The Spare BadBadz - Read on MistNovel

The Phantomhive Manor was located about two hours’ carriage ride from the bustling city of London. It was built in the late 17

th

century. The magnificent building was surrounded by lush rolling hills and grassy field.

The manor itself housed the current generation of the Phntomhive family, Earl Vincent Phantomhive, his beautiful wife, Lady Rachel, and their two sons, who looked so identical, even their parents had some difficulties telling them apart sometimes.

Caelum Phantomhive, the older of the twins, was born exactly seven minutes and forty seconds earlier than his brother, Ciel. Although Caelum was less that ten minutes older than his brother, in a family such as theirs, those few minutes would make his life vastly different from his brother’s. His earlier entrance into the world had granted him the right of the firstborn son and in time, he would inherit the title of the Earl of Phantomhive, along with the wealth, the power, and the responsibilities that came with it.

Being the second-born son, however, Ciel held no importance. He would never inherit any title, he would have to make a living for himself, and nobody expected him to do anything significant with his life.

While his brother had been betrothed to their cousin, Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, daughter of Marquess Alexis Midford and his wife, Marchioness Francis Midford, née Phantomhive, since birth, Ciel’s parents never bothered to find a match for their younger son. He could be spending his entire life in celibacy or becoming a priest for all they cared, because it didn’t matter to them whether he would produce an heir or not. After all, he was only his brother’s ‘spare’.

It was the year 1892 and the twins had just celebrated their 16

th

birthday a month prior. It was in the middle of winter and the grounds were covered in snow and sleet. As far as eyes could see, there was nothing but white across the horizon. The vast garden of the Phantomhive manor was bare of any plants since it was too cold for any plant to grow.

Just as it was too cold for any human to be out there, which had frustrated Caelum to no end. The teenager had been pacing up and down the numerous corridors of his home, bored out of his mind. Suddenly getting an idea, he turned back and made his way over to the library.

“Ciel~!” Caelum called in a sing-song voice as he threw open the double doors. His face broke into a huge grin upon seeing the top of his brother’s slate hair – identical to his own – poking out of an armchair’s backrest. He crossed the room and rounded the chair to find his brother sprawling on it with a book on his lap. “Ciel, my dear brother!”

“What do you want. Caelum?” Ciel asked, not taking his eyes off the page in front of him. He was in the middle of rereading one of his favourite books –

A Study in Scarlet

– when his brother decided to barge in and interrupted his peace.

Peering at the book on his brother’s lap, Caelum asked, “What are you reading? Let me guess, it’s another one of those Sherlock Holmes adventures?”

“Yes.” Ciel replied, still not taking his eyes off his dog-eared book.

“I don’t know why you love that book so much.” Caelum said. “There are many other interesting books in here, but you keep reading that over and over again.” He said, gesturing at their surrounding with a wide sweep of his arm.

Indeed, the Phantomhive library was filled with numerous bookshelves that covered every wall and stretched high into the ceiling, overflowing with books of every genre and subject imaginable.

Ciel made some noncommittal sound.

“Hey, how about a game of chess, hm?” Caelum tried again. “We haven’t played each other for a while, right?”

“Aren’t you busy?” Ciel asked, finally turning to give his brother a glare – which didn’t have any effect on the older twin. The younger Phantomhive loved to play chess, but he also didn’t like to be disturbed when he was losing himself in a good book, not even by his twin – who should have known better, by the by.

“No.” Caelum said. “In fact, I’m feeling ratter bored at the moment.”

“Then go and find something else to entertain yourself with.” Ciel said, returning his attention back to his book.

“You’re boring.” Caelum declared.

“Whatever.” Ciel muttered.

“Ciel!”

“Go away, Caelum.” Ciel made a shooing movement with his wrist.

Caelum opened his mouth to protest, but at the same time, the library door was opened and a voice called, “Pardon the interruption, sirs.”

The twins turned – Ciel poked his head out around the armchair – and saw Tanaka, the family head butler. The elderly gentleman looked as impeccable as ever in his pristine butler uniform.

“What is it, Tanaka?” Caelum asked, turning fully towards the doorway.

“Your father requires your presence in his study, Young Master Caelum.” Tanaka informed him.

“There.” Ciel said. “That should keep you busy for a while.”

“Good timing!” Caelum said, but then he paused and turned to his brother. “I’ll talk to Father first and then we’ll play chess, okay?”

“Alright.” Ciel nodded.

Caelum left the room and Tanaka stepped into the room. “Do you require anything else, Young Master?” He asked his youngest charge.

“No, Tanaka. Thank you. I’ve got everything I need right here.” Ciel said, gesturing at the small table by the armchair, upon which sat a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. “You may go.”

“Very good, sir.” Tanaka said with a bow before leaving the library, closing the door behind him.

“You wanted to see me, Father?” Caelum asked when he stepped into his father’s study-slash-office.

Vincent, who was sitting behind his large mahogany desk, smiled at his son. “Yes, take a seat, Caelum. There’s something that I want to discuss with you.” He said, gesturing at the chair across from him.

Caelum sat down as directed.

“There’s another mission from the Queen,” Vincent said and smiled when he saw excitement lighting up his eldest’s face. “Now, I know you’re excited, but let me finish first, alright?”

Caelum schooled his face – trying to appear serious – and nodded. “Of course, Father.”

Vincent slid a piece of paper across the desk to his son, who took it. The paper consisted a list of names. “Who are these people?” Caelum asked curiously.

“That’s our suspect list.” Vincent said.

“And their suspected crime?” Caelum asked.

“They’re suspected of human trafficking. To be more precise, children trafficking.” Vincent said slowly and gauged his son’s reaction. Caelum was only sixteen years of age, barely out of childhood himself, but the earl had felt that his son was ready for this case.

Being the Earl of Phantomhive was not a walk in the park. Like his peers, Vincent was expected to attend various balls, soirees, and other social gatherings and make nice with the other nobles. He was also responsible for the welfare of those who lived within his domain. He was actively involved in charity works and he had other, certain duties that he had to fulfil as a member of upper-class society. However, above all that, the Phantomhives also played another, more important role in serving their country.

In every society, there were both ‘polite society’ and the ‘underworld’. For generations, the Phantomhive family had served as the Royal Family’s Watchdog. Their main job was to cover up any evildoing of the Royal Family and to eliminate any threats against the current monarch. They operated in the dark and they acted as the peacekeeper, the one who kept the underworld’s dealings from spilling into the polite society in the name of the Queen.

They were part of a group which members had been carefully selected based on their special skills and unique positions. This group was known as ‘

The Aristocrats of Evil

’ and together, under the leadership of the Earl of Phantomhive, they worked to police the underworld.

As the heir of the Phantomhive family, the future Earl of Phantomhive, and more importantly, as the future Watchdog, Caelum was expected to carry out his duties effectively and efficiently. His father had spent years guiding him and teaching him everything that he needed to know to make sure that he was well-equipped to take on such an important, yet dangerous role.

“Children?” Caelum asked, sounding somewhat hesitant and apprehensive. This wasn’t the first time that he’d joined his father in his missions for the Queen, but he had never dealt with cases that involved children before, seeing that he himself was still of such a tender age.

Vincent nodded. “Now that you’re sixteen, I thought it’s time for you to start getting more involved in bigger investigation. One day, this would be your job, Caelum. And it’s better to have an earlier start.”

Caelum looked conflicted. On one hand, he wasn’t sure if he was ready for this. Children trafficking wasn’t exactly something that he wanted to have an intimate knowledge of at his age. One the other hand, he wanted to show to his father that he was ready to take on bigger role in his father’s investigations. In the end, though his pride won. “Of course, Father. I understand. But may I make one request?”

“What request?” Vincent asked.

“I’d like us to bring Ciel along with us.” Caelum said.

“Absolutely not.” Vincent shot down the idea right away. “Your brother has nothing to do with this job, with our job. He wouldn’t understand, nor is he expected to. Besides, given the weather, it’s much better for him to stay here, not traipsing across the country. He’d just recovered from another spell of flu and being out there in the cold would not help him get better.”

“But, Father,” Caelum tried to argue. “Ciel has been cooped up indoors for weeks! He needs to get out there and get some fresh air, or at the very least, a change of scenery. I’m sure that would do him some good. Besides, he’s smart and he might give us some valuable insight about the case.”

“Be as it may, he’s never been out there. He doesn’t know a thing about

real

investigations. All he’s ever read is those mystery books, which is very different from the real world!” Vincent said.

The pair of father and son continued to argue back and forth for a while before Vincent finally relented and agreed to take Ciel with them.

“You’ll be responsible for him, you hear me?” Vincent said.

Caelum sighed. “He’s not a child, Father. I think he’s old enough to take up some responsibilities of his own. He’s at the same age as I am.”

“Age doesn’t define one’s maturity, Caelum. He might be at the same age as you, but he lacks experience.” Vincent said.

“Then give him the chance to get that experience.” Caelum said. “Let him go out there and do something.”

“Very well. We’ll leave first thing in the morning tomorrow and head to London first to regroup with the Scotland Yard.” Vincent said. “Prepare yourselves for a few days’ worth of journey. We’ll have to travel north and it would take us at least half a day to reach our destination.”

“I understand. I’ll let Ciel know.” Caelum said. “May I be excused, Father?”

Vincent nodded and watched as his son leave the room, sighing to himself. Both of his sons were stubborn in their own ways, a trait that they had inherited from him. When they wanted something, they’d keep trying until they’d got what they wanted.

“What?” Ciel stared at his brother incredulously. “Why would you do that?” He asked in confusion when his brother told him that Ciel would be coming with them on their upcoming trip.

“Because,” Caelum said patiently as he studied the chessboard, “You’ve been cooped up inside for far too long. A change of scenery would do you some good.” He moved his bishop and took out one of Ciel’s pawns.

“In the middle of winter?” Ciel asked, his eyes flicking outside of the window where they could see the barren trees.

“You’ve recovered from your flu. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just make sure to dress warmly.” Caelum said. “Are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to make a move?”

Ciel moved his knight and took out Caelum’s bishop. “I don’t know, Cael. It’s so cold out there. Besides, will Father even let me join in the investigation or is he just going to leave me at the inn somewhere? Because if that’s the case, then I’d rather stay here instead.”

“I’ll make sure that you’ll be involved in every step, Ciel. Don’t worry. You’ll get the taste of real investigation. It’ll just be like those books that you’re so fond of.” Caelum said. “And we’ll be working alongside the Yard! Isn’t that exciting?”

Despite himself, a small smile appeared on Ciel’s face. “Yes, I suppose so.”

“You’re going to love it, Ciel! I just know it!” Caelum said with a wide grin. “Check.”

Ciel moved his king out of harm’s way. “What sort of things are we going to see? Tell me more about the case. You said it’s children trafficking, what do you think happened?” He asked excitedly. Now that he’d gotten over his initial doubts, he was looking forward to joining the investigation.

The twins continued to talk about the case as they played chess. In the end, Ciel won – he usually did, but Caelum didn’t mind – and they got ready for dinner.

It was still dark outside and the sun had barely made it past the horizon, but the Phantomhive manor was already alive with activities. A horse drawn carriage was parked outside of the main entrance and a few footmen were busy loading up some trunks onto it.

“You be careful out there, alright?” Rachel said. “And take care of each other.”

“Yes, Mother.” Both twins said.

All of them were dressed warmly in coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and boots. When it was time to leave, they took turns giving Rachel a hug and a kiss before stepping out of the door.

Ciel couldn’t help but shiver when the cold air hit him. He hurried down the spiralling staircase, eager to get into the waiting carriage, his brother wasn’t far behind him.

Vincent sighed as he watched his sons climb into the carriage. “I’ve told him that we shouldn’t take his brother, but he insisted.”

“You know how he is.” Rachel said from beside him.

“Then he better keeps an eye on the boy.” Vincent said. “I can’t afford to be distracted from the case. I hope Ciel will behave himself. Honestly, they’re both too stubborn for their own good.”

“It will be good for him to get out every now and then. He always has his nose buried in books.” Rachel said. “He brought up the toy company again last night when I talked to him after dinner.”

Vincent scoffed. “No child of mine will ever get involved in something as silly as a

toy

company. Not even him. He’s read too many of those books, he’s living in his own imaginary world. With his poor health, he’d be lucky enough if he could find a decent job. You’re right. Maybe it is good for him to go out there. Hopefully, he’ll get in touch with

reality

.” He put on his top hat. “Right, I should be off, my dear. We have a meeting at the Yard and I’d hate to be late.”

Rachel nodded and watched as her husband descended the steps. She waved at the carriage as they drove away.

During the two hours journey to London, Ciel sat in his seat and stared out of the window. He rarely got to leave the house due to his poor health, so every trip was like a treat for him. Unlike his brother, who was born with perfect health, Ciel had weak immune system, a long list of allergies, and he was also asthmatic. As a result, he got sick easily, especially during the colder months. Once he got sick, he could be bedridden for days, with only his books and stuffed animals to accompany him and occasional visits from his parents or brother.

Sometimes, Ciel hated his life. He hated that he was so weak, that he’d get ill so easily, that he couldn’t be out there enjoying what life had to offer. When he was younger, he’d often look out of the window to watch as the rest of his family gathered in the garden. His brother would play with their cousins, Edward and Elizabeth, as their parents looked on.

Ciel hated those sights the most. It wasn’t fair how everyone got to be out there while he had to stay inside the house, coughing his little lungs up that would leave him weak and tired. He truly was a sad and miserable kid.

When the twins were seven years old, one of Vincent’s associates gifted him with a puppy, a black Borzoi, a Russian wolfhound. Vincent had presented the dog to his sons and while Caelum didn’t really care for it, Ciel was eager to befriend the dog.

“He can be your friend.” Vincent told his younger son. “In fact, why don’t you choose a name for him?”

“I can choose his name?” Seven years old Ciel looked at his father with wide eyes.

“Absolutely.” Vincent nodded.

“I can give him any name?” Ciel asked in clarification.

“Anything you want.” Vincent confirmed.

Ciel looked at the dog thoughtfully. “Sebastian.” The boy declared after a few moments. “His name will be Sebastian.”

“What kind of name is Sebastian?” Caelum scoffed. “You should name him Ruffy.”

Ciel shook his head. “No. He’s Sebastian. Father said I can choose his name, right, Father?” He turned to his father for confirmation.

“Yes, Ciel. From today onwards, he shall be known as Sebastian.” Vincent said exaggeratedly, making the boys giggle and Sebastian wagged his tail.

Sebastian had been Ciel’s constant companion ever since. The dog would follow him wherever he went and it was rare to see one without the other. Sebastian would curl up by Ciel’s feet when the boy read, he’d sleep in the dog bed by Ciel’s bed at night, and whenever Ciel was ill, Sebastian would stand guard by his bedside, refusing to leave his master’s side.

Last winter, Sebastian had died of illness. Ciel had buried his body in the backyard and he had mourned the loss of his dog for weeks afterwards. His father had offered to get him another dog, but Ciel refused.

As the carriage trudged through the snow-covered road, Ciel thought about Sebastian and how he’d love to have his best friend back.

When they reached London, they went straight to Scotland Yard to meet with the detective in charge of the case. The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the police station and the three Phantomhives hopped down from it.

“What do you think?” Caelum asked his twin.

“Hm… It’s not like how I imagined it to be.” Ciel said, staring up at the building. He had never seen it before, but he’d read about it. “The books said…”

“Your books are work of fiction, Ciel.” Vincent cut his son off. “Now, come on, boys. We’ve wasted enough time standing here.”

Vincent led his sons into the police station and asked for Inspector Fred Abberline.

“Good morning, Lord Phantomhive!” Abberline greeted the earl enthusiastically. He was a man in his mid-thirties with a mop of messy auburn hair and a thin moustache. Just like his other fellow officers, he was dressed in muted-coloured clothes, white shirt, green tie, and brown suit jacket with matching trousers. His bowler hat and light brown trench coat were hanged on the coatrack by the door. “Please, come in, sir.” He led the group further into the office, eyes occasionally glancing at the two identical boys trailing after their father.

“Good morning, Inspector. May I present to you, my sons? This is Caelum and this one is Ciel.” Vincent said, introducing his boys. “They’d be joining us in this investigation.”

“Good morning, Inspector. How do you do?” Caelum, the more friendly one of the two greeted the policeman warmly as Ciel echoed his words in a quieter voice.

Abberline looked shocked. “They… They will, sir? But this is… Aren’t they… too young?” He asked, but then he quickly realized what he’d just say and added hastily, “My apologies, my lord. I didn’t mean to question your judgement!”

Vincent gave him a smile and waved his hand dismissively. “That’s alright, Inspector. You’re right to question their age, but Caelum is learning to be a good investigator and Ciel is… tagging along. I believe this will be a good learning opportunity for them both. Please don’t hesitate to teach them along the way.”

“O-Of course, sir.” Abberline said. “Oh, please take a seat! I’ll, uh, I’ll get another chair.” He said when he realized that there were only two chairs. He hurriedly left the room and came back with a chair, setting it down beside the other two.

Vincent and his sons sat down and they started discussing about the case. At first, the boys just sat there quietly, listening to their father and the inspector, but soon, they started joining in the discussion.

“But there’s no indication that the children have been sold off.” Ciel said. “Just because they’ve not been seen since their disappearance, it doesn’t mean that they’re being sold off. For all we know, they could still be held in captivity, or, or… worse. They might be keeping these children and using them for other purposes.”

“This is a real case and we’re dealing with real criminals, Ciel.” Vincent said sharply. “It’s not one of your detective novels, so try to control your imagination.”

Ciel’s cheeks flushed pink at the scolding and ducked his head. “Yes, Father.”

The boy said nothing else for the rest of the meeting.

After the meeting, they agreed to start their journey right away. Accompanied by Abberline and three other officers, they filed out of the police station, climbed into their carriages, and they were off.

“Ciel,” Vincent started. “I know that you think you’re good in this because of those books that you’ve been reading. But the real world is nothing like those books. The dangers are real, both for you and those children. If you let your imagination direct your actions, you might end up getting hurt or worse. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Father.” Ciel said meekly.

“When we get there, it would be after dark. We’ll get settled into the inn and exchange our ride with one that’s less… conspicuous. You can stay at the inn if you’d like since we’d be outside all night and it could get very cold.”

“I’m sure Ciel will have no problem joining us, right, Ciel?” Caelum chimed in.

“No, no problem at all.” Ciel said.

“You might get sick again if you stay outdoors in such weather.” Vincent said.

“I can do it, Father.” Ciel said.

Vincent regarded him for a moment before nodding. “Very well. But you will stay out of our way and don’t do anything rash. Listen to me and don’t wander off.”

“Yes, I understand.” Ciel said. His tone meek and obedient, but inside, he was seething. He knew it! He knew his father would try to get him out of the way by telling him to stay at the inn. And he was treating Ciel like a child, telling him to listen to him and not to wander off. He was sixteen, for God’s sake! He knew how to handle himself. His brother was at the same age as him, but Ciel didn’t see him getting the same treatment. It was so unfair!

To distract himself from his anger, Ciel turned his attention at the scenery outside. He seldom got to be out here, so he might as well enjoy it while it lasted. Who knew when he’d get to take a trip again. He knew that if it was up to his father, Ciel would never join them in another one of their investigations.

Just as Vincent had predicted, they arrived at their destination long after the sun had set below the horizon. It was so cold outside that Ciel briefly considered staying back at the inn. But he had too much pride and he didn’t want to prove his father right, so he gritted his teeth, tightened his coat around himself, and trudged across the snow, making his way to their waiting carriage.

“Are you alright?” Caelum asked, quietly, walking beside his twin.

“’m fine.” Ciel said through chattering teeth.

“You know,” Caelum said hesitantly, “Maybe you should follow Father’s advice and stay at the inn. I don’t want you to get sick again, Ciel.”

“I said I’m fine!” Ciel snapped at his brother, startling him. “Sorry. I know you’re worried, but I can do this, Cael. I can.” He quickly apologized.

Caelum was starting to regret having asked their father to take Ciel with them. His brother was clearly not fine, but he also knew that Ciel was much too stubborn to admit that, especially after their father’s words earlier. Ciel would die first before admitting that he was cold, so Caelum decided to be the bigger boy and said, “Ugh... It’s so cold out here.”

“You don’t think?” Ciel glared at his twin, wrapping his arms around himself. “But once I’ve gotten used to it, it won’t be so bad, I’m sure.”

Caelum doubted that, but saying anything else would only end up in an argument and then, Vincent would tell them

both

to stay at the inn, so he kept his mouth shut.

They climbed into the carriage, but it didn’t really help with the cold. Unlike the Phantomhive carriage, this one wasn’t well-insulated.

Ciel curled up at the corner, trying to preserve as much body heat as possible within himself. It was during moments like this that he wished he had Sebastian with him. The dog would feel so soft, warm, and nice. He closed his eyes and drifted off, lulled by the rocking movement of the carriage.