Chapter 14: A Rare Reprieve

“…Lord… Lord Bliss.”

Bliss slowly opened his eyes at the urgent calls. Dale and Philip were looking down at him with worried expressions.

The moment he realized Dale’s hand was on his body, he shot upright.

“Lord Bliss!”

“…Dale, did you shake me awake?”

Dale withdrew his hand and nodded.

“You hadn’t come down for breakfast, so we came up. We called your name several times from outside the door, Lord Bliss, but received no answer. So, we took the liberty of entering with Philip. We found you still in bed.”

They watched Bliss’s face contort with astonishment, their own expressions mirroring his shock. Such an expression had not graced Bliss Moore’s face since his awakening.

As silence settled for various reasons, a frantic knocking at the door seemed to rouse Dale. He went to open it, while Philip spoke.

“Fearing there might be a physical issue, I summoned Doctor Sera.”

Behind Doctor Sera, who appeared as the door opened, stood several individuals in specialized suits. These were guards from the research team, all Espers, tasked with dragging Bliss to a fallout shelter should he suffer a seizure before its full transference.

One even carried a tranquilizer gun, loaded with a potent sedative capable of bringing down even a formidable beast like an elephant or a lion.

“Lord Bliss! What on earth happened? What about the seizure transference symptoms?”

Bliss slowly raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

“…I slept.”

At his low voice, the commotion in the room instantly subsided into a profound quiet.

“You mean… you truly slept well…?” Dale’s voice trailed off, the end of his sentence unclear, as if he was choked with emotion.

Ever since he awakened as an Esper, Bliss’s heightened senses had been acutely sensitive to every ordinary stimulus of daily life. The higher the rank, the more severe the symptoms; young Bliss, unable to properly open and close his abilities, had suffered to the point of wishing for death.

Every sound, every flicker of light, every scent, every touch assaulted him. While Esper training had allowed him to control his senses to some extent, he was plagued by escalating headaches, agonizing pain that coursed through his muscles, and a lifelong reliance on Esper-specific painkillers, all before he would inevitably erupt in a seizure when he could no longer bear it.

Naturally, his sleep quality had been abysmal. To ensure not even the slightest disturbance for Bliss, who always slept in a state of semi-consciousness, his bedroom contained no electronics, not even the faint hum of automated machinery. It was decorated in an antique, classical style, devoid of even a common television.

“I think… I could sleep a little more.”

At that instant, the seasoned butler’s expression became resolute.

“Everyone, leave.”

Bliss closed his eyes, observing Dale, who, with the sternness to dismiss even an Esper if they disturbed Bliss’s sleep, was now ushering out the research team, eager to barrage them with questions about the current situation.

He knew he ought to consider how this had come to be, yet in this moment, he wished to think of nothing at all. It was the first truly restful sleep he had experienced in nineteen years.

****

“What on earth is Bliss doing that makes having a cup of tea so difficult? He wasn’t even at breakfast.” Enoch grumbled, sitting at the tea table with Scott and receiving the tea Dale poured.

Dale, in a serious and trustworthy voice, calmly explained, “Lord Bliss has come here for a month of recuperation. He has not been feeling well, so he took a late breakfast in his room this morning.”

“Does he know I’m leaving today? I understand I’m staying here at my own request, but since I’ve been granted permission, I’m undeniably a guest. Isn’t this a bit much?”

“…Enoch.”

Scott discreetly caught Enoch’s elbow, which had subtly sharpened.

“Scott, I don’t know if you understand, but this is one of the many courtesies to be observed in noble society.”

“No, it’s not that. Lord Bliss doesn’t have a Guide, does he? Enoch, you’re fine because you met me right away, but Lord Bliss…” Scott’s voice faded as he turned his gaze to Enoch.

His heart sank, as a fleeting flicker of irritation seemed to cross Enoch’s usually kind eyes. Startled, Scott blinked, and then Enoch Cloud, who always smiled so warmly at him, was there once more.

“I don’t know the kind of suffering Bliss experiences. But Scott, even I take painkillers occasionally these days.”

“E-Enoch?”

Seeing Scott’s bewildered look, Enoch gently stroked his cheek.

“You don’t need to worry. Unless your matching rate with a Guide is over 50%, every Esper has to take them. The ones produced by our company, specifically for Espers, have no side effects if taken at the prescribed dosage.”

“So, even with a Guide, it still hurts? Enoch, ah…” Scott wrung his hands in distress, his eyes reddening as if on the verge of tears.

Enoch, however, smiled tenderly and kissed his cheek.

“It’s alright. If Scott provides guiding, I can manage for a day or two. So, I hope you’ll try a little harder.”

Scott’s face instantly flushed, his tears forgotten. Enoch found him utterly adorable as he glanced nervously at Dale, who was silently refilling teacups, setting out sandwiches and cookies, and then retreating as if he’d heard nothing. Enoch then kissed Scott’s lips.

Believing that contact with a compatible Guide, even with a lower matching rate, was always a welcome thing, Enoch trapped the flustered, struggling Scott in his arms. He then opened his lips and entangled their tongues.

As he heard Dale quietly close the door and depart, Enoch felt a brief pang of pity for Bliss, who might be writhing alone without a Guide.

****

Enoch and Scott departed late that night, choosing the hour to evade the numerous cameras that still lingered in the village, seemingly waiting for their next meal.

Enoch had wished to remain at Bliss’s mansion until the cameras faded, enjoying a rare moment of leisure. However, Bliss, who had appeared in the dining room looking quite refreshed for dinner, showed no mercy when Enoch subtly hinted at staying longer.

“Leave.”

Ethan, who had secretly hoped Scott would stay a little longer, concealed his disappointment and bid him farewell.

“Goodbye. Come visit often.”

“I’m a bit overwhelmed since it’s my first time going to Ashlyton, too. You should come visit, Ethan.”

Enoch interjected into their goodbyes.

“You mentioned wanting to complete your postgraduate studies, correct? Since that’s only possible at the graduate schools in the capital, you should consider coming to the Cloud Dukedom. I’ll show you that not all nobles in the Aitoolia Empire exploit people like Mr. Ethan without proper respect.”

Ethan was surprised by how much Enoch seemed to know about him, and he turned to Scott. Watching Scott grin and give a thumbs-up, as if delighted by the suggestion, Ethan felt his budding irritation simply fizzle away.

Sighing, Ethan responded, “No, that’s because I caused some trouble…”

“Even if that weren’t the case, Scott will be at the Cloud Dukedom, so you’re welcome to visit anytime without obligation. Don’t you agree?”

When Enoch sought his agreement, Scott, touched by the Esper’s boundless consideration, responded with fervent enthusiasm.

“Yes, Ethan! That’s a wonderful idea. You only have one semester left anyway, so you’ll need to start looking for a place in the capital soon, won’t you?”

‘Scott is fine, but you… you I’m reluctant about.’

Swallowing the words that had surged to his throat, Ethan forced a smile. It was an incredibly tempting offer for Ethan, who was currently little better than a pauper. While he would normally have jumped at such an opportunity, recalling Enoch’s persuasive power, Ethan equivocated with an uncertain reply.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Think about what? Scott told me you like money. If you stay at our house, you won’t need to find separate lodgings in the capital, saving you a fortune. The rent in Ashlyton is…”

“Leave.”

A heavy bass voice cut Enoch off like a knife. Enoch, muttering curses about all soldiers being unreasonable, then departed in a rather flamboyant car, hardly like someone trying to slip away quietly in the night. Once the boisterous farewells concluded, a profound stillness descended upon the mansion.

As Ethan pondered if this was how one felt the absence of people, Bliss’s voice reached him.

“…For someone who likes money, you don’t seem particularly skilled at earning it.”

His casually murmured voice held not the chilling sharpness that had cut off Enoch, but a subtle yet distinct teasing tone. Ethan cursed inwardly.

‘That damned silver-haired monster with green eyes. Always has to land a final blow before disappearing.’

“Ha, haha. I can’t repay it all, but I’ll somehow…”

“Did anything come of it?”

Ethan blinked. It was nearly midnight, past both his part-time and servant duties. Normally, he would have argued about the Moore family exploiting people to this extent, but hadn’t he just blurted out that he would ‘somehow’ repay them, even if he couldn’t repay it all?

“…Shall we… go… to the study?”

His forced words and the way he guided Bliss made him resemble an animal being led to slaughter. Bliss, still wearing his dressing gown, slipped a hand into his pocket, lightly rolling something between his fingertips.

It was a small pouch, about the size of a finger joint, that had been rolling around near his bedside. A faint smile touched his lips as he headed towards the study.