Sebastian led Aurelia through the grand, intricately decorated hallways of the mansion, guiding her with impeccable courtesy. Every room he showed her was a reflection of the grandeur and discipline that characterized Ciel Phantomhive's residence.
Halls filled with heavy furniture, luxurious chandeliers casting soft light onto the marble floors, vast libraries lined with leather-bound tomes. Everything was imposing, almost cold, as if the very walls guarded the secrets hidden within this place.
"How on earth does Ciel not get lost in here?" she wondered as they walked.
Sebastian, as if reading her thoughts, offered a subtle smile.
Sebastian: "It is true that the mansion is vast, but the young master knows it like the back of his hand."
Aurelia cast him a curious glance but said nothing.
After showing her nearly every corner of the estate, Sebastian stopped before a heavy wooden door, different from the rest.
Sebastian: "I saved this room for last... I believe you will find it interesting."
He slowly pushed the door open, allowing Aurelia to take the first step inside.
The room had a different atmosphere—it felt more personal, more... warm. It lacked the cold luxury of the other spaces. It was a bedroom, decorated in dark tones, with heavy curtains and a distinct sense of tranquility, almost melancholy.
Her gaze wandered around the space until it landed on a wooden nightstand, upon which several framed photographs rested.
Without thinking, she stepped forward and picked one up.
A subtle wave of curiosity, mixed with an unexplainable feeling, washed over her.
It was a couple. The man and woman in the frame looked happy together, their gazes filled with love and devotion. Aurelia smiled faintly, a strange nostalgia wrapping around her heart. Would she ever find a man who truly loved her? Someone with whom she could share such mutual happiness?
Sebastian, who had been discreetly watching her, spoke in his deep, velvety voice:
Sebastian: "They are my master's parents. Unfortunately, they are no longer alive... he lost them in a fire."
Aurelia lowered her gaze, feeling a tightness in her chest.
Sebastian: "The only thing he has left of them is that ring with the blue gemstone. It belonged to his father."
Aurelia pressed her lips together. A small sting of guilt pricked at her. She had lost her parents too, but at least she had someone by her side. Ciel, however... did not.
And then it clicked.
The ring...
So that was why Sebastian had pursued her so relentlessly. If it had been just an ordinary piece of jewelry, he wouldn't have given it so much attention. But this was something far more significant.
Aurelia: "I'm so sorry... I didn't know."
Sebastian observed her for a few moments, his crimson eyes analyzing her every expression.
Sebastian: "What I still don't understand is why William wanted you to take it..."
Aurelia hesitated, but she knew she had no reason to hide the truth.
Aurelia: "It was... a test. He wanted to see if I was capable. If I succeeded and brought it to him, he would take me with him on his travels."
Sebastian smiled—not his usual polite smile, but something darker.
Sebastian: "Ah, I see... But even so, it was dangerous. You could have died."
Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him.
Aurelia's body collided with his, his presence towering, almost menacing. His eyes gleamed strangely dangerously as he lowered his head, bringing his lips close to hers.
Aurelia froze. Her heart pounded fiercely, but her body did not respond—she felt paralyzed.
Sebastian smiled again.
But this time, his smile was sadistic.
Sebastian: "From now on, it would be best if you never do something so foolish again. Because next time, you won't be so lucky. If you do anything that could harm my master, I will kill you without mercy. And believe me, it will be very painful. Am I understood?"
Aurelia froze. His words were delivered with such cold cynicism that they nearly made her tremble. Her breath hitched for a moment, but she forced herself to remain composed.
Aurelia: "Understood..."
Her heart clenched with a pain she could hardly describe. Sebastian was exactly as William had warned her—a piece of this world filled with darkness and isolation.
But as soon as Sebastian heard her answer, he released her and shifted his gaze around the room, his usual sweet smile returning.
A smile that meant nothing.
A smile that made her feel so small and helpless.
He had the gift of hiding everything behind a flawless mask.
Sebastian: "I'm very glad to hear that! Shall we go now? My master is surely waiting."
Aurelia looked at him with a small, uncertain smile.
Aurelia: "Yes, yes... of course..."
With that brief response, she turned her back to him and started walking ahead. Her steps were slow, almost hesitant, and Sebastian followed, his gaze tight with an undefined tension. He understood what had happened—he had made Aurelia feel uncomfortable, something he had never intended. And yet, for some reason, whenever he was near her, he felt a strange jolt inside him. Something pulled him toward her, even though he knew he should let it pass.
Aurelia was different—he knew that well. Other women did not interest him, but her? She had something unique, something that made him notice her even without realizing it. It wasn't just her appearance, though her porcelain-like face was striking, nor just the undeniable allure in her eyes. It was her presence—a mysterious intensity that radiated from the way she moved, from her fiery hair, from the innocence hidden behind her uncertain smile.
He, Sebastian, had never felt this way about mortals. Every woman before had been nothing more than a fleeting amusement. But Aurelia made him question everything he believed. She was unlike anyone else. Every time he saw her, his mind clouded, and he knew that his instincts were leading him into dangerous territory.
He exhaled calmly, trying to regain control. He had no time for such thoughts. Romance, passion, fragile humans—all of it was ridiculous. People, with their pathetic emotions, had no place in his world. He had to let it go, to focus. But as he watched her walk ahead of him, it became harder to remain indifferent.
Her hair, those chestnut strands that shimmered like gold swayed lightly with the air, offering him a sight that made him sigh internally. He had felt her body against his that night at the ball—an unexpected and torturous sensation that he could not control. How much easier it would be to pull her closer, to feel her warmth without the barriers of fabric between them...
His tongue ran briefly over his lips, as if trying to chase away the thoughts creeping into his mind. Aurelia's soft gasps—he could imagine them, hear them in his head. A tight mix of passion and uncertainty, ready to ignite.
Sebastian let his gaze drop momentarily to the floor, struggling to suppress the tension rising within him.
He didn't want to lose control.
Not now.
As soon as Sebastian realized what he had been thinking, he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the foolish thoughts that had consumed him. "What nonsense was that?" he thought, disappointed in himself. Those moments, when his senses clouded and his thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, were dangerous. For him, a lack of control was something to avoid at all costs.
He turned his gaze away from Aurelia, as if to protect her from the fire that burned inside him, and focused on the rest of the hallway. The space around them was imposing, filled with the necessary darkness and silence of the mansion. The absence of external sounds made the atmosphere even heavier, as if time itself had frozen there. The tall walls with half-hidden portraits, the heavy rugs covering the floor, and the sculptures standing lifeless on the walls absorbed him for a moment.
This was bad for him.
Aurelia, this mortal, had managed to disturb the stability he had tried so hard to maintain. His gaze returned to her for a moment, effortlessly, almost involuntarily, and he saw her walk ahead with that characteristic innocence that made her so dangerous. The slight movement of her hair, the silent grace with which she walked, unsettled him in a way he had never felt for any other woman.
And Aurelia, without knowing it, was more than just a passing interest or a fleeting desire. He had started to feel that he was entangled in something bigger, something he couldn't control, something that touched deeper than mere longing or need.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to regain his composure, to refocus his thoughts on the cold world without emotions or weak passions. There was no room for weakness. No room for feelings. No room for anything but duty.
However, the more he tried to distance himself, the more intensely he was drawn to that glow within her—the glow that Aurelia couldn't comprehend, that she had no idea she was provoking in him. And that, precisely, was the most dangerous thing of all.