Noblewoman | Black Butler

| 07 |

( chapter seven ! )

"—But turns out, I had just been seeing things."

An opium den fills with smoke on the East End, but that somehow doesn't deter the young Leah Barrett from hopping over any time she likes. Ignoring the fact that such a place is not fit for a lady, she sticks around to speak to Ran Mao and tell the female attendants any story she can bring to her mind, as she's doing now.

Seated in a plush chair, Leah wears a cherry red dress, a headpiece, and shoes of a similar shade. The soft brown locks she prefers to wear down are halfway pinned up, lower pieces left to lay across her shoulders with slight curls added to the end. Anna is, of course, stationed behind her to act as a chaperone despite telling Leah they shouldn't go.

Parting her lips to speak, Leah is unexpectedly interrupted when a pair of footsteps descend the staircase into the den. Both Leah and Lau look up to be met with none other than Ciel Phantomhive, an only natural look of displeasure displayed due to the smell in the room. And perhaps the numerous women surrounding Lau as well.

"Welcome, Earl! Long time no see!" Lau smiles and Ran Mao shifts on his lap to view the young boy, "How have you been? Wasn't it your birthday recently? Congrats." he tips the long pipe in his right hand.

A flush spreads across Ciel's cheeks but it doesn't do anything to hide his look of irritation, "I don't really care about such things." Ciel mutters before standing straighter. "I have something to ask you." he says, eyes trailing to his right when he notices his fiancé in a chair not far from them.

"Leah?! What are you doing here?!" Ciel yells in surprise. The Phantomhive is never all that shocked to find her in unexpected places, but this is farther from her normal.

Giving a sweet 'Hello', Leah smiles softly and holds her hands in her lap. "I told you, I'm friends with Ran Mao. I like to visit from time to time." she explains, choosing not to acknowledge any strange look Ciel gives her.

"Does your father know about this?" Ciel raises a brow in disapproval and lifts a hand to waft some smoke out of his face.

There's an awkward silence that stills the room, "He knows I am out of the house, yes." Leah blinks to her vague answer.

"So he does not know you're here?"
"He knows I'm not at home."
"But not here."
"Technically speaking, yes.."

Pursing his lips in disappointment, Ciel fights the urge to shake his head while turning his attention back to Lau. Ran Mao staring at him from Lau's lap causes the boy some small discomfort but he doesn't dare shift in his spot, standing tall.