Chapter 28 Contradictory Psychology
Cecilia Blackwood's POV
I forced my eyes open with every ounce of strength I had. What greeted me were pristine white sheets, a ceiling, and that thick, suffocating smell of disinfectant that made it hard to breathe.
Yes, this was the infirmary. I wasn't dead. God had shown me mercy after all.
Though I'd woken up, my limbs still felt numb and powerless. My head was foggy, as if I'd been through endless rounds on a roller coaster.
"I... I feel sick. This is awful."
Jenny beside me smiled. "That's a normal reaction. You're lucky enough as it is."
A huge question mark formed on my forehead. It took me a while to process what she'd said.
Lucky? Had I heard wrong, or had she misspoken? I was in this terrible state—how could that possibly be lucky?
If this counted as lucky, there probably weren't any unfortunate people left in the world.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Jenny smiled slightly. "Compared to others who've been poisoned by Black Orchid, you really are fortunate."
"To save you, Ms. Moria used a rare medicinal treasure she'd kept for years. Otherwise, you wouldn't have woken up this quickly."
"You feel awful now, but in a few days, your body will recover completely. You'll be just like a normal person again."
My throat moved. "Ms. Moria used a rare treasure? Really? Just to save me?"
Jenny nodded firmly. "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Besides Ms. Moria, someone else came looking for you. He nearly punched a hole through the wall outside!"
My first thought was Kane. It had to be Kane. He was my only friend at this academy—who else would come see me?
Just then, Kane burst into the room in a panic. Seeing me awake, he rushed forward and gripped my hand tightly, apologizing repeatedly.
"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should have taken better care of you. I shouldn't have gone to that special class. I should have stayed with you!"
"Please forgive me. This will never happen again!"
I gave him a smile. "It's okay. I was careless. How could this be your fault?"
"Besides, Ms. Moria already saved me. You don't need to worry anymore."
"Was it Rowan who hurt you?" Kane asked directly, cutting straight to the point.
I was about to nod, but swallowed the words back down.
No, I couldn't tell him. With Kane's temper, if I revealed the truth, Rowan would suffer terribly!
Though Rowan deserved it, Kane shouldn't be dragged into this. He shouldn't be expelled from the academy over this. It wasn't worth it.
"No, it was my own carelessness. I accidentally splashed Black Orchid poison on myself."
I shook my head, trying to keep my tone light and casual. Only then would it sound natural and more believable.
But I was overthinking it. If Kane was asking this question, he already knew or had guessed the truth.
"Impossible!" Kane said each word deliberately. "I've already asked around. Black Orchid poison doesn't splash out on its own!"
"And Rowan was sitting right next to you. Why are you lying to me? Why won't you tell me the truth?"
"I'm not lying. It really was just an accident. Please stop investigating." I tried to reason with him, but Kane wouldn't listen to a word.
"I don't believe you! Even now, why are you still protecting them? Why!"
"They've hurt you so many times. You shouldn't defend them. They need to pay the price! Otherwise they'll just keep doing worse and worse!"
I could feel Kane was extremely agitated, on the verge of exploding.
If I told him the truth now, I didn't dare imagine what would happen to Rowan and the others.
Injured? That seemed unlikely—Kane wouldn't go that easy on them.
But I still needed to resolve this. Fortunately, I quickly came up with a new idea.
"No, no, stop talking. I'm feeling dizzy. I need to rest."
"You don't know how weak my body is right now. The doctor said I can't get upset or argue with anyone, or my condition will only worsen!"
This tactic actually worked. Kane's expression softened immediately, and his tone became gentle.
"Then rest. I'll stay here and watch over you. Don't worry—no one will be able to hurt you again!"
I admitted my heart felt warm, but the feeling was somewhat strange.
Because up until now, our relationship had only been that of ordinary friends.
But looking at the situation now—were we really just ordinary friends?
"Um... why don't you go back and rest? I can stay here by myself."
Kane frowned slightly. "Why? I need to take care of you."
"You don't need to. I'm already so much better than before. I can take care of myself."
"It's getting late. You should go rest. You have classes tomorrow—don't let your coursework suffer."
"It's fine. I don't care," Kane said flatly, his usual brevity unchanged.
With no other choice, I had to use the same trick again, hoping it would work.
"If you don't go back and you miss your classes, I'll be angry. I won't eat with you anymore, and I won't be your friend!"
"Don't think I'm joking. I mean what I say!"
My guess was correct—this really did work. Kane's expression changed immediately.
"Fine. Rest then. I'll come back later."
After Kane left, I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep.
Honestly, part of me wanted Kane to stay here with me, but it just felt somehow inappropriate.
This conflicting psychology nearly drove me crazy. I even had a bold thought: "Could I actually have fallen for him?"
"No, no! I must be overthinking because I'm not feeling well. I need to sleep!"
I forced myself to close my eyes. Only by falling asleep quickly could I banish these chaotic thoughts from my mind.
I don't know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes again, it was already dark.
My body had recovered somewhat—at least my fingers and toes could move now.
"That Black Orchid really is formidable. But thank goodness for Ms. Moria."
"Wait—do I smell cake? Am I so hungry I'm hallucinating?"
Jenny walked over with a smile. "You're not hallucinating. There really is cake."
"There really is? Where?"
Jenny pointed toward the door. "Right outside. Kane has been waiting there for hours."
"What? He didn't go back to rest?" I was shocked.
Jenny nodded gently. "No, he's been standing guard outside the whole time. I told him to come in, but he said you didn't want him with you."
I slapped my forehead, truly at a loss for words.