Surrounded by Doubt | Kuroshitsuji

Chapter 11 - Sweet Observation

Thoughts of sweet desserts started to turn into delectable images in his mind as Ciel was strolling down the hallway. There wasn't much space for any speculations about the demon since he had tasted the sugary crunch of cookies from Finny.

Being an earl of high respect which meant that any action deemed unacceptable was out of the question, made him only take a small gracious bite and then send the gardener to continue his work. Though the second he was alone again, was the second he more or less devoured what was left on the plate, the savoury taste lingered in his taste buds and left an undesirable craving growing.

The emptiness had begun becoming tedious so he had chosen to find the butler in charge of those exceedingly fine sweets which were part of everyday life by now. Bumping into said butler as he opened the door occurred to him as fate, and while waiting to satiate his hunger there was still an urge to do something other than sitting still.

He found himself wandering into empty rooms all around the Phantomhive manor yet there was nothing to do of importance or even just basic cause. Ciel began contemplating reading a book or perhaps going outside for an evening stroll in the garden.

To his immense disappointment when he took a look outside the window, there were dark clouds and no seeming end to the heavy rain it brought. With no other choice than to stay inside the manor walls, his steps brought him to the kitchen where sounds of pans clashing, oil sizzling and muffled humming could be heard. Someone appeared to be in an excellent mood.

Curiosity got him to hide behind the door frame and peeking into the kitchen. Sebastian stood with his back turned against him, moving back and forth with such speed it was almost overwhelming keeping track of his movements. The humming had stopped a while ago but Ciel was too busy being mesmerised by the smooth moves the butler displayed while preparing something that made his nostrils explode at the slightest whiff.

"Does my young master wish to come in and sit down instead of hiding outside the kitchen?"

The sudden question addressed to him almost made him stubble on his feet. When did Sebastian notice he had been staring?

Assuming it was the contract that revealed his location, he took a step in to meet a smile filled with satisfaction. Sebastian didn't cease his actions but cast a subtle glance in Ciel's direction whenever he thought the boy wasn't paying attention to him.

Ciel went to the table which was in the centre of the room and pulled out a chair to sit on. He noticed how the butler threw glances his way even if he had been trying to be subtle about it. After all, Ciel was more observant than what meets the eye and the demon often misread human movements so it was easy enough to pretend not to perceive when crimson orbs were hovering above one.

From his seat in the middle of the kitchen could he see all around him and shifted between observing different objects on shelves and the butler mixing all kinds of flavours that filled the room with a mouth-watering aroma. In the end his eyes were more drawn to the complex of his butler, and the majority of the time he was trying to get a good look of the demon's features.

The butler's pale skin caught the sight of his master's interest as Ciel took notice of how the raven black hair complemented the light tone of the skin quite pleasantly, even the deep crimson eyes made the devilish demon all that more attractive and enjoyable to look at.

Since he already couldn't stop gawking, Ciel was aware that the butler must know about the attention he was getting. Considering the fact that Sebastian also hadn't uttered a single word about it, he could safely take it as the demon being in favour of the recognition his master expressed through resting his gaze on him.

Sebastian eventually finished and appeared more than ready to present it.

"A slice of lemon raspberry cake baked with fresh raspberries which I had Finny retrieve from the garden, I also took the liberty to make a sweet raspberry sauce for an even tastier and creamier experience. Please enjoy, my lord" The smile of a man proud of his work was plastered over the demon's normally collected face.

The dessert was practically shining with a heavenly glow and it took Ciel one taste of a spoon before he was determined to hide the smile of contentment and finish the plate. It was highly unusual for him to be seated in the kitchen during any meal but this one occasion wouldn't hurt his reputation, and here there was someone interesting to feast his eye's on.

Sebastian had continued doing other chores but only the ones that needed to be done in the kitchen so Ciel already knew the crimson eyes were still lingering on him. He decided to leave, while the butler still had some dishes and whatnot to finish.

Upon passing by the doors leading out to the garden drowning in rain he caught the glimpse of something shiny reflecting the moonlight. As the young earl wasn't in the mood to go to bed yet anyways, he chose to investigate the sudden bling that called his name from outside.

It was still raining but some water never hurt anyone and he was supposed to change into his nightgown later on as well. His judgement tended to be a thing he very much depended on, with that said, if he was curious then he would bring himself to walk out in the rain to look into the matter of interest.

The sudden touch of coldness once he exited through the door brought more than one shiver down his spine as he went looking for what had captivated him. His clothes were beginning to plaster themselves to his skin and the soft blue locks were dripping on his face.

Ciel felt how all his energy instantaneously disappeared and he was feeling weak to even the slightest of winds pushing him from all directions. Each step forward was wobbly until his legs felt so numb they were about to give out and let him fall to the ground.

To his rescue came a knight in black armour, commenting on what a foolish boy he was for going out in such tedious weather without as much as a coat or umbrella.

He was dragged indoors again yet didn't feel the need to argue, instead he was focusing on the sensation of warmth where his knight held him as they were walking into the manor.