Chapter 51: Grown Some Wings

Lumi had been staring at the door for a while. It had been a day since she woke up, and she had already been transferred to the normal ward.

Evan was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you sure he is okay?" She once again looked at Darian, who had just stopped by to bring her the necessities she would need until she was discharged.

Darian nodded. "He is..."

But he didn’t meet her eyes as he continued taking things out of the bag, placing each item carefully on the small table beside her bed.

Lumi watched him for a few seconds. Something about his answer felt strange. "He is... what?"

Darian’s hand paused briefly.

"He’s okay," he repeated, this time with a small smile. "The doctors said he just needs to rest."

Lumi’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Oh..." She lowered her gaze to her lap, but after a moment, her eyes drifted back toward the door. "Should I go check on him?"

"Miss Pei, you still can’t walk properly. Take a few more days to rest." Darian pressed his lips into a reassuring smile. "He will come later. I assure you, he’s all right."

Before Lumi could say anything else, there was a knock on the door.

Before Darian could respond, the door opened and Celestine hurried inside. She barely paused to acknowledge him before making her way straight to Lumi’s bedside.

"Lumi." Her voice was unusually urgent.

Lumi blinked at her. "Yes...?"

Celestine reached for her hand, her eyes quickly scanning the bandages around her body. "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

"Still hurting here and there..."

Celestine’s expression tightened, but she quickly composed herself. She leaned closer to the bed, lowering her voice until only Lumi could hear.

"Listen to me carefully. Whatever happens, don’t tell Father or Mother about your healing ability."

Lumi’s eyes widened slightly. "But..."

"Just don’t." Celestine glanced toward Darian before leaning closer to Lumi’s ear. "They didn’t need to know..."

She pulled away, and Lumi stared at her twin’s face, quietly trying to understand what she meant.

Before she could ask, the door opened again.

Felix and Esther stepped inside.

The cold expressions they had been wearing changed almost instantly when they noticed Darian standing beside Lumi’s bed.

"Oh, you’re here too, Mr. Voss." Felix greeted him with a polite smile as he extended his hand.

Darian accepted the handshake out of courtesy, his expression remaining neutral.

Felix’s gaze briefly moved toward Lumi before returning to Darian.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Voss, but could we talk for a while as a family?"

"No." Darian’s immediate answer caught both Felix and Esther off guard.

Felix’s smile stiffened. "But, Mr. Voss, this is a private family matter, and I really hope you could understand and give us some space."

He looked directly at Darian before turning his attention toward Lumi. "Lumi... please. We need to talk."

Lumi looked at Darian, then at Celestine. Her gaze lingered on her sister for a moment before finally settling on Felix.

Only then did she realize what her father was trying to do. She took a quiet breath.

"Since... I already decided to follow Young Master Caesar and become his Guide, I think it is fair to let Mr. Voss hear it too..."

Felix’s brows immediately drew together.

"What did you say?" His expression darkened with annoyance. "You’re just a Fated Guide. Don’t act as though that means anything more than that."

Lumi’s fingers slowly tightened around the blanket.

Felix continued, his tone becoming harsher.

"Being Fated doesn’t mean you have to be together. It doesn’t mean he has to marry you, either. A Sentinel and a Guide can simply work together because their compatibility is better than anyone else’s. That’s all it is."

He gave a displeased scoff. "It’s a professional relationship, not some romantic bond."

Lumi lowered her gaze. She knew that.

At least, that was what she heard from some of her college friends.

A Fated Connection was valuable because it made Guiding more efficient, not because it guaranteed that two people would fall in love. There were plenty of Fated Sentinels and Guides who spent their entire lives working together without ever becoming a couple.

Felix seemed satisfied that she wasn’t arguing back.

"So cut that nonsense and..." He stopped and turned toward Darian. "Let us talk."

Darian remained where he was.

His gaze briefly moved toward Lumi before returning to Felix. "I’m afraid I can’t do that."

Felix’s expression stiffened. "This is a private family matter."

"I understand." Darian’s voice remained polite. "But Miss Pei has already made her decision. If she wants me here, I’ll stay."

Lumi looked at him in surprise.

Darian didn’t look back at her. "And from what I heard, she was quite clear about that decision."

Felix’s face darkened further.

"I see..." He gave a faint, humorless smile. "You’ve grown some wings. Impressive..."

Darian’s expression remained unchanged.

Felix’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before shifting toward Lumi.

"It seems that spending time around the Caesar family has given you quite a bit of confidence, Lumi."

Lumi lowered her eyes, her fingers quietly curling around the blanket. "I didn’t mean to..."

"Yes..." Felix’s voice carried a faint edge of mockery. "Now that you have a big backer behind you, you suddenly don’t feel the need for your family anymore?"

Lumi’s fingers tightened around the blanket. "That’s not what I meant..."

"Then what did you mean?" Felix’s gaze remained fixed on her.

"You refused the Fated Guide Transfer before, and now that Evan Caesar has decided to keep you by his side, you suddenly think you can make your own decisions without considering the Pei family?"

Lumi’s lips parted, but no words came out.

Darian had already taken a few steps forward. He politely raised his right hand, creating a small distance between Felix and the bed.

"Master Pei, Miss Pei still needs proper rest. She shouldn’t be subjected to unnecessary emotional or physical strain."

"I am trying to be respectful here." Felix glared at Darian. "But just because you have the Caesar family behind you, you suddenly think you can push everyone away?"

His gaze shifted toward Lumi.

"I am her father, and I am a candidate for Vice Chairman of the Imperial Guide Committee! Do you really think I would harm my own daughter’s future?"