11 Ciel's Dilemma
"Big Brother, say ahhhhh!"
"Ahhhh."
"Is it good?"
"Yes it is good. Thank you Chloe."
"Hehe.
Ciel felt someone staring at him from the side. He turned his head and saw a smiling Kate holding a fork with a piece of carrot.
"Ciel, vegetables are good for you. It keeps the body healthy. Say ahhhh!"
"Ahhhh."
"It's good right?"
"Yes, it's good. Thank you Kate."
"Fufufu."
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"Big Brother, let's go to the garden."
"Ciel, the weather is good today. How about we go to the garden?"
"Sounds like a good idea."
"Big Brother, please hold my hand. It's too bright today, I can't see properly."
"Ok."
"CIel, I'm feeling lightheaded, hold my hand ok?"
"Alright."
"Big Sister, it would be best if you take a rest if you're feeling lightheaded. You might get a heat stroke if you're not careful." Stay away from my big brother, you thieving cat!
"The weather is so hot and bright today. I think you should just relax inside the house little sister. If you're not careful you might get sore eyes." Hum, you sly fox, you think you could spend time alone with Ciel? Not on my watch!
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"Big Brother, please read me a book."
"Ciel, let's play chess!"
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"Big Brother, let's take a nap together.
"Ciel, it's time for our afternoon nap. Let's go.
-------
Three children leisurely wandered around the manor. A boy with blonde hair was holding the hands of two girls. Both girls were clinging on his shoulder, with smiles on their faces. However, the boy had a cramped expression as if he was suffering from constipation.
When they reached the living room, Ciel looked at his mother with pleading eyes. Andrea smiled and mouthed the word "Fighting!" while giving him a thumbs up. Black lines appeared on Ciel's forehead. Mother, don't you love me anymore? Why are you ignoring me? Ciel sighed helplessly and brought the two girls to the garden.
Andrea and Elizabeth watched the children's retreating figures with amusement.
"Holding two flowers in each hand," Elizabeth said with a smirk. "Your Ciel sure is popular." She sipped her tea with elegance.
"I know right?," Andrea replied with a proud grin. "He took all the good traits from my genes. How about it? Although I don't really like polygamy, how about we marry those two girls to him when he grows up?"
Elizabeth almost choked on her tea because of Andrea's shamelessness. I admit that your son is good looking, but allowing him to marry two girls at once? Hello? Do you think this is still the middle ages? Do you think my daughter is a piece of cake where you could get a buy 1 take 1 for free?
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Andrea's casual remark, which made the other woman giggle in delight.
"Don't take me seriously, Eliza. I was just joking."
"I know, but your son might really grow up as a Casanova if this goes on."
Andrea leaned back on her chair. She sipped her tea and eyed the woman beside her. "Mmm, I've been thinking a lot as of late, and I too am worried about Ciel's growth."
"You? Thinking? Is the world coming to an end?" Elizabeth gazed at the ceiling. "Oh dear, looks like I need to start buying insurance plans."
"Go ahead. Get the most expensive one," Andrea snorted. "Knock yourself out."
Elizabeth giggled and placed her tea cup on top of the table. "Vincent told me that he's planning to make Ciel stay at the dorms of St. Claire Academy. How do you feel about it?"
Andrea frowned. A hint of irritation flashed briefly in her light-blue eyes, but it was gone the next second. Although she didn't like her husband's idea, it was time for Ciel to learn how to be independent.
She wanted to reject Vincent's proposal at first. However, when she realized that Kate would also be staying at the dorms, she changed her mind. Although it would be a bit of a bother, Andrea also made her own arrangements at the academy.
Hmp! You think you could separate my baby from me? How naive! Since you already made plans, I'll just use it to my advantage. Andrea returned to her carefree expression and smiled at Elizabeth.
"Mmm, although I hate to part with my baby, this is something that he needs to experience," Andrea said. "Kids grow up fast. We could only watch over them and allow them to make their own choices. Of course, if Ciel made a wrong choice, I will make sure to give him a piece of my mind, and give him a good nagging."
"I see." Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes. She also felt that Chloe should experience being surrounded by other people aside from her Big Brother Ciel. When Vincent told her that Ciel would be staying at the school dorms, she thought that it would be a good idea for Chloe to stay at the dorms as well.
Her condition was gradually improving as time went by. This was also the reason why Elizabeth wanted to take a gamble. She wanted to know if her daughter would be able to make other friends and interact with them even with her disability.
"How about you? Are you sure you want to allow Chloe to stay at the dorms?" Andrea asked.
She really liked Chloe and also treats her like her own daughter. She was worried that the young girl wouldn't be able to adjust to her new environment. Andrea thought long and hard on how she would be able to watch over the children in her own way. She wanted to make sure that they would be safe and secured within the confines of the academy.
"To be honest, I'm a bit scared ," Elizabeth replied. This is the first time that Chloe would be away from her for a long period of time. How could she not be worried? "I would have to trouble Ciel and Kate to watch over my daughter while they are in the academy. I hope that the three of them could get along."
"Kate and Chloe are both good girls. I'm sure that they would get along once they get to know each other better."
"That is true, only if we take Ciel out of the equation. From what I could see, this girl, Kate, likes Ciel very much. I don't know if my daughter will warm up to her anytime soon."
"Let's leave that problem to Ciel," Andrea said with a smirk. "I'm sure that he's currently thinking of ways on how to make the two girls become friends at this very moment."
"I hope you're right," Elizabeth gazed at the direction where the children left. "For his sake, I hope you're right.
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Ciel was currently at the garden with Chloe and Kate. He was looking at the beautiful scenery in front of him, but his attention was somewhere else. The two girls were both leaning on his shoulder unaware of the headache that was plaguing his mind.
He wanted the two girls to get along, but he had a feeling that it would be easier said than done. Ciel was not a dense person. He knew that the two girls were not getting along because of him.
Ciel was an only child. Because of the nature of his birth, his mother was unable to give him any siblings. He always wanted to have a little sister. During this time of longing, he met Chloe. The two of them spent a lot of time together and their relationship became close. Like a real brother and sister.
Chloe was a good girl. It was impossible not to have feelings for a cute, kind, and obedient girl that calls him Big Brother. Whenever he comes for a visit, he would always bring gifts like candies, cakes, and story books for her. For Ciel, Chloe was family. She was the little sister he never had. He wanted to spoil and take care of her until she grew up.
Kate, on the other hand, was someone who wormed her way inside his heart. She was very different from Chloe. The girl he saved from the two human traffickers was two years older than him. However, she was more childish compared to him.
If you met her now, you would never have thought that she was once a girl who begged on the streets. A girl who was living a hard and desperate life all alone without anyone helping her.
Ciel wanted to keep her close to him and make sure that she would never suffer again. He could still remember when he heard her pleas for help inside his head. It was a voice filled with fear and desperation. His legs moved and before he became aware of his surroundings, he was already running.
Running towards that dark alley with a determined expression. A dark alley where a young girl was desperately calling out for help, and no one but him was able to hear her. Although he doesn't know what the future holds for the two of them. He knew that Kate was someone he wanted to protect.
Yes, these two girls beside him were the ones he wanted to protect the most in the world. The two people that he wanted to spoil, wanted to cherish, wanted to stay by his side until he grew older.
The haze inside Ciel's head slowly dispersed. He now knew what he needed to do. He closed his eyes and drew the two girls closer to him. Chloe and Kate were surprised by his sudden action, but they didn't resist.
Ciel brushed their hair with his hands and hummed softly. He was smiling. The smile made the little cat and little fox look at him in a daze. Both of them felt that there was a subtle change in Ciel's demeanor. As to what that sudden change was, they would experience it in the next days to come.
