Chapter 35 Family Visit
Cecilia Blackwood's POV
Kane steadied me once more and helped me back onto the hospital bed. "Just rest. Don't worry about the test—I can help you study."
"Besides, I promise I'll teach you better than any professor could."
I believed him. After all, I hadn't called Kane the best teacher for nothing.
"That's true, but... won't it be too much trouble for you?"
Kane shook his head gently. "Not at all. I'm doing this willingly."
His words sent a wave of warmth through my chest. Being friends with Kane was easily the best decision I'd made since arriving at the academy.
For the next few hours, Kane walked me through the course material in far greater detail than any professor had. Naturally, this drew quite a crowd. They didn't dare enter the infirmary, but they certainly lingered outside, watching.
"Am I seeing this right? Is the Dark Mage actually tutoring her?"
"This is insane. I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes!"
"That girl's got a death wish. Doesn't she care about the curse at all?"
Yes, the word "curse" came up constantly. But I didn't care. If I'd truly feared the curse, I never would have approached Kane in the cafeteria that first day.
Soon enough, I noticed Kane's expression darkening, anger flickering across his face.
I quickly intervened. "No, no, no—don't get angry. You have to stay calm. Please, stay calm!"
"Let them say whatever they want. You can't lose your temper, and you definitely can't give the academy an excuse to punish you!"
"Do it for me, okay? If you get in trouble or expelled, I'll have no friends left. And no one to help me study."
My words seemed to work. Kane's clenched fists gradually relaxed, and his expression softened.
But the crisis wasn't over—the gossiping outside continued nonstop.
Sometimes I wondered: did some people really enjoy talking trash that much? And if they were going to do it, couldn't they at least have the decency not to do it right in front of us? Did they think we couldn't hear?
Fortunately, Jenny arrived just in time. "What are you all doing crowding around here? This is a medical facility! Shoo! Go find somewhere else to loiter!"
With Jenny's intervention, the onlookers finally dispersed—saving me and, frankly, saving them too.
Over the next few days, Kane spent every free moment with me in the infirmary. He brought me meals, tutored me, and played games with me.
What shocked me most was that Kane actually started losing to me in our matches.
"Wait, seriously? You're a total gaming god. How could you possibly lose to me? Have I really improved that much?"
Kane nodded lightly. "Yes. Your skills have surpassed mine."
I smiled knowingly. "Alright, I know you're letting me win on purpose. But thank you anyway."
The next morning, Kane left for class as usual while I reviewed the notes he'd left behind.
I had to admit, his notes were incredibly thorough—not just knowledge points, but also his own insights and interpretations. He'd even marked key concepts and difficult sections with special annotations. Everything was crystal clear.
Just then, Jenny pushed the door open. "You have a visitor!"
My brow furrowed immediately. "A visitor? Is it Kane? Didn't he go to class? Why is he skipping again?"
"Quick, let him in. I need to ask him why he's cutting class when he promised he wouldn't!"
I was getting more agitated by the second, but Jenny raised her hands in a calming gesture. "You've got it wrong. Kane is in class. Your visitor isn't him."
I looked confused. "Not him? Then who could it be?"
My circle of friends at Star Ring Academy was admittedly small. After things fell apart with Rowan and the others, Kane was basically all I had left.
Well, there was Jenny too. But aside from them, who else would come see me?
"Stop keeping me in suspense! Just tell me who it is!"
"Your family, of course."
The moment she said "family," it clicked. Grandpa was here!
"Is it my grandfather? When did he arrive? Where is he now?"
"I just passed the academy gates and saw an elderly gentleman asking for you by name. He's probably heading to your dorm right now."
My face went pale. I was completely panicking. "Oh no, oh no! This is bad! Really bad! Why did Grandpa have to come now of all times?"
Jenny frowned slightly. "What's wrong with now? Is it inconvenient?"
"Of course it's inconvenient! Look at me right now—can I possibly see my grandfather like this?"
"He should've come in two more days when I'm fully recovered! If he sees me like this, he'll worry himself sick!"
"You don't understand—Grandpa and I have only had each other for years. He's the last family I have in this world. But he's getting old, and I can't keep making him worry about me!"
Jenny finally understood. "You're right. But you're already injured—you can't hide that."
"Isn't there some way to make my legs work again? Even if it's just for two hours, that would be enough!"
I looked at Jenny with desperate hope. She was my only chance now.
"Well, there is something. I know a specialized magical acupuncture technique that could temporarily restore your mobility. But the full treatment takes an hour to administer. How could we possibly finish in time?"
"An hour? Can't you make it shorter?"
"No. If my teacher were here to do it herself, maybe she could speed it up. But she's not in the infirmary right now, and I have no idea where she is!"
After hearing Jenny's explanation, my heart sank completely.
Even if Ms. Davis were here, she probably wouldn't help me anyway.
"I don't have a choice! I have to try!"
"Go ahead. I'm ready."
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked cautiously. "This technique has side effects. Normally you'd recover in two days, but if we use this method, it could take five days instead. Are you really okay with that?"
"I am!" I nodded firmly. No matter what, I couldn't let Grandpa worry.
With my confirmation, Jenny retrieved several magical needles along with her wand.
The moment the first needle touched my skin, a sharp pain shot through my leg, and I instinctively jerked it back.
"Don't move!" Jenny said sternly. "You absolutely cannot move during the treatment, or it'll ruin everything—and you could get hurt!"
"If you can't handle it, let's just stop. Tell your grandfather the truth."