Chapter 67: The Uninvited Observers

“Mm… ugh!”

Ethan let out a sound that was neither a moan nor a gasp, accepting the tongue that invaded his mouth. Every intimate touch between lovers was an entirely new experience for him with Bliss. Far from entwining his own tongue with Bliss’s, Ethan merely flinched each time Bliss’s probing tongue brushed against his sensitive palate. Adding to his discomfiture.

[That damn Dongja was observing their kiss from the head of the bed, offering commentary, while a small crow perched on their head, eyes gleaming.]

[Though Dongja claimed to be out due to the shield, their presence, despite their usual ability to manifest without appearing, was clearly a protest. It was a blatant demand for the gold pieces Ethan had bought during their last date and a sulky reaction to not having visited the confectionery.]

“B-Bliss… wait… h-huh!”

Ethan stumbled, collapsing backward as something brushed against the back of his knees. To his surprise, he found himself practically reclining on the study’s couch, a position that was almost supine.

The couch, wide, simple, and sturdy, clearly reflected Bliss’s taste, and for the relatively small-framed Ethan, it felt no different than a bed.

A soft *smack*.

As their wet lips parted with a soft sound, Ethan found himself unable to meet Bliss’s gaze. He simply couldn’t get used to it. Turning his head, he saw Dongja, hands covering their mouth in an exaggerated gesture, clearly mocking him.

“Honestly, you…”

With a low murmur, Ethan’s chin was firmly grasped and turned. Unable to resist, his eyes met Bliss’s direct gaze—a piercing stare from eyes of blue and gray.

“Bliss, it’s… Dongja… Ugh, ah!”

Smack, smack. Unbearable sounds and a ticklish sensation slid past his jaw and down his neck. The hand that had held his chin, now radiating a warm heat, traced a path over his clothes, sweeping down his upper body, past his untouched neck and collarbone.

Ethan closed his eyes. A faint exhilaration began to stir within him.

[Hey, you’ve never even watched an R-rated video with a guy, have you?]

‘If only that damn Dongja wasn’t here.’

“Bliss.”

Bliss, who had been diligently unbuttoning Ethan’s shirt, paused abruptly when Ethan, steadily growing aroused, suddenly murmured with a chilling tone.

“Is it… that displeasing?”

Bliss, an Esper rejected by his Guide, instantly adopted a pitiful expression, like a drenched dog. Ethan, captivated by this uncharacteristic ’emotional expression’—one Bliss never showed normally, yet displayed now, instinctively trying to reach him—found himself momentarily stunned.

As Bliss’s hand began to move again, Ethan snapped back to reality and replied firmly.

“Of course not.”

Bliss, who had furrowed his brow for a moment at Ethan’s answer, came to a simple conclusion.

“Then there is no issue.”

Pop, rip—four or five buttons came undone in an instant, prompting Ethan to urgently grab Bliss’s hand.

“Um, do you have any snacks or gold pieces?”

“…”

Caw-! Oweol chirped happily, hopping on Dongja’s head.

Bliss slowly straightened his upper body, surveying their surroundings. Only then did he perceive two faint presences at the head of the bed, energies he hadn’t noticed while focused on Ethan.

“…I got rid of the human brat, and now the ghost brats are the problem.”

With a slight sigh of exasperation, he refastened Ethan’s clothes.

Ethan, who had secretly wished to get rid of Dongja and the crow so he could properly kiss and caress Bliss, flinched, then nervously glanced at his Esper’s face, a bewildered expression on his own.

“Bliss… are you… angry?”

After carefully buttoning each button and even tidying Ethan’s disheveled hair, Bliss gently kissed his forehead.

“No, it’s impossible for me to be angry with you.”

“But… why…”

Huh? Ethan, sensing Bliss wasn’t looking at him, turned his head to follow Bliss’s gaze.

Caw-!

[Ethan! This guy is glaring at me!]

“If I start giving in like this even once or twice…”

He was glaring directly in the direction of Dongja and the crow.

“…They’ll develop bad habits.”

One corner of Bliss’s mouth curved into a strange smile.

“…!”

As Ethan lifted his dazed face to look at Bliss, the latter, having just issued a quasi-declaration of war to the ‘parasites,’ leaned close to Ethan and whispered tenderly.

“Since I do want guiding, for now. Shall we just kiss a little more and then go to dinner?”

[Seriously! Hey! Is this like, ‘I don’t have much of an appetite, so let’s just have a little snack,’ or something?! Just ditch the shield, Ethan can guide him directly either way!]

Caw! Caw!

Dongja and the crow caused a ruckus at Bliss, but their cries fell on deaf ears. To Ethan, already utterly captivated by Bliss, who seemed determined for him to see only his face, the clamor was nothing more than ambient white noise.

Bliss then leaned in, uttering a low, alluring sound that only his Guide, Ethan, could hear, now that Ethan’s attention was fully on him.

“Stick out your tongue. I’ll suck it. Ethan.”

At the provocative words, Ethan obediently stuck out his tongue. Bliss’s tongue met Ethan’s exposed, reddened one. As the soft flesh entwined and mashed together before his eyes, Dongja, who had been bouncing in excitement, covered their eyes with both hands.

[Whoa-oh-oh!]

Of course, they merely pretended, their fingers spread like scissors.

****

“Er… right. So, the reason Aitoolia, among other nations and empires, has an unusually high number of Espers and Guides, and a well-established system, is largely due to the influence of its founding dynasty…”

Ahem. Maxon, in the middle of a supplementary lesson, subtly rolled his eyes. Even at such a large table, Bliss Moore’s presence, as he sat cross-legged, observing them, was simply overwhelming.

“Why were there so many multi-Guides in the Han Dynasty?”

Ethan mumbled, staring intently at the open book. Though he also had electronic documents displaying similar historical sections on his tablet, the information that spanned nearly an entire page in the physical book was condensed into a mere two lines digitally.

“Well, it was a real dynasty, but so much of it is treated like myth. There are even instances where the same historical figure is called by different names across various autonomous regions. Perhaps the notion that only multi-Guides became rulers of the Han Dynasty is an exaggerated record.”

“Like how a strong Esper or Guide is always said to become king in the Green Dynasty?”

Cold sweat trickled down Maxon’s back. He had not anticipated that Ethan Prescott, a mere ‘parachute’ student, would show such fervor for a supplementary lesson, let alone one not even directly taught by a professor. While Ethan’s diligent attitude was certainly not unwelcome to Maxon, who had prepared extensively, the depth of his questions was unexpectedly discomfiting.

Above all, the pressure from Bliss Moore, whose gaze alone seemed to demand an immediate end to the lesson and the release of his Guide, was agonizing.

“Haha. That, I couldn’t say. Uh… the lesson time is almost up. Shall we call it a day?”

As Maxon deliberately checked the time and emphasized his point, a flicker of regret crossed Ethan’s eyes. However, Bliss’s pressure was far more potent than Ethan’s disappointment, so Maxon began to gather the scattered books.

Ethan, sighing softly as he helped, suddenly cast his gaze toward Bliss.

“But Bliss, aren’t you going to work today?”

“Today, I can work from home.”

‘Liar. Mr. Philip looked like he was on the verge of tears.’ Maxon pouted, grumbling inwardly, only to find his eyes locking directly with Bliss’s.

“Ha, hahaha. Well then, I’ll go submit the lesson report to Professor Vince…”

Just as he was trying to discreetly excuse himself, Dale entered, announcing that Enoch and Scott had arrived.

Bliss, who had already risen, spoke to Ethan.

“How about you introduce Maxon to Scott? I plan to discuss work with Enoch.”

“Oh, that sounds good. Maxon, would you like to have some tea with us?”

“No, I…”

He wanted to refuse, but Bliss’s gaze, now fixed on him, commanded him to obey Ethan’s words.

“Of course… that would be lovely.”

Bliss passed Maxon, giving his shoulder a pat as if to say ‘well done,’ before exiting. The whispered words he heard as Bliss brushed past him lingered in his ears.

“Protect Ethan from Scott Kenton.”

‘Protect him? They’re friends, aren’t they?’

‘Shouldn’t Kyle be the one doing the protecting, especially since Ethan is home today, enjoying a sweet time with his wife?’

Maxon stood there, looking somewhat dazed.

****

In the quiet parlor, there was one person bustling about alone. Scott, too restless to wait, repeatedly sat and stood on the sofa, then rushed over, shouting, the moment Ethan appeared.

“Ethan!”

“Ugh! S-Scott!”

Ethan, welcoming Scott who clung to him, indulged him for a moment before gently pushing him away.

“Are you feeling better?”

“I barely made it out alive, you know? Oh, but this person is…”

Scott, who had been making a show of his suffering to Ethan, paused when he noticed Maxon, his eyes filled with concern as he scrutinized Ethan. Ethan introduced Maxon to Scott.

“Say hello. This is Maxon. He’s Ramiel’s top scholarship student, and he’s in charge of my supplementary lessons.”

Maxon offered a wry smile at Scott’s wary gaze. ‘What is this? Does he want to assert dominance in his friendship? Can Bliss Moore really not tolerate even this much?’

“Ethan, why don’t we take the Guide training together?”

“Oh, well…”

Ethan smiled ambiguously. Guide training was something he truly did not wish to undergo again.

“They say the Center is the most systematic. I came to Ashilton right after my awakening, so I couldn’t get Guide training at the Morapolio City Center. Since you awakened here, don’t you need the training?”

Scott’s words weren’t entirely wrong, so Ethan quickly drank his tea, pondering, when Maxon interjected.

“Are you aware of His Highness Devon Green’s interview, where he stated it would be good to conduct the matching test between Ethan and Lord Bliss at the Center, when you say this?”

Scott’s eyes widened slightly, as he had been about to ask Ethan to go with him, as always.

“So wouldn’t it be even better to get training there? I’m a registered Guide at the Center too.”

Maxon had been seated at the same table as Scott Kenton for less than thirty minutes when he realized what Bliss’s words meant, and he shook his head.

“Guides of central noble families like the Moore family do not need to register at the Center. Guide training can also be conducted internally if they operate private guards or units. The rumor that Ethan hasn’t received Guide training spread because those who oppose Lord Ethan, including the Marchioness, a member of the Moore family, deliberately leaked it.”

Ethan’s eyes widened. He had been so used to Maxon’s friendly demeanor that he had forgotten Maxon was also a noble. As if donning a noble’s facade, Maxon’s red hair and golden eyes seemed even more intense. Ethan wasn’t the only one who noticed; Scott, who had been staring at Maxon with a surprised expression, missed a beat in his response and stammered.

“Ah, th-that is to say, in a way, if you go to the Center, you can proudly receive training and even matching…”

“Scott.”

Ethan’s voice, gentle yet firm, stopped Scott, who then frowned.

“Hey, you’re my best friend. Maybe I’m just thinking simply, but what reason is there not to go somewhere respectable and clean? I heard bits and pieces of news while I was laid up, and bad rumors kept circulating about you, so I was worried sick!”

Ethan’s eyes softened slightly.

“Calm down and drink your tea, Scott. Doesn’t the Cloud family offer Guide training?”

Scott let out a long sigh and mumbled.

“The Cloud family’s training supervisor is Lord Huey. Since Cloud Corp has deep ties with the Center…”

Hah.

Maxon barely managed to suppress an expletive. Ethan Prescott knew that Scott Kenton’s words held no value for consideration. Yet, knowing that Scott’s words and actions came from a place of sincerity, he indulged him or simply let it pass.

Ethan’s best friend, brimming with naive charm, might be a good friend to the nephew of a rural grocery store owner, but for the current Ethan, he was somewhat dangerous. Bliss had given Maxon the difficult task of taking Scott’s place.

“You’re afraid of Lord Huey Cloud and want to go to the Center, but you don’t want to go alone, so you’re dragging Ethan along. How… shallow.”

Maxon’s gaze flickered to Ethan and back. Ethan still wore an unreadable expression, letting him and Scott’s confrontation play out.

“What a flimsy ‘best friend’ you are.”

Scott’s face instantly flushed crimson.