Chapter 169
Realizing what had happened, Lucy knew she had lost to Lea again. Still, since she achieved at least a small part of her goal, it wasn’t a total loss. Lucy firmly grasped the hand Lea offered.
Through their joined hands, Lea began to flow guiding energy, planning to explain how to control it. There was no reason why a Guide couldn’t channel energy to another Guide, after all.
Of course, even if one Guide gave guiding to another, the recipient would only feel the energy. There should be no particular effect.
At least, that’s how it should have been, but Lea felt a strange sensation.
Was it really possible for a Guide to guide another Guide?
This was something she’d learned from Lucy in the past. Aside from Lucy and Bianca, she had never met another Guide before.
As confusion began to color Lea’s eyes, Lucy squeezed her hand even tighter. While watching their joined hands, Lea tried to observe Lucy’s body more closely with her own energy.
Just then, a voice called from behind.
“What are you doing here?”
Calix had gone to Lea’s tent, but she wasn’t there, so he checked his own tent as well. Not seeing her there either, he searched places where she might be and finally used his power to find her here.
He gave Lucy a suspicious look when he saw her, who had been hovering in front of him earlier, now together with Lea.
“…Your Highness.”
Startled by his arrival, Lea tried to release Lucy’s hand, but Lucy held on tightly and wouldn’t let go. The grip was stronger than expected, almost surprising.
“Lea.”
Calix felt a strange emotion toward Lucy, who was a woman and a fellow Guide.
“Come here.”
He held out his hand from a step away from Lea. His manner was perfectly natural, as if it were only right for Lea to go straight to him.
She, too, had never found anything strange about this. Lea roughly let go of Lucy’s hand and quickly went to Calix.
Only after Lea was in his arms did Calix realize the source of that strange emotion he’d felt toward Lucy.
It was the same jealousy he felt whenever Lea guided another Esper.
But why did he feel this way about the Guide Lucy?
It was a truly odd feeling.
He could easily figure out the intentions behind Lucy’s earlier behavior toward him, but this situation was harder to understand. The sight of another Guide looking at Lea with bright eyes was extremely irritating.
“Why are you wandering around so much? Weren’t you supposed to stay by my side today?”
At Calix’s rebuke, the tension unconsciously left Lea’s body.
“I was just looking for you, Your Highness.”
“Even if our paths cross, they can still miss like this.”
Hearing that she was looking for him, Calix felt his earlier sulkiness dissolve almost immediately. Every time, he realized just how simple his own heart was.
He wrapped his arm around Lea’s waist and lifted her into the air.
“Huh? Your Highness, where are we going?”
“I have something to show you, so stop chattering and just come quietly.”
Thinking of how Lea could never hide her curiosity whenever he went out, Calix flew off, carrying her. He slipped into a place thick with trees.
Balancing on a branch, he pointed something out to Lea. In his arms, she looked in the direction he indicated. There was the encampment of the Leonis Empire.
“…Something’s strange.”
Lea quietly studied the area and spotted what was different.
“Why is there so much snow piled up? The north is still cold, but it’s not the time for so much snow to have fallen yet.”
“Have you been to the north before?”
Calix couldn’t help but ask, since she spoke as if she was familiar with the north. Realizing her slip, Lea answered evasively.
“Our own camp has never had this much snow, so I just noticed it.”
“How clever, you recognized the difference right away.”
Calix smiled, satisfied with her answer. Lea blushed at his hand stroking her hair gently. Sometimes, he treated her like Luna, the little fox.
At such moments, his touch was so gentle that the sweetness made her mouth ache. She wondered if he knew.
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Jennie 🥰