From what (Y/n) could tell, the manor's servants were the ones that brought life into this place. She wondered if Ciel hired them because of this.
The cook Baldroy was a tough-minded, level-headed man, yet he was outgoing and understanding. And he has a thick american accent.

"So M'lady," he looked back at her as he cooked her dinner. "how's your memory recovery doing?"
Sitting at the table, the young lady sighed and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, looking down.
"Ciel said that living a noble life would help, but so far I got nothing. Just feelings of déjà vu."
"Well that makes sense," he turned back to his frying pan. "it's only the first day."
"And also," her eyes narrowed slightly. "seems like...I've been here before. And I've met Ciel before."
"Maybe you have."
"What do you mean?" she sat up straight.
"I mean I wasn't there obviously, but I know that a few months after the young master took control of his company, he held a ball and I heard the young Russian princess was there along with her family. So maybe you did meet him."
(Y/n) kept staring at his back even when he stopped talking. Her deductions were confirmed but it only led to more questions.
'What happened that night?'

The next morning went on just like the previous one. The dress was the same one as before. Gazing upon it, she wondered. Did she use to wear similar dresses? Was it similar to the one she was wearing when she first came here, long before she could remember? Was it the reason why the boy picked it for her?
She decided to wear it. She insisted Mey-rin help her put it on instead of Sebastian. And even then it wasn't without its share of troubles. Putting on a corset took a lot longer than she expected, it wasn't as uncomfortable once she got used to the tightness around her stomach. It was already there to begin with.

She unknowingly sighed of relief once she enter the dining room and saw Ciel sitting at the end of the table. He glanced up and down at her before returning to his breakfast, seemingly unfazed by her change of clothes.
(Y/n) sat down at the other end of the large table. They were far away from each-other, but she'll make sure he can hear her.
"About my questions-!"
"No need to shout." he cut her off, not looking at her.
Indeed, he sounded calm and collected, yet his voice was clear and stern. She felt embarrassed but forced herself to push through.
"About my questions," she repeated. "are you going to answer me now?"
She put the conversation on hold as Sebastian entered to serve her breakfast. She said a quick 'thank you' and waited for him to leave. She wanted to be alone with Ciel.
Sebastian looked at his young master, who closed his eye and shook his head so marginally that it would've went unnoticed by everyone else. Everyone but Sebastian of course. He left.

"Very well." Ciel tapped his mouth with his napkin before leaning forward. "Are you aware of the existence of the underworld?"
She tilted her head in confusion.
"The underworld...hell?"
He puffed a chuckle, he wasn't expecting that from her.
"One would call it that yes." he sighed, his smile fading. "I am talking about the business going on in the shadows: Mysterious men walking together at night and looking over their shoulders. People disappearing without a trace." he paused. "Unexplained accidents."
She gulped.
"I...I think I know what you mean."
"Well, when people from the underworld are going a step too far, threatening the peace of the Queen, the royal family, or the Kingdom, my family is called." he explained. "I am assigned to missions by her Highness to sniff out those vermins and I get rid of them. Like my father did, and his father before him. The Watchdog of the Queen, though some call me the Aristocrat of Evil." he smiled.

(Y/n) lightly frowned.
"So the toys, they're just a facade?" she asked.
"More of an alibi." he shrugged.
'He talks like a criminal.'
The twisting unknown feeling in her stomach turned into something more resembling melancholy. With the words he spoke and the way he was speaking, she just couldn't fathom the fact that they were both thirteen.
"But it is still a real company." he continued. "And so, that is why I am invested in the affairs of the Romanov, it is the newest case that was assigned to me."
She nodded, relieved to have one question answered.

"Like I said during our first meeting: the long lost princess was found a month ago. Her Majesty the Queen has invited her and her uncle multiple times so as to celebrate her arrival, and everytime, her uncle refused. Giving many excuses." he joined his hands together. "And her Majesty has become impatient lately. If he's hiding something that could compromise the partnership between the two countries, that would be...upsetting for everyone."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, she could swear she saw the corner of his mouth going upwards but it was all hidden by his hands.

"As to why I trusted you so easily..."
His gaze wandered into nothingness, as if he was looking for an explanation.
"It's because we knew each-other before I lost my memory." she answered for him. "Was it at the ball you held a few months after you took over Funtom?"
His eyes widen and he now stared directly at her.
"Baldroy told me about it."
He quietly sighed. Was he disappointed or relieved? She couldn't tell.
"You are correct." he said, slower than before. "That night, we became acquaintances... After that I knew I could recognize you from a mile away."
"What happened that night?"
"...we played a few games, I won most of them." she fought the urge to roll her eyes at his complacent tone (she even suspected him to be lying). "We ran into our fair share of troubles, talked about various things and-" he stopped himself, his smile fading as he realized he got carried away.

"And?" she leaned a bit closer.
"...I apologize but," he looked to the side. "I would rather keep this information confidential."
"Why?" she frowned. "I'd rather you don't, tell me!"
He sighed, knowing it would be no use to argue further if he wanted her to trust him.
"We made a promise." he eventually said.
"A promise?"
"Do not worry however." he said, though without looking at her directly. "It won't come to fruition since you've lost your memory. It does not matter anymore."
"If it doesn't matter, then you can tell me, can't you?"
"I can't." he looked down, his eyebrows furrowed. "It's... embarrassing."
She let out an 'oh!', overcome with regret as soon as he said it. It caught her off guard, she even felt a bit unsettled seeing Ciel being embarrassed. From what she could tell, this was very out of character for him.
"I-I understand." she stuttered, flustered herself. "It's alright."
"Thank you."

"So..." she looked away, deciding to change the subject. "About the fake princess, what will we do?"
Ciel quickly went back to his usual cold behavior.
"You don't care about regaining your memories anymore?" he asked.
"Well, I still do but, this case you speak of, it sounds more important." she smiled. "And who's to say I won't regain them in the meantime?"
"I suppose you're right." he nodded. "It's actually more convenient this way, now we can speed up the process."
"Speed up you say?" she had a bed feeling about this.

"Obviously, you can't go back to being a noble if you do not act like one." he leaned back in his chair. "You recognize Russian but I presume you can't speak it anymore. From your table manner, I can tell you have the basics down but you must perfect it. Sebastian!"
"Yes my lord?" the butler stepped in, he must've been standing right behind the door.
"(Y/n) will be taking Russian lesson, etiquette lessons. And by that I mean walk, speech, table manners, the full package. Dance lessons, piano lessons. Teach her enough geography to know about the present situation of other nations around the world and to hold a conversation. Finally, give her the full history of the House of Romanov, I want her to know her whole family tree by heart."
A smirk gradually grew on Ciel's face as he watched (Y/n)'s expression falling.
'This will be fun.' he thought.

Her lessons started right away after breakfast. If she was wary of Sebastian before, him as her tutor made her simply afraid of him. He reminded her of all the strict women working at her orphanage, all combined into one person.
At every error she'd make, he would start everything over and would only allow breaks once she had full marks. During Russian class, he'd only talk Russian and would simply ignore her if she spoke any other language. And his scoldings would cut deep.
It was in moments like these that (Y/n) felt bad for horses and dogs when being trained for whatever horses and dogs do.
Thankfully for her, Ciel would attempt her Russian classes with her.
"I'm a little rusty." he said as he set up his papers and books on his desk, beside hers.
"It's better than mine, and I'm supposed to be Russian!" she laughed, though she was only half-joking.
He smiled.

During the couple of weeks spent here in the Phamtomhive manor, Ciel gradually grew on her. First and foremost, he was the only one who could get Sebastian to not be so harsh on her, which was a blessing. And though he usually kept to himself, it was through his servants that she saw his kindness. Except with Sebastian obviously, it seemed like he was born with his suit on, (Y/n) had to suppress a laugh at that thought.
Finny, Mey-rin, Baldroy and Mr. Yamada, all seemed to have deep respect for their master and great recognition when it came to the first three. They didn't dwell on the details but Ciel saved their lives, which didn't sound very joyful, by hiring them and giving them shelter. It warmed her heart just hearing the affection with which they spoke of him.
In every situation where (Y/n) and Ciel were alone together, she noticed this certain... ambiguity. And she knew it had something to do with their relationship from before she lost her memory. She wanted to press him about it, but it seemed like Ciel was forcing himself to put a distance between them. And she couldn't understand why.
Until Ciel's fiancée visited him one day. Her name was Elizabeth Midford, and she was delightful.

"Ciel! You never told me about your friend!" she glared at him before facing (Y/n) with a large smile. "What's your name?"
"Um...Alice." she scratched her head, her wig making her scalp itchy.
"And you say you've lost your memory? You poor thing! That accident must've been so tragic!" she locked arms with her and lead her to the garden to have some tea. "I hope Ciel isn't being mean to you." she whispered.
"Why no, he's..." she thought back to their conversation in the ballroom. "Actually, I'm not sure what he is. He's a very mysterious gentleman."
"Yes, Ciel is mature to a fault, and he can be super stubborn." her smile grew bigger and she leaned closer. "You should've seen him when he was a kid, he was so cute and innocent!"
"What are you babbling about Lizzy?" Ciel frowned, walking behind the two young girls. "Don't you go speak nonsense to my guest."
"Nothing, nothing~!" she simply smiled. "Don't worry!"
He sharply sighed and shook his head.

'Looks like they've known each-other for a long time.' (Y/n) thought as she tried to imaging a younger Ciel, she couldn't.
Just when she thought she figured him out, she'd discover another facet of his.

The table was already neatly set by Sebastian when they walked out. They were served a cup of lavender tea. This sweet-smelling, strong tea turns a lovely light purple shade and eases headaches, perfect for an afternoon tea.
Turned out Elizabeth could hold a conversation by herself, which didn't bother (Y/n). Though she was a tad too outgoing for Victorians' standards, her charms worked to her favor.

"By the way Ciel," she said. "are you going to the ball?"
"I'm going to a lot of those Lizzy, you're going to have to be more precise." he said without looking up.
"You know, the one held by the Queen to celebrate Princess (Y/n)'s return."
Said girl suddenly looked at her, trying not to show her surprise. She then turned to Ciel, who only glanced up and leaned closer. Showing the tinniest bit of interest.
"You didn't know?" Elizabeth asked, surprised herself. "It's the talk of the town!"
"I've been busy lately."
His simple explanation seemed to be enough for her. She must've heard it so many times.
"How did her Highness convinced Michael Romanov?" he asked.
"Right, I heard he refused her invitation multiple times." (Y/n) added.
"Now, I'm not one to gossip but-" she stopped herself to take a look around before leaning closer. "But the rumor says that the Queen put her foot down - figuratively speaking of course - and asked him directly if he was hiding something. What a woman!" she squealed.

"Lizzy please. One doesn't speak of the Queen in such a manner. Especially not calling her a mere woman."
"I'm sorry, I went ahead of myself." she chuckled, her eyebrows furrowed.
"As you do." he took a sip of his tea. "When will it be held?"
"In a month if I remember correctly, just in time for Christmas!"
He smiled.
"Well, I suppose that if the Queen herself, and the Russian Princess will be there, then I must go. I'm sure my invitation will arrive shortly."
"If I may, my Lord." Sebastian spoke. "The letter I handed you from her Majesty earlier, it must've been it."
"Why you're correct."
"You get a letter from the Queen, and you don't open it immediately?!" Elizabeth frowned.
"I was about to when you stepped in unannounced." he sighed.
As the two of them were having some harmless bickering, (Y/n) gulped.

"It's an opportunity we must seize." Ciel said as soon as his fiance left. "A month is plenty of time for you to perfect your skills." he fell silent to open and read the letter, he hummed once he was done. "The 'princess' and her uncle will stay for a couple of days. We'll have to act quickly, though coming up with a plan in a month will be a breath." he thought then waved his hand. "In the meantime, we'll hold a ball ourselves."
"Huh?!" (Y/n) suddenly looked at him.
She's been distracted by her own thoughts while Ciel was talking. She was nervous by what Elizabeth said - she wasn't expecting this next step to come up so soon - but now she's caught off guard once again.
"Why?" she asked.
"Well, you must practice in the field." he glanced at her, smiling. "One or two weeks must suffice, do not disappoint me."

And with that, he walked away. (Y/n) felt a ball of anxiousness growing in her stomach.
'I can never catch a break, can I?' she sighed.
And it didn't help her that, just as she had that thought, Sebastian told her that because of Elizabeth's unannounced visit, they were behind schedule and so must spent an extra hour of class.
This day felt endless. (Y/n) skipped dinner and collapsed on her bed, tired mentally and emotionally.

"Where is Sebastian?"
"Finnian had some trouble at the garden and he had to help him." Ciel replied as he opened the piano's lid. "So I will be your tutor for this lesson."
"You play piano?"
"I know my fair share. Now." he gestured to the stool.
She sat. He flipped through a stack of music sheets and handed her one. Her finger placements were messy and she had difficulties reading as she was playing. Which Ciel found strange: Sebastian told him that her piano lessons were the most successful. Thankfully, he wasn't as severe as Sebastian, but she felt just as bad everytime he sighed whenever she'd make an error.

Once she stopped, he noticed her tense shoulders.
"Are you nervous about the ball?"
"How can I now be?" she smiled ironically, looking down. "My life's goal is at stake here. And I've only progressed so much."
"Now now. You're being too hard on yourself. The other nobles would take immense satisfaction in doing so themselves."
"In all honesty my Lord, this does not make me feel better."

"I'm not trying to make you feel better, and neither is Sebastian. I am preparing you." she looked at him, standing beside her. "In front of high society, your comfort zone will be ripped away from you." he showed her a closed fist. "You must know how to never let go of control, be it of yourself or of the situation." he paused. "Imagine it as a game of chess: stay ahead of them at all times."
(Y/n) frowned slightly. She could tell he spoke from experience.
"I've never played chess."
He stayed quiet for a short second before looking away.
"You have." he quietly said before taking the music sheets again.

Eventually, he picked one and placed it on the piano, replacing it with the previous one. (Y/n) quickly read through it.
"This is a four-hand piece."
"Indeed." Ciel said as he sat on the stool with her, to her left.
"Wha-my Lord!" the young lady backed away, bending her upper-half, surprised by the sudden feel of their shoulders touching.
"I was thinking you would loosen up if you played with a partner. Also it is quite common for nobles to play together." he said without looking up from the keys.
"You speak as though you're not a noble yourself." she said as she slowly sat straight again.
"Most of them would tell you that I am not." he glanced to the side. "Well, they wouldn't, but only out of fear." he smiled, amused by something.
'Those who call him the Aristocrat of Evil surely.' she thought.

"The beginning is very simple." he said, gesturing to the sheet. "Just do as I do."
She nodded. It started very slow, almost haunting with the room's echo. She thought for a moment that the piano would play itself once it was her turn, though she didn't forget to play. The melody resonated through her head. It was similar to the one she'd hum to herself when no one was around, when she'd daydream about being in those same hallways, those same rooms, wearing those same dresses.
And so, once came the part where she'd play herself, without mimicking her partner, it was almost second nature to find the right notes.
And when the four hands played, it felt oh so natural.
Ciel's right hand played higher and higher keys, (Y/n) had to removed hers. Once the piece was finished, his hand was almost at the end of the piano. He turned to look at her. Their nose were almost touching, they fixed each-other's eyes, motionless. His sapphire blue eyes were hypnotizing, unblinking, they were so intense that (Y/n) forgot to breathe. And when he briefly glanced down at her lips, her heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly he stood up and began walking towards the door. (Y/n) blinked twice in disbelief before turning towards him.

"My Lord wait!"
"I have to go, I have business to attempt to."
"I won't hear any excuses this time!" she rushed to stand between him and the door. "I must ask: before I lost my memory, were we-?"
"Do not be ridiculous."
"Then explained to me why you've been regularly acting so bold towards me." she folded her arms.
"Perhaps you're only seeing what you want to see." he smirked.
"You-!" she blushed, for a moment she was at a loss, but she quickly recovered this time. "Do not try and ignore this ambiguity between us."
He tried to walk passed her but she just blocked him again with one step to the side.

"What were we before?" she sternly asked. "What kind of relationship did we have?"
"Let me through." he coldly said.
"Does it have something to do with that promise we made?" she asked, a bit louder.
"I told you, this promise does not matter anymore. Just like this shouldn't matter." he leaned closer to her, but to stand her ground, she didn't move back. "Whatever we had in the past does not mean anything now, or ever. Need to remind you that I am engaged, even if I don't-" he stopped himself, her eyes widen, he leaned back. "Even if I didn't love Elizabeth, one cannot break off an engagement that easily, not when this person is just an amnesic orphan."
She felt a twist in her stomach when he looked into her eyes with such apathy, and speaking so coldly. She felt so small facing him, it reminded her of the first time they met.
At least this time, she didn't show it.

"If you want to get the Russian Empire's throne, you must keep looking ahead. Do not dwell on things you cannot control." he paused. "Like a game of chess: a pawn can never go backwards." he walked passed her and whispered. "But with the right moves, a pawn can become a queen."
(Y/n) turned around, but he was already gone, closing the door behind him. She wanted to say something to him but knew that even if he stayed, the words would've been stuck in her throat.