The Butler, Absent is Chapter 155 of the Kuroshitsuji manga.
Summary[]
Mey-Rin is caught spying on Chris Heathfield and Annie by Jane who tells her to be quiet and guides her to the kitchen. There, they have a drink, and Jane scolds Mey-Rin for going out after 10 p.m. and for eavesdropping. Mey-Rin apologizes and says that she was only curious to find out whether the rumor that Heathfield invites a maid to his bedroom every night were true or not.
Jane tells her that the rumor is indeed true; however, Heathfield is not doing this solely for his pleasure: Heathfield is searching for a substitute for his wife ever since she and his daughter died in a carriage accident many years ago. He is specifically searching for a woman who resembles his wife. Because of that, the manor constantly adverts for maids. Upon hearing this, Mey-Rin points out that the maids working at Heathfield Manor all have different hair colours and ethnicities: If Heathfield wants to find someone who resembles his late wife, why is he not specifying his criteria for hiring maids? Jane replies that Heathfield is not simply searching for someone who looks like his wife: the voice, personality, compatibility in the bedroom, and the shape of the soul have to match as well. After explaining this to Mey-Rin, Jane tells her to return to her bedroom.
The next day, the maids are gossiping in the kitchen that Annie has left the manor. They are cut short when Mrs. Abbie arrives and announces that it is time for the morning gathering. Diligently, the staff lines up to greet Baron Heathfield, and afterward, the maids check their collars and wrist cuffs. While the others are disappointed that they have found nothing, Ran-Mao shows Mey-Rin that she was invited by Heathfield.
Later at night, Mey-Rin quickly goes through Ran-Mao's mission to find out as much information as possible again before Ran-Mao leaves to meet Heathfield. Worried, Mey-Rin stays up all night, and when Jane arrives the next morning to pick her up, Ran-Mao still has not returned.
Mey-Rin informs her of this, and Jane says that, apparently, Heathfield liked Ran-Mao and will keep her for a few days. She reassures her that "her sister" will be fine, but Mey-Rin does not believe her and wonders what happened to Ran-Mao.