45 - How to Escape the Reverse Harem Cliché
Episode 45
“Really?”
“Prince Andreas is currently conducting a second checkpoint in the forest to the right. That path is only for nobles.”
He seemed to have guessed I was maintaining my noble status based on the dress I was wearing earlier.
Nodding at the news Valerian had given me, I organized my thoughts, deciding I would have to take the left path after passing this point.
“Thank you. With this matter, there are no remaining debts between you and me, Young Master. I hope we don’t meet like this again.”
“Has Viscount Pauline become the Young Lady’s guardian?”
Valerian’s out-of-the-blue question made me frown at my farewell. He hadn’t missed Viscount Pauline’s signature and seal on the verification certificate I’d checked earlier.
“I do not wish to answer personal questions.”
“Understood. I will look into that matter myself.”
“Why are you looking into my personal affairs, Young Master? I haven’t done anything wrong…”
“Aiden is worried.”
“……”
“Not informing Aiden of your whereabouts is akin to me bearing some responsibility for your safety.”
There was no way I could tell Aiden to speak to me now. In the end, I nodded and ushered him out of the carriage.
“Viscount Pauline is a good person. He’s just temporarily agreed to be my guardian so I can finish my studies.”
“Does he know your status?”
“No. He just thinks I’m an academy student.”
“Understood. We will speak again next time.”
He gave me a slight bow and left the carriage before I could even react.
Lena, who had quickly re-entered the carriage, looked at me with concern, my dazed expression clearly worrying her. She then leaned out the window and told the coachman to depart quickly.
“Miss. Are you alright? Is that someone you know? Could it be the Prince…”
“No. It’s Prince Astolf.”
“My word…”
“…I have a headache. Let’s just get back quickly, Lena. Tell the coachman to take the left path at the fork.”
“Yes, Miss. Please try to rest your eyes.”
I was too exhausted to even reply. I collapsed onto my side and closed my eyes.
Valerian no longer felt frightening, but he was certainly still a difficult person to deal with.
\ \ \
They say life is like a journey on the edge of a cliff, and truly, nothing goes according to my will.
I couldn’t make it to the summer villa in the north after all. Evan, that crazy bastard, had completely locked down this entire southern region.
I heard Evan’s unit was watching everyone coming and going from the routes leading to other territories. His determination to find me, no matter what, sent shivers down my spine.
“The blockade will be lifted soon. Then we’ll leave for the north immediately, Miss.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
Though I smiled and answered Lena, my anxiety didn’t easily subside.
Evan, a psychic-type Esper, had manifested at a low rank, but he would eventually reach S-Class.
His ability was mind-reading. In the past, he needed to touch someone to read their thoughts, but as his rank increased, he could read minds just by looking at them.
Furthermore, Evan would awaken once more to gain mind control. This meant he could not only read thoughts but also manipulate people’s minds and thoughts.
My anxiety stemmed from not knowing Evan’s current rank. The last time I saw him, he was C-Class, but what if he had ranked up again?
If he used his ability to search the residents of this territory, I would be caught in no time. Even though I had minimized my exposure to the outside, Lena and a few servants had gone out, so the longer it took, the more disadvantageous it would be for me.
And that anxiety proved to be accurate.
The next day, Lena, who had gone out of the mansion to scout, returned ashen-faced.
“It seems they’re dividing their troops to search house by house.”
They must have nothing better to do. Even if it wasn’t a period of Monster appearances, shouldn’t a High-Class Esper be guarding the border? Monsters aren’t the only ones threatening territory.
I couldn’t understand why Evan, who had been fine for the past six months, was now actively searching for me.
“What should we do, Miss?”
“We have to trust Prince Astolf and wait. There’s nothing we can do right now.”
Valerian doesn’t think highly of me. He’s likely displeased that I’m tied to Evan.
Strictly speaking, I am an element that hinders Evan’s growth.
The existence of a Guide, in general, was like that for an Esper. They were the ones who allowed them to soar, but also a weakness that held them back. Espers without Guides were no different from ticking time bombs.
So, to Valerian, who likely saw me as just an ordinary person, less than a Guide, how much of a hindrance would my existence be? Especially since he’s such a willful Prince, he couldn’t do anything about it.
For now, I could only hope for one of two things. Either Monsters would suddenly appear, causing the Esper units to leave, or Valerian would interfere with Evan finding me. Otherwise, I had no more room to escape.
And astonishingly, both of those things happened within a single day.
“Is Viscount Pauline inside?”
“What is the matter?”
“I am Valerian Astolf, Commander of Aint’s 3rd Unit. I have a brief investigation to conduct under Prince Andreas’s orders, so I would appreciate your cooperation.”
I hadn’t expected Valerian to come in person. Hiding in the attic on the third floor, my gaze met his through the window. Valerian simply gave a slight nod with a blank expression.
It felt like a sign that everything was alright. I eventually went down the stairs and stood at the door to face Valerian.
“Young Master.”
I waved away the servants who were looking at me with worried expressions, sending them back. Similarly, Valerian ordered his adjutants standing behind him to step back.
Only when we were alone did I ask what I had been wondering about.
“Is Evan still looking for me?”
“It is difficult for me to disobey an order issued under the Prince’s authority.”
“Is there absolutely no way for me to escape his search?”
“That is why I am here. Just pretend to cooperate with the search. I will report that you were not here.”
“Thank you.”
Saying that, I turned and moved aside. Valerian entered the mansion and pretended to inspect various places.
The servants were new hires since I settled here, so they seemed bewildered by the current situation.
After the perfunctory procedure, Valerian was about to leave but paused for a moment, turning back to stare at me intently.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Where has Viscount Pauline gone?”
“I don’t know that either. He often leaves the mansion.”
“……”
“Why are you asking that?”
“The mansion’s security seems lax.”
“……”
“I am aware that there are many groups searching for you besides Andreas. If you intend to live in hiding, you should increase your security measures from what they are now.”
“Thank you for the advice. I will do so.”
He seemed to be referring to Count and Countess Pascianne. I had people placed with them, so I wasn’t too worried yet.
“Then I will be going…”
It was at that moment.
BOOM—!
A deafening roar that shook the earth echoed, and the mansion swayed violently as if it were about to collapse. The servants screamed and ran outside, while I collapsed on the floor, covering my head with my hands, consumed by panic.
No… Snap out of it. I can’t collapse here.
I tried to pull myself together and whip myself into action, but it was no use. Even after years, the earthquake trauma I experienced in the other world remained. I trembled uncontrollably amidst the aftershocks that followed the explosion.
“Young Lady!”
I heard Valerian’s urgent voice calling my name, but I couldn’t move an inch. I didn’t even feel like I was breathing properly.
Gasp! I kept choking, scratching my throat with my hands, but it was no use.
“Young Lady! Young Lady, please come to your senses.”
“Hic… M-my throat… My throat… I can’t breathe…!”
I could see the ceiling caving in, but I was powerless. Valerian, who had stopped my hands from frantically clawing at my throat, took something out of his pocket and put it to my lips.
He folded paper into a bag-like shape and stopped my hyperventilation. Come to think of it, Valerian had saved me when I collapsed from hyperventilation before, hadn’t he?
“Slowly. Breathe.”
“Haa, haa…”
The dizziness in my vision gradually subsided.
At that moment, with another CRASH!*, the ceiling that had barely remained intact collapsed entirely, covering and obscuring my vision.
Startled again, I dodged the falling debris and escaped Valerian’s embrace. After crawling on the floor for a while, I fumbled for him in the darkness where I couldn’t see anything.
“P-Prince?”
“I am here.”
Valerian announced his presence through the falling dust.
However, as he moved to come towards me, the space I had barely maintained began to collapse again.
“Wait! Stay there. I’ll come to you.”
With that build, if he moved, he’d destroy what little was left of the furnishings.
Still, the thought that I wasn’t alone helped me recover my senses quickly, and I began to crawl slowly through the narrow gaps.
“Young Lady?”
“I’m coming. Hold on a little longer.”
“I am fine.”
“Fine? The ceiling is resting on your shoulder.”
The closer I got, the more I could see Valerian’s pathetic state, and my brow furrowed.
The mansion’s only pride, a massive chandelier, had fallen, and shards of glass were embedded in Valerian’s shoulder.
