Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 88

Claude only hesitated once the Security Force blocked his way to me.

His eyebrows twitched.

“…What is this?”

“Lord Claude, you have been reported for the kidnapping, imprisonment, and threatening of an unregistered Guide. Therefore, you are not allowed to contact the person who reported until the facts are clarified.”

“…Unregistered Guide?”

“…”

“…Rose.”

His gaze, quickly assessing the situation, turned cold.

I bit my lip and avoided his eyes. Despite trying to appear unaffected, my heart was pounding as if it would burst out of my chest.

Strange. I wasn’t the one who lied. If anyone should feel betrayed and despise him, it should be me.

…And yet, I couldn’t look him straight in the eye.

This incident was catastrophic for him.

Claude, a national hero who manifested as an S-Class Esper at a young age, had resolved some of the country’s most significant disasters better than anyone.

Moreover, he had an immaculate personal life, with hardly anything known about him, so while everyone admired him, they were also curious.

If his first-ever scandal involved the serious crime of kidnapping, imprisoning, and threatening an unregistered Guide, all the achievements and reputation he had built over the years would crumble like a sandcastle.

Now that the issue has become so huge, if it’s revealed that I am indeed a Guide, he won’t be able to escape punishment.

I was scared. Not because he might harm me for betraying him.

Honestly, truly honestly…

…I was scared that he would suffer greatly because of me, that he might never smile at me again.

But it was too late to turn back now.

“Rose.”

His voice, sharp as a blade, cut through me.

Ignoring the Security Force blocking his path, he strode forward.

“Sto-, stop, Lord Clau…!”

“Get out of my way.”

The Security Force members who had blocked his path were suddenly pushed aside by an unseen force.

No one could stop him from coming here. That was a fact well known to everyone in the examination room.

Without any harshness, he quickly reached me.

Looking up into his fiery red eyes, I shrank back.

“Say it yourself.”

“…”

“You did this? You, who are so fearful and timid?”

“…”

“You did all this to get away from me?”

Strictly speaking, it was Azir—a third-party—who concocted this entire situation. I had naively believed and followed Azir’s words, trusting him alone.

But it was also me who decided I could no longer trust Claude, and so chose to follow Azir.

Azir, the Security Force, or the Center couldn’t completely protect me from Claude. It was ultimately a matter between Claude and me to resolve.

Barely nodding, Claude gritted his teeth.

In the original videogame, Claude took the lives of three protagonists a total of four times. Two male protagonists lost their lives in his outbursts, and Irene, the female protagonist, was killed twice by his hand.

Every character entangled with him perished. So, at one point, I considered him a dangerous figure to be avoided.

As time passed living with him, my wariness lessened. Maybe it was an unfounded belief that he would tolerate my antics to some extent.

What was the limit of his tolerance?

I wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain.

…I had undoubtedly crossed that line this time.

I fully realized how much he had been holding back with me. Even when he threatened to crush my head or cut off my limbs and lock me away, it wasn’t like this.

His silent anger, merely brushing past with his gaze, felt more piercing than any violent threat. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe, and I trembled, unable to maintain eye contact.

How long had this unbearable tension lasted?

“Right. You’ve always been fond of making bets.”

Suddenly, Claude said something completely unexpected.