Chapter 12
I knew who this woman was. She was a D-class Guide.
The reason I knew her identity was because I handled Guide management in the Guide department.
Among the Guides, she was ordinary in both ability and appearance, so I couldn’t remember her name.
Wait, wasn’t it me who guided Claude?
Were there a total of two Espers nearly going on a rampage in the field in the wee hours of the morning, both with black hair and injuries on their lips?
Initially, I thought she was stepping up to protect the patrol officer.
But the moment I saw the look in her eyes, I knew.
In her eyes as she gazed at Claude, there was fear, but there was also excitement.
Even though she found it difficult to make eye contact, the fleeting glances she cast at him sparkled as if she had fallen in love for the first time.
It was then that I finally grasped the situation.
Claude, the guy who could break a person’s spine with just a look if he got annoyed. This fact is known only to me.
As it turns out, he hadn’t kidnapped Irene or caused a rampage that led to the deaths of other Espers.
Claude’s reputation externally was that he was ‘difficult to approach’, not necessarily ‘never make eye contact under any circumstances’. Most Guides found Claude to be intimidating, yet he was also an object of admiration.
He was the S-class Esper who led and commanded other talented Espers, and his looks and physique were like the masterpiece of a genius artist.
Despite his deteriorating personality that left no one around him, it somehow made Claude appear as a mysteriously unique figure among the other Espers.
So the question on everyone’s mind was, which Guide would Claude choose? This matter was the center of attention among all the Guides within the Center.
So, the woman must have been deluding herself, thinking she was the protagonist of a fairy tale, fabricating lies with a mix of fear and hope.
“Yes, Lord Claude… It was me who guided you.”
The woman spoke with a voice filled with fear and anticipation.
Claude gazed down at her with eyes that showed no emotion.
If Claude confused her with me, it would be great. The patrol officer and I would be safe, and she would get what she desired—a label as the “Guide to the most handsome Esper in the Center,” a title that she might be longing for.
With a slightly anxious heart, I watched to see what choice Claude would make. In truth, everyone present was doing the same.
If she was a Guide with the capability and compatibility to calm a rampage, Claude wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.
So, was this the birth of Cinderella?
“…You’re that Guide, you say?”
Claude asked with his emotionless voice.
“Yes, yes! That’s me, Lord Claude. It’s me. I saw how troubled you were yesterday, and I guided you. So, please release the innocent patrol officer and choose me.”
“Is this woman the one you saw yesterday?”
Claude looked at the patrol officer, who was nodding fervently.
“Yes, yes! That’s right! I think it’s this woman. Those freckles! That slender body! I’m sure it’s her!”
It was clear that the patrol officer was simply saying yes to save his own neck.
Claude muttered in a low voice,
“It’s you, huh.”
“Yes, yes, Lord Claude! I am the Guide you’re looking for!”
“Hah…”
Claude let out a humorless laugh as if he found it amusing. Then, with a swift motion, he unsheathed his claws.
“Both of them, take them to the dungeon.”
“Lord Claude?”
“Keep them in the dark, with no light or water until they tell the truth.”
…As expected, the ultimate villain was the ultimate villain.
How could the kingpin of this world be deceived by such a pathetic lie.
“Please, Lord Claude! Spare my life! Please spare me!”
“No, Lord Claude! It’s me! I’m your Guide!”
The patrol officer and the guide resisted, but they were eventually dragged away by the burly men.
As we watched this scene unfold, all the gathered Guides, Irene, and I were left speechless.
I thought to myself.
‘I should just stay put. My conscience won’t feed me. I’m no saint, just a commoner.’
Meanwhile, Claude seemed furious to the core. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
With a menacing look on his face, he suddenly raised his head.
It was a strange thing. Because there were hundreds of other Guides were present in this place, all looking at him.
He couldn’t have felt my gaze…
That’s abso…lutely… impossible…
But, Claude started walking toward me with determined steps.
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