A Gentlemans Duty

The sun was setting  slowly, painting the lush meadows in a delicious shade of gold. A few birds sang their lullabies to what had been a typical country summer day – warm, cosy and a pleasure for everyone who had the time to stay outside for a while.

Unfortunately, Earl Ciel Phantomhive hadn’t been one of those lucky ones. He had been busy with paperwork, a task he hated, but had to fulfill as head of the Funtom Company. He would have accepted any distraction with glee...though it seemed even criminals had left for a summer holiday. No letter from Her Majesty had been brought to his desk for weeks; only a few invitations to garden parties. Ciel had ordered Sebastian to deny most of them, although he had accepted the one his aunt, Lady Frances Middleford had send him. He knew that she wouldn’t have expected nothing else from him. Besides that, he didn’t want to disappoint Elizabeth. She could be annoying, but she was still his fiancée.

Ciel sighed and looked at the papers on his desk. “Enough of this”, he thought, when he heard a knock at the door. Sebastian entered, bringing with him a pot of tea and a cup.

"Here’s your tea, young Master”, he said, placing the cup on Ciel’s desk and pouring the golden liquid. A delicious smell of Orange Pekoe filled the room, and the young Earl instantly felt less stressed.

As Ciel took his first sip, Sebastian remained in the room, watching him. The boy startled – he knew there was something going on in the demon’s mind.

“What is it?”, he asked. “There is something you want to tell me, isn’t it?”

“Well, you are correct...”, the tall black haired man began. “There is something your dear aunt, Lady Frances, has asked me to discuss with you. It is a rather delicate topic, but she insisted that it would be most beneficial for you if you gained more experience in...certain areas before you’ve reached the age to wed her daughter, Lady Elizabeth.”

Ciel nearly spit the tea back into the cup. Was he being serious?

“What the hell are you talking about? Don’t you think I am a bit...young for...such things?!”

Sebastian smirked. “Of course not, Mylord. The earlier you get experienced, the less trouble you will have later when you’ll have to perform. You see, Lady Frances insisted that it may not only be important for a husband to please his lady, but also when it comes to social interactions.”

He paused, still observing his master. The boy’s eyes were slightly widened, and an almost invisible blush had appeared on his cheeks. He went on.

“It is crucial to get your potential trade partners and their lady wives in the right mood for business. It could be considered as unfriendly if you don’t agree to-“

“Silence!” Ciel’s face had now changed from a delicately pale skin tone to bright red. “I’ve had enough of this! Besides, who the hell should teach me this...for the lack of a better word – stuff?”

He almost instantly regretted having asked that question. For one reason or another, he had the feeling Sebastian’s answer wouldn’t really please him.

“That is a good question”, Sebastian replied, taking a thoughtful posture. “I could possibly do that, but...no, you might be right, Mylord, I might be too big, after all. However, the young Earl Trancy may be the right person to fulfill that task. Not only may he be of the right size; he also has some fine expertise in that area.”

Ciel blushed even more and turned his face away. “The very idea of this is disgusting, Sebastian...”

“I am sure Lady Frances would be glad to teach you her skills”, the man continued. “Although I’m wondering if she wouldn’t be a bit too...harsh for this. After all, we are talking about a sensitive topic.”

The blue-haired boy prayed to every single deity out there that the ground may open and swallow him instantly. This conversation was more than embarrassing. He wondered why Sebastian...no, why Aunt Frances came up with this topic already. Did he need to marry Lizzy earlier than it had been arranged? “Be it as it may”, he thought, “I am...not...ready for this.”

Sebastian, on his hand, seemed to be glad to talk his master further into embarrassement and nausea. He happily went on: “Maybe we could include Lady Elizabeth in the process? I’m sure it would be easier for you if you could practice with someone of your age. Further, I believe that it would be as beneficial for you as for the young Lady, and it will make it easier for you to fulfill society’s expectations. Lady Elizabeth has had almost as much exercise and experience as Earl Trancy – I’m sure she could still teach you a bit.”

This was too much. Ciel rose rapidly from his chair and glanced angry at his butler.
“How dare you?”, he exclaimed. “What on Earth possessed you to talk in such a manner about Lizzy?”

Sebastian smirked a second time.

“I’m only telling the truth, Mylord”, he stated. “You should remember that I never lie.”
He put his fingertips against his forehead in a dramatic way and put up an annoyed face.
“Really, Young Master, you’ve gone through much worse than this…and this is truly a gentleman’s duty. Why then are you making such a fuss whenever it comes to dancing?!”