Chapter Text
Lucien looked out the window, feeling the carriage rock every time it hit a pothole. He watched the trees pass by, trying to calm his heart and his mind, which wouldn't stop coming up with the most embarrassing scenarios imaginable.
«When are we going to get there?» he thought. He was impatient, tapping his left shoe without stopping. On the other side of the carriage was the gardener of the Phantomhive mansion, Finny, who—unlike Lucien, who hid his nerves better—had his hands tightly gripping the fabric of his pants. He tried to distract himself by looking out the window, but it wasn't working; and even less so with Lucien's parents, Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive, sitting right in front of him. Vincent had one leg crossed over the other, focused on his newspaper, while his wife sat beside him, staring at her beloved son without blinking, a mix of deep worry and fear reflected in her eyes. And then there was Ciel, Lucien’s twin, who sat in the middle seat feeling so much awkwardness in the air that he wanted to jump out of the carriage at any moment.
After a long trip, they finally arrived at their destination: the prestigious co-ed school, Winchester College. It was a massive gray stone castle with tall, polished windows that offered a glimpse of the interior, all surrounded by a vast, well-kept garden. The main entrance stood at the top of a high flight of five staircases, looking terrifying at first glance. Finny's eyes widened in amazement, while Lucien, with his only visible eye, scanned the place, taking in the buildings and the boys and girls who were walking in or talking nearby. Finny swallowed hard, clutching his backpack to his chest. For his part, Lucien felt tiny next to that monstrosity they called a school; instinctively, he used his left hand to fix his bangs and hide his eyepatch. At that moment, Vincent set his newspaper aside and looked at his eldest son.
—Ciel, could you step out of the carriage? We want to speak to your brother alone —he said, staring intently at his eldest son.
Ciel didn't move. Instead, he took his twin brother's hand and stared back at his father with the same intensity.
—I don't want to. I want to stay for Lucien —he replied.
Vincent let out a long sigh and sat up in his seat.
—You're the prefect, shouldn't you be fulfilling your duties? —Vincent challenged him.
—That doesn't matter, I want to be here for my brother.
—It's fine, Ciel, go. I'll be okay —Lucien finally intervened with a half-smile.
Ciel looked at him and, though still hesitating, let go of his brother's hand.
—Fine, I'm leaving —he said with clear anger in his voice. He grabbed his backpack, got out of the carriage, and headed toward the school entrance.
Vincent sighed and turned his gaze toward Lucien.
—Are you sure you want to do this, darling? —Rachel whispered, tightly holding her son's hands.
—We can turn back if you feel like it's too much pressure —Vincent added, just as worried as his wife.
Lucien looked at both of them. Tired of seeing those looks full of pity and fear, he pulled out of his mother's grip.
—I told you not to worry about me. I decided to do this and I'm not backing down —Lucien said, raising his chin with determination and confidence. He was sick of them treating him like he was fragile.
Vincent sighed and took his wife's hand.
—Alright, it's your decision and we must respect it. —He glanced at Rachel and gave her a smile to reassure her.
His mother, though still doubtful, tried to calm her nerves.
—You're right. You're growing up and we can't keep you locked up in the mansion forever —Rachel said, trying to sound reasonable.
—Very well, let's review the rules —Vincent said, clapping his hands together—. As you said yourself, it was your choice to return to in-person classes, so, young man, it will be your absolute responsibility to get good grades and not miss any days. Don't get into trouble —Vincent warned. Then, he shifted his gaze to Finny, who immediately straightened his back and went rigid—. Remember, Finny, you are not here to play. You will look after my son and make sure he completes his duties. If anything happens to him, protect him, and if he fails to do something, you must report it to me immediately, understood? —he ordered in an authoritative voice.
Finny's body went from rigid to shaking in a second; his legs were trembling and he started breaking out in a cold sweat, but he raised his left hand to his head like a soldier.
—Yes, sir! I will keep a close eye on the young master, I will protect him with my life! —Finny exclaimed.
—Take good care of him, Finny, please —Rachel pleaded.
Lucien watched the scene with annoyance. He hated the idea of going to school with Finny as a babysitter, but that had been his father's only condition for letting him go.
«Why do I have to deal with this? So annoying,» he thought.
Rachel pulled her son in and hugged him tightly.
—Take good care of yourself —she whispered in his ear.
How Lucien hated it when his mom got sentimental.
—I will, Mom. I have to go now —he said, pulling away from the hug.
Lucien grabbed his backpack and got out of the carriage. Finny followed him immediately, and both stood there watching the carriage drive away from the entrance. They walked to the main door and placed their hands on the wood. Finny let out a sigh and looked at Lucien.
—Are you ready, young master?
Lucien, with a confident smile, replied:
—Of course I am, let's do this.
They pushed the doors open at the same time and, to be honest, they expected a much worse scene. What they found was a group of girls in a corner talking nonstop while adjusting their long skirts, boys running down the hallways, and a teacher trying to bring order to all the chaos. Both looked at the scene with disappointment; they knew high school wouldn't be perfect, but they expected something more chaotic, since after years of living with Ciel, they knew all too well that his brother loved to exaggerate.
Flashback
—Tell us, Master Ciel, what is high school like? —an excited Finny asked, his eyes shining as he rested his hands on the table.
Beside him was Lucien, sitting along the mansion's long table. He propped his chin up with the palm of his hand, faking disinterest on the outside, though on the inside he was dying of the same curiosity. At the other end, Ciel took a bite of the apple in his hand, chewed for several minutes, and, after swallowing in the most dramatic way possible, lowered his voice as if telling a horror story:
—Winchester is a nest of torture —he declared—. The classes are hell, the teachers look like bitter gargoyles, and breaks simply do not exist. They punish you just for breathing; last year they expelled a boy just for mispronouncing a teacher's last name.
Finny covered his mouth with his hands, shaking with fear. Lucien, for his part, rolled his only eye in annoyance.
—As I was saying, the school is no big deal. Believe me, you're not missing out on anything.
—How awful, I'm scared to death —Lucien commented with pure sarcasm.
Ciel, determined to keep up his dramatic act, replied in an exaggerated tone:
—You don't believe me? I'm serious. Even our dear cousin got punished once because her skirt was too short.
Lucien smiled half-heartedly and looked at his brother, adopting an arrogant posture.
—Say whatever you want and spout all the nonsense you can think of, but you're not convincing me.
Seeing that his brother wasn't buying his lies, Ciel took another dramatic bite of his apple, stood up from the table with elegance, and walked out of the dining room, leaving them alone.
End of Flashback
Back in the present, the chaos in the lobby continued until a teacher blew a whistle loudly. All the students stopped dead in their tracks and looked toward the stage, where the man held the microphone in his right hand.
—Now that I have your attention, allow me to introduce myself —he said, making a graceful bow—. Perhaps some of you already know me, but every year we welcome new students —he added, looking directly at Lucien while winking at him. Lucien ignored the gesture completely, making a disgusted face.— I am Sebastian Michaelis, and I welcome you to a new school year.
In the blink of an eye, Sebastian’s cheerful expression transformed into one of absolute contempt as he declared:
—Now, since I have fulfilled my duty, I will leave you with Headmaster Undertaker.
Sebastian passed the microphone to Undertaker and went to line up with the rest of the teachers.
—I am so happy for this new school year! —the headmaster greeted in a childish tone of voice.
The man adjusted the long sleeves of his black robes and his top hat, letting his gray bangs hide his eyes. Then, he flashed a wide, somewhat crazed smile.
—I hope you all strive for excellence in your studies this year... because you won't want to end up in one of my wooden boxes before final exams. Hee, hee, hee! This year’s design includes very comfortable silk pillows, I assure you.
A dead silence flooded the room. The students froze, looking at each other without knowing if it was a bad joke or a real threat.
Mr. Sebastian put a hand to his forehead and rubbed his temples in frustration.
—Every year he comes up with a different crazy thing —he whispered to himself.
Finny put his hands to his mouth, horrified. Lucien, for his part, was left speechless; he didn't know what to think of this spectacle. He looked with a raised eyebrow at Sebastian, who was barely holding onto his patience, and then listened to the panicked whispers of the other students.
«Did my parents really pay a fortune to send me to this madhouse?» he thought.
Annoyed by the ridiculous situation, the math teacher, William T. Spears, stepped onto the stage to cut the headmaster's speech short once and for all. He snatched the microphone out of Undertaker's hands.
—See that bulletin board over there? —William said, pointing to a wall covered in papers.— Go check which classes you were assigned to, and then gather with your assigned tutor.
The entire crowd crowded in front of the board. The school system divided each of the five years into three basic sections based on performance: section A for top students, B for average performance, and C for kids who struggled to learn. There was also a special section called 1st Year A+, which held advanced classes exclusively for students with the highest IQ and scores. Unfortunately, this system made the students highly judgmental, to the point where those in the higher sections wouldn't even deign to speak to those in the others.
Lucien made his way to the first-year board and looked for his name. Finding it in section A, he smirked arrogantly.
—Of course I was going to get into the best section.
Meanwhile, Finny was desperately checking the first-year list, but his name was nowhere to be found. Nervous, he walked over and tapped teacher William on the shoulder.
—Uuum... excuse me —Finny said, pointing to the paper.— I'm supposed to be in first year, but my name isn't there.
William looked him up and down with a raised eyebrow.
—Are you sure you belong in the first year?
Finny, confused, replied in his typical childish voice:
—Yes, of course I am! Young master, tell him.
The moment the words "young master" left Finny's mouth, Lucien wished the earth would swallow him whole. He looked at the gardener with deep embarrassment and let out a long sigh.
«Why does this always happen to me?» he thought, forced to step into the conversation so Finny wouldn't keep making a fool of himself.
—Yes, he's supposed to be in first year. My parents enrolled him along with me.
Lucien cut himself off when he heard a melodious voice right behind him.
—I believe I can clear up this misunderstanding —Sebastian said.
Lucien got goosebumps and turned around with some fear. Sebastian ignored his reaction and addressed the gardener:
—You see, years are assigned strictly by age. Young Phantomhive is thirteen years old, so he belongs in first year. But you, young Finny —he pointed with his index finger—, are old enough to go into third year.
Finny's eyes widened, completely shocked. Lucien immediately ran over to the third-year board to check it.
—It's true, Finny. You're on the third-year list —Lucien said.
—Whaaaat?! —Finny yelled, alarmed.
—That's right, you were assigned to section B, young Finny —Sebastian added, brushing off the matter.
—Is there any way to change it? —Finny begged William.
—It's impossible, the lists are already approved and I cannot change ages —William stated flatly.
—But... but I have to be in first year, the young master's parents told me to...
—Finny, shut up —Lucien ordered.
The gardener stopped in his tracks, looking at him bewildered. Lucien grabbed him firmly by the arm and dragged him to a secluded corner of the lobby so no one could hear them.
—You're staying in third year —Lucien whispered urgently.
—But, young master, your father told me to...
Lucien, losing his patience completely, clenched his fists and looked him dead in the eye with a cold, authoritative tone.
—I know perfectly well what my father said. But it's already bad enough that you have to be here watching me like I'm a little kid; the last thing I want is for you to be crowding me in class. I want to go through this on my own, so you're staying in third year. —Lucien grabbed him tightly by the shirt to pull him closer.— And you better not say a single word about this to my father, do you hear me?
Finny felt a heavy mix of guilt and fear. Lucien almost always treated him with kindness, and seeing this imposing side of him took him by surprise. Despite his doubts about Vincent's orders, he didn't dare contradict him.
—Alright, young master... whatever you say. This will stay a secret between us —Finny said, holding up his pinky finger to seal the deal.
Lucien looked at the finger with a scowl of annoyance and a bit of disgust, but knowing how seriously Finny took those childish promises, he understood it was the only way to ensure his silence. He gave in and locked his pinky with his.
—That's more like it —Lucien concluded, forcing a smile.
When they returned to the entrance, they saw that the students were already grouping up with their respective tutors. Lucien didn't waste any time and ran toward his group, giving the gardener one last instruction on the way:
—I'll see you at recess! —he shouted as he moved away. Finny just waved his hand and went to find the third-years.
Once inside the first-year A classroom, Lucien sat next to the window, waiting impatiently for the teacher. A few minutes later, the instructor walked into the room with his usual elegance.
—Good morning, class. I am your history teacher and tutor, Sebastian Michaelis.
Lucien rolled his only eye with a sigh.
«This guy again... Am I really not going to get a single second of peace today?» he lamented internally.
—Before we begin the lesson, I want us to welcome our new student, Lucien Phantomhive.
Startled, Lucien felt every head in the room immediately turn to look at him.
—Young Phantomhive, please stand up. Don't be shy and introduce yourself to your classmates —Sebastian requested with a smug smile.
While Lucien imagined about ten different ways to murder the teacher in his mind, he stood up reluctantly and spoke:
—I'm Lucien Phantomhive.
A boy in the front rows interrupted him immediately:
—Are you Ciel Phantomhive's brother?
Another student answered from the back:
—Obviously, Todd, don't you see the resemblance? They're identical.
A girl chimed in with a curious tone:
—If you're his twin, how come we've never seen you around here? Or rather, why aren't you in section A+ with him?
And right after, another girl let out the question Lucien dreaded the most:
—Why do you wear an eyepatch?
Lucien sank into his seat, clenching his fists under the desk. He felt a knot in his stomach and a terrible wave of dizziness from the humiliation, wishing he could disappear at that exact moment, until Sebastian stepped in to calm things down.
—Silence, children. Do not overwhelm your classmate, you will have time to ask questions later.
The rest of the day passed between indiscreet stares directed at his eyepatch and rather boring classes. By the time the bell rang signaling the end of the day, Lucien was completely exhausted, but he would rather die than give Ciel the satisfaction of admitting that school was the hell he described.
Late into the night, back at the luxurious mansion, the Phantomhive twins were changing for bed.
—So, how was your first day? Pretty intense, right? —Ciel asked, trying to sound intimidating from his bed.
Lucien flatly refused to give him the pleasure of seeing him defeated.
—Not at all. It was completely normal... and boring.
Ciel turned to face him, narrowing his eyes.
—You're lying. We'll see how long you manage to keep up with the pace.
Fed up with his brother's arrogance, Lucien stated firmly:
—If you think I'm going to throw in the towel, you're dead wrong. I'll show you that I can handle this and much more, so don't underestimate me.
—We'll see about that —Ciel replied with his back turned, pulling up the blanket to cover himself before falling asleep.
Lucien did the same, settling into his bed and feeling, for the first time, a huge sense of anticipation for morning to come so he could start the next day.