Black Butler: The Stellar Dove

25.4

  "What is this place?" I asked as I looked out the carriage window.

"It's the Undertaker's parlor," Sebastian explained as he hopped down from the driver's seat.

"A funeral parlor," Grell added, suddenly appearing from behind the door with a twisted grin. I jumped, my face paling. "Scared, are we?" She laughed. "Come now, Bassy, you're with this spooked little kitten? You need a vicious and daring woman, a tiger, someone more like—"

Sebastian swung open the door, hitting her in the face in the process. "My lady," he smiled as I stepped down. "There's nothing to be afraid of," Sebastian assured me. "But do be cautious. The Undertaker is... an odd fellow."

I almost asked him what he meant by that, but decided not to. And when saw what he meant, I knew there would have been no words to describe it, anyway.

"Welcome, ma lord!" a man with scraggily white hair and a long back cloak called out, his sleeves swishing around his arms as he waved. "I see you brought a gang with you! Are we having a party!? Oh, I'll make the food—"

"No," Ciel stopped him. "We're here strictly on business."

"Ah, and whose this lovely thing?" he asked, coming up to me and taking my hand and running his fingers along my wrist. I fought the urge to pull back, not wanting to seem rude.

"I-I'm Estella," I answered him. Sebastian came behind me and placed an arm around my waist, glaring at the Undertaker. He let go, but didn't exactly move away.

"A pretty name for a pretty face," he cackled, looking to Sebastian. "You'd best be careful with this one. A girl like her can be poisonous to a man like you!" He began laughing wildly.

"Would you get a hold of yourself?" Ciel sighed. "We have work to do."

"If it's information you want, you know my price," he grinned, folding his hands.

"It has to do with the blood," Sebastian explained.

"Oh, well then it's all free," he chuckled. "Do tell me everything you found, butler. I'm ever so curious!"

Sebastian told him about the place he had discovered the night before, and the strange aura about it.

"Huh," Undertake mused, suddenly serious. "It makes sense that you of all of us would be able to pick it up, really... but that's just all my silly theory."

"What do you think?" Ciel asked him. "Is it... worth investigating?" Though he said those words, it seemed he was implying something else.

"It's inevitable that we go," Undertaker cackled. "So I say why not?"

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