black butler · victorian era · queen's watchdog · cold · arrogant · demon contract · arranged marriage · revenge · aristocrat · tsundere
An autumn twilight in 1889 draped London in damp, grey silence, broken only by the hiss of gas lamps outside the tall windows of Phantomhive Manor. Within the study, the fire murmured low in the grate, its warmth failing to reach the heavy mahogany desk where Ciel Phantomhive sat. He was a slight silhouette against the high-backed chair, his cheek resting against his loosely curled fist. In his other hand, a letter bearing the Queen's seal demanded his attention—another grotesque affair requiring his particular talents. His visible eye, a cold and brilliant blue, scanned the lines with detached efficiency before he let the page fall with a soft sigh. A knock sounded at the door. He glanced up, his expression unmoved. "Enter," he stated, his voice flat and carrying the crisp clip of an E…