The One and Only Guide - Chapter 29
Jian continued to bring bite-sized pieces of steak to her mouth. Meanwhile, Axion served salad and soup for himself and sliced another plate of steak, pushing it towards Jian.
The servants carrying the food were slightly astonished, but neither the Duke nor Jian, who were causing their astonishment, noticed their expressions. Jian was too busy eating, and Axion was occupied with cutting food into manageable pieces for Jian, ensuring she could easily eat whatever she glanced at.
Two plates of salad, a bowl of pumpkin soup, stir-fried vegetables and sandwiches, and two plates of steak constituted the list of food Jian had devoured. And she wasn’t done yet—she was also nibbling away at some cake.
Actually, to correct that—she was in the process of finishing it off.
Jian speared the last piece of cake with her fork, her expression growing serious. She hadn’t planned to eat so much, even if she was hungry. She had overaten . Considering she hadn’t left the bed all day and the significant amount of cookies she had lazily consumed while in bed, it was a lot.
The thought of the number of cookies she had eaten made her sigh involuntarily.
“Ah…”
Such a sigh from Jian was enough to make Axion’s seat feel like a bed of nails. He fidgeted, licking his lips, thinking of some way to make amends. He hurriedly spoke up.
“Would you go out of the castle with me tomorrow?”
“What? I heard it’s impossible with so much snow accumulated.”
Indeed, snow had piled up to thigh-high outside the castle. It was likely still accumulating.
The snow within the castle was promptly cleared by the castle’s staff, but even so, it always seemed to accumulate up to ankle depth.
It was a tiresomely long winter. One could understand why soldiers referred to falling snow as “garbage from the sky.”
“If you’re with me, it’s possible.”
At Axion’s words, Jian’s head tilted quizzically. Was it possible? How?
With the snow piled high outside the castle, traversing the terrain seemed as daunting as tunneling through drifts. She came to this conclusion after several futile attempts to leave the castle over the past few days.
“How can you do that?”
“If I push the snow aside with my sword, it’ll be quick.”
What does he mean? Using a sword like a shovel to dig through the snow? Isn’t that inefficient?
Jian briefly entertained the thought before dismissing it. After all, it was the Duke’s suggestion. The idea of accompanying him was slightly irksome, but it was a kind offer, and he was an Esper before he was a Duke.
Ordinary people might not navigate through snow-filled paths, but perhaps the Duke could.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I plan to assess the damage inflicted by monsters on each village. It’s entirely feasible as I’ll be touring the villages outside the castle for the survey.”
So he’s including her in his official duties. But would a Duke typically conduct village damage assessments personally? Given his status as the ruler of the North, it seemed an unusual task.
The damage assessment felt like a hastily concocted excuse. As Jian waited without confirming or denying, she sensed Axion’s wavelength beginning to destabilize.
“…Do you dislike the idea?”
His expression seemed to imply it would be unacceptable for her to refuse. Jian quickly replied,
“I was just lost in thought. Sorry. So, we’re leaving tomorrow? To which village?”
At Jian’s response, Axion’s expression brightened.
“Mandalen.”
Jian smiled wryly at his noticeably cheerful tone. Should she point out how clearly his emotions were showing? She appreciated the unrequested kindness and consideration, but it was rather awkward.
It wasn’t a declaration of love, but from his gaze alone, she could infer the feelings the Duke harbored. Even someone so tactless would understand from such an expression and such eyes.
That this man had feelings for her.
Falling in love with one’s Guide is a common tale among Espers. The phenomenon is so prevalent that some high-ranking Espers, to avoid utterly losing their hearts to their first Guide, summon several Guides with lower matching rates for simultaneous Guiding.
They believe that by doing so, they can prevent becoming overly attached to the first Guide, a sort of workaround for those Espers who find themselves unduly influenced by their Guides.
Yet, despite these efforts, many Espers still find themselves hopelessly drawn to a Guide with a high matching rate. And Guides, in turn, often exploit the affection and attention showered upon them by Espers to seek conveniences. Perhaps, this situation she was in now was no different.
Jian didn’t feel any qualms about using the Duke. After all, considering she had been confined in the castle, it was a fair exchange. She had agreed to become his dedicated Guide out of a sense of responsibility, but she had never thought beyond that. A relationship where neither owes anything to the other would make it easier to return home.
