Chapter 30: The Unveiling and the Unexpected Arrangement

Despite their spontaneous outburst, the two protagonists simply stared at each other, neither making a move. Impatience rippled through the onlookers, who slowly began to shift. The two concentric circles that had encompassed Ethan and Bliss now subtly connected, forging a clear path. A brief, resigned understanding flickered in the eyes of the pair, realizing the irreversible nature of their impromptu declaration.

From that moment, their performance commenced.

“Ha, haha. Bliss.”

Bliss, momentarily taken aback by the familiar intimacy in the voice, slowly parted his lips after a noticeable pause.

“…Ethan.”

A shiver traced Ethan’s spine, as if an uncommonly low murmur had materialized there. He straightened his posture. Though it was a voice he often heard in the mansion’s study, today, it resonated with an unfamiliar weight.

Ethan faltered, acutely aware of the probing stares, and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t fathom why Bliss Moore had chosen to play along with his desperate glance, yet he knew any hesitation now would instantly invite suspicion.

“I’m sorry, Bliss. I meant for us not to tell anyone just yet…”

‘Since I’ve played my part, you’ll have to concoct the explanation.’ Ethan shamelessly shifted the burden of clarification onto Bliss.

A subtle twitch. His lips, initially threatening to contort into a sneer, steadied themselves. They then curled upwards just slightly at the corners, forming the barest hint of a smile. For anyone else, it would hardly register as an expression, but the slight lift of his perpetually stoic lips sent a ripple of murmurs through the room.

“If Ethan Prescott is truly Bliss’s Guide, then why was he not recognized at that mansion in the countryside?”

Enoch Cloud reacted with visible agitation to the unexpected announcement. Bliss, in turn, shifted his gaze, alternating between Enoch and his Guide. Enoch flinched under the scrutiny, instinctively drawing Scott closer to his side.

Given that Enoch had shared a personal secret while negotiating for Bliss’s support in becoming the family head, such an aggressive challenge was exceedingly perilous. Yet, his confusion was so profound that he refused to yield.

“I was unaware I had any obligation to publicly disclose my Guide to others.”

His gaze still fixed on Enoch, Bliss continued, “Indeed, I harbored a certain unease that, if left unchecked, everyone in the Cloud household might mistakenly assume my Guide was *your* Guide, Enoch Cloud.”

Bliss, pressing his temples as if to quell a burgeoning headache, swept his fierce gaze past Enoch and across the faces of the banqueters. Fearing to meet those cold, grey-blue eyes, many quickly averted their gazes, feigning disinterest.

“An Esper whose Guide is publicly denied before their very eyes? Could there be any greater insult?”

Enoch’s lips, poised to retort, snapped shut. He found himself unable to question Bliss further, who had countered with a truth inherent to all Espers. Ethan, having already shifted the burden of explanation to Bliss, now approached him with a relaxed demeanor.

As a troubled grimace began to mar Bliss’s features, Ethan swiftly took his arm and murmured, almost ventriloquistically, ‘Ease up a little.’

Ethan’s hand, having stroked Bliss’s arm where it had subtly flinched, then intertwined with Bliss’s gloved fingers, and he offered a bright smile. Between their palms, the small lucky pouch was pressed, its opening yielding.

A ripple—

A louder murmur erupted throughout the hall as attendees witnessed Bliss’s expression visibly soften, a clear sign of relief. Enoch and Scott, seeing it unfold before them, widened their eyes in disbelief. The undeniable effect of guiding, known to every Esper and Guide present, had just been demonstrated.

“No, it can’t be… Ethan is, my…” Enoch’s words trailed off. He bit his lip, shook his head, and gripped Scott’s arm with bruising force.

“Ah, you’re hurting me, Enoch.” Scott, his eyes wide with unease, struggled to free his arm from Enoch’s grasp.

The initial shock and confusion that had briefly crossed Enoch’s features quickly dissipated, his composure returning to its usual state.

“…Finally. It seems you’ve found your Guide. For now… congratulations would be the proper response, wouldn’t it?”

As Enoch ceased his interrogation and offered a smile, a victorious curl appeared on Bliss’s lips.

“Ethan, you see, desired a life with more freedom. I had planned to endure a little longer, but remaining silent would have inevitably forced me into a marriage with a Guide entirely unsuited to me.”

‘Aha,’ Ethan thought, instantly grasping why Bliss had referred to him as ‘my Guide.’ He nodded innocently in response.

“It’s perfectly alright. It’s far better than having incorrect rumors circulate among the capital’s nobility and upsetting Bliss with information he might overhear from others.”

At his words, the nobles who had clustered around Ethan visibly flinched. A careless word, and they might have inadvertently branded him as Enoch’s Guide, gossiping and comparing him to Scott, who was officially presented as a Guide. Should Marquis Moore have discovered such a slight, the wrath of the Moore family would have been a fearsome consequence.

“Then, it seems no one here will object to me departing with my Guide now.”

“Oh, goodness!” Ethan cried out softly, startled by the arm that suddenly encircled his waist. Far from releasing him, Bliss pulled him even closer.

Ethan, abruptly enveloped in the embrace, lowered his head, flustered and unsure how to react. Bliss merely tightened his arm around Ethan’s waist and moved smoothly towards the banquet hall’s exit.

As the onlookers, stunned into silence, began to stir with a commotion that bordered on uproar, Enoch finally regained his composure. He attempted to call out to Bliss, who was on the verge of exiting the banquet hall.

“Wait…!”

“Ah, yes. I almost forgot there was a certain matter I needed to convey from today’s visit.” Bliss turned his head with a casual air, speaking in a dry, even tone, as if recalling a trivial oversight.

“Moore Co. and the Antares unit, which I command, have decided to entrust Cloud Co. with the research for the stabilizer component to be incorporated into the new model Esper anesthetic guns. I nearly departed without informing you that His Highness Herace, the overall commander of the Esper units, has granted his sanction. Enoch Cloud, welcome to the world of Espers.”

“…!!!”

David, the current patriarch of the Cloud family, beamed with delight. The two most critical pillars of the Esper-Guide industry were, undeniably, the research centers and the Esper units.

Ashilton maintained three dedicated Esper units alongside its standard forces. Within these, the ultimate authority for all Esper units rested with the First Prince, Herace Green.

Bliss’s Antares unit was the absolute elite, and his ‘Moore’ lineage granted him influence within the Esper military on par with Herace. Effectively, Ashilton’s Esper units operated under the joint direction of Herace and Bliss Moore.

The Esper military-related business, a venture they had all but abandoned when Huey Cloud’s Guide, Devon Green, became the Center Director, was now viable again with Enoch’s manifestation. The backing of the Moore family, who held a monopoly on weapon technology, was as crucial as the research center’s support. Indeed, in terms of sheer volume, it might even be considered a greater prize.

In stark contrast to David’s beaming face, Devon’s seemingly composed expression lost its smile.

“This is a task for the new drug development department!” declared those aligned with Huey Cloud. “Did you not hear Lord Bliss just now? He is here to congratulate Enoch Cloud on his manifestation! Even if it’s virtually a new creation, its foundation lies in improving Cloud Co.’s existing anesthetic, making this a project for the improved new drug department!” A fierce debate erupted, transforming the banquet hall into a battleground of competing factions.

As the crowd surged around Enoch and Huey, Devon Green, who had been observing from a slight distance, allowed his lips to twist into a sneer. He glanced towards the door where Bliss had vanished, then retrieved his tablet and stepped onto the terrace to make a call.

“It’s me. I need you to find out everything about this so-called ‘Guide’ of Bliss’s.”

****

“N-now, release me!”

The interior of the sleek, newly designed car was remarkably spacious. Ethan immediately began to squirm upon entering, but Bliss held him firmly until he had entered their destination and initiated the autonomous driving system. Only once the vehicle began to move did he finally release his arm, exhaling a long sigh.

“…You’ve certainly made quite an impression the moment you arrived in Ashilton.”

“Lord Bliss, you used me as a shield, too, didn’t you?”

“I have no intention of entering a serious relationship with anyone who isn’t my Guide. Therefore, you…”

Ethan scoffed, provoking Bliss. “Why, from this moment forward, I *am* meant to be ‘your Guide,’ aren’t I?”

“And you, aren’t you aware of how utterly brazen you’re being right now? If you’d prefer to be labeled as Enoch Cloud’s unofficial Guide—one of his casual dalliances—then even now…”

“No, no! Who said that?!” Ethan exclaimed, jumping and waving his hands emphatically.

He had certainly stirred up trouble. Yet, had he not acted, he would have been forced to begin his first semester of graduate school in Ashilton burdened with the label of Enoch Cloud’s ‘hidden Guide.’ And if that led to him being hauled off to the Center, it would be a disaster.

Bliss Moore was a name almost too formidable even for Ethan to bear, but what choice did he have? The die had been cast.

Bliss, who had been offering a wry smile at Ethan’s renewed polite posture, extended his hand again as his head began to ache.

“…What is it?”

“Just one more pouch.”

“Am I some kind of pouch vending machine?!”

“Well, it kept appearing in my hand whenever I needed it, so I thought…”

Ethan, a little tense, focused on Bliss.

“I’m not a dog.”

“…Excuse me?”

Bliss frowned even more deeply.

“You found dozens of them in that mansion, then you dole them out tantalizingly, like giving praise treats to a pet dog.”

Ethan, who had been staring blankly for a long time, couldn’t help but recall his Iwol upon hearing Bliss’s words, even as Bliss kept his hand extended.

‘Where would you find such a handsome dog…’

‘…*Cough*.’

Ethan struggled to suppress the twitching corners of his mouth, then pulled another small pouch from his inner pocket.

“This is truly the last one. That’s it.”

“…I’ll search you.”

“Go ahead. But do you even know my home address?”

Bliss, who had unwrapped the pouch and sighed, looked bewildered.

“Why would I need to know your address?”

“Aren’t we going to my house right now?”

At that moment, Ethan regretted giving Bliss the pouch. Bliss, his expression now clearly visible, was smiling at Ethan with an air of utter absurdity.

“By tomorrow, the rumor that Ethan Prescott is Bliss Moore’s Guide will have spread far and wide. Where else would my Guide go, if not to my own mansion?”

“…!!”

Bliss’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk, perfectly concluding the maneuver he had been orchestrating ever since Ethan Prescott arrived in Ashilton.

“I suppose there’s no helping it. I’m not keen on it, but for security reasons alone, it can’t be avoided. You’ll stay at my private residence starting today.”

‘What about Samwol’s water play? The rice? The meat? The snacks? The walks?! My perfectly good home, and now I have to sneak around again to do all that?!’

‘Damn it all!’

As Ethan clutched his head with both hands in regret, Bliss once again confidently extended his hand.

“…Hand over one more. A large one, if you please.”