Chapter 132
“Why that person?”
“I heard that recently they’ve been looking for a certain Guide, and it seems like they’re talking about Lady Lea.”
“If that person is an Esper, there’s no reason they wouldn’t be looking for Lady Lea, the famous Guide these days. Especially since she even takes care of the terminally ill Espers in the slums.”
“But apparently, that person goes around asking as if they’ve met her before. Asking people if they’ve seen a woman like that.”
“…If that person only deals through illegal distribution, they can’t be a very upright person. How would someone like that even meet Lady Lea? Maybe she ran into that person while she was in the slums.”
“I’m not sure. I’ll look into it more closely.”
“When it comes to these matters, there’s no one better than you.”
“…Are you finally admitting it now? That a psychic-type Esper is a step above a physical-type Esper?”
“Ha, I knew I shouldn’t have taken you in.”
“Even if the Young Duke hadn’t, someone else would have.”
The two, who bickered every time but had come to know each other well, were picking out jewelry in the jeweler’s VIP room to present to Lea, hoping for her speedy recovery.
Not just that, but they also planned to buy rare fruits and even famous candies, intending to visit her with everything, so the two of them were in unusually good spirits.
If only Calix and Ilion hadn’t shown up.
“…Your Highness, how did you come all the way here?”
Having been eavesdropping from another VIP room, Calix deliberately came to where they were instead of just leaving.
The jeweler’s owner, overwhelmed by Calix’s appearance and aura, which screamed high nobility at a glance, couldn’t bring himself to stop him.
“You seemed to be enjoying yourselves quite a bit, so I couldn’t help but come by.”
“Brother, and Young Lord Felitier. It’s good to see you both.”
Ilion greeted in an energetic voice that didn’t match the situation, and Zion and Derek had no choice but to greet him as well, so the four ended up gathered together.
Calix, unabashed about eavesdropping, asked directly,
“The person looking for Lea is someone who makes magic tools, you say?”
“…It’s not confirmed information, so it’s hard for me to give you a definite answer.”
“So you’re planning to go hear it directly for yourself,” Calix asked Derek.
Derek nodded carefully and replied,
“I’ve heard that this person doesn’t show their face openly, but if I really want to find them, I think it should be possible.”
“I’m sure. In front of a psychic-type Esper, there’s no point in hiding. By the way, is that ability affected by rank?”
Calix had already noticed that Derek couldn’t read his thoughts. Yet it seemed something worked with Lea.
For a moment, Calix wanted to ask Derek to read Lea’s mind.
It was because lately, Lea had been pushing him away.
After the night when she’d clung to him so eagerly, she now acted like she’d forgotten all about it, locking herself in her bedroom and refusing to come out whenever he visited, saying she was ill.
If he tried to lie in bed with her, she would kick him out and lock the door.
Since Lea had canceled all her appointments, if he didn’t go to her palace, there was no way to see her elsewhere.
Why was she suddenly trying to distance herself?
Sure, after the night they’d spent together, he’d been a bit careless with his words, and he was annoyed that she didn’t remember. But was that enough for her to refuse to see him?
She’d told him to live as the Imperial Crown Prince, to be treated with proper respect.
So why was she, the one who said it, now refusing his visits?
He really must have been properly tamed by Lea, he thought. He hadn’t forced his way into her bedroom when she didn’t want him there. Somehow, he felt that if he did, she would be upset with him forever, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“…In any case, whatever the Esper’s type, you can’t ignore rank, can you?”
Since the Crown Prince was asking, Derek answered, but he had no intention of divulging his private matters in detail.
“Does that include Guides as well?”
“…Yes.”
“In that case…”
Calix, a bit embarrassed, almost asked Derek to read Lea’s mind, but barely regained his senses in time.
“…Sorry, I may have overstepped with all these questions.”
Realizing he was being quite rude, he barely managed to avoid saying something truly thoughtless. But still, he was frustrated.
If she would just tell him, he could apologize, or at least try to cheer her up.
Calix quickly glanced over the jewels Derek and Zion had picked and then stood up.
As expected, their tastes were definitely inferior to his. Yellow stones suited Lea best, yet they’d picked unrelated colors.
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