Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 32
They were the eyes of a predator, ready to devour its prey at any moment.
My body froze with fear.
He had taken so many sedatives that even an elephant would fall asleep.
Azir told me I wouldn’t be able to wake him up even if I slapped him!
It was a heart that wanted to grab Azir’s collar and shake him.
Could I really be exposed so easily?
“I knew it was you…”
Claude quickly threw away his black leather gloves, which had never left his hands like a second skin.
Even when touching his longtime friend Oscar, he had hesitated.
No matter how confident I was that I was his Guide, the thought of him touching me was…
However, in the next moment, he decisively grabbed my hand with his bare hands.
I’ve been exposed…!
I tightly closed my eyes.
“…”
“…”
…But nothing happened.
The face of Claude, who had firmly held my hand in certainty, slowly stiffened.
The excited and ominous look that had just found his Guide finally wavered.
“…It can’t be.”
Guiding didn’t happen.
Claude had been guided only twice. The dawn when he collapsed and shared a kiss, and just now when I casually poked his forehead while he’s asleep.
Other than that, even if I was in contact with another Esper, I couldn’t guide them at all, even when that other Esper held my hand in front of him.
Whether it was during simulated training in the cave, or even when I had to hug him tightly while I was being carried, I didn’t guide anyone at all.
I didn’t know how to control guiding, but for now, it was fortunate.
“It can’t be.”
“I can’t guide you. I’m not a Guide.”
“How can this be…”
“I’m just a non-ability person.”
“Shut up.”
Sigh.
Claude’s intimidating gaze made me close my mouth.
He didn’t give up.
Whether it was forcefully intertwining his fingers with mine or grabbing my wrist tightly, he persisted.
Surely, on that daybreak encounter, holding hands alone was enough for me to give him guiding energy, but now, only body temperature seemed to transfer.
Claude, who was once confident, was now visibly confused.
Then suddenly, he grabbed my neck this time.
As his cold fingers touched, a shiver ran down my spine.
I knew about the four endings caused by Claude. Two of them involved Irene’s neck being broken.
Is it my turn this time? I closed my eyes tightly again.
But unexpectedly, instead of breaking my neck, he pulled me closer.
Close enough that our noses almost touched, and I could feel his breath on my closed eyes. It was only then that I realized what he was trying to do.
“Ah! Are you crazy!”
Thwack!
Just too surprised, my hand moved reflexively. My palm hit Claude’s perfect nose directly.
Of course, he was an Esper, and I was just an ordinary non-ability, so it probably didn’t hurt him.
But they say even sharks run away if you hit their nose.
In Claude’s case, he didn’t run away, but it was enough to make him pause and, at the same time, properly infuriate him.
Claude gripped his reddened nose and glared at me menacingly.
“A-Are you okay?”
“…”
“I mean, why are you suddenly leaning close to my lips and causing a fuss…”
“Why are you here.”
Claude gritted his teeth and growled.
I was bewildered.
“I’m here for work. Did you think I came to guide you, Lord Claude?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You were nearby when I received guiding for the first time. Even now, waking up, I found that guiding had happened, and as it just so happened, you were around. Are you telling me this is all just a coincidence?”
“…”
“You. You’re my Guide, aren’t you?”
His imposing presence, enhanced by his tall stature, made me cower.
I quickly crouched down.
“W-Well, you checked, right?”
“…”
“You touched me and everything, but I couldn’t guide you at all…”
Despite my legs trembling at the scrutiny of his piercing crimson eyes, I forced myself to stand firm.
Don’t be scared, Rose Valentine.
I’m just an ordinary person without any abilities. Besides, Claude has no direct evidence to be certain I’m his Guide, even after personally holding my hand for inspection.
“Now that I think about it, you did say something like that, probably.”
Claude chuckled at my apparent discomfort.
“You said it’s not enough to just hold hands, right?”
“?”
“You told me to kiss Oscar passionately, just like that dawn when I received guiding. Passionately.”
“Well, that’s…”
“Just holding hands wouldn’t be sufficient, right?”
