A/N: This fanfiction I originally posted onto Wattpad under my account RadiantInk18, but because the site focuses on all writing it was kind of lost among everything and there weren't many fans of this particular manga. So I decided to share it here to get a little more feed back on it. This fanfiction follows the manga verses how my other one focuses on anime ending.

Disclaimer: I don't own kuroshitsuji.

Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, Miss Hale, but it's out of my hand," the gentleman stated sympathetically as all three men turned to me for the first time since they arrived to take away all that I had left in my small pitiful world.

I bit down on my trembling bottom lip, but didn't bother to brush away the tears wetting my lashes. There was no point now, not when there was no reputation to salvage. My name would never recover from the shame that my father's death brought to my family name. No one had any clue to the gambling debt he had accumulated from nights spent in the black district and now I was left with not even a shilling to my name.

"So you're just going to turn me out onto the country streets to fend for myself?" I cried, my voice cracking slightly under the weight of my distress.

The man who'd spoken to me sighed and lifted the top hat off his head to brush his combed hair back. The pity on his face was enough to shame anyone, even a once wealthy aristocrat turned pauper.

He looked back up at me where I stood on the top step to the mansion I'd once considered home, and brushed a hand down his face before speaking, "I'm deeply sorry for your losses, Miss Hale, but I don't know of anywhere that's looking to employ a young girl of your stature."

"None, sir?" This time I couldn't help the tremble in my voice.

He frowned for a second in thought, before tipping the top hat back onto his head, "Actually there might be one."

My heart swelled with hope, "Can you take me there, sir?"

For the first time that day he smiled, actually smiled, and I felt that just maybe things could turn around for me. That just maybe my future wouldn't look quiet like the poor house I'd been imaging it would be. That maybe there would be some light there.

The man nodded, "We'll be passing the place on our way back to London, and if they won't accept your services that I'm sure an inn back in the city will."

I clasped my hands together in barely contained excitement and smiled, "Thank you, sir. I'm forever in your debt to your kindness."

He chuckled softly and lifted up and hand to help me down the steps, ever the gentleman. I slid my gloved hand into his and allowed myself to be led down the slippery marble steps. The footman opened the carriage door for us and I, with the support of the footman's hand, slid into the cushioned seat. At the moment it was impossible to think of the interior of the carriage as being simple or plain, though I'd ridden in much grander before. None of those ride could compare to this one, because none had been bringing me towards a brighter future. In a way it was my savior from a horrid fate and for that I could not think of the plain black velvet interior as being anything but grand.

After the other gentlemen were seated comfortably inside the carriage lurched forward and begun the journey onward. I leaned back thoughtfully, clasping my hands together and laying them elegantly in my lap. The country roads weren't a smooth way to travel and I soon found this out as I bounced around in my seat with the bumps in the road. Nether the less my spirits remained high with hope.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before the gentleman who had spoken to me first, spoke the words I'd been waiting a long time to hear.

"Miss Hale, we'll be arriving at the Phantomhive estate now," he said calmly into the silence of the carriage.

He watched on as I leaned quietly towards the window of the carriage and peeked outside the curtains.

Truthfully I hadn't known what to expect, but I honestly could not for the life of me had expected what I did see. The mansion itself stood in high luxury. Even so, under it's magnificent splendor the place had a certain gloominess to it. The green lawns and gray brick seemed to cling tightly to the early morning mist, which rolled over the grounds from the marshes just beyond the boarder of the estate.

I wonder what kind of noble resided in this mansion. Who could possible be able to stand such a sad and gloomy mood. I'd never met anyone of the Phantomhive family and couldn't possible begin to imagine the head of the household.

"May I ask, sir'' I began fumbling as I moved away from the window. "Who the head of the Phantomhive household is?"

"I believe its the young Earl Phantomhive," he admitted. "Ceil Phantomhive if I'm correct."

My brows furrowed, knitting themselves together in confusion, "Young? Come now he must be older than I?"

"How old are you, Miss Hale?"

"Fifteen, but I shall be sixteen this fall," I answered instantly.

He leaned back with a brief smile, "Ah well, the Earl just turned thirteen this past winter."

I felt my eyes widen on their own accord.

"But that's so young," I heard myself exclaim softly.

The gentleman nodded, "Indeed it is, but that boy has seen more of the suffering of this world than many men."

I clamped my mouth shut and nodded. It'd be best to know my place now; and remind myself often of my new status. I was no longer one of an influential members of society. I no longer had a right to mock or snicker at those below me, not that I had exercised these rights even when I could of.

The carriage drew to a halt and the footman opened the door for the gentleman, who turned to help me from the carriage. I kept my eyes downcast as my feet met the smooth stone steps ascending to the giant doors at the front of the mansion. The gentleman, two steps ahead of me, walked confidential up to those doors. Behind him, I dared a quick glance upwards at my hopeful new future.

That was if they'd take me.

Dropping my gaze, I closely followed him up the steps and stopped just short of the wood doors. I didn't dare raise my eyes as we stood there. The knock the gentleman gave to the door rung in my ears for what seemed like hours before the large wooden doors swung open.

"Good afternoon, sir. We're here to see if this household might be accepting any services at the moment," I kept my head low as the gentleman introduced himself to whoever opened the door. I didn't dare glance up for fear of appearing too forward.

There was silence for a long moment, in which I wanted to fumble or twitch, but instead I simply smoothed my skirts with my shaking hands.

"For the two of you, sir?" Came the smoothly spoken response.

The gentleman chuckled, "Ah no, sir, just the girl. She'd surely make a good maid or even a parlor maid, as her looks fit the requirements."

I felt myself blush hotly while being examined by a critical gaze, I felt more than saw. It was hard not to make any quick or clumsy motion. When someone looked at you like you were just a piece of meat worth selling, one would feel like running or hiding or doing anything to get themselves away from the horrid feeling it placed in one's chest.

I hated being degraded to just my appearance, but serving as a parlor maid would be better than many other jobs. At least as such the worst I would live through would be the leering looks of guest or my master. I would be saved from doing the worst of the work load.

A cool hand came under my chin and titled my face up. I couldn't help the short breath I drew inwards out of sheer surprise. Who would dare do such as thing?

I reminded myself I as I was forced to face the stranger who could possible hire me, that I was not a noble anymore. Therefor I was little more than anything and as such I didn't count in the laws of etiquette that was required among the class I had been dropped from.

A pair of reddish brown eyes examined my face closely and I tried my hardest not to make any exclamation of my surprise. The man before me, if possible, was quite possibly the handsomest man I'd ever seen. He was refined, reserved in only a way a servant could be, but yet still striking. He was tall, one of the things I could easily tell right away and had jet black hair that looked incredibly soft, though I dared not lift so much as a finger to touch it.

He also looked dangerous, as if he could kill me easily if he had wished to do so. That air about him seemed to strike some unknown nerve in me, filling me with some unknown feeling.

He released his hold on my chin, and I promptly dropped my head back down. My face burned with a mixture of shame and embarrassment. Certainly he had seen the red stains on my creamy skin. Certainly he found me not to be satisfactory enough to serve under his master.

"I suppose she suits the requirements," the man mused to himself. "We could certainly use the extra help around here."

He seemed exasperated when he said that, as if the other servants weren't of any help at all to him. I was beginning to question him now. A household such as this would surely have outstanding service and no less.

"So will the house acquire her service, sir?" The gentleman asked, breaking through both the other man's musing and my thoughts. "If not I'm sorry we bothered you and we'll be taking out leave to London to find her employment elsewhere."

"No need, sir," the servant stated. "The master of the house would be pleased to hire a girl of her stature."

I felt shock course through my small frame. Really? Could I possibly have been accepted? I dared not hope too much.

"Thank you, sir," the gentleman bid. "I'm sure you'll find her nothing less of helpful."

"I hope so, sir."

I glanced up just in time to watch as the gentleman tipped his top hat back onto his head and bid farewell to the servant of the household and then me. Without another word he turned and walked back down the steps, disappearing into the carriage that within minutes departed from the estate. I couldn't help but watch it leave with a little tinge of sadness. I couldn't understand why though.

"This way, then" the servant said turning back towards the mansion.

I followed fast at his heals, trying not to appear too uncoordinated or shocked as I suppressed my urge to gawk at the interior of the place. Grand wasn't quite the word to describe the wealth of the mansion. Wealth was certainly something this household acquired, though as to why they spent it in such a gloomy manner was beyond my comprehension. It seemed that even the inside of this place was clinging to that certain sad manner as the outside was.

"Follow me, I shall give you a quick tour of the mansion and where you will be serving."

I gave a curt nod and followed after him as he turned away from the entrance hall and down a connecting hallway. Doors lined both sides of the hall and lamps hung from the walls at regular intervals, shedding light into a hall with no windows to shed the early morning light in.

"What is your name, Miss?" He asked politely, looking at me over his shoulder.

I turned my head away from looking at the walls and addressed his question, "Miss Hale, sir. Tessa Hale."

Understanding flashed across his face and I knew instantly that he recognized my last name. I wouldn't be saying anything too boastful if I said that my family had been quite high in the ranks of nobility. It was just stating a fact.

But that was all in the past. I was nothing but a mere parlor maid now, nothing more and nothing less.

"Well, Miss Hale," he began and I cringed expecting him to ask me as to why I was here, but he surprisingly didn't. "I am Sebastian Michaelis, the butler and head of servants here. You may address me as either Mr. Michaelis or simply Sebastian. It's up to you."

I nodded, making mental notes, "Yes, sir."

He smirked and turned around facing forward again, "There are four other servants in the household besides yourself and myself. Mey-Rin is the maid, Bard is our chef, Finny is the gardener, and Tanaka is the house stewart."

I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips. Five? Five servants? In a house of this magnitude? How was such a thing possible?

Sebastian turned to look at me again, this time a frown tugged at the corner of his lips, "Is something the matter, Miss Hale?"

I shook my head quickly, "No sir. It just surprised me, that's all. Five servants? That doesn't seem like much for a house of such wealth."

Sebastian looked at me for a long moment before sighing, "The master likes to keep his personal life out of the public eye. Keeping a small staff keeps any secrets from leaking out."

I didn't have a response to that. I understood what it was like to not be able to trust anyone, especially the gossip loving servants of the house. It was a price one paid for being noble. Trust was scare and even scarer was privacy.

"I'm apologize, I was being too forward," I quickly admitted quietly after a moment of silence.

He nodded, but said nothing more.

An hour or so was spent showing me the places of the mansion I was allowed to be in and the places I wasn't to be seen in. These rooms included the master's chambers, the other servant's rooms, and the guest suits unless told otherwise. If it had been anyone else I'm sure they would've had to have a map drawn up for them, but since I was of the lucky percent of people who could easily remember places, finding my way around the mansion would not be a problem.

Sebastian took me back down stairs after the tour of the entirety of the mansion and back down to the servants' quarter. It was plainer than the rest of the mansion, unsurprisingly, but I still found it more welcoming than anything I would have been facing if I had not acquired work here.

We stopped at an unmarked door that I recognized was directly across from the other maid's bedroom. Sebastian produced a key and unlocked the door, gently pushing it open so that I could peer into the gloominess.

It was a simple servant's bedroom. A single bed was pushed against the right corner and a small wooden desk sat besides it. A decent sized window sat above the desk, illuminating the room with the sun's light and giving me a nice view of the estates gardens. Besides that the room held only a wardrobe, which held a few neatly pressed uniforms.

"This will be your room," Sebastian stated.

I stepped inside timidly and glanced about uncertainly.

"The uniforms have been sized to fit Mey-Rin, but they'll have to do until we can get a seamstress to fit you with your own uniforms," Sebastian informed me.

I nodded as I took one of the uniforms downs and held it up against me. I already could tell that it was going to big in many areas. I hadn't had the chance of becoming acquainted with the other servants yet, but I could already tell that whoever this Mey-Rin was, she was quiet filled out in places I was lacking.

"I'll take my leave now, but be sure to appear in the kitchens after you get changed," Sebastian ordered me, before closing the door shut behind him with a click as he left me alone.

I sighed and tossed the maid's uniform onto the bed. It'd be best if I was quick about getting ready. I wouldn't want to disappoint on my first day on the job.

I stripped my dress off and quickly picked up the maid's outfit. I scowled at it, there was no way the article was going to fit me at all. I sighed and reluctantly put it on, even though I dreaded the outcome of doing so.

I turned around to glance at me reflecting in the mirror hanging on the wardrobe door. It was impossible to see the girl before me as being indeed myself. All the doll like glory of my past life was gone now and before me stood a doe like young woman. Soft pastel blue eyes looked weary and pale copper curls were pulled back into a simple bun at the nape of my neck. A few stray curls had managed to escape their bounds and hung about my face, framing the dainty heart shape of it. My creamy skin was flushed with a slightly blush around my cheeks, giving me some color odd as it was natural instead of some colored powder.

The uniform, as expected, hung baggy on my willowy form. I pinched at the surprisingly expensive smooth cotton material and pulled it back so that it tightened around my small form. I released it and frowned to myself in thought for a moment.

Tapping my lip, I remembered the pins I had kept in my bag of things that I'd managed to save from being auctioned off to pay off the debts of my father.

I went to that bag, which surprisingly had been delivered to my room earlier and found the worn leather box I'd been searching for. Popping the cap open I found the neatly arranged array of pins and thread among a few other sewing equipment.

I pulled some thread out and promptly threaded it through a needle.

Well if I was going to be a parlor maid I might as well fit the part and to do so, I would have to make some adjustments first.