Chapter 49: It won’t make me like you

Erick willingly stepped back this time, his gaze lingering on Zephyr. Looking into his empty eyes, he felt a pang of heartache. It also caused the smile that had been on his lips to disappear. Erick let out a quiet sigh.

"Lucien and Jake told me they had just brought you back. It’s late. Zephyr, you should go and rest in your room. Also..."

He paused, his eyes turning serious.

"From today onward, you’re a member of my team. You don’t have to follow anyone else’s orders. If they give you any trouble, tell me. I’ll handle it."

Zephyr blinked in surprise.

Before he could object, Erick had already turned around and begun introducing the members of his team standing behind him.

"There were previously six people on my team. You already know Jake and Lucien. The others are Nox, Nana, Olivia, and me. Now, with you included, we’re seven."

Nana’s expression stiffened.

She had been doing her best to remain quiet, but she finally couldn’t hold herself back any longer!

She stepped forward, her voice, which was usually sweet and gentle around Erick, now laced with frustration and indignation.

"Erick, you can’t just put anyone in our team. The Association won’t agree—"

Erick raised a hand, cutting Nana’s words off before she could say anything more.

"That’s for me to handle."

His tone was calm but firm, leaving no room for argument. He then turned his attention back to Zephyr and took hold of his arm, his voice softening considerably.

"Do you want me to help you get to your room?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Nana’s anger flared at the sight. She clenched her fists at her sides, forcing herself to maintain her composure. Just moments ago, Erick had dismissed her without a second thought. Yet the instant he turned to Zephyr, his cold, authoritative voice softened into a gentleness she had rarely heard from him. The stark contrast made her chest tighten with irritation.

She had never felt this much resentment toward someone she had barely spoken to.

At that moment, she wished Zephyr had never made it out of the dungeon he was dragged into. Why did he have to survive?

The thought made her feel ashamed, but she couldn’t suppress the resentment and fury building inside her. It was becoming increasingly hard to keep her composure.

Zephyr was surprised by Erick’s words.

But he still calmly pushed his hand away.

"I can go myself. There’s no need to treat me like I’m helpless. Lucien helped me familiarize myself with the Association building, so I know my way around now."

Erick lowered his hand, a faint trace of disappointment slipping into his voice.

"Okay. Good night."

Zephyr nodded.

After that, he shamelessly turned around, intending to ask Lucien to accompany him, only to be met with another ’good night.’

Although dejected, he walked away.

Only after Zephyr had disappeared from sight did Erick’s calm expression change.

He turned to the group standing behind him. Alongside the members of his team, several other Association members were also present, all looking rather uneasy. His voice came out low, edged with anger.

"I requested the Association to help him settle in. Is this how they treat my first-ever request after everything I have done for the Association? I am honestly disappointed. Perhaps they think I wouldn’t leave, no matter how far they pushed me. If that’s what they believe, then they’re mistaken."

His words stunned everyone.

The Association members, who had been trying to calm Erick after his outburst, only to watch him instantly settle the moment he hugged Zephyr, felt the tension in the air grow heavy once again, their faces paling as nervous sweat gathered on their brows.

Nana stared at him in disbelief.

For a moment, she couldn’t even process what she had just heard.

Did Erick just threaten to leave the Association?

And all because of an old classmate, a criminal he barely even knew anymore?

Nana’s disbelief quickly gave way to something darker, and her gaze chilled.

"Erick! How can you even say that? You’re really going to leave the Association just because they wanted to know why Zephyr’s compatibility with every Guide was 100%?"

Her voice rose with every word.

She sounded genuinely shaken.

Yet, Erick simply ignored her. After all, he could see she had been trying to belittle Zephyr in front of him ever since he came back and asked about his whereabouts.

He had always known Nana wasn’t as kind as she pretended to be, but at least she had once known how to restrain herself before him. Now, she couldn’t even manage that.

He glanced down at his messy clothes.

"There’s still the smell of blood on me. I’m going to my room."

Then his eyes shifted toward Lucien.

"Come with me. I need guiding."

Lucien blinked.

He pointed at himself in disbelief.

"Me?!"

The people around them were just as stunned.

Nana was the one most affected. She had always believed that Erick allowed only her to guide him. For so many years, she had been the one person he willingly allowed to come close whenever he needed a Guide.

Yet now... without even sparing her a glance, he had chosen Lucien instead.

Why?

The realization hit her like a cold splash of water.

Her face gradually paled, and her fingers curled into her palms, her nails digging into her skin hard enough to leave marks.

Erick eyes remained fixed on Lucien.

"Yes. You."

Lucien immediately blurted out.

"I don’t want to!"

Erick let out a sneer at his words, though there was no anger in his expression.

"Does it matter whether you want to or not? You’re a member of my team. If a team member needs guiding, you have to do it, whether you want to or not. Or perhaps..."

He stepped closer to Lucien.

"You don’t want your pay this month?"

Lucien froze.

The moment he heard the word ’pay,’ his heart sank. His salary at the Association was already pitifully low. If Erick actually withheld it, he was going to suffer badly!

Erick noticed the change in his expression and turned toward the lift in the distance.

Lucien gritted his teeth.

He was furious. But after a moment of internal struggle, he reluctantly followed.

Only when the two of them stepped into the lift one after another did Erick speak again.

"Thanks for helping Zephyr."

Lucien’s head snapped toward him.

"What?"

Erick moved farther away from him.

"But don’t think that suddenly makes me see you as some saint. I know exactly what kind of person you are, Lucien O’Connell."

His expression hardened.

"And it certainly won’t make me like you."

Lucien’s face darkened.

Why was Erick so narcissist?!

How many times did he have to say he didn’t like him?! It was the original Lucien!

He wanted nothing more than to curse at Erick and all his ancestors.

But he knew better.

Erick, the protagonist of the original story, wasn’t someone to provoke. Beneath that calm exterior of his was someone capable of becoming terrifyingly ruthless whenever his patience ran out.

And right now, they were alone in an enclosed lift.

Lucien glanced at the walls around him.

For all he knew, Erick could smash the lift apart all of a sudden, throw him out, and then calmly claim it had been an accident.