Tangled Web (A Black Butler Fan Fiction)

Chapter Eighteen

Ever since I left Ciel, I regretted it. I've kept what I was thinking about from Lizzie since she was so excited to have me back home. I just missed having the comforts of Ciel's servants around me like friends and the thought that Sebastian and Ciel would always save me when I called for it. I just still felt guilty about leaving and making Ciel endure Alois alone.

Lizzie was more excited to have me back than my parents were. My parents were more concerned about my studies and if I learned anything while at the Phantomhive estate. To answer the last question, I learned a lot during my stay with Ciel and Sebastian. My studies were taken care of by Sebastian as well. He tutored Ciel, and eventually me when I began my stay.

I made my way to our gardens. It just wasn't the same. Finny and Sebastian made Ciel's gardens immaculate. They seemed perfect. I made my way to the middle of the gardens feeling slightly dissatisfied. I made my way to the middle, still making sure no one could see me. It wasn't the same though. I just wasn't. I didn't feel as welcome as I did when I stayed with Ciel.

I sat down on the grass and wodnered what changed about my home. I wanted some sort of anything to come from the Phantomhive manor and tell me they were thinking about me or something. I was tired of being looked down upon from my parents. Lizzie was just clueless, like usual.

I wondered how Ciel was doing. Even though he never said it out loud, I could tell he didn't want me to leave. I didn't want to either, but it was something I had to do. I had to in order to save Ciel from Alois. I had a feeling Alois would kill him if anything happened.

I rested my arm on my elevated knees with a tear streaming down my cheek. I could never tell or show Lizzie or my parents I missed being where I was. I just couldn't. It would make me even more distant from my parents and Lizzie might hate me.

"Selena, where are you?" I heard a voice ask in the distant. There wasn't many place to hide in. Lizzie would find me eventually, like she always does.

I stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off my dress. I walked toward the voice of Lizzie. When we met, she wrapped her arms around me.

"Come on, Selena, Ciel is here for a visit!"

As she pulled me along, I thought, it's only been a week and he's here?

Elizabeth dragged me into the manor and shut the door so I wouldn't escape easily. She eyed me over.

"Selena, you look positively dreadful," she said as she pointed to me. "You must change before seeing Ciel."

I looked at her with wide eyes. "You can't be serious."

She may be my twin, but I think sometimes we are polar opposites.

She dragged me into my room and slammed the door, making sure I wasn't going to open it and run as far as I could from her. Honestly, it's crossed my mind once or twice.

"No, this won't do," she said as she went throguh all my dresses looking for the right one to put me in. When she found the right one, she held it out, making sure it would clear inspection. "How about this one?"

 I looked at the blue dress she was holding out. It was a different color than the one I was wearing, and it looked near about the same. I nodded. Before I could even start to change out of my "dirty" dress, Lizzie had it off of me and she was putting the clean one on. I turned around as and looked at myself in the mirror as Lizzie tied my dress up and tied the bow on the back.

"Now, come on, Selena," Lizzie said as she pushed me out of my room and down he corridor to where Ciel was waiting for us.

Lizzie stopped pushing me and we started walking normally. When we got to the parlor, where Ciel was waiting for us with Sebastian at his side, Lizzie stopped me.

"Selena, Ciel is waiting in there."

"I know," I said I as I looked at the door like I could see through it. "Come on, Lizzie, Ciel is waiting."

I opened the door and let Lizzie choke Ciel before it was opened all the way. I felt the wind of her rushing in and I smiled as she wrapped him in her arms and twirled him around like he was a doll or a stuffed animal.

I walked in casually and tore Lizzie off of Ciel. "Lizzie, calm down," I said as I got her off. "You don't want to choke your betrothed to death."

She looked at me. She seemed to stop when I mentioned how Ciel was her betrothed and that she would choke him to death doing that. She turned to me with a smile.

"Thank you, Selena," she said.

I turned to Ciel.

"Welcome, Ciel," I said with a soft smile.

"Thank you, Selena," he said.

"However, it's only been a week," I said, "since I've seen you last."

Ciel turned from facing me. "I realize it has been a week since I've seen you last."

I wanted desperately to tell him I hated leaving him like that. I wanted to tell him I was thrilled that he was in front of me.

Ciel took a step toward Lizzie and I. "Shall we have afternoon tea on the terrace?"

I smiled at him. "Of course," I said when Lizzie said nothing.

Lizzie pranced ahead of us as Sebastian went off to aid Paula with the tea. Come to think of it, Paula has been distant from me too.

"Ciel, how did you convince my parents and Lizzie to let me stay with you at the Phantomhive manor?" I asked.

He was quiet for a second before he said, "I said you needed a country break and your parents thought so as well, why?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said. "My parents, including Paula, have been distanced themselves from me."

"That doesn't sound like them," Ciel said.

"I know, but it's true," I said.

I looked up to Sebastian. "Sebastian, I have a request for you."

Sebastian stopped and waited for me. Meanwhile, Lizzie took Ciel's arm.

"Come on, silly, let's go to the terrace while Selena talks to Sebastian." She dragged him away and I was left with Sebastian alone in the corridor.

"What is it, Lady Selena?" Sebastian asked as he looked down from me.

"Sebastian, could you please find out why my parents are distancing themselves from me?" I asked. It was bothering me enough to annoy me. "I can live with Paula's distance, but it's unlike my parents."

"As you wish, my master," he said as he bowed.

When he disappeared on his mission, I walked to the terrace alone. I was preparing for my latest lie. I knew Ciel of all people would see through it since he knew how Sebastian worked. As for Lizzie, any plausible lie I'd give her she'd think was true. My parents could care less about me as of late.

I stopped just before I reached the terrace doors. I rehashed what I said to Sebastian. When I gave him the order, like I usually did, he didn't say Lady Selena like his usual self. Instead he addressed me as his master. Since when am I his master? I knew we were under contract but I never thought of me as Sebastian's master. That title has always described Ciel, not me.

I walked onto the terrace and was greated by Ciel and Lizzie, who were waiting for me and the afternoon tea.

"Welcome back, Selena," Ciel said with a soft smile. He sat in one of the chairs and looked like his dignified father. At first, I thought it was his father. I haven't seen Ciel smile like that in a very long time.