8Well guys, here is the newest chapter to "Black and White Roses". I do not own the rights to Kuroshitju, it's characters or locations. They are all property of They are all owned by Yana Toboso, Square Enix, A-1 Pictures, and Funimation.
"Good morning, my Lord." Sebastian said as he opened Ciel's bedroom curtains slowly so as to not let too much sunlight blind his master so harshly. "I assume your night with the young lady went well." He added with an amused tone.
"Young lady?" Ciel asked in annoyed confusion as he slowly open his eyes. "What are you-" He immediately stopped talking as he noticed what his butler had meant. Doll was sleeping next to him wearing her day clothes and snoring loudly. As Ciel took in his surroundings, he noticed that she had draped her right arm and leg over his body as she lay atop the comforter.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Ciel cried out as he shoved Doll so hard she fell off the bed.
"Oi!" Doll exclaimed, "What the bloody hell was that for?"
"I think the better question is: why were you in my bed?" Ciel snapped back, his face a light shade of pink.
"I told ya back at the circus," Doll explained as she rubbed the back of her head, "I can't sleep by meself. I've always been comfertable while sleepin' with someone."
"Well outside of the circus, unmarried people sleep in separate beds!" Ciel sneered as he spat out the last three words.
"Forgive me for interrupting your squabbling," Sebastian interjected, "but we do have a train to catch this morning. Now today's breakfast consists of a poached salmon and mint salad. I have also prepared a scone, toast, and tea. Which would you prefer, my Lord?"
"Toast this time." Ciel said as he rose out of bed.
"I'd prefer the scone, actually." Doll chimed in with a smile.
"NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION!" Ciel yelled. "NOW GET OUT AND GET READY!"
"Could've just said 'please'," Doll muttered under her breath as she walked out of Ciel's bedroom and slammed the door behind her.
Ciel let out a sigh of exhaustion as he heard her footsteps go silent. 'How can one girl fill me with such irritation?' He thought. 'Well, at least I must only deal with her for today and then she'll be gone.' He then heard a slight chuckle from behind him and turned to his demon butler. "You're getting a rise out of this, aren't you?" He asked with a glare.
"My apologies, my Lord." Sebastian said as he poured his master a cup of Darjeeling tea. "I just find it a bit amusing that someone such as yourself would be easily flustered and frustrated by the mere presence of someone as lowly and rebellious as her. She would have made a decent servant to have around the manor; she might have even taught Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny a few lessons in proper servitude."
"She wishes to return to the rest of her family." Ciel said as he slowly sipped his tea, which was perfect as always. "It's the least I can do for her after what we did to Joker and the others."
"Of course, my Lord." Sebastian said with a bow. "Now, I shall prepare your bath for you. It should be ready by the time you are done with breakfast."
Two hours later, Ciel, Sebastian, and Doll found themselves at the train station walking towards a private rail car. "My apologies, my Lord," Sebastian said as he opened the car door, "but they only had first-class compartments available." It's not private if it's first class..? Although first class evidently only fit 6 passengers at a time. Interesting.
"It will do for now." Ciel muttered as he climbed in.
"Excuse me." A small voice interrupted as Doll was about to step in with the young earl. All three turned to look down and saw a little girl with a basket full of oranges standing behind them. "M'lord, m'lady? Care for an orange?" The little girl asked with a smile as she held one up. "It's one crown, M'lord."
Doll soon became aware of movement to her left, seeing Ciel holding out some coins. "Get two," he said simply. Doll only nodded in response as she took the coins and made her way nodded toward the girl. Ciel, meanwhile, proceeded into the train car.
"Two oranges, please." Doll said with a smile. The little girl handed her two good oranges as Doll handed her the money. "Now don't go spendin' it on sweets," Doll said as she took the two fruits. "Take it straight home to ya mum; understand?"
"Yes, miss." The little girl said with a smile. "May God's blessing be with you on your journey."
The train whistle blew all of a sudden, signaling its departure. "Blimey, I gotta go!" Doll exclaimed as she took her oranges and ran to the train car. As the locomotive began to move, Doll stuck her head out and waved at the little girl who waved back in kind. Once the girl was out of view, Doll moved back into the car.
"So now that the city's behind us," Ciel began as Doll handed the two oranges to Sebastian, "What will you plan to do when you find your siblings?"
"Not real sure, actually," Doll said. "We might look for somethin' north, maybe a nice family to take us in. I'm more concerned with findin' shelter n' food."
"You care about your younger siblings very much, don't you?" Sebastian asked politely as he handed her an orange with the top half opened. She gladly took it and began eating.
Doll frowned at the sweet smelling orange, "I have ta," She glanced at the butler, hoping for a glimpse of compassion. "They're me family, after all." Sebastian only nodded in understanding.
The rest of the train ride was uneventful; after she had finished her orange, Doll spent the rest of her time looking out the window at the passing fields and townsfolk blurred countryside. Behind her, she could hear Ciel and Sebastian discussing something. She quickly blocked them out and drifted off to sleep, still exhausted from the night before.
Seeing the young woman was asleep, Sebastian turned to the young earl. "My lord, may I ask a question?"
"What?" Ciel asked in annoyance.
"About your declaration to oversee the children at the Renbourn Workhouse," the butler began, "were you perhaps showing sympathy?"
Ciel only glanced downward and said "Cleaning up the mess is the Phantomhive's job. There's no need to sacrifice the public over the selfish actions of the underground."
"Then why did you kill those children?" Sebastian further inquired.
Examining the orange in his hands, Ciel spoke plainly. "I've seen many things like those children in the past. When they became that way, there was no going back."
"So…" Sebastian said with a cruel smile, "They would be happier in death? How arrogant."
"Do non-arrogant people exist?" Ciel asked as he shared the exact smile.
"I have never met one, my Lord." Sebastian replied with a small chuckle.
"Weak humans, moreover children." Ciel said as he gently licked the orange juice from his fingers. "How much strength do you think they would have needed to come back from a condition like that? Back then, I accidentally summoned a demon so that I could receive the power to come back. However, at the Kelvin Manor the only demon was you…and that demon is mine."
Ciel's eyes turned to the sleeping Doll before he continued his explanation. "Besides, if it gives her closure then so be it. As for you," he added as he glanced toward his butler, "you will not be asking me any more questions on this subject, understand?"
"Of course, my Lord." Sebastian replied simply as he made a small bow.
The train rumbled on, its occupants lulled to silence until reaching their destination. Sebastian nudged Doll awake and she groggily joined him and Ciel as they exited the train. As soon as the train left the station, the three of them came across a farmer who was hauling hay and milk cans onto his cart.
"Excuse me good sir," Sebastian called out, "but would you know where the Renbourne Workhouse is?"
"The Renbourne Workhouse?" The farmer asked in surprise, "Yeah, I know where it is."
"Could you let them ride in the back until we get there?" Sebastian asked as he gestured to both Doll and Ciel.
"Since it's on me way, I don't mind sir." The farmer continued, "But what business do you lot have over there?"
"Just a few little things." Sebastian said as he handed the farmer a few pounds. Nodding his head, the farmer motioned for Ciel and Doll to climb up into the back, to which they obliged.
As they made their way through the nearby town with Sebastian walking beside them, they soon came across two children, a boy and a girl, singing what sounded like a nursery rhyme.
Tom, he was a piper's son,
He learnt to play when he was young,
And all the tune that he could play
Was 'over the hills and far away';
Over the hills and a great way off,
The wind shall blow my top-knot off.
As the children ran past them, Doll couldn't help but smile a little upon hearing the nostalgic song.
"Reminiscing, are we?" Ciel asked causing Doll to turn her head toward him.
"It was a song that me, Joker, and the others learned from Kelvin when we were younger." She said sadly, "Probably was the only decent thing that man ever did."
Before Ciel could further question her, the cart stopped moving. Both he and Doll stepped off of the cart and saw a dirt road that ran upwards over a hill. "It should be over that hill there," The farmer stated before he continued on his way.
"You lead the way." Ciel said as he and Sebastian stepped aside for Doll. She quickly marched ahead of them while they lagged behind her. The three of them walked in silence, wondering what they might find on the other side of the hill. When they reached the top, a sudden gust of wind blew through, causing Doll to raise her arms up to protect her eyes and Ciel to hold on to his top hat. When the wind died down, both opened their eyes only for them to widen in shock and disbelief.
Where there should have been a building with children running or playing about was a dilapidated ruin instead. There were gaping holes in the sides of the workhouse with a huge section of the roof completely gone. The grass surrounding the property was completely overgrown and the windowpanes were either stained from lack of care or broken beyond repair. Even the sign over the entrance that was meant to say "Renbourne Workhouse" was missing a few letters while the section for "Workhouse" had fallen completely off.
Doll walked silently toward the ruins, the shock never leaving her face. A few seconds later, Sebastian joined Ciel's side and his face turned to one of surprise at the sight before him. Slowly, the earl and his butler moved toward the ruins in order to keep an eye on Doll; but far enough to give her some privacy.
Watching Doll stop in front of the ruins, the misgiving in her body language plain to see, Ciel felt something brush against his right shoe. He glanced down and saw what looked like a dirty, ratty old teddy bear. Noticing this, Sebastian knelt down and picked up the toy. "Seeing the way this place has aged, it has been uninhabited for a considerable amount of time," he uttered as he continued to stare at it. "In any case, it seems Baron Kelvin was lying. Judging by the way that Doctor was talking, the children from here were probably…"
Sebastian's words, however, fell on deaf ears as Joker and Doll's words reverberated through Ciel's mind.
"Please don't kill him! Even if he's like that, he still saved us! And we still have so many of our brothers in the workhouse."
"…Give…I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!"
It was at that moment that Ciel snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Doll mutter something and her shoulders raising up and down quickly. "Doll...are you…?" It may have been the young lord's imagination, but it almost sounded like she was…
"AH HA HA HA HA HA! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Doll laughed maniacally as she clutched her stomach with her right hand and her covered eye with her left. Both Ciel and Sebastian looked on in shock at the sudden response as the young girl continued to laugh hysterically. Despite thinking that they knew how to react to every situation, neither one of them knew how to react to this.
"IT WAS A JOKE!" Doll exclaimed as she glanced at the earl and his butler. "Don't you two see it? It was all just a bloody joke! We kidnapped all those children and sent them to die. And we did it to protect our brothers and sisters." Her gaze then turned to the abandoned ruins as she continued. "And in the end…JOKER AND THE OTHERS ENDED UP DYIN' PROTECTING SOMETHIN' THAT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST!" She cried out as tears began to cascade down her face.
"And now I'm the only one left…oh God…" she said quietly as the realization of her situation hit her like a brick. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Ciel and Sebastian ran toward her to assist, but stopped when she leaned forward and gripped the dry grass with her hands, tears still freely falling from her eyes. "They're all gone. I'm all alone." She muttered as her body continued to shake.
Once again, that feeling Ciel had when he saw Doll running toward him and Sebastian the other night resurfaced inside…pity. Though he tried to not feel this way toward anyone or anything, he couldn't help himself as he looked down at the poor girl before him.
Slowly, the young earl walked forward, stopping a few inches before her. Doll became aware of a shadow looming over her and glanced up to see Phantomhive standing before her. "You're only truly alone if nobody cares about you." He spoke softly, "And that's not you, Doll. Joker and the others may be gone, but there are still those of us who care about you." He then extended his right hand out to her and said "Come back with me and Sebastian; live in my manor."
"Why me?" Doll asked through her tears, "Why should I be offered this choice and not someone else?"
"Because I know what it's like to feel alone," Ciel said. "During my captivity, I felt as though I had lost everything. My parents…my home…even my own sense of innocence and humanity. But then I remembered the people that were still alive who did care about me. As long as they were there for me, I knew I would never be alone in this world. And you're not alone, either." He added as his gaze lingered on. "I implore you: come back with us."
Doll was at a loss for words. The boy who had murdered her family was asking her to live with him! If she were in any other situation, she would have called him a mad man for making such an offer to the person who tried to kill him not too long ago. She was almost tempted to laugh at him for being a fool. But before she could, however, she suddenly remembered Joker's words to her in her dream.
"Live for us, Doll. Live for us."
She knew Joker and the others would never want her to be sad and alone. If anything, they always wanted her to be happy. Besides, even if they were gone, she was sure she could find that same happiness with the Phantomhive servants.
Deciding right then and there what she had to do, Doll took Ciel Phantomhive's hand and lifted herself up. As she swiped at her tears, Ciel took out a handkerchief and wiped away the remnants. "T-Thanks," she said shakily. Ciel only responded with a reassuring smile.
Sebastian, meanwhile, had taken it upon himself to turn his back in order to give them both some privacy. When he heard Ciel making the offer, however, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he looked to the sky. 'Humans truly are such fascinating creatures.' He thought. 'One could spend his entire demon life studying all there is to know about them. And yet,' He added as he took a sideways glance at his master and the girl, 'they will always find ways to surprise you somehow.'
"Sebastian," Ciel's voice called out as the butler turned to face him and Doll. "We're leaving."
"Of course, my Lord." The demon butler said with a bow. And with that, the three of them descended down the hill, not even taking a second glance at the dilapidated ruins behind them.
Once they had reached the bottom of the hill, they came across a farmer heading toward the train station. After he escorted them to their destination, Sebastian purchased three tickets for London and soon all three were back on the train, heading south.
"Now then," Sebastian said, putting his hands together, "We shall now have to discuss your living arrangements, my dear."
"Livin' arrangements?" Doll asked as she tilted her head in confusion.
"While you are staying at the manor, you will be tasked in helping out the servants." Ciel said simply. Doll smiled at this; she always loved doing manual labor. "However," the young earl added with a sly smirk, "you will also be tasked in helping me with my missions. Thus, we will have to teach you how to act like a proper noblewoman."
"What?!" Doll exclaimed with a mixture of horror and surprise. Wearing a dress while performing in front of hundreds of people was easy since she was taught to appreciate it for Joker's sake. But dressing up in fancy clothes and acting prim and proper in front of noblemen and women? She wondered if it was too late to strike out on her own instead.
"Indeed." Sebastian said. "You will have to learn all of the steps necessary to become a proper noblewoman. We shall have to start with your elegance in terms of your eating and speech. Forgive me for saying so, my dear," He added with a false smile, "but both are simply wretched compared to that of a noblewoman."
'Why do I get the feelin' you ain't sorry?' Doll thought in annoyance as she glared at the butler.
"Also, we'll have to give you a new identity." Ciel chimed in. "I believe the best course is to say that you are the daughter of an old family friend who has gone traveling on business and has left you in my care. After some time, we'll have to explain that your parents have died and have placed you in my care." Doll's mind was abuzz with disbelief. First lessons on elegance and now a false backstory? It was all just too much to take in so quickly. "And, of course, you'll need a new name." Ciel concluded.
At this, Doll turned to look at him. "A new name?" she asked.
"Indeed." Ciel replied simply. "Doll is not a common name among the nobles. So you will need a name that is. There are a few interesting ones, like Camilla, Anne, Catherine,…"
"Diana."
Sebastian and Ciel both turned to look at Doll when they heard her utter that single word. "Could you repeat that?" Ciel asked.
"Diana." Doll said again. "Why not that name?"
"An excellent choice, my dear." Sebastian said. "Now, we will have to meet up with Ms. Hopkins about making you dresses and other clothing. I shall have to contact her for an appointment next week. Until then, we shall start your lessons tomorrow with…"
Drowning out Sebastian's rambling, Ciel turned his gaze toward Doll and was a tad surprised to see a saddened look on her face. He dismissed it, however, and gave his full attention to the rolling countryside.
By the time the three of them arrived at the Phantomhive Manor, the last remnants of the sun were settling on the tops of the trees in the forest. After Sebastian told the servants of Doll's situation, they were more than willing to accept her as both a fellow helper and the "lady of the house". The butler then informed Doll over dinner that they would begin her elegance lessons tomorrow morning at breakfast. Though she was reluctant at first, Doll agreed.
It was around 8 o'clock in Doll's room; she had just gotten into a nightgown and was about to tuck in for the night when she heard a knock at her door. "Who's there?" she asked.
"It's me." Ciel's voice called out from the other side of the door. "Open up." Doll quickly obliged and opened the door to reveal Ciel, who was wearing his own nightgown, and Sebastian holding a candelabra in his left hand. "We need to talk." The young earl said before turning to the butler and adding, "Wait out here for me." The butler only nodded silently in response.
Once Sebastian closed the door behind them, Ciel walked around Doll's living quarters for a few seconds before he finally spoke. "So," he said as his gaze fell upon the girl, "I take it Sebastian has already told you of your schedule for tomorrow?" Doll only nodded in response. "And that you will be taught how to eat and speak properly?" He continued to ask and she only nodded. "Good." Ciel said, thus ending the questioning.
Doll, however, could not hold her tongue anymore. "He did," she began, "but I'm guessin' you ain't here to review me plans for tomorrow eh?" She moved closer to Ciel before asking, "You wanna' know somethin' else, don't ya?"
The young earl couldn't help but give a knowing smile at the question. 'There's no fooling her, that's for sure.' He thought in amusement. "Yes, it's about what happened earlier on the train back to London." He said as he looked up at Doll. "When I was giving examples of royal names for your guise, you mentioned the name Diana right off the top of your head." His eyes then narrowed as he continued. "It seemed a bit odd that you immediately thought that name in that moment. And the fact that I noticed you were looking gloomy after suggesting it." At this, Ciel paused to notice a few beads of sweat forming on Doll's forehead.
"Am I to assume that there is some deeper meaning behind it?" He asked curiously. Doll only nodded in defeat as she turned away from the earl and looked at the mirror of her wash stand. "It's what you were called before you met Joker and the others, wasn't it?" Ciel asked more calmly. "It's the name your parents gave you. The name you were born with."
Doll nodded as she moved the hair that covered her left eye over her ear to reveal the deformity. "Even though I was born with that name, me parents never addressed me that way. It was either 'brat', 'filth', or sometimes 'bitch'." She then gripped the sides of the wash stand tightly as she continued. "When I met Joker and the others, I tried to forget everythin' about me past. I even tried to forget me own name." She chuckled disappointedly at her reflection in the mirror. "Guess life doesn't give you the option to, eh?"
At her words, Ciel walked over and said, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I could always address you as 'Doll' whenever we don't have company."
Doll couldn't help but smile a bit as she wiped the tears from her eyes and covered up the deformity. "Thanks." She said meekly.
"Now," Ciel said as he looked up at the clock perched on the mantle, "it's getting late and you should get into bed."
Nodding her head in agreement, Doll climbed into her bed and wished Ciel good night. Ciel only nodded in response and left the room. Meeting Sebastian on the other side of the door, Ciel made his way to his room and got into bed, wishing his butler good night.
As Sebastian closed the door to his master's bed chambers, he contemplated locking it. In the end, however, he decided against it. 'Just in case the young lady needs some comfort later on tonight.' He thought mischievously. He then began to walk down the darkened hall towards his own quarters. 'Sleep well, my Lord.' He thought. 'Because starting tomorrow…life at the manor is about to become more interesting.'
And with that, the latest chapter of "Black and White Roses" has ended. In regards to Doll's name, I decided to name her "Diana" because the name comes from the Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, nature, and fertility, and I have deep respect for Princess Diana, William and Harry's mother.
Also, don't forget to favorite, comment, and follow for more content in the future. In addition, I will not be adding more to this story until the next year. So Happy Halloween, Happy Holidays, and I will see you all next year.
This is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to enjoy this story. You see I am simply one hell of an author.