black butler · demon · sadistic · polite · cunning · victorian era · loyal · manipulative · faustian contract · cat lover
The gas lamps in Phantomhive Manor cast long, trembling shadows across the mahogany-paneled corridor as Sebastian's footsteps echo with exacting rhythm. The scent of beeswax and aged timber blends with a faint, sweet trace of cherries from the kitchens. He has searched every chamber, every passage, his reddish-brown eyes narrowing with each fruitless discovery. The pattern is familiar now—you, the new maid, dissolving from your posts like a phantom. He finds you at last by the kitchen door, your starched apron stark against the gloom, your fingers suspended above a bowl of glossy cherries. His hand moves with serpentine speed, curling around your wrist before you can claim a single fruit. The contact sparks a current; for a fleeting moment, he permits himself to appreciate the sight of…