The butler and maid spoke in a hushed tone. "See. I told you he's actually a young and kindhearted man after all! How I wish he would try to swoon me with that handsome face of his." A drop of sweat slid down the butler's neck, "what's this creature I am serving...?"
"He's simply worried about her wellbeing, even I too am concerned. About getting her out of the house as soon as I can without upsetting the master." The butler straightened his tie and stood from his crouched position. "Why are we even hiding behind the staircase? He could clearly see us through the glass if he just turned around."
The maid turned to him, puzzled. "He can?" The butler's expression seemed annoyed, "he can."
"Of course he can, he is the one who saved us all those years ago." The butler looked on at his young master in admiration. "He did what I couldn't, so I offered him servitude and the reward for the mission. He deserved it."
His eyes followed the figure of his master as he walked into the kitchen. "Sebastian, I am sure you have a lot of respect for him, but that sounds kinda dumb you know." The butler placed a hand on the base of the stairs, holding back a violent urge. "How?" He asked condescendingly.
"You're much older than him, you've only known him for what, a few years? Yet you follow him around like a dog, submitting to his every will. I am not much better though." She giggled, "oh is that so..." The concrete base began to crack, "Viviane, I'm also sure you're oh so happy to attend to that girl he brought home because you're not satisfied with serving our young master."
"Of course I'm satisfied with serving our young master, all because you roped me into this when you wisely offered him your hand as a servant, even when you had the freedom to do literally anything else." Viviane crossed her arms in annoyance. "Why'd I have to be your disciple?" She mumbled.
"Did you just say something?" Sebastian turned to her, "and I hate that you can just DECIDE to forget what happened in the past 3 minutes..." Sebastian looked bewildered, "huh, did something happen? Are we not just here to see how the young master is doing?"
"That was a lie, you infuriating old man!" She extended her fist at lightning speed towards him, but he casually dodged and gently tapped her on the head. "You shouldn't slack on your training, you're slower than you were before."
Viviane clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "If it means I have a chance of hitting you after all these years then I'll gladly do so." Sebastian looked surprised, "I'm glad you want to train, but what is this goal of yours?"
"Irrelevant, that girl is going up to his room right now." Sebastian swiftly snapped his neck back at the kitchen door. "Oh she is."
"I will go 'attend' to her now, excuse me." Sebastian stepped away from Viviane as she pushed him off to the side and ran upstairs. "I must've said something to offend her. That must be it." He wandered off to other parts of the mansion, pondering what he could have said.
After a little over half an hour, he returned to the lobby and saw Sheridan hurrying upstairs, "what was the young master doing in the kitchen?"
After a while, Sebastian sat on a comfortable slipper chair besides a small fireplace in his room with a mug filled with fresh warm black coffee in hand. "It is quite cold today, this is just what I need." He sipped from the mug and laid his back onto the chair when he heard a ruckus upstairs. He leaned his ear towards the ceiling.
"Keep her!!" Viviane yelled, causing a few servants to run into the living room where Sebastian was sat in. "Go back to work." He ordered in an assertive tone before sighing, "what's she doing this time? Last time we went out to buy groceries she insisted on keeping a stray cat we found."
A cat then entered the living room almost on cue, drawn by the noise. "Oh hey Mittens." Mittens leapt onto his lap and rested there. Sebastian sighed again, "oh well, you're already on my lap anyway. I see no need to remove you from it." He began stroking the fur on the cat's back.
Meanwhile in Sheridan's room, an argument ensued after Viviane had suggested him to keep Evelyn. "Can you not see I am right infront of you?!"
"Yes I can!" Viviane fired back. "Fine I'll consider it, just do not yell that loud again." Sheridan stared at Viviane. "So you'll keep her?"
"Wouldn't that add more work for the other servants and Sebastian? He already has a cat because of you." Sheridan pointed at her. "What do you mean because of me, that makes it sound as if I forced him to keep it!" Sheridan took his hand back, "that's because you did!"
"Whatever, I hope you'll keep Evelyn. Such a girl cannot be allowed to roam around this kind of town by herself, let alone in the city."
"What do you mean by that, can't I just send her back out?" Viviane looked at her young master in disbelief. "What if she goes out and gets kidnapped and then force-"
"Please stop right there! Don't say any more infront of her!" Sheridan swiftly covered Viviane's mouth. "I get it alright, we can keep her, just please don't say anything else." His face was flustered and he forgot to control himself, Viviane tried to tell him to let go of her mouth but could not as she began to pass away.
"Oh, oops. Sorry." He realised what he was doing too late, Viviane fell to the floor. "Uhh, is she dead?" He checked her breath. "Oh she's breathing, that's good." He was unconcerned after knowing she was alive even though she looked to be dead.
"Uh, forget you saw anything here okay?" He pleaded to Evelyn, whose body was frozen. "Hello? Evelyn?" He waved his hand around her, and she finally returned to her senses after staring at Viviane's functioning corpse. "Oh you're alive, I thought you passed."
"S-she's not dead, r-right?" Evelyn shakily pointed at the body still on the floor. "No, she's dead. Very dead. Oh right, I should dispose of this 'corpse' and keep my word."
Sheridan picked up Viviane and walked to an open window, dropping her into the garbage bin below. "That takes care of that." He rubbed his hands together before returning to Evelyn. He stared at her for a moment, "guess I have to keep you now."
"Keep me? Were you going to kick me out?" She suddenly looked dispirited. "I was." He responded, "but due to a promise I made with a late friend of mine, I have decided to keep you now." His tone relaxed, "I hope you're fine with staying here."
"I am!" Her eyes widened and she clasped her hands together. 'She looks like a puppy that just got picked up... Wait, am I comparing her to a dog? She did eat like one earlier.' Sheridan crossed his arms and had a second thought. "I will see how this goes and decide later."
He pointed at Evelyn with a stern finger. "You are mine now."
Sebastian stood besides the door, "Sheridan suddenly feels a lot more cheerful. Is that a good thing for him?" He shrugged and returned to his quarters with Mittens bunched up in his arms when a servant dressed in attire that did not befit a servant rushed to Sebastian.
"Did you find them yet?" The mysterious man panted, "not yet, but... We have located a place where they store munitions. We don't know what they're going to do next."
"Forget trying to predict their next move. Now that we've found a lead, we'll exterminate them at their own den soon." The servant straightened their posture and saluted, "yes sir, I will inform the captain."
"First an attempt to raid the mansion, then an assassination during a rainy day. This time it's our turn to make a move. Whoever's behind everything so far, you'll get what you deserve for trying to upset Sheridan's life."