Black Swan Rising - A Black Butler Fan-Fic

2 - Drinking and Misconceptions

The tea was ready, the set was polished, the desserts were exquisite and the guest was sitting comfortably in the drawing room. Everything was perfect according to my partner the butler.

As a parlor maid, I was to be the replacement for a footman. I was the butler's secondhand in all things while also pertaining to the duties of the household. I was to prepare the drawing room and snacks and tea for guests and the young lord. I was to also tend to the lady guests of the house, dressing them and preparing them for meals and bed. However, my main responsibilities were reserved for the drawing and sitting room, the heart of guest activities. Though the butler answered the door, I led them to their destinations and entertained them until the young lord arrived, which usually wasn't long after their settling in.

And so my job began as soon as our guest stepped through the threshold. Sebastian took his hat and coat, bowing to his orders and retreating to gather everything needed for the meeting.

My job as guide started with veering to the left side of the foyer and helping the guest find a seat in the drawing and living room. The young lord was already there, setting up a game of chess. There was never a moment when that boy wasn't playing some game or another. I bowed slightly and left as Sebastian entered with the tea. Once the refreshments were taken care of, we left to tend to the chores.

"He seems to be quite the skittish character," I noted, fixing my apron. I glanced up at Sebastian. "You have that look in your eye."

He flicked his line of sight back down at me and gave a knowing smile. "I was told to give our guest our warmest Phantomhive hospitality," he responded.

I raised an eyebrow, looking ahead. "I see." Silence filled the spaces between us as we entered the kitchen with Sebastian opening the door for me like a proper gentleman. I stepped past him and felt an arm go around my middle, yanking me back. Just as the door was slammed shut again, an explosion went off in the kitchen. Screams pursued quickly afterwards.

I heard Sebastian sigh heavily, and my annoyance was apparent. I held onto his arm, suspended in the air from his strength, and waited rather impatiently to be placed back down. Instead, he opened the door and walked in, holding me like a sack under his arm.

"Care to explain why half the kitchen resembles the hearth?" Sebastian asked, looking at the blackened half of the area. He raised an eyebrow, studying the stove.

There was a pot sitting on the stovetop which was supposed to be boiling potatoes. The flamethrower in Bard's bands explained everything.

"Well, the water was taking too long, so I thought I'd used me flamethrower to speed up the process a bit, y'know?"

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched. "No, I do not know," he mumbled in contempt. "Clean up this place. I'm going to salvage something for the young master's lunch since you're too incompetent to boil water properly." He finally sat me down, helping me straighten up. This gentle side of him was out of character, absolutely. His kindness was definitely something to show concern for, especially from a man of his caliber. He simply wasn't the kind of man one would expect to act so gentle.

Gathering up all that he could — and mumbling insults toward the idiocy of the cook in the process — Sebastian managed to save the main dish and a few side dishes he intended to use. He would have to replace what he lost, and he already had ideas for what to retrieve.

"Follow me, Quinlan."

And like the obedient dog that I was, I followed. I watched the man of many actions retrieve a basket and make his way to the herb garden.

"Our chef doesn't seem quite as qualified as one would hope," I mumbled. I could've sworn that I had made a sort of comment like this on more than one occasion throughout the week. It was a reoccurring thing, Bard's mistakes and Mey-Rin's slip ups and Finnian's catastrophic mishaps. How was one supposed to keep their head with such unruly staff?