You Can't Hide Forever

His Butler, At The Funeral (part 2)

~~Claire's POV~~

Today was the day of Madam Red's funeral. Ciel told me what had happened while I was unconscious and told me that we needed to talk afterwards.

Now, I was dressed in all black, even though I wasn't related to Madam Red and barely knew her. However, it still felt appropriate since I was accompanying Ciel.

The church bell rang out and I could hear the children running by clearly.

"Big brother!", said the little girl to the taller boy. She was probably no older by than four with her short hair put into two ponytails. A little boy stopped by the fence.

"Lots of people here today, huh big brother?", said the little boy. He looked no older than five or six with brown hair. The little girl and the older boy went to where the little boy was standing. They all looked at the church.

"Why?", asked the little girl as she looked up at the older boy.

"Dunno", he said. He was wearing a hat and had black hair. The little boy looked at him.

"You're older! You don't know?", asked the little boy. The little girl pointed at him.

"Are you dumb?", she asked. The older boy got defensive and clenched his fists at his sides.

"I'm only twelve! I don't have to know!", he said.

"Indeed", said the Undertaker. He was on the opposite side of the fence as the children. "It's only natural a normal 12-year-old wouldn't know. Today is a certain noblewoman's big day."

Noticing the shovel beside the Undertaker and his long black fingernails, the older boy carefully backed the other two children away from the Undertaker a little bit. The little girl looked confused.

"Big day?", she asked. The older boy went wide eyed and covered the little girl's mouth. The Undertaker turned to the children.

"Yes- a person's final, biggest ceremony in life. The funeral", he said. It was right then that I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned and saw Sebastian. He motioned towards Ciel and I nodded. Ciel was holding a red dress. He had some of his hair slicked back and a sad look in his eyes. I carefully went over to him and gave him a hug. I felt him stiffen up, but then he relaxed and hugged me back. When we parted, I gave him an encouraging smile and he nodded and put his usual expressionless face back on. We could hear the priest from inside, along with the soft crying of multiple people.

"'Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. So that we do not close off our distant future, all living things must open death's door."

I heard what sounded like Elizabeth mumble,"Aunt An...", and the priest continued.

"This lady has opened death's door and...", the priest stopped as Ciel opened the door to the church with a loud creak. I saw Elizabeth lift her head with a gasp and turn around at the sound of Ciel's first step inside the church. I was beside him.

"Ciel?", she said. Ciel and I quietly continued to walk into the church, red dress in Ciel's hands and a red rose on his jacket. I was holding a red rose in hand. There were a few whispers around the room.

"That's...the Phantomhive boy?"

"A scarlet dress?"

"How improper!"

"But Madam loved the color red."

Ciel ignored the whispers and I could feel Sebastian watching from the door. We approached the coffin. Madam Red was in a plain white dress with a white pearl choker and was surrounded by white lilies. Ciel draped the dress over her.