Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 268
If he could keep Rose in a safe place within his sight and never let her out of that range, nothing could harm her.
But he couldn’t do that because Rose was Rose. She was not someone who could be quietly confined within his bounds.
She found joy in earning even small amounts of money by going in and out of the guide quarters and still shrank back under the gaze and attention of others.
So, to respect her way of life while protecting her, there was only one method. Leaving her in the safety of the Center and going on his own.
This way, she could continue living the way she always had, without the disgrace of being the Guide of a cowardly hero.
“Just say one word. Tell me not to leave you, to stay by your side. That’s what I truly want.”
He could bear the disgrace of being called a coward. In fact, it was the choice he wanted the most among the options available to him.
Rose looked up at him, speechless. She seemed shocked that he could ignore the deaths of countless people just to stay by her side.
But as he expected, she never spoke the words he longed to hear.
And that dawn.
Claude, who had fallen into a light sleep, woke up and sat up in bed. He noticed a shadow quietly lurking in the darkness.
With a heavy sigh, Claude called out to her.
“…Rose.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“……”
“I’ll never… I’ll never beg you to take me with you again… so please, Lord Claude, just go…”
Claude felt like he couldn’t breathe. The only reason he had to stay at the Center was now trying to send him away.
“…Come here.”
When he called out with a sigh, she staggered over. He lifted her onto the bed and held her close, and Rose burrowed into his embrace like a child.
Feeling the wetness on his chest where her face was buried, Claude could only hold her trembling shoulders and gently comfort her.
He whispered to her throughout the night. He told her that none of this was her fault, and that she shouldn’t torment herself with such thoughts.
But Rose gave no response to his words.
***
The preparations for the mission were made swiftly due to the urgency.
Since the Code Purple was issued unofficially, the departure was carried out quietly, unlike the previous time. In the still dawn without a crowd waving flags, the departure felt somewhat disordered.
He thought she wouldn’t come to see him off this time. But as Claude was just about to leave the house, Rose quietly emerged from her room and followed him.
All the while, Rose stubbornly kept her mouth shut. Her eyes were swollen from crying all night, and her face looked gaunt, so Claude couldn’t bring himself to say anything to her.
Thus, while the other departing members shared tender farewells with their close ones, the two of them stood awkwardly and distantly.
However, the composure Rose was maintaining crumbled the moment Claude was about to board the vehicle.
“…….”
Rose bit her lip, her small body trembling as she silently cried. She knew that if she begged him to take her along, Claude might not leave her and stay instead.
Facing an uncertain, possibly long separation, Rose broke down. Watching his Guide like this made Claude’s heart ache unbearably.
Until the last moment before departure, he held her tightly, trying to console her by kissing her tear-streaked face, but it was no use.
At this point, Claude couldn’t bring himself to leave Rose alone at the Center. He felt it might be better to take her with him.
But Rose’s safety was non-negotiable, so Claude ultimately had to turn away, leaving the crying Rose behind.
Even as her small figure became a distant dot as the vehicle started moving, Claude couldn’t tear his eyes away from the window.
Until she was completely out of sight.
