The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]
Chapter 352: Sharing is NOT Caring

Chapter 352: Sharing is NOT Caring

Lane blinked, staring at the box held in Clara’s outstretched hand.

Then, he almost burst out laughing.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Food, can’t you see?" Clara snapped back. "What, are you looking down on it? I’ll have you know that-"

"That’s not what I’ve said at all," Lane cut her off, instantly annoyed. While he didn’t care if Clara misunderstood him or anything, he didn’t want her putting the words in his mouth. Especially since she was most likely going to repeat it to her sisters... And Lane didn’t want his relationship with the rest of Damien’s siblings to sour because of something so stupid. Damien cared a lot about his family (except for his father), so if they were all at war with Lane... Well, it probably wouldn’t cause Damien to break up with him or anything, but it would surely make the man uncomfortable.

Either way...

"I’m asking why you are giving this to me," he clarified.

"W-well, you don’t have anything better to eat, right? Those snacks will hardly keep you satisfied for long..."

"Don’t get me wrong, I don’t do this because I care for you or anything!" she rushed to add immediately after. "It’s just that we’re on this mission together. I don’t want you to slow us down because you haven’t eaten well!"

Lane let out a chuckle. "Don’t worry, that will never happen."

Still, he accepted the food. Eloise and Samantha’s cooking was very similar to Damien’s - they must have learned it from him - so whatever they made, it was bound to be good.

"I’m curious, though," he said, as he took out his cutlery set and started eating. "Why do you have a third box?"

Clara froze, her lunchbox almost slipping down from her hands. "W-what do you mean?"

Her reaction didn’t escape Lane’s attention, which even furthered his suspicions. "Well, you said before that your sisters made those lunchboxes for you and Damien," he said, dragging his words, while enjoying how tense Clara had gotten, almost flinching at every word. "But I’ve seen you eat one earlier, and you gave one to Damien... So what’s up with this one?"

Clara pressed her lips, feeling anxious as she was almost caught. But, she still answered defiantly, "It’s a spare one, of course!"

"A spare?" Lane hooked his brows.

"Yes! It’s for... In case something like this happens!"

She looked awfully proud of herself at coming up with an excuse right on the spot. So much so, that Lane had almost burst out laughing again. He managed to stop himself in time, though, and asked with utmost seriousness,

"Then why didn’t they prepare a spare for Damien? Are they not worried that their brother will go hungry in case of an emergency?"

"This..." Clara was in a pinch once again. "O-of course they are worried... But it’s just a spare, in worst case, we have to share! It’s better than to waste food..."

"Why would the food go to waste?"

"Because it would go bad..."

Lane only lifted his brows in response. There was no need to say anything, as even Clara herself already realized that her argument didn’t make any sense.

The lunchboxes were stored inside a spatial bag. How could the food go bad? Even if it was a low-grade spatial bag, it would surely preserve the food at least for a few days. No food had to go to waste. If it wasn’t finished at work, then she could just have it later at home, or leave it for the next day...

"B-besides! Damien also makes his own lunchboxes, doesn’t he? Then there is no need for two spares..." Trying to save her face, Clara came up with another argument.

This indeed made a bit more sense. However...

"In that case, they’re preparing two spare lunchboxes. Isn’t that a waste?"

"Ugh..." Clara couldn’t help but groan. Lane pretty much used her own earlier argument against her.

But her argument with Lane wasn’t about who was right or wrong. She was just trying to get an advantage over him by winning the discussion. It was all nonsense anyway, and even she knew it. So, she shamelessly said, "That’s precisely why Elly and Sammy are preparing only one spare! Because the second comes from Damien himself!"

Life didn’t have a rewind button. Even if her words didn’t add up, it’s not like Lane could stuff her previous words in her face. It was all ’he said, she said’, and the recollections might vary. Unless recorded, the quotes weren’t reliable...

Seeing that Lane wasn’t retaliating, a smug smile appeared on Clara’s face. "So you see..."

But before she could say anything, Lane interrupted her. "Hush!" he sent her a warning glare.

"What? What are you..."

But then she heard it. A cry of a bird, on the sky above them. She lifted her head to take a look...

There was indeed a bird flying above their heads. But it blended into the dark sky almost perfectly. Even with the night vision goggles on, she couldn’t quite assess its size or features. But one thing was certain.

It was not a normal bird.

She quickly recalled the information that Damien had briefed them on before she and Lane had left on the mission. It contained a descriptions of the monsters that had previously inhabited this dungeon. It was all vague, just like the map that they had, but it at least gave them an idea of what to expect.

And there was indeed a bird mentioned. Referred to as a monster eagle, and described as being the size of a ’small horse’. No other details included, not even a single word about its abilities. But if it was an ’eagle’... Then perhaps it was carnivorous.

Clara remained motionless, focusing her eyes on an empty spot in the sky. This way, she could still monitor the monster’s movements, without risking that it might notice it was being stared at... Although she wasn’t afraid of it - it was just a monster from a C-rank dungeon, while she was an A-ranker. She would be able to defeat it easily - it was best to avoid fighting. After all, it might attract more monsters, which could potentially land them in more trouble... And on top of that, it would delay their mission. They should stay hidden, just observe the situation, and return...

But it was already too late. With their lunchboxes, the scent of food alone was enough to attract the monster. It let out a loud cry, and took a dive...