Chapter 229 The Villain Lady Arrives 57
The sun shines through the sparse clouds, scattering on the square of the academy, covering this solemn yet lively place with a golden coat. Today, the academy welcomed an unusual speech. The third prince, together with Alice and Tariq, stood on the podium, ready to reveal the conspiracy hidden in the dark to all the teachers and students of the school.
The innocence and bravery of myself and others.
Chi Meng stood at the outermost edge of the crowd, her arms folded across her chest, a disdainful smile on her lips. She had a pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, but at this moment she seemed particularly indifferent. She had no expectations for the upcoming "farce", but was full of ridicule.
"Hmph, another self-directed and self-acted drama." Chi Meng whispered to himself, then turned around and was about to leave, with his next plan in mind.
Back in her slightly fancy dorm, Chi Meng quickly spread out a map with a few key locations marked in red. They were the information dissemination centers she carefully selected. She clapped her hands, and several dark shadows appeared silently in the room. They were the spies she had raised.
"Go, let everyone know that Alice is the devil's substitute in the world, and anyone who gets close to her will suffer misfortune." Chi Meng's voice was low and full of majesty, and every word sounded like a curse squeezed out from between his teeth.
Meanwhile, a speech was going on in the square. The Third Prince spoke passionately, exposing the plots that tried to destroy his reputation through rumors. Alice stood beside him, giving him silent support with a firm and gentle look. Tariq was responsible for adding details and refuting those groundless accusations with facts and data.
However, these efforts did not seem to completely quell the aftermath of the rumors. When the speech ended and the crowd dispersed, Alice walked alone on the path of the campus, feeling mixed emotions. She thought she had gotten used to the intrigues in the court, but she had never expected that this peace would be so fragile.
"Alice, you look worried." Tariq had caught up with her at some point, his voice gentle and concerned.
Alice stopped, turned around, and forced a smile. "Tariq, I just feel that sometimes the truth doesn't seem to be enough to change people's views."
Tariq sighed softly, walked forward and patted her shoulder gently. "Alice, the truth may be late, but it will never be absent. We just need to insist on doing what we think is right, and time will prove everything."
As the two were talking, a whisper came from not far away. Although the sound was very small, Alice's keen hearing still made it clear. She couldn't help but frowned and turned to look in the direction of the sound. She saw several students secretly pointing at her with expressions of fear or curiosity on their faces.
Alice's heart sank. She knew that those rumors had begun to spread on campus. She wanted to step forward and question them, but she felt powerless. Just then, Tariq noticed her strangeness and whispered, "What's wrong, Alice?"
Alice shook her head, a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes, "I'm fine, just... a little tired."
Tariq didn't ask any more questions, but just stayed by her side silently, as if he was a solid support.
In the following days, the atmosphere on campus became increasingly tense and strange. Rumors about Alice spread like wildfire, and some people even began to make up more bizarre stories, portraying Alice as a demon with mysterious powers who could control people's hearts and bring misfortune.
Luna, Alice's best friend, has not been heard from since the expedition and has become a "victim" of rumors. Whenever someone mentions Luna's name, there will be a sigh and a sentence "It's a pity that Alice was implicated."
When Alice walked on the campus, she no longer felt the warmth and harmony of the past, but the ubiquitous indifference and alienation.
Alice's footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, and each step seemed particularly heavy.
She tried to greet every classmate who passed by with a smile, but she found that those smiles were like a stone's throw away. In return, they only ran away quickly after a quick glance, or whispered fear and rejection.
Her eyes swept across the figures gathered in twos and threes. They were either whispering or talking to each other. Whenever she approached, the conversation came to an abrupt end, followed by deliberate avoidance and cold looks.
At night, Alice sat alone in front of the window in the dormitory, the moonlight shining through the gaps in the curtains onto her slightly pale face.
She stared out the window at the once familiar but now unfamiliar campus, feeling mixed emotions. In the dormitory, the once cheerful atmosphere was long gone, and her roommates found excuses to move out, leaving only empty beds and cold air.
Alice sighed softly. She understood that she had become the target of public criticism. Those groundless rumors were like an invisible net that bound her tightly.
"Alice, are you okay?" A gentle but hesitant voice broke the silence in the room. Alice looked up and saw Tariq standing at the door, his face full of worry. He walked in slowly, sat next to Alice, and asked softly, "I heard those rumors. They are so ridiculous. How could you..."
Alice smiled bitterly and interrupted Tariq: "I know these rumors are ridiculous, but I can't control other people's thoughts and mouths. I just wonder why things have turned out like this? We just want to reveal the truth, why are we in such a predicament?"
Tariq clenched his fists, and a flash of anger flashed in his eyes: "Alice, this is not fair! We should stand up and let those who spread rumors know how irresponsible their words and deeds are!"
Alice shook her head, a trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes: "Stand up? What can we do? Now everyone is avoiding us, and some people are even making up more terrible stories to slander us. We are like standing on an isolated island, surrounded by raging waves."
At this moment, a noisy sound came from the corridor. Alice and Tariq looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes. They stood up and walked to the door, only to see several gorgeously dressed students standing not far away, with mocking smiles on their faces, discussing them unscrupulously.
"Look, that's Alice, the demon substitute who calls herself 'Light Messenger'." A boy pointed at Alice exaggeratedly, with obvious provocation in his voice.
"Yeah, I heard that whenever she smiles, people around her will be unlucky. Even a good person like Luna was killed by her." Another girl echoed, her eyes full of gloating.
Tariq could no longer suppress his anger. He strode forward and glared at the students: "What makes you say that? What evidence do you have to prove that Alice is a demon? You will only appear ignorant and cruel if you do this!"
Seeing this, the students did not restrain themselves at all, but became even more arrogant. One of the boys, who was dressed gorgeously and obviously of high status, sneered:
"Evidence? We don't need evidence, because she is just that kind of person. Who do you think you are? You are just two commoners. Do you think you can stir up trouble in the magic academy? Let me tell you, this is the world of us nobles. You'd better be sensible and stop polluting our air!"
Tariq was so angry that he was shaking all over. He was about to step forward to argue, but Alice gently pulled his arm back. Alice looked at the students, with no anger in her eyes, only deep sorrow:
"You are wrong. The real devil is not us, but those who are blinded by rumors and prejudice. We could have worked together to protect this campus, but you chose to isolate each other with fear and hatred."