The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 5
As the document in Robert’s hand crumpled, the door to the study swung open.
“You have returned, Duke.”
“And Hedonia?”
“I am ashamed to inform you, but there’s still no sign of him.”
“…Tsk.”
In response to the maid’s helpless words, Duke Apharantes impatiently waved his hand, signaling her to leave the room.
He briskly moved towards Hedonia’s room. He needed to quickly inform him about the newly acquired information.
‘The fact that you can be a more perfect guide than anyone else.’
The time I’ve waited for hasn’t been in vain at all. Raising Hedonia has been the same.
‘Someday, you’ll realize that my choices have never been wrong.’
Robert Apharantes sincerely believed that.
The room, made of pristine white marble, felt like observing an ancient temple.
Duke Apharantes, standing close to the bed in the center of the room, looked down at Hedonia.
Sensing a presence, Hedonia opened his eyes. With cold sweat trickling down, he barely confirmed the Duke in front of him and frowned.
“Get lost.”
It was a face he never wanted to see for a lifetime.
Seeing Hedonia shiver and shudder with closed eyes, Duke Apharantes chuckled softly.
“Hedonia, I’ve found a way to save you.”
His smile was tinged with madness.
Hedonia, squinting his eyes, looked at his father and chuckled ironically.
Not everything would go according to his father’s wishes.
Someday, he would leave this mansion and control that man’s fate.
So, he had to seize the opportunity.
An opportunity to gather those who would stand by him.
Of course, to find the right people, he needed a worthy stage.
Hedonia’s eyes, lost in thought, sparkled under the moonlight.
* * *
At the place I arrived at, precisely at the evening hour, a carriage was already waiting for me.
The coachman was different from the one I saw earlier. He opened the carriage door with an expressionless face.
“The Duke is waiting. Hurry inside.”
His stern tone indicated that he regarded me as someone beneath him.
‘Right.’
It makes me realize that where I live is no longer modern. I entered the carriage with an expressionless face, as if responding to him.
Before long, the carriage arrived at the Duke’s residence. Even after passing through the main gate of the Duke’s estate, the carriage continued on. I couldn’t fathom the scale of how vast it was.
The coachman opened the door again, so I could be guided by a servant.
“You’ll need to prepare before meeting the Duke.”
Without a proper chance to inspect the mansion, I was directed to the bathroom. It seemed they weren’t pleased with the state I was in after my journey.
The water, scented like perfumes, emitted a pleasant fragrance.
I was captivated by the illusion that I had returned to the modern world after a long time. The warm water even reminded me of the past.
‘I always used to bathe in cold water.’
There was a significant difference from the inns. After coming out from the bath, I was dressed in soft garments.
Only after completing all the preparations could I enter the Duke’s study.
My gaze briefly flickered towards his desk. The scattered documents around hinted at a considerable workload.
I was confident that among them, there would be information about me.
He wasn’t one to waste time. There must have been a reason why he didn’t take me away immediately.
Duke Apharantes, who had been absorbed in his work, finally looked up. He stroked his chin while surveying me.
“Now, let’s see.”
As if critiquing, he snapped his fingers. There was no invitation for me to sit.
“So, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?”
Externally, Hedonia’s ailment was a secret.
“I want a suitable island in return for providing you with blood—wealth, safety, you know…”
“How remarkable can your blood be?”
He chuckled, almost mockingly. Whether he ridiculed my request or not didn’t matter.
As long as I received my compensation, mocking or not, it was fine by me.
In this world, having an island was crucial for ensuring safety.
The current continent where I reside isn’t entirely safe from dungeon dangers. While it does fend off creatures and monsters, dungeons periodically open.
Nobles turned their attention to islands for a reason. So far, no dungeons have appeared around the islands, making them freely usable. This led to the prosperity of navigation techniques, ships, teleportation magic circles, and a flourishing delivery system.
“I’m an S-rank guide.”
“Considerable confidence. How do you know that?”
“You can feel my power.”
Indeed, awakened guides could roughly gauge the total amount of their strength. While predictions weren’t always accurate, I was different.
I knew the original work, after all.