Inside the infirmary, Felix was undergoing a medical examination while Loewen and Oran told everything they had witnessed to their advisor in full detail.

“Mr. Morris, it’s absolutely horrifying that something like this could happen on campus. You have to make sure that rapist is brought to justice!” Loewen said, his voice full of anger.

Mr. Morris furrowed his brows tightly, his face grave.

Just then, the academy physician emerged from the inner room, catching the tail end of their conversation. He gave Loewen a peculiar yet amused look. “You’re overthinking it. Felix wasn’t sexually assaulted in any way. He was just roughed up a bit—his injuries aren’t severe, but he did suffer quite a shock.”

Huh???

Loewen froze, staring at the advisor in stunned silence. His cheeks heated up instantly, which was burning with embarrassment.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Morris! Looks like I got the wrong idea!” Loewen stammered with an awkward expression. He wished he could sink into the floor.

Mr. Morris cleared his throat, and tried to shift the topic. “Either way, I’ll make sure to report this to the academy. The students who bullied him will definitely face the consequences they deserve.”

“Which one of you is Loewen Flenqi?” the academy physician suddenly asked, his gaze shifting between Loewen and Qixiu.

“That would be me.” Loewen, who had been sitting on the bench, instinctively stood up.

The physician held a registry book in one arm while adjusting the heavy wooden-framed glasses on his nose with the other. After glancing at Loewen once more, he said, “That kid says he wants to speak with you alone. Go keep him company for a bit.”

Hearing this, Loewen stepped into the inner room…

Felix sat alone on a narrow bed. The linen sheets beneath him were a dull flaxen color. A thin blanket was draped over him, but it did little to mask the frailty in his figure.

His lips were pale, his eyes void of light, and his breath came in shallow puffs. His slightly overgrown fringe hung down over his forehead, giving him the look of a pitiful, abandoned creature.

This was the sight that greeted Loewen when he turned around after shutting the door.

The noise from outside was completely sealed off, leaving the small room in utter silence. The air between them felt even heavier.

“The doctor says you need to rest.” Loewen finally spoke, his voice slightly uneasy. He still felt guilty for nearly tarnishing Felix’s reputation with his wild assumptions earlier.

He hesitated for a moment before moving toward the bed, and then he sat down at its edge. He looked a little bit puzzled. “Did you need to tell me something?”

Felix had kept his eyes downcast since Loewen entered to avoid his gaze. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Miss Flenqi… I’m sorry.”

Loewen was even more confused, and was completely caught off guard. 

Huh? What’s wrong with this kid? Shouldn’t he be thanking me? Why is he apologizing instead?

Seeing Loewen’s silence, a thin layer of mist formed over Felix’s sapphire eyes as he timidly explained, “Back then, when they were about to catch me, I instinctively told the class president to find you. But now, looking back, I regret it so much. It’s my fault—I dragged you into danger. What if they had done the same thing to you?”

His lips trembled as if he was about to cry. “Miss Flenqi, if something like this happens again, please… don’t trouble yourself to help me. This was my mistake. I’m really sorry.”

Without warning, Loewen reached out and pressed his fingers against Felix’s forehead, cutting off his words.

“Huh… No fever. Then why are you talking nonsense?” Loewen mused with exaggerated confusion.

Felix flinched slightly, then quickly turned his head away to break free from Loewen’s touch.

“…It’s my fault,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. “I never should have proposed that engagement to you back then.”

Loewen froze for a second but quickly withdrew his hand, at a loss for words.

This kid… his train of thought really jumps around, doesn’t it?

“Your brother was right—I’m nothing more than a disgusting toad. Sayak said so too. He called me a low-life scum who doesn’t deserve to live, let alone be anywhere near you.”

Loewen frowned. His tone turned serious. “Is that why he went after you?”

Felix bit his lip, as if silently confirming it.

“The entire noble circle in the royal capital is gossiping about it. Every day, someone is either sneering behind my back or insulting me to my face. But, Miss Flenqi, I never had delusions of climbing above my station. When I proposed the engagement, it wasn’t because I was greedy for status—I just thought it was my responsibility.”

Loewen was dumbfounded.

Felix lifted his gaze, his crystal-blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“I thought your head injury had left you permanently impaired. So I figured… I should take care of you from now on. After all, you said I was your best friend.”

Wha—wait, no! Don’t cry!

Panic surged through Loewen. Without thinking, he reached out to wipe away a few stray tears, only for Felix to start crying even harder.

His warm tears slipped past Loewen’s fingers, searing his skin like tiny drops of fire.

Loewen had been raised to take care of younger siblings since childhood—nothing terrified him more than seeing kids cry. Looking at Felix, sobbing like an abandoned puppy, his instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, he pulled him into an embrace.

The moment his arms wrapped around him, Felix tensed up. The faint scent of something fresh and cool—like a breeze rippling across a lake—brushed against his senses.

Loewen gently patted his back.

Gradually, Felix’s rigid posture softened. Hesitantly, he lifted his arms and loosely wrapped them around Loewen’s waist, pressing his forehead into his shoulder.

Loewen sighed inwardly, thinking, “This is all Gian’s fault, that idiot.”

He felt like it was just back in the days when he had to babysit his siblings. Instinctively, he started comforting him. “Alright, alright, no more crying.”

Felix had long since stopped shedding tears, but his lips still trembled with soft whimpers.

Loewen kept patting his back and lamented in his heart: Damn it, Gian, you really know how to cause trouble.

“Enough, stop crying,” Loewen said, feeling a headache coming on.

Felix didn’t stop.

Loewen gave in. “No one’s going to hurt you again.”

Felix asked, “Why?”

Loewen replied, “Because from now on, I’ve got your back. This won’t happen again.”

Felix stopped crying and lifted his face slightly. After wiping his tears on Loewen’s shoulder, his eyes were crystal clear, gleaming with a faint light. 

“Really?” His voice was soft, as if he were trying not to startle a bird lured into his palm by the promise of food.

Loewen gave his back a firm pat. “Of course.”

Felix tilted his head slightly. His lips almost brushed against Loewen’s ear as he murmured, his voice dreamlike and as light as a feather, “You’re so kind, Miss Flenqi.”