defying reason - kuroshitsuji

ＶＩ

The Duchess |
A b s e n c e

『０３ 。１８８９』

"What's going on Tanaka," Adriane slipped out of the bed and put on the robe that sat by the dressing table. "Who would do such a thing?"

Tanaka only bowed again and held a robe for his young master. "I'm afraid this is a tragedy only one can understand with the eyes my lady."

The old man could already tell she had no qualms with the current circumstance.

He had witnessed the sheer unfeelingness of the Whitely's generations ago.

"I'm too tired for this," Yawned Ciel, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Why do we always have such inconvenience in this house?"

The two almost ran down the corridor, with the old man in slow tow. Arriving at the broken door with the smell of ash and wine filling their noses, Ciel shouted. "What the hell is going on!"

They stepped past the door, into the surprisingly sultry room.

Gazes shifted to the three entries, suspicious and mournful looks.

Adriane could smell it. As soon as she entered the room it filled her nose and clouded her vision. She had to hold her nose in order to not lose her calm.

The fatal whiff of grief.

The thunder clapped.

On the chair in front of the blazing hearth was the dead body of lord Siemens. His eyes were completely rolled back, only glazed over scleras in place of his normal plain hues. Streams of saliva ran down the concaves of his stubbly chin. He had a large red stain on the front of his coat that appeared to be blood, but had a slight scent of berries.

The whole party had congregated in the room, looks of fear upon each of their faces; excluding the five that were used to tragedies such as this.

"Duchess are you alright?" Arthur warily eyed the girl. She was awfully pale and had her mouth clamped shut, droplets of blood were accumulating in her nostrils.

He rushed over to help her, he was a doctor after all and Adriane was the defenceless patient.

Before Arthur could lay a finger on the lady she thrust his hand away, if he were to touch her thing would become even more awry. "I'm fine Arthur, I'm just sensitive to heat,"

Ciel retrieved a small handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to her, he caught her hand simultaneously. Gripping it slightly as if to say, 'just wait'. He turned her head away from the dead body and she propped herself against anything that was comfortable.

She must be scared, Arthur thought.

Arthur desisted with a strange look and went to examine the body. "He's definitely gone. I'm positive the chest wound has a lot to do with it." He turned back to the assemblage as Sebastian and Ciel shared a sidewards glance.

Adriane had pacified considerably, but Charles Grey– well, he was more than suspicious of her little outburst.

Grimsby held tight onto his lover and spoke. "We should probably leave everything as it is– until the yard arrives I mean,"

"But the rooms pretty hot, right?" Bard wiped a few droplets of sweat that had caught his brow.

The air was thick and mild, conditions that did no good for the dead.

Sebastian had heated all of the rooms in advance, in case anybody caught a chill.  He assumed that Siemens was sensitive to England's chilly bite.