CH 62

Even so, he didn’t stop his barrage of questions.

“How do you know how to guide? When did you manifest? Did it happen during the high fever you had recently? If so, then that just makes me more confused.”

He drew closer to me more and more each time he asked a question, and now, he was just a narrow distance away from me.

I took a step back and answered with another question.

“What are you so confused about?”

I looked down, conscious of the distance—or lack thereof—between us. But right then, he slowly took a step forward. When our gazes met, his eyes gave off the glint of a predatory animal.

“You supposedly manifested only recently, but you controlled your energy as if you were very used to it.”

“……”

“You already know, don’t you?”

I stepped back again, but as he reached out carefully, he narrowed the distance between us once more.

It was a slow, deliberate movement—as if he was showing that he wouldn’t hurt me. Even so, his grip on my arm was so very hot and strong.

He caught my arm, where the glove I wore didn’t reach. The moment our bare skin met, the guiding flowed out without my intention.

Then, with a triumphant look, he spoke in a hushed whisper.

“Just like this, a Guide would start pouring their energy into an Esper automatically with direct contact. But besides that, a novice Guide would normally spill out their energy unknowingly when an Esper is around them. It’s called radial guiding.”

I cursed myself inwardly. Ten years had already passed since I had been his exclusive Guide, but it seemed like I hadn’t changed. I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with myself.

I gritted my teeth together, but he seemed happy to see this. With an ecstatic expression, he leaned down, bringing his face so close to mine.

His lips nearly touching mine, he said,

“But Lady… We were together in that drawing room. It was a closed space, yet not a single wisp of your guiding spilled from you—even though I’m an S-Class Esper. It’s as if… you’ve already lived the life of a Guide before this.”

As he spoke, he gently caressed my arm. The furtive yet mysterious touch was a habit he used to have in the past.

At the familiar touch and the familiar hands, without my will, I was already giving in, but I just wanted to stop myself.

Jerking myself away, I stepped far beyond his reach, feeling my hands trembling. I couldn’t control my expression either.

Incredibly displeased, I glared straight at him, and he couldn’t hide his shock as he saw me like this.

Questions arose.

Why the hell isn’t he acting as he did in the past? Why the hell is he acting as if he wants me so much now?

I couldn’t understand what in the world he was thinking.

Nevertheless, was it necessary for me to understand his intentions?

He wouldn’t be able to dig into my head anyway.

As long as I would not admit it, he wouldn’t be able to receive the confirmation he relentlessly kept pursuing.

Then, there was only one tactic I could stick to.

“I don’t understand what you mean by that, Duke. Now, would you please step aside?”

I will never let you know who I am.

* * *

Ciel had no choice but to watch Irene leave. She stomped into the mansion, her anger palpable through every step she took. He had provoked her too much.

“Crazy bastard…”

As he swore at himself, Ciel hit the wall next to him. With as much force as he put into that punch, his knuckles stung, but he didn’t care about that at all.

Knowing about each and every one of his wife’s habits had a good side to it, but also a bad side.

He was fully aware of just how angry his wife was right now. No, more precisely, he knew how furious she was.

His wife was the kind of person who’d cast away many things in life all for the sake of survival. As such, the moment she was to judge that someone was an enemy of hers, she was utterly relentless towards them.

And just now, she looked at him as though he was an enemy.

Before this, she didn’t go as far as to look at him like she wanted to kill him, but now…

“Blockheaded brute!”

He was dying to touch her, even if only for a second…

And the refreshing energy of her guiding that flowed out made his head spin…

Finally, but…

“When have you ever looked at me like that…”

In the past, there was a time when she looked at him so earnestly, as if there were no other people in her eyes.

Right now, she wouldn’t acknowledge him, she wouldn’t show him any care at all, and she was constantly upset at him and would show only a sour expression.

Ciel’s actions a while ago were no different than that of a little boy’s. He deliberately threw words she would hate hearing just to get her attention. It was pathetic.

Still, on the other hand, even if he was doing such a childish thing, he desperately wanted her to look at him as she did before.

Even though he couldn’t see her anymore as she had already disappeared into the mansion, Ciel persistently kept his eyes on the mansion’s back entrance, murmuring.

“Why won’t you tell me?”

Why wouldn’t she reveal the truth that she was his wife, even though he already openly said that he knew it was her?

I just need you to say the word…

The moment you do, I…

I’ll do anything for you.