Raised From The Wild-Chapter 188: Professor Stephane

"He is no longer Teacher Stephane. He is Professor Gray." Amaya lamented.

"Geez, isn’t he still the same person? I am actually surprised that he is also teaching here at the University. I asked around and Professor Gray has been the teacher for biology class since the start of the school year. Our classmates said that he is very strict and seldom smiles." Julienne was acting like a gossipmonger.

"Are you talking about me ladies?" a deep magnetic voice caused the two ladies to turn their heads at the same time to the source of the sound.

Julienne: "Teacher Stephane!"

Amaya: "Professor Gray!"

The two ladies looked at each other and giggled.

"We are just saying that you looked different in the university, Professor Gray." Julienne addressed him as a professor this time. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"It is still me. It is just university students address me as Professor and not Teacher." Stephane was back to his usual amiable self.

Amaya studied the profession under hooded eyes. ’How can he change his personality that quickly? He wears a lot of masks. Which one is the true him?’

"Congratulations on getting a perfect score on the exam earlier. You are truly amazing, Princess Amaya. You haven’t attended a class yet you know all the answers." Stephane looked at Amaya with admiration.

"How about me, Professor? What is my score?" Julienne interjected.

Stephane tried to remember. "It is 75. Congratulations! You passed."

Julienne’s shoulders sagged. Her bright expression suddenly turned sour.

"Do you know where your next class is?" Stephane asked after checking the time. It was time for the next class.

"It is Zoology. The class will be on the second floor of this building." Amaya recited. Her class schedule was emailed to her and she memorized it by heart.

"What a coincidence. My class is also on the second floor. We can go together. By the way, have you toured the university?" Stephane spoke gently. There was no trace of the stern professor from earlier.

"I did a virtual tour of the university yesterday, but it should be nothing compared to a real one," Amaya responded. She was trying to keep up her pace to match with Julienne who was walking on her left and Stephane on her right.

"If you have time in the afternoon, I can tour you around together with Julienne."

Amaya nodded.

Julienne looked at the professor warily. Is it okay for the professor to be their guide? But then Amaya is a Princess so it should be okay.

When they entered the class, there were only a few students in the room. Not many people would like to take up a difficult subject. The professor was a pot-bellied man in his late mid-fifties. Students call him Professor Zaldy. While he was old, he was feared and respected in his area of expertise. Students who attended his class were serious with their studies and do not make a fuss.

’Do you think that animals can communicate to other species other than their own?’ The professor started his class with this question written on the board. "Everyone, I need you to write your answer in an essay and submit it to me when you are done."

Amaya wrote down her answers on a blank sheet of paper. She wrote fluidly and fast. She liked the feel of the paper. It was smooth and her pen glided on them as she wrote beautifully. She could finish writing in half the time that she did when she was using the handmade paperback on the island.

She still remembered the first time she got hold of a pen and a stack of bond paper on the ship that took them out of Usuria. She filled the entire page with just her name because she was curious how the pen dispensed the tightly compacted ink inside a very small tube. Unlike the lead or hard charcoal that she used in Miraga, a pen’s ink is permanent and cannot be erased. If she made a mistake then she has to start over or be contended with erasures on the paper.

After a few minutes of writing, she submitted her essay to the professor. The professor was surprised and looked at her from head to toe. He did not recognize Amaya because he was the type of professor who was not interested in entertainment news and in gossip.

"Are you done already?" He asked while scrutinizing her paper.

"Yes, professor!" Amaya said respectfully.

The professor read her essay and he was pleasantly surprised at her answer. She wrote beautifully in cursive but what was noteworthy was the way she phrased her answer.

"Is what you have written here true? You said that if we humans spend time with animals while very young, then we will be able to communicate with them. Is this a plot from the story of Tarzan or the Jungle Book?" The professor’s tone seemed to be mocking.

Their conversations attracted the attention of other students who were still writing.

"Finished or not finished, submit your papers now. Time is up."

"But professor, it is not thirty minutes yet. We still have ten minutes more." The students grumbled.

The professor checked the time and indeed there were still ten minutes remaining. He sized the student standing before him. How can she finish so fast and she filled the entire paper?

"Sit down first. Let us discuss your paper after the entire class has submitted theirs."

Amaya obediently went back to her seat and waited for her classmates to finish. She can’t understand why it was taking them a long time to answer such an easy question. She took a notebook from her backpack and started drawing designs for her new jewelry series. She had an inspiration and a target market in mind which are the university students.

Ten minutes was finally up and she completed the design of a pair of earrings.

"Class, Ten minutes is up. Give me your papers." Professor Zalde said.

The students were still grumbling. They complained about why Princess Amaya submitted her papers very early. The professor who was normally lenient with them and allowed them extra time was adamant about getting their essays.

They blamed Amaya for their misfortune!