Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 160
“Lord Daniel should just be shared among all Guides. He shouldn’t be monopolized by anyone.”
“…Agreed. We can’t lose another one.”
“…”
“Rose, they’re talking about you.”
“Lost in thought again, Rose?”
Unexpectedly, the topic shifted to me, and my perfect crime was busted.
My wandering mind snapped back.
“Ack… Me?”
“Given his otherworldly level, we dare not aspire, but isn’t Lord Claude the best in this field?”
Right, right, everyone nodded in agreement.
The Esper that Guides most wanted to guide. The Esper who’s the most attractive to Guides.
The best in that field is… Claude?
“…Lord Claude?”
“Of course. He’s a national hero. Even when I first joined the Center upon manifesting as a Guide, I wondered if there’d ever be a chance to guide Lord Claude. But reality hit… the first time I actually saw him in person was when he summoned all the Guides and lined them up because he was looking for one.”
You too? Yeah, me too.
The Guides giggled and agreed.
I discreetly avoided their eyes…
“Anyway, seeing him for the first time felt like seeing a celebrity.”
“…Weren’t you scared? He was uncompromising even to Guides, unlike other Espers.”
“He might have drawn a cold line with Guides… but I actually like that about him more. It made him seem even cooler because he was different from other Espers. After all, a luxury brand loses its appeal if everyone has it.”
“But if he were only cold to me, I might have disliked it… Since even the most popular Guides among us, like Miss Shana, are treated impartially without any special treatment, I kind of fantasized about it. Plus, he’s someone who can’t be excluded from the history of the Center. It’s a bit hard to approach him thoughtlessly…”
“And above all… he’s incredibly handsome.”
The Guides once again became lively and started their enthusiastic conversations.
It feels weird.
Come to think of it, there was a time when guides were lined up looking for me, and some C-Class Guide claimed she had guided him.
Even in front of me, queen bee of the Guide Division Shana didn’t hesitate to try and seduce him.
Were the Guides, treated like germs due to his mysophobia, fantasizing more about his cold demeanor?
“…”
“Ah, Rose, we’re not saying we’re still coveting Lord Claude right now.”
Seeing me silent, the Guides quickly clarified.
“Yeah, yeah. Who among us would dare to approach him now that he has an imprinted Guide? He’s like a celebrity to us, and thinking of attempting anything now is…”
“…It’s okay. I’m not misunderstanding.”
I really wasn’t. The feelings most Guides had for Claude was more akin to curiosity, admiration, aspiration… rather than love or excitement.
Because he’s too far removed from them, it’s hard for them to imagine themselves next to him.
…I felt that way once too.
So, I wasn’t upset.
Not upset, but…
“Now that I think about it, I never imagined he’d settle down with one Guide for the rest of his life. But with you, Rose, he seems very different from how he treats others.”
“Right. Even today’s snack was provided by Lord Claude, wasn’t it?”
A Guide suddenly pointed at the cupcake she was eating. It was from the snack lunch box I had shared today.
“Ah… yes, but…”
Lately, Claude has been preparing snack lunch boxes for me every day.
When I mentioned that I was sharing snacks with other Guides, he seemed very displeased, but instead of complaining, from the next day, he simply packed twice the amount he usually prepared.
He might not have adjusted his facial expression, but he has been keeping his promise not to get angry at me again quite well.
If it were the original him? By now, the Guide Division would have been turned upside down three times.
Certainly, I too didn’t expect Claude to accommodate me this much…
“Why mention it. He cherishes Rose to the point of willingly paying 400 billion berks.”
“Ha… it’s hard to find another Esper like Lord Claude who’s cold to other Guides but warm only to you.”
I know they’re trying to cheer me up in a subtle way.
But why does it make me feel even more downcast?
This unsettled feeling lasted quite a while.
Even when it was time to go home after finishing today’s classes.
