Upon hearing his words, the surroundings became noisy immediately. As it was unusual for an Esper to request an ability measurement, everyone’s attention naturally turned to Ines.

At that moment, Reinhardt approached hurriedly and called out.

“Ines!”

He came over looking worried and suddenly realized that Ines was hugging Dylan a little too affectionately. The distance between them seemed too intimate for just friends.

“…Ah, Reinhardt.”

Ines had been whispering to Dylan when she finally noticed Lukehardt’s presence. He sensed something was amiss about her appearance. She had never missed his voice before, and he had always been her first priority.

As Reinhardt slowed his pace, a soldier who had brought the guide’s ability-measuring tool, as ordered by the Commander-in-Chief, addressed Dylan.

“Should we measure Miss Ines?”

“Yes, that’s right. She has manifested as a Guide.”

People stirred even more loudly in response to Dylan’s words. Reinhardt was no different. Standing behind him, Elena felt devastated but prayed desperately that she would be judged to have lower abilities than her own.

The soldier handed the tool to Ines. It was designed to be easily held. As she gripped it, the soldier instructed her.

“Imagine you are guiding the tool and breathing your energy into it.”

Following the soldier’s instructions, Ines poured her energy into the tool, just as she had done when guiding Dylan. The transparent gem embedded in the tool began to emit light.

First it shone blue, then purple, and finally a strong red like a ruby. The soldiers and surrounding Espers confirmed the color and burst into cheers.

The appearance of purple was enough to confirm an A-Class Guide, but this was the first time a color beyond that had emerged. The Espers wondered how they could receive guidance from Ines.

However, they could not indulge in their happy dreams any longer. Dylan pointed to the back of Ines’s hand and spoke loudly to the soldier, making sure that everyone nearby could hear him.

“I saw something in a record book; please check if the mark revealed on Ines’s hand is evidence of imprinting.”

“…What? Imprinting?”

The response burst forth not from the soldier who brought the measuring tool, but from Reinhardt. He strode over, his expression one of disbelief, and shouted.

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

“What else would I mean? It’s the very happy news that Ines and I have formed a mark.”

Dylan smirked as he pulled back his shirt collar, revealing the side of his neck. A vivid yellow vine, connected to the red clock-flower pattern etched on the back of Ines’s left hand, was clearly imprinted there.

“Wow—!”

As soon as the surrounding Espers saw Dylan’s mark, they erupted into cheers. Every Esper longed to have a Guide of their own. However, as there were far fewer Guides, this dream rarely came true. Yet Dylan had gone so far as to form a bond.

When an S-rank Esper like Dylan claimed a Guide, the others looked at him with jealousy. The room grew tense as they watched each other warily. Lucien murmured in disbelief.

“You and Ines… a mark? What…that makes no sense.”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

Rather than feeling annoyed, Dylan found himself feeling grateful, as he had in the past, at Lucien’s clueless shock. Back then, he had stepped aside because he was a beta and because Ines loved Lucien. But this time was different.

Ines had not carried Lucien’s child and was not an Omega. She had awakened as a Guide relatively late, but that presented no problems.

In fact, it presented an opportunity: the perfect chance to bind her to him.

Dylan looked at the frozen Lucien with a quiet, almost pitying expression.

“See? I told you. I’m better at timing than you are.”

Fate between people could sometimes be far tougher than expected or so fragile that it snapped without effort. This time, Dylan wished that his connection with Ines would hold strong.

Turning to the waiting soldier, he spoke firmly.

“I’d like the mark to be formally recognized. Please proceed with verification.”

As he said this, Dylan tightened his hold on Inés, as though determined to never let anyone take her from him.

For the first time since her birth, she felt warmth and safety in his arms. She liked how clearly he had made their relationship public.

However, she couldn’t understand why Lucien was looking at her with such desperate eyes. Nor could she fathom why Elena looked as though her world had collapsed.

But none of that mattered anymore. Not Lucien, even though she had once loved him from afar for such a long time.

Since receiving Dylan’s unwavering affection, any attention from others had felt hollow and insignificant.

Ines met Lucien’s gaze for a brief moment before turning away. Looking up into the red eyes in front of her, she smiled—bright and genuinely happy.

There truly was such a thing as sincere love in this world.

⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤

Once Dylan and Ines had established themselves, quite a few couples began to emerge among the Espers and Guides. Emotions that had long been suppressed by strict regulations finally came to the fore.

However, the Emperor did not reprimand them. This was because the Esper–Guide couples produced remarkable synergy.

High-ranking Espers and Guides were scarce to begin with. It was far more effective to have a small, flexible team that could make use of each individual’s strengths than a large unit led only by the top-ranked members for subjugating monsters. With a Guide by their side, Espers grew more confident, and, protected by their partnered Espers, Guides no longer hesitated to accompany them on expeditions.

The people of the Empire and commoner Espers therefore raised their voices in favor of Dylan. They claimed he should be granted a title.

Unable to ignore the Espers and Guides any longer, the Emperor announced that Dylan would be made a count. But Dylan refused.

Instead, he requested something else.

“Please grant me permission to establish an association for Espers and Guides. And allow me to take the position of its head.”

He wanted to establish an institution modelled on the old Mage Tower that would be intended solely for Espers and Guides. As a former Tower Master, he naturally believed that he should be appointed to the position.

The outdated class of nobility, upheld only through centuries of inheritance, would soon become irrelevant. In order to secure his place in the future, Dylan wrote letters to Espers and Guides of common birth, then snapped his fingers.

Just as he had once done for Inés, the papers folded themselves into the shape of birds. Dozens of them floated into the air and fluttered gently as Ines approached.

“Writing letters again?”

Now more or less accustomed to his eccentric habits, she settled naturally on Dylan’s thigh as she asked. He pulled her into his arms immediately and grumbled.

“They have no fire.”

Even with the Emperor’s permission, it seemed they still hesitated at the thought of opposing the nobility. Ines laughed softly at his complaint.

“Breaking a long-standing system isn’t easy.”

“Give it a little more time and they’ll realize I was right.”

“You’re always right.”

Ines wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a series of small kisses onto his red lips. Even when he narrowed his eyes, they still held that sensual, decadent curve. Whenever he smiled like that, Ines couldn’t help thinking something indecent. Feeling flustered, she lightly brushed his cheek with her fingertips and asked quietly,

“…Do you not need guiding today?”

As an S-rank Guide, her guiding was effective even when she simply held his hand but Dylan understood the real meaning behind her words.

“Are you asking if you want to receive guiding from me, the Esper?”

“Mm. But… why? Do you not want to right now?”

“Ha… sweetheart.”

Dylan rubbed his face against her chest as he continued speaking. His voice was muffled every time his nose pressed into the soft curve of her br*asts, but Ines heard him clearly.

“Even if someone woke me up and slapped me before asking, my answer would always be yes.”

“Mhm, I knew you’d say that.”

Ines replied playfully, beaming at him. Whenever she smiled like that, Dylan’s resolve would crumble.

He adored the way she accepted his affection as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He loved her so much that he rose from his seat in one swift motion and lifted her into his arms without hesitation. Before leaving the office, he snapped his fingers, sending the completed paper birds off into the air.

He strode quickly towards the bedroom. En route, he gently nipped the tip of her nose and cheek — just enough to be felt, but not enough to hurt — and whispered softly.

“I’ll make you cocoa later.”

“Sounds good.”

“And then I’ll drink a strong coffee right in front of you.”

“Like always?”

“That’s right. And when we’re older, let’s leave this place and open a little coffeehouse somewhere quiet. I’ll be the owner… and you’ll be my only customer.”

I’ll build it somewhere with a beautiful view, and I’ll make sure you’re seated in the best spot. The seat next to you will, of course, be mine. We’ll spend our days following the same gentle routine. When we grow old, I’ll be the first to see you off. So you’ll never be afraid.

I know I’ll miss you terribly, but I still don’t want to leave before you do. I want to be the person you can always lean on. Even after death, I want to love only you. I think I’ve spent so long yearning for you that you have shaped me completely.

So, Ines. This time, you chose well, didn’t you?

***IF Side Story Complete***