Sebastian

Counselor: "You're dead set on Harvard, aren't you?"

Sebastian: "I'd like to make my best attempt to get in, but if I don't . . . Well, I won't kill myself."

Counselor: "Why Harvard? Why not another Ivy or all the other great schools out there?"

Sebastian: "There are certain subjects I may pursue better there than anywhere else . . ."

Counselor: "Is one of those subjects Ciel Phantomhive?"

Sebastian: "Are you accusing me of treating Ciel like . . . like Claude treats Alois?"

Counselor: "Is there a difference?"

Sebastian: "Every difference. You see, Claude hangs on to Alois as openly and obviously as possible. The fight in the dining hall, with his overt defense of Alois, that was commonplace for him. Those two will either marry or kill each other, perhaps both . . . I, on the other hand, want Ciel close enough that I may pass him in hallways, hear him speak from time to time, watch him play chess. But I want nothing more. If he gave a damn about me, I would cease to give a damn about him."

Counselor: "And that's why you stood up for him against Alois?"

Sebastian: "God help me, I like helping Ciel in ways he won't notice. And he won't notice what I did, by the way. He has a chessmaster's mind— he knows what will benefit his opponent better than his opponent does."

Counselor: "So?"

Sebastian: "If he considers the events carefully, he will see only that I want one of the five spots at Harvard, and that I lashed out at my two main rivals."

Counselor: "Yet you didn't attack Ciel himself . . ."

Sebastian: "William and I are the weakest candidates, so William is the greatest thorn in my side. Alois is the next most vulnerable— professional or not, even Grell Sutcliff could out-act him. Ciel would review the facts and conclude that I was aiming at my greatest enemies, secretly, stealthily. He'd never guess that I was flailing about for the most obvious reason in history."

Counselor: "Love."

Sebastian: "Love, albeit of a roundabout, non-traditional sort."

Counselor: "Love explains why you went after Alois, definitely."

Sebastian: "Indeed, that's the full explanation. May I assume we're done here?"

Counselor: "Not quite. If you want to go to Harvard to pursue— observe Ciel, I suppose, you'd benefit quite a bit from attacking William. Especially since you almost hit his hands, which play the piano music that might well get him in."

Sebastian (looking shocked): "Do you really think I'd go that far, just out of love for Ciel Phantomhive?"

Counselor: "No . . . No, of course I wouldn't think that about you. This case, I suppose, has just messed with my mind . . . You can go, Sebastian."

Sebastian: "Thank you. [He rises to leave, then stops.] I'm no grand schemer, you know. Merely one hell of a student."

Author's Note: I hope you liked this last chapter! I know my writing can be a bit oblique at times, so feel free to ask questions if you're still unclear on any particular point. Thanks for reading!

P.S.- In this AU, by the way, Sebastian is lithromantic. According to Aromantics Wiki, "somebody who is lithromantic can feel romantic attraction towards others and also enjoy being in romantic relationships but only in theory. They do not need the affection to be reciprocated or to be in a relationship with their crush." Given that Ciel is aromantic, this works out rather well for them both.