That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Mocking

"It all began five years ago," Baron Kelvin began.

=Flashback=

"Hello there! You are most welcome, Baron and Baroness Kelvin!" their host at the party greeted them.

"Earl Burton!" Kelvin said. "What a grand and splendid ball this is! I look forward to discussing philanthropy with you later this evening!"

"As do I!" Burton agreed with a smile."Ahh, yes. There is someone to whom I would like to introduce you. Now where did he go?" he said, looking around. "How curious. He was here until just a moment ago... Ah." He spotted him by the window. "There he is!" Burton raised his hand and waved to get his attention. "EarlPhantomhive!" he called, leading Kelvin over to meet the handsome man." Allow me to introduce you. This is Baron Kelvin."

"How do you do?" Vincent Phantomhive said politely, shaking the baron's hand. "Come, you greet him first," he told his son standing on his right.

"Okay," the boy said. "How do you do, Baron Kelvin? I'm Ciel," he greeted the older man brightly with the most beautiful smile that the Baron had ever seen. Kelvin's eyes widened with wonder and admiration as he blushed. But then Vincent's son ducked behind him on his left, hiding.

"I do beg your pardon," Vincent said on behalf of his son. "The child is quite shy. His health is a bit frail, so he does not go outside very often."

"Ah!" Ciel said brightly, perking up when he saw a familiar face in the crowd. "It's Uncle Chlaus!!" The young boy took off running to greet him.

"Ohh! Is that Ciel, I see!?" Chlaus said, lighting up when he saw them too. "Guten tag!!" he greeted Ciel as he scooped him up. "It has been a while. You've grown up!"

"Chlaus!" Vincent said, also happy to see him. He quickly moved to join his son and friend. "Returned, have you?"

"Ah..." Kelvin said, suddenly feeling a great loss at their absence.

"Vincent," Chlaus greeted him with a hug. "We're all together today. What a rare treat!"

"He insisted on coming with me... though he has only just gotten over his illness..." Vincent said, patting his shy son on the head. "—Well? You were away for quite a while this time round."

"German beauties are made of though, virtuous stuff," Chlaus replied meaningfully. "Does it come from their national character, I wonder?"

"Hmm? Then perhaps I ought to try my hand at pecking at their hard shells too?" Vincent mused, holding his chin.

"His years may still be few, but this young man appreciates philanthropy," Burton explained to Kelvin as they watched the exchange from afar. "He has invited the children from my orphanage to his manor for Guy Fawkes' Day and at Christmas time, and... Baron Kelvin?" he asked, wondering what had come over the other man when he continued to stare dreamily at the earl's small group.

"I could not avert my eyes from those three. They were serene and beautiful like the moon rising silently in the blackest sky—In an instant, I realized... That they were 'special.' I tried frantically to glean all I could about the Phantomhives. I wanted to know what made them so special. And then, I came to learn the truth about them."

One day, the baron found himself exiting a carriage to enter a grand building, where he was escorted to the billiards room—a room filled with a wide assortment of people from a grinning undertaker to a tough looking man in with a scarred face, Chlaus, a mysterious lady, and a man in what appeared to be a German uniform.