59 Feelings Of Guilt

After lunch ended, Stella, who switched with Kate, told everyone what happened during the exam. Andrea's face became livid when she heard what that proctor did to Kate. She was about to go back to the Academy to file a complaint when Ciel stopped her.

"Mother, please calm down," Ciel said as he firmly grasped his mother's hand. He knew that Andrea was the "act before you think" kind of person, so he immediately stopped her from going ballistic. "According to what Kate said, the Dean is aware of what happened. I'm sure that he will not turn a blind eye on this incident."

Ciel did his best to make his mother listen to reason. "Also, the Dean said that he would meet with her two days from now. It wouldn't be too late to talk to him about this incident at that time."

The young boy glanced at Stella and the latter immediately understood that he was asking her to back him up.

"Mama Andrea, Ciel is right," Stella said with a serious expression. "The Dean looked like a fair person. I'm sure that we will get our answers two days from now. Please, let's just wait until then, ok?"

Andrea was still angry, but she also nodded her head. She understood that Ciel and Kate had a point and tried her best to reign her anger in. The reason why she accepted their suggestion was because the School Dean's father was her godparent.

Her father, Arthur, and the current Dean's father were childhood friends. Andrea knew that she had to give her "uncle" some face. She made a mental note to come with Kate during the meeting with the School Dean and give the man a piece of her mind.

With a huff, Andrea sat back down. Ciel and Stella shared a knowing glance and smiled bitterly. Both of them felt relief in their hearts because they were able to prevent a crisis from happening.

"I'm coming with you during the meet up," Andrea said firmly. "I won't take no for an answer."

Stella became an obedient girl and sat beside her Mama Andrea. "Thank you, Mama Andrea."

She hugged her adoptive mother and felt a warm sensation in her chest. In her heart, she had already accepted Andrea as her new mother. Although she loved her birth mother and missed her terribly, she also felt genuine concern from this lady who only had her best interest at heart.

It was impossible not to feel touched by Andrea's love. Only a rock would not be able to appreciate this beautiful woman's affection.

Andrea patted Stella's head and held her in a protective embrace. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone bully you. They have to go through me first."

"Yes, we will not allow anyone to bully you," Chloe commented from the side. Kate and her had become partners in crime and their relationship had grown closer. She felt that Kate didn't deserve to be treated like that after saving someone. In her opinion, Kate did the right thing.

If she saw her Big Brother in a similar circumstance, she would not hesitate to choose him. The entrance exam can go to hell for all she cared. Her big brother was more important!

(A/N: If only real life siblings were like Chloe. *sob sob*)

Claire frowned, but she didn't say anything. She knew that if she was placed in Kate's shoes, she would have done the same.

Ciel looked at "Kate" who was in his mother's embrace. He instinctively knew that something was different about her. The feeling was similar to what he experienced earlier when he visited Kate's room.

Stella felt Ciel's gaze, but she ignored it. Her heart was in a turmoil right now and she was afraid that the boy would confront her later and demand an explanation. For the first time in her life, Kate's other half, felt her heart trembling. She didn't understand why she was feeling this way.

'Why am I feeling this anxious?' Stella thought as she remained within her Mama Andrea's embrace. 'Is it because I kissed him while he was sleeping? Am I feeling guilty?'

Stella tried to analyze where her anxiety was coming from. She was like a kid who did something bad and was hoping that her parents wouldn't find out about it.

'Perhaps it was guilt because I took advantage of him while he was asleep.' Stella was not afraid to expose herself to Ciel and let him know about her existence. She was afraid that he would get a bad impression of her because of the underhanded things she had done while he was sleeping.

When Stella realized where her anxiety was coming from, she felt as if a thorn had been plucked out from her heart.

'So what if he discovers that I kissed him?' Stella's lips curled up in a smile. 'Since the deed has already been done, he can't do anything about it.'

Stella glanced at Ciel who was looking back at her. She gave him a mischievous smile which made the boy raise his eyebrows.

'I'll just let him kiss me back to compensate for what I did to him. That way we will be even!'

If Ciel only knew what Stella was thinking, he would have pinched her cheeks to oblivion. Fortunately, he was not aware, and would not be aware for the time being.

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Back at Saint Claire Academy…

Noah was holding Kate's test papers in his hand. He just finished grading them and the results made him scratch his head in contemplation. Kate didn't get a passing grade in all three tests. However, there was something that bothered Noah.

While it was true that Kate didn't pass the exam, her test results all had one similarity. She was just a point away from passing. Yes! Her English, Science, And Math results were just a point away from the passing score.

Noah was in a bind. Although he could easily fix the problem by adding one more point to the test results, it didn't sit well with him. He paced around the room thinking of what to do. Should he just let the girl pass or not? Truth be told, he had the intention to let Kate pass the exam.

If the girl scored terribly, he would use his authority and open the backdoor for her. But the test results made his teeth itch. Just one point away from passing in all three exams? Was this a coincidence? Or was it Fate playing a joke on him?

Noah was unresigned. He wished that Kate had failed terribly so he could pass her without feeling any guilt, but the results also meant that the girl could have easily passed the exam using her own ability if she was given more time.

The School Dean appreciated people with ability, and his interest in Kate grew after He had seen her calmness during the unfair examination. He wanted to become her sponsor and bring her under his influence. That way, he would gain a talented individual after a few years.

After pacing back and forth for a quarter of an hour, Noah finally made his decision. Unknown to the general public, there was a make-up exam available for the children of influential families. Only those who had a valid excuse like his son fainting due to anemia were allowed to take this second test.

There had been similar cases in the past and the board of directors had unanimously agreed to this make-up exam. This was to give the influential families some face, so that they would continue to support the school through their generous donations.

The money taken from these donations were used to nurture the scholarship students who had successfully passed the exam. Although it sounded underhanded, these extra funds were put to good use. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

'I'll give you one more chance,' Noah said as he looked at the three test results in front of him. 'Enter the academy using your own ability. I'm sure you will be more satisfied that way.'

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While waiting for the next chapter of YWCMS, feel free to read my other story "Go! Go! Summons!".

[Fantasy Romance, Female Lead, Comedy, Slice of Life, Adventure]

Warning: This story might give you diabetes! You have been warned!