°°°

 

In the quite-bold Palace of the Phantomhive, their butler was arranging the royal vase to further decorate the pink dining set with white fresh roses.

 

Everything was set flawlessly as the Queen's daughter was coming to conduct an inspection. It was settled in a way to ensure the guests would give them infinite stars for their manor's excellent service. Since the conductor was the same liner with the Phantomhive.

 

The butler sighed on the sight of his young master's failure.

 

"Sebastian! Come here quickly!"

 

The earl shouted afar from the manor, as he failed to collect lavenders from their garden to give them to the lady.

 

Sebastian laughed at his master's urge to come out, simultaneously him failing to climb out every time.

 

When the butler got closer to his master, he noted that the earl was stuck badly onto the gutter, which was near the flowering plant, struggling vigorously to climb back.

 

"Young master, Lady Elizabeth would arrive shortly... You should've been careful while doing this work..."

 

"Shut up Sabastian! Can't you see, I need help!?!"

 

Ciel interrupted the butler and continued to climb up.

 

Sebastian smiled at his master and helped him to come out of the gutter.

 

While the Phantomhive was struggling, the Gate of the Phantomhive manor was wide opened and a royal cart came in vision, sweeping through the neat white tiled path.

 

Ciel immediately ordered his butler to greet the guests and to make them busy while he changes his now-dirty wearing.

 

Sebastian nodded at his order, marching towards the grand door to greet their guest.

 

"Welcome home my lady. Please come in..."

 

Sebastian showed his regular smile to the guest and wondered about the other lady who was tagging along with the Queen's daughter.

 

The other lady seemed much more noble & humble than Elizabeth, who smirked watching him observing her.

 

"Ahm. Is there any problem Mr butler?"

 

"Ahh.. no. I was just wondering about, how beautiful you're lady."

 

Sebastian smirked back at her remark and soon shifted his gaze back towards Elizabeth.

 

Both the ladies entered the palace and took their respective places in the blue velvet-textured sofa.

 

"Sebastian... Where is Ciel??"

 

Elizabeth eagerly inquired to the butler, standing up, ready to go for search.

 

Sebastian smiled at her and leaned to inform the lady that the young earl was working in his respective office, and would soon come downstairs...

 

The lady pouted at his excuse and sat back on the sofa.

 

Sebastian looked over towards the new face and asked, clicking tongue.

 

"Lady... May I know, who are you to lady Elizabeth?"

 

The lady gently nodded and spoke,

 

"I'm Y/n Gloria, The princess of the United estates... And a nice friend of lady Elizabeth."

 

Sebastian smiled hearing the provided information and bowed.

 

"It's a pleasure to be able to meet you princess Y/n... But, how did you two meet?"

 

Y/n smirked at his review and answered away.

 

"Of course, through events conducted to resolve affairs between the kingdoms."

 

"I see..."

 

Sebastian gave a doubtful glance as princess Y/n sneered at him, but he soon replaced it with an acknowledgeable smile.

 

As Elizabeth was quiet throughout the conversation, Sebastian snickered and called out her name.

 

"Lady Elizabeth? Are you bored?"

 

"Yes, I am! Why don't you go & inform your master about our arrival!??"

 

Elizabeth requested the butler and again stood up to visit the earl by herself.

 

"No, my dear lady. The young master might know that you've arrived. And further, we shouldn't disturb the earl."

 

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and gave Sebastian an understanding look.

 

Lady Y/n was truly irritated by the lady's behaviour and approached Sebastian to fix the situation.

 

"Indeed. I may bring you some snacks before you go examine the palace."

 

Y/n adjusted her position and faced her friend to get information about the earl & his butler.

 

"Lizzy, who's this butler?? I never saw him anywhere in the kingdom. When did he got approved for the work?"

 

Putting her index finger on chin, lady Elizabeth thought for an appropriate answer.

 

"I assume the butler served the Phantomhive from their birth. Although I do not know much about the butler, I can tell you about the earl if you want!"

 

Y/n smiled softly and nodded to listen about the earl.

 

"So... Ciel- I mean Ciel Phantomhive is an orphan whose parents... Almost everyone in his family passed away in a house fire, except him... He was rescued. And onwards, since he's the heirloom, His father Vincent Phantomhive was the queen's watchdog, and that, the title got transferred to him. So he inherited the title naturally. I heard some rumours too, that he had a twin brother... But nobody has seen, and that many concluded that his twin also died during the house fire."

 

"Oh. The Phantomhive has suffered a lot, I see..."

 

Elizabeth nodded and uttered,

 

"But... About the middle incidence, he has gone through... What... I can't tell you Y/n. I'm sorry."

 

"It's okay Lizzy! That's really enough to know about the earl. I'm impressed already! And now... I get it why do you like him so much."

 

The other lady flushed bright red at her friend's comment, pinching her slightly.

 

"Ouch!"

 

Y/n giggled at her behaviour and both laughed together.

 

While the two ladies were consumed by themselves, a deep noble voice was heard.

 

"Oh... I apologise for the delay Lizzy-"

 

The earl paused suddenly, as his eyes widened & cheeks turning red at the realisation.

 

Once the crimson ruby eyes met his rich blue ones, the earl observed the princess briefly.

 

Along with the ruby orb, she wore a soft white gown designed with sapphire blue outlines & flowers delicate patterns... A blue velvet oversized outwear with a pair of low heel blue footwear, balanced the nobility overall. Her smooth rosy hairs were tied up loosely into a ponytail... As her ruby eyes were angelic yet demonic like his butler, her skin looked pale as before and meeting the genuine rosy lips she has, the earl might again fall in love with her.

 

As the earl gaped his lips to speak again, Elizabeth frowned at his sudden reaction and interrupted.

 

"Ciel? Why did you come so late?? We were waiting for you all this time!"

 

He shrugged at his fiancee's demand and shifted his gaze to her.

 

"Well... I-I was..."

 

The lady groaned at his slow wording and continued herself.

 

"It's okay. I know you were busy handling office work... Sebastian informed me. But, it's already noon. How am I supposed to inspect in such less time??"

 

Ciel cleared his throat and answered,

 

"I... I sincerely apologise Lizzy... Now that I've arrived, we can go & have the work done."

 

While the trio started strolling, the earl glanced at princess Y/n, who always glanced back at him... The earl still remembers the day when he asked out the princess, but she rejected him.

 

Flashback :

 

Both the kids were playing hide & seek in the Phantomhive mansion's ballroom.

 

"Ciel, I'll count this time, you hide!"

 

The small earl commanded.

 

"Okay!"

 

His twin brother replied.

 

The hider hides behind the curtains...

 

Outside the ballroom, a little girl was playing all alone in the Phantomhive's garden.
The small earl saw her from inside through the window behind the ballroom's curtains where he was hiding.

 

"Hey! What are you doing in our garden??"

 

He climbed down the window to the outside and went running towards the anonymous girl.

 

"Hey? I'm asking you!"

 

Still, he got no replies...

 

"Hey...??"

 

He felt disturbed by her apathetic reaction and sighed in defeat.

 

The girl was wearing a white dress and red boots just like her crimson ruby eyes...

 

Ciel set on the ground and watched the girl playing hide & seek all alone.

 

Soon, the night twinkling sky took over the noon's oily sky. But as before, the girl was still playing the game, and the earl still watching her playing.

 

The girl finally stopped playing and looked over to him with her ruby orbs, but blushing this time.

 

"Aren't you going back? Inside this manor?"

 

The girl spoke quite surprised.

 

"No."

 

"Why?"

 

"Not until you tell me why are you here in our garden..."

 

She furrowed brows and answered.

 

"That's because I like this place."

 

"Place? Our garden?"

 

"Yes."

 

"But... What's so special here?"

 

"Because this garden belongs to the Phantomhive family."

 

"Oh. What... But-"

 

"It's not necessary to know to know why..."

 

He was quiet for a while but she continued.

 

"So, you wanna play hide & seek with me?"

 

He didn't reply but played with her.

 

Later, when it was midnight... The girl was panting regularly, as they were running together, racing and finally were laying on the ground to rest.

 

"You're.., tired."

 

He commented, panting.

 

"You're... too!"

 

Both laughed, talking stuff foolishly...

 

"Hey, you didn't tell me your name... What's your name?"

 

The girl asked a bit concerned.

 

"Oh. My name is -"

 

Flashback ended.

 

Elizabeth went downstairs in search of Sebastian as Ciel asked her to get the files of the Phantomhive family from his office, to complete the inspection.

 

Now that both were alone... Again...

 

Ciel wondered for a while & said.

 

"Y/n... How do you know Lizzy?"

 

Y/n stared at him for some seconds before replying, "She's my friend... Ciel."

 

He shrugged his shoulders and uttered quietly in guilt.

 

"I am sorry..."

 

"It's okay... I understand. You never told me your name. But now I know."

 

"Y/n... It's not my real name..."

 

"Then?"

 

"It's... I.. I don't know really. I do not remember my name. Ciel was my twin brother's name..."

 

Y/n frowned for a while before asking again.

 

"Earl, would you like play hide and seek with me?"

 

Ciel raised his brows as he stared at the presence. The memory suddenly smacked him and he remembered he didn't answer the same question when the lady asked him out in the early times.

 

"Yes."

 

Y/n smiled at his answer and stared at the night twinkling sky before them.

 

Ciel looked over the grown girl, princess Y/n watching the sky, and watched together with her.

 

The earl thought... 'How did she enter the garden without anyone noticing her...? And that's the day when the phantohive's manor burnt down.'

 

The princess replied saying, "I was a demon back then."

 

Ciel hesitated at her mind-reading, before reacting,

 

"Really??"

 

"Yup. And Sebastian's sister. That's why Sebastian chose you."

 

"W-what... I never knew.."

 

"I know."

"And... And what about the deaths?"

"Death? Is it about the house fire?"

The early nodded once.

"Oh."

"So?"

"So... I didn't know about it. I apologise..."

There was a great silence before Ciel came in front of her, leaning.

 

"Ciel-"

 

Before she could finish, the earl's lips landed on her. while that, she wrapped her arms around him and him enclosing arms around her waist.

 

"Y/n, Will you be mine?"

 

"...."

 

"Y/n?"

 

"But first... Give me a smile."

 

Ciel blushed a deep red as Y/n returned his kiss and finally, she was able to feel the growing smile on his lips.

 

"I will be yours..."

 

He smiled again at her confront, the slow gesture on his lips were noticeable and to give attention on. It existed so far, that was the rarest thing itself.

 

'Did you save me that day?'

 

The end. [Part I]