Subtle Seclusion

[Vol]

||Subtle Seclusion||

Caine Residence


Where a fine young lady and her unique Butler reside.


Plot:


A chain of murders were occurring at Belhaven whilst the lady and her butler were visiting the markets for some supplies of some sort, after having an unpleasant visit from one of Lady Caine's distant family.


Adding to the chain of murders, the Guard Dog was killed while in the line of duty.


And the main part of their contract, finding the rest of Lady Caine's tormentors and letting them burn, burn a horrible death.


These are just measly problems that a noble lady could fix with an unbelievably loyal butler, right?

​

 

[Meredith]

She couldn't move.


She struggled, wriggled and squirmed. She'd ended up bringing her wrists to her mouth, tearing them, spilling blood down her arms.


Still no one came. She started to cry, recalling what had happened so many times before. Please, please, somebody... Her thoughts were desperate, pleading, and she spoke them, then, quietly.


"Please... Somebody, help me...!" She pleaded, but she saw no-one there. "Please..." She struggled, more actively, in her bonds. I can't, I won't, I mustn't give up now...

 

[Vol]

"Louder. Yell for me."


A deep, velvet voice cooed to the trapped girl. The poor being was struggling, wriggling and squirming against her will. Humans are pathetic, but amazingly tasty.


"I will help you. But what will you offer?"

 

[Meredith]

Meredith whimpered, but she did as the voice said.


"Please, help me!" She yelled, "I'll give you anything, anything you want. Anything at all..." Her voice faded before she continued. "I'm... I'm begging you! Please!" She continued to struggle, looking for source of the voice. Her voice all but faded out, it was barely a whisper. "Please..."

 

[Vol]

"You have nothing, human. As I see so far. Only a body that is bound and a voice that is weak."


Although, the voice thought. Anything at all, anything...


"Offer me your soul. Make a contract with a demon, and I shall save you."


Shall the human accept? The demon does not know. But he knows that a human's soul is the most tastiest thing in the entire universe... So far.

 

[Meredith]

My soul...?


"You can have it..." She cried, struggling. "You can have my soul. But please... please just let me out. I hurt..." That was true. There were bruises covering much of her body, blood seeping from various wounds; Including her wrists. She struggled a bit more, looking, seeking to catch a glimpse of the man speaking to her. She saw nothing.

 

[Vol]

Dinner was served, but not until it dies...


"As you had pleaded. I shall save you, but close your eyes and you will find yourself free in a few minutes."


The demon started to form in the darkest corner of the room and the room's temperature started to go chilly. The devil had spawned right then and there, but only it's golden gaze was visible in the dark. The demon was waiting for the human to close it's eyes before setting her free.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith complied. She said nothing, only lay there, and she took deep breaths, in and out.

 

[Vol]

Just as the human's eyes fluttered closed, the demon emerged from the dark, it's golden gaze disappearing underneath it's helmet.

The skeletal whips from it's back moved around as he went towards the exit of the dungeon. As it turned the knob, in an instant, the whips lashed out and extended into the outside, killing everything and anything alive. The feeble human screams made the corner of the demon's mouth turn slightly upwards. A half-smile.


Turning it's attention back to it's new master and the skeletal whips retracted into it's back. The demon transformed into a the same race as it's new master as it took steps towards the bounded girl. Effortlessly, he ripped apart the ropes bounding the girl and gently positioned her up-right.


"You can open your eyes now. Sorry for the wait."

 

[Meredith]

Meredith opened her eyes slowly.


"I... Okay..." She said quietly. She was very tense. Her clothes were in tatters, barely covering her, and her face was flushed. She looked at the daemon. "...I don't like it here."

 

[Vol]

The demon blinked it's golden eyes. He took off his black coat and placed it over her. The human looked frightened and traumatised, such emotions made him lick his lips.


Gently, he tried to let her stand up with his assistance.


"I'll escort you out, then. But first. Let us exchange names, though I do have many." He said, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder as he tried to steady her.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith focused on him.


"I'm... Meredith. Meredith Caine. And you are?"

 

[Vol]

The demon smiled.


"My name shall be decided by you, my lady."

 

[Meredith]

So he really is a demon? Meredith bit her lip.


"Then..." Meredith paused, looking him over. "Rafaelo Lorenzo. Are you okay with that? Can we go home now?" She was watching him, waiting, listening. "I want the people that hurt me to burn."

 

[Vol]

Rafaelo's smile didn't disappear, it continued to linger as he scooped his lady up. At her current state, he didn't want her to be hurt any longer.


"As you command, my lady." He said smoothly, gliding out of the dungeon and into the room, where the corpses of his lady's tormentors laid. "Ooh..? Is this a revenge you're telling me? Are you offering me something else to do, in exchange to not devour your soul since I have done what you have asked. Save you?"

 

[Meredith]

Meredith bit her lip.


"I... guess so." She said quietly. She looked up at him. "I don't want to die, not before they do..." She didn't like him holding her, but she also knew she couldn't walk, at least not proporly. "...Besides, to earn a soul for something so... trivial? What kind of demon would you be?" Her body shook, though she attempted to speak strongly. She really, really didn't like being carried, but she knew it was for her own good...

 

[Vol]

This time, Rafaelo's smile faltered but only a bit of it remained. He nudged aside a corpse that was blocking their way to the door before answering his Lady's question.


"I am a demon that now serves under you, my lady. And please do pardon me for this but, you shouldn't be asking such questions about how trivial this is, exchanging a unique being's time to serve a human, just for a soul."


He kicked the door open and walked a few steps forward before slowly putting her down again, he felt that she didn't want to be carried. Hmph, mistakes are to be learned from. Of course, Rafaelo was new to this...situation.


"A human's soul, is one hell of a feast for a demon. Depending on the demon's taste...of course..."

 

[Meredith]

Meredith looked down.


"Of course, but I'd like to ask... Why is it that you helped me? There are so many in London who'd hire you..." She looked back up at the demon. "Why me?" She watched the demon. "I mean, for now I just want to go home..."

 

[Vol]

Rafaelo fixed the coat on her shoulders.


"You called for me. And I responded. Would you have rather'd to have me leave my Lady to her suffering?" He teased, as his golden gaze met her unique bue ones.


"If you command. I will take you home, safely. But first..."


The demon knelt down on one knee so he had to look up at her. He slid off his glove with his teeth and placed a hand on her chest, moving it slightly so it was under her left collar-bone but just above her heart.


"Our Contract Mark. This mark will bind us together and will keep me with you, until your desire is filled." Rafaelo explained before muttering, "Audite praefectus vindictam."


On his hand, a insignia was carved into it, glowing a golden colour before slowly disappearing.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith nodded. Her breath caught when his hand reached toward her. She relaxed a little bit when he told her why, but it turns out she shouldn't have. It burned like a brand when the insignia was formed, and it bled...


She didn't yell, she didn't move, but it took all of her self-control not to scream. It hurt.


"...Can we go home now...?"

 

[Vol]

Standing up and placing his glove back on, he smiled at her.


"Of course, but it seems like my Lady doesn't want to be carried. Although...it'll be better if you're carried." As he spoke, he scooped her up again.


He lowered himself down on the ground before jumping, high into the air, and onto a dead tree branch. Rafaelo knew where his Lady once lived, and he would take her there. The demon servant repeated this process until they reached his Lady's residence.

 

[Meredith]

Meredith awoke, her eyes slowly opening. She brushed the seal with her fingers, examining it as she did every morning. Her room was filled with light, which meant that her butler had been in, yet hadn't woken her. Her room was actually colored dark purplish-blue that matched her eyes.


"Rafaelo?" She called, standing up. Her legs were shaky. She still wasn't very steady on them - years of very little use had rendered them almost useless, at first, but they'd managed to get her walking, albiet unsteadily. She got up, walking over to her window. There was a window-seat, and she sat down, her legs underneath her. "Rafaelo!" She called again. She wanted breakfast. When breakfast failed to come, she stood, walking to the door. She hesitated before opening it. She could see a man, over the railing and she vaugely requegnized her godfather. He looked up towards her as she closed her door and walked slowly down the spiral staircase.


"Ahh, Meredith. Stunning as always." He smiled, looking her over. She could feel his gaze linger on the private parts of her body. Goddamit, Rafaelo. Why didn't you warn me? She thought. She looked around for her butler.


"I'm... afraid that I haven't eaten yet." She stated. Her uncle smiled, wider.


"That's fine, my dear. I was just wondering how you've been?" Meredith bit her lip. Her face went a ghostly whitish colour, and she looked away from him.


"I've been fine..." She looked toward the kitchen. "Rafaelo! Is your intent to let me starve?" She spoke just loud enough for it to not be audible to her uncle, but she knew Rofealo would hear her.

 

[Vol]

"Of course not, my Lady." Rafaelo replied as quickly as she had shouted for him. He had a trolley with her breakfast ready. Her breakfast consisted of strawberry shortcake with extra cream and more strawberries, accompanied with her favourite tea.


The butler arrived at her room before, but apparently she already got up, before he could wake her up herself.


Caine's Residence was usually a hotspot for butterflies to come and go. Rafaelo was usually distracted by the unique species of butterfly that fly pass his Lady's mansion, causing him to become mesmerised for a few mere seconds, this is also a reason why he's uncharacteristically late.


Noticing that Meredith's uncle was there, Rafaelo smiled and bowed, a hand to his chest.


"Good morning, Charles, my Lady. I hope this morning is as beautiful as usual."

 

[Meredith]

Meredith's godfather greeted Rafaelo, yet his gaze remained upon Meredith.


She figited, uncomfortable in only her nightdress, and she took the shortcake off of the tray.


"May I have some of that, Meredith?" She opened her mouth to object, to say that Rafaelo could make him his own, but before she could, her godfather took the knife off of the tray, cutting her cake into quarters. He took one. Meredith looked to Rafaelo.


"Now, down to buisiness." Meredith raised an eyebrow at her butler so that her godfather couldn't see it. She was vaugely amused. Buisiness before breakfast? That is, before I'm even dressed?


"And what buisiness would that be?" She asked.


"I would like you and your butler to come into my house and remain in my care." Meredith choked on her tea.


"You want what?"


"Meredith, I am you godfather..."


"...And Rafaelo is perfectly capable. I think I'll ask him to explain why I'm not going."

 

[Vol]

Rafaelo silently watched them converse into a conversation, though his Lady was reluctant. Meredith raised a brow towards him but the demon didn't react, only smile.


"I concur with my Lady. I am far more capable than taking care of her than you." Rafaelo added, his smile still on and a kind tone in his voice.


"-But let us discuss this matter later, my Lady needs to get dressed into proper attire, first." As he said that, he kicked the trolley away towards the kitchen area before gently guiding Meredith back to her room. A golden eye slowly glanced at the Godfather before patting Meredith's shoulder.