I’m Just a Counselor

All throughout dinner , Estella was excitedly offering her things.

 “Vanessa, try this too! Yummy!” “Sis, this one too!” “Sis, try this, it’s so good!” 

She ate an undeserved dinner under their watchful eyes. Hermind was busy thinking about etiquette, but her tongue was still happy.

 

It wasn’t until she had finished the black tea sorbet for dessert that she rubbed her stomach.

 “Did I eat too much?” 

Vanessa asked, oblivious to her guest’s question.

 

She glanced over at Jeremiah. Still elegantly sipping his wine, he grinned when their eyes met. 

 

Vanessa felt a little embarrassed, as if he was fanning her thoughts.

 “Sis, when you’re done, come upstairs with me.” 

Estella said, noticing that Vanessa had put down her plate and was getting up.

 

She started to get up after her, but Jeremiah stopped her again.

 

He spoke quietly to his sister.

 “Esti, would you mind being alone for a moment? Your brother needs to talk to Miss Vanessa.” “…What?” “I’ll tell you later. But I swear I won’t embarrass Miss Vanessa.” 

Jeremiah put his hand on his chest and mimed swearing.

 

Estella looked at Vanessa with uncomfortable eyes. It seemed unseemly to talk to just Jeremiah and her.

 “It’s not like he’s going to do anything to me.” 

She nodded at Estella to let her know it was okay.

 

Estella walked away reluctantly.

 “Just don’t say anything really… weird to Vanessa.” “Don’t worry. Just make yourself comfortable and I’ll escort Miss Vanessa to your room.” “…….” 

Estella left the dining room, glancing back and forth between Vanessa and Jeremiah with a mixture of regret and nervousness.

 

There was a moment of silence at the table when they were finally alone.

 

When she remained silent, he spoke first.

 “Miss Vanessa, would you like some wine?” “No. A little liquor.” “Oh, no. It’s fully aged and smells so good.” 

Jeremiah said ruefully and set the wine glass down on the table. Vanessa jumped at the slight clinking sound.

 

Jeremiah lifted the corners of his mouth and crossed his legs lazily, as if he found her amusing. His demeanor was relaxed, as if he was in complete control of the conversation.

 

The mood has completely changed.

 

Much cooler and sharper than when she was with Estella.

 

It was so natural that it almost felt like this was who he was now.

 

No, that would be right, he was just hiding his true self because he was with his precious sister.

 

The Duke of Oppenheim is the loser of the north.

 

There had to be a reason why he ruled the wild north with equanimity, and it wasn’t a very polite one.

 

Come to think of it, that’s probably how she felt when she was the only one at the door of the Secret Garden.

 

‘No wonder he thinks I’m beneath him.’

 

Maybe it’s better to be nervous when she’s alone. She swallowed hard.

 

But Jeremiah seemed to notice her attitude and spoke more gently.

 “Don’t be afraid, Miss Vanessa. As I swore earlier, I have no intention of causing you any trouble.” 

Of course, his words didn’t completely dispel the chill in the air.

 

Vanessa nodded, barely.

 

He was still respectful, but she noticed that his respect didn’t sound as polite as it should.

 

It was as if he had drawn a clear line in the sand when it came to his relationship with Estella.

 

Well, she felt it subtly before.

 

She felt he was reluctant to help her in the carriage and he completely ignored her during meals.

 

‘Does he not like me?’

 

Thank God she has Estella. She’s her best support right now.

 “I wanted to ask you something, Miss Vanessa.” “What is it?” “I know Estella and Miss Vanessa just met, but why is she following you like that?” “…….” 

‘That’s because Estella and I are both possessed from the same place.’

 

She wouldn’t say that even on her deathbed. She chose silence instead of a lame answer.

 

When she didn’t answer, Jeremiah raised his eyebrows again. But it didn’t look like he was smiling in amusement.

 

His eyes swept over her, searching. They were a similar color to Estella’s, but strangely cold.

 “Choosing silence over lies is a good attitude, but I don’t think it’s going to do Miss Vanessa any favors.” 

‘Is he threatening me to be obedient when he says something nice?’

 

Vanessa sucked in a breath and clenched her fists in her lap.

 

It wouldn’t help at all to act like she was going to give in to this guy. She looked Jeremiah right in the eye.

 “I can’t help it if the Duke insists on asking, but this is about Estella, and I don’t think I should answer.” “Miss Vanessa is very thoughtful, as one would expect from someone who runs a counseling center.” 

‘What the hell does he think counseling is?’

 

Well, she thinks he’s being sarcastic, but she’s not sure what he means. She frowned slightly.

 

He seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded as if to let it go.

 “But since you care about Estella, I won’t expect an answer right away.” “…Thank you for your understanding.” 

Vanessa guessed she was right to mention Estella’s name after all.

 

With a small sigh, she congratulated myself on getting through Jeremiah’s first gate. But Jeremiah didn’t give her a chance to savor the moment and moved on to his next question.

 “Did Estella cry?” “Oh…” “I think she tried to hide it, but her eyes were puffy.” “You noticed that.” 

It meant that Jeremiah had been watching his sister throughout the meal, and that he thought about her enough to notice the slightest change.

 

‘Jeremiah really loves Estella.’

 

It makes her sad that Estella can’t accept that love now.

 

Vanessa hesitated, but decided to let Jeremiah know this time.

 “That’s right, Estella cried for a while before we ate. She probably didn’t want the Duke to see her like that.” “Why?” “There’s nothing wrong with the Duke, but I think Estella is… um, a little depressed right now.” 

She wondered for a moment if there was such a thing as depression in this world.

 

If it were recognized and treated as a real illness, the Counseling Center would be better off.

 

It’s hard to acknowledge such a disease in a worldview that doesn’t even want to talk about it.

 

Instead of depression, they said,

“This person is crazy.”

.

 

Jeremiah asked grimly,

“Does Miss Vanessa mean to say that Estella is insane?” 

His tone seemed to leave out the

“how dare you?”

part.

 

Vanessa shook her head quickly, trying to calm him down from his threatening gesture.

 “Duke, there’s a difference between being depressed and being crazy.” “…….” “Estella is perfectly fine, she just gets sad about the smallest things and doesn’t take things very well.” “…….” “I’m sure the Duke has something on his mind as well.” 

Jeremiah’s face fell at her words. She waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.

 

He took another sip of the wine he’d put down, his eyes downcast for a moment before he spoke thoughtfully.

 “Estella has a lot of instability, though I can’t go into details because it’s a family matter.” “…….” “But one thing’s for sure, she’s the only family I have left in this world, my precious little sister, and I’ll protect her no matter what.” 

‘This Estella is not that “Estella”, but…’

 

She muttered to herself, knowing she couldn’t correct Jeremiah’s misunderstanding.

 

Finally, he asked her.

 “So, do you have a solution?”