Elowen could not answer. Her throat was tight with bitterness. She could only nod mechanically, fear freezing every thought in her mind.
Once she had changed, Elowen did not bother fixing her hair and tried to leave at once, but Lucien slammed her back against the wall. The next moment, his lips crashed down on hers.
This kiss was not just an invasion. It was a punishment. Lucien bit and tore at her lips, his tongue forcing its way in, stealing every breath and crushing every trace of resistance. The taste of fresh blood spread in Elowen's mouth. She struggled, trying to push him away, but it was useless. Lucien's tall frame pressed her hard against the wall, his full weight bearing down until she was almost suffocating.
"Huff… huff…"
In her daze, she heard a sound outside, perhaps someone entering the restroom. A tiny spark of hope flared. But Lucien only paused for a moment before kissing her even more fiercely, deliberately making wet, obscene sounds. The person outside lingered briefly, then quickly left, likely assuming it was just a passionate couple. Elowen's despair hit rock bottom. No one would save her. She was completely alone.
Only when Elowen was nearly unconscious from lack of oxygen did Lucien finally release her. She immediately gasped for air, clutching her chest.
Her lips were swollen and bloodied. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably. She felt filthy, shattered, and utterly humiliated.
Lucien lifted her chin and said coldly, "Let me remind you. You are my toy. From now on, watch your behavior. If I find out you are seducing some other man, I will punish you severely. Do not ever be curious about what that punishment is. Remember it well."
He wiped the drop of blood from her lip with his thumb, then smeared it across her cheek like a grotesque mark. "I have marked you," he whispered.
With that, Lucien picked up his jacket and left the women's restroom, leaving Elowen standing there, still reeling from the brutal kiss.
When the restroom door finally closed, Elowen slowly slid down onto the icy floor. She hugged herself tightly, but the memory of his rough hands, his hot breath, and his filthy words clung to her. The thin blouse did nothing to warm a body trembling from shock and cold. She looked into the mirror and saw only a stranger with hollow eyes, torn lips, and bruises blooming on her neck. The person reflected there was no longer the bright, cheerful Elowen of the past. She had been ripped apart, stolen, and marked. And she knew this was only the beginning of the nightmare.
After a long while, when she could no longer hold it in, Elowen covered her face and broke down in tears. She truly did not know how long this humiliating life would last, nor whether she could keep dragging herself forward until the skies finally cleared.
Before her stretched a dark, hazy emptiness, where every effort to survive seemed to be crushed without mercy.
Adrian hovered nearby, watching her cry with an aching heart. He gently stroked her hair, trying to comfort the small, fragile girl. If only he could return to his own body, everything would be different. The Rothschild family would mean nothing to him. He would hold her firmly by his side and never let anyone hurt her again.
Elowen felt a cool touch on the top of her head. She took a breath and said, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
After that, she stood up, wiped away her tears, and returned to the classroom. Somehow, word of the fight in the arena hall must have spread, because the students were silent as clams. From time to time, they cast cautious, hostile glances her way.
Elowen ignored them and tried to focus on the lesson. But pain coursed through her body, exhaustion weighing her down so heavily that she could not absorb a single word.
Thud.
A piece of chalk struck her on the head, followed by a shrill shout. "Elowen! How dare you doze off in my class? You think this is just a minor subject and not worth learning, is that it? Fine then. Get out into the hallway and stand there right now."
Elowen looked at the teacher in a daze. Her vision blurred, her ears ringing so loudly she could barely hear. Seeing her like that only made the teacher angrier. She thought Elowen was provoking her, so she stormed over and grabbed her by the ear, yanking her up.
"Get out of the classroom this instant. Tomorrow I'll be calling your parents…"
Before she could finish, Elowen suddenly collapsed to the floor, leaving the teacher staring in shock.
But once the teacher recovered herself, anger flared again as she assumed Elowen was pretending. She lightly kicked Elowen and barked, "You're already in the wrong and now you're putting on an act? Get up right now."
Elowen did not move.
Grinding her teeth in fury, the teacher said, "Fine. Let's see how long you can keep pretending. If you like lying on the floor, then stay there. If you dare get up, don't blame me for disciplining you."
With that, she turned back to the podium and continued the lecture. The students watched Elowen lying on the floor, none of them daring to speak. They knew she had truly fainted, but no one stepped forward to explain. Partly because they did not want to confront the strict, irritable teacher, and partly because they felt a twisted sense of satisfaction at her misfortune. For reasons even they did not fully understand, they truly hated her, hated her enough to wish she would just disappear.
After a while, the class ended. The teacher did not even spare Elowen a glance. She walked straight out and headed for the principal's office to accuse Elowen of disrespecting a teacher. She wanted Elowen to receive a serious demerit, or better yet, be suspended for a time so she could learn just how great a teacher's authority was.
But her plan fell apart when the sound of an ambulance suddenly rang out from outside. Moments later, Elowen was carried into the ambulance by Lucien.
Adrian followed them in. He stared at Elowen's pale face, his heart aching with pity. His little girl had suffered far too much already.