The manor had long since settled into its nocturnal stillness, the only movement coming from the flickering candlelight casting restless shadows along the grand corridors. Somewhere beyond these halls, Ciel slept soundly, oblivious to the lingering presence in the dimly lit study.

Sebastian stood before the desk, gloved fingers idly tracing the worn edges of a leather-bound book. It was not just any book—it was theirs.

A diary.

Left unattended in the Phantomhive study, as if its secrets were not meant to be guarded. A curious mistake… or a silent invitation?

His fingers ghosted over the cover before flipping it open, crimson eyes scanning the ink-stained pages with an expression caught between amusement and something darker.

“You left your diary in the Phantomhive study…” he murmured under his breath, the words slipping past his lips like an indulgence. His gaze flickered over the scrawled entries, lingering on the careful strokes of ink.

Confessions. Thoughts never meant for prying eyes. And yet, here he stood, unraveling them one by one.

“And I read those pages… do you truly love me, darling?” A quiet chuckle, low and smooth, laced with something almost cruel.

Yet, in between the lines of venom and veiled words, something else lingered. Something tender, unwillingly penned into existence.

Ah… how very human of them.

The corners of his lips curved upward as he shut the book with deliberate ease, placing it back in its original position—as if it had never been touched.

How delightful.