The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 68
It was fascinating to observe him like this, perhaps because it was the first time he showed such vulnerability.
“How can you ask such a question—”
“We’re both adults… with your looks and family background, you must have had quite a few women.”
Esban, not only a rare S-grade Esper and the heir to the Cairoze family and also…
He’s handsome as hell.
Handsome people do have their allure.
Someone aware of their rarity wouldn’t fail to recognize their own worth.
At my words, Esban’s eyebrows trembled slightly.
“…I’ve never been with anyone.”
His voice was too low for a mere response, and his face darkened.
‘Could he possibly be a virgin?’
I looked at him with a mix of sympathy and curiosity.
“Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Esban, seeming to catch on, replied with an annoyed expression.
“It’s just that I never found someone I wanted to do it with. Most of the guidance I received was non-contact.”
“That’s surprising.”
“Why is that?”
“Given that you come from nobility, I thought there would be many noble ladies interested in you.”
Esban values lineage and noble demeanor highly.
Maybe it’s because of the environment he grew up in.
Though now missing, even the stories of Lady Charlotte suggested as much.
She seemed like a perfect match for Esban to be engaged to.
“…….”
Esban’s lips pressed tightly together, indicating he didn’t want to respond to my comment.
I glanced at him and sighed.
Let’s wrap this up quickly.
“Shall we limit it to kissing then?”
It seemed Esban had his reasons, but I didn’t particularly want to pry.
“…Alright.”
His ready acceptance suggested that was as far as he had thought it through.
‘He’s more innocent than I expected.’
That was unexpected.
“…For how long?”
“Shall we keep it brief for now?”
Perhaps it was because I had already kissed Hedonia.
Or maybe it was because I didn’t have any particular feelings for Esban.
Asking was easy.
“We’re almost there.”
I glanced outside and nodded at him, seeking his opinion without the intention of going deeper.
“…Let’s do it.”
Esban moved next to me and naturally removed his veil.
Thanks to our escape from the dungeon, the number of people who removed my veil had increased.
Not knowing when something might happen, I had given the power to unveil to three Espers who knew of my existence.
‘I never expected it to be used this way.’
With the veil removed, Esban’s face became clearer.
His usually handsome features strangely tensed, as if he were nervous.
His face drew closer, and a foreign sensation touched my lips.
Our lips locked, and a refreshing fragrance stimulated my nose.
The kiss, which I thought would convey no feeling, was softer than anticipated.
A raw emotion could be felt in the pressure of his lips.
It was almost the first glimpse of Esban’s true feelings.
“Mmm…”
Esban’s tongue gently teased my lips, as if asking them to part.
‘…Should I open up, or not?’
Holding onto a thread of rationality, I slightly parted my lips, and his tongue slipped through the gap, stirring within me.
Our tongues entwined, prolonging the kiss. Esban leaned in, seeming almost ready to devour me.
‘I can hardly breathe.’
Is it because he’s a knight? While I was almost breathless, his lips showed no sign of parting.
Instead, it felt like he was taking all my breath away.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I tapped on his arm with strength, and only then did Esban pull away.
“Haah…”
He cleared his throat awkwardly, his face turning tomato-red as he saw me gasping for breath.
“…Sorry.”
“There’s no need for the kiss to be that deep. Going forward, a light peck might be more appropriate for our guidance.”
If we keep kissing like this, I’ll be left with neither breath nor unbruised lips.
“So there’s no need for that…”
Esban mumbled, rubbing his lips.
“We’ll do it that way then.”
Of course, I pretended not to hear him.
* * *
Returning to the mansion, I only realized how swollen my lips were after touching them.
‘They say the first time can be scary…’
It seemed even more so because of Esban’s forceful kiss.
In contrast, Hedonia’s kisses, while intense, had something about them that awakened the senses.
‘I might have to reconsider the idea of sharing the bed again.’
While I was open to the possibility of sleeping together in unavoidable circumstances or if I consented, I now felt the need to rethink.
‘I doubt I could handle the stamina of an Esper.’
Just the kiss had drained me so much; imagine what a whole night might do…
I could end up exhausted to death pursuing effective guidance.
Though I wanted to wash up and lie down as soon as I got back, being late as it was, I needed to supply blood to Hedonia immediately.
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