The sleeping ash. Black Butler various x reader

In the afternoon: The Butler, Disturbed

*3rd pov*

*Bang*

The servants look at the door. Tanaka puts his finger against his lips and goes to the door while the others pull out their weapons as Tanaka grabs the doorknob.

*Drawing room*

“The thirteenth guest who ought not to exist…” Lau said. “Hmph! There’s no way such a fantastical person can…” Woodley isn’t convinced. “Young master!! We’ve caught someone dodgy!” The servants barged in. “!!?” Ciel stands up. “Hey! Get in here, you!” Bard orders as the person steps in to show an older man tied with rope.

“...Eh…!?” The guests look at the man. “Wai– so there really was someone else!? Where on earth was he hiding–?” Charles Grey is shocked. “...You are…” Ciel’s eyes widened as (Y/n) goes to his head. “So that means… …He is the killer!?” Woodley shouts. Lau puffs out the smoke. “I never for a moment imagined that the thirteenth guest would himself come calling. I too am just a teensy bit aback!” Lau stands up. “So who are you?” Lau questions the man. “You’re back to that again!?” Ciel gets tick marks while Alois laughs.

“Are you asking for my name?” The man looks at Ciel. “Long time no see… …Eh, Jeremy?” Ciel said. “Meow~” (Y/n) meows at Jeremy. “Lord Earl, do you know this old man?” Lau asked. “Old man?” Jeremy looks at Lau. “Uh… Yes, I do. This is Vicar Jeremy Rathbone. He is a popular advisor at the local church and something of a celebarity.” Ciel introduces him to the guests while (Y/n) jumps on Jeremy’s head. “Please just call me plain old Jeremy.” Jeremy smiles. “You are…a vicar?” Arthur questions.

“How can you expect me to believe a suspicious fellow like him!? Only the thirteenth person, who has no alibi to speak of, could’ve committed the murders… Any way you slice it, it’s got to be him!!” Woodley shouts and points at Jeremy. “That logic of yours is truly non-sensical… …Mister Woodley.” Jeremy said. “!! How do you know my name…!?” Woodley is shocked as Jeremy grins.

“Oh, it’s quite obvious from the rings adorning your fingers. Large diamonds of that size are mined in South Africa. And the unique round brilliant-cut of those diamonds is possible only with the latest polisher recently developed by the Woodley company. I have also heard that Daniel Anderson, a London Jewler, was aggressively promoting them to society ladies as the rarest of gems, still not widely available on the market, you see. Thus, if among the guests at Earl Phantomhive’s dinner party, there is one individual wearing such rare rings, he is most likely to be the president of the Woodley company… …You, Mister Woodley. Was I wrong?” Woodley explains.

“That aside, how in the world did you… …rather since when? And why are you here?” Arthur questions Jeremy. “Dear me. Questions, questions. You there. Open my bag, if you would.” Jeremy tells Bard which he opens the bag. “Whoa!? That is Mister Sebastian’s owl!! I-Is it dead, is it?” Mey-Rin asks Jeremy. “No, it was acting up, so I tranquilised it for a brief spell. It will wake up momentarily.” Jeremy explains. “E-Even if it was acting up, that’s much too cruel!!” Finny calls out.

“Do please take a look at the letter around its leg.” Jeremy tells Ciel. “....” Ciel pulls out a single paper. “Young master! Whatever did Mister Sebastian write!?” Mey-Rin asks Ciel. “........It appears that he sent this letter to Jeremy anticipating that he himself would eventually be killed.” Ciel crumbles the paper and puts it in his pocket. “Oh no… Mister Sebastian…” Mey-Rin covers his mouth. “But that paper alone isn’t proof enough that he’s not the killer!! I mean, if he managed to come here from outside of the manor, he could’ve committed last night’s murders too, right!?” Grimsby shouts. “Proving my innocence is quite simple. Look in my coat pocket.” Jeremy explains.

Finny goes to Jeremy’s pocket. “A ticket… I think? From the theatre…” Finny pulls out the ticket. “And the date on it?” Ciel asks. “Yesterday…The ticket was purchased at the door for the evening performance on the march the twelfth. The location and programme were… um… the… El…ay…dee… The Lady of the Lake at the Lyceum Theatre!” Finny said. “The Lady of the Lake is indeed being performed at London’s Lyceum now.” Irene confirms it.

“Last night, I went to the Lyceum Theatre in London. The performance ended well past ten at night. Even if I’d caught a hansom cab and slipped the driver a sovereign to rush over here, it would have taken over two hours to reach this manor. Moreover, the streets are a veritable quagmire of mud, what with all the rain, so it would have taken early twice as long as usual.” Jeremy explains. “You came by hansom in this downpour?” Irene questioned. “I bet the river’s overflowin’ its banks with the storm, so there’s no way a cab coulda made it over the bridge!” Bard said. “Of course there are any number of other ways to get here. On foot, by swimming… though to be fair, they are none of them ways I would recommend to average folk. There are as many means to an end as there are stars in the sky. However, the fact remains that there exists but one truth. Leave it to the masterly novelist to help me save my breath.”

“What!?” Arthur is confused. “It’s a simple feat to tell a person’s occupation and such from their clothing and habits. First, you have a large writer’s callus on the middle finger of your right hand. And its shape differs from that of those who draw or paint…in other words, it goes to show just how much you write. Next, that blue smudge on your sleeve. This can happen when laundering fabric to which colored ink has adhered. And lastly… …You have made a habit of nothing on your cuffs with pencil story ideas as they strike you so you do not forget. Pearl… India… secret room… sign. Only a writer would do something like that, hmm?” Jeremy gave a description of Arthur.

“Amazing… you’re like Doctor Bell, who was once my professor.” Arthur said. “Observing human beings is my hobby, you see. Well then, now that I’ve relieved you of any suspicions toward me, would you untie me at once? It seems this manor is bursting with the fragrance of a heady mystery that will relieve my tedium.” The guests explain to Jeremy what is going on. “I see… I find it all very curious indeed. May I examine the corpses first? They will speak to me of the bare facts most eloquently.” Jeremy requests as he pets (Y/n). “Very well. Let us make for the wine cellar below.”

“Stop!” Jeremy stops Arthur. “Eh!?” Arthur looks at Jeremy. “Please carry each body to a separate room.” Jeremy tells him. “May I ask why?” Arthur questions. “Even the various scents of a case may yield clues. If the corpses are laid out together, their individual smells will mingle and be contaminated. And in a wine cellar, the scent of wine is especially strong… so would you be kind enough to lend us three rooms, Earl Phantomhive?”

“.....All right. You lot, take each corpse to a room of its own.” Ciel orders them. “Yes, sir.” The servants leave the room. “My lord, would you permit me to change my clothing in the interim?” Jeremy requests. “Oh… I think the previous earl’s clothes would be too small for you. Let me lend you something from the late butler’s wardrobe. Please follow me, if you would.” Ciel said and the two leave with (Y/n) still on Jeremy’s head.

*At the cellar*

“What is with that guy!? He shows up outta nowhere and then starts actin’ like he owns the place!” Bard complains. “He’s a vicar, but he acts like a policeman. An odd duck, he is.” Mey-Rin said. “He may act like that, but he ‘ould help us.” Joker said. “He is ‘nocent and supports us.” Dagger agrees. “Yeah. …but… …I can’t help feeling like he’ll work this all out for sure.” Finny said. “Hrn?” Bard is confused. “Why is that?” Mey-Rin looks at Finny.

“I can’t really say why, but… …I feel like it’s okay for us to trust that man.” Finny tells them with Joker and Dagger to agree with him. “Aww, brother… If ya trust people so easy, you’re gonna get burned, kid.” Bard said. “I must agree.” Mey-Rin nods. They head inside as Mey-Rin removes the cloth off Sebastian. “Mister Sebastian, sir, we will be moving you now, we will.” Mey-Rin said.

*Drawing room*

“Young master, we’re done relocating the bodies.” Bard announces. “Nn.” Ciel nods. “Right, then! Shall we take a closer look at the corpses in the order they were murdered?” Jeremy said in Sebastian’s clothes.