Chapter 34 Preparations Before the Ball
Evelyn's POV
The chair beside me was yanked back violently, making a harsh scraping sound. Kane grabbed my shoulder, hard enough that it almost hurt.
His voice carried a hint of panic, those deep golden eyes full of worry. "What's wrong?"
"My head... my head hurts so much..." I gritted my teeth, my voice trembling, barely able to form complete sentences. "It feels like... it's going to explode... it hurts."
I didn't know if I was making myself clear, just speaking in broken fragments.
"Stop, Evelyn, forget about the transformation!" Kane's voice was urgent, not caring that we were still in class.
After a while, my headache slowly faded, replaced by an exhausted, drained feeling. I gasped for air, looking at him with a pale face, my eyes red from the pain.
"Am I just useless?" I felt frustrated. I just couldn't break through my current situation. "Professor Gonzalez said I had talent, and I don't want to disappoint you guys, but I can't even do the simplest thing... I'm just a bad student."
Students around me excitedly showed off the feathers or scales they'd created, while I was still struggling and felt completely out of place.
"Look at me." Kane cupped my face with both hands, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. His gaze was incredibly serious, as if warning me never to put myself down. "Evelyn, you're not. Your body is just... protecting you."
"Protecting me?" I froze, looking at him in confusion.
"Yes." Kane's voice was low and gentle, a flash of complex emotion in his eyes.
"Maybe you're too special, so special that the current you can't control it yet. That headache just now was because your body was resisting the wrong guidance. It was warning you. Don't force it, and don't force yourself." He reached out to wipe the cold sweat from my forehead. The warmth of his hand really did make me feel much better.
"No matter what kind of shapeshifter you are, you're still yourself. That's enough."
Looking at his face so close to mine, listening to his comforting words, the anxiety and self-doubt in my heart gradually faded. I knew this was my own psychological issue, but it still bothered me.
"Okay. I was too impatient." I let myself calm down and stopped forcing myself.
Only after Kane was sure I was okay did he relax. Ambrose just glanced over once, and seeing nothing was wrong with me, he never looked at our corner again.
The sunlight outside the window remained bright, and my body slowly warmed up. Lunch ended in what felt like a "battle" state.
I hurriedly stuffed black pepper chicken baked rice into my mouth, so hot I kept blowing on it trying to cool it down. But across from me, Kane maintained his usual eating style—elegant manners but very fast.
"Kane, hurry up, I really want to see what my dress looks like!" I pulled out a napkin to wipe my mouth while urging him on.
"Okay." Kane quickly finished his burger.
By the time we got back to Starflame Tower, I was out of breath, but Kane, with his long legs, hadn't even broken a sweat.
The hallways were full of students carrying makeup or discussing hairstyles. The air was thick with hairspray, perfume, and cosmetics.
At the door, Kane stopped.
"Wait for me!" He turned, went into his own room, then came back with that heavy wooden jewelry box and pressed it into my hands.
"You promised." His eyes grew darker, as if afraid I'd back out.
I looked around, impressed by his casual attitude toward this expensive jewelry set, and quickly said, "I know."
With that, I quickly pushed open the door and went into my room, afraid I wouldn't be able to protect this valuable jewelry. Kane seemed like he wanted to say something, but I'd already shut him out.
Back in my room, I took a deep breath and carefully placed the wooden jewelry box in the very center of my desk. Even indoors, that fire opal jewelry set still radiated a captivating glow. Those red gemstones seemed alive, giving off a warm aura that was impossible to ignore.
"This is really too valuable..." I couldn't help but sigh, still worried about whether it would be safe to wear this set.
Just then, the magic circle in the room suddenly flickered. The originally bright lights became soft, the windows automatically locked, and then there was a sound of precise mechanical turning from the door lock.
"Click."
I rushed over and turned the doorknob. It wouldn't budge.
"What's going on? Is the door broken? Or am I not allowed to go to the ball tonight?" I panicked a bit and kept turning the doorknob. Then I suddenly realized—the room must have automatically activated its protection mode.
"How thoughtful!" I said quietly, feeling much more at ease.
Only then did I remember to check the magic wardrobe to see what dress they'd prepared for me, but when I opened it, there was nothing inside. I closed the wardrobe and opened it again. Still empty.
Then the bathroom door slid open automatically. I closed the wardrobe and walked in. The bathtub was already filled with warm water, with a few magic flower petals floating on the surface, giving off a faint rose scent.
"Even this is ready. Looks like I won't see my dress until I finish bathing!" I muttered as I took off my hoodie and cargo pants, and the bathroom door whooshed shut behind me.
I had to admit, this magic bathtub was incredibly comfortable. The warm water enveloped my whole body, and the scent from the petals seemed to soothe my nerves. Even the lingering headache from class faded away.
Just as I was getting so comfortable I was about to fall asleep, the bathroom speakers suddenly started playing music.
"Don't tell me there's a time limit for bathing? Is this a reminder that time's up?" I hurriedly rinsed off and stepped out of the tub, reaching for the towel hanging on the rack.
"Click."
The bathroom faucet automatically shut off.
Then the hair dryer started up automatically. I thought to myself that I'd never seen it mounted on a rack before, automatically drying my hair. They really were pulling out all the stops to make sure I was ready for the ball.
Power level three, temperature 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and essential oils were even being sprayed automatically.
"Isn't this a bit much?"
I really didn't know how to describe my feelings at this moment. My phone automatically showed several hairstyle recommendations. After the hair dryer ran for a while, it returned to its position.