ He was a creature brought forth from darkness, a darkness that contained a power man could never fathom. A power some bloody poet certainly couldn't write about. He almost missed the cries of broken souls and blazing heat.

Oh, those years had taught him many things. So many valuable, wonderful things. It was so freeing, he was shocked himself. He no longer needed to prioritise the pathetic ventures of the lesser men, or rather _humans_. It was no longer any of his concern. He could easily overpower any of them in strength and intelligence, should they be stupid enough to attempt to challenge him. And that thought alone made him drunk with power. Oh yes, he was absolutely unstoppable. Everything was in his grasp. Everything he could ever desire.

Money, power, women.

Oh _women_.  
_There_ was something he had especially come to appreciate in his six year absence.

He had come to love his most base needs during the years Sebastian was training him, and all previous notions that had been drilled into him of modesty, wedlock and honour suddenly seemed so laughable. Why would anyone deny themselves such a pure bodily pleasure?

It was utterly absurd.

His new outlook on life really made him question one thing in particular. When there was money to be made, countries to rule and women to fuck, what, _what_ was he doing at another godforsaken Gala that he couldn't stand as a human, much less now.

_Pathetic excuse of a butler dragging me to another one of these moronic parties._

Unfortunately, he did not have a lot of time to think to himself, for as soon as his faithful butler left his side momentarily a plump woman decided to make his acquaintance.

"My, my! If it isn't Earl Phantomhive! Haven't you grown into a fine young man!" She exclaimed. Ciel put on his best smile, taking the woman's hand and kissing the back as she bowed her head respectfully. She was speaking the truth, much had changed. His demonic form seemed to have demanded a better body than that of a child, so grow he did. He now stood tall and proud, only about a mere two inches shorter than Sebastian. He had broadened slightly, his relatively tight clothing doing nothing to hide the feint outline of muscle. He was still slim, however now he was toned, every muscle strong and ready to fight at any moments call. Sebastian had trained him relentlessly after all. His hair somehow seemed to have gotten darker, his skin somehow paler and more pristine than in his youth.

Hardly a wonder that women from far and wide lusted for such a man.

The woman before him blushed ever so slightly, as she cradled the kissed hand to her chest almost lovingly. He had a vague idea of her identity; she was the lady of the house currently hosting the Gala, he remembered that much, Lady Margret or something of the like. She was known for her impeccable choice of music, food and dress during such events. Despite his foul mood, he had to admit the venue was beautiful and the music was more entertaining than he had anticipated.

"I was so fearful I would never see you again when I heard of your accident!" She continued in a softer tone, staring down at her drink to avoid all eye contact with him. Why was she acting so bashful? She was hardly an innocent little girl. Ciel could have sighed, but he had a reputation to uphold. Women were so _sentimental_, one night of relieving his stress with her during his training and she was willing to leave her husband and three children in a heartbeat, if he so bid her.

"Not even the horrors of a burning house could keep me away from you, my sweet."

Ciel did still care about his image for the sake of the company, perhaps out of habit and perhaps for profit, he couldn't really tell anymore, but now he couldn't resist delving into his most primitive desires. He had become quite the notorious and infamous womanizer – he would never deny it. He distantly wondered whether Lizzy heard any of the rumours. Knowing Lizzy, she probably chose to ignore them if she had even heard them. _Gullible thing.  
_He felt nothing for the woman who would quite happily kneel at his feet and idolise him. In fact, women were all too happy to get on their knees whenever he so requested. Ciel knew all too well he could have any woman within this room – it was a pity none of them were all that appealing.

The woman before him blushed deeper and beamed up to him. "I am incredibly happy you could make – Is that… No it couldn't be, I invited her but I never thought she would…" Ciel blinked, looking at the woman.

She was staring past him, to someone behind him. He turned and followed he gaze. It was directed at a young girl who had walked into the room with an elderly woman at her side. Ciel licked his lips with a slight smirk. The young girl was a striking creature, far outshining the other women within the party.

"Who is that?" He questioned. The woman blinked owlishly and quickly gathered her bearings, still evidently in shock from seeing the young girl in the first place. "You don't know her? Oh, I suppose you wouldn't with your absence from society these past few years. That is Lady Ashford, young heiress to her late father's – God bless his soul - trading company. But… I never expected her to attend! Today is the anniversary of her fiancé's death after all. I was more concerned she would take offence to the invitation. I would loath her to think me insensitive." She murmured the end softly, looking at the girl sympathetically.

Ciel thought quickly. He had heard of the name before, he probably had done business with them before when selling his goods overseas. But he was quite certain he had never seen this girl before.

"Does she attend these parties often?"

Lady Margret smiled sadly. "She must now. She must be a miserable little thing; her family would appear to be cursed."

Ciel barely kept back an amused smile. "Cursed?"

"Oh yes, quite. For you see, she had an older brother. If memory serves me right… George. Yes, George Ashford. A very promising child. But he drowned in the garden pond when he was a mere five years of age. Lord Ashford was devastated. Supposedly the only thing that kept him together was the thought of his wife currently carrying his second son. But his wife bore a daughter – Aveline. A mirror image of her mother. Lord Ashford was never quite the same after that. Oh her sweet, dear mother… Their marriage suffered terribly, but it is said that they attempted for another blessed boy, and she miraculously became pregnant once more after the birth of Aveline. It is believed the only way dear Grace made it to full term with her little boy was due to some gifted butler that came into her service around that time. But my poor dear Gracie… she died giving birth to her baby boy. It is said that the little babe died in her arms. She kissed his little forehead and their hearts stopped at the same time… My poor little Gracie… "

Ciel tuned out of the ramblings of the woman as she spoke of her dear friend whom she has known all her life. He gave the young girl the once over. Probably a few years his junior, quite a slim build which he presumed would have been from a sickly upbringing. She had light blonde hair, styled elegantly on the top of her head so he couldn't guess the length of her hair. Even from this distance he could see the steel coloured orbs behind long thick eyelashes.

He licked his lips.

Oh yes, she was quite appetising indeed.

Realising the woman beside him had finished her rambles he turned to her with an enticing smile. "Do tell me, who is this fiancé of which you speak of?"

The woman sighed, looking sorrowfully at the girl who was currently engaged in a conversation with the Viscount of Druitt. She didn't appear thrilled at the concept.

"Oh my… who was her fiancé…? My memory is failing me quite terribly you know. I can only remember so much at my age. Certain nights for example…" She mused to herself. Ciel had to force every muscle in his body to suppress the shudder that wanted to run through his body.

He leaned close to her ear, his fingers brushing ever so lightly against her bare collar bone. "Oh come, I know you remember, you just enjoy teasing don't you?" The woman shivered and the blush rose on her cheeks.

"B-But of course not! H-Her fiancé-" She cleared her throat trying in vain to try and gain some of her composure. Ciel couldn't stop the smirk gracing his features. Poor thing, he was _irresistible _after all.

"He was the Earl of Trancy, their fathers were well acquainted. Upon his passing, he left in his will he wished to see his son Alois marry the sweet Aveline, provided Lord Ashford did not object of course. But he was thrilled with the union; they have been engaged since the age of about ten."

Unexplainable anger cursed through his veins. She was about to be Lady Trancy? He could have scoffed to himself. Alois would have probably killed her before a wedding could take place – psychotic bastard.  
Yet this also startled him somewhat. Never before had he heard of Alois having a fiancée. Surely he would have heard of it at some point prior to his death.

"Such a tragic life, that little girl has. She loved him so."

The Earl glanced over in the direction of the girl sceptically, who was trying to politely excuse herself from the Viscount but failed miserably in every attempt. She _loved_Trancy? _Alois Trancy?_

Perhaps Trancy wasn't the only one who was psychotic in their pairing.

"There are days I do wonder what may have happened to the Earl Trancy. He seemed like such a vibrant boy. He died so suddenly, it must have been awful shock to Lady Ashford."

"Quite tragic indeed." He mused absently, turning his attention to his butler who had brought more refreshments, completely unbeknownst that the blonde girl's eyes focused on him with cold determination.

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"My dear Viscount, do tell me, is that Earl Phantomhive speaking to Lady Margret?" The bell like voice and sweet, innocent smile instantly had Aleister Chambers enraptured.

"Why it is indeed my sweet little bird, do you have… business with the young noble?" His accusing inclination in his voice was blunt.

She giggled softly, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh mercy me, no! I would not associate myself with him in such a manner, please Viscount, think higher of me!" said Viscount was almost embarrassed for ever thinking so lowly of her. She was a sweet, sinless creature; of course she would not crawl into the Earl's bed like so many others.

He kissed the back of her hand, giving her a charming smile. "Do forgive me my Lady; I have forgotten my place entirely. To be so presumptuous was incredibly rude of me." She smiled gently, a small blush gracing her cheeks.

"Aveline, come now dearie, I would like to see some old friends!" Smiling up at the Viscount, Aveline turned to her grandmother. "Of course. If you'll excuse me-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the Viscount took a hold of her hand, pulling her closer to him suddenly and kissing her cheek lightly. "Do call upon me, if you ever find yourself in any way…troubled. I shall always be at your command, my angel." The girl barely suppressed a shudder but managed to smile enticingly up at him.

"Thank you."

With an easy grace, she brushed past him to assist her grandmother in walking over to her long-time friends.

Aveline was irritated as she shone perfect smiles at people she pretended to know. The Viscount had no worthwhile information about the Earl. And she knew, she _knew_ that damnable Earl had something to do with Alois' death. _God protect his soul,_ she thought to herself as she subconsciously touched her engagement ring that she wore on her other hand out of habit, it had felt wrong to take it off after all. Something deep down inside her warned her that it was too late for Alois to be protected by God, he had done some terrible things after all.  
Despite this, she still loved him, and dearly hoped he'd hear her prayers.

"Oh Aveline! How beautiful you've become! I never assumed you'd live much above the age of five!" a woman commented, pulling her out of her thoughts. What sort of comment was _that?_

"Ah yes… My being alive has come to a surprise for many." She replied eloquently, trying hopelessly to brush off her irritation and keep the dryness from her voice. She assumed by the look of shock flickering through the woman's eyes she had failed to do so.

However, if the woman truly noticed, she certainly didn't show it aside from the flicker in her eyes. But of course she wouldn't. It wasn't her place to show it. Aveline could have frowned. She couldn't slip up with her etiquette. After all, all the women here were only to display the wealth of their husbands – they were coated in a very fine layer of silk and lace, emeralds and sapphires, rubies and diamonds, anything really their hearts desired. It was all just for show.

"You do appear awfully pale child, are you quite alright?"

Aveline just smiled easily. "I am fine, honestly, I haven't been in the garden as of late, my colour will return to me soon, I am sure of it." Actually, Aveline wasn't all that sure about whether or not her skin would ever be a healthy colour.

"Then pinch your cheeks! You look as though death is upon your door!"

"Now, now Amelia, do quiet down, Aveline has enough to contend with today." Her grandmother thankfully interjected. The blonde had never any idea how her grandmother managed to be so poised at her age. She was quite envious, Aveline could barely keep a level head, the temptation to spit some sarcastic or very improper remark too great for her to deal with at the best of times.

She took a calming breath and gave everyone a charming smile. "If you'll excuse me ladies." She quickly made her exit, walking towards the drinks table before she could be called back to the gaggling group of hens. She sighed softly, which caused the man at the table to turn. "Ah, Lady Ashford. A pleasure to finally meet you." That all too alluring dark blue eye met hers and never left hers as he took her hand within his and placed his lip to the back of it. She found herself bowing her head respectfully out of instinct. "Earl Phantomhive, I've been meaning to make your acquaintance. I must apologise profusely, it must have made me appear very rude not to have done so sooner."

Ciel let his eyes wander languidly over her figure. It was a charming one, he'd give her that. "I have only recently heard of your fiancée, you have my deepest sympathies." He noticed instantly her demeanour changed somewhat. Oh? Did she genuinely love him? Her eyes flickered with pain and loss, pure grief and sorrow. It looked so positively _**delicious.**_ Ciel barely restrained himself from licking his lips. She swallowed, and her face was void of emotion once more.

"Thank you, your support is appreciated. It is still difficult at times. However it filled me with hope to learn you recovered well from your accident." He gave her a soft smile, and reached for two champagne flutes, handing one to her. "To your health, my Lady." He toasted, his eyes meeting hers over the glass, a smirk playing on his lips. She returned a smile, sipping the sparkling drink before her.

_Only heard recently indeed._ The thought was spiteful, but Aveline knew, she absolutely knew he had something to death with Alois' death, and she wouldn't rest until she knew exactly what he had done.

Especially when she didn't even know how Alois died. _God be damned, I deserve some closure. _They continued their small talk, talking of nothing of any importance. She would know, and she intended to find out one way or another. She would find out what Earl Phantomhive was hiding, she vowed that much on Alois' poor demented soul.


	2. Chapter 2

A letter was personally delivered into Ciel's hands the following morning by one of the Ashford's errand boys. He had been expecting some contact from the young heiress, how could you resist contacting him after all? He could only smirk as the boy handed him the letter and all but bolted out of his sight.

He broke the seal and pulled out the letter. He was mildly surprised at the contents. He expected it to be a letter all about how much she had enjoyed his company last night, how she wished to see him again and would do anything for the pleasure of his company once more as he was completely unlike any other man she had ever met.

Instead, it was a very simple letter stating that from last night's conversation she established it would be beneficial for them both to become business partners in the near future, and if he agreed and wished to discuss matters she would be more than happy to have him over for dinner one evening.

For a long while, Ciel just stared at the letter. _Business partners? _It was written so devoid of emotion, it was unusual for him to receive something like this. He set it aside and opened the rest of the letters that had arrived for him. He had received another letter from Lady Margret, a sweet little letter filled with love and devotion, thanking him for his attendance and reeking heavily of her perfume. There were other letters with the same gentle and sweet messages from women whose names he didn't quite recognise.

"Oh my, it seems my Lord has become quite an attraction."

Ciel chuckled as Sebastian placed a cup of Earl Grey tea before him. "Yes, it does seem like that, doesn't it? Lady Aveline would also like to meet for _business talks._" He commented, holding out the letter before Sebastian. Sebastian was used to women asking to talk of business and then just have to strip the sheets of his master's bed and get clean some clean sheets. He looked over the letter before glancing back at his master. "My Lord… I think this letter is genuine, Lady Ashford doesn't appear to be interested in _you, _I do believe she is interested in continuing her father's business. She seems interested in your company."

It was not the response Ciel wanted to hear. He quickly grabbed a piece of paper and some ink, beginning to write. "Perhaps. Deliver this letter to her immediately Sebastian," He began, as he signed off his name on the response, folding it neatly, putting it in an envelope and melting some wax. "I want her here for lunch, no woman has resisted me so far, she won't be any different."  
_I won't allow her to be any different. _He dripped the wax onto the envelope and pressed his seal against it before holding it out to Sebastian.

The butler was about to pluck it out of his fingers when Ciel pulled it back out of his grasp slightly. Sebastian met his eye, raising a questioning eyebrow. However as soon as he did, he could see the burning desire within his master's one visible eye. "Make sure she comes. Prepare for lunch as soon as you return."

Sebastian bowed and took the letter. "Yes my Lord."

Ciel leaned back in his chair. _Little Aveline Ashford…_Oh she would crumble like all over women, of that he was sure. Ciel always had enjoyed a good game. What better and more challenging game than possessing and dominating a woman such as Aveline? Adding an Ashford to the list of women he bedded would be no small feat. The Ashfords were known for their coldness and their general reluctance to try anything risky. They preferred keeping well into their comfort zone.

Aveline wouldn't be caught dead attempting to have an affair with a man promised to someone else – especially when she was so in love with her dead fiancé.

That reluctance could be seen throughout all their lives. Especially in their business. The Ashfords were always in the shipping business, their estate and grounds being right on the coastline making it convenient to build their own harbour and have their trading ships nearby at all times. However they had more than enough money to create an empire and expand, even take over and destroy rival companies and create a monopoly.

Ciel had Sebastian do some… investigating last night. Not having to sleep had proved to be such a blessing. It allowed him to do such extensive research. Sebastian had returned a few hours later with documentation that proved very informative. Added that to the information Ciel had from his own records, he pieced together nice little bits of information about Aveline's family.

As he had originally suspected, he had done business with the Ashford company. Well, his father and even his grandfather. It seemed to have been nothing major, just some creates from England to Germany in his grandfather's time and there seemed to be a constant route that the Ashford company took to deliver things for his father perhaps once every few months.

He even found a letter from his father to his mother. He had been in India on business for a few weeks and wrote about how he finally met William Ashford.

_Dearest Rachel, _

_I have finally met William, after all this time of writing letters back and forth. He is a most… peculiar man. Perhaps because his wife is pregnant he's a little tense. I felt the same anxiety when you were pregnant. _

_I have noticed how he talks to himself quite often, I'm not sure why, but he is constantly muttering. It seems as though he is answering questions and arguing with voices only he can hear. I'm beginning to think he may not be too healthy in his mind. Although maybe it is stress? It is hard to gauge. I'm only hoping his little boy George will become a more accommodating as a business partner._

The letter had gone on a little more, asking about Ciel and telling his mother just about India in general and the beauty of the country.

Ciel also discovered the previous lord refused to expand – it was always something that he didn't understand. Then again, people said he wasn't quite in the right mind. _Understandable if his son was drowned._

Something seemed very wrong about that. The heir of an estate would be watched constantly, either by his mother or by at least one servant of some description. Ciel shrugged, perhaps it was just chance.

The information that Sebastian had found was far more interesting than anything Ciel had dug up. In his grandfather's time, the Ashford Trading Company had been making steady profits. However as soon as William Ashford took control profits began to slip, and when Aveline took over, the company's profits plummeted completely.

_How interesting…_

He flicked through the rest of his letters, more business letters. One from the manager of one of his companies, saying there had been a fire in one section, resulting in 30% of the stock due to be shipped out to India next week had been destroyed. He sighed in frustration, of course this would happen. He hastily penned a response – he would have to get stock from another one of his companies and hope he could cut his losses.

He was happy to see he had more letters about new orders – new orders that would had a substantial amount of wealth to his name.

However his happiness was soon diminished when he saw another letter from none other than his cousin. Lizzy wanted to see him sometime this week for dinner, maybe lunch, just to spend some time together and get the plans for their wedding underway. Ciel ran a hand through his hair, groaning even at the thought of a wedding. If there was one thing, one thing that Ciel Phantomhive had no inclination of doing, it was getting _married_.

The thought of matrimony made him want to laugh. He had so many things he'd rather do than be bound to another person in the sight of God for the rest of his very long existence. Well, he had so many other _people _he'd rather do. He could hardly satisfy all his needs with Lizzy around.

A small part of him also wished that Lizzy could be with a man she truly loved, not someone like him who would only cheat on her, kill people all around her and never give her the happiness she craved. She deserved so much better. Another man, _any other man _would be much more suited than he would be.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door, startling him from his thoughts. "Come in."

Sebastian opened the door with a slight smirk on his face. "Lady Ashford accepted your offer for lunch today quite graciously. She will be here about 1pm." Ciel nodded, signing off on yet another letter.

"What about my meal?"

"It shall be delivered at 2pm."

Ciel glanced up at him.

"That is a very close call, I hope you realise I cannot just push Aveline out of the house after an hour."

"I'm afraid this is the only time it can work, my Lord."

Ciel sighed in frustration as he signed off on another letter with more force than necessary. "Then nothing can be done. Next time don't allow such an overlap to occur."

"I believe it was _you_ who was so eager to invite Lady Ashford here and insisted she be here _today._"

Ciel's eyes flashed as he slammed a hand against his desk, and stood suddenly, glaring down at the other demon. "Don't speak back to me as you wish, you insolent servant! Don't you _dare _forget your place!"

Sebastian merely bowed. "My apologises, my Lord."

Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his one visible eye as he waved dismissively and sunk back into his seat. "Get out of my sight."

Sebastian left the room, not bothering to smother his smirk. _What an explosive little lord. This afternoon shall be most interesting… Hmm… now what to serve for lunch…_


	3. Chapter 3

_I feel there's a much overdue thank you for the reviews and favourites! THANK YOU! I really appreciate it 3  
__I will update as quickly as I can, so I hope you enjoy this chapter and the ones that follow!_

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Ciel had chosen one of the many parlours within his home for his lunch appointment with Lady Ashford. It was a comfortably sized room that was well lit with the copious amount of windows. It had plenty of lace trimmings on the said windows as well as a ridiculous amount of fresh flowers Sebastian had picked from the garden. He was sure it would be a fresh and sweet smell for the young lady; however the sheer amount of pollen was threatening to suffocate him. He figured it would surely be to her taste, but as he sat across from her around the circular table laden with a lavish lunch her expression was completely blank. She ate with all the airs and graces a lady such as her was supposed to possess, however her composed expression was putting him on edge. And if there was one thing that Ciel truly _detested_, it was lack of control. His grip tightened around his wine glass subconsciously – He had no control over Aveline Ashford and it infuriated him.

"You're not eating, Earl Phantomhive?"

Her sudden question startled him. They had been eating in relative silence these past ten minutes. He gave her a beautiful smile that would have most women weak at their knees. However, she appeared unmoved – much to his distaste.

_She __**will**__ be like all the others._

"I must admit I haven't been incredibly hungry today."

She gave a small hint of a smile. "Is that so?"

"I have never had an appetite of lunch." He took a taste of the dark red wine, savouring the taste as he took his time to take in her features over the top of the crystal glass.

She was a pretty little thing, he would admit with no reluctance. However, it was a … _pathetic _type of beauty. He felt an almost insistent need to protect her; she looked so _fragile... _so _helpless._

As he absorbed her features in more detail, he began to notice small things. Her blonde hair was pulled up tightly at the back of her head, small ringlets escaping the up-do that was beyond his comprehension. _Those hairpins look most uncomfortable… _

The baby blue gown she was wearing didn't look any more accommodating to her comfort than her hairstyle. _It looks as though she may be struggling to breathe._

That wouldn't have surprised him, Lizzie had complained often enough about the limitations and constraints of corsets. He could vaguely recall Lizzie collapsing the odd time from some incompetent handmaid lacing up the corset with too much force.

Something glinting on her neck caught his attention. _A crucifix? _He barely smothered a chuckle. Oh but of course the fiancée of Alois Trancy would be _religious. _That must have been a great source of amusement for the psychotic blonde lord.

Her dark grey eyes suddenly met his visible eye. She had probably noticed the intense gaze upon her. Up this close, her eyes were much more impressive than at the Gala where he had first made her acquaintance. Charcoal grey with thick eyelashes shrouding them. _Such a peculiar colour…_Taking one more swig of his wine, he set aside the wine glass and leaned his arm onto the table before him.

"You wished to discuss business, did you not? How may I offer my services?" Ciel began, resting his chin on his hand, gazing at her with slight amusement. He couldn't _wait _to hear what she was going to propose as a potential business venture. Perhaps it would be as laughable as her current profits.

With no rush, she raised a napkin to her mouth to dab away any hint of her lunch before sitting up straight against the back of the chair. She was tense, very tense. It made Ciel feel oddly at ease. There came a light knock on the door before Sebastian let himself into the room – not that either of the nobles in the room paid him any mind. "Yes. I feel it would be very beneficial for us to work together. From what I have heard, you offer a huge range of products within your company – you must pay a phenomenal amount to ship it all around the world. I can offer you a much more competitive rate to ship it anywhere in the world of your choosing. I am also situated closer to your main company than most other shipping companies."

Ciel nodded where it appeared appropriate as he absently watched Sebastian clear away the plates before leaving the room silently. He had heard more than enough proposals from various shipping companies about how apparently their shipping service would be much better than what he currently had. "I'm sure you have a well thought up proposal Lady Ashford, but I'm afraid the numbers speak for themselves." Somewhat carelessly he tossed down a pile of papers on the newly cleared table. It startled her somewhat. There was a nervous glimmer in her eyes as she glanced between him and the pages. Ciel felt a hint of satisfaction as he watched her gingerly reach for the pages that had been thrust before her. _Finally _he had thoroughly unsettled her. She looked carefully through the first page and Ciel could see little sparks of anger in those grey eyes.

_Oh this will be quite interesting…_

She hastily flicked through the other pages before she threw them back down on the table with disgust. "You went through my _finances?_" She demanded sharply. Ciel smirked, leaning back against the plush chair and crossing his legs languidly. "Well, you were proposing to have a joint venture in the future, weren't you? It would only be in my best interests to make sure my potential business partner is worth doing business with."

Her eyes were raging.

"Did you do this only to mock me?" She bristled, indicating down to the pages containing her dire finances with indignation. When he did not immediately respond, she stood up suddenly and glared down at him, turning to leave the parlour. She only managed to turn when Ciel grab her wrist across the table. He had to admit begrudgingly that her skin was incredibly soft.

"Now, now Lady Ashford, do sit down again, please. I am deeply sorry if my precautions offended you, please believe me it was not my intention. I merely need to ensure that my investments are secure."

With clear hesitance and reluctance, she sat down again. She crossed her arms and edged away from the pages as though they would spontaneously burst into flames and burn her. "It would appear as though your company's profit margins have been quite… tight."

She sighed softly at the comment, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly as she uncrossed her arms and gazed down at the pages once more. "That is … one way of describing the current financial circumstances of my company."

"It seems as though this decline in profits has occurred since you inherited the business." He commented, pointing to the date on the page from when she inherited the company, watching her reactions closely. _She won't like that jab I would imagine._

And he was right. Her mouth tightened to a hard line. "It would appear… that… that I am not as gifted in business as my father would have wished. George would have been much better suited for this job than I would. But… but when needs must…" She trailed off, swallowing thickly as she continued to gaze over the pages once more, guilt clouding her eyes.

_How unfortunate that she is forced to continue something she had so interest or ability in._

"Is this why you were quite happy to be wed to Alois?"

She flinched as though she had been struck – which caught Ciel utterly by surprise. _She surely doesn't mean to say she did love him…_

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Earl Phantomhive." She refused to meet his eyes as she clasped her hands together on her lap, seemingly to try and stop them shaking.

_Oh I've really hit a nerve now haven't I?_

"You wished to marry Alois so that he would take control of your company as your husband and thus relieving you of your burdens as the heir. It was quite an ingenious plan, it would be completely unfit to have a young married lady running a company after all."

For a brief moment, she stared at him as though he had suggested that she should stand up, sprout wings and begin to fly around the room. _She thinks me a fool_. The realisation came upon him with abruptly.

Suddenly she laughed.

It was a sight that baffled him entirely, but a beautiful sight none the less. She covered her mouth politely as the soft giggles escaped her. "Oh Earl Phantomhive, forgive me, I did not wish to laugh. But your suggestion was so preposterous I couldn't help myself. No, no my lord, I loved Alois. I loved him quite dearly." There appeared to be genuine happiness in her dark eyes, genuine _love._

But as quickly as it appeared it vanished.

"Not something I imagine you would fully understand."

Ciel thought it would be best to ignore the slight from the infuriating little bitch. He smiled charmingly at her – knowing it would only aid to make her feel more insecure. He refused to relinquish the upper hand that he currently had. "Hmm… No, admittedly, I can't fully appreciate your love for the Earl."

She suddenly seemed far more relaxed than she did moments ago. She eased herself against the seat, taking the wine glass in hand and taking a long drink. He copied her, watching her with suspicious eyes. "He was not the most … amicable of companions." She raised a delicate eyebrow at the comment.

"Is that so? He held you in very high regard." She returned, her eyes locking with his. He found his grip tightening on the wine glass once more. He felt as though she suddenly had some advantage over him; she was neither afraid nor enamoured with him as most women would be in her position. She was quite the opposite – confident. It bothered him to no end. _No doubt a confidence she obtained by being the heir to her father's company instead of her brother. She ought to know her place._  
She was no longer the shaking, angry creature she had been mere moments ago. He found her far more agreeable then.

"Is that so my lady? If I knew that this was to be his unfortunate fate, I would have appreciated his friendship more when I had the chance."

"That would have made him very happy, but alas my dear fiancé is dead – it seems silly talking about the 'what ifs', does it not?"

Before he could retort a knock came on the door, Sebastian allowing himself into the parlour once more. "My Lord, it's time." All the tension within his shoulders seemed to dissipate at the words. He gave the lady before him an easy smile. "My sincerest apologies, Lady Ashford, but unfortunately I have another matter I must quickly attend to. I shall be a few minutes."

With that, he swept out of the room with Sebastian in tow, running his hand through his hair. Sebastian shut the door behind him firmly, smirking at the sight of his lord. "You appear rather disgruntled my lord. Is she not as easy to sway as you first assumed?"

Ciel sighed in response, throwing him a reproachful look. "Let's get this done with. I need this after dealing with this Alois-loving menace." They both walked briskly down the hallway – making sure they were well out of earshot before Ciel would have his meal. After all, it would be incredibly rude to poor Lady Ashford if she were to hear all of the screaming about to ensue.


	4. Chapter 4

Aveline sat perfectly still and silent when the door closed behind Earl Phantomhive and his butler. She drank the last of her wine as she waited patiently for another door to open and softly close, indicating they were in some other room – hopefully far away from this one. She knew she wouldn't have a lot of time.

She stood and left the room.

Without hesitating she opened the first door she saw. A guest bedroom by the look of it. She frowned and tried the next door only to find a similar guestroom. She opened the next and the next, and multiple doors thereafter finding only a copious amount of parlours, bathrooms and bedrooms. She took a calming breath before she reached up to touch the cross around her neck. _Please let me find something of use in the next room – I don't have a leisurely amount of time. _Aveline opened the next door somewhere down the hallway. It was completely different from the rest of the rooms. She assumed it to be his office – which made her smile slightly. _Alois must be watching over me. _

Aveline wasted no more time as she grabbed the ends of her skirts and jogged over to his desk. She thumbed through some of the papers sprawled across the dark wood. Business reports, profit margins, shipping details… her head swam at all the numbers before her. He was a malicious business man if these papers were anything to go by. His profits were ridiculous. Aveline could admit she wasn't the keen business person that was expected of her, but she knew enough. She had barely even heard of the Funtom Company aside from what Alois told her. But if these profits were true… _How could I not have heard of his company before this? This must be one of the most successful companies in all of Britain and her colonies. _

Admittedly, accepting the invitation to lunch had merely been a ploy – she may not know a lot about business, but she wasn't ignorant in the way of men. She knew Earl Phantomhive would have never accepted an invitation from a _woman, _not with his pride. Of course _he_ would instead invite _her_ to lunch – he would never dream of offending her by blatantly refusing the invitation. But now that she thought about it, having the Earl as her genuine business partner would prove to be very beneficial. The Ashford Trading Company was all she had left – if it sunk, she sunk with it.

She shook her head. _I can't get distracted; I have to find out what happened to Alois - This may be my only chance! _She put the papers down on the desk again and opened one drawer after another. She bristled slightly at the sight of her own company's finances once more and quickly slammed the drawer shut. The other drawers however proved to be fruitless.

Aveline let out a soft sigh. She knew he wouldn't just carelessly leave information potentially pertaining to Alois just haphazardly lying about - especially not while she was in the house. But a letter, card or _anything _… She leaned against his desk as she faced the bookshelves all around the room. Perhaps there was information in the many log books? Perhaps the account books? Shipping logs? She bit her lip. She didn't have time to look through every single book on the monstrously high bookshelves. _How does he even get to the top shelf?_

She let out a soft groan and suddenly her hand slipped off the desk, knocking some files off the top in the process. She cursed her ill-luck and bent down quickly to pick them up again.

Aveline paused a second.

_Aren't these…official reports from the fire department? _She looked over them. It was a list of fires that had happened within the month of July about six years ago. She reckoned this must have been the fire that those gaggling hens at the Gala were talking about the other night that had nearly killed the Earl. His summer home suddenly caught ablaze inexplicably – it was a suspected assassination attempt. But his butler had miraculously managed to save him by propelling them both from the second floor window. Despite his life being saved, the emotional trauma had been more crippling than the physical, rendering him unable to face the public for all these years.

She assumed it natural to have a copy of the documents for insurance purposes… but these didn't even look like copies. They looked like the originals. She flicked through the pages and paused again.

It was the same document; but this document didn't report the incident at the Earl's summer home. There had been fifty-two fires over the course of that July, but his summer home had not been accounted for. She glanced between the two documents feeling utterly perplexed. She held up both copies towards the window, letting the sunlight fall upon them.

And there it was – a watermark. Small, and easily missed unless intentionally looked for. It only appeared on one set of documents. The one that didn't mention anything about the Earl's summer home. _Did he forge this? _But that only left her with more questions. If there was no fire, why would he forge documents claiming there was? What really happened six years ago? How did he even break into the fire department to change to documents to claim the fire had happened?

She quickly put the documents back. She was wasting too much time on things that didn't concern or interest her. If the Earl really didn't wish to appear rude as a host, he would only be missing for a minimal amount of time. She certainly wouldn't appear to be a humble guest if she was caught poking around his office. _And then I can forget about finding out anything about Alois or any potential business ventures. _

Aveline opened the old door quietly, listening out for any footsteps coming down the hallway. She closed the door silently behind herself again.

A muffled scream stopped her taking a single step.

No, surely she had misheard. That could have been anything. Perhaps a dog getting kicked, maybe a door being slammed shut deeper in the house or it could have just as easily been something falling to the floor. Maybe it was even just the house creaking!

That would have been perfectly easy to believe had she not been born into the Ashford family. She had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing the keen difference between a muffled scream and something falling on the floor.

_This must have been his other…pressing issue that pulled him away from lunch. _

She had no qualms about whatever he did in the comfort and privacy of his own estate. She wasn't foolish enough to miss the fact that the Phantomhives had always been quite close with the Queen – Alois had informed her of that much. She should have guessed his successful business must have had some … questionable influences.

Aveline had heard enough stories from her grandmother and nurses about all the horrors her father had threatened to inflict on those who double crossed him in business deals. They had been kind enough not to detail her with whether or not her father had fulfilled his threats. Who knew what the young Earl could be capable of?

Aveline swallowed thickly as she suddenly felt a jolt of panic.

_How many doors away was the parlour? Which one were we even in?_

She bit her lip and backtracked as far as she could remember. She couldn't believe she had been stupid enough not to keep track of how many doors she passed. She chanced one door that looked about right. _A cupboard? I didn't pass this the first time. _Now she really began to panic.

She opened the next door and blanched.

This was the wrong door. Oh this was definitely the very, very wrong door. But despite her knowledge of this she couldn't move an inch. She had seen many things in her relatively short life, but this – this topped everything. It was another bedroom from what she could see; the butler was hovering near the bed. His usual dark eyes seemed to glow as a sinister smirk crossed his features upon observing his master. The sight of him pained her greatly – it was as though every fibre in her body was attempting to warn her of something but her mind would not allow her to remember what she should be afraid of. She almost clutched her head with the pain of it.

However as she glanced at the bed, all the thoughts about the butler were eradicated.

Earl Phantomhive was hovering over something on the bed, his eyes glowing bright red with sadistic joy and lust as he appeared to gaze longingly down at the thing he was pinning beneath him with little effort. He seemed to be completely unaware of the dark red blood that rolled from his stained lips down past his chin and onto the silken sheets beneath him. He gave off the very aura of a predator that had just caught its prey rather triumphantly. But even from her place at the door she could feel the power and allure oozing from him in waves.

However Aveline's blood ran cold when she saw just _what _the Earl was holding down. It was a little boy. A small little boy of about seven years with beautiful, vibrant blonde hair. But he wasn't moving. His chest wasn't moving. _He wasn't breathing._

No… he couldn't be dead. Of course he wasn't dead!

The Earl sighed with a resounding note of pleasure as he licked his lips, leaning back on his calves to look at the young, helpless thing on his bed. "That was delicious Sebastian – you chose well."

Countless thoughts suddenly flew through her head. Is this where he got his extra income? Or was this just a hobby of his? The human slave trade? She had heard some nasty rumours about Alois' own dear cousin – the Viscount of Druitt being involved in such dark practises. It seemed however, to be a common practise now in London. And if the Earl before her really was as powerful as Alois had always claimed, he could certainly get away with this and the Queen would just turn a blind eye due to all his past service to her.

But… But it would be all for nought if the boy was… if the boy was dead.

And the blood on his lips… Was this something even darker than human trafficking? Did this have something to do with some underground cult?

Amidst her panic clouded mind she never even noticed the butler's gaze fall upon her. "My Lord, it would appear we have some company."

"Oh?"

With languid movements the Earl looked over at the door. Aveline felt all the colour drain from her face. He gracefully moved from the bed, leaning against one of the four giant wooden posts. He brought his fingers to his lips that were tugged into a smirk. The blood glistened brightly against his pale skin. His glowing eyes never left her terrified ones as his tongue reached out to lap up the blood smeared across his fingers.

Aveline began to feel dizzy as her lunch churned uncomfortably in her stomach. _Oh God please help me. _She had no choice but lean against the doorframe to support herself; she could feel her knees going weak the longer she watched him.

Sadistic amusement filled his eyes as he walked towards her, cupping her chin within his fingers. The contents of her stomach made itself known at the back of her throat as he purposefully smeared the blood across her cheek with his thumb with a sadistic smile. She suddenly felt so small as he loomed above her. He was easily a head or two taller than her and he just radiated so much power. So much pure, unrestrained power.

It all became too much for her, her knees completely buckled, causing her to come crashing to the floor in a pool of lace and blue silk. The Earl chuckled as he crouched down to be at her level, petting her cheek with mock affection.

"You have seen something you most certainly should not have, my dear lady."

"T-The boy-"

"The boy is no longer with us, never you fear about him."

If anything could have made her feel any fainter, it was that. "You… you killed that boy… that small, innocent thing that did nothing to you." The words felt like acid in her mouth. Surely this was all just some sick joke… He would never have actually hurt the boy. He merely smiled patiently, tilting her chin up once more so her eyes would have no choice but to meet his. "Ah, ah… _Killed _is such a harsh term… It was a mercy really. He suffered no pain."

She gazed at him ludicrously. Noting her look, he sighed dramatically in defeat. "Alright, perhaps he suffered _mildly._ It wasn't my initial intention; allow me to reassure you, my lady." He began to drawl, his smirk still amused, mocking. "_However_, his blood just called to me, I just had to sample some of it. It is such a delicacy after all. Unfortunately, my teeth are not quite as sharp as I'd like… therefore, I imagine I would have caused him some pain. Pity."

The room was spinning for her slightly. "What _are _you?" Was this some supernatural thing? Just like the things her grandmother used to scare her with when she was just a little girl?

The maniacal Earl just chuckled again. "Oh, I'm much worse than you could imagine."

She tried to stay composed but Aveline knew it was all but redundant in this situation. "Are… are you a vampire?"

This time both the Earl and the butler laughed, spiking her irritation and filling her with fear more than she thought possible. He stood again, unbuttoning his shirt somewhat as he ran a hand through his silky dark hair. Despite the situation, she found her eyes trailing to the newly revealed skin. "A vampire? What have you been reading you foolish girl? Oh no, we are _demons_, my lady. We consume the very souls of people – such as that little boy. The innocent ones are so, so very _delicious._ Don't worry, this little orphan boy was left on the streets to die, I'm sure this was a welcoming end for him."

The room swam around her once more. "D-Demons?" She glanced at the butler so appeared to be trying his best to smother his own chuckles. She glanced at the boy again and her stomach clenched. The Earl knew all too well where her gaze went. "Indeed. He would have felt nothing as he died – although sampling his blood … well that would be another matter entirely."

"B-But… you're demons, you don't need blood!"

He raised an eyebrow, looking over at his butler and throwing him a mocking smile. "Did you know that Sebastian? Looks like we have a little expert on our hands."

Aveline grimaced, shame flushing her cheeks. "Do you take a twisted pride in humiliating people?"

"Perhaps. If you must know, my lady, you are right, demons do not _require _blood for survival, it just proves to be a lovely little delicacy." He walked over the bed again, sitting at the edge and gazing wistfully at the boy. He reached over, running his knuckles over the boy's cheeks. "Especially with a boy this helplessly innocent."

That was the last thing Aveline's mind could withstand before it tumbled into darkness, her body feebly collapsing to the floor.


End file.
