The Phantomhive Nightmare

Chapter Eighteen

"My brother wants to be a knight.. a smart one at that." Celine added into casual conversation as she prodded her food with a fork. It had been nearly a month since she had first encountered the Lex family, Kyran, and all of its glory. Normally it would be considered an honor to even be invited to the vast property belonging to the family, however this was her third time being at the same dinner table as Kyran. 

Knowing now that he was more like her than she had originally thought, it made things a little easier when it came to confiding in him for personal advice. He was unusual, very smart, and understanding for a man. Perhaps it had something to do with his real age and experience..

"Well what do you want to do? He seems to have found his calling so to speak, have you given yours any thought?"

"Mine? Well.. the company of course." He took a sip of water as he gave her a doubtful look.

"What? You think because I'm a lady I can't run my own company?"

"No, quite the opposite. I think because you are a lady you will be one of the most difficult business owners to work with." He smiled and she rolled her eyes. 

Her mother and father had went away to celebrate their anniversary, Ciel didn't want to leave her to the manor by herself as her brother was off doing his own thing in regards to preparing for college. Kyran reached out and offered to look over her at the Lex Estate while he was away. Her father was so trusting of Kyran that it was almost unsettling. She was sure it had something to do with him being what he was.. 

"Funny..." She managed a small smile, "Thank you for asking me to stay here while everyone was away. I honestly.. don't prefer to be alone." She added, almost ashamed of it. 

"Are you afraid of being alone?"

"No, no particularly. I do fine on my own, no one bothers me. However, it gets quiet. I suppose the quiet is what I fear the most."

"The quiet?"

"Yes," She took a sip of her water, "it allots me time to think and overthink.."

"..What do you think about?"

She started to tell him. She wanted to tell him and that was frightening as well. However, she refrained. He had no right to know every detail of her inner most thoughts, ever aspect of her brewing problems. There were things even she wouldn't tell her own brother, much less her father of some man she had only known for a little over a month. Though her father had obviously known him for much longer than she, so she didn't doubt his trustworthiness. But, like the typical kind of girl she was, she clammed up and offered up the predictable, "Oh, it's nothing really."

As they finished dinner, her mind swam in all different directions. Their newfound friendship was the least of her worries at this point and the fact that she was sleeping in a different place didn't seem to bother her either.  "Would you like something to read tonight?"

"Huh?" She blinked back her thoughts and concerns as she averted her gaze to his. She almost missed the way he looked outside of the Estate, his more human disguise. Though she could tell he wasn't human even then, she had just never imagined he could possess such dead and cold eyes. "I asked if you would like something to read tonight, you know, to keep you from thinking so much."

"Oh, well that would be lovely. I hadn't given that strategy much thought.."

"I'll take you to pick something out soon."

"Pick something out?"

"From the library?"

"Library? where? here?"