"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
Upon seeing the cut on Jean's hand from the rose's thorns, Reid acted quite "flustered," apologizing repeatedly while quickly pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to tend to the wound.
"I'm really sorry. I couldn't help myself when I saw such a beautiful person like you. I just wanted to pick a rose and give it to you. I'm sorry for hurting you."
At first, Jean was a little angry, but after hearing Reid compliment her beauty and noticing his sincere apology, her anger quickly faded.
It was only then that Jean suddenly realized that the person named Reid in front of her was actually quite handsome.
With dark blonde hair, a tall and well-built figure, handsome features, and an air of gentlemanly charm that seemed to surround him at all times, Jean found herself momentarily stunned.
"Miss Jean? Miss Jean?"
It was Reid's voice calling out that brought Jean back to her senses.
"Huh? What... what happened?"
Reid gave a wry smile. He knew that his newly reconstructed body, thanks to the system, was quite handsome, but now it seemed that he might have the potential to become a succubus?
Reid pointed at the iron gate and said, "We've reached the estate's entrance. It's time for me to leave."
"Ah! Yes, I'm sorry, I was distracted just now."
With that, Jean opened the iron gate and allowed Reid to step outside. The reluctance in her eyes was almost palpable, as though an invisible hand was trying to pull Reid back.
This wasn't just a description to create an atmosphere.
Jean's abilities had indeed responded to the fluctuations in her emotions.
Reid noticed an invisible hand unconsciously moving closer to him.
"Goodbye, Miss Jean. I hope we meet again someday."
Just as the hand was about to grab him, Reid spoke decisively, successfully interrupting Jean's emotions.
"Ah... yes. Goodbye."
Reid gave a faint smile, turned, and got into the car that had brought him to the estate, leaving without looking back.
At the gate, Jean stood alone, staring in the direction where Reid had departed. After a long silence, she finally spoke softly.
'If only you were a mutant too.'
For some reason, Jean felt an inexplicable attraction to that man. If he were also a mutant, then they could be together forever.
With this thought, Jean slowly returned to the estate and entered Charles's office. Inside, she saw Charles, Erik, and Raven in the middle of a discussion.
"Jean... you... you're hurt?"
Erik reacted the most intensely. He immediately stepped forward, taking Jean's hand wrapped in the handkerchief. The blood seeping through the fabric was clearly visible.
"Was it that guy? Let me take a look at your wound."
As Erik spoke, he reached out, attempting to undo the handkerchief wrapped around Jean's hand to check her injury.
However, Jean's emotions suddenly flared. A surge of powerful telekinesis slammed into Erik, catching him off guard.
At the critical moment, Erik reacted quickly, using his magnetic control ability to stabilize the metal armor on his body, preventing himself from being flung backward by Jean's telekinetic force.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch from the thorns of a rose." Jean said firmly.
Charles, standing to the side, nodded slightly. While he couldn't directly read Jean's mind without her permission due to her own psychic abilities, he could sense her sincerity. The wound was indeed caused by a rose.
Jean gripped the handkerchief around her injured hand tightly. Her sudden emotional outburst seemed to have been triggered by Erik's attempt to remove the cloth.
"Professor, I think I'll go rest now." Jean said quickly, as if afraid someone might take the handkerchief from her. Without waiting for a reply, she left the office.
"Jean's fallen for that boy, hasn't she? To unleash such a powerful force over something like this." Erik said slowly, recovering from the earlier incident. His tone carried frustration toward Reid, but deep down, there was also a sense of satisfaction at the strength Jean had displayed.
"Jean's powers are growing stronger. This is truly a good thing."
Charles interrupted, his tone calm but firm. "Jean still needs to learn how to control her abilities. She just lashed out at you because of an emotional surge. That cannot continue."
"Charles." Erik countered. "Sometimes you need to be bold and push forward. Before I could move a coin, I first learned how to rip through steel doors. One must gain great strength before attempting to master it."
As Erik let out a hearty laugh, he left the office, his footsteps echoing faintly in the hallway.
Raven also prepared to leave, but before stepping out, she glanced back at Charles.
"Jean seems to have fallen for that human at first sight."
Charles nodded in agreement.
Although he despised humans, he had to admit that someone like Reid was exactly the type that attracted the opposite sex. That brat Scott in the academy didn't stand a chance when compared to Reid.
What's more, the gesture of offering a rose was an undeniably romantic move. It was no surprise that Jean's heart had been stirred.
Still, Charles didn't put much weight on the matter.
"It will have some influence, but not enough to be a problem. We can't kill all humans, and leaving a few isn't an issue. Jean has long accepted our ideology. Even if she falls for a human, it won't affect her loyalty to our cause. Don't overthink it."
Charles knew his old friend Raven well. The fact that she had brought this up meant she was already considering killing Reid.
However, for the sake of maintaining stability, Charles rejected the idea outright.
After all, Reid had some connections to the Wayne family. If they killed him, that shrewd old butler currently in charge of the Wayne family might trace the incident back to them. That, Charles thought, would cause far more harm than allowing Reid to live.
"I understand."
Raven nodded, pushing aside her earlier thoughts. She hated Reid simply because he had called her unattractive. Even though she herself found her human form unattractive, it wasn't for a human to criticize her appearance.
Of course, this dislike hadn't yet developed to the point where she must kill Reid.
...
Meanwhile, Jean had returned to her room. Not long after, a familiar voice echoed from outside the door.
"Jean, I heard your hand was injured. Are you alright? I brought some medicine. Could you open the door?"
When Jean first arrived at the academy, her abilities had often spiraled out of control, leaving her feeling deeply insecure. At that time, it was only Scott—the boy who couldn't control his own powers and needed specially made red crystal glasses to manage them—who had been there for her.
So, even though Jean had now encountered the charming Reid, she still held a special place in her heart for Scott.
"Okay, I'll open it."
After responding, Jean quickly opened the door and saw Scott holding a first aid kit.
Scott immediately noticed the bloodstained handkerchief Jean was clutching.
"How did this happen? Take off the handkerchief. Let me treat it."
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