Chapter 20
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Adrien swallowed a smile. She understood that having a superior suddenly so close could be overwhelming, but she no longer wanted to be considerate.
Just sitting close eased the radiating guiding energy seeping off him. Yet their hands, once close, were now separated by the move, and she regretted even that brief touch.
Sitting beside him, she caught his scent. It was warmer and more comforting than freshly laundered clothes. Adrien leaned back against the sofa, satisfied.
“Even if it’s awkward or uncomfortable, bear with it a little. You’ll be free in an hour.”
“Awkward, yes, but not uncomfortable.”
“…”
“I told you I liked it.”
Her? When?
Adrien lifted her head, dumbfounded.
“I meant guiding you, Captain.”
“Hm.”
Uncharacteristically at a loss for words, Adrien rolled her eyes. It was a rare expression for her, once every few years.
Samuel looked embarrassed, bowing his head deeply.
“It’s an honor to guide the Light of Justice.”
Such a common compliment felt almost like a line being drawn today.
Adrien found herself quietly disappointed, unaware she was even disappointed.
“In truth, I owe my life to the Commander.”
“Is that so?”
“Do you remember the battle of the Goyard Plains seven years ago?”
“Of course. My first battle.”
“That’s when the hostage rescued from the enemy was me and my little sister.”
“That was you?”
Adrien’s eyes widened. When their gazes finally met, Samuel nodded with a smile.
The Goyard Plains battle was brutal.
Young and inexperienced, Adrien shone brilliantly in that fight—it was the final war against the enemy. She wiped out the unexpected attackers and even rescued the hostages taken by the enemy.
It wasn’t easy. After wiping out the enemy, Adrien was nearly exhausted. Her guiding energy was drained like never before.
Her heightened senses felt like knives slicing her. Every time she chewed guiding medicine, her mouth felt gritty with sand.
But she couldn’t give up. No backup fighters were available, and if not for her, all the civilians taken would have died.
Protecting them was the duty of the Lesadian Empire’s esper special forces. Even knowing the toll it would take, Adrien had to move forward.
“Only four hostages survived. They all looked younger than me.”
“You remember clearly.”
“And you were one of them.”
Adrien recalled with admiration. Samuel gave a small smile.
The conditions were harsh, with snowstorms and brutal cold. Adrien had truly thought she would die then. She figured she’d go berserk even if she saved the hostages.
After finally escaping with the civilians and wiping out the rest of the enemy, Adrien collapsed—her whole body aching terribly, even the smallest sounds rang loudly in her head.
She lost consciousness and when she woke up, she was somehow in a hospital. Her guiding was fully restored.
After that, she believed fainting could delay the signs of losing control. Whenever danger neared, she would knock herself out or injure herself. It wasn’t as effective as before but not useless either.
“I wanted to thank you if I ever saw you again.”
“I just did my duty.”
“Not everyone would say that.”
Adrien looked thoughtfully at Samuel.
This man had saved her life.
She thought it was laughable, but this meeting felt like fate.
“We’ve saved each other, once in the past, once last night.”
“…”
“To be precise, I saved you twice.”
“Oh?”
Samuel glanced sideways and fiddled with his lips.
“I was…a guide back then, too.”
“You didn’t…”
“The Commander told us to run, but I went back.”
Adrien could easily imagine what came next.
“And I found the Commander collapsed unconscious.”
“…”
“I saw your trembling fingertips and knew your guiding was insufficient. Though you didn’t consent, legally…”
“Don’t talk about laws.”
Just as a guide loses the right to refuse guiding when their esper is about to lose control, espers cannot refuse guiding in such situations.
“…That was my first kiss.”
So that’s why he keeps biting his lips?
“…Ah.”
Adrien suddenly realized she’d been staring intently at Samuel’s lips.
She quickly looked out the window instead. It was a bright sunny day—just like the day she woke up in the hospital.
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