Chapter 41 The Ball Ends
Evelyn's POV
Kane looked calmer than me. I reached out and gently touched the edge.
A deep blue velvet interior caught the moonlight in a muted shimmer, cradling two finely crafted pocket watches within its folds.
The watch cases were silver, engraved with intricate and ancient magical patterns. The chains were also silver, giving them a vintage feel.
"This is..."
I curiously reached out and picked up one of them.
The pocket watch rested cool and solid in my palm, its weight reassuring. I pressed the top button lightly, and with a soft click, the cover sprang open.
There were no numbers on the dial, only twelve twinkling star points. And at the center of the hands, instead of an ordinary axis, there was a small tuft of... golden-red feathers?
“These feathers are stunning.” I reached out instinctively, brushing them lightly with my fingertip only to see them quiver in response, as though they were alive.
I noticed Kane had picked up the other pocket watch. When he opened it, I glimpsed a tuft of snow-white soft fur inside.
“What kind of animal fur is this?” I asked, curiosity sharpening my tone.
Kane examined it for a moment. “It looks like mammalian fur.”
“In that case…” I turned my gaze back to the two watches, studying them more closely.
Kane understood what I meant and directly handed me the one with the snow-white fur, keeping the one with golden-red feathers for himself. "Red represents me, white represents you."
"These watches must have some other function, right?" I took the watch and examined it carefully.
Kane pointed to the back of the watch. "Look here."
I turned the watch over and saw a line of small cursive script engraved on the back: [I will follow my heart, no matter how humble the means.]
"Does this watch have a tracking function?" I asked in surprise.
Kane pointed at the dial. “It seems so. And perhaps whenever I’m thinking of you, the pointer won’t just align in your direction the feathers might even shift color as well.”
"Look at it now!" Kane's lips curved into a smile as he leaned closer to me.
The moment Kane leaned in, my heart raced, and I instinctively glanced at his pocket watch. Sure enough, the golden-red feathers were now more brilliant, like burning flames.
My face warmed instantly, and I hurriedly closed the watch, turning my gaze away from his. “Anyway, it’s resolved now.” Let's go back to the dance floor, let's go!" I quickly stood up, wanting to leave.
On the way back, I heard that other people had also gradually opened their boxes. Their gifts were all different - some got brilliant fireworks, others got roses that would never wither.
Of course, there were still those who complained they couldn’t open their boxes no matter what they tried, while others hadn’t even managed to locate theirs by the end.
"Kane, should we hide the pocket watches? Will people resent us?" I said quietly.
"Don't worry about them!" Kane said calmly, continuing to walk forward with me.
“Did you see that? Their gift looks incredible.”
“How did they even get something like that? Look at ours…”
“Why is there such a huge gap? This isn’t fair at all.”
Sure enough, murmurs arose around us. I held onto Kane's arm and walked through the crowd with my head held high.
"Are you tired?" Kane looked down and asked me. I even felt there was some affection in his eyes.
"I'm okay, but my feet are a bit sore." I spoke truthfully, glancing down at my heels beneath the hem of my dress. Maintaining that poised stance for so long had begun to feel quietly exhausting.
"But I still want one more dance!" I murmured softly.
"Okay, we'll go back after that." Kane replied in a low voice.
The music resumed, still a slow, romantic melody. We stepped onto the dance floor together, moving in quiet rhythm as we swayed to the gentle tempo.
I noticed Kane seemed to deliberately slow down, his steps much lighter than before. I guessed he was probably worried I couldn't hold on.
Kane was actually a really good dancer. Following his steps, we even had more chemistry than before.
After one dance, I felt I really had to go back. Exhausted, I leaned on Kane for support.
"Let's go, we should head back." Kane walked beside me, steadying my pace as we moved through the crowded path toward the dormitory area. The night air brushed against my skin, cooling the lingering warmth in my face.
All along the way, a sweet atmosphere filled the space between Kane and me.
Soon, we arrived at the bottom of Starflame Tower.
At my room’s familiar door, I hesitated, unwilling to end the moment with Kane.
“Kane… tonight was really wonderful.”
I stopped and turned to face him.
"Me too." Kane looked at me, his eyes resting on me.
Kane took a step forward, backing me against the door.
"Evelyn." Kane called my name softly.
"What is it?" I looked up, meeting his gaze.
"Can I... kiss you again?"
Before I could respond, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, brief and careful, as though I might break if he held on too long. When he pulled back, the world around me felt suddenly quieter, my thoughts left completely unsettled.
I felt the warmth from Kane's arms around my waist, pressed tightly against him.
I wrapped my arms around Kane's neck, unable to help responding to this sweet kiss.
Just then, a sharp “click” cut through the silence the sound of a lock turning.
The wooden door, which had been firmly shut a moment ago, swung open without warning.
It was as if an invisible hand was pulling me into the room. Before I knew it, I was already inside.
I didn't even have time to say goodnight to Kane.
The door snapped shut behind me, followed immediately by the sharp click of a lock engaging.
“That sounded like some kind of automatic security mechanism… but we’re a couple!”
I looked at the starlight patterns on the walls of the room, flickering as if responding to my words.
My face must be completely red now. Remembering that kiss from earlier, I couldn’t help but think that if I hadn’t been forced back to the dormitory when I was, things might have spiraled far beyond what I could handle.
Remembering Kane's stunned expression before the door closed, which also seemed a bit hurt, I couldn't help but want to laugh.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my breathing, and said softly to Kane outside the door: "Goodnight!"
After a few moments, the sound of footsteps outside gradually receded into the distance.
“Phew…” I exhaled slowly, the tension draining out of me all at once.
Then I heard the sound of water running in the bathroom. "Really? I haven't even recovered from the sweetness yet, and you want to snap me back to reality?"
I felt a bit helpless, not knowing whether to be grateful for its thoughtfulness or annoyed that it interrupted my kiss with Kane.
My hand drifted unconsciously to the pocket watch. Even through the fabric, the cool touch of the metal seeped through, steadying my thoughts and clearing my head a little. My mood, which had been a bit gloomy from being interrupted, improved because of this weighty token of affection.
"Alright, Evelyn, time to wash up and sleep. I lightly tapped my cheeks, shaking off the lingering daze, and rose to my feet.