<h4>Chapter 423: Unfair Attention</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran began the lesson in his usual calm andposed manner, his voicemanding yet oddly soothing as it carried through the room.


    "Today," he began, cing a small vial of clear liquid on the desk in front of him, "we’ll be working on something slightly more advanced than your usual tonics and restoratives. The <i>Invisibility Potion</i>."


    A collective murmur of excitement and unease ran through the ss. The potion was notoriously tricky to brew - one wrong measurement and the results could range from mild rashes to, well... temporary transparency of selective body parts. I had once heard someone turned their nose invisible for three days.


    Kieran’s lips quirked as if he could read the nervous energy in the room. "Yes, I know what you are thinking. But no, you will not vanishpletely... at least not today. The goal is to achieve partial transparency at the final stage. The rest," he paused meaningfully, "wille with control."


    He began exining the ingredients - Frost Petals for concealment, Dewroot extract for bnce, and a rare herb called Silent Veil that stabilized the potion’s effect. The way he spoke, every word was precise and deliberate, and though I had sat through his lectures before, this one... felt different.


    Perhaps because I wasn’t just seeing Professor Kieran Thorne, the enigmatic head of Herbs and Potions. I was seeing my mate - the same man who had spent nights teaching me how to identify herbs by scent, whose gentle hands had helped me heal the bruises I had earned in training.


    And now, here he was, looking so calm, so distant... yet his eyes, when they met mine, said everything his words couldn’t.


    "Miss Evaline," his voice snapped me back to reality, "would you please assist me in preparing the sample demonstration?"


    I froze for a heartbeat, then nodded quickly. "Of course, Professor."


    The title felt awkward on my tongue, but I managed to keep my expression neutral as I walked to the front of the ss. I could feel every eye in the room following me... especially those belonging to Nadine and her friends.


    Kieran gestured toward the table. "Please add three drops of Silent Veil essence to the mixture."


    I did as told, carefully holding the small ss dropper. The faint floral scent filled the air, blending with the sharp aroma of crushed Frost Petals. Kieran stood beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, his sleeve brushing lightly against my arm.


    "Excellent," he murmured softly. "Now stir... gently, counterclockwise."


    I obeyed, and the liquid shimmered faintly, turning from silver to pale blue. The faintest hint of pride flickered in his eyes before he turned back to address the rest of the ss.


    "Observe. Even a minor imbnce can cause the potion to lose its invisibility property. Miss Evaline’s control here is...mendable."


    That single word -mendable - was enough to make half the ss look at me again, some impressed, some clearly annoyed.


    And then there was Nadine.


    Her eyes practically zed as she twirled her pen between her fingers. She was beautiful - soft hair, wless skin, and confidence that filled the room whenever she walked. She was also, unfortunately, utterly obsessed with Kieran. She had made it her life’s mission to get his attention, both in and out of ss.


    "Professor," Nadine said suddenly, her tone overly sweet, "I think my potion’s reacting strangely. Could you check it, please?"


    Kieran didn’t even look up from his notes. "Try adding half a leaf of Frost Petal, Miss Dane. You have used too much dewroot."


    Nadine blinked, clearly caught off guard that he hadn’t even looked at her. "Oh, I see... thank you, Professor," she muttered, her smile faltering.


    I noticed my friends trying to stifle theirughter. But Nadine wasn’t one to give up easily.


    A few minutester, she tried again. "Professor Thorne, I think my potion is... turning green?"


    Kieran’s voice was calm. "That means you have burned it. Start over."


    The faintest chuckle escaped Noah, earning a re from Nadine.


    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.


    Kieran, on the other hand, remained unbothered, his focus drifting... subtly, almost imperceptibly... back to me. His gaze was steady but not intrusive, lingering just long enough to make my pulse race. Every now and then, when I looked up, I would catch him studying the way I stirred the potion, his expression unreadable.


    It wasn’t favoritism, not really. He still walked around the ssroom, checked others’ progress, corrected mistakes, but I could feel that quiet awareness between us, like a thread pulling at both ends.


    "Perfect," he said softly as he passed behind me, his voice low enough for only me to hear. "Your blend’s stabilized. You have improved sincest term."


    I didn’t need to turn around to know he was smiling faintly. "Thank you, Professor," I said, keeping my voice steady.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see Nadine’s head snap toward us.


    The rest of the ss went by in a blur of whispered ingredients, bubbling cauldrons, and envious stares.


    Forty minutester, Kieran pped his hands softly, signaling the end of the session. "Time," he announced, surveying the rows of vials and mixtures. "Let’s see what we have achieved."


    He moved through the room, observing each student’s potion. When he reached my table again, he stopped, tilting his head thoughtfully.


    "Well done," he said, his tone carrying quiet approval. "The transparency effect is near-perfect. You have managed to retain stability for longer than I expected."


    "Thank you," I said again, my cheeks warming under his gaze.


    His eyes softened. "Keep this up, Miss Evaline. You are proving yourself more capable than most in this Academy."


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    The moment he turned to address the ss again, I could practically feel the daggers Nadine was ring into my back. If looks could kill, I would be dust by now.


    When the bell finally rang, students began cleaning up, chattering excitedly about their results - or, in Nadine’s case, about how "unfairly" some people got all the attention.


    I packed up my things quickly, pretending not to hear.


    But as I was about to leave, Kieran’s voice called from the front of the room. "Miss Evaline, could you stay back for a moment?"


    The chatter instantly died down for a heartbeat before bursting into fresh whispers. I didn’t even need to look around to know that Nadine’s eyes were probably twitching.


    "Of course," I said quietly.


    When the others left, Kieran leaned back against his desk, watching me with a faint, knowing smile.


    "You handled yourself well," he said. "Not just the potion, but everything else."


    I blinked. "Everything else?"


    "The stares. The whispers." His tone softened. "You didn’t let them get to you."


    I exhaled slowly, meeting his gaze. "I’m trying not to. But... it’s harder than it looks."


    His lips curved slightly. "I know." Then, his voice dropped lower... gentle but certain. "Still, you did beautifully."


    For a brief moment, the ssroom felt too small, too quiet. Hispliment, simple as it was, carried weight - warm and grounding.


    "Thank you," I said softly, and he nodded once before turning back to the desk, slipping effortlessly into his professor’sposure again.


    "Go on now," he said with a small smile. "You have another ss to attend."


    As I left the room, I caught a glimpse of Nadine waiting just outside, pretending to adjust her bag while clearly trying to eavesdrop. I almostughed.


    She’d probably spend the rest of the week wondering what Kieran and I had talked about.


    If only she knew the truth - how the man she spent her nights dreaming about was the same one who, hours ago, had held me in his arms as if I were his entire world.


    And somehow, that secret... our secret... made walking through those whispering halls a little easier.