61 I Hope You Won’t Disappoint Me

The sound of soft and steady breathing permeated the quiet room. Ciel felt his shoulders turning numb because the two girls used him as their hug pillow. He couldn't move even if he wanted to. Kate and Chloe's hold on him was like a vice grip, preventing him from moving away.

In time, he too fell asleep despite the numbness in his arms. Since the three people were asleep, they didn't hear the knocking sounds on the door. A minute passed and then the door slowly opened.

Andrea entered the room along with Heinz. They were planning to ask if the three wanted to eat some afternoon snacks, but seeing their current state they decided to let them sleep. Although she could see the miserable state of her son, Andrea merely giggled and signaled Heinz to leave the room with her.

-----

"What do you think, Heinz?" Andrea asked while walking. "Should I call Papa and tell him about what happened to Kate?"

Heinz didn't reply right away and seemed to be weighing different scenarios in his head. If Arthur heard that Kate was mistreated by the proctor of the exam, he would no doubt be infuriated. When that happens, he would immediately call his friend, Andrea's godparent, and nag him for not telling his son to do a better job as the School Dean.

If that were to happen, it might cause a chain reaction that would definitely spiral out of their control. Heinz could feel a headache coming. Both Arthur and Andrea were the hot blooded type. He couldn't count all the times he had to clean their mess after they were done with their rampage.

"My lady, I think the young master is right." Heinz decided to use his young master as a shield to prevent a catastrophe from happening. "I believe the School Dean will handle this matter flawlessly. Let's just wait for two days. If you are not satisfied with the results then you can call your father and let him have a talk with your uncle Steve."

"Hmp, he better or else."

"I believe he will, My Lady."

-----

Noah, Charlotte, and Stephen, had just arrived in their residence when the weather took a turn for the worse. The sky was filled with dark clouds and lightning snaked in the heavens. The soft rumble of thunder echoed announcing what seemed to be the advent of a thunderstorm.

"Stephen, rest in your room for now," Noah said as he looked at his son's pale face. The boy regained consciousness an hour ago. After doing some tests, the attending physician declared that aside from feeling lethargic, he was in no immediate danger. He advised that he be brought back home to rest.

"Father, you said that a girl carried me all the way to the infirmary." Stephen looked at his father with a determined expression. "I want to thank that girl in person. Can you schedule a meeting with her?"

"Who told you that it was a girl?"

"Big Sister Charlotte did."

Noah gazed at his eldest daughter. Charlotte was standing beside Stephen, supporting him while he was standing up. These two siblings had a very close relationship which made the School Dean very happy.

"Very well," Noah agreed to his son's request. "I will meet with her in two days. You can come with me and properly thank her."

"Thank you, Father!"

"Good. Charlotte, I'll leave him in your hands. There are still some matters that I need to attend to."

"Understood, Father," Charlotte replied with a smile. She then helped Stephen climb the stairs to his room. Although the boy could manage it, he allowed his sister to help him. After all, he still felt weak due to his illness.

Noah watched his children until they disappeared from view before going into his study. As the School Dean of the most prestigious school in the country, he was always busy. Now that the school term was about to start once again, there were many things that he had to do. The first thing on his list was to check all the proposals submitted by the board of directors.

After sitting comfortably in his chair, he opened a folder and saw Ciel's mentor, Charles Louis Deon's proposal. It was about adding more security personnel to guarantee the safety of the students staying within the academy. This proposal came in response to the recent kidnapping cases of children below the age of fifteen.

Noah frowned because he too had heard about this news within their inner circle. Although none of his acquaintances had their children abducted, the sudden increase in the case of missing children became a major concern. This was especially true among the heads of the various schools, and universities, in the U.K.

Noah had no problems in adding more personnel to safeguard the students studying under his watch. If one of the students in the academy were to be abducted, it would be a stain in his record. Noah would not allow that. He signed the proposal and set it aside. He would have to let his secretary deliver it to the board of directors when morning came.

He worked tirelessly and made some calls until the sun had set. Only when the clock struck eight in the evening did he finally put down his pen and massaged his tired eyes. While he was taking a break, his thoughts wandered back to the image of the disheveled girl who took the exam earlier today.

He remembered how calm she was as she answered question after question. Although her hair and dress were a mess, her pretty features still stood out. She looked so dependable that Noah felt some sort of attraction to her.

(A/N: Wut? Kate dependable? Bruh…)

The image of his son flashed through his mind and the corner of his lips curled up into a smile.

"They look good together," Noah muttered to no one in particular. "Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Noah laughed despite himself. His son was only thirteen years old and he was already playing matchmaker. Not to mention, the partner was a girl he only met today. He didn't even know her background, and yet he wanted to pair her up with his son? The School Dean shook his head helplessly.

"Kate Williams." Noah looked at the dark sky outside the window. The lightning strikes in the sky reflected inside his clear gray eyes. "I hope you won't disappoint me."