The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 211
“You know that immediately denying it is kind of like affirming it, no?”
The fact that Pheon didn’t cut off our conversation reassured me.
Being able to still talk with him was a good opportunity. It was a positive sign.
As he showed no signs of stopping me, I quickly continued.
“Lord Pheon. You didn’t have such thoughts until recently, did you?”
If Pheon had wanted to kidnap me and isolate me, he had plenty of opportunities before.
But he didn’t.
And that’s not all.
“If you were planning to confine me from the start, why did you help me organize my assets?”
At my words, Pheon’s eyebrows twitched. Even he seemed unable to understand his own actions.
After a moment of silence, Pheon said,
“To bring you here, I needed to avoid suspicion first.”
This was a completely unconvincing reason.
“You know I wouldn’t notice even if you didn’t go to such lengths.”
Pheon frowned at my words. Well, it doesn’t feel great to admit it right away, but it’s the truth anyway.
I hate to say it myself, but I had zero knowledge about economics or asset management.
I only focused on saving money, not thinking about how to invest it.
This means Pheon could have roughly organized the assets or even lied, and it wouldn’t have mattered.
Pheon must have known this fact too.
But he didn’t do that.
Instead, he answered at my level so I could fully understand my asset status.
“Don’t you think it’s contradictory, Lord Pheon?”
Pheon didn’t seem flustered. Instead, he bit his lip.
Seeing this behavior different from his usual composed self, I saw hope.
“Lord Pheon.”
Staring at Pheon’s expressionless face, I held his hand tightly.
“I believe in the Lord Pheon I’ve known all this time.”
Pheon smiled faintly at my words.
“People can change easily in the face of desire. Do you know how foolish it is to keep repeating the same words, Karina?”
“But you haven’t changed, Lord Pheon.”
I remained firm.
“I like our relationship as it is now.”
“……”
“I like how we are now, sometimes talking about each other, worrying, guiding, and chatting comfortably.”
As I spoke these heartfelt words, Pheon’s eyes wavered. It was clearly visible turmoil.
“You said we were similar. You were the only one who treated me politely even knowing I was a stand-in.”
It was true.
Unlike Esban, who initially didn’t treat me as a person and tried to hide his thoughts, or Shaelock, who was only interested in my guiding ability, Pheon’s behavior was full of manners from the start.
“Do you really think I was sincerely polite from the beginning? It was just behavior out of necessity.”
Pheon gave a sardonic smile at my words.
“But it became sincere later, didn’t it?”
It can’t be said that all his actions weren’t sincere.
Even if he might have thought that way at first, Pheon’s actions in taking care of me had sincerity mixed in.
“If that’s the case, I was the same. I thought I was just a stand-in.”
When I first became a stand-in, I didn’t intend to become as close to the Espers as I am now.
“But I changed too, didn’t I?”
But I became lovers with Hedonia, friends with Shaelock, and got to know Esban.
“How it started isn’t important. What’s important is now.”
I held Pheon’s hand and guided him.
“Lord Pheon.”
And I called his name.
Pheon bit his lip. As he received my guidance, he stared at the door.
“We have a visitor at the magic tower.”
It wasn’t hard to realize who that visitor might be.
‘It must be Hedonia.’
However, I had a strong feeling that if Hedonia and Pheon met now, it would end in disaster.
‘But I can’t prevent them from meeting either.’
I expressed my true feelings to Pheon.
Now the choice was his.
“…Take care.”
I made eye contact with Pheon and bid him farewell.
He stared at me with an unreadable gaze before leaving the room.
I watched his back as he left and then flopped down on the bed.
“…Let’s replenish my energy first.”
Maybe because I used too much energy in guiding Pheon additionally, my body felt tired.
I was also shocked from experiencing unexpected events.
“It’ll be alright.”
Repeating these words like a mantra, I closed my eyes.
I believed that the sincerity that had worked on Hedonia, Shaelock, and Esban would work on Pheon too.
