The Guide Played Her Role as a Stand-in a Little Too Well - Chapter 85
I hoped I had misheard and asked again.
“We’re going to catch Marquis Shepherd?”
“We need to stop him from distributing counterfeit money using the Cairoze name.”
Hearing about Marquis Shepherd’s misdeeds left me speechless.
…He wasn’t just using his daughter’s name?
Not only did he use the Cairoze family’s support, but he also tried to exploit it. How brazen!
It’s no wonder the royal family would look upon this unfavorably.
…But why am I going along to catch him?
Every time I encounter espers, things never go smoothly. There’s always some sort of incident.
‘Am I cursed or something?’
“But why are you going personally, Your Highness?”
I couldn’t see why she needed to be directly involved.
Other people could surely catch him without her presence.
“To be precise, I’m going to detect and apprehend his criminal activities. As a princess and representative of the espers.”
“Representative of the espers…?”
“I occupy a very ambiguous position.”
Shaelock blinked and then propped her chin on her hand. Her gaze shifted to the clock, as if checking the time to leave.
“It’s true that you don’t fully understand the dynamics between espers and guides.”
It was more accurate to say I was intentionally kept in the dark.
Robert always wanted me to remain under his control.
So this was the first time I heard about the conflicts surrounding espers and guides.
“The royal family started giving espers status, so there’s a lot of talk about the country needing to manage and control them more strictly.”
Maybe because I wasn’t a noble, this statement felt very contradictory.
“They say too much power is being given to those who are just talented, not even nobles.”
Nobles are just born with the right bloodline, but people here don’t seem to see it that way.
Perhaps it’s the narrow-minded thinking of those who have been entrenched in this system for too long.
Shaelock, having a foot in both worlds, has much to consider.
“It must be tough, having so much to think about.”
For the first time, Shaelock blinked and let out a weary sigh.
She probably didn’t expect such words from me.
Who would openly tell a princess that it must be hard for her?
While she might be accustomed to praise for her perfect handling of matters, there likely weren’t many who empathized with her situation.
Even if it was true, not many people would openly say it to her.
Shaelock, resting her chin on her hand, stared into space before meeting my eyes again and speaking calmly.
“…You’re right.”
Despite her brief response, her face oddly seemed relieved.
In a world where espers, guides, and dungeons had only recently emerged, people were still creating and adapting to new systems.
In reality, what’s important in times like these is the mindset of the person resolving these issues.
What would Shaelock, who has lived her life as a princess, think about this?
That was what intrigued me the most.
She was an esper.
But she had also spent her life deeply ingrained in the privileged noble society.
From birth, all these privileges were natural to her.
She didn’t need to worry about anyone else for her to avoid disadvantages.
“There are so many things to consider that my head hurts.”
Was this the first time she was having such a conversation?
Leaning back comfortably on the sofa, Shaelock lowered her eyes.
“No matter what I do, there will be many who dislike it… but I want to improve the treatment of espers and guides.”
However, Shaelock wanted to look after everyone.
‘She’s even considering guides.’
She gripped my hand tightly and spoke firmly.
“To do that, we must strictly punish those who exploit the situation of espers.”
“…So that’s why you’re going today.”
Hearing her words, I understood why she was going to the marquis’s residence today.
Even if someone is an esper, showing that those who misuse their power won’t be tolerated would definitely strengthen her position.
It’s an act that demonstrates fairness.
“But I still don’t quite understand why I have to go with you…”
What if things go wrong at such an important event?
The more I listened to her, the stronger I felt that I shouldn’t be involved.
Shaelock tilted her head.
“Aren’t we friends? Don’t friends do things like this together? Do everything together, or so I’ve heard.”
…Most friends don’t ask each other to go to crime scenes together.
“Where did you learn that?”
“I read it in a book. So far, there haven’t been many people who wanted to be ‘friends’ with me.”
I wanted to tell her to burn that book immediately.