Episode 5 - The Mark of the Eye
"Master," I said as I entered her office, and she gazed up from her desk, clearly haven been writing something, "you got a letter."
She sighed and put her pen down. "Who's it from?"
I gazed down, tipping it to the side. "It doesn't say, my lord. It just states that it's from Paris."
"Paris?" she echoed in confusion. "That's odd." She then held out her hand. "Give it."
I stepped over to her and set it in her palm, and she took it as I stepped backwards and remained standing.
"Dear, Lord Phantomhive," she read, muttering the words, "we're here to inform you that...." She trailed off as she read further, continuing quietly.
Her eyes suddenly widened then, and she set the paper down, looking a little worse for wear.
"Master?" I said with a smile.
She gazed up at me then, eyes narrowing into a glare. "What did you do?"
"Me?" I echoed, laughing softly. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You knew this letter was from my family, you idiot!" she hissed, continuing to glare. "They're coming into town for my birthday! Something that I'd like to avoid!"
"Avoid?" I said, smiling still. "But, my lord, it's your birthday. Surely you'd like to spend time with your family."
"I don't like social gatherings, Sebastian," she growled. "And you invited them, didn't you?"
I kept the smile, closing my eyes. "Whatever do you mean, my lord?"
"Don't play dumb with me," she snapped. "It says so in the letter! My grandmother stated that 'your butler was kind enough to invite us to celebrate'!"
I parted my lashes then. "Well, that's unfortunate. I was hoping to keep this a surprise."
"You're planning a party without my permission?" Yumi said, slamming her hands on the table. "Let alone inviting my family? How DARE you?"
"Master," I said, lowering my lashes, "may I remind you that you're a Phantomhive? You need social interaction to keep your position, young master. Now... I know you don't like to be around your family, but you have to learn to put on a fake face every once and a while."
She just gritted her teeth, sinking back in her seat. "Did you have to invite my grandmother?"
I just smiled. "Why ever not, my lord?"
She just set her face in her hands, groaning in annoyance.
I watched in amusement.
She threw her head back against her chair, continuing to groan as she caught her hair between her hands and ruffled it in annoyance.
"Did I inconvenience you, my lord?" I wondered kindly.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhggggg," she continued, groaning. "Why must you do this to meeeeeeee?"
I chuckled a little, quietly enjoying her childish misery.
"I don't wanna," she said then, setting her head on the table.
I laughed a little. "My lord, it's only one night. It's not like they're staying forever, let alone a week."
"One day that will never end," she replied. "And how am I supposed to explain the whole eye patch thing?" She gazed up in annoyance. "I've hid it from them for so long."
"Indeed, you did," I agreed, nodding. "You had that eye bandaged for a while, but you still hid the bandages with your hair."
"What else was I supposed to do?" she answered grimly. "I'd never hear the end of it. They threw a hissy fit when I vanished for two years, and I made up a stupid lie saying I was on a school trip." She smiled darkly. "And they bought it."
"Humans are gullible creatures," I answered, sighing.
"And the bandages I hid with my hair," she said then, rolling her eyes. "God, how many times I heard 'why can't you ever show your face, Yumi?' 'Yumi, you have such beautiful eyes, show them more!' 'Yumi, are you going goth?'"
I just chuckled. "Ah, yes, every time they came over, you'd hide it with your hair."
"But you cut my bangs too short," she answered angrily, pulling at her hair. "Now what am I supposed to do? They're going to see the eye patch and then demand what happened."
I just bowed a little. "My lord... why don't you just tell them the truth?"
"Oh, yes, such a great idea," she said sarcastically. "Seriously, Sebastian? What am I going to say? 'Oh, sorry... my right eye is pink, I have a pentagram in it because I signed a contract with a demon butler! He's going to eat my soul when I get revenge on certain people, but it's fine. It's just death.' Sebastian, you're an idiot." She gazed up. "Not only would they not believe me, but they would classify me as insane."
I just stood up straight. "But if you show them, master?"
"They'll think it's a contact," she answered darkly. "And then they'd classify me as childish and insane."
"I'm not sure contacts like that exist, my lord," I said to her, smiling a little.
"So what, you think they'd actually believe me?" she questioned.
"Possibly," I answered, closing my eyes.
"You're eager to get found out, aren't you?" She scoffed. "You don't show people your true nature unless you really have to. And even so, you make sure they die afterward." She then glanced up, eyes glowing in annoyance. "Are you planning on killing my family? If so, please, be my guest."
"Master," I warned, stiffening. "They're your family. Don't say such things."
"Calm down, I was joking." She sighed, making me relax. "Torture them first, of course."
I gave her a look, and she just smiled.
I just sighed and stood up straight, shaking my head.
"You really want me to show them my eye, don't you?" Yumi said as she skimmed a finger around a glass. She glanced up at me suspiciously. "Why?"
"Must I have a reason for everything, my lord?" I said, lips curling.
She just sighed and pushed her hands to her desk, standing. "That is your true nature, yes. Now do tell me, I have other matters to attend to today. Before... they come."
I just watched as she kept her hands on her desk, gazing up at me with her dark eye.
"Sebastian, I am not one who likes waiting."
I just lowered my head and sighed, looking up at her seconds later. "It was your sister who injured you eye in the first place, was it not?"
Her lips thinned, and she glared. "So?"
"None of them know," I explained to her, eyes darkening. "You've been hiding it since it happened, and that was years ago. Not even your parents knew."
"I don't see how that matters," she answered, shaking her head in annoyance. "My sister is dead now. She died alongside my parents."
"Yes, but none of them know of your injury, my lord."
"It's no longer an injury, Sebastian," she answered. "You made sure of that, or have you forgotten?"
I just smiled, lowering my head in a small bow. "I have not, my lord."
"So what is your point, then?" she urged.
"Do you not have other family that has ill intent, my lord?" I asked her.
Her lips thinned as her eyes narrowed. "Why would you think that?"
"You were the heir to the Phantomhive throne, master," I said to her, smiling now. "You were the second child, the youngest, the father's child. Your older sister was birthed from another father, so she was not heir. What's even more curious... is that your father was considered the heir despite him having other siblings. He was chosen because of his bravery and his due diligence. The Phantomhive company does have many companies, my lord, as well as policing the underground of London."
She just glared. "Get to your point, Sebastian."
My lips curled. "Wouldn't that cause jealousy, my lord? From your siblings, cousins, and aunts and uncles? Your older sister was jealous, that's why she cut your eye, isn't it? She blamed you for her misfortune. Your cousins are the same, you know this. In fact, you also know that they found out about your eye being cut. I've seen them snicker when they saw your hair covering it. They found it quite hilarious, which simply disgusts me."
"So what?" she stated cynically. "Showing them my eye is going to prove that they're bad people?"
"No, my lord... in fact," I gazed up at her, smiling dangerously, "if they know who my real master is, and how dangerous she can be, then they will think twice before trying to hurt her again."
Yumi stared at me in shock then, but her lashes lowered, and she sank back on her chair. "You didn't bring them for my birthday, did you?"
My smile widened.
"You're planning something," she continued then, gazing up in boredom. "To make sure they don't cross a line."
"Yes," I answered, bowing before her, "clever as always, my lord."
"Will it be interesting?" she asked me then, setting her cheek in her hand. "I've been bored out of my mind, and I do admit that seeing that look of horror on my cousin's face would be quite amusing."
I just chuckled dangerously. "Very interesting, my lord. I have a small little thing planned. It would be quite interesting indeed. It's like a small little play, but all of them will be a part of it."
Her eyes flickered up to mine, and a smile crossed her face. "I expect you to put on a good show, Sebastian."
I bowed down, hair falling slightly over my face. "Indeed, my lord."
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