novelzi Chapter 59
Chapter 59
*Celeste: Master, are you done with class?*
*Celeste: I kept thinking about you during training.*
*Celeste: My heart and my... lower abdomen felt so warm, the magic crest tingling with a pleasant heat.*
*Celeste: Is it because Master was thinking about me too?*
Adele’s phone buzzed incessantly in her pocket. She pulled it out, her brow furrowing as she saw a string of messages from Celeste.
*Seriously? Now?*
And the content of those messages...
Adele’s expression faltered.
“...”
After a moment, a wry smile curved her lips.
*No, I wasn’t.*
She had been focusing on her class, not daydreaming about... well, anything, really.
But after a moment of hesitation, she started typing, her fingers flying across the keyboard. She couldn’t disappoint her puppy, could she?
Sharon, watching her, her gaze lingering on Adele’s profile, thought she looked beautiful, her expression focused, her movements graceful.
They were walking side by side down a tree-lined path, the air filled with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. It was a scene straight out of a dream, so beautiful, so surreal, that Sharon almost thought she was back in one of her own carefully crafted dreamscapes, safe from the harsh realities of the waking world.
Sharon wasn’t good at conversation. And to be fair, neither was Adele. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made so many enemies, wouldn’t have pushed away Hermione, Dorothy... If only she had been more honest, more vulnerable, she could have lived a peaceful life surrounded by powerful allies.
But the original Adele couldn’t do it.
So it was up to the current Adele to fix things.
Sharon felt a sense of ease, of comfort, she had never experienced before. Adele was... different. She was attentive, her voice gentle, her words carefully chosen to avoid hurting Sharon’s feelings. She even made Sharon laugh, something that rarely happened.
People who struggled with social anxiety often avoided conversations because they had never experienced a truly comfortable, enjoyable interaction. They lacked that safe space, that person who made them feel seen, heard, accepted.
But Adele... she was giving Sharon that safe space. For the first time, Sharon wondered if maybe, just maybe, she could learn to be more open, more confident, more... normal.
Adele was giving her hope.
Her expression brightened, her eyes sparkling with a newfound confidence. It was no exaggeration to say that her newfound confidence had transformed her, making her appear more attractive, more vibrant.
But Adele wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of her heart. She had an ulterior motive.
Her pink eyes, usually bright and playful, darkened slightly as she turned to Sharon.
“Sharon,” she said, her voice casual, “I heard there’s a new Chinese restaurant in the academy that’s really popular. But I can’t seem to find it. Do you think you could ask around for me?”
She pulled out her phone, waving it in front of Sharon.
“I have some messages to reply to. I’ll wait for you here.”
And with that, she started typing, ignoring Sharon’s hesitant expression.
She knew Sharon wouldn’t refuse. She was too kind, too eager to please, especially when it came to Adele.
Sharon watched her, her heart sinking as she realized that Adele’s attention was no longer on her. The comfortable bubble they had created shattered, the harsh reality of the outside world crashing back in.
*But... I don’t want to disappoint her.*
She glanced around nervously, clutching at the last vestiges of courage Adele had given her.
Taking a deep breath, she approached a group of girls who were chatting nearby, her silvery-gray bangs swaying in the breeze. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of fear and determination warring within her.
*Adele: Never mind. It’s not important. Are you free right now?*
*Celeste: Yes! I am!*
*Adele: Good. I order you to meet me at the new Chinese restaurant in ten minutes.*
*Adele: Pretend you ran into me by accident.*
*Adele: The rest is up to you.*
Adele put her phone away, a mischievous smile curving her lips. She quickly adjusted her expression, her gaze softening as she turned to Sharon, who had finally returned from her quest.
Poor Sharon. She looked like she had been through a war. Her shoulders were slumped, her head bowed, her lips pressed together in a tight line. Her cheeks were pale, her eyes downcast, the last vestiges of confidence she had gained shattered.
The light that had been shining in her eyes, the spark of hope Adele had ignited, was gone.
*I knew it... I’ll never change.*
Adele’s presence, her kindness, had given Sharon a glimpse of a different life, a life where she could be confident, happy, even... normal.
But her attempt at interacting with strangers had crushed her hopes, dragging her back down into the depths of her own insecurities.
Sharon had been unlucky. The girls she had approached had been bullies, the kind who preyed on the weak. And Sharon, with her unremarkable appearance, her low-key demeanor, her silvery-gray hair that screamed “low-ranking half-blood”... well, she had been an easy target.
What had started as a simple request for directions had turned into a verbal assault, a barrage of insults and mockery. They had treated her like an idiot, a joke. And in the end, they hadn’t even given her the directions.
Sharon had gone with a flicker of hope in her heart, and she had returned defeated, her spirit broken.
Now, she had to admit her failure to Adele.
“I’m sorry... Adele. I couldn’t find the... Chinese restaurant.”
“Sharon!” Adele’s voice was laced with concern, her expression softening as she saw the tears welling up in Sharon’s eyes.
She pulled Sharon into a hug, her arms wrapping around her small, trembling body.
“It’s okay! It doesn’t matter!”
“If we can’t find it, we’ll keep looking. We’ll find it eventually.”
“And even if we don’t, it doesn’t matter. We can go to a Western restaurant, or anywhere you want!”
“What matters is that we’re together.”
“Silly, what happened?”
“Did they... bully you?”
Adele looked up, her gaze settling on the three girls Sharon had approached, her eyes narrowing, a flicker of anger igniting within them.
She had wanted Sharon to experience the difference between interacting with strangers and interacting with her, to make her more dependent, more... attached. But she hadn’t wanted her to get hurt.
She hadn’t even considered the possibility that Sharon, a Sequence One, could be bullied within the academy!
But it had happened. Sharon’s expression, her demeanor, confirmed it.
And Adele wouldn’t forgive those girls for hurting someone she cared about.
She would make them pay.
It wasn’t an empty threat. She meant it.
She memorized their faces, their features etched into her mind.
She gently stroked Sharon’s hair, her hand resting on her trembling back, her voice low, soothing.
“Sharon, I’ll make them regret it.”