Chapter 50 Silent Guardianship
Evelyn's POV
"But to be honest, we still haven't fully understood this ancient relic ourselves."
Seraphina's words were like a stone dropped into the lake of my heart, creating ripples spreading outward.
My eyes widened in shock as I took in every word she said.
"How... how is that possible?" I muttered to myself, finding it hard to believe.
"Nothing is impossible, Evelyn." Seraphina's smile carried a hint of worldly wisdom.
I walked out of the principal's office in a daze.
Kane was still leaning against the wall by the door. He must have been watching the entrance the whole time, because the moment he saw me come out, he immediately walked to my side.
"You okay?" Kane asked, as he looked at me with concern.
"I'm fine." I didn't say more, not wanting Kane to worry.
The next few days weren't as smooth as I had hoped.
Whenever Kane wasn't by my side, the same hostile stares and whispers continued just like before. There were still people bold enough to gossip about me.
"Look, that's the girl."
"I heard she's really something. She must have used some kind of trick to latch onto that Phoenix Clan boy."
"So disgusting. Doesn't even know her place. She's just the Phoenix Clan's plaything."
And on Nebula Chat, the malicious speculation about me hadn't died down, even after the principal stepped in.
Because of the power Kane had displayed that day in the dorm area, and the principal's harsh punishment of those three attackers afterward, many people no longer dared target me directly. But they turned that fear into something darker, jealousy, bitterness and endless rumors.
A new popular post appeared on the forum with the title: #Deep Dive! What Exactly Did That "Girl' Kept by Phoenix Do?
The post was filled with all kinds of nasty rumors.
"Kept pet," "a trophy," "plaything"...
These harsh words came at me wave after wave.
It would be a lie to say they did not affect me. They did. Even so, I still couldn't stop myself from checking the messages there.
But whenever Kane appeared, the whole world seemed to instantly go quiet.
That afternoon at lunch, I was cornered in a hallway by a group of people. They didn't get physical, but their words were extremely harsh, and they even deliberately spilled coffee on my cream-colored jacket.
"Oops, sorry, didn't see you blocking the way here." The girl gave a fake apology, but her eyes were full of malice, showing no real remorse at all.
I was about to fight back when I felt a familiar presence behind me.
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
The girl who spilled coffee on me went completely pale. Her whole body stiffened as if she had been paralyzed. She couldn't even hold her coffee cup steady—it clattered to the ground.
Kane stood behind me without saying a word, his expression unchanged.
He just stood there quietly, but those dark golden eyes were completely cold, as if he were looking at a group of dead people.
The Kane standing there now was nothing like when I had first met him.
The crowd that had been watching the drama instantly scattered, and even the girl who spilled coffee on me ran off without looking back.
"It's dirty."
Kane's voice came from above my head, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.
He took off his black coat and wrapped it around me without asking, protecting me completely and blocking all outside eyes.
"Don't be scared. I'm here." He said softly, his chin gently brushing the top of my head.
"Let me handle them, okay?"
I nodded in agreement, my emotions not really stirred up much.
And Kane's sign on the door not only didn't affect us, but actually saved us a lot of trouble.
By the weekend, Kane said he wanted to watch a movie in my room, and the academy, as if to create a better environment for us, installed a huge screen on the wall opposite the sofa. The projector could connect to various streaming accounts.
After I showered, I thought about having the magic wardrobe pick out a nice set of loungewear for me, something soft and comfortable that might lift my spirits.
I stood in front of the magic wardrobe and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the gloom that had built up from all those rumors.
"Give me a set of... comfortable loungewear."
I spoke softly to the wardrobe, unable to hide the tiredness in my voice.
The wardrobe door slowly opened. This time, instead of just one outfit, there was a row of colorful loungewear hanging inside.
"What's this?"
I took a surprised step back, feeling a bit regretful.
Thinking I might be able to pick out something suitable, I walked closer again and reached for the first one.
It was a pink onesie covered with huge, adorable teddy bear patterns. The most ridiculous part was that the hood had two 3D bear ears that bounced around as the outfit moved.
And that pink—it was Barbie pink!
"Pfft..."
I couldn't help it—I laughed out loud, and my mood actually improved quite a bit.
Next came a yellow onesie—it looked like a giant banana. The sleeves and pant legs were ridiculously long, and across the front, it read: [Ban All Anxiety.]
"This is way too funny. Where did you even get these?"
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, and my gloomy mood miraculously lifted quite a bit.
The third outfit was a green dinosaur onesie with a long tail dragging on the ground. The mouth part was a huge hood that, when worn, would only show your eyes.
Looking at these silly outfits, a warm feeling suddenly welled up inside me.
I knew—the academy was trying to cheer me up.
That legendary ancient relic with independent consciousness, that academy the principal said "liked" me, was comforting me in its own unique way.
"Thank you..."
I said softly to the wardrobe, genuinely wanting to thank this 'friend' who had been with me all along.
The clothes seemed to understand my words. The magic wardrobe door suddenly slammed shut, and when it opened again, there was only one dress hanging inside.