Chapter 81
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“What is this supposed to be?”
Linton’s face was twisted with pure misery.
“Wait… are you seriously throwing up because of my imprint?”
“Linton… Linton, don’t take it! Give it back!”
Linton strode over, snatched the trash bin Adrien had been hugging, and checked inside.
It was vomit. Filthy, foul-smelling, just as if Adrien herself were broadcasting how much she couldn’t stand Linton Vionne.
Adrien tried to grab it back, but it was already too late. Linton’s hands shook. So did his long eyelashes.
“How could you do this to me?”
“…”
“After everything I’ve done for you! How can you humiliate me like this?”
Linton couldn’t hold back and finally shouted. Adrien winced at the volume. Apparently, it was true—when the guiding compatibility was bad, the effects really were terrible.
She’d had more than enough guiding to get by, but the pain still hit her like an ice pick to the eardrum.
“Linton, your voice…”
She started to protest but stopped as their eyes met.
Linton’s face was deep red, his bloodshot eyes boring into her. Just looking at him made Adrien feel exhausted.
Being called a ‘hero’ or ‘the light of justice’ meant nothing if she couldn’t even have the guide she wanted by her side. On top of that, she’d let someone she didn’t even care for take the official spot, and Linton kept pushing past every boundary she tried to set.
She was so sick of it all—she wanted to throw it all away and just disappear, no matter where to.
“Let’s end this.”
“Adrien!”
“How long do you expect me to put up with this childish behavior?”
Linton’s face crumpled under Adrien’s cold glare and clipped words.
“What? Are you calling me a child right now?”
“What kind of guide screams at their esper like that after a session? Even the most clueless rookie wouldn’t do something so ridiculous.”
“Oh, so you’re saying Samuel Norah was always polite and perfect to you?”
“And if he was?”
“You… you’re just trying to hurt me now, aren’t you?”
Linton’s voice wavered. Adrien stared at the handsome man crying in front of her, unmoved.
But Linton was wrong. Adrien had never intended to hurt him—she didn’t even want to. She just wished she could stop caring at all.
“You’re only acting this way because you’ve changed!”
Linton shouted again. Adrien plugged her ears, right in front of him.
“Adrien, before that Samuel Norah showed up, you were fine with my guiding! But ever since you got hooked on him, you’ve totally changed!”
Adrien let out a hollow laugh and lowered her hands.
She’d put up with enough of Linton’s nonsense, but this—this she couldn’t let slide.
“No, Linton. I’ve just always been tolerating your nauseating guiding.”
Adrien let out a faint scoff.
“…What?”
“Most guides, you included, just make me sick. That’s why I never wanted regular guiding in the first place.”
“W-why would an esper…?”
“Dr. Alex said so himself: I’m extremely sensitive to compatibility.”
Linton faltered, shock etched across his face.
Adrien was surprised by his reaction—was it really so hard to understand how much compatibility mattered for some espers?
Alex had talked about it endlessly, and Adrien’s own reaction was always clear. Linton must’ve realized their compatibility was awful, even if he didn’t want to face it.
What on earth did this man think was happening, all this time?
“So Samuel Norah is different, then?”
“Very much so.”
“How different? Compared to me, what’s so different?”
“If I told you, could you even handle it?”
Linton’s mouth twisted in pain.
Even now, Adrien kept her trademark cool, while the anger, sorrow, and humiliation all belonged to Linton alone. Both were stripped bare, but only Linton seemed aware of his own naked vulnerability.
“You’re seriously cruel, Adrien.”
Linton trembled. Adrien just smirked.
“It’s not like you didn’t know.”
If Linton wanted her to play the villain, she was more than willing. What he thought of her just wasn’t her problem.
“You’re right, Adrien. But you were still the one who chose me!”
Linton grabbed a bottle of guiding pills off the table and tossed it to Adrien. She caught it easily and read the label.
“No matter how much my guiding disgusts you, I’m not leaving your side. So just take these and tough it out.”
“…”
“If you can be indifferent to my pain, then I’ll do the same to you!”
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