Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 76

I immediately objected.

“Ehh, no, Irene, you seem to be mistaken. Lord Claude is exactly that type. He bullies me. I’m utterly under his control. He even threatened to throw me into a monster den…”

Irene patronizingly brushed off my concerns, stopping the conversation.

There was a moment of silence between us. Irene elegantly sipped her tea, and I fidgeted with my fingers. Gathering courage, I finally spoke up.

“Irene…”

“Yes?”

“Anyway, I’ve become Lord Claude’s Guide… Am I going to be okay?”

The advice to guide Claude while he was asleep had backfired. Though I was content living with Claude for now, I wasn’t sure if I could continue being his Guide.

I’ve been wrought with this underlying anxiety all this time.

Had I listened to Irene’s advice back then, I wouldn’t be worrying like this.

So, I decided to follow whatever advice she would give me this time.

Irene looked at me with a stern expression and said…

“Just give up. You’re already caught in his web.”

“?”

“Just be charming and let him pamper you. It’s unlikely he’ll let you leave his clutches anyway.”

“???”

That’s how you talk to someone who saved your literal life and love life?

“No matter how superior Guides are to Espers, our situations are different. Lord Claude is a power figure, almost akin to the president of this country, and you’re just an unregistered Guide, practically a non-ability civilian. Who would dare oppose Lord Claude for you?”

“I-Isn’t there a way?”

Irene’s casual dismissal left me feeling helpless and confused.

Irene was adamant. Despite my resolve to follow whatever advice she offered, I couldn’t accept such a passive approach – just giving up and living in pampered comfort.

I grabbed ahold of Irene, begging her to think of something else as she got ready to leave.

“No, Irene! You must have some way out. Please, think of something!”

“Why are you so intent on escaping? You don’t dislike him, do you? If not, there’s no problem.”

But there was a big problem. The problem was…

“I… I might imprint on him…!”

Irene’s face turned icy cold.

“W, We’re living together, and the mood just shifts weirdly. Before I know it, we’re hugging! Then kissing! He seems to know I’m weak against pretty faces and lately he’s been seducing me at every chance. I’m afraid I might just wake up one day to find we’ve crossed an irreversible line…”

“…Stop!”

Irene abruptly stood up, clearly disturbed.

I watched her back, feeling empty.

Irene, about to leave without a second glance, hesitated at the door. Uncharacteristically, she turned back and added,

“Ah, One last piece of advice. Do your very best not to go against Lord Claude needlessly.”

“…Did Lord Claude buy you off or something?”

“It’s for your sake, not his. From a distance, you seem somewhat cute, but up close… it’s like a thousand fireballs inside. It’s none of my business that Lord Claude has peculiar tastes, but luckily, it seems he finds you somewhat endearing for now.”

“…”

“Just don’t push your luck and genuinely irritate him… then you’ll really be in trouble.”

With that, Irene left the break room.

***

My meeting with Irene only added to my confusion. I had been determined to follow her wisdom blindly, believing in her heroine’s intuition.

But to just charm and be pampered by Claude? Irene seemed to think the optimal relationship between me and Claude was akin to a pampered cat and its owner.

Like a chubby cat that occasionally shows its owner a smidgen of affection, yet receives an abundance of love in return.

But there’s one integral thing that Irene didn’t understand.

Claude was not the type to play the doting cat butler to a petulant kitty.