Chapter 70
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“…What did you just say?”
After waking, Lea had been eating well and recovering for several days, and now she was well enough to sit up. As Rose set down a bowl of fruit in front of her, she continued with a serious expression.
“Yesterday, Daisy went to the Empress’s palace.”
“But she’s the Crown Prince’s dedicated attendant. Why would she go there?”
“It seems His Highness the Crown Prince isn’t doing well.”
“So, why all of a sudden?”
“I don’t know the details either, but apparently it’s a sign of imminent rampage, so she went to see Her Majesty the Empress. But Her Majesty said it was too dangerous and refused to guide him.”
Lea couldn’t accept Rose’s words so easily. Even though she hadn’t been able to give guiding him after her injury, it had only been a little over a month.
In the past, even if Calix went much longer without guiding, he had never gone so far as to enter a rampage.
“His Majesty the Emperor also apparently pleaded earnestly with Her Majesty the Empress… But she keeps using her health as an excuse and still hasn’t acted. So now the palace is in an uproar. People are saying maybe His Highness should be evacuated elsewhere…”
“…That’s impossible.”
“Yes, I think Her Majesty the Empress went too far this time too. He’s the Crown Prince of this nation, after all.”
Though she had once been one of Bianca’s minions, Rose couldn’t understand this decision.
“You seem to be recovering faster now that you’ve come around, Milady. At this rate, everything should heal by the end of the week.”
“Right. You know, I’m tired, so I think I’ll go to bed a little early tonight.”
“Will you?”
“Mm.”
Lea’s mind was filled with worry for Calix. She could only think of sending Rose away quickly so she could go to him in her fox form.
Once only a single small lamp was left and all the others were put out, Lea sat up. As she silently headed for the balcony, her form disappeared for a moment and then a fox leapt out from her clothes.
With her not-yet-healed body, she quickly climbed up to the roof. If he’d gone an entire day with rampage warning symptoms, there wouldn’t be much time left to act.
Unlike usual, the Crown Prince’s palace was heavily guarded, making infiltration difficult. Growing impatient, Lea had no choice but to take the risk and force her way in.
From quite a distance away, she had to leap to the roof of the palace where his bedroom was located. If she slipped even a little, she might die, but she didn’t hesitate.
After all, she had already died once. If she couldn’t be of use to Calix, her life wasn’t worth prolonging.
“Kkang!”
Landing poorly, Lea began to slip down but managed to catch herself with her claws. In the process, several claws broke, but she didn’t care.
Bleeding, she carefully entered the bedroom. Fortunately, Calix was alone in the room.
Probably, not even other Espers could set foot in a place where such savage energy swirled.
She listened intently for any sign of people nearby, and, confirming there was no one, transformed back into human form. Her pale, naked body shone beautifully in the moonlight.
“Cal…”
She hurried to his side, where he lay on the bed like a corpse. Blood was dripping from her fingertips, but she paid it no mind and quickly took his hand.
“Ugh—”
Just from taking his hand, his rampaging energy burst out violently, leaving scratches on her skin. But Lea only gripped his hand tighter and began guiding him.
“…It’s not working well.”
Because he was in a pre-rampage state, her energy couldn’t easily blend into his. He was already a very high-level Esper, which was why Lea had deliberately guided him every day, to raise their resonance.
As a low-level Guide, that was the only safe measure she could take for someone of his class.
But in this state, guiding was not proceeding easily.
After a moment’s thought, she quietly climbed onto the bed and pressed her lips to his.
She knew that when fluids mixed, it was possible to guide more deeply.
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