Chapter 21: What Am I To You?

Lumi Pei stayed beside Evan’s bed for three hours, but he still showed no sign of waking up. Thinking that her family might at least be concerned about her whereabouts, she decided to return home first.

"Are you sure you don’t want to wait until Evan wakes up?" Sloane gently held onto her hand.

Lumi shook her head.

"It’s all right. If he wants to meet me, just call—" She paused, ’Oh... right. I don’t have a phone anymore.’

Her family had taken it away a week ago, along with everything else that could connect her to the outside world.

"Call the Pei family’s landline..." she finished with a small smile.

She turned toward the door, but after taking a few steps, she stopped and looked back at the hospital room.

Her gaze slowly moved across everyone in the room.

Luke stood farther away with his usual stern expression, while Leon remained nearby, watching her quietly. Sloane was still standing beside her, her hand lingering where it had held Lumi’s moments ago.

Even Alexandra was there, although she had remained unusually quiet since they arrived.

Lumi lowered her eyes. She wasn’t sure what any of them thought about her anymore. But at least... Nobody had treated her like she was useless.

She gave them a small bow. "Thank you... for everything today."

With that, Lumi finally turned around and walked out of the room.

The Caesar family arranged for a car to take her home, and Lumi sat quietly in the back seat, watching the familiar streets pass by through the window.

And the moment Pei’s residence came into view, instead of feeling relieved, Lumi found herself strangely uneasy.

’I wonder what they’ll do when I get back...’ She lowered her gaze to her hands.

Her family had locked her inside a room, taken away her phone, put Celestine in her place, and sent her to a ceremony where everyone had been told that Celestine was Evan’s Fated Guide.

In the end, they still failed.

The car finally stopped in front of the Pei residence.

Lumi took a slow breath before opening the door. She stepped out carefully and turned toward the driver. "Thank you for bringing me back."

"You’re welcome, Miss Pei."

Lumi gave him a small nod before turning toward the mansion. She carefully walked inside, her steps becoming more cautious as she approached the living room.

She hadn’t even had time to wonder whether anyone would ask if she was okay when something suddenly flew toward her.

The vase struck the side of her head.

"Ah—!"

Lumi staggered sideways, one hand immediately flying to her head as a sharp pain spread across her temple. The vase crashed onto the floor a second later, breaking into countless pieces around her feet.

For several seconds, Lumi could only stand there, stunned.

Then Felix’s furious voice rang through the living room.

"You—You planned this, didn’t you?!"

Lumi slowly lifted her head.

Felix was glaring at her, his expression filled with rage.

Lumi’s fingers trembled against the spot where the vase had struck her. Her head was still ringing, and a thin trickle of blood slowly ran down from her forehead.

"What do you mean, Father?" she asked, wincing as the pain throbbed through her head. "You know that would probably be impossible..."

Felix’s expression darkened.

"Impossible?" He took a step toward her, his voice rising.

"Then explain to me why the strongest Sentinel in the Empire went into Rampage during the ceremony, why the entire ceremony turned into chaos, and why you were the one who ended up Guiding him!"

His eyes narrowed as he stared at her, "You wanted to show the entire world that we are liars, didn’t you?!"

Lumi’s eyes widened. "I... what?"

"Don’t pretend you don’t know what you did!" Felix’s voice thundered through the living room. "You knew exactly what would happen once Evan realized Celestine wasn’t his Fated Guide!"

"Father..." Her voice was weak as sadness settled heavily in her chest. "You know full well that he didn’t even realize there was a swap. It’s just that... he couldn’t be Guided by anyone else but me—"

"Are you gloating right now?" Felix’s eyes narrowed. "Showing off because you’ve finally proven that you’re not useless?"

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

’Gloating...?’ She lowered her gaze. "I wasn’t..."

"After all these years of everyone calling you useless, you finally found something you can use against this family, didn’t you?" Felix interrupted coldly.

Lumi’s fingers curled against her dress. "I never thought of it that way..."

Felix’s expression hardened. "You caused your sister’s injury!"

Lumi’s eyes widened.

"Father... I didn’t do anything. Why is everything that happens to Celestine somehow my fault?" Her voice trembled with disbelief. "What next? If I just breathe, will that be my fault too?"

Felix’s expression darkened.

Before Lumi could react, he rushed forward and slapped her across the face.

Her head snapped to the side, and the pain from the earlier blow to her head immediately flared again.

"Just because you are something now, you dare talk back to me?!" Felix’s voice echoed in every corner of the living room.

Lumi slowly turned her face back toward him, her cheek burning. Her fingers curled tightly against her dress, but the words remained trapped in her throat.

She stared sharply at the man she had always believed was supposed to protect her from the moment she was born. She had never expected to be hated by him to this extent.

"I wonder..." Her voice trembled as she fought to hold back her tears. "What am I to you?"

She locked her eyes with him, refusing to look away.

’If my face wasn’t identical to Celestine’s...’ Her chest tightened. ’I might really think I was some adopted child you just picked up somewhere.’

For the first time, Lumi wasn’t looking at Felix with fear. She was looking at him with disappointment.

Felix’s expression remained cold, as though her question had barely touched him.

"What are you to me?" He let out a cold laugh. "You’re my daughter. Unfortunately, that’s all you are. The daughter who is ungrateful after being fed, given a place to live, and allowed to carry the Pei family name all these years."

Lumi’s lips parted slightly. Her heart sank with every word.

"Is that not enough?" Felix continued, his voice filled with disdain. "You were born into this family. You received everything you were supposed to receive. Yet what have you ever given back to us?"

"I..."

"You couldn’t Guide. You couldn’t contribute to the family. You couldn’t even become a proper Guide like your sister." His eyes narrowed. "And yet you still had the audacity to refuse when the family finally found a way to make your existence useful."

Lumi’s fingers curled tightly against the fabric of her dress.

"So, in your eyes..." Her voice trembled. "I was only useful when you could use my Fated Guide connection for Celestine?"

Felix’s expression did not change. "Don’t twist my words. You should be grateful that we were willing to keep you in this family despite your uselessness."