Chapter 140
***
Back in the school days, at the start of a new school year or semester, when someone you didn’t know sat next to you.
Perhaps everyone once tentatively offered something like this to the person next to them.
<Umm… do you want some Mychew?>
It wasn’t because there were extra Mychews to give away.
Mychew was just a signal. A signal that says, ‘I want to be friends with you.’
There might not be Mychew in this world, but fortunately, I had a snack box today.
(T/N: Mychew is a Korean candy snack that’s kind of like Starburst)
“…This is really good.”
A Guide who was surprised by the taste of a spoonful of pudding exclaimed in amazement.
“Right? If you like sweets, the one next to it is also good.”
“Is it… really?”
The Guide next to me hesitantly took the snack I pointed out after glancing around.
My suggestion to have snacks was initially met with lukewarm reactions from the Guides.
But Simeyez and Epine stepped up, suggesting to look around and livening up the atmosphere.
And when we checked, there really was a lot, both in variety and quantity. Enough for all the Guides in the classroom to share.
Simeyez and Epine were a bit taken aback by the unexpected amount of snacks, cautiously took one each to try.
And then…
“Wow. This is really good?”
“Right?”
“I think this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted…”
Genuine exclamations of delight eventually got the other guides curious, and they started picking up snacks too.
After that, it was smooth sailing.
The expressions of the guides softened as they shared snacks, and the atmosphere became much gentler.
Truly, regardless of the world, sharing delicious treats is the best way to bond with others.
“Where is all this from, Rose? It’s so good I actually want to buy some for myself.”
“…Uh, I’m not sure. I’ll ask.”
“Ask? Who?”
“Lord Claude. He packed this lunchbox for me.”
It seems Claude really hated it when I skipped breakfast because I overslept.
Today, after I finished getting ready, he handed me a lunchbox with a face full of complaints. As if to say, who else but a food-obsessed maniac would do such a thing?
I had a lot to say, but his sulky expression was actually quite adorable as he begrudgingly offered it.
I chuckled at the memory, then suddenly noticed the silence around me.
Everyone was looking at me with a bit of surprise.
“Uh… why?”
“Lord Claude… packed this lunchbox?”
“No, I mean… it just doesn’t seem like something he would do.”
“…Ah.”
I get what they mean.
While Claude might have ended up being seen as a food-obsessed maniac to me, that’s not the case for most people at the Center.
Admired and respected, yet also feared. To them, he’s intimidating, arrogant, and merciless.
…Though, to be fair, they’re not entirely wrong.
“Honestly, even though you testified during the trial that there was no coercion… people were still a bit suspicious. Given how you always looked like you were being dragged around on a leash, there was a lot of talk about your miserable expression…”
“…”
“And, while relationships between Espers and Guides are common, it’s not typical for an Esper to start living together with an unregistered Guide… especially if that Esper is Lord Claude. It would’ve been difficult for an unregistered Guide to resist.”
…That’s not entirely wrong either.
…But with Claude’s reputation hitting rock bottom recently due to the trial, there’s no need to dredge up such past discussions, right?
Since it’s come to this, I decided to share some positive stories about Claude to help restore his reputation.
Isn’t this what supporting my man is all about?
“Lord Claude is… a good person.”
I began, fidgeting with my fingers.
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