I’m Just a Counselor – Chapter 41

Author: Dakku-san

I barely suppressed a laugh as I listened to her full voice.

“Are you disappointed now?”

“Ugh. If I were actually an archmage or a swordmaster or something, it would make it a little easier to protect you.”

Estella sounded genuinely disappointed, but suddenly her eyes sparkled and she stood up.

“But I did some tae kwon do in my previous life, so if I practice, I might be able to do swordsmanship, right?”

Estella made a popping sound with her mouth and punched the air.

Looking at her slender arms and tiny fists, I thought she probably couldn’t learn swordsmanship, but… I smiled happily at her.

‘Who would even say this to me?’

I could feel Estella’s sincerity and it warmed my heart.

I realized that I was here to help her, but maybe she was actually helping me.

“Thank you, Estella, for thinking of me.”

Part of me felt relieved. Estella wasn’t just being sad.

I was worried that she would continue to blame me and be depressed, as she had been when she had just returned from being kidnapped. But it seems that she has taken a step forward.

Her efforts made me happy, and I was equally happy that my efforts were making her better. It was like she had proven to me that what I was doing wasn’t useless.

“But Estella’s foolishness never put me in danger, like I said.”

“Sis…”

“Being with Estella makes me so, so happy.”

I smiled broadly, genuinely, and Estella sobbed and threw her arms around my neck.

As I patted her back, she whimpered something I didn’t recognize.

“So you’re not going to go back home, you’re going to stay here?”

“Huh?”

‘…Why is she suddenly talking about me going back?’

When I questioned, Estella nuzzled her head against my neck, then looked at me and said gravely.

“Actually, your old friend…”

“Shane?”

“Yes, Mr. Shane. Of course, Mr. Shane is a funny and kind guy, so I can see why you’re friends with him!”

Estella said, looking at me and blushing a little.

“You look so happy when you’re with Mr. Shane,… and I’ve been worried that you might be going back to him.”

“I did?”

“Yes, and Mr. Shane likes you.”

“……?”

“I had no idea. I just thought you two seemed to be getting along.”

Maybe that made Estella nervous.

I shook my head, thinking about that, and then my eyes widened in surprise at Estella’s addition.

“Wait. Shane likes me?”

Estella’s use of the word “like” never seemed to work between friends.

I scratched my cheeks in confusion at Estella’s exclamation of certainty. Shane’s appearance seemed to mislead her.

“Shane doesn’t like me.”

“What? But he has that look in his eyes…”

Estella doesn’t know who Shane really is or what his personality is, so she can make assumptions like that. I flatly denied what she said.

“We’ve talked about going out a few times, but it was all in jest, and neither he nor I have ever cared about that.”

There was another reason I was so sure.

How could someone who claimed to like me keep telling me about his failed relationships, and besides, Shane had never stopped dating since he’d known me…

“Maybe we’re meant to be.”

“They say it’s love at first sight.”

I suddenly remembered Shane’s meaningful words.

I scratched my head, then shook my head in disbelief. On second thought, I don’t think he likes me as a person.

“There’s no way Shane would like me like that.”

“You can’t… Oh, no, I guess I was wrong!”

Estella paused, then quickly changed her tune and smiled broadly. I nodded, relieved.

Estella looked excited and reached for the madeleines I had left on the nightstand. She picked one up and popped it into my mouth first, then ate it herself, wiping her lips, before asking.

“But, Sister…, you said the other day that you didn’t hate my brother, didn’t you?”

“The Duke? Uh, yeah, I did.”

“I see…”

“……?”

As Estella stuttered, I sensed something was amiss, but I was too distracted by her beaming smile to open my mouth.

* * *

After a brief pause, the snow began to fall again in the evening. It was quite thick at first.

As I watched the flakes fall, I realized that I would wake up to a white world tomorrow morning.

“A hot chocolate is perfect for a day like this.”

Should I take it home and share it with Estella?

‘I wonder if Estella likes snow days.’

As I often walked to the kitchen, thinking about her, someone called out to me.

“Miss Vanessa.”

It was Jeremiah, who was already approaching.

I looked at him questioningly, his face somewhat rigid, and stepped in front of me.

Jeremiah hesitated a moment, uncharacteristically, and then his lips parted.

“I want to show you something… are you busy?”

“Right now? I don’t think so.”

“Then follow me for a minute.”

Jeremiah turned and started walking away. I followed closely behind him as he started walking without explanation.

Jeremiah glanced back at me and slowed his stride slightly as I followed at a brisk pace.

The place we were about to reach looked familiar to me.

“The Oval Office?”

What else is he going to talk about?

As I shook my head, Jeremiah passed the door to his office without hesitation. The next door was his bedroom.

“…to bed?”

But Jeremiah walked past the bedroom door as well.

As I became more and more clueless, Jeremiah finally grabbed the doorknob of the next room.

As far as I could tell, that room was empty, and he had something to show me in there?

I stared at Jeremiah, confused.

Jeremiah coughed loudly once before he opened his mouth.

“I just… thought you might need it.”

“What?”

“I don’t know if you’ll like it, but…”

I finally realized something in Jeremiah’s words.

“…a gift?”

The way he said he wasn’t sure if I’d like it, it sounded like something he’d say before giving a gift.

As I squinted, Jeremiah slowly pulled the doorknob.

The door swung open without a sound, revealing the room’s interior.

“This is…”

What I thought was an empty room was anything but empty.

A desk sat in front of a large glass window that looked out onto a snowy landscape. A bookshelf took up one wall. A couch and table in front of the desk. And the fireplace that adorned the wall opposite the bookcase…

My eyes widened as I looked around the perfectly decorated room.

But the furniture arrangement looks familiar

I pondered, and soon realized the answer. The overall layout was similar to Jeremiah’s office.

Hmm, maybe Jeremiah’s second office.

With such a large castle, it’s not unreasonable to have two offices, though they are separated by a bedroom.

“So what are you going to get me?”

Or maybe I’m just getting carried away. Just as I was getting a little embarrassed, I heard Jeremiah’s voice.

“This is the office for Miss Vanessa.”

My eyes widened at Jeremiah’s introduction.

“You mean this room itself is a gift to me?”

My mouth dropped open in disbelief.

I mumbled to myself as I listened to the popping sound of the embers.