Chapter Text
Throughout the Trancy Manor, loud, coughing sounds echoed through the building
.
Alois was the source of all this sound.
.
A velvet, blue petal landed on the floor. Alois stared at it, before getting into another coughing fit.
He started coughing even more violently, before coughing up a tender blue rose, stem and all.
Alois bent down and picked up the blue rose and the blue petal, his fingers brushed against the thorns on the stem of the rose, so that was what that had been in his throat the whole time. No wonder it had hurt so much.
He put the two items on a table, as soon as he put them down, he broke into another coughing fit, but not as violent when he coughed up the rose.
"C-Claude! C-Cancel any arrangements t-that I have for this afternoon. I-I feel sick."
Claude walked into the room and bowed.
"Even the one with Lord Phantomhive?" He asked.
"Y-Yes." Who would even want to meet that person!
Claude bowed again and then left Alois' room.
Alois banged his fists on the table, shaking all the contents that was on the table. He coughed as more petals started to land on the table and floor. He put a hand on his chest, why did he have such a strange symptom?
"H-Hannah!"
Hannah walked into Alois' room, careful to not look at Alois directly in the eye.
"Yes your highness?"
Alois held a petal to Hannah. "Can you explain what this is?"
Hannah looked at the blue petal. "I-It's a blue rose petal-"
"Of course I know it's a petal!" Alois snapped at her, but then started coughing again.
Hannah stared at Alois, before she spotted a blue petal, stained with a drop of blood falling from Alois' lips. Her eye widened. (Cause she has a bandage over her other eye so....)
"Your highness..." Hannah said moving closer to Alois.
"Stay away!" Alois screamed at her.
"Your highness, I know what this is called."
Alois looked at Hannah, who was still looking down.
"T-Then what is it called?"
"It's called Hanahaki."
Alois looked down at the petal on his hand. "Tell me why- this is happening."
"Yes your highness," Hannah said quietly. "Its cause is from one-sided love."
Alois looked away at the table with the blue rose. "Is there a cure?"
Hannah paused before replying, "There are two ways."
Alois whipped his head back at Hannah, who was still looking down. He sighed, then started coughing again.
"W-Well? Why aren't you looking at me!?"
Hannah remained silent, Alois soon realised something and said:
"Fr-From now on, y-you are allowed to l-look at me in the eye."
Hannah bowed. "Your highness, should I explain the two ways of curing Hanahaki?"
Alois nodded, not wanting to speak much.
"The first way is to have the feelings returned." Hannah looked up at Alois. "Your highness, do you know who the cause of this is?"
Alois shook his head, while trying to stifle the coughs.
Hannah nodded in acknowledgement, then continued. "The second way is to remove the flowers from your lungs, which has to be carried out carefully, or else you may die. If this way is carried out, you will forget the person that you have feelings for."
"W-What if either ways aren't carried out?"
"Then, your highness. You die."
Alois coughed up more petals, before speaking.
"How long does it last before I die?"
Hannah nodded. "Three months."
Alois nodded, then spoke again.
"What... way d-do you mean by returning the feelings?"
Hannah hesitated before speaking.
"By a kiss."
"Ew!" Alois said in disgust. "I have to- get them to kiss me!?"
Hannah nodded, and looked down again.
"Y-You c-can get out now."
Hannah bowed and left the room.
Alois picked up all the petals, and got a wooden box, he put all the petals as the bedding and then, gently put the blue rose on top of it. He put the box in his drawer and lied down on his bed. Blue rose... what was the meaning of it again?
Oh yes, he remembers now. Mysterious, Alois laughed. Oh please, if it was just by this he would have tons of people on the list of causing this thing called 'Hanahaki'.
The other meaning is 'the unattainable' or 'the impossible'. Alois frowned. Well, it made sense, since he didn't even know who it was.
Feeling that there was more flowers ready to burst out of his lungs, he ran to the bathroom and spent a great deal of his time there, coughing up rose petals.
"My lord, the Trancy butler has just informed me that the arrangement has to be cancelled, due to the fact that Lord Trancy is feeling unwell."
Ciel glared at Sebastian. "Cancelled? Just because he is unwell doesn't give him a reason to cancel it! I order you to inform the Trancy butler that we will arrive at their estate in ten minutes."
Sebastian bowed and left.
Ciel stared the clock. Alois Trancy? Feeling unwell? Well that never seemed to stop that boy from coming to his mansion! So he will go see what has been stopping him!
Alois was in the middle of a coughing fit, before he heard a knock on the door of his room.
"Come in."
Claude walked into the room. "Your highness." He said. "The Phantomhive butler has just informed me that Lord Phantomhive and the Phantomhive butler will arrive in ten minutes."
Alois whipped his head towards Claude. "What!? I thought y-you said that y-you cancelled the arrangement!?"
"Yes." Claude replied. "But the Phantomhive butler said that Lord Phantomhive insisted to come over."
Alois looked away. "Then, when they come over, m-make sure they don't come to my room."
"Yes your highness." Claude replied before leaving Alois' room.
Alois smashed his fist onto the table in frustration. How dare that Phantomhive decide to come over when Claude has clearly told him that he was sick!? Suddenly, his legs lost strength and he collapsed to the floor. He clenched his teeth, that Phantomhive was definitely here just to see his weak state so he could kill him. Stupid, stupid Ciel Phantomhive.
He pulled his hair tightly, but soon let go. Maybe it was for the best, he would die without 3 months of torment from these stupid, stupid roses. He got up. Maybe he could do something to distract himself while that Phantomhive is coming over.
"Young lord, we have arrived."
Ciel got off the carriage, he glanced at the Trancy manor before walking to the door and knocking on it. Soon the door was answered by Claude.
"Welcome Lord Phantomhive, please do come in."
Ciel walked in, with Sebastian directly behind him. Sebastian glanced at Claude before heading inside the building.
"Well?" Ciel said, raising an eyebrow. "Where is Lord Trancy?"
"As I had said." Claude replied. "The young lord is unwell."
Ciel glared at Claude before speaking. "Well I'll just have to look for him myself! Sebastian! Make sure that the Trancy butler doesn't follow me! That is an order!"
"Yes my lord." Sebastian bowed before getting ready to stall the Trancy butler.
Ciel walked up the stairs of the manor and glanced at each of the doors. Which one was Alois Trancy in? He walked up to one of the rooms, but soon he heard coughing sounds nearby and he walked to the door where the coughing sounds came from. He knocked on the door.
Alois' eyes widened when he heard the knock on his bedroom door. Who could it be? He looked around, where could he go? He had an idea! He would run out and see who it is, if it isn't Claude or Hannah he'll just run away.
He sprinted toward the door, swung it open and ran out, immediately bumping into Ciel. Alois turned around, it was Ciel, and the stupid flowers just had to pick this moment to be more annoying. He ran away immediately, making sure Ciel didn't see where he went. He ran downstairs, and down into the basement. He pushed the table to the door and sat on the table. The flowers seemed to die down a little for some reason. He didn't have the same urge to cough as he did when he saw Ciel.
He sighed. Could it be Ciel? No! No no no no no no no no no! There is no way he would fall for that Phantomhive! No way! No way in hell would he fall for him!
His thoughts for interrupted by his own coughing. He gripped onto his chest tightly. I-It hurts so much. Just like when he was coughing up the rose. His eyes widened at the thought. He pulled out the rose. This was the second one that he pulled from his throat, maybe he could even have a vase of them in his room. Yes... that sounds nice. He'll tell Claude to get one as soon as Ciel and his stupid demon butler leaves.
Suddenly somebody knocked on the basement door.
"W-Who is it?" Alois asked.
"Your highness, it's me."
Alois sighed in relief. It was Hannah, at least she's better than that Phantomhive or that butler of his.
"Your highness, the Phantomhive butler saw you running down and told Lord Phantomhive. Lord Phantomhive has demanded your presence."
Alois facepalmed inside. How could he be so stupid to not realise that that stupid Phantomhive's butler was there!? Well... to late to regret anything now...
"Alright, I'll go and talk to them soon."
He heard the sound footsteps, which was getting fainter and fainter by the second. He jumped off the table, then slowly moved the table. Now, time to see what that Phantomhive is here for.
"W-Well well well, what have I done to deserve your presence? Ciel Phantomhive?" Alois said, trying to stifle his coughs.
Ciel glared at Alois. "Shut up, you know what I'm here for."
Alois rolled his eyes. "Of course, then, come with me."
Ciel nodded and followed Alois. Soon, they came back out.
"Well, I guess we'll be parting now." Alois said. "F-Farewell."
"Farewell." Ciel replied as he left with Sebastian.
Alois turned to Claude as soon as Ciel and Sebastian was out of sight. "C-Claude, fetch me a vase and put in on the table in my room."
"Yes, your highness." Claude said as he left.
Alois pulled another blue rose from his throat. He twirled the flower around and around. If only he could find out who it was soon...
And it better not be that Phantomhive.