29 V. I Chapter 26: Her Puppet

Ciel stood in front of his wardrobe, unsure of what she should wear. He chose the outfit he'd modeled for the show in the States, the cuffs of the sleeves fitting perfectly over the scars on his wrist. He kept his long black hair down, brushing it out before placing the top hat on his head. There was a dark blue ribbon tied around the base, a three red roses tucked into it, resting on the brim. He sighed.

Ciel heard the window open, and he turned to find Enda sitting on the sill, a beautiful dark blue gown going to his ankles. "Thanks again," he said.

"It's no problem." Enda's hair was done in long, loose curls, and wore gloves of white silk.

Ciel smiled. "You look spectacular."

"You don't need to keep up the facade, Ciel," Enda replied.

Ciel smiled slightly bitterly. "Okay, then."

"What's the plan?" asked Enda, probably to distract Ciel.

"Make sure we don't get killed. That's about it." Ciel double-checked the shoelaces before cleaning his glasses. "With my mother, that's all you can do, that and hope to keep your clothes on."

"What she did to you was--"

"Are you ready to go?" interrupted Ciel, turning to the door. "We'll be late if we dawdle about anymore."

Enda wanted to scream at Ciel, but bit it back, hopping down and striding forward, down the steps. He understood that this woman had tormented him his whole life, but he didn't understand why he never fought back. Never tried to have a life out from under her shadow.

The truth was, he had. Several times, the last of which was his date with that girl with blue eyes, which ended with her death.

Ciel opened the passenger side of the door for Enda, closing it behind him before crossing behind the car and getting into the driver seat. His hands shook as he started the car, and as the shaking intensified, he clenched them around the steering wheel.

Enda sent him a worried glance. Was Ciel going to be able to get there without breaking down?

Ciel glanced at the clock in the dashboard. They had time. "How are things at the guild?" he asked.

Enda glanced at him before saying, "Well, Denis is recovering from wounds in the medic room. And Jerry's still in the hospital."

Ciel looked at Enda, slightly alarmed. "When did this happen?"

"Just over the past few days. Jerry went on a mission, and practically vanished off the face of the earth for a couple days. He finally showed up again, injured. Denis has refused to tell where he obtained his own injuries," said Enda.

"Why would he do that?" asked Ciel.

Enda shrugged. "No idea, though we do all have our own secrets."

Ciel nodded. "Of course."

They were silent until they arrived at the front of the large hall his mother had rented for the occasion. She'd actually bought the hotel for the whole night.

Ciel's mouth went dry as he stared up at the building, before taking a deep, calming breath, and slipping another mask on. "Come on, Enda," he said, smiling warmly.

Enda bristled at the sight of that mask, but accepted Ciel's arm and began walking up the steps with him.

"Invitation," the guard demanded.

Ciel took out an envelope and gave it to the man, waiting patiently.

The guard took one look at it before almost tripping over himself to get out of the way. "My apologies, Mr. Michaelis. It's my fault for not recognizing you."

Ciel didn't even give the man another glance, adopting a cold and arrogant facade as they walked into the hotel.

He was just a copy of his mother, her convenient tool.

"Welcome. It's so good to see you again, Ciel." The beautiful woman who walked up to the two smiled.

Ciel smiled back as he bowed. "Hello again, Mother." He brought Enda a step forward with his arm. "This is my lady, Miss Enda Markes."

"It's a pleasure," Enda said, slipping into a curtsy. "to finally meet Ciel's mother. You are even more beautiful than he said you were."

"What a beautiful young lady," Acacia said, smiling.

Enda got the goosebumps, something about the smile making it feel like he was about to be killed, or worse. It was almost as if those teeth, which were smiling bright, would eat him up any second. "T-thank you, Miss."

"Please, just call me Acacia. Now, forgive me, but I must greet the other guests." She hurried off, crimson, strapless dress swirling around her ankles.

Ciel strode further into the lobby, knowing with each step he took, he walked deeper and deeper into the lion's den. Ciel wanted to throw up, cry, and start running away, but he just smiled at the guests. If he was going to endure living hell that night, he was going to do so with a smile on his face.

Enda glanced up at Ciel, so worried he could almost start screaming, but just tightened his grip around Ciel's arm.

Ciel plucked up two glasses off a passing tray, handing one to Enda. "To a satisfying end, Lady," he said.

Enda's fist clenched at the words, but he clinked his glass with his friend's, taking a sip. He almost choked on the liquid as it went down his throat. This looked like champagne, but had to have at least a hundred times the amount of alcohol in it.

Ciel tilted his head. Shrugging, he downed his glass in one gulp, happy for the dulling effect on his rising emotions. These were going to be his last peaceful and maybe even enjoyable hours. He might as well make use of them. He took a full glass from another tray, downing it faster than a shot. "Would you like to dance, lady?" he asked, offering his hand.

Enda didn't reply, but put his hand in Ciel's.

Ciel led them both to the dance floor, steps smooth and sure, the perfect display of power and elegance, everything his mother wanted the other guests to see and admire. He put his hand on Enda's waist, clasping his other. A breath, and then he lead them seamlessly into the song.

"You seem very cheery for someone who keeps saying this party is the end of the world," said Enda.

Ciel's eyes went cold. "Oh, I think I should enjoy myself until all hell breaks loose. Because when it does, I won't be coming out of here, at least not in any shape you'll be able to recognize."

Enda shivered at the words. "Why did it seem like your mother is devouring something when she smiles?" he asked, trying to change topic.

"Because she's a sadist in every form. She eats up any form of torment, fear, hate. She loves it all. She, as you put it, simply devours everything positive she can get her claws on."

"It almost seemed like she was hiding her emotions earlier."

Ciel nodded, smiling. "You catch on quick. You're right; she doesn't want to be here. She just wants me."

"You're quite good, too."

Another bright smile. "Of course. I learned from the best. You wanted to know why I threw a bunch of noob special agents into parkour and Arena E right off the bat, right? It's because I learned firsthand people pick up the skills they need to survive when something actually important is on the line, such as their lives."

"How have you lived your life like this? In fear, in her shadow?"

"Very, very carefully. One wrong move, and something worse than death would always happen. Of course it had to be worse than death, because she still needed me, still needs me, so she can't kill me yet. In that small sense, I get just a little satisfaction in knowing I beat her at least once."

"Has she thought about your health?" Enda asked. "You still haven't recovered completely, and it's been five years since you've seen her."

"Of course she doesn't. I'm just a convenient tool for her to use as she pleases. She would personally order them to break a bone if they have to, as long as she gets what she wants in the end. I won't be able to do anything, after all. I'll be chained down, just like I have my whole life."

"Ciel..."

Ciel's eyes went positively frigid, a dangerous aura rising off him. "And then she'll make me watch, as they defile me. As they use me, and she does through them. I'll have to see her smile, hear her laugh. I'll have to see the pride in her eyes, and I'll have to do nothing...!" His grip on Enda's hand tightened to the point of hurting, but before Enda could say anything, the grip relaxed. Ciel just smiled. That same, bright smile, so perfect it could be real. "It's alright. I should be used to it by now."

The song ended, and before Enda could say something, a voice rang out, "Welcome! Thank you all for attending my party. I hope you enjoy yourselves, from now to the end of the night. It's my honor to be able to hold so many important figures here. I look forward to talking with you all during the party. Please enjoy." Acacia bowed before gesturing for the orchestra to continue playing, disappearing into the crowd.

.

Jaeyline sat at her desk at home, staring out of the window, bored out of her mind. She had no more work to complete, having spent the last four hours doing it, and she wasn't permitted outside the manor itself. Orion had postponed his flight to the Americas to keep her company and protect her from harm, and even Ina had brought her husband and remained at the manor, putting their vacation on hold.

While Jaeyline felt bad for the holdups, she did understand where they were coming from. Someone had been able to walk into LEO Corp. and successfully set off bombs, meaning LEO Corp. was no longer as safe as she thought it was.

And because a motive had not been found, that made the situation even more dangerous. If the target had been her, then she could have still gone to work with bodyguards, maybe even Ciel or his assassin friends. But because they didn't know if it was her, or the building, or the workers, or the data, money, status, and many other things, the whole building was no longer usable for the time being.

From her reports, the Rose Branch had been acting up slightly, too. Workers spreading strange rumors, though none of them had been coherent from the people Jaeyline stationed there. Some refused to work, and Laksa had been living in the building for days, trying to keep up with the work amassing without Ciel and the other workers.

Jaeyline pulled paper to her, writing orders down, before calling one of her family's servants to deliver the letters to Laksa and other trusted higher-ups in the building. Her orders were to fire anyone who was repeating the rumors, and unless they did want to get fired, to start working seriously and pay attention to their own matters.

"You're taking this better than I thought you'd be," Orion said, walking in.

Jaeyline snapped, "Knock before you startle someone like that."

Orion knocked on the desk as he walked up to her. "I did. You just weren't paying attention."

Jaeyline bit her lip. "I'm worried about Ciel. Apparently he was missing for about three day of the past six. It's worrying. I also had people reporting that he looked ill."

"Jaeyline, you need to calm down. Your bad habits are popping up again," Orion warned gently. "Ciel is a Michaelis. I'm sure he's fine. I know from experience Michaelises are very hard to get rid of, and also more than capable of fending for themselves."

Jaeyline frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I once had a meeting with the man who seems to be Ciel's father. His last name was Michaelis, but it was changed back to his former surname after he divorced Ciel's mother, Acacia Michaelis, leaving her and her three-year-old son to fend for themselves. Not even a month later, he married Laksa's mother. Of course, this is all Ciel's mother needed to go a bit crazy, so crazy she was appointed the leader of the Japanese Mafia, the Yakuza. But about the father, he's a big name in large corporations, maybe just as famous as LEO.

"Anyway, while I was there, someone tried to assassinate him during one of our meetings. Tried, and failed, because the assassin ended falling seventy stories and splattering on the concrete like a pressed grape, or an egg you drop. It was quite terrifying, and when I asked about it, abet hesitantly, he only said that his ex-wife was better.

"Knowing this, I can only assume she taught Ciel the same skills, which could be one of the reasons he's so proficient in protecting you."

Jaeyline's fingers twitched. She hadn't known that. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't researched anything about her assistant. She glanced through the window again. Ciel...

.

As the night progressed, so did Ciel's demise. He knew it, and yet he did nothing to stop it, knowing it would be pointless anyway.

"I promise I'll go to hell and back for you," he had promised as a child, trying to cheer his mother up after being left by his father.

Little did he know those words would be his ultimate undoing.

Of course, Ciel know it when his mother pulled him aside, giving him a slip of paper with three numbers on it, along with a time. A room number, and a time scheduled for ten minutes from then. But the look in her eyes told him to get there sooner.

Ciel found an excuse to pull himself away from the rest, including Enda, determining he would be safer if he didn't get any closer to Ciel than he already was. Instead of going to the bathroom like he said, he rode in the elevator, up, up, until he reached the floor on the card. Striding through the hall, he found the number, too, opening the door with the card and walking in. He saw the chains drilled into the wall, two for the ankles and two for his wrists, and an assortment of tools on the bed, including rope, wire, whips, a muzzle, a small bottle, and other things.

Ciel's hands started shaking, but he just sat in the desk chair, eyes flicking around to find something to distract himself with. His hands scrambled at the pen and paper on the desk, mind trying to force him to pretend he was back at LEO, writing things down on a memo pad, any minute about to see Jaeyline walk into the office.

The door opened again, and his fingers fumbled, dropping the pen, Jaeyline replaced by a pair of inescapable bright blue eyes, the color blue the only thing he inherited from his mother, but the grey in them was the same as his father's.

"So good to talk with you alone, Ciel," that cool, silky voice called from behind him. "It's been too long."

"Indeed," Ciel replied, voice shaking.

"Come on, Ciel. Don't you think you should give your new uncles a hug?"

Ciel whirled to face her, the chair falling behind him.

His mother wasn't alone, several men, six in all, standing beside her.

"You're right, Madam Acacia. He really is a remarkable beauty," one said, licking his lips.

Ciel started shaking.

Acacia walked forward, taking Ciel's hand, leading him a few steps forward, before slamming him into the wall, hard enough to daze him. "Lock the cuffs."

"Are you afraid he'll run?" one man asked.

"Not quite. I just think this will be some good training," Acacia replied, smiling at Ciel, her eyes edged with madness.

Ciel couldn't shake her off as the men swarmed forward, except one, and locked the cuffs so tightly they chaffed and split his skin when he moved.

"Now, Ciel. Do what you were taught, or I'll do something to the pretty little doll you brought with you," Acacia said, snapping her fingers.

The man who'd hung back yanked a figure in a gown out from behind him, showing Enda with bound wrists and gagged.

Ciel's eyes widened as cold dread and terror rose inside him. No. Enda couldn't...!

Acacia laughed at the expression on Ciel's face. "Now, Ciel. Will you go to hell and back for me... or will your friend?"