The S class Guide belongs to the Duke

~Chapter 6~

Pain tore through Elewisa's ribs like something trying to claw its way out from the inside.

Her eyes snapped open.

A gasp scraped raw against her throat.

The ceiling above her swam in and out of focus. Sweat soaked through her nightdress, clinging to her skin, and every breath came shallow and fast.

The golden system message she'd spent the entire day ignoring had changed.

It was no longer gold.

It was red.

And it hovered directly in front of her face.

[URGENT: Accumulated guiding energy must be disbursed.]

[Time Remaining: 4 Hours.]

[Pain Level: 1/10.]

[Failure to complete task will result in escalating punishment.]

Elewisa stared.

One?

A thin, hysterical laugh escaped her.

If this was one, she didn't want to know what ten felt like.

She forced herself upright.

The room tilted violently.

She gripped the edge of the bed until it steadied, then reached for the worn hood hanging beside her wardrobe. Her hands shook as she pulled it over her head.

Outside the window, the last traces of daylight had disappeared.

I need a doctor.

Someone had to know what was wrong with her.

She couldn't tell them about the system.

But perhaps a doctor could tell her why she was suddenly burning from the inside.

She made it three steps toward the door.

The pain doubled.

Elewisa slammed both hands against the wall.

A strangled sound escaped her.

Her vision blurred.

[Pain Level: 2/10.]

"Stop..."

The word barely made it past her lips.

She pressed her forehead against the cool wall and waited until the worst of the pain passed.

Then she forced herself forward.

If the system wanted her to guide someone, perhaps a doctor could help her find a way to stop the pain.

The guards at the estate gate straightened when Elewisa stumbled into the courtyard.

One stepped forward.

"You alright?"

She nodded quickly.

She couldn't trust herself to explain.

What was she supposed to say?

An invisible system attached itself to me and is punishing me because I won't use powers I didn't know I possessed?

They would think she'd lost her mind.

The guard frowned at her pale face but eventually stepped aside.

Elewisa left the estate.

She barely remembered the journey into town.

Only fragments remained afterward—the cold cobblestones beneath her shoes, the darkness between buildings, the pounding in her ears.

Eventually, she found a small clinic on the edge of town.

The kind commoners used when they couldn't afford proper healers.

The doctor was an elderly man with tired eyes.

He examined her pulse.

Checked her temperature.

Looked into her eyes.

Asked about her pain.

Elewisa answered carefully.

She didn't mention the mark.

She didn't mention the system.

She didn't mention anything that would make him think she was delirious.

Finally, the doctor leaned back.

"There's nothing wrong with you."

Elewisa stared at him.

"But it really hurts."

"I don't see a fever or any obvious injury. You're probably exhausted. Go home and rest."

[Pain Level: 5/10.]

The notification appeared before her eyes.

Elewisa's face went white.

She staggered out of the clinic.

The moment the door closed behind her, another wave ripped through her body.

She caught herself against the wall.

Her fingers dug into the stone.

[Pain Level: 6/10.]

I can't do this.

Her knees gave way.

She slid down the wall, chest heaving.

I don't know how to fix this.

Footsteps sounded nearby.

Then laughter.

Male voices.

Drunk.

Elewisa's body went rigid.

Three men appeared at the end of the street.

They wore the uniform of the Count's local guards.

The man in front noticed her immediately.

"Well, look at this."

His companions laughed.

He approached, the smell of liquor reaching her before he did.

"What's a pretty little thing doing out here alone?"

“You drunk little lady?”

Elewisa pushed herself upright.

"I need to leave."

She tried to walk around him.

His hand caught her wrist.

"Not so fast."

His words slurred together at the edges. "Need some company?"

Fear flashed through her.

"Let go."

Instead, his grip tightened.

Then something strange happened.

Warmth rushed through Elewisa's palm.

It wasn't intentional.

She didn't know how she had done it.

The warmth flowed from her body into his.

The man's expression changed.

His drunken smile disappeared.

His eyes fluttered half-shut.

His grip loosened.

"What..."

A long breath escaped him.

His shoulders dropped.

The pain vanished from his face.

For the first time that night, he looked completely sober.

Then his eyes dropped toward Elewisa's collar.

The fabric of her dress had shifted.

The faint golden mark beneath her collarbone was visible.

His face changed again.

This time, with disbelief.

"F*ck guys, she's a guide."

Elewisa's blood ran cold.

One of the other men stepped closer.

"A guide?"

One of his friends shoved closer, eyes raking over her with open, hungry appraisal.

"And a f*ucking good one at that."

He grabbed her again.

The moment his fingers touched her, the warmth returned.

Stronger.

Elewisa tried to pull away.

"Let go of me!"

But her own body betrayed her.

The energy kept flowing.

The man's breathing slowed as his aura stabilized.

"Best guiding I've ever felt..."

His voice was almost reverent.

Elewisa's stomach twisted.

She didn't understand what was happening.

She only knew she wanted it to stop.

"I said let me go!"

She twisted free.

The world tilted.

Her legs suddenly felt weightless.

The street blurred.

The men's voices became distant.

Not like this.

Her knees buckled.

Someone laughed.

Then another voice cut through the darkness.

"Take your hands off her."

Cold.

Furious.

Familiar.

Something crashed into the wall.

One of the men cried out.

Elewisa tried to lift her head.

A figure stood between her and the guards.

She caught only fragments through her fading vision.

A dark uniform.

A familiar silhouette.

Pale blond hair catching the moonlight.

Then everything disappeared.

[Congratulations, Host.]

[First Guiding Task Complete.]

[Reward Granted.]

Elewisa's eyes opened slowly.

For several seconds, she didn't move.

Soft sheets.

A mattress beneath her.

A familiar room.

Then the memories returned.

The doctor.

The guards.

The hand around her wrist.

The strange warmth flowing from her.

She sat up abruptly.

Her stomach twisted.

My life is falling apart.

The reward notification hovered in front of her.

She reached for it.

[Reward: Mark Concealment.]

[Duration: 4 hours per activation.]

Elewisa stared.

A short laugh escaped her.

It sounded dangerously close to a sob.

All that pain.

All that fear.

Nearly being dragged away by strangers.

And her reward was the ability to hide the mark that had caused the entire situation.

She remembered something she'd once heard from the older servants.

Esper and Guide marks couldn't be hidden voluntarily.

But apparently, the system disagreed.

Better than nothing.

She dismissed the notification.

A soft knock came at the door.

Before she could answer, it opened.

Caius stepped inside.

One look at his face told her he'd been worried.

"What were you thinking?"

His voice was controlled.

Too controlled.

Elewisa lowered her gaze.

"I..."

"You left the estate alone."

She said nothing.

"At night."

His jaw tightened.

"When you're still recovering."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

Caius crossed the room.

"If the guards hadn't recognized you and sent word the moment they found you..."

He stopped.

For one brief second, the anger disappeared.

Fear remained.

Raw and unmistakable.

Then it was gone.

"Do you understand what could have happened to you?"

Elewisa's fingers curled into the blanket.

"I didn't mean to trouble you again."

His expression softened.

He sat beside her.

"You didn't trouble me."

He reached for her hand.

Elewisa stiffened.

Caius noticed but didn't let go.

"Just be careful."

His thumb brushed over her knuckles.

"Take better care of yourself."

His voice dropped.

"Please."

The door opened.

Neither of them had heard it.

Petra stood there.

Her eyes immediately fell to their joined hands.

Something dark flashed across her face.

Then it was replaced by a polite expression.

"Excuse me, my lord."

Elewisa immediately pulled her hand away.

He gave her a small, almost amused smile.

"Rest."

He stood.

"I'll check on you later."

He walked past Petra without another word.

The moment his footsteps disappeared down the corridor, Petra closed the door.

Silence filled the room.

Then she smiled.

She crossed toward Elewisa.

"This..."

Her voice was soft.

Almost pleasant.

"...is going to be fun."

Cold water struck Elewisa's body.

She gasped.

Mud soaked through her clothes as Orla and Sable forced her down onto her knees beside the river.

Petra stood before her.

Another bucket waited beside her feet.

Elewisa's teeth chattered.

She could barely feel her fingers.

"Funny, isn't it?" Petra said.

She crouched and caught Elewisa by the hair.

"It seems you are enjoying this."

She tilted Elewisa's face upward.

"Seeing as you refuse to listen."

Another bucket of ice-cold water crashed over her.

Elewisa folded forward, choking.

Her entire body shook.

At least there isn't a sack this time.

The thought was absurd.

But she clung to it anyway.

At least they didn't tie me into a sack.

Petra tightened her grip.

Elewisa winced.

"You've been getting far too comfortable lately."

Elewisa looked up.

Petra's smile had vanished.

"Warming yourself into the counts bed little by little."

Her fingers tightened.

"Pretending to be little weak and sick maid"

Petra leaned closer.

"Now you are holding hands, soon you'd be warming his bed."

Elewisa's stomach dropped.

"I didn't—"

"Quiet."

Petra shoved her back into the mud.

Sable looked away.

Orla hesitated.

Petra reached for another bucket.

"Enough."

The unfamiliar voice came from behind them.

Low.

Cold.

Every hand stopped.

Elewisa slowly lifted her head.

Petra froze.

So did Orla.

Even Sable went pale.

Someone was standing behind them.

Someone none of them had expected to find there.

And from the silence that followed, Elewisa knew one thing.

Whoever it was had seen everything.