Chapter 63
***
Financial independence.
Early retirement.
F.I.R.E.
“……”
“……It’s real! This ugly handwriting, it’s Rose’s. I pretended to conduct a survey on ‘What I Want to Achieve in 10 Years’ and took only Rose’s.”
Claude put down the document he was looking at with a heavy heart.
He was certain Rose was his Guide. Any remaining doubt had been washed away by the guiding energy he felt from her during the festival.
Now, it was time to seriously win Rose’s favor.
He had his loyal subordinate, Azir, who had become Rose’s senior, investigate her likes and preferences…
Late starts to work.
Leaving work early.
Having nothing to do at work.
Ordering everything on the restaurant menu.
The agony of choosing what to eat from a too-full fridge.
“……Can these really be called dreams?”
“Yes, she wrote them all herself!”
Azir protested, sounding wronged.
Claude felt inexplicably tired and splashed water on his face.
His Guide always exceeded his expectations.
“These things… If she just reveals that she’s my Guide, I could easily fulfill them all…”
“What! Maybe she just doesn’t want to be tied down by you, even if it means giving up her dreams.”
“……”
Oscar, who had been snickering, quickly changed his tune under Claude’s menacing glare.
“But still! It’s good, isn’t it? These are easy for you to grant. Imagine if she wanted to meet a nice guy. You might have failed in personality, but you’re overflowing with money.”
“……”
“I wouldn’t tell this to anyone, but I feel sorry for your blundering. Listen, Claude, don’t be oppressive and scary with your usual temper, okay? Trigger her protective instincts. Make her feel like she needs to protect you.”
“Who needs to protect whom……”
Claude was incredulous.
The one who constantly gets into trouble as if having ten lives, the one who’s small as a peanut and gets pushed around everywhere.
But Oscar was serious.
“Hey, do you think only strong people with abilities can trigger protective instincts? The desire of a Guide to stabilize an Esper is also a form of protective instinct.”
“……”
“When you intimidate people, it seems like you can manage fine without anyone. But a man who seems like he needs to be protected? That catches a woman’s eye.”
Claude still couldn’t understand.
But as far as Claude knew, Oscar had never failed to seduce a woman.
Even Rose… on the day she first met Oscar, she had blushed and been shy in response to his flimsy flirting.
That thought still made Claude’s teeth grind.
“……What was that? I just got a chill.”
“……”
“Ah, maybe I’m catching a cold. Anyway.”
If Rose’s wishes were truly so simple, and if he could make her trust him completely, then such an act was not beyond him.
Claude was skeptical, unsure if this approach would work.
He had never shown weakness to anyone. Revealing vulnerability had always brought more problems rather than solutions.
But Oscar’s advice proved effective.
Claude didn’t understand it, but fulfilling those seemingly trivial wishes made Rose happy.
He also saw it clearly when he pretended to be weak during a moment of resignation before a rampage: the unmistakable guilt and compassion in Rose’s eyes.
Seeing that look, Claude knew the moment he longed for was not far off.
The urge to overpower her, to say, ‘I know you’re my Guide,’ was there.
But he restrained himself.
He wouldn’t let her slip away again.
***
“Hey, can you really do this?”
Oscar asked Claude, glancing at the guiding medication with a nauseated voice.
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