Chapter 74 Adjust Your Mindset

Chapter 74 Adjust Your Mindset

Cecilia Blackwood's POV

Though Kane and I spent most of our time together each day, there were still moments of separation.

Like at night when we rested, or when Kane attended his special classes—which had noticeably increased in frequency lately.

I knew this was good for him, but it created real problems for me.

When I arrived at the classroom, my textbooks would be thrown on the floor, and my desk and chair would be covered with stains.

I looked around at the surrounding students. Their eyes dodged mine, refusing to meet my gaze.

I could guarantee they were all secretly laughing inside.

Yes, this wasn't the work of just one person. In other words, I'd managed to offend the entire classroom!

As for the reason, I figured it was probably because Kane and I had grown too close.

Though I didn't understand what was wrong with that or who it affected, they'd clearly begun targeting me.

Not wanting to cause trouble, I pulled out tissues and wiped down the desk and chair, then gathered all my textbooks back onto my desk.

It seemed I'd need to carry all my books with me from now on. Otherwise, who knew when they'd be torn to shreds!

The bell rang. The moment I stepped out of the classroom, urgent footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.

No—more accurately, the sound of running. I turned to look. It was Kane.

He moved swiftly, his face etched with anxiety and worry visible even from a distance.

Students in the hallway quickly stepped aside. No one wanted to touch the Dark Mage.

Perhaps in their minds, even the slightest contact might curse them. Ridiculous as it was, that was their reality.

But I'd grown used to it. Whenever he attended special classes without me, he'd return at top speed.

And during class, his texting frequency had gone from every ten minutes to every five—and that was only after I'd argued my case. Otherwise, it would probably be every two minutes.

"How are you? Are you all right?" Kane's gaze locked onto me, his worry undisguised.

I smiled slightly, feigning lightness. "I'm fine. What could happen to me? What happened before was just an accident. Accidents don't happen constantly."

"So you don't need to worry so much or rush like that. Just walk normally. I'll be fine."

I didn't tell Kane what had happened in the classroom. With his temper, he'd never tolerate such things.

But even now, I didn't know who'd done it. If we investigated, I'd have to ask Ms. Moria to pull up the surveillance footage.

But I'd already troubled the principal too many times recently. Besides, this was likely the work of multiple people. I just wanted to study in peace, not get involved in these conflicts.

Maybe I'd snap eventually, but for now, I felt I could endure it.

"Want to go to the dining hall together?" Kane's tone softened.

I shrugged helplessly. "Can't right now, unfortunately. I need to go to Mr. Crom's office to train my mental strength."

"Go eat by yourself. After eating, head back to your dorm and rest. When I'm done, I'll text you. We have no classes this afternoon, so we can play some games together."

We could only squeeze in gaming time now. With classes piling up and Dodge Magic practice on top of that, we really didn't have much free time.

Kane shook his head gently. "I'm not hungry or tired. I'll come with you."

I looked helpless. "But you'll be waiting outside for hours."

"It's fine. I want to."

Kane remained as stubborn as ever. I could only nod in agreement. "All right."

He walked me to Mr. Crom's office door, then naturally took up position outside to wait.

Though I hated making Kane stand there like a sentinel, I couldn't change anything right now.

Entering the office, after just a few brief exchanges, Mr. Crom's expression changed. "Your emotions are off."

"Huh? No... they're not." I felt somewhat flustered, but I didn't admit it.

Clearly, I'd underestimated Mr. Crom's perceptiveness. Or rather, for someone with top-tier mental strength, my little thoughts couldn't escape his notice.

"Speak freely. You needn't hide anything from me. Rest assured, whatever you say, I'll keep it confidential."

"Besides, you genuinely need someone to help adjust your mindset right now. Otherwise, if you can't even calm your mind, how can you practice mental strength training?"

I frowned slightly. "I can't train my mental strength if I can't calm my mind?"

Crom nodded firmly. "Of course. Not just mental strength training—all magic is the same."

"If you can't even achieve peace of mind, there's no point in practicing. In fact, practicing in that state might cause you to bleed from all seven orifices and suffer a psychotic break!"

I admitted Mr. Crom's words frightened me. But looking at his resolute expression, I knew he wasn't trying to scare me.

Crom spoke again. "Tell me. Maybe I can help, even if it's just to analyze the situation for you."

I exhaled heavily and told Mr. Crom everything.

"I know I shouldn't tell Kane about these things, but keeping them bottled up inside, I can't breathe. I want to know—does this count as betraying my friend?"

"And why are those classmates targeting me? Does being friends with Kane really affect them?"

"Now I don't know how to stop those students' behavior, or how to face Kane. What if Kane finds out about this later? I have no idea how to explain it!"

I said everything in one breath. Though I still didn't know how to break through this situation, getting these words out did make me feel considerably better.

Crom sighed softly. "I understand how you feel. This is indeed a difficult matter."

"But you must trust yourself. You've done nothing wrong. For now, it's best not to tell him. Otherwise, he'll explode immediately, and even you and Ms. Moria might not be able to stop him."

"If verbal persuasion doesn't work, things will get serious. The outcome might be even worse than expulsion from the academy!"

I nodded repeatedly. "Professor Crom, you're absolutely right. That's exactly what I'm worried about!"

Crom continued, "As for those students in the classroom, you have two ways to handle it."

"What ways?" I perked up, unable to suppress the anticipation and excitement on my face.

If Mr. Crom could really tell me how to handle this, I wouldn't have to suffer anymore!

Crom spoke slowly. "First, you could ignore them. Do what you need to do. But you must maintain the best mindset—not like now, dejected and discouraged."