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THE ship that arrived at the island’s harbor was unloading a massive delivery of crates.
Inside were food supplies, clothes, and materials for protection against the cold. They handed them out to the students lined up at the dock. Each boy passed them down the line until they were stacked up on wagons. Then, others pushed those wagons up the winding road to the castle.
“Take all the cargo to the chapel. Once you’ve verified what’s inside, divide the contents for each dorm.” Charles was giving orders to the students. Then he called out to the young man dressed in a flashy outfit, checking over the shipment at the end of the dock. “Thank you for all the supplies, Lord Knightley. We’re going to have a comfortable Christmas with your help.”
“You can’t leave your precious students to struggle, after all.” The earl answered fluently. With his sapphire eyes and shiny silver hair, he was the very picture of an English gentleman. If you ignored his top hat with tiny lion and eagle decorations and the excessively frilly clothes, it was hard to imagine anyone in Great Britain looked more like nobility.
It was impossible to believe he’d been a bright-eyed young boy only a few days ago.
Jack and Earl Knightley had been turned into children by Robins’ spell. But once they eliminated the immortals in Ark School, the spell was undone, and they returned to their true ages.
Charles felt guilty about the disrespect he’d shown the man. “I’m sorry for treating you like a child when I didn’t know you were an earl…”
“You had no way of knowing, so you don’t need to apologize. I’d work on that habit of always jumping to apologies if I were you. You have to conduct yourself with dignity now that you’re to become the temporary headmaster.”
“I’ll be more careful.”
New teachers were scheduled to arrive at Ark School in the new year. Until then, Charles and Robins would manage the school together.
Earl Knightley had become the castle’s owner and a manager of the boarding school. However, he didn’t enter into a contract with Robins. He told him he wanted Robins to keep protecting the school on a system of trust—not because of the contract.
Robins had returned to human form and was still serving as Unicorn Dorm’s prefect.
Charles was set to attend college under Earl Knightley’s guardianship after graduating from Ark School. Once he was ready, he would return as a teacher until he someday became the headmaster.
Robins would spend that time at Ark School, making sure everything was operating as it was supposed to.
The earl placed his hand on the brim of his hat. He turned his attention from the unloading of cargo to the ship itself. “I have to board now, too. Feel free to write me at any time, Charles.”
“Um, excuse me, Lord Knightley.”
The earl had placed his hand on the rope bridge to board the ship, but Charles needed to ask him the one question sticking in his chest.
“Why did you set Robins free in the end? He’s a demon. We were always taught that demons are horrifying creatures in demon studies class.”
The earl turned, stared closely at Charles, and smiled. “I’m not prejudiced against demons. Here’s why.”
He lifted his hat just slightly. Underneath, a pair of horns emerging from his head came into view.
They were the same ones Charles had seen on Halloween night as part of Lord Knightley’s costume. Time had passed since that festival, but he was shocked to learn that the horns weren’t fake.
All demons possessed horns. That meant that Earl Knightley was…
Charles couldn’t speak. The earl lowered his hat and pressed his finger to his lips.
“This is our little secret, okay?”
That vibrant smile captivated Charles. He never knew that demons were capable of enticing humans with such sweetness.
“…I’ll never tell a soul. Not until I reach the gates of Heaven.”
With that promise, the earl nodded, satisfied, and stepped onto the ship.
His cape fluttered in the ocean breeze much like Gryphon’s wings.