The Ubia region lies on the border between two great empires. It has been plagued by war for years and its economy is underdeveloped.
Guan Lu is the only Guide here, as well as the only veterinarian. She makes a living running a veterinary clinic.
Her guiding pheromones can soothe animals and attract the spirit forms of critically wounded Sentinels: snow hares, black panthers, gray wolves, even snakes cold all over. These sickly spirit forms huddle at her feet, begging her to guide them.
Guan Lu turns none of them away, not because she's kind, but because this is a lawless land. A successful treatment earns a handsome reward; a failed one gets tossed onto the corpse heap.
The white lion is the only exception.
Its owner has suffered a severe brain injury and multiple wounds all over his body, and both his legs were blown off. He also has one major flaw:
He's penniless.
Impressed by his handsome face and muscular build, Guan Yue lets him stay and work off his debt.
His duties cover a wide range, from the clinic to her home, from the front desk to the bed.
Whenever Guan Lu brings home an unfamiliar spirit form, the white lion grows restless, its territory invaded. But he has no right to be jealous, so all he can do is work even harder, trying to leave his scent on her.
Their life together is fairly cozy. Thanks to his tireless efforts, Guan Lu conceives a child and decides to give him an official place in her life.
But the empire launches another war. While protecting Guan Lu, the white lion's owner is blown to pieces in a bombardment.
Three years later, Guan Lu arrives at the Federation's central region and becomes a registered Guide at the White Tower. She occasionally hears her colleagues gossip about Marshal Shen Peifeng.
They say his wife died young, he refuses all guidance, and his mental power has been on the verge of going berserk for years. He can only suppress it with artificial guiding pheromones, making him seem like a ticking time bomb in the military.
Guan Lu never joins the gossip. She just wants to get off work and pick up her daughter.
Her daughter is sweet and adorable, and shares stories from kindergarten with her every day.
For example, today the Marshal visited the military-affiliated kindergarten, bringing them cookies and toys and posing for a group photo with the children.
Looking at the upright, dignified Marshal in the picture, Guan Lu asked:
"Sweetie, why does this Marshal look like your deadbeat dad?"
Reader's guide:
1. A power couple, one-on-one romance. The heroine is irresistible to everyone and never suffers. All the Sentinels she takes in fall for her. The hero is sexually pure, with plenty of male rivalry.
2. Sentinel-Guide setting with original worldbuilding. Please don't nitpick.
3. Includes pregnancy and child-rearing. If you like it, please add it to your favorites.
Note added 2026.01.25
Theme: Even an uneasy peace is better than a just war
