Chapter 51
Derek desperately wanted to enter the palace to see Lea, but with no power or meaningful connections, it was impossible.
He had been shocked to learn that he was an Esper, but even more shocking was that Lea was a werefox and a Guide.
In particular, her calm, refreshing guiding had been more than just surprising, it had been awe-inspiring. He longed to receive it again.
Back then, the circumstances hadn’t allowed for more than a brief moment, and that left him deeply unsatisfied.
“Ha… I really don’t want to ask, unless I have no choice.”
Derek contemplated his last remaining option to enter the palace: asking his worthless father, the Marquis of Felitier, for a favor.
Living alone in the most remote annex of the marquisate, he finally made up his mind and dressed properly.
Lea was someone worth swallowing his pride for just to meet again.
As he walked along a narrow path toward the main residence, he spotted the head butler rushing over from afar.
Looking at the man with a puzzled expression, he saw the butler recognize him and light up with a beaming face.
In that moment, a thought flickered through Derek’s mind.
{ Ha, lucky I don’t have to go all the way to that shabby annex. They say your knees start to fail as you age… }
Hearing the butler’s clear internal voice, Derek immediately stopped walking.
“Young Master Derek!”
It was unpleasant to hear the head butler—who usually ignored him—suddenly call him ‘Young Master’ so warmly.
“Where are you headed? We nearly missed each other.”
“…What is it?”
{ How rude, speaking informally. This is why bastards should never be taken in… What was the Master thinking… }
Derek wasn’t particularly bothered by those thoughts—they were nothing new. But the clarity of the thoughts, now free of the usual noise, made him think of Lea again.
Since receiving guiding from her, he no longer suffered headaches when reading people’s minds.
“Sir Zion, the eldest son of Duke Grayson, is currently waiting for you in the parlor.”
“…What?”
“Sir Zion has requested an audience with you, Young Master. Please, you must hurry.”
Derek had no idea why someone he didn’t even know would come looking for him, but as the bastard son of a marquis, he couldn’t refuse a duke’s heir.
“I understand.”
As he headed to the main residence, he decided to meet the duke’s heir first, and then see his father. Urged by the butler, he quickly reached the parlor, and as he approached, he could already hear the man’s thoughts from inside.
{ Why would Lady Haisley ask me to help someone like this? Is he really a mental-type Esper? Maybe she was fooled. She’s so pure… I’ll have to confirm it for myself. }
Upon reading Zion’s thoughts, Derek forgot to knock and walked straight into the parlor. The butler cursed him internally for being an ill-mannered bastard, but Derek ignored it.
Zion narrowed his eyes at the sudden intrusion, but his face stiffened at Derek’s first words.
“Did Lady Haisley say she would help me?”
Zion hadn’t said a word yet, but Derek already seemed to know everything.
“…Are you really an Esper?”
“Did Lady Haisley send you? Please answer me.”
Zion couldn’t answer right away at Derek’s seemingly desperate question. He had heard from Lea that Derek was a mental-type Esper and had done some digging.
Indeed, mental-type Espers had appeared sporadically across generations. But stories about them were rare. Because most of them lost their sanity before ever maturing properly.
Without the help of a Guide’s guiding, the pain of their minds splitting from the inside out was unbearable, and most met tragic ends.
“Young Master Felitier.”
“Lord Grayson, I know I’m being rude. But this is important to me. Please answer.”
“…Yes, Lady Haisley did ask me to look after you.”
“Please, let me see her!”
“…What?”
Derek had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away. If he couldn’t convince Zion now, his only chance of entering the palace would be during the banquet, and there was no guarantee of when that would come.
He couldn’t wait that long.
“Lady Haisley promised me. She said I could come to her whenever I needed help. And right now—I need her help.”
Zion realized that Derek wanted more guiding from Lea. Of course. If he were an Esper, it would make sense. No one would understand that desire better than another Esper.
How could he possibly forget that refreshing and warm guiding?
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