Don’t Worry Kate, I Will Protect you!

"Thank you for saving my life."

Kate looked at the boy in front of her. His looks wouldn't lose out to Ciel's and the way he presented himself made her have a good impression of him. Even Stella whistled inside their shared mindscape.

[This guy will be breaking hearts when he grows up,] Stella commented as she observed Stephen. [I can't believe that he's the same guy we found collapsed on the ground a few days ago.]

'Indeed. Are we fated to pick up handsome guys wherever we go?'

[Hehe, don't raise flags like that. It just might come true!]

Kate smiled and nodded her head as she replied to Stephen's greeting. "You're welcome. Make sure to take proper care of yourself in the future. It's not a great experience to be cooked under the sun, you know?"

Stephen's devilish smile grew when he heard Kate's reply. 'This girl has a good sense of humor. I like!'

Andrea watched the exchange of the two children with curiosity. It's been a long time since she had seen Stephen. He had grown up to become a good looking young man. However, being the biased mother that she was, she still thought that her Ciel looked better than him.

"Everyone please sit down," Andrea gestured as if she was the host of this meeting. "We won't be able to talk properly if the three of you remain standing."

Noah shook his head helplessly. He was already used to Andrea's attitude since his father pampered her like his own daughter. To be honest, there was a time when he envied her because his father was not the type of man who pampered people outside their family.

When Noah, Charlotte, and Stephen were properly seated they rang a bell to call for the waiter assigned to their room. Andrea and Kate casually picked the menu that was given to them and told the waiter their orders. Due to being together with Andrea, Kate's shamelessness increased when it came to mooching off other people's money. The two didn't hold back and ordered the most expensive dishes on the menu.

Noah's smiling face became stiff when he heard their orders. The two ladies ordered at least five dishes each and all of them were big servings. The School Dean eyed the two girls and wondered if they hadn't eaten anything for days.

After getting all their orders, the waiter gave them a respectful bow before closing the door behind him. Since the food had already been ordered, it was now time for discussions.

-----

Ciel was dismantling a lobster with his hand and scooped up the meat in a practiced manner. He then offered it to Chloe which the girl happily ate. The two of them were listening to the discussion while having their lunch.

Heinz, on the other hand, stood beside them and watched the two children with a complicated expression.

"Heinz, join us," Ciel said as he washed his hand in a small bowl of water. Chloe then took out her own handkerchief and wiped his hand dry. The two were acting so natural as if they had been wed to each other for many years.

"Thank you for the offer, Young Master," Heinz replied with a bow. He sat in front of the two children and decided to join them for lunch. The butler knew that his young master might have some other plans for the day, so he decided to eat so he wouldn't be hungry when he accompanied the two children on their escapade

Ciel was cutting the steak on his plate when Noah's voice sounded from the device planted on the wall.

"Kate, thank you for saving my son. If you didn't bring him to the infirmary in time, I'm afraid he would have suffered terribly."

"You're welcome. I'm sure that anyone would have done the same."

There was a short pause before Noah's voice came through the transmitter. Only this time, his voice sounded serious.

"Kate, do you want to know the result of your exams?"

Ciel placed the piece of meat in his mouth and chewed it properly. He already knew the results of Kate's exam because the girl from yesterday told him about it. The reason why he was recording this conversation was to use it as blackmail just in case the Dean refused to give Kate a second chance. He was not afraid to dirty his hands when it came to her well-being.

-----

"D-Did I pass?" Kate asked in an anxious voice. She had been stressed out for the past two days because Stella wouldn't tell her the result of the exams. It also affected her appetite so she didn't have the mood to sneak into the pantry to eat some midnight snacks.

"You almost passed," Noah said in regret. "You were just a few points away from passing."

Noah withheld the information that Kate was just a point away from passing. If she were to tell the girl that she was just a point away from passing, it might cause her to feel frustrated. He decided to tell her that she didn't pass in this manner to protect her self esteem.

Kate looked down in disappointment. Stephen's nose wrinkled when he saw her disappointed face. He glanced at his father, but the latter ignored him. The young boy knew that although his father wasn't a righteous man, he was not an ungrateful person.

The thing that his father hated the most was owing others favor. Stephen was sure that his father had something in mind so he decided to keep his mouth shut. He returned his attention to the girl in front of him, while clenching his hand underneath the table.

He was willing to beg his father to use his influence and allow Kate to enter the academy as a last resort. If possible, he would also insist that he be placed in the same class as her. That way, he would have the opportunity to learn more about her. He was confident that he would be able to form a close relationship with Kate.

When Stephan saw her, he felt that his world suddenly became brighter. It was as if the dark clouds that had been hanging over his head disappeared and were replaced by clear blue skies. The young boy felt that Kate saving him was a fated encounter. Since that was the case, he would do everything in his power to make sure that his savior would enter the academy gates.

He would stay by her side to ensure that she wouldn't be bullied by the other influential families inside the academy. The mere thought of Kate being bullied made his heart ache.

"Don't worry Kate, I will protect you!" Stephen wasn't able to stop himself from voicing his thoughts out loud.

He wasn't aware that in the room next to theirs, an angelic boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, was stabbing the steak in front of him with a dining knife. If one were to look closely, there was a hint of irritation in the depths of his eyes. It was as if the steak in front of him was someone he hated and he made sure to stab it repeatedly to vent off his anger.