The first thing she did was take the tablecloth to the laundry room, leaving Sebastian and the others to attend to the guest. Rolling up the sleeves of her black blouse, she pushed back her hair and tied it with a ribbon as she set about to removing the bright wine stain from the once spotless cloth. She decided that she'd have to wash it by hand, seeing as the technology before her wasn't exactly the best for removing stains such as the one she was currently tasked with removing. Sighing in slight irritation, she filled one of the large wooden basins with lukewarm water, stirring in some powdered soap. Dunking the stained fabric into the basin, she started scrubbing at it as hard as she could without accidentally tearing the delicate cloth.

After a while, the stain had lightened to a light reddish purple, rather than the deep and intense shade it had previously been. Nodding at her handy work, the demoness straightened up, mentally cursing whoever invented the corset as it made it hard to move. Crossing over to a shelf on the far side of the room to get sme more soap, she noticed that the window was open, and it hadn't been when she first walked in. Taking a cautious sniff at the air, she scowled, knowing exactly who, or in her terms, what, was in the room.

"Just what, Fang, do you think you're doing here?" Her voice dangerously dropping several octaves. There was an incredible long moment of silence before a sultry, slightly teasing laugh rang out. "Oh, sister dear, am I not allowed to come and visit?" Came the reply. Fang Kyzer, in all her mischievous glory, came waltzing out of the shadows, just like any other good demon would. "I'd have thought the welcome would have been a little warmer." She smirked, looking her sister up and down. "So what? The all, powerful and famed granddaughter of Lucifer had been downgraded to doing the laundry?" She laughed, holding her sides. Lydia stood in silence, eyes narrowed into a glare. She then opened her mouth to speak. "I am merely doing what's job requests of me. Nothing more. You know how life in the mortal world is like."

She scooped up the box of powdered soap and walked past her sister. Fang wiped tears from her eyes. "Oh... I don't actually. You're the only one in the royal family who really spends time on the human world. Aside from me, anyway, but I'm not the one who goes around befriending humans and time traveling." She hopped up on one of the wooden tables that occupied one side of the room. "Speaking of which, you seem to have run into a time wraith. How did that turn out for you? Wait, don't answer that. I know exactly how it turned out." Fang grinned. "Absolutely horrendous!" She laughed again.

Lydia took a deep breath, not wanting to turn around and snap. If she did, then she may as well have a fight on her had. And given their rank, nobility, and power, the manor and most of the land around it would have been flattened to nothing within minutes. "Fang, I know you. What was your real purpose here?" She asked, voice malicious and dripping with venom. Fang pouted. "Aweh. No fun. Anyway-" she hopped off the table, heels clicking on the wooden floors as she crossed over to her sister. "I'm here because of a contract. Unlike you sister dear, I'm here on working terms." Her eyes flashed a demonic red. "Just like any other time I'm in the human world." Lydia closed her eyes for a moment. "And, why, might I ask, have you decided to 'grace' me of all people with your presence? Shouldn't you be off working like a good little demon? Underworld royalty or not, you shouldn't stray too far from the one your contract binds you to."

Fang rolled her eyes. "Nineteenth century and still a Goody two shoes." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm just having a bit of fun."

"Well go have fun elsewhere. I'm working." Lydia growled sharply. At this, Fang stepped back. "My my. Aren't we in a bad mood today?" She smirked. "Go ahead Lydiana. Take a swing. You know you want to." She taunted. Lydia snarled, the inhuman sound ripping from her lips as she slammed her sister into the wall, so hard, the window panes shuddered. "Oh why don't I?" She glowered. Fang let out a strained, slightly pained laugh. "Because we're demons sister dear. And think, two demons, high ranking, Underworld royalty. A fight like that would tip the rector scale to oblivion. Not to mention that it would crush your little friends and kill them, much like an ant to a boot." She chuckled, knowing she won this one. "Am I not right Lydia? Please, by all means, throw a punch if you are so willing to."

It was true, just as she'd predicted before, she couldn't risk it. Lydia glared at her, eyes a deep, blood red. "Get out of my sight. Don't ever, EVER, show your face here again. Understood?" She growled.

Fang laughed. "Whatever you say." Lydia then let her go, stepping back, eyes deep pits of burning hatred. Fang made her way to the window, casting one last look at her sister. "Oh, and Lydia, mind yourself around your... Friends. You wouldn't want them finding out about you. Now, that wouldn't be very good now would it?" She laughed once more and disappeared through the window, leaving Lydia standing alone in the middle of the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Simon didn't stick around. As the young lord and his guest finished up their meal, he excused himself to finish the chores inside. The kitchen was in need of cleaning, and that was what he strove to do, walking in quick strides through the empty halls of the manor, he gazed wearily at the shadows cast upon the walls from the trees and moonlight through the windows. The shadows, looking like bony, grasping hands, gave an eerie look to the deserted hallway. It didn't help, he thought, that there were portraits of previous Phantomhive family members hung on the wall. He passed one, he noted, of the young master's great grandfather, who appeared to stare at him with a disapproving look. "You'd think they'd know how to smile." Simon muttered to himself. He shook his head once more, and quickened his pace, eager to get out of that hellish hallway.

He passed the laundry room, and he noticed the light on underneath the door. He figured Lydia was in there, working on getting the tablecloth cleaned. He shrugged, about to walk past the room when he heard voices from underneath the door.

Not as if Lydia was merely talking to herself, but rather, as if she was having a conversation with someone. And she didn't sound very happy. He pressed his ear against the door, listening in to see if he could hear anything. "And, why, might I ask, have you decided to 'grace' me of all people with your presence? Shouldn't you be off working like a good little demon? Underworld royalty or not, you shouldn't stray too far from the one your contract binds you to." Came the distinct voice of Lydia. This struck him as odd. Demon? Underworld royalty? What the hell was she talking about? He had his doubts about her, but this put him on red alert. He continued to listen.

"Nineteenth century and still a Goody two shoes." There was a pause "I'm just having a bit of fun."

Simon frowned. That was not a voice he recognized. It was female, definitely, but not Lydia.

"Well go have fun elsewhere. I'm working." Lydia growled sharply in return. Simon wondered who could have her son worked up like this. It was rare, hearing her like this.

"My my. Aren't we in a bad mood today?" The other's voice continued. "Go ahead Lydiana. Take a swing. You know you want to." The voice taunted.

Upon this statement, Simon was met with a low, guttural snarl. "Oh why don't I?" Lydia's voice was dripping with malice at this point, and Simon was torn between turning back and running in the opposite direction, but it was as if some unseen force held him there.

"Because we're demons sister dear. And think, two demons, high ranking, Underworld royalty. A fight like that would tip the rector scale to oblivion. Not to mention that it would crush your little friends and kill them, much like an ant to a boot." There it was again... the word demon. It was a a red light. A stop sign, a neon board that said Beware! Why was even more concerning was the fact that he was now worried for his friends.

A taunting chuckle, followed by a challenging tone continued. "Am I not right Lydia? Please, by all means, throw a punch if you are so willing to."

There was a pause as Lydia spoke again. "Get out of my sight. Don't ever, EVER, show your face here again. Understood?"

There was a laugh. "Whatever you say." Another pause. "Oh, and Lydia, mind yourself around your...Friends. You wouldn't want them finding out about you. Now, that wouldn't be very good now would it?" Only silence followed.

Simon backed away from the door. Horror stricken at what he had just heard. He had to get to the bottom of the mystery known to him as Lydia. His mind was reeling. Would he tell the others? No, not yet. Maybe he would. He couldn't be sure. But all he knew, was that Lydia was dangerous.

His doubts were confirmed. There was more, a hell of a lot more to Lydia Nightlock than there seemed.

Oh, he had no idea.