7 - I Healed the Male Lead's Trauma
Episode 7
2. Even Extras Need Obsession (2)
The Brondearne mansion was filled with dark, heavy wallpaper and furniture.
It was as if the entire mansion was a giant coffin.
Entering the room I was guided to, I let out a long sigh I had been holding back.
To think I had to spend half a year in this gloomy atmosphere.
'...This is the first time I've missed my dorm bed.'
Let's think of something good in times like these.
For example, if Hiakin and I successfully leave this country... I should buy a small, pure white mansion with a pretty garden.
The interior should be decorated with soft ivory wallpaper that matches the white, and furnished with bright furniture.
Suddenly, I looked at my reflection in the mirror right next to me.
Light platinum blonde hair, almost cream-colored, and rare jade-colored eyes.
It didn't match this all-black place at all.
'Since I have to go back in half a year anyway, I should just live moderately and leave.'
While making my own future plans, I was introduced to the maid who would be serving me.
"This is Hanna. She will be in charge of Ortiz's errands and cleaning the room, so please tell her if you need anything."
"Ah, thank you for your consideration."
It doesn't really feel like consideration, though.
"And the Duke wishes to have dinner with you. Please come down as quickly as possible."
Blair, who clearly didn't seem to be favorable to me, seemed to think she had done her job and left.
'This is quite embarrassing.'
But what can I do? I have to be patient.
Anyway, since the Duke, who will be our new patron, is calling, I should dress in clothes that are appropriately polite.
I put down the trunk containing my luggage and called out to the maid who was staring at the door Blair had left through.
"Excuse me, can you help me change my clothes?"
But for some reason, the reaction was cold.
"Yes?"
"The clothes. It's a bit much to meet the Duke in these clothes."
"Ah... but the clothes aren't complicated enough to need help, are they?"
I was speechless for a moment and stared at the maid silently.
She flinched at my gaze, but she was still upright.
'It's because we're both commoners.'
Students are treated as soldiers as soon as they enter the academy and are freed from their commoner status.
First of all, they are given the title of knight, but it seems that this maid thinks I will only receive the title after I graduate.
'It'll only be troublesome for me if I argue.'
When I asked her to leave if she wasn't going to help, she really did leave.
"This has become tiring."
I only have to endure it for half a year.
As I repeated that to myself and changed my clothes, Hiakin, who was looking very presentable, was waiting for me.
"...Who?"
"I'll change again."
"Sorry, I was just kidding."
And so, we had our first meeting with the head of Brondearne.
* * *
"His Highness suddenly sent a servant, so I wondered what it was, but your brother's potential is quite promising."
"You flatter me. Hiakin hasn't even Evolved yet."
"His Highness's analysis and intuition are rarely wrong. The fact that he sent you to me probably means that the touch of a high-ranking Transcendent Being is needed."
I continued the somewhat uncomfortable conversation and quenched my thirst.
Glok Brondearne.
The head of Brondearne is a very famous person, even among the big shots at Estra Academy.
He has now retired, but he is still one of the most prominent Transcendent Beings in this country, to the extent that he must go to war by order of the royal family in case of an emergency.
One of the ten S-class Transcendent Beings currently in the entire continent.
He proudly holds one of those spots.
The guardian of Leidel, the capital of Barmos.
'And the protagonist of the affair rumors caused by Imprinting.'
I tried my best not to pay attention to the Duchess sitting next to him and fiddled with my knife.
The blade was so sharp that the steak was sliced with a rustling sound, and blood flowed out.
"But even if that child is like that, I don't really know why you have to stay here as well."
The owner of this place mentioned me too directly.
It's very annoying that a mere B-rank is in Brondearne, is what he means.
Well, I guess.
In a family where A-ranks are rampant and S-ranks reign, a mere B-rank Guide is not going to be satisfactory.
'Unless my Resonance with someone in the family turns out to be high.'
Resonance is a numerical representation of how well a Transcendent Being and a Guide are compatible.
The higher the Guide's rank, the more they can care for the Transcendent Being with simple contact, such as holding hands.
However, if the Resonance between them is high, this is further maximized.
Even if the same B-rank Guide is Guiding a B-rank Transcendent Being, if the Resonance is high, it can end with a hug, but on the other hand, if they are not compatible, even more physical contact may be of no use.
'Physical contact, that's a setting perfectly optimized for romance.'
As a result, Transcendent Beings and Guides with high Resonance naturally find it difficult to meet other partners.
For this reason, in many cases, they mutually agree to marry, similar to aristocratic arranged marriages.
After all, physical contact is essential for Guiding.
Unless there are other obstacles, they usually 'Imprint' on each other and become unable to receive or give Guiding from anyone other than the other person...
'It's no different from an arranged marriage.'
But the problem is when one of them has someone else they love.
In that case, a tragedy that no one can bear to witness unfolds.
Thinking of someone, I quietly swallowed a bitter smile.
Because.
The most representative figure of this tragedy is the current Duchess of Brondearne.
The unfortunate Guide who was caught due to her high Resonance with the Duke.
Yes, the Duke and Duchess of Brondearne got married, but they have not yet 'Imprinted'.
I secretly glared at the Duke, being careful not to be rude to the Duchess.
'Akteon and Kashiel shouldn't do something like the Duke either.'
Originally, the Duchess had a beloved fiancé with whom marriage was being discussed.
However, due to her high Resonance with the Duke, the engagement was broken, and the former fiancé was bankrupted by Brondearne.
In the end, she was forced to marry in order to somehow revive her loved one.
'But the Duke continued to meet with his lover, whom he had been meeting since before the marriage.'
What he wanted from the Duchess was only the efficient mana stabilization that could be obtained from her high Resonance and rank.
He had found a partner that suited his status, so he committed adultery with another person, saying that love was separate.
There's no worse mess than this.'
If they are married, they should Imprint on each other.
In the case of Transcendent Beings, they limit the power to stabilize their mana, Guiding, to only one person.
It was similar for Guides.
In order to Guide, they have to adjust the power needed for stabilization to match the other person's unique mana, but once they Imprint, they are fixed to one specific target and cannot Guide anyone else.
But the Duke didn't do that.
In short, the Duke ruined the Duchess's engagement, brought her in as his Guide, but didn't Imprint and even received Guiding from someone else.
'I don't know if the Duke of Brondearne simply doesn't want to create weaknesses, or if he doesn't love the Duchess...'
But one thing is clear.
'He's an unexcuseable piece of trash.'
Moreover, the Duke not only committed adultery but also had a child with his mistress.
The child born as a victim of this complicated relationship is none other than.
'Brondearne's illegitimate child, Akteon.'
This is the relationship between Transcendent Beings and Guides.
Although the Duke's mistress and Akteon's mother died not long after entering the Duke's family.
'That doesn't mean everything is gone.'
Even Akteon learned about the relationship at a young age and grew up being mindful of the Duchess.
However, the Duke, who caused all these accidents, only focused on Akteon's Evolution and didn't care at all about how Akteon grew up.
As if he thought of him not as the child of the mistress he loved so much, but only as a useful prospective Evolved Being.
'He's arguably the second biggest piece of trash among the people mentioned in this story.'
Who's the first?
Of course, it's the Crown Prince.
The fact that he joined hands with Hiakin, who was the villain in the original story, says it all.
Anyway, since I knew information I didn't want to know because of the original story, I naturally couldn't eat easily.
I decided to focus on the conversation rather than the meal.
"I'm also worried that my rank will tarnish Brondearne's reputation. There are many higher-ranking Guides here anyway, so I won't be of any use."
"Hmm."
The Duke made a sound of satisfaction, as if he liked my reaction of knowing my place.
"My purpose was to protect Hiakin in the first place. Brondearne will take good care of my brother, right?"
"Ri... I mean. Sister."
"I will return to the academy in half a year, and I will go to the garrison immediately after graduation, so I will not be deeply involved with this place. Rest assured."
"For those six months."
"I will live quietly as if I don't exist. So that rumors don't spread that a B-rank is staying here."
With this level of perfect behavior, he won't be able to find any more fault with me.
The Duke nodded, unable to find any fault with me.
'With this, I know for sure that Brondearne is only aiming for Hiakin, and they regard me as a leech attached to Hiakin.'
I can already see how much they will despise me the moment I try to actively step into their affairs.
Even though I wasn't showing it, Hiakin seemed to notice that I was upset.
He seemed to have a lot to say to me.
As I was deliberately avoiding Hiakin's gaze, the Duke, who didn't see my expression, said something flattering as if he was doing me a favor.
"It would have been nice if you were at least an A-rank, it's a shame."
That statement meant that if my rank was just a little higher, he would have tried to get me involved with one of his children.
...I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline.
As Brondearne has many high-ranking Transcendent Beings, there are also high-ranking Guides living here with them.
The Duke's children or Guides from other families who were engaged to Brondearne's relatives early on.
But whether I was an S-rank or a B-rank, I have no intention of getting involved with this place.
Even if I avoid the death flag, I'll end up dying of anger disease, right?
'Honestly, who in their right mind would like this place?'
I chewed the meat thoroughly and repeatedly made up my mind.
Let's change only what we can change and leave this place quickly.
