Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 44
Feeling as though I was the only one left in this world, I watched the fireworks in a daze.
Then, my gaze was drawn to a young couple nearby, who seemed to be around my age.
They looked at each other with loving eyes, eventually embracing and kissing beneath the brilliant fireworks, as if to say that even amidst such splendor, they were each other’s brightest light…
Despite knowing it was rude, I couldn’t help but stare blankly at them.
Wasn’t this the kind of scene I had dreamed of since coming to this world and becoming a Guide?
A lover who would look at me as if I were their everything, who would fill their eyes only with me, and cherish me more than anything.
A love so certain it would never change…
Would I ever receive such a gaze from my future Esper?
Watching them, I felt a mix of envy and sadness.
While I was lost in these complicated emotions—
“Really…”
—I was startled by a sudden grip on my wrist, spinning me around.
“You’re impossible! I take my eyes off you for one second and…!”
It was Claude, slightly irritated.
“…”
“…”
I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn’t immediately understand the situation.
“…Uh, Lord Claude?”
“You’re so small, what if you got stepped on? Roaming around fearlessly!”
Claude shouted with anger lacing his tone.
But something felt off.
It wasn’t just that he was angry because I wandered off… It sounded almost like he was worried about me disappearing suddenly.
“…Where’s Miss Shana?”
“What?”
“Why did you leave Miss Shana to come find me?”
“Is that really what’s important right now?”
If Shana isn’t important, then who is?
Claude should be thinking that Shana might be his Guide.
Yet he’s behaving like this with me.
It’s strange. His scolding didn’t scare me as much for the first time. …Weird.
Claude furrowed his brows at me as I simply stared blankly back at him.
Meanwhile, the festive atmosphere of the fireworks intensified, drawing more crowds.
“Ah!”
Thud, I was jostled by an elbow from nowhere, staggering, when Claude suddenly grabbed me.
Just as I realized I was almost in his embrace, the pressure from the surrounding crowd disappeared.
Claude had used his teleportation ability to move us to a nearby narrow alley.
Although we were no longer being pushed by the crowd, the alley was so cramped that our bodies were pressed tightly together.
“…What’s so great about a place like this?”
“…”
“Let’s just stay here for a while.”
Claude muttered, looking out at the dense crowd with a face full of disgust.
He seemed oblivious to the fact that our bodies were pressed close together.
Look at this.
He detests people so much, yet he waded through the crowd to find me.
He avoids Shana’s touch, but when it comes to me, he doesn’t seem to mind our closeness.
Why is that?
In the flickering light of the fireworks, Claude’s face appeared and disappeared in the shadows.
Naturally, my mind drifted to our kisses.
The first kiss under the dim moonlight, when he was in a frenzy.
And the second one, which was too tender for just a ‘confirmation.’
My heart fluttered strangely.
“Why did you come looking for me?”
I asked, my voice small and impulsive.
“Were you… concerned about me?”
I wasn’t sure what answer I wanted. Even if he said yes, I wondered if I could reveal the truth about being his guide.
But at that moment, I felt I needed to hear his answer.
“Please, answer me.”
“…”
“If you’re actually concerned…”
“It’s too noisy. I can’t hear you well.”
The alley was so narrow, and the noise of fireworks and people drowned out my voice.
Suddenly, Claude lowered his head towards me. His ear came close to my lips.
There was a slight, very slight touch between his ear and my lips.
And at that moment…
The sensation of my lips softly tickling, unmistakable yet unfamiliar.
It was… guiding energy.
My eyes, wide with surprise, met Claude’s red eyes, just inches away.
