The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 113
He craved power more than ever because he now had someone he wanted to protect.
From a life solely driven by revenge, Hedonia began to envision a future.
It wasn’t just that.
Hedonia didn’t want anyone to treat Karina poorly.
If Karina had the strength to wield power over others…
He regretted not changing the current situation sooner.
‘No, I need to change myself first, not Karina.’
He was tired of always entrusting Karina to other Espers and watching from the sides.
Hedonia wanted to protect Karina directly, not as a guide who wielded power through others…
‘As an Esper.’
To take revenge on Robert, who had tormented him all his life, he planned to become a guide and shatter his expectations.
The higher his expectations, the greater his despair would be if they were to be destroyed.
Before Karina appeared, Hedonia had never considered becoming an Esper.
All he had ever heard about was guiding, and he had been unconsciously brainwashed.
‘But this path offers a perfect opportunity for revenge as well.’
By becoming an Esper instead of a guide, he would completely defy his father’s expectations.
He knew there were many advantages to being a guide.
If he just inherited all the tasks Robert had managed so far, there would be no problem in succeeding the dukedom.
‘But still…’
He didn’t want to be a guide.
More than anything, he needed to create a safe environment for Karina.
Starting now.
That’s why he had begun communicating with Cayden from the moment he lost contact with Karina.
With the mansion under tighter surveillance, making it difficult to bring people in, Esban had become a reliable messenger.
Of course, Esban wasn’t the only one acting as a messenger.
‘It should be arriving soon.’
When Hedonia opened the window, a bird flew in.
There was a note attached to its leg.
Today, the Duke of Apharantes is meeting the black magician in prison. I will gather evidence. Esban will relay the message to Miss Karina.
‘There aren’t many who don’t resent my father.’
He had oppressed guides for his own position and silenced people to conceal Hedonia’s existence, using his power to suppress dissent.
Now it was time to use those resentful of him.
Hedonia stood up, his eyes gleaming with determination.
* * *
When I woke up, I was still in bed.
‘I remember something being inserted into my right arm.’
Recalling what happened at dawn, I immediately checked my arm by rolling up my sleeve.
But there were no scars or marks.
The sensation of something being inserted was still vivid in my mind…
‘Was it just a dream?’
But it felt too real to be a dream. And if it involved Robert, it was certainly plausible, which made me more uneasy.
Robert and I were bound by a contract, so he couldn’t harm me directly.
But what if he had found a loophole?
If he discovered a way to kill me and save himself, my life would indeed be in danger.
The contract would be broken, and I’d be the only one to die.
There would be no island, no escape.
‘I need to find a way.’
I had to use every means available to stay alive.
I didn’t want to propose a deal to Shaelock over this.
I didn’t want to entangle her in financial or official matters.
As an Esper and a princess, Shaelock had to continue dealing with the Duke, and I didn’t want her to be inconvenienced.
I hated seeing the people I cared about suffer.
‘Pheon and Esban are different.’
It was easier to get involved with them because there were no personal feelings attached.
It’s like how it’s easier to share your story with a stranger who knows nothing about you.
‘I’ll have to guide Esban and Pheon, but…’
I needed to seek their cooperation to escape and stay safe on the island until Hedonia could take control of the Apharantes family.
After that, I could finally rest without worrying about guiding, dungeons, or any life-threatening situations.
In truth, I wanted to avoid guiding if possible.
The more I guided, the further my life seemed from normalcy.
I had only been to a dungeon twice, but I never wanted to go back.
The environment, where relying on Espers was necessary, and the monsters that were neither human nor animal, were etched vividly in my mind.
What if I encountered even more distorted creatures in another dungeon?
I’m not as brave as I’d like to think. Living a normal life is the best.
‘So… let’s set the stage one last time.’
Creating chaos so the Duke couldn’t follow me. This seemed like a good plan.
It would be my insurance and the final gift I could give to Hedonia.
‘That makes guiding worthwhile.’
I stroked my arm and stood up.
‘First, let’s think after drawing blood.’
I needed to get up and start moving.
Just sitting and thinking about what to do wouldn’t change anything.
I had to act quickly to protect myself.
