‘It’s enough for me right now that you’re not rejecting me. Honestly, I’m a bit relieved.’
‘What?’
‘The fact that you’re worrying this much means I have hope.’
Lucas smiled faintly, as if truly relieved. His elegantly curved lips couldn’t hide his expectation.
‘But, it could become unnecessary torture of hope. I don’t like that…’
Iberis, momentarily captivated by the somewhat joyful smile, lowered his eyes. He felt that if he kept looking at Lucas, strange feelings might arise.
‘It’s okay. Feel free to torture me as much as you want.’
‘Still…’
‘I’m the one who confessed, so why are you being so considerate? You shouldn’t feel guilty, Major.’
‘I feel sorry, that’s why.’
‘There’s no need to be sorry. You should just use me as much as you want, Major.’
‘Use you…?’
‘You need my guiding for your body to get better, don’t you?’
Lucas spoke as if asking about something obvious. A warm hand cupped Iberis’s ice-cold cheek. Although the rampaging mana had been stabilized through guiding, a body that had been on the brink of death couldn’t become healthy in such a short time.
Like snow flowers that would shatter and scatter with just a little pressure, Iberis was in an extremely weakened state. Not only did he need to recover his condition, but he also needed careful attention to avoid nearing death’s door again.
While everyday life was manageable, intense battles with monsters or accumulated fatigue from excessive work would disrupt his body’s balance and make him bedridden again. To prevent this, more intense guiding and continuous management were necessary.
‘As you’ve probably felt, Major, you won’t see any effect now unless it’s stage 2 guiding.’
‘Ah.’
‘Your body right now is like cracked pottery. It could break at any moment. If I had to point out any improvements compared to when we first met, it’s that your other metrics aren’t bad except for your physical damage rate.’
‘Really? That’s a relief.’
‘You shouldn’t let your guard down just because the numbers are better than expected. If you don’t receive guiding every day, you’ll quickly return to your previous state. Currently, guiding is like a ventilator and treatment for you, Major.’
‘I see.’
‘Really, just when I think there’s a bit of improvement, it quickly gets worse again. I can’t relax at all.’
‘I’m sorry…’
Iberis, at a loss for words, hung his head like a criminal. His heart felt heavy knowing how much Lucas had been striving for him over the past few months.
While using his ability to the point of mana overload was unavoidable given the situation, it was clearly wrong to have quietly accepted death without doing anything, driven by the desire to be free from all constraints when the aftereffects appeared.
Such an act, tantamount to suicide, was disrespectful to Lucas who had struggled for months to save him. It would have also deeply hurt people like Brenda and Adrian who wished for Iberis not to die.
‘Honestly, I’m against you returning to work too. If I had my way, I’d like to confine you to the official residence and prevent you from working at all.’
Lucas sighed softly, looking at the dejected Iberis. No matter how he thought about it, what Iberis needed now was recuperation, not work.
Having to watch someone who should be focusing solely on treatment return to work that would clearly harm his body, Lucas was enveloped in a deep sense of helplessness for the first time in a while.
However, he couldn’t just tell him to rest completely. As soon as news broke that Iberis was on sick leave resting after being injured in the battle with terrorists, the public safety in N-Zone became unstable.
Moreover, inquiries about his condition flooded in from everywhere, temporarily paralyzing the unit’s operations. While most were concerned about Iberis and wished for his recovery, there were also those trying to probe into his physical condition.
In this situation, if Iberis showed that he had truly weakened, there was a high probability that those with ill intentions towards him, like Livio, would make a move again.
Therefore, for a while, Iberis had to pretend to be in good health. He needed to prove in front of people that he had no problems in daily life or missions, so that they wouldn’t dare to attack him.
‘Haha, that’s a bit…’
Iberis laughed awkwardly at Lucas’s words about wanting to confine him. It wasn’t that he wanted to work excessively either. He knew better than anyone else that his physical condition was at its worst.
‘Anyway, you can take months or even years to think about it, just don’t refuse my guiding during that time. That’s all I ask for.’
Lucas lifted Iberis’s downcast chin, as if trying to change the somewhat heavy atmosphere. Then he voiced what he wanted most at this moment.
Not foolish enough to demand love from someone who didn’t share the same feelings, he planned to take it step by step. Slowly, so that Iberis wouldn’t feel burdened and wouldn’t even think of the option to run away.
‘What if I really postpone my answer for years…’
‘Hmm, well… That’s fine. As long as you don’t push me away, Major.’
Chu. Their lips met suddenly and then parted. Lucas looked at Iberis, whose eyes had widened in surprise, and chuckled. Then he gently stroked the soft lips with his blunt thumb.
‘I’ll take care of work and satisfy my personal desires, so don’t feel sorry. Just let me guide you so I don’t go crazy from unfulfilled desires.’
‘Wh-what…’
‘In that sense, may I kiss you?’
‘No, wait, hmph…’
Let’s stop thinking about it. Iberis shook his head as if trying to shake off the embarrassing scene he had recalled. He couldn’t understand what he was doing in front of the door.
“Ahem.”
Iberis cleared his throat, composing his expression, and took a short deep breath. Then he gently raised his hand.
Knock knock.
Although he mustered the courage to knock, there was no response. Tilting his head in confusion, Iberis knocked once more. But again, Lucas’s voice wasn’t heard.
“What’s going on?”
Perplexed by the unexpected situation, Iberis hesitated, wondering what to do. Then he carefully grasped the doorknob.
“Luke?”
With a click, the door opened, revealing an empty office. Iberis slowly stepped into the room devoid of its owner.
A large desk piled with mountains of documents, a medical bed set up on one side, a reception sofa and table on the opposite side… Lucas was nowhere to be seen in the office.
“Where did he go?”
Slightly flustered, Iberis took out his phone. Unless there was a crack, they received guiding at the same time every day, so Lucas should have known he was coming. It was strange that he had left his post. He checked his messenger just in case, but there were no messages.
“What the…”
Iberis’s shoulders slumped slightly as he looked at the empty message box. From the moment he realized Lucas wasn’t there, he felt oddly deflated. He must have been tense without realizing it.
“What should I do…”
Iberis considered calling but then headed towards the sofa. He thought Lucas might have just stepped out briefly and would return soon. As he was about to sit down, he noticed a pristine white coat hanging on the coat rack and paused.
“…”
After staring at the coat for a moment, Iberis walked towards the coat rack as if entranced. Then he gently grasped the spotlessly clean sleeve. The garment that always carried a warm temperature when draped over his shoulders felt strangely cold. Perhaps missing that warmth, he found himself absently fiddling with the sleeve.
“It’s really big.”
Iberis marveled anew as he slightly spread out the coat. Come to think of it, Lucas was quite large for a guide. His body showed signs of consistent training over a long period, which might explain why his combat abilities surpassed those of most Espers. As for his abilities as a guide, it was almost tiresome to speak of them.
Despite that, his face was stunningly handsome and beautiful. Moreover, befitting his noble lineage, his posture was correct and his actions graceful. In short, Lucas was someone who had it all.
Iberis still couldn’t believe that such a flawless being liked him. But he couldn’t doubt the sincerity. When receiving guiding from Lucas, his emotions were naturally conveyed.
‘Major…’
How could he not notice the desire in those eyes that stared at him as if to devour him, the feelings conveyed in that voice pitched lower than usual, the passionate heat transmitted from their touching bodies? No matter how oblivious he was, he wasn’t that insensitive.
That’s why it was troublesome. When he was with Lucas, who desired him with his entire being, even as his mind screamed that it shouldn’t be, his heart kept growing greedy. He wanted to act selfishly without thinking of the consequences.
Biting his lower lip, Iberis unconsciously gripped the neat coat sleeve tightly enough to wrinkle it. As if he never wanted to let go.
“What are you doing there?”
