Black Butler: The Stellar Dove

15.4

  Mey-Rin explained that Sebastian and Ciel had gone out earlier to run an errand prior to breakfast. She also explained that the young master wanted to speak with me when they returned.

After getting dressed, I made my way down the halls to the main room. I no longer felt anxious about roaming the Phantomhive manor for the reason I used to be. I had stayed there almost a month. I would feel guilty for staying so long, but this place was like a home, the only place familiar to me. The ones there were the only people I knew, and my family. The idea of me leaving was unfathomable.

But now everything had changed. I discovered that I was blind to a darker side of the manor, and I had never suspected anything as such. Of course, on my end, how could I worry about that when I hardly knew myself?

When I came to the main room, I found that it was like the event the night before had never happened. The bodies were gone. The floors were scrubbed clean. Fresh flowers filled the room with a pleasant aroma to cover the smell of death that stung the air the night before.

I heard the sound of a carriage outside the door. I turned to leave, wanted to avoid confronting Sebastian, but it was too late to run now. I was going to have to face him.

To my surprise, only Ciel entered.

"Oh, hello Lady Estella, how are you this morning?" Ciel forced a half-smile.

"I'm fine," I lied.

"Sebastian's gone to pull the carriage around," he explained. "Will you please come with me so I may have a chance to explain the events of last night?"

"Of course," I answered. I was sure he wasn't exactly asking me to, anyway.

The young master led me up the stairs. It was strange not to see Sebastian following. He shut the door of the conference room behind us. In the center was a small table. We sat on either sides on the large sofas.

"As I'm sure you've found out, I am not only the head of a toy company, but also the queen's guard dog." My eyes widened. That nickname... I was sure I had heard it before. "You recognize the name, I assume?"

"I do," I nodded. "No further explanation on that part is needed on that part."

"Good," he smiled slightly. "Now... about what you saw last night... are you ready to hear the story?"

"Yes," I folded my hands in my lap, bracing myself.

"Then we'll begin. That man was not your fiancé, nor was he Serafin King."

"But he did claim that Serafin King was my fiancé," I reminded him.

"I'm sorry to say, but Sebastian searched the name. There was no record of a Serafin King anywhere."

"But... I do remember the ring..." I whispered.

"You may have had a fiancé, but it obviously wasn't that man nor was it Serafin. I suppose we can't trust all of the information he gave us, but there are pieces that I don't believe need to be overlooked." There was a pause before he continued. "He didn't give us much information, though I do, however, have a theory about something he said."

I looked up hopefully.

"Do you remember being a part of an experiment of any kind?"

I looked back down, a sudden cold rushing over me. "No, but I can't confirm it."

"Do you, perhaps, remember anything about a substance being injected into the blood stream?"

The cold I felt began wrapping around me, suffocating me. I started shaking. "I... I..." I crossed my arms as a sudden pain shot through me. "I can't..." Splinters of memories pricked in my mind. I could remember the echo of screams around me, but the only thing I felt was prickling cold—not needles.

"Estella... Estella!" I realized Ciel had been calling me the entire time.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I couldn't remember anything that happened."

"It's okay, just try not to think about it too hard. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

I cringed, thinking. Should I tell him that I knew? Would it upset him, or perhaps Sebastian?

"No," I answered.

Ciel nodded. "And by the way," he handed me a letter from his coat pocket. "We ran into Elizabeth while we were out. She told me to give you this invitation to a masquerade ball. She really wants to see you again."

"Thank you..." I was silent as I considered it. It was a sharp turn of subject.

"It may be best to do whatever you can to make yourself comfortable. Important things come to you when you don't even think about it."

I supposed he was right. A ball would be perfect to get my mind off the recent events here. Also, I had found myself longing for Elizabeth's pure, cheery nature. "I'd love to go," I answered with a nod, my smile returning.

"Wonderful. It's actually tomorrow, so I'll have Sebastian begin working on your dress tonight."

~~~~

i-fNS