Comforting Darkness

Chapter 54: The Tutor, Plans and Preparations

"Welcome, Madam. Come over, my dear, do not be shy. One puff of this pipe, and you will find you can forget all your troubles. Now come... Glee in to your instincts and entrust your body to me..."

Everything was blurry due to snakes of smoke twisting in the air and through them came the voice of Temptation, getting lower and more sensual with every word, promising unimaginable pleasure. The adonic embodiment was slumping invitingly on the couch, offering one gentle hand to the potential victim while the other held an opium pipe. The beautifully-shaped lips, from where the tempting words came, were smiling under eyes of almost vibrant red colour and long black lashes that made them look hooded and filed with lasciviousness.

The sound of excited clapping broke the demon's spell. "My word! This is positively scrumptious! Your seductive prowess is practically at a professional level! I think you are much more suited for this than being a butler! Are you sure you do not want to change your mind?" Lau said, genuinely impressed by Sebastian's performance; even Ran Mao was staring at him with a rare interest on her face.

"No, no, I am just simply one hell of a butler; that is all..." Sebastian said back in his usual tone, as he sat up and put the pipe down; a modest smile on his lips.

Lau sighed a little disappointed but shrugged, recognizing he could not force the butler to give up his master. His eyes cracked slightly open and looked towards the other side of the room where said master, very cutely dressed, had a hard time serving some appetisers and drinks to the den's guests. He was very close in placing the tray right in front of a bed occupied by a gentleman, when he tripped and everything came tumbling down, crashing on the floor.

"Selina, snap out of it!" He yelled quite furiously, as he turned - the tassels hanging from his flowery hair ornaments swinging around - to the totally stunned and red faced blond tutor, whose eyes were still glued on the demon approaching her, grinning satisfied; his little seductive performance had obviously affected the woman to the point she totally forgot her young master. "You are supposed to help me with that!" The boy was so fed up on so many levels!

"Eh? O-Oh, y-yes, my lord! F-Forgive me!!" She managed to rip her gaze off her demonic husband and approached the boy. "Didn't I tell you, you have to keep a straight back, head high and more strength to the muscles of your shoulders and shoulder blades? That way, you will maintain the correct body posture and will not have to place so much pressure on your fingers to keep the tray steady." She smiled at him and apologized to the annoyed gentleman.

"I did say that we are not a charity, so everyone does have to work for their share... But the Earl really is just all cute looks and no substance. Completely useless!" Lau was saying with a supposed troubled look on his face. Sebastian smiled knowingly beside him. "And yet, you will not wear girls' clothing, even to make up for it. You are so prideful." He finished, while Ran Mao added how "selfish" of the boy was that.

"Of course I am!! I would rather hang myself than go out in public dressed in that!" The temperamental boy was seething from anger at the suggestion. "I have no intention of staying in this cave for long, anyhow." He stressed his words by ripping the ornaments off his hair and headed towards the more private chambers, serving as office and meeting rooms of the den that the young Phantomhive had 'borrowed' for as long as he stayed there, until he coordinates his next move.

"Indeed. An opium den like this is hardly fitting for an Earl to reside in." Sebastian said ready to follow his master, but pausing to watch his mate working herself out of a little unpleasant situation.

Selina was about to follow Ciel too, but a man grabbed her wrist as she passed in front of the bed he occupied. The man was quite attracted to how the eastern, quite revealing clothes properly accentuated her body, even though her face was cute but quite ordinary. He invited her to join him and his eyes sparkled quite lewdly, but the woman simply smiled, promising of joining him some other time as her other hand circled and squeezed his wrist, forcing him to open his fingers and retreat... perhaps even a little intimidated by how strong she actually was. Selina took some almost balletic steps away from there and joined Sebastian's side hugging his arm, like Ran Mao was doing with Lau's. The demon smiled at her proudly, making her blush a little as they caught up with the others, the moment Lau was once again reassuring the young Earl he had every intention of assisting him in resuming his position; otherwise, his own business dealings would become harder.