Chapter 11: The Price of a Chandelier

The meal at the mansion proved to be exquisite. Dishes from various countries were masterfully combined into a single course, creating a feast for both the eyes and the palate, enhancing the enjoyment several times over.

Ethan considered himself fortunate for this. Had the food been merely mediocre, the atmosphere would have undoubtedly been utterly dreadful.

Indeed, a frigid, arctic wind seemed to blow from Bliss’s direction, while Scott and Enoch, having just become a matched Guide and Esper, radiated the warmth of a tropical paradise.

Desperate to mend the invisible rift across the table, Ethan forced himself to speak, though his options for conversation were limited.

“So, you came to the village to accompany Enoch Cloud to the capital?”

Scott, who had been savoring the melt-in-your-mouth seabass, nodded.

“It will probably be reported on the news tomorrow. Enoch said we should tell my parents before they find out by watching the broadcast.”

‘Enoch.’ The casual intimacy of the name, bridging the age gap of twenty-three and thirty-one, and the social divide between noble and commoner, sent shivers down Ethan’s spine.

He had often heard that Espers became fiercely protective and doting towards their matched Guides. Of course, not every case was like that, as evidenced by Uncle Hans, but even his own parents, while not quite like Enoch and Scott, clearly adored each other.

Yet, there was something more.

“I never imagined the delivery young man would be the ‘Ethan’ our Scott talked about. If I had known, I wouldn’t have shown such an unseemly display.”

Enoch smiled warmly, not just at his Guide, but also at his Guide’s best friend. Ethan subtly avoided his gaze and casually inquired, “So, after dinner, will you be staying at Scott’s house for a few days?”

Enoch chuckled, as if amused by the question. “Haha. We’ll stop by Scott’s house, but the security there isn’t as excellent as Bliss’s mansion.”

“Ah, I see. Then tomorrow, the entire village might be quite noisy.”

After all, someone of Enoch Cloud’s stature wouldn’t stay in a place with poor security. Ethan nodded, imagining the chaos that would descend upon the peaceful village tomorrow. Perhaps, in a way, he was fortunate to be safe within this mansion.

As Ethan spooned a taste of the deeply flavored, slowly simmered stew, he suddenly looked up. “By the way, is it really alright for a Guide to be exposed like this?”

For a fleeting moment, the perpetual smile on Enoch’s face vanished, but Ethan, focused on his stew, didn’t notice. Only Bliss stared intently at Enoch, but his expressionless face offered no clue to his thoughts.

“It’s not wartime, so why not? Besides me, there are many cases where famous Guides became even more famous than their Espers, aren’t there?”

Scott chimed in, as if it were no big deal. “Ethan, I showed you all the time. Esper Guide promotional materials are full of those famous Espers and Guides. And these days, who hides just because they’re a Guide?”

“…That’s true.”

“Of course, you have to avoid the media and paparazzi. In the capital or a big city, there are various ways, but this is a rural corner, isn’t it? Ah, I made a mistake. I’m sorry for calling it a rural corner, Scott.”

“It’s okay, Enoch. It really is a rural corner.”

Ethan almost bit his spoon, quickly putting it down and picking up his fork instead. ‘He’s utterly bewitched. Completely taken.’

“Anyway, that’s why I begged Bliss for a few days. It’s hard to even move around inside the hotel I’m staying at because of all those guys trying to snap another picture. I’ll be in your care for the next month.”

His charming smile, like something out of a photoshoot, left both Ethan and Scott staring blankly. Then, Bliss’s low, deep voice, which had been observing them with an unreadable expression, resonated.

“Three days. Nothing more.”

Enoch, who had subtly tried to extend his stay to a month, didn’t give up. “Why don’t we stay here together for a month? Scott needs to spend time with his parents before leaving for the capital, doesn’t he?”

“Then pour money into Scott’s house and install security. I never let outsiders sleep in my home.”

“Then what about Ethan?”

Bliss paused for a moment. The question, ‘Why did I do that?’, flickered through his mind, but he answered calmly. “…If you want to work here as a servant, you may stay.”

“A servant?”

“A servant?” Enoch and Scott exclaimed simultaneously. Suddenly the center of attention, Ethan silently cursed Bliss.

“Um… I, well, I caused a bit of an accident….”

As Ethan shrugged, looking flustered, Enoch seemed curious about the nature of the ‘accident’ but didn’t press him. However, it seemed the news of Ethan, which all the mansion staff already knew, had reached Scott.

A mischievous smile played on Scott’s lips. “I heard from the butler just now. You shattered a 12 million gid chandelier, didn’t you?”

“…”

Bliss’s quiet chuckle made Ethan’s face flush even more.

****

The next day, every channel on TV was practically plastered with reports about Enoch Cloud’s Esper awakening and his fated matched Guide.

Ethan, still in the midst of organizing books, worked with the news playing in the background on a monitor in the study.

The news channels, vying to report even a single piece of information more than their rivals, pieced together almost everything known about Enoch Cloud. Thanks to this, Ethan learned quite a lot about him.

“…With Enoch Cloud, the second son, becoming an Esper with a matched Guide, we eagerly anticipate a new era for the Cloud ducal family.”

The building of Cloud Pharmaceuticals briefly flashed across the screen. Ethan, watching indifferently, changed the channel. This time, a panel discussion was debating whether Enoch Cloud would continue his acting career.

The interest in the Guide was extraordinary, and the entire village, excluding the mansion, buzzed with noise. On yet another channel, Scott’s mother was shown tearfully giving an interview, followed by interviews with everyone who had even a slight acquaintance with Scott.

They even intruded upon Uncle Hans’s shop, rudely asking if he, as the village’s only Esper, had ever sensed anything stronger than usual from Scott compared to ordinary people. The scene of Hans eventually losing his temper was captured vividly, making Ethan feel a pang of guilt for being so comfortably secluded.

*Click.*

The monitor, which he had been watching, powered off.

“Even if it’s a part-time job, I don’t recall watching TV during working hours ever being evaluated as beneficial for work efficiency.”

A low voice sent a shiver crawling up Ethan’s spine. Startled, Ethan slowly relaxed his momentarily stiff body and turned around.

A chiseled face looked down at him. Ethan forced the corners of his lips upward. “…Well, there are individual differences, aren’t there?”

A crack appeared in Bliss’s otherwise expressionless face. “Kid.”

A crack appeared in Ethan’s smiling face. “To someone as large as an ogre, even an average height might seem small. If you doubt me, perhaps look around a bit before speaking.”

‘An ogre.’ With the previous bad review added to his name, Bliss, now an ogre with uneven eyes, suppressed the surge of emotion and turned his gaze in the direction Ethan indicated. The documents, which had been incredibly disorganized just two days prior, now showed a noticeable degree of order.

“…”

Watching Bliss’s reaction, Ethan snatched the controller from his hand with an annoyingly smug grin. “Then I can go back to watching while I work, right? For me, due to individual differences, this is efficient.”

*Beep.*

The monitor turned on, and the news resumed.

As Bliss left the study, he subtly placed a hand on his chest. It felt as though something was pressing down, making him feel indigestion, and for the first time in a long while, he wanted to scream. He seriously wondered if heart palpitations could start in the chest.

****

Philip returned with Ethan’s updated information sooner than expected. This was largely because there were only about three years of data available.

“Ethan Prescott is not actually related to Hans Palmer?”

“Yes. He was vouched for. Since Hans Palmer’s identity is confirmed, an ID card was issued. Providing a guarantee isn’t illegal, after all.”

“That’s true.”

“According to the villagers, Ethan Prescott settled in this village three years ago. Hans Palmer was originally a resident here, so Ethan was introduced to the villagers as a nephew who came to visit his uncle. Initially, rumors circulated that he had lost his memory, but they soon disappeared. Rumors in small villages like this tend to get exaggerated and spread, you see. However…”

Philip hesitated, then handed over a tablet displaying Ethan’s account usage details. As Bliss scanned it, his eyes subtly changed.

“80kg of rice per month?”

“…”

“What’s the connection between five luxury silk handkerchiefs and pastel-colored cotton dishcloths?”

Philip cleared his throat, then pointed to the item directly below. “There’s also gold bullion. And jewels… and, uh, he seems to really like meat and snacks. 8kg of beef, 10kg of pork, haha… there’s chicken too.”

“…”

Both men fell into a quiet, perplexed silence.