I’m Just a Counselor Chapter 47

I smirked at it.

 

“You don’t want to get caught using magic, but you keep making things like that. Shane, it looks like you had a lot of fun making the snowman.”

 

Stopping my hands and looking out the window, I grunted and stretched, realizing it had been a while.

 

“Maybe it’s because it’s warm here. If I stay here too long, I’ll just curl up like a lazy cat.”

 

But this is my office, after all. I’m in the office, so I have to work.

 

“Man is an animal of adaptation.”

 

My hands used to shake whenever I touched the jeweled egg, but now I’m pressing it firmly without a care in the world.

 

I adjusted the temperature in the office and sat down at my desk, when, to my horror, there was a knock on the door.

 

“Miss Vanessa, may I come in for a moment?”

 

“Oh, come in!”

 

I replied quickly, jumping to my feet.

 

It was Jeremiah, who opened the door at my request.

 

I was about to greet him on the couch, but he restrained me and strode briskly to the desk and set something down on it.

 

“Is this…?”

 

I stood there, fumbling with my desk, staring at what he had set down. Jeremiah explained.

 

“It’s an invitation from the imperial family.”

 

“Oh, it’s for Estella?”

 

It was time for her to make her social debut. If it’s from the imperial family, it must be an invitation… ah, to attend the New Year’s ball.

 

When I finished guessing, Jeremiah shook his head in disbelief.

 

“An invitation to Estella, of course, but… this one is addressed to Miss Vanessa.”

 

“What? To me?”

 

My eyes widened, and I quickly looked at the invitation again. Sure enough, there was a name at the front of the invitation.

 

[To Viscountess Vanessa Asell,]

 

I rolled my eyes in bewilderment.

 

“…How?”

 

Viscountess Asell’s name had long since been erased from the noble rolls.

 

How could I, from such a fallen noble family, now a commoner, receive an imperial invitation?

 

“Kianton?”

 

He’s the only one I’ve ever met who has any connection to the imperial family.

 

But even Kianton wouldn’t know that I have the surname Asell. The only person who would know that is…

 

“The Crown Prince…?”

 

Had Kianton told the prince about me, so he did some research on me, found out about the surname Asell, and sent me an invitation?

 

‘But he’s Estella’s counterpart.’

 

Why me and not Estella… ‘No, he’s attached to Estella, so he’s checking me out as a bonus?’

 

I was rolling my eyes and trying to guess. Jeremiah studied my expression for a long moment before he spoke up.

 

“I’m sure Miss Vanessa is nervous about going to the Islands.”

 

Perhaps Jeremiah was saying this because I was from a fallen aristocracy. But in truth, there was another reason for my hesitation.

 

I finally opened my mouth, deciding that now was the time to tell Jeremiah.

 

“I… think there’s something you should know, Duke…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“The bankruptcy wasn’t the only reason I left the Islands.”

 

I looked at Jeremiah, who had a serious look on his face, and pursed my lips.

 

“My family borrowed money from Earl Huon’s before we went bankrupt…”

 

“I’m aware of that.”

 

“Well, do you? Anyway, I’ve heard from that family…”

 

After harassing me with excuses to repay the money, he suddenly asked me to leave the nobility. 

 

“If you disappear before my eyes, I’ll tell you that you don’t have to pay back the rest of the money!”

 

‘Come to think of it, why did the Earl say that?’

 

I didn’t know much about Earl Huons, having been cast out shortly after my possession. But it was clear to me that he was a despicable and greedy human being.

 

And yet, in exchange for my expulsion, he had given up my remaining debts.

 

I stared at the Earl’s face as he shouted at me. He looked terrified.

 

‘What happened before I possessed Vanessa?’

 

Or is it something with Viscount Asell.

 

Scratching my head at the question I hadn’t asked in three years, I briefly explained to Jeremiah the problem with Earl Huons.

 

Jeremiah frowned, rubbed his chin, and said,

 

“So you don’t have any more debt problems, then.”

 

“Well, yes.”

 

“If you’re worried about the harassment starting up again, the Duke will protect you.”

 

Jeremiah tapped his index finger on the invitation.

 

“Miss Vanessa is technically a member of the Ducal House, so no one will be able to do anything to you if you don’t want them to.”

 

“…….”

 

“Nevertheless, if anyone offends you, tell me.”

 

“What if I tell…?”

 

“I’ll deal with it appropriately.”

 

“…You know, that’s kind of scary.”

 

I don’t think that would be a legal and moderate way to handle it.

 

I shuddered, deciding not to say a word to Jeremiah. Needless to say, Jeremiah continued nonchalantly.

 

“Is that enough? I’m actually due back to the imperial court later today.”

 

I can’t. It was unlikely Estella would want to go to the Islands alone. At this rate, if she didn’t attend the New Year’s festivities, there would probably be repercussions.

 

I thought of Estella and nodded reluctantly.

 

And Jeremiah’s declaration that he would protect me…

 

“I see. Now that you’re here, what’s the use of them?’

 

I brushed the matter aside.

 

While I was still mulling over my thoughts, Jeremiah, the invitation back in his arms, turned to leave the room and then returned to my desk.

 

I looked up at him, puzzled by his serious expression.

 

“Is there anything else you wish to say to me?”

 

“Actually, I wasn’t going to tell Miss Vanessa, but… you might be in danger again without knowing anything.”

 

Jeremiah gestured to the couch, as if this was not a conversation to be had standing up. I did as he suggested and meekly sat down on the couch.

 

Jeremiah sat down across from me, crossed his arms, and after choosing the right words, opened his mouth.

 

“The human trafficking ring that kidnapped Miss Vanessa from the market…”

 

Jeremiah trailed off. I looked at him seriously.

 

“…we found ledgers where the traffickers were.”

 

Ah, the ledger. I remembered hearing that exclamation from the Duke’s privateer at some point during my time with Jeremiah.

 

“The ledger gave the names of the nobles in the Island.”

 

“Nobles?”

 

“My guess is that… a slave ring modeled on the Isles, kidnapping people, transporting them to the Isles, and selling them at slave auctions, with the nobles named in the ledger as their customers.”

 

How dare they do that in the North. Jeremiah grinded his teeth slightly. He seemed more than a little angry that such a vile trader was operating in his land.

 

As I listened to him, I remembered the shackles I’d worn when I was kidnapped.

 

I thought, ‘Hmm. They don’t seem like your average traffickers.’

 

Not with the soundproof enchanted carriage. Anyway, it wasn’t something a normal trafficker would have. It was too expensive.

 

“A slave top with noblemen as clients.”

 

I had known that the slave trade was clandestine, but I hadn’t expected it to be so organized.

 

As I thought, I suddenly realized what I needed to tell Jeremiah.

 

“Your words remind me of something I need to tell you, Duke.”

 

“Tell me.”

 

“The traffickers, I think they were actually trying to kidnap Estella.”

 

The man who seemed to be the leader of the traffickers had apparently said something like this.

 

“Hey, she’s not a princess, don’t you know that the princesses of Oppenheim have silver hair?!”

 

I think he told them to get a girl with a brooch, but I was wearing a brooch, so they got confused and kidnapped me.

 

When I told Jeremiah about this, he gave a small gasp. He looked like he knew something.

 

“I see. They wanted to use Estella as a hostage to maneuver me.”

 

“What? Estella as a hostage?”

 

“It doesn’t matter now that it’s been foiled, because I’ll repay them in kind.”

 

There was a hint of bitterness in his tone, much more so than when he had dealt with Kianton before.

 

But that feeling quickly dissipated as soon as his light green eyes turned to me. Instead of coldness, he looked at me with a warmth that was almost affectionate, and he arched an eyebrow.

 

“I seem to have nothing but apologies for Miss Vanessa.”

 

“Why this time?”

 

“Because if Miss Vanessa is right, you were clearly kidnapped because of me.”

 

I threw up my hands at Jeremiah’s words.

 

“I guess it’s a good thing I was kidnapped instead of Estella after all.”

 

“…….”

 

“I’m not even worth a damn as a hostage…”

 

For some reason, Jeremiah glared at me.

 

The look in his eyes was part reprimanding, part stern, part angry.