―Kyuu─u!

Bless also indicated his intention to join.

The Alan Knights hardly ever received my guidance anyway, and Benjamin, who had been active last night, had disappeared again.

In other words, it didn’t matter if I was absent.

I was about to get a pass from the center staff to leave the center for a while.

It might be an unnecessary procedure for me, but the personal outings of the team’s dedicated guide were often reported to the team’s espers.

“…Um, but Guide Yerena.”

“Yes?”

“As soon as I put in the outing request, Baron called for you.”

“What? Why so suddenly? I heard he didn’t even participate in the battle yesterday.”

Baron had been feeling somewhat inferior to Benjamin.

Perhaps because of this, he often didn’t attend battles where Benjamin was deployed.

It was remarkable that the two men were even on the same team.

“It might be better if you ask him directly about the reason. For now, why don’t you go see Baron?”

“Sigh… That bast… I mean, where is Baron?”

“He says he’s in the treatment room on the 3rd floor.”

Why is someone who doesn’t need treatment in the treatment room?

I frowned heavily.

***

Baron was sitting on the sofa like a picture.

His well-groomed silver hair and silver eyes steeped in melancholy made him look atmospheric.

The atmosphere of a sub-male who can’t forget his beloved… that kind of feeling.

‘He’d be completely handsome if he just didn’t open his mouth.’

“If you’ve come, why don’t you sit? What are you staring at?”

…That mouth. Ugh!

Baron tilted his head as if telling me to sit opposite him. I took a seat across from him for now.

Baron’s harsh words weren’t just directed at me.

It goes without saying for Lambert and Benjamin, he even spoke quite sharply to the female lead.

He had a bit of a perverted streak, so Baron liked seeing the female lead hurt by his words.

Baron would hurt the female lead thoroughly, and then later comfort her, hoping she would become tamed by him.

To sum it up in one sentence, it’s like this.

‘Gaslighting bastard.’

“I heard Benjamin came yesterday.”

“Ye-es, ye-es.”

“You didn’t guide that bastard, did you?”

Baron said, grinding his teeth.

“No. As you know, he doesn’t receive guidance.”

Benjamin didn’t need my guidance because he only used his ability to the extent that he didn’t need guidance.

“Remember this. That bastard despises you, a C-rank guide, even more than I do.”

Hmm. Rather than despise, it seemed more like he thought of me as a doll.

Like an ugly doll that wouldn’t matter if it was thrown away on the street.

“You should follow me more than Benjamin. At least I’m accepting your C-rank guidance without resistance.”

Yeah, right. With an extremely displeased face every time you receive guidance.

“If you end up following Benjamin more than me, your life will become miserable.”

“Why?”

“Even if Benjamin treats you well, it will only be temporary. And if I see you fawning over Benjamin, I’ll be angry and never associate with you again.”

“Hmm.”

“I haven’t refused to associate with you for the past 3 months, have I?”

I feel like it might be better if you didn’t associate with me at all.

I just pursed my dry lips, unable to answer like that.

“You’re not going to stupidly fall for Benjamin, are you?”

“I won’t fall for him.”

Baron smiled faintly, as if satisfied with my answer.

Stupid. I’m not going to fall for you either, you know?

But what’s annoying is that he’s a character who carries hard with his face, so his smile is beautiful.

“But is that why you called me? Not because you need guidance?”

Baron cleared his throat awkwardly a couple of times.

“It’s because you usually act so stupidly, I wanted to warn you.”

“Ah-ha.”

I summarized Baron’s words.

‘You’re stupid, so listen to me. You’ll be unhappy if you give attention to others. You should follow me.’

…This is complete gaslighting, isn’t it?

I looked at Baron questioningly.

Hey, why are you doing this to me?

But I’m not the female lead who’ll be gaslighted.

“Are you done talking? I have something to do, so I’ll be going out for a bit.”

Baron glanced at me as I stood up.

“…Oh.”

As I was about to take another step, I heard Baron’s small voice.

“Since you’re here anyway, why don’t you do some guiding before you go.”

Baron’s right hand was awkwardly extended.

I wanted to believe I imagined that the tips of his ears seemed slightly reddened.

“Hurry up.”

Baron urged me.

Honestly, I didn’t want to massage Baron’s hand.

Moreover, Baron hadn’t even been in battle. It means he doesn’t need guidance.

But if I ignored Baron’s outstretched hand, I couldn’t gauge what kind of harsh command might fall.

He might even interfere with my outing by throwing a tantrum.

‘That absolutely must not happen. Yerena’s death is approaching!’

I finally grasped Baron’s hand.

As I took a deep breath, I felt some energy flowing from my hand.

It was an energy that soothed the mind and body of espers disrupted or damaged by battle.

It’s also energy that Baron doesn’t need at all right now.

Baron tightly closed his lips that only spout unkind words and focused on receiving the guidance.

As expected, Baron’s face with his mouth closed was quite admirable, so I quietly appreciated it.

After some time had passed, I tried to let go of his hand.

It was then that he grasped my hand as it was trying to move away. Almost simultaneously, Baron’s eyes opened.

“I think this is enough, isn’t it?”

But Baron didn’t let go of the fingertips he was holding. His hand touching mine had become hot.

“Uh… Where are you going?”

Why is he suddenly interested in my whereabouts?

“I’m going to the city to look into something.”

“What are you looking into?”

“Why should I…”

I was about to ask why I should tell you that, but I trailed off.

I think I understood why Baron was acting differently than usual.

He’s probably trying to grab onto my words to prevent me from leaving. To torment me.

What a twisted guy, anyway.

At that moment, a brilliant idea struck me.

A reason that would make Baron let me go, while also not causing any damage to me.

I lowered my gaze and frowned a little. As if sad. As if in pain.

In the midst of that, the fact that I had been abandoned by Benjamin suddenly came to mind, and I choked up.

“I’m going to find out about my parents.”

“Huh?”

“I’m worried about the parents who sold me to the center… I want to see how they’re doing.”

That would be a lie.

I wasn’t curious at all about how Yerena’s parents were living.

I’d be grateful if they just didn’t incur more gambling debts and bother me.

But the stupid Baron seemed to have fallen for my act hook, line, and sinker.

“How foolish, tsk. Why worry about people who abandoned you?”

“…You’re right. I guess I’m an idiot.”

You must be an idiot. You really must be an idiot. Not realizing I was acting… I hummed a song I used to enjoy in my heart.

Baron spoke kind words in an unkind voice.

“Be good to the people who are by your side now.”

“You mean you, Baron?”

“Figure it out yourself. Do I have to explain every little thing to you?”

“Ye-es, ye-es.”

If you keep talking like that, you’ll ruin your own life.

I knew Baron’s future.

The end of him, who gaslighted the female lead with his bad attitude, was a failure in love.

Baron never wins against Benjamin, whom he jealouses, envies, and feels inferior to for his entire life.

In other words, the female lead chooses Benjamin as her partner.

“Now get lost.”

I nodded to Baron, who was about to ruin his own life with his own words.

“This foolish girl will take her leave now.”

Baron’s grumbling could be heard until the moment I left the treatment room.

As soon as I left the treatment room, Bless, who had been hiding in my robe, revealed his presence.

―Kyuuuu kyukyuu…

‘What an unpleasant guy. He should be the one to get lost…’ he says.

What an outspoken bird, as always.

I gently stroked Bless’s small head.

“Don’t worry. Baron’s end isn’t very happy anyway.”

That’s why I didn’t wish for Baron’s unhappiness for treating me carelessly. He would naturally become unhappy as time passed.