lottie–la-bouff:

Lottie had to admit, Ciel’s constant, bored frown startled her just a little. She’d expected him to return her warm smile, but he continued to maintain the facial expression of a bored child. Shaking her head slightly, she decided to brush the thought away, refusing to let any sort of self-conscious musings bother her. Maybe he truly was just a discontented little boy, and nothing more than that.

Oh, so he did know of her father. It wasn’t really any surprise to her— Her father owned the largest cotton and sugar plantations in the United States, not to mention his other sorts of business he dabbled in. He also shipped a large amount of his cotton and sugar to refineries in England, to be made into fabric that would be used in all sorts of products— Including toys. “He’s my fatha,” She murmured, nonchalantly swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Phantomhive, and the Funtom Toy Company. The name of a franchise her father indirectly supported. She’d certainly heard of them through the grapevine, and she couldn’t help but be shocked, taking a slight step back. This boy— Was running his family’s company? “Y-Yer th’ head a ya family—!?” She blurted, unashamedly.

“B-But— Yer jus’ lil’ boy—!” Whoops. So much for schmoozing, like Eli would have wanted her to do. She was never any good at that sort of thing, anyway.

“I don’t see where my age corresponds to my position,” he said tastelessly. Of course, he did see why she was shocked. She wasn’t the first. The Funtom company has been a huge success for the years upon years it’s been running, and a child to be behind it all is understandably shocking. Most kids Ciel’s age are learning in their classrooms, speaking among themselves, and living in a blissful world of innocence where everything revolves around them. The Earl’s past made that kind of lifestyle impossible. He chose this path on his own, and believed that he could succeed far better than anyone’s expectations. He refused help, love, friendship – everything. It was all a game to him, and maybe it should be. Children love games.

“You aren’t here on business, correct?” he asked, remembering her cluelessness when she first stumbled into his study. 

His eyes looked past her then, as the door opened behind them. There stood a tall man in a fancy tailored suit, rolling in a cart with tea and a chocolate cake surrounded by strawberries on a decorative plate. “Right here,” Ciel motioned to a spot on his desk. The dish was placed onto the table and tea was poured into two cups. “You may go,” Ciel ordered, as he reached for his cup of tea. The butler nodded, and said, “Yes, my Lord,” before proceeding to leave the room.

His attention went back to Charlotte, while sipping his drink slowly. “Formosa Silver Tip…” he mumbled, mostly to himself. This was the name of the tea, crafted and shipped from Taiwan. A true treat.