That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Skilled 2

Chêne sighed in defeat once they had entered the hall.

"So, what's on our to-do list?" Chêne asked.

"First," Sebastian said, "is to pick and polish the tableware for today's menu – from the glasses to the large plates. The silverware must shine like a mirror, and I will bring out a spotless new tablecloth. I shall prune the young master's favorite sterling silver roses, removing the dying flowers, weed the approach, and then trim and even out the lawn so that it resembles smooth velvet. Dinner is a vital point of hospitality, so we shall only use the best ingredients. The beef is, of course, something to be fussed over, but the rice, vegetables, salt, and pepper are equally important. I need to go to the market and pick it out directly."

'This is Phantomhive hospitality,' Chêne thought in amazement. Although a couple years had passed since Ciel took her in as a maid, being from your average 21st century middle-class American family, Chêne just never could get used to all the pomp and circumstance of Victorian Era England.

"Um, I'll go get the food, if you want. That way you can focus on the harder chores, and it'll save us time," Chêne suggested. Sebastian checked his silver pocket watch.

"Yes, I will leave it to you then, but remember, only the choicest of ingredients shall be used. Do not let your ingrained practicality as part the working class sacrifice quality for price. The amount of money I am giving you is the calculated price of how much what I want will cost after tax," Sebastian said. "So, use every penny and hurry back."

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{Several Scenes of Sebastian Making Chores Look Like Art And One Trip To The Market Later...}

"Sebastian!" Chêne called as she entered the kitchen and began unloading the groceries. She knew he would hear her thanks to his extremely sharp hearing. "I'm back!"

"You have good timing," Sebastian said from right behind her. Chêne jumped in surprise and nearly fell over. She clutched her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Chêne asked darkly. "Do not do that!" She gave the butler a death glare. "You're seriously gonna give me a heart attack one of these days!" She put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot. Not very mature for an eighteen-year-old girl, but it made Chêne feel better. Sebastian just smirked at her. "Whatever, this is what you wanted right? Now, don't be mad, but they didn't have any high-quality pieces of that particular cut of beef you asked for, so I got the other cut of beef that the recipe recommended at an extra high quality to make up for it. The price was different, so I have a little change left over." Chêne said as she held out the coins.

Sebastian took the change, but paused for a moment when he saw the amount.

"...What?" Chêne asked.

"I really should send you to the market more often. This beef is not only a much higher quality, but it is usually far too expensive for you to still have this much change left over. They gave you an extra discount," Sebastian said as he pocketed the change until he had time to return it to the safe later.

He washed his hands in the sink. Finding out the manor house – as well most public buildings – had indoor plumbing and flushable toilets had surprised Chêne at first, since they were not supposed to have been so common in Victorian Era yet. Not that she was complaining – Who in their right mind would rather have to empty 'chamber pots' by hand. When she had mentioned this to Ciel, worried she had somehow screwed up the timeline, he told her they had been there since he was small, well smaller. She soon discovered many things that should not have been invented until much later were scattered throughout Victorian England. Sebastian had come up with a theory that instead of simply traveling back through time, Chêne had come from a parallel universe. It explained a lot about the subtle differences really, but it was so much like a bad Sci-Fi made-for-TV movie that Chêne just couldn't bring herself to take it seriously.