I’m Just a Counselor Chapter 101

“I’ve also wondered if I’m being too dependent on you, after all, you’re not going to be around for the rest of my life, and I’m past the age where I can be silly.”

 

“…….”

 

“That’s what you meant when you said you thought I could do better, right?”

 

I nodded in silence at Estella’s words.

 

“That’s why I’m going to stop being so stubborn. I’m going to find a way to be independent of you and do well on my own, because I know now, and I know that everyone here supports me now.”

 

She pumped her fist in determination.

 

“I’m right here, so I’m going to try to live my life right here, as the proud Princess Estella Oppenheim of Jeremiah and Vanessa.”

 

I was so impressed by Estella’s bold ambition that I fought back the urge to applaud.

 

Neighbors, look how well our Estella has turned out.

 

“Now that you’ve made up your mind, it’s all right. You can do what you want to do, whether it’s leaving the duchy or going back to Hazel.”

 

“Really?”

 

“But I’ll come and see you whenever I want to, okay?”

 

I smiled and nodded at Estella’s question.

 

“Of course, as long as you don’t make too much of a scene.”

 

“Of course, I won’t do anything to make you feel overwhelmed. Um, and… I can still say whatever I want to say to you, right?”

 

“Of course. Estella and I will always be friends.”

 

Estella’s face blossomed, as if she liked my words.

 

I gazed longingly at her faintly-remembered face. I hadn’t seen her in a long time.

 

“So, can I keep interfering with you sister?”

 

“Interfere…?”

 

When has Estella ever done that? I shook my head, then nodded. Scared to do so, Estella chirped.

 

“I knew there would be a gnome stick on you when we went to the islands!”

 

“A gnome… plague…?”

 

“The crown prince, eh? Why would I trust him with my sister Vanessa, even if I were to take care of Mr. Shane…!”

 

‘The crown prince? Julian?’

 

I kept shaking my head, unable to keep up with Estella’s stream of thought.

 

Estella puffed out her cheeks like an irritated squirrel, then snapped at me.

 

“But out of the three, my brother is the best, right?!”

 

“What do you mean “the other three ” ?“

 

“Shane is, Shane is… my sister’s friend, so I’m not going to hold him back anymore!”

 

I rolled my eyes and nodded. I rolled my eyes and nodded, because I wasn’t sure what misunderstanding Estella had, but I figured I might as well give her the benefit of the doubt. Well, we could clear up the misunderstanding later.

 

“Shall we go into the hall now? I don’t want Estella to be gone too long…”

 

“Oh, sure…”

 

Estella was about to say something when she suddenly stopped. Tilting her head and blinking, she changed her tune with a smile.

 

“I’ll go in first and clean up the fungus!”

 

“Huh…?”

 

It was the brightest smile I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t help but think, Estella, you’ve become a strangely powerful personality…

 

“You can come in later!”

 

Estella squeezed my hand and then let go and went back to the ballroom alone. My eyes narrowed and my lips pursed, I stared in despair at the back of her head as she walked away in a flash.

 

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist. I turned my head in surprise.

 

“What the…! Duke?”

 

Jeremiah frowned when he saw me start. He let go of my wrist, then gripped it lightly again. His voice trailed off with a faint sigh.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

“No, you didn’t. When did you come out?”

 

“Since Estella made that gnome noise.”

 

“…….”

 

So, Estella realized Jeremiah was there and went first, and I smirked, having once again fallen victim to her cute little ploy.

 

Jeremiah muttered to himself; his face serious.

 

“I never taught Estella those words. Sometimes I wonder where she learned them.”

 

“…Haha.”

 

“Is that you?”

 

“Um, no. How much longer are you going to hold me?”

 

I asked, shaking Jeremiah’s grip on me slightly, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

 

Jeremiah didn’t let go of my hand, instead pulling me toward him.

 

“Why don’t we go for a walk while Estella cleans up the mess.”

 

I nodded after a moment’s hesitation, though I wondered how Estella meant to organize the halls… I nodded, thinking of something to say to Jeremiah.

 

There was actually more to be said between him and me than there was between me and Estella.

 

‘I’ll have to be honest with Jeremiah.’

 

I realized that even though Jeremiah and I weren’t friends, I shouldn’t just think about it, though I doubt it would end as well as it did just now.

 

I glanced up at his face in the night air and opened my mouth, a little nervously.

 

“Duke…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Uh… you’re handsome.”

 

“I’m…?”

 

“…….”

 

Jeremiah’s eyes widened at the sudden outburst. I stiffened, then felt my face grow warmer.

 

Jeremiah chuckled when he saw my blush.

 

“Thank you.”

 

I must have been so nervous that I blurted it out.

 

I hung my head in frustration. If I could see a wall, I’d bash my head into it right now…

 

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them, then spoke again.

 

“No, it’s not that! It’s that I wanted to tell you something about what you said to me last time…”

 

“What did I say to you last time?… Oh.”

 

Jeremiah nodded with a calm smile as he realized what I was talking about. At his smile, my heart, which had been pounding with nervousness, calmed slightly.

 

“Actually, I think we should hang out with people who are similar, but the Duke and I are very different in many ways, and you’re a man I wouldn’t dare cross…”

 

“I see.”

 

“And I think that’s why I don’t think about some of the things you show me in that… way, because I think, “Would someone like him really like me, someone like me?””

 

“Yes.”

 

“Even the Crown Prince asked me when I told him why I was going back to the North, what I hoped to gain from your company… I’m sure most people think the same way he does, that I’m sticking around you because I want to get something out of it… I don’t want the duke to be treated like that.”

 

“…….”

 

Jeremiah, who had seemed to be listening to me the whole time, turned his head at my last words.

 

His eyes darted around the hall, which glowed with the bright lights, and he spoke.

 

“The crown prince is an idiot.”

 

“He’s…?”

 

I asked, waiting with bated breath to see what he would say, my mouth agape as he suddenly unleashed a barrage of primary-colored accusations against Julian.

 

The party is right in there, and this is the imperial palace.

 

I quickly looked around, wondering if anyone would catch him cursing at the crown prince. Fortunately, we were the only ones here.

 

Still, I knew he was in trouble, so I quickly covered his mouth.

 

“Duke, we’re in the imperial palace!”

 

Jeremiah glared at my hand clamped over his mouth in displeasure, but I removed it without difficulty. Thankfully, he didn’t curse more about Julian.

 

“Vanessa, I won’t argue with you if that’s what you think, but I can’t stand the fact that the crown prince spoke to you like that, because it’s an insult to you and me, both of us.”

 

“…….”

 

“If I had known earlier that the crown prince had spoken to you like that, I would have returned to Loasen immediately.”

 

‘I’m sorry, Julian…’

 

Looking at Jeremiah’s sneering face, I silently apologized to Julian. I hadn’t expected Jeremiah’s reaction to be so strong…

 

Somehow, I’d managed to drive a wedge between us, and I muttered timidly, wondering what to do.

 

“Well, he did apologize afterward, though… and I think he had a point…”

 

“Vanessa. In the future, if anyone says something like that to you, I want you to walk away.”

 

Jeremiah said with a faint sigh.

 

“And as for my feelings about your story.”

 

“…….”

 

“Vanessa, you’ve been thinking about the wrong thing all this time.”

 

His tone was very firm. I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.