Kadence could feel the Earl's eyes on her as she kept her head low, nervously fidgeting with the skirt of her uniform. She cast a glance at Sebastian, who nodded in her direction as silent reassurance.

Currently, she stood on the tea cart, watching Sebastian pour the tea which had a very strong scent. Once that she was familiar with by now considering it was the Young Earl's favorite. Earl Grey.

Sebastian set the teacup in front of Ciel, smirking inwardly. He made it, yes, but hasn't added the sugar yet. But, why not let Ciel figure that out for himself first?

Ciel took a small sip of the tea before he gagged and sputtered. "The hell?!"

"Oh dear. It would appear I forgot to add the sugar." Sebastian said with a soft sigh, ignoring the sharp glare Ciel sent his way. "Kadence, do grab one of those sugar cubes."

Kadence looked up at the butler, fighting off the smile that tried to creep on her face. She knew immediately what he was doing and curtsied. Stepping to the small china bowl, she stood on the tips of her toes to reach in. She grabbed one of the white cubes that were the size of if not only slightly bigger than her head.

Her hands were shaking but her grip on the cube remained firm as she approached the edge of the tea cart. It was here where she gauged the distance, noting that Sebastian put the cart closer to the table than necessary. She smiled at this. He must have had this planned the entire time they were in the kitchen.

She was easily able to hop from the large cart onto the surface of the table, the sugar block still in her arms. Her stomach suddenly lurched, realizing she'd have to go closer to Ciel, who was watching her closely, who would hurt her and think nothing of it.

Ciel could see the Borrower's hesitance to go near him. His first thoughts were to push the tea cart away with his foot before she could jump, but he decided against that, trying to think of something better to do.

As Kadence neared the younger human, the butterflies in her stomach moved more rapidly. Her legs were starting to shake. Approaching the large teacup, she dropped the sugar cube in as easily as she could, being wary not to splash herself as the liquid was burning hot. How did he manage to even take a sip of that?

Sebastian watched Kadence, ready to intervene if the Young Master tried anything. But he didn't. Instead, he was silent, only watching the small woman. It was the silence that made Sebastian grow even warier than he'd already been. "Well done Kadence." He spoke up, breaking the silence.

"All she did was drop a sugar cube into a cup of tea. It's not impressive." Ciel spoke with a smirk, again raising his cup to his lips, twirling the silver knife Sebastian set out with his meal between his fingers. It amused him how she stared at it. Expecting him to do something.

Kadence couldn't take her eyes off that long silver blade moving in front of her. She found herself frozen in place, her legs feeling weak, her heart pounding a mile a minute. When Sebastian cleared his throat behind her it snapped her out of her trancelike state and rush back in the direction of the butler.

Just as she neared the edge of the table, the same knife clattered in front of her. A short, startled scream broke through and she stood right in that place, breathing shakily.

Sebastian personally decided to cut in and used a gloved hand to delicately lift Kadence from the table, his fingers curled gently around her shaking form. "Young Master, I don't believe that was called for."

He felt the girl bury herself in his fingers, clinging to them for dear life. If he had a heart, it'd be aching.

Ciel said nothing as he went back to his meal.

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched and keeping Kadence in place he excused himself from the room. He was going to speak, but she beat him to it.

"Wh-What did I do to him?" Kadence looked up at the butler, her arms wrapped tightly around the closest finger she could get a hold of.

"Nothing. I suppose he just feels he has to scare you half to death." Sebastian responded, watching the trembling Borrower.

He walked through the halls, returning to his plain bedroom. Once his fingers opened up and he planned to set the Borrower down, he realized that would be impossible. She still clung to his finger.

Tilting his head to the side, he very slowly brought the hand with her in it to his chest as he had done previously when he got her back from that man, to test a theory. Sure enough, she burrowed against him, just as she had before.

He hummed in thought. "Kadence, would you like to rest for the night? I can see about finding you some suitable bedding and perhaps a nightdress."

Kadence didn't respond to him, gripping the black fabric of his tailcoat. He saved her from that one man, and now he's saved her from Ciel, in a way. She didn't want to let go. She didn't want to feel weak, but it felt like he was officially the only thing she had left in this world to protect her.

Silence fell over the two, Sebastian holding her, Kadence curled into the fetal position on his palm. The two of them lost in their own thoughts. And it stayed like this until the Borrower fell asleep without anything to eat that night for dinner.