Chapter 24 Black Orchid
Rowan McMillan's POV
Back in the dorm, Eddie and Domi couldn't hold it in any longer. They launched into a furious rant.
"Seriously, what's with the act? He's just a Dark Mage! Does he really think we're scared of him?"
"Exactly! We're just choosing not to stoop to his level, and look how cocky he's getting!"
"No wonder those two love hanging out together—birds of a feather! Neither of them is any good!"
The more they talked, the angrier they got. I stayed silent the whole time.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you mad?"
"We totally humiliated ourselves today. Tomorrow, who knows how many people will be gossiping about us. Do you really not care?"
Of course I cared. All I could think about was getting back at Cecilia. It was because of her that I'd been so humiliated.
I looked at them and said calmly, "What's the rush? We'll have plenty of chances for payback."
"Chances for payback?"
"Yes!" I tapped the badge on my chest, and tomorrow's schedule appeared in front of me.
"Look—first class tomorrow is Herbology. I got word that there'll be Black Orchids in class!"
Both of them frowned. "Black Orchids? Isn't that a dangerous herb? Why would it show up in Herbology class? Is your intel reliable?"
I nodded. "Guaranteed. The academy's speeding up our Herbology curriculum, so they're introducing Black Orchids."
"Black Orchids have blood-red teardrop-shaped spots around the edges, and the center oozes a sticky fluid that looks like tears. That's our opportunity!"
"What we can do is..."
I laid out my plan. But as I spoke, Eddie and Domi's faces grew darker and darker.
"This... this isn't a good idea. If something goes wrong, someone could die!"
"Right! If anything happens to Cecilia, Kane will lose it. Can we really handle his fury?"
The moment they mentioned Kane losing control, they couldn't help trembling. Pathetic.
Fine, I'll admit it—I wasn't much braver than they were.
I tried to reassure them. "Relax. I'll make tomorrow's incident look like an accident. Besides, Black Orchid toxin is strong, but it's not lethal. It only causes intermittent sleep."
"As long as it's an accident, the academy won't expel us. At worst, we'll get a disciplinary mark."
"As for Kane, we can ask the teachers for protection. I don't believe he'd actually dare to kill us!"
"Most importantly, Kane won't be in class with us tomorrow. He has his own special session!"
After I finished, Eddie and Domi still hesitated.
I knew they were still intimidated by Kane's power, but I couldn't swallow this humiliation.
I slammed my hand on the table. "What's wrong with you two? Are you scared? Have you already forgotten how humiliating today was?"
"I'm telling you—if we don't strike first, Cecilia will definitely come after us. None of us will have peace!"
Finally, they nodded in agreement.
"Fine. Since you've thought it through, we'll do as you say."
"You're right. Instead of waiting for her to retaliate, we should take the initiative and seize control!"
Cecilia Blackwood's POV
That night I slept remarkably well. The next morning, Kane arrived at my dorm right on time.
Yes, he was always punctual—except for the two days when there were no classes.
Unsurprisingly, he'd brought breakfast again. Not too sweet, but an incredible variety—more than I could finish even across three meals.
"This is way too much. I can't eat all of it."
"That's okay. You can try a little of everything." Kane's tone was flat, but I could sense a hint of warmth beneath it.
"Thank you."
We walked side by side toward the academic building. People still stared at us along the way, but I'd long since grown used to it.
When we reached the entrance, I made a point of checking the disciplinary notice board on the big screen.
Good. Kane's name wasn't on it. That meant he really hadn't used force yesterday.
But if he hadn't used force, how did he convince them to apologize? Had he actually reasoned with them peacefully?
Well, there was no point dwelling on it now. As long as they stopped bothering me, that was enough.
Just as we reached the classroom door, Kane suddenly stepped back. "You go in first. Let's meet up for lunch after class."
I frowned slightly. "You're not coming in? Are you skipping again?"
Yes, I said "again"—because Kane skipping class was nothing new to me.
Kane shook his head. "No. I have a special session to attend."
"Special session? What's that?"
I thought I'd memorized all the courses, but I'd never heard of any special sessions—not even a hint of one!
Kane explained, "It's a custom course designed specifically for me. Because I'm a Dark Mage, the teacher helps me manage my emotions and control my magic better."
I nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see! That makes sense. You'd better get going then—you can't miss a class like that!"
"Don't worry about this class. I'll take detailed notes, and when it's over, I can play teacher for once. Hehe!"
The corner of Kane's mouth curved into a faint smile. It was subtle, but I saw it.
After saying goodbye to Kane, I entered the classroom and took my usual seat.
I wasn't sure why, but I seemed to have gotten used to sitting in the back row.
Strangely enough, Rowan approached me.
In the past, she'd always kept as much distance from me as possible—or rather, from Kane.
"What are you doing here?"
Rowan smiled faintly. "Can't I come over? Have you forgotten? We used to be best friends."
I had no interest in hearing her play the nostalgia card. All I wanted was to keep my distance from her—for both our sakes.
"Are you here to tell me to stay away from Kane? If so, save your breath. Who I choose as a friend is my business. I don't take orders from anyone."
Rowan chuckled. "I know that. I'm not here to lecture you. I just want to ask if I can sit next to you."
"Sit next to me?"
"Yes. To be honest, I want to ease the tension between us. Even if we can't be friends, let's at least not be enemies."
I was about to refuse when the teacher walked into the classroom. Rowan seized the moment and sat down beside me.
There was nothing I could do—it was already done. Besides, it was just one class. Once Kane came back, Rowan would naturally keep her distance.
"I'm your Herbology teacher. My name is Jessie. Honestly, you're lucky—because in your very first class, you'll get to see a dangerous flower!"
"Dangerous flowers are, of course, highly poisonous. The reason we're introducing them so early is to build your courage and sharpen your awareness of various herbs."
She pulled out a transparent case from behind her and removed a pink lotus flower from inside.
I had to admit, the flower was absolutely stunning—far more beautiful than anything in the garden.
Jessie spoke. "Beautiful, isn't it? But remember this: the more beautiful a flower, the more you should stay away from it. Because the most beautiful flowers are often the most dangerous!"
"This is called a Black Orchid. Black Orchids grow in sunless, climate-controlled rooms. They reproduce extremely slowly—only one blooms every ten years..."