Chapter 222
“Who asked you to stand up for me? I told you to ignore it! I didn’t even ask for your help, so why interfere? Do you think I’d be grateful for this?”
As I poured out my words, Daniel looked flustered and didn’t know what to do.
“I’m sorry. I lost my temper seeing people who don’t even know you talking carelessly.”
“And what about you?”
“…What?”
“Do you know me well?”
Daniel’s expression hardened for a moment.
I didn’t mean it. As he said, we might not be close friends, but I did care for him in a similar way. I wanted to help him as much as I could, given his struggles with guiding allergies and being ostracized by the other Espers.
But what good is that? Whenever Daniel and Irene meet, they end up fighting over me. And today, Daniel even hurt another Esper with his ability.
The combination of my frayed nerves from sleepless nights and missed meals, along with my plummeting self-esteem, led me to say something I shouldn’t have.
“…Miss Rose.”
“Don’t ever do something like this because of me again.”
“…”
Daniel stayed silent for a while, not answering. Eventually, he barely nodded, almost imperceptibly.
I turned my back and walked away. I passed by the anxious Epine and Demona, and the other Espers and Guides who had been watching the scene with interest, and left the small auditorium.
Once I was in a place where no one could see me, the tears I had held back flowed hot and fast.
I hated myself for running away again.
…I miss Claude so, so much.
* * *
Maybe because Daniel got angry on my behalf, Razne and Widrow were quiet for a while. Especially Widrow, who was so intimidated after that day that he didn’t come near Daniel at all.
Razne, having lost her knight, showed up to the training alone with a cold expression. She made sure to attend every session, as skipping would make it seem like she was avoiding me, which her pride wouldn’t allow.
In any case, thanks to that incident, no other guides dared to openly pick a fight with me anymore.
However, the atmosphere at the Center remained tense. The concern was over the unidentified mutant.
It had already been four weeks since Claude went on the expedition.
If it weren’t for the variable of the unidentified mutant, I would have expected Claude to return around this time… but now, there was no telling when he might come back.
They say no news is good news, but it was hard to keep my spirits up.
It was inevitable, given that I had no idea what was going on over there…
I wished I could at least call him. I didn’t even hope for a video call, just hearing his voice would have been enough.
If calling was too much, even a text message. If not a text, then at least a carrier pigeon.
…Or telepathy?
I was lost in such pointless thoughts, staring blankly, when—
“Hey, pink-haired little lady, why won’t you answer?”
‘Pink hair’ used to be my second name. Now that everyone at the Center knew my name, I wasn’t called that anymore.
My wandering mind snapped back to attention.
It was the Esper-Guide joint training session. Everyone in the small auditorium was already staring at me.
“…Rose, look forward,” Epine whispered softly beside me.
My face flushed with embarrassment, realizing I’d been caught daydreaming.
I quickly turned my head towards the owner of the voice that called me.
It was an old man. His hair and beard were almost silver in color.
But he was clearly no ordinary old man.
Despite his age, his height and build were comparable to Claude or Daniel.
Moreover, his well-developed jaw, sharp features, piercing eyes, and overwhelming presence…
Even a reasonably young and robust adult man would feel intimidated standing face to face with this old man.
…Who is he?
Since Claude, no one had left such a strong first impression on me.
If I had seen him even once in passing, I would never have forgotten his appearance. Yet, I had no idea who he was.
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