Black Butler: The Stellar Dove

4.2

  My eyes lit up as I observed the place. It was beautiful! There were huge, neatly trimmed hedges, white cobble stone walkways, and gorgeous white roses everywhere... the effect of the near twilight sky and the smell of the late autumn wind only added to the beauty of the estate.

"I can see why you love this place so much!" I gasped. "It's amazing!"

"Isn't it?" Finny shared my excitement. "And I take care of this whole place myself! Well..." he scratched his head. "Occasionally with help from Sebastian. He helps us a lot, actually. I still have no clue how he's able to keep up with all of us. The way we must drive him mad, I'm surprised he's not as drained as Tanaka by now!" Finny looked down as his smile softened. "I mean, he's a bit strange and scary sometimes, but we all really do like him. Just, please don't tell him I said that!"

I placed a hand on his shoulder, half thinking to tell him I didn't expect Sebastian to be the person you could keep anything from. "Well, you guys do a wonderful job of taking care of the garden. It must be nice to spend every day out here."

"Ya, it really is," he beamed. "Even in the rain or shine or hot sun or snow... it's always fun."

We were temporarily interrupted by... barking? It didn't sound like a dog, though. It sounded more like—

And I was knocked down.

Everything happened so quickly, I'm not even sure what was going on. I know I screamed as I hit the ground. It was at that point I felt something lick my neck. I opened my eyes to see it was a man. He had long, shaggy white hair, dark red eyes, and fangs!?

My eyes widened in both shock and fear. He only smiled at me and licked my face again.

"Pluto! No, down boy!" a high-pitched voice called.

"Ah! Mey-Rin! You were supposed to hold him, that's the whole point of the leash!" Finny exclaimed.

"Well, I tried, but he's strong!"

"Wha—what is—who are you!?" I stuttered, terrified as Finny pulled him off of me.

The man replied by sitting down in the way a dog would. He wore a (dirty) white button-up shirt, dark trousers, and a collar.

"I'm so sorry, miss!" Finny told me, helping me up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I answered, brushing the dress off. "I'm sorry about your dress, Mey-Rin."

"It's my fault, miss," she said with a low, apologetic bow. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you would be out here! Please forgive me!"

I blinked a little in surprise.

"I'll explain," Finny said. "Um, this is... Pluto... he's sort of our... pet. Dog, actually. You see, he thinks he's a dog, and, well, he kind of is, but—"

"Finny!" Mey-Rin gasped.

"Well, if she's going to be here, she'll see it soon, anyway!"

I shook my head in confusion. I finally took a breath and smiled softly as I kneeled down to look at the man a little closer.

"Oh, I see. So, he's demented?"

"Well, not exactly—" Finny was cut off by a sharp jab in the ribs from Mey-Rin.

"Yes, sort of," she answered me.

"Okay," I smiled as I pet his head, coming to realize he was harmless. "Hello there, Pluto." He answered me with a playful bark. I giggled. I had never seen anyone act like that before, and though it was different, I held my nervousness well. I saw the two servants smile as they whispered something to each other. I could have sworn they said Sebastian's name. I ignored it. "You gave me quite a scare, boy! But I see you're nice now, so it's okay. You must have been excited to see a new person!"

"So, Lady Estella," Mey-Rin asked me nervously.

"You can just call me Estella," I told her. "I'm not exactly a lady. Or, I don't think I am... never mind that."

"Well, okay," she nodded. "How long do you think you'll be staying with us?"

"I... I'm not sure, actually," I looked down. "I hope not too long, though. The last thing I want to be is a burden..."

"Ha!" Finny laughed. "Trust me, you don't know what a burden is until you really meet us! Besides, you seem like a really nice person to have around!"

I blushed slightly. "Thank you. You seem nice, too!"

Finny's grin widened as he scratched his head. Mey-Rin clasped her hands behind her back. It was at that point I had a feeling that I was really going to like them. Sure, they seemed quirky and blunderous—almost exact opposites of the butler—but they were kind beyond the required politeness of servants. They honestly seemed to be loveable people.

"Anyway, we should be going back inside soon," Finny told me. "Dinner's probably ready by now."

~~~~

Bard had just finished throwing a large plate of meat on the counter. After inspecting it for a moment and grinning, he decided to pull out his flame-thrower. But, just as he aimed it at the meat, the door to the kitchen flew open. Bard nearly dropped his weapon as he jerked around.

"Seems I caught you just in time," Sebastian sighed as he stepped into the room, shedding his tailcoat. "Now, put the flamethrower down and let me show you how it's properly done... for the hundredth time."

Bard groaned a little as he hesitantly took the flamethrower back off and dropped it. "But, Sebastian, your way's boring..."

"No buts!" Sebastian growled as he tied an apron around his waist. He practically jerked the tray off the counter and shoved it into the oven.

Bard was a little shocked by the extreme portrayal of his disappointment. "Sheesh, I'm sorry, Sebastian..."

"It's not solely your foolishness that's frustrated me," the butler sighed, dusting his gloves off. "But it would ease some of my tension if you'd be more careful for now on."

"Er... right..." he mumbled as he hung his head in shame. "So, if it's not just me, then what's bugging you?"

Sebastian's mouth opened slightly as he came to realize how thoughtless he was being for expressing his emotions in such a way. He put a hand on his head and leaned up against the wall. "No, I apologize. I'm being irrational. But this situation is nothing you'd understand."

"Sebastian," Bard sighed. "Listen, it's not good to bottle things up. Even if I wouldn't exactly understand, it's best to talk about things before they eat your heart away."

"For most normal situations, perhaps, but this is a time when it's best to keep it to myself. My problems are not your problems."

"But my problems are your problems," Bard crossed his arms, gesturing towards his flamethrower.

Sebastian was silent for a moment as he looked at the floor. "Then if you're so apt to hear the truth," he finally spoke, looking up at the cook. "It's about our guest."

Bard seemed confused. "Estella? Why, is she doing alright? Is she mean or something?"

"No, not at all. She's fine. The problem isn't directly her doing."