Two Steps From Hell | Sebastian Michaelis

Her Butler, Questioning

That evening before dinner, Sebastian was in the dining room polishing all the silverware. He was absentmindedly polishing a knife that literally could not be polished anymore. However, his mind was on their new recruit. Ciel simply wanted to mess with him. Still, he couldn't help but think there was something odd about that woman. They knew nothing about her except for her name. 'If that is her real name.' There was just something about her that he didn't like and he needed to find out what it was. And thus, a plan was ready. He would have to befriend her first and gain her trust.

***

Ana was helping the others clean up the kitchen and prepare dinner as they all introduced themselves. The boy with the blond hair went first.

"Hi! My name's Finnian but people call me Finny," he said with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you, Finny. So, what do you do here?"
He pointed at his chest with his thumb. "I am the gardener." He then suddenly became timid. "But sometimes I destroy things because I don't know my own strength, ya know?"
She smiled. "I can't wait to see the garden."

And then the maid introduced herself as Ana grabbed a dustpan and brush.

"I'm Mey-Rin," she said with her heavy cockney accent. "I'm but a simple maid. I'm also a bit clumsy and I break a lot of things."
Ana smiled softly. "It's okay. I'm here to help you now."
Mey-Rin clapped her hands together. "Oh, yes! This is so exciting!"

Ana laughed quietly and then the man, whose afro had returned to its normal style, took his turn.

"My name's Bardroy. But everyone here calls me Bard," he said. "I'm the head chef here."
Ana smiled. "I can tell. You're doing a brilliant job here."
He blinked a couple of times. "R-really?"
"Yeah! Only a true chef takes risks and experiments with new ways to cook food," she said.
He suddenly grinned and clenched his fist to the ceiling. "Ya see that?! Rose thinks I'm an excellent chef!"
She tilted her head. "Who are you talking to?"
He looked at her. "Oh, uh... Sebastian."
"Hmm..." She began sweeping. "What's the deal with him?"
"What do you mean?" Finny asked.
She shrugged. "I don't think he likes me all that much. Plus, there's an odd vibe around him. He's...too perfect."
"Oh, yeah," Bard agreed. "That's just the way he is. Everything is perfection around him and everything has to be perfect. He's always cleaning up after our mess," he chuckled.
Mey-Rin blushed deep red. "I get so nervous around him. And when he's nearby, I make even more mistakes! Oh, it's a nightmare, yes it is!"
Ana laughed softly. "Well, I'm sure I'll get used to him."
Bard waved his hand in dismissal. "Enough about him. Tell us about you!"
"Okay! Where to start...?" she wondered as she paused her sweeping. "I was a journalist for five years."
"A journalist?!" Finny repeated in shock. "What happened?"
She smiled sadly and shrugged. "I got fired over something ridiculous. I haven't been able to get a job since. For some reason, no one would hire me. After that, I couldn't stay afloat. Lost my home and everything else apart from the clothes on my back."

The three of them had stopped their work, all looking at her with forlorn faces. She laughed nervously and waved her hands about.

"Oh, look at that. I've made you all sad. Don't worry about me," she said to try and make them happy again.
Finny shook his head. "It's such a cruel world."
"But what about your family and all that?" Bard asked.
"I don't have any," she told them as she began sweeping again. "I've been alone ever since I can remember. My childhood was... Well, I'd rather not talk about that. I somehow made it on my own and became a journalist when I was 20 years old."
"Wait," Bard said, holding up his hand. "So, you were a journalist for five years. That means you lost your job at 25?"
"Yes. You're very good at mental arithmetics."
Bard grinned smugly. "Thanks."
"And how old are you now?" Finny asked.
"28. I think..."
Mey-Rin tilted her head. "You don't know how old you are?"
Ana smiled nervously. "No... I don't know when my birthday is so I gave myself one."
"It's fine," Bard said. "You're only as old as you feel, am I right?" he grinned as he did a strong man pose.
She laughed. "That's true."
"Hang on, Rose," Finny suddenly said. "That means you were homeless for three years?"
"Yes."