Chapter Text
Sebastian, as impeccable as ever, was guiding Ciel’s carriage with his characteristic poise and elegance. Behind them, a wagon carried the other servants: Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy. The servants were laughing, engrossed in lighthearted, meaningless chatter. Their voices were always loud. They passed by an old sign marking the entrance to a village called “Little BloodPudding.”
Mey-Rin, seated in the wagon, couldn’t take her eyes off Sebastian. She watched his perfectly straight back, his precise movements as he held the reins, and, of course, his undeniable charm. Her face flushed, and she let out a deep sigh. Then, without thinking much, she blurted out:
“The way I’d let this man... screw me until I couldn’t walk anymore. His hands and mouth all over me until I forgot my own name...”
Bardroy, overhearing, nearly fell off the wagon. “Mey-Rin, for God’s sake, hold your tongue before it sends you straight to hell!”
Mey-Rin, realizing she had spoken aloud, turned as red as a tomato and covered her face with her hands. “Oh, my God! I didn’t mean to say that! I mean, I do want him to screw me, but I didn’t mean to say it out loud! Please, don’t tell him!”
“Someone just knock me out already...”
Meanwhile, Sebastian, up front, seemed not to have heard anything—or perhaps he was simply ignoring it, as usual. He continued guiding the carriage with his impeccable posture, while the servants in the wagon tried to process what had just happened.
The village came into view like a faded portrait of a once-prosperous past. The houses were small and old, their wooden structures worn by time and neglect. Broken roof tiles and peeling walls told stories of better days, now lost in the fog of forgetfulness. The narrow windows resembled tired eyes, watching the visitors with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
The air was thick, heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. The village was surrounded by a dense forest, its tall, twisted trees leaning over the houses as if ready to swallow them whole. The branches intertwined above, creating a canopy that blocked much of the sunlight, casting the dirt streets in deep shadows.
It had all started a few days ago, when Ciel received a strange letter from the queen. She requested his help with a village a few days’ journey away. Apparently, the village was under a strange curse that, up to the point of her writing, had resulted in numerous divorces, fights, and even a murder. To Ciel, this didn’t seem like a reason to require his assistance, but since it was a direct request from the queen, it was his duty to investigate. So, there they were. At first, he had considered going alone with his butler, but then he thought better of it—leaving the other servants alone at the manor wouldn’t be a good idea.
Sebastian led them to a two-story building, larger than most of the houses and in slightly better condition. An inn. Sebastian instructed the servants to take the horses to the stable, give them water and food, while he and Ciel secured rooms for the night.
Inside, the inn had a rustic, cozy feel, though visibly neglected. The reception area was small, with a worn wooden counter and a pretty, smiling young woman behind it. She seemed excited to see the new guests, tucking stray strands of hair around her pretty face. She was blonde, likely no older than twenty, wearing a dark-colored dress with an apron. Her smile widened as they approached, her eyes never leaving Sebastian.
“Welcome! How may I assist you?”
Sebastian gave a slight bow and a polished smile. “Good evening. We would like rooms for our stay.”
Ciel tapped his foot impatiently. “The servants can share a room, as long as there are enough single beds.”
The receptionist looked at them, biting her lower lip. “Ah, I see! And... would that be a double bed for the two of you?”
Ciel and Sebastian quickly exchanged glances, with Ciel visibly flustered and Sebastian maintaining his composure, though with a hint of exasperation. He chuckled lightly. “Ah, no, miss. The room is for my master. I will be in a separate room.”
The receptionist covered her mouth, clearly embarrassed but still with a glint of interest in her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry! I just thought... well, you two seem so... close.”
The young earl shot a glance at his butler, then looked away, focusing on the receptionist. “He’s just a demon who wants to eat my soul.”
“My young master is always so direct. Yes, you’ve made it clear that I am merely a servant. A demon, as you said. Nothing more.”
“And you’ve made it clear that, to you, I’m just a soul to be devoured at the end of our contract.”
The receptionist looked between them and coughed, clearing her throat. “Sorry... the rooms...”
“Two rooms. One for the servants, with four beds if possible, and another for my young master. The largest bed available, as he tends to move around a lot in his sleep.”
“Ah, so you’ve been watching me sleep?” Ciel shot a sharp look at the butler, keeping his voice controlled.
“From outside the window, as the young master ordered me not to enter his room without permission. Technically, I’m still obeying your order...”
The boy rolled his eyes. The receptionist checked the rooms, but she couldn’t help glancing at Sebastian from time to time, clearly interested. She even leaned a bit more over the counter, trying to catch his attention. Sebastian, however, remained impassive, while Ciel watched the scene with mild irritation.
“Are you... new in town? I don’t recall seeing you before,” she asked, her eyes still on Sebastian. The butler maintained his polite smile.
“Yes, we’re just passing through. Here on my master’s business.”
“Ah, I see. Well, if you need... anything during your stay, just let me know.” She paused. “I took the liberty of securing you a separate room. I could... pay you a visit later, if you’d like.”
“He won’t need it.”
The woman blushed deeply, waving her hands, trying to apologize. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean... I just thought... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Don’t worry, miss. But my interests lie solely with my master.”
The woman shook her head, muttering as she wrote in the registry book. “Disgusting perverts...” Ciel froze, as did Sebastian. The woman dropped the pen, her eyes widening in shock as she turned crimson.
“I expected more decorum, miss...”
“What? I didn’t mean... I did, but... oh, God! Mother!”
At that moment, an older woman with a stern but professional demeanor appeared. She noticed her daughter’s panicked expression and immediately intervened. “I apologize for my daughter, sirs. We’ve been under a lot of stress lately. Marie, go help in the kitchen...”
Ciel crossed his arms, glaring at the young woman as she left. The older woman noticed the boy’s displeasure but said nothing, knowing her daughter must have said something serious. She observed them more closely, noting Ciel’s posture and high-quality clothing.
“Ah, and you are...”
“We are here on behalf of Her Majesty, the Queen. My master, the Earl of Phantomhive, has been sent to assist with the... local situation.”
The woman brought a hand to her chest, sighing in relief. “Oh, thank God! Forgive us, my lord! We sent several letters, but we didn’t expect her to listen and send help! Thank God!”
“Her Majesty sent me to assist, though even she didn’t fully understand the reason for the urgency...”
“Please.” The woman guided them to an empty table. Ciel sat, and she sat across from him. “My name is Agnes, and I was one of the people who wrote for help.”
Agnes then explained the village’s situation and how desperate they were for assistance. Ciel and Sebastian exchanged glances as they listened. “Well, it started about a month ago. It took us a few days to notice, but none of us can lie. Sometimes, words just come to our minds, and we have to say them out loud. It’s caused a lot of confusion, people looking at each other differently... A wife cut off her husband’s... sexual organ after he confessed to an affair, and there was a murder...”
She paused as the earl and butler exchanged looks. “I hope you can help us, my lord. This curse has caused so much trouble. People don’t know what to do anymore.”
“I don’t believe in curses, but... I’ll do my best to help...”
---
Since the inn was crowded with curious onlookers, Ciel had to share a table with Sebastian and the other servants. Many of them simply approached and said they wanted to meet their savior. Sebastian dismissed them, but many remained in the inn—lucky for Agnes, who was now serving dinners (and charging extra, as she said, to them, but for Ciel, it would be free) to her neighbors and friends.
The cook—a middle-aged woman with a stern demeanor—served them a special dinner. She placed the dishes on the table with a forced smile, clearly proud of her cooking skills.
“Here’s tonight’s dinner. I hope it’s to your liking, young master.”
Ciel hesitated but took a bite. It wasn’t entirely bad, but... “It’s... edible. Though Sebastian’s cooking is far superior.”
“Edible? Far superior? What do you mean by that?”
“I’m just saying Sebastian’s culinary skills are impeccable...” Ciel frowned, as if the words were being forced out of him.
“Oh, really? Well, I hope it chokes you,” the cook snapped before walking away. Everyone stared in shock.
“What?”
“Young master... the curse Agnes warned us about... could it be... real?”
“I refuse to believe in curses, Sebastian.”
“Then let’s test it. Bardroy... why did you use a flamethrower last week when I explicitly told you not to?”
The blond cook brought a hand to his mouth, his expression pained. He resisted for a few seconds before blurting out, “I sometimes burn the kitchen on purpose when I’m bored.” Seeing Sebastian’s expression, he clasped his hands and pleaded, “Please! Don’t kill me!”
“I won’t kill you... not now... but if I were you, I would start sleeping with one eye open...” Sebastian’s voice was low, and he glared at the cook.
“I’m still not entirely convinced...” said Ciel.
“Mr. Sebastian is still so composed, even when threatening someone,” said Mey-Rin with a dreamy smile. She then realized what she had said and blushed furiously. “What’s happening to us?!”
“According to Agnes, the village is under a truth curse. Why, no one knows. They just know they can’t lie, and sometimes, they say whatever comes to mind.”
“So, if we’re asked anything, we’ll be forced to answer truthfully?”
“Apparently...” Sebastian then turned to Ciel with a smile that implied something. “Young master...”
“Don’t!...”
“Young master, did you steal one of my shirts?”
“I didn’t steal it! How can I steal something that was bought with my own money?!”
Sebastian laughed. “Ah, so you admit you took it?”
Ciel tried to resist, but the answer came to his lips against his will. “Yes, I took your shirt! Congratulations, you’ve uncovered my darkest secret.”
“My lord, no need to be so defensive. I just found it curious that the shirt was under your pillow.”
“Sebastian, if you don’t stop, I’ll make sure you spend the night in the stable!”
Silence fell for a moment. Ciel was red, avoiding the butler’s gaze, while the other servants looked on in confusion. Sebastian chuckled. “Convinced?”
“How is this possible?” Ciel blinked, shocked. “This is terrible!”
“Well, young master, the feeling is mutual. I’ve been unable to lie for years, while you’ve only been under this for an hour.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t omit information, demon.”
“The small pleasures of reading between the lines.” He paused. “How does the young master intend to proceed?”
Before Ciel could answer, Marie, the receptionist, appeared with a tray, serving Sebastian a slice of pie. She leaned in close enough to almost press against him, then whispered, “I hope you enjoy the pie, sir. I made it with a special touch... I added a few strands of my hair to ensure you think of me.”
“Ah, a love charm? How... bold. But I must warn you, miss, I’m immune to such enchantments.”
“Ah, but you never know, sir. Sometimes, even the coldest hearts can be won with a little magic.”
“Magic or not, my heart is already claimed. But I appreciate the gesture.”
With a smile, she left. Ciel, having overheard the conversation, deliberately knocked over his plate. The young earl glared at the butler with a haughty look. Then, without a word, he stood and left. Sebastian watched until Ciel disappeared up the stairs. With a smile, Sebastian murmured:
“How interesting...”