Episode 5 Continued - The Mark of the Eye
"They forgot all their jackets, those sorry creatures," Madam Beham said, laughing as I pulled her jacket off the jack. "Give them to Yumi. She can use them as a trophy for tonight."
"I'm sorry," I said kindly, helping her into her jacket, "but my master doesn't like those clothes. They wore that fur and glitter to show they're rich. She's more classic and frilly, very old fashioned, I'm afraid."
"Yes," Madam Beham said softly, "just like Ciel, huh?"
I was quiet then, lashes lowering.
"You must've taken a liking to her, Sebastian," she said then, turning toward me as she buttoned her jacket. "She's very much like him, indeed."
"You have little idea, I'm afraid," I replied, gazing up.
"I know, I know," she laughed a little, "what's an old woman like me going to understand about a demon's intentions, huh?"
I just watched her curiously.
"Sebastian," she said then, lightly catching my hands as I gazed up in alarm, "she's not just like him. She is him, isn't she?"
I just lowered my lashes.
"Her parents knew," she continued, smiling, "they saw the connections of personalities in her and Ciel, as well as their nature and their life situations. And they knew immediately that you'd be there soon." She just chuckled. "They tried to warn her, telling her to never join dark forces, to never trust creatures of the night, but they didn't know the entire story."
She gazed up at me. "I know the story, Sebastian. I know everything, my dear. You signed with Ciel because you wanted his soul, but even after he fulfilled his side, you just wanted to live with him. So you did... until he grew old and ill, but his soul moved on before you could take it."
I gritted my teeth. "You don't understand. The soul inside Yumi... it's cursed, I swear on it. Every lifetime it repeats the trauma and torture bestowed upon it, over, and over, and over again. It's just madness. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I've been spending years trying to find it, but I could never find it. Until I heard her cry, I just knew."
Madam Beham's lashes lowered.
"If I eat her soul," I continued, "then the cycle will stop, and she won't be in pain anymore. She'll be... with me."
Madam Beham just laughed softly, making me gaze up when I just realized I told her a secret that I'd never bestowed on anyone.
Not even Yumi.
"You're deceiving her, Sebastian," Madam Beham told me, smiling. "You want her soul, but you're not going to follow the contract, are you?"
My eyes darkened.
"I understand wanting to spend more time with her," she explained to me, smiling still. "But you mustn't lie to her. Even if you grant her wish, you can at least tell her that you're not taking her soul until she's older. You did this with Ciel, too, you know."
I just sighed, closing my eyes. "She won't want to hear it. She's stubborn. It's like trying to convince a rock to grow to legs and walk across the street."
Madam Beham laughed then, and she just let go of my hands. "Take care of her for me, yes?" She just smiled. "The contract doesn't end unless you take her soul, so you're sworn to protect her until you end it yourself, Sebastian."
I smiled. "I know."
"She's a Phantomhive," Beham continued, "and she's going to be continuously targeted until she dies. About seventy years, Sebastian. That's a long time."
"No, Madam," I said then, bowing before her as I smiled, "it'll be the blink of an eye for me."
"Then you better cherish the time with her," she said, smirking. "No matter how stubborn she is."
I bowed before her again as she opened the door. "Yes, madam, I shall try my best."
She then waved to me and smiled, exiting the door seconds later.
After it closed behind me, my smile fell, and my lashes lowered.
I just sighed, closing my eyes. "You really need to understand that hiding is not going to deter me from knowing you're there, Cammie."
I heard a squeak come from behind a pot behind me, and I turned, brows raising. "Come out, now. I know you're there."
She then sighed and stood, brushing off her skirt as she gazed up at me, brows furrowed.
"You're going to keep it a secret," I demanded, eyes glowing a dark red, "understand?"
She nodded numbly.
"Good," I said, stepping toward her. "Is master in her study?"
"No, she's still in the dining room," Cammie said quietly.
I blinked, gazing over at her. "What? Why?"
"Because," she puffed her cheek, "Carter had a little accident."
I sighed then, pinching the bridge of my nose. "All of you know that you constantly give master such pain and misery." I just started to the doors of the dining hall. "I swear she hired you to bestow the pain on me. She likes inconveniencing me, I swear."
"That's why I was here," Cammie stated, following behind me. "I was coming to get you, but...." She trailed off. "Sebastian... is it true that you love Master Yumi?"
I stopped in my tracks and turned to her, giving her a murderous warning glare.
She made a little squeak and shrank back, throwing her arms up. "I was just asking! I'll still keep it a secret!"
I sighed then and turned back to the door. "Yes, I do."
She was silent then, brows drawing together. "Is it true that you're a demon...?"
I just glanced back at her in annoyance. "You haven't guessed that already?"
"Well, we suspected you were some kind of god, but we didn't know if you were Satan or just some serial killer super human."
I just stared back at the door. "I'm a demon, Cammie, yes. Now you must keep this a secret or you're sleeping in the dungeon for two years."
I then turned back toward her, a wicked smile crossing my face. "There're rats down there."
She immediately stiffened, breaths stilling.
And then started sobbing dramatically, collapsing onto her knees in front of me. "I'll keep it a secret!" She pressed her hands together as if praying to me. "Please, don't give me to the rats, Sebastian! I promise, I'll be good!"
I just shook my head and opened the door to the dining room.
I immediately stilled.
Master Yumi was standing at the end of the room, glaring off into the distance as she kept her arms raised in a T-pose, and I just noticed she was entirely soaked as if dumped in the ocean.
Carter and Maddox were hurriedly fanning her with a hair dryer, going around her as she remained glaring.
"I'm so sorry, master!" Carter said as I lowered my lashes in annoyance. "I just got so excited when I was asked to carry the tray of champaign! I didn't realize that the rug was lifted, so I tripped! I didn't mean to dump all of it on you, I swear!"
She just grumbled under her breath, clearly not amused.
I then clapped my hands twice, sending the sound echoing off the walls.
Carter and Maddox gazed up, eyes widening in horror.
"Sebastian!" Maddox said in shock, eyes widening.
I narrowed my eyes at them.
Maddox suddenly pointed to Carter. "It was him!"
"Hey!" Carter said, glaring at him. "You rat! Do I look like I want to be murdered?!"
I gazed over at Yumi who still had her arms raised, but she blew her hair off her face, still glaring.
I just looked back to Carter as sweat slid down his temples, and I glared. "What. Happened."
"I spilled Champaign on her," he said grimly. "It was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean to! Please, don't kill me!"
"No, your idiotic soul would just transfer to another poor family," I muttered, looking back at Yumi. "Come, master. Let's get you cleaned up."
"Master..." Carter said gently, "are you okay? I'm very sorry."
She just grumbled under her breath again, making me smile.
"Come," I said, lightly catching her arm, "let's go clean you up."
As I guided her from the room, Carter just yelled, "I'll make it up to you, I swear!"
Yumi just whined in annoyance. "No-hoh-hoh... now he's going to blow up the entire mansion!"
I just laughed softly and helped her to her room, ending up at the bathroom just across the hall.
"Would you like your nightly gown, master?" I said as she remained standing in the middle of the room. "Or your daily attire?"
"What time is it again?" she said.
"About seven o'clock," I said then.
"Seven—" she broke off, sighing in annoyance. "Sebastian, how old am I? What eighteen-year-old goes to bed at seven o'clock?"
"I didn't say, go to bed," I answered, lightly pulling out her daily attire from the drawer. "I merely just wondered if you wanted something comfy after being dumped in a gallon of alcohol."
She just sighed, keeping her arms raised. "I guess give me every-day clothes, but make them semi-comfortable, yeah?"
I smiled then, shuffling through the drawer. "Alright, I picked just the thing."
I then pulled it out and set the clothes on the bathroom counter, closing the door behind me seconds later. After doing that, I turned the shower on master's favorite heat-level.
I then stepped over to her, untying the bow on her neck, and starting to lightly unbutton the front of her dress.
"Sebastian," Yumi said then.
"Yes, master?"
"Aren't you hungry?" she asked me.
I just smiled gently, pulling her gown off. "Yes, I am."
"How can you manage?" Her voice was quiet.
I just guided her out from her underclothes. "I can manage, master. I can manage well."
"But how?" she said to me. "You're hungry, aren't you? Wouldn't you feel ill by now or be willing to destroy anything just to eat?"
"No, my lord," I said gently. "I have patience."
"Does it hurt?" she asked as I stood, lightly undoing the tie from her eye patch. "Doesn't it hurt you?"
"Indeed, it does," I said, pulling the patch off as she closed her eyes, but she opened them again to expose the glowing mark. "But a lifetime for you, is a blink of an eye, for me."
Her lashes lowered, and she watched me sadly now. "Why don't you eat other ones...? While you wait? Do you have to sign a contract with them, too?"
I shook my head, making her lips part. "I can steal souls from ones who are currently dying. And that happens every night here, I'm afraid."
"Why don't you?" she said.
"Because I want yours, master," I explained.
"Eat theirs," she urged, "you can eat theirs, can't you? So you're not in pain?"
I just smiled. "My, master, are you worried about me?"
She just glared. "Shut up, Sebastian. I just can't have you weak, that's all. Just... this is an order," the contract seal on her eye glowed at the words, "every night while I sleep, go out to eat a soul."
I just shook my head. "Master...."
"It's an order," she repeated sternly.
I opened my eyes then, watching her curiously.
I then smiled, bowing before her. "Of course, my lord." I then stood, eyes softening. "Now, let's clean you up, yes?"
She then walked to the shower and stepped in, and I caught her soaps before stepping to her.
I then started scrubbing her skin, ridding of the stickiness from the Champaign.
Yumi remained silent the whole time, avoiding eye contact and instead staring at the wall. I could tell by her puzzled expression that something was worrying her, but I said nothing.
I just continued to clean her before I finished, and I stood, going over to catch her towel and bringing it back.
I then turned off the shower, opening the towel as she glanced over at me.
Yumi stepped into the towel, closing her eyes tightly when I wrapped her in it, making sure she was fully covered.
I then started lightly running the top of the towel over her hair, continuing down to her shoulders and the rest of her body.
"Sebastian," she said then, and I continued drying her.
"Yes, master?"
"Something's bothering me," she said then.
I stood up then and caught her clothes, stepping over to her and lowering the towel. "What is, my lord?"
Her brows furrowed as I guided her clothes on. "The hospital...."
"What about it?" I glanced up at her, now interested.
"I have an odd feeling..." her voice was dark, making me stare, "that it's connected to the doll-girl somehow."
"How, so?"
"Experimentation," she said quietly.
I gazed down at her arm, still finding it covered in scars that were flaking. "I see." I then gazed up at her. "Master, would you like me to bandage it?"
She gazed up hazily. "My arm? Why?"
"You hide it from the guests with a long, cloth glove," I explained to her, pulling her eye patch from my jacket, "but it seems like it's angering the skin. Maybe if I bandage it, it wouldn't be so irritated?"
She stared at me then, seeming a little confused and unsure, but I just placed her eye patch over her eye and leaned forward, tying it behind her head.
My face was close to hers, and she kept staring at me.
"Master," I smiled, adjusting her bangs back in place, "why are you looking at me like I grew two heads?"
"You're just so odd," she said then, brows drawing together.
I chuckled. "You're very straightforward, you know that?"
I stepped away to go to the cabinet, retrieving some light, breathable bandage wrap.
I stepped back over to her then, unwrapping the first one.
"I never said you could bandage it," she stated matter-of-factly.
I just caught her arm and pulled it from her side. "You never said I couldn't. Now hold still."
I pulled the bandage over her arm then, wrapping it over her rugged and irritated scars that were a tad scabbed over.
"They're very recent," I remarked then, continuing to wrap it. "When are you going to tell me about this 'hospital', master?"
She was quiet. "Leave it be for now."
I finished wrapping it and stood up straight. "Master, is this hospital connected to your revenge?"
Her eyes darkened.
"You're trying to extend the contract, aren't you?" I arched my brows. "You have the pieces, but you refuse to give them to me. You do know before you signed the contract, you were supposed to accept it knowing meant the end of your life?"
She stared off into the distance, lashes lowering as a sudden look of numbness crossed her face. "You don't understand, Sebastian."
"My lord," I said then, eyes darkening slightly, "you promised to give me your soul. You do understand that if you're purposely extending the contract by not seeking your wish, that will give me the right to break the contract itself? I can take your soul right here and now, master." I then glared. "Are you deceiving me in hopes to live longer?"
She closed her eyes tightly. "That's not why, Sebastian."
"What are you hiding from me?" I demanded, lashes lowering as my eyes glowed in anger. "We had an agreement. Did it mean nothing to you?"
"No, Sebastian, I'm not impeding on the contract," she urged, lashes parting as her uncovered eye remained dark. "In fact... this thing about the 'hospital' is not even related to my wish in the slightest." She gazed up then, locking eyes with me. "Sebastian, don't you understand? That agreement meant everything to me..." she looked down then, avoiding eye-contact, "you saved me. I was kidnapped and tortured and no one came for me, not even my family, but you did."
My eyes darkened.
"And I wouldn't be doing all this if it wasn't for you," she continued, shaking her head. "I signed the contract knowing the price, Sebastian. I could've died that night, and you could've let me and took my soul... but you saved me and gave me the option of a wish. I don't think that's common among demons."
I watched her carefully.
"I knew the price, and I accepted it the moment I saw you." She continued, staring at the distance numbly. "So, you're wrong. I would never hurt the contract that you so gracefully offered me. That's just idiotic and selfish. And I'm not that much of a stuck-up brat. I have some standards."
I lowered my lashes, watching her carefully. "Then why are you hiding something from me?"
She just closed her eyes. "Sebastian, I asked you before not to press me further."
I just caught her chin and forced her to look at me.
She sucked in a breath when my face was inches from hers, and I let my eyes pierce into hers.
"Master," I said calmly, but sternly, "I have been very patient with you. If you keep hiding this from me, I will not be happy, understand?"
"I'm not impeding on the contract, Sebastian," she argued, though didn't move from the position. "I'm not lying about this. I'm really not impeding."
"I know you're not." My eyes darkened. "I know when you're lying. But whatever this 'hospital' is, it has been troubling you for quite some time. If this is somehow connected to that doll girl and this 'father' person, know that they attempted to kill you." I pulled her closer, and she didn't argue. "Master, do you understand the terms of our contract? I must protect you from ill will and harm until I consume your soul, it is not time for me to consume your soul, master, and it will not be time for a while."
Her brows drew together. "A while? Sebastian, what are you—"
"They are causing you harm, master," I said sternly. "As I said, they tried to kill you only weeks ago. It is my duty as your butler—and as a part of our contract—to protect you. I do not care whether or not this is connected to your vengeance, I need you to tell me what happened."
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