The female lead’s name was ‘Olivia Gale’, the eldest daughter of Baron Gale.

Although Olivia was a baroness like me, our circumstances were completely different.

Yerena’s parents lived a life worse than commoners due to mounting gambling debts. They even tried to sell their daughter for money.

In contrast, Olivia, who lost her mother at an early age, grew up under her single father, and Baron Gale raised her wonderfully.

Though they weren’t wealthy, he tried to give his child everything she wanted.

Growing up with her father’s effort, dedication, and abundant love, Olivia became kind-hearted yet strong.

‘Like a sturdy tree that might suffer minor wounds but won’t fall or break.’

That’s how the original work described her.

Living peacefully in the empire’s frontier, she realizes she has awakened as a Guide after being coincidentally discovered by a Center employee.

Although Chelsea Center had branch offices in the provinces, when first awakening as a Guide, one had to go to the capital for detailed examinations.

This was to accurately measure which Esper they had high compatibility with and which knight order they should join. The same applied to Olivia.

Well, I know from reading the original work that Olivia will show 99% compatibility with Benjamin.

Olivia didn’t mind the sudden trip to the capital. Rather, she was excited about stepping foot in the capital for the first time in her life.

“Father, I’m going to experience new places.”

That’s what she said to her father when leaving home.

“Ah, I’m late with introductions. I’m Olivia Gale. I recently awakened as a Guide and was heading to Chelsea Center. What’s your name?”

After hearing her name, there was no doubt that she was the female lead.

“I, I am…”

Olivia’s intense gaze upon me was burning. I felt uncomfortable under her innocent, pure gaze.

Ah, this bright demeanor. It’s too dazzling to look at directly!

I took her hand and passed it to the Guildmaster.

The Guildmaster showed no reaction to suddenly holding a strange woman’s hand.

“This person will help you. I…”

Just as I was wondering what excuse to make, I caught sight of something while looking at the pond behind the Guildmaster.

I met eyes that resembled Bless’s black bean-like eyes – Portas’s pitch-black pupils.

Three Portas had surfaced on the pond and were staring at me intently.

How long had they been watching?

I decided to use them as an excuse.

“I need to comfort these poor Portas. You see? Poachers were hunting them, but this wonderful gentleman here dealt with the poachers.”

“Wow, that’s such a good deed.”

“Right? This gentleman is the one who did that good deed!”

So please, you two, get along well while harboring good feelings for each other.

Olivia would develop feelings for the Guildmaster who did a good deed, and the Guildmaster would likewise be drawn to her. After all, Olivia was attractive even from another woman’s perspective.

I hope the two of them get along well like in the original work.

…Though I’d prefer if I were closer to the Guildmaster.

Just as I was about to quietly walk toward the Portas, the Guildmaster’s hand reached out.

He released Olivia’s hand without hesitation and grabbed my wrist. Carefully, without hurting me.

“Honey?”

Surprised, I unconsciously called him by his usual name.

At that, the Guildmaster, who hadn’t said a word since Olivia appeared, opened his lips.

“I told you.”

“…”

“That I don’t show kindness to just anyone.”

“…”

“After you were just in danger, did you think I would let you go alone again?”

His low voice was chillingly cold.

The response to his reproachful words came not from me but from Olivia.

“Are you two lovers? That’s so romantic.”

“We’re not lov-“

Just as I was about to deny it, the Guildmaster cut me off.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“What?”

The Guildmaster gently pulled my wrist, bringing me to stand close beside him.

The suddenly shortened distance felt very unfamiliar.

Actually, more than the close distance, his words were what felt more unfamiliar.

“After you were just in danger, did you think I would let you go alone again?”

The Guildmaster spoke as if he was going crazy with worry about me. He usually acted so nonchalant, seeming like someone who wouldn’t worry about others.

But thinking about it carefully, when the Guildmaster knew I was in danger, he had run so fast he was sweating.

The Guildmaster was the second person after Duncan to worry about me genuinely.

Of course, Bless worried about me too, but it was a ‘monster bird’, not a person.

Unbelievably, my heart fluttered a little.

Finding it somewhat amusing that my heart fluttered for a man whose face I couldn’t even see, I thought I’d like to at least know what his face looked like.

I was curious about the true appearance of this man who claimed he wasn’t kind to just anyone and wouldn’t let others call him by his first-person pronouns.

I gazed up at him intently.

A sharp jawline that could cut paper and red lips. That was all I could see of him with his hood thoroughly concealing his face.

‘Should I try to remove his hood next time I get the chance?’

I swallowed hard.

Why did touching the Guildmaster’s hood feel like tugging on a sleeping lion’s mane?

It felt like something I shouldn’t carelessly touch.

Lost in these thoughts, I missed the timing to explain the misunderstanding to Olivia who thought we were lovers.

Meanwhile, the Guildmaster who had told the lie continued the conversation without hesitation.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to guide you personally. I can’t leave my darling alone, and we need to deal with the unconscious poachers.”

“That’s fine. Could you just tell me how to get out of the forest? Or even just point me in the direction of Chelsea Center?”

The Guildmaster whistled while looking somewhere in the forest.

As soon as the cheerful sound rang out, a familiar bird flew over.

It was the Guildmaster’s pet parrot that I’d seen often.

“My parrot will guide you to Chelsea Center.”

“What a beautiful parrot. Does it have a name?”

“A name…”

The parrot, spreading its wings wide and soaring through the sky, was truly beautiful.

It seemed like beautiful chirping would escape from its white beak that gleamed in the reflected sunlight.

That bird seemed worthy of princess names like ‘Elsa’, ‘Jasmine’, or ‘Anastasia’.

Of course, if it was male, prince names like ‘Adam’, ‘Aladdin’, or ‘Eric’ would be perfect.

But the Guildmaster came up with a name that didn’t match the parrot’s beauty at all.

“Mountain Path.”

That, that doesn’t match at all!

I wasn’t the only one who thought so. The parrot – no, Mountain Path – who had been flying in circles above our heads, seemed to wobble.

Did it understand its master’s words?

Though the Guildmaster didn’t have Tamer abilities, he seemed quite skilled at communicating with his pets.

“Mountain Path! Please guide this lost lamb to Chelsea Center.”

True to parrots’ reputation for intelligence among birds, it seemed to understand the Guildmaster’s words and approached Olivia.

The Guildmaster even made several hand gestures, perhaps worried the parrot hadn’t understood him. He made the shape of a large house with both hands.

“Trust Mountain Path and follow along.”

“Thank you. Could we meet again? I’d like to repay you for your help today.”

“If fate allows, there’s no reason we couldn’t meet.”

At this rate, Olivia would definitely leave.

This won’t do… If we part like this, Olivia might not find her way to the guild.

I reluctantly decided to become a mediator between the two.

“Miss Olivia! If you want to repay us, come to ‘Hot Potato’, the potato wholesaler in the capital.”

The Guildmaster sharply turned to look at me for carelessly revealing the guild’s headquarters.

Though I couldn’t see his eyes behind the hood, he was clearly glaring at me.

…But I had no choice, you know.

I calmly ignored the Guildmaster’s piercing gaze.

Soon, the Guildmaster roughly smoothed over the situation.

“Haha. Anyway, let’s end our conversation here. You seem to be in a hurry, so please go ahead.”

“Yes, I’m not really in a hurry, but I’ll be going now.”

Olivia seemed to understand the Guildmaster’s intention to send her away.

As expected of the sharp-witted female lead.