I’m Just a Counselor Chapter 98

Shane descended the stairs, dressed in a uniform that only a knight could have worn.

 

A navy blue cloak fluttered behind him. I froze, open-mouthed at the sight of Shane in uniform for the first time.

 

“You fit in?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Shane smirked at the maids’ response, then bowed in a smooth motion.

 

As I thought the other day, he’s very good at that greeting. The maids squealed again.

 

Shane, having had his fill of fan service, walked in front of me this time.

 

“And what do you think, Viscountess Asell?”

 

He asks, eyes narrowing, and I wordlessly give him a thumbs up. Shane burst out laughing.

 

“Viscountess Asell doesn’t have a knight, so I’ll do.”

 

“Where did you get the clothes?”

 

“My treasure trove?”

 

Shane’s cheeky response made me chuckle. Shane slung an arm around my shoulders.

 

“Actually, I’ve been to the palace before. I wore this outfit then, too.”

 

“Shane went to the palace?”

 

“Yeah, with Jeremiah. To see the crown prince.”

 

I nodded, having guessed when Shane was referring to.

 

It’s not his first time wearing it, after all, and it looks so natural. I glance over at him again, admiring his knightly attire.

 

Just then, Seitra, who had been watching me and Shane with a sneer, called out to Shane.

 

“Shane, come here for a moment.”

 

At Seitra’s call, Shane gave her a puzzled look and walked over.

 

I was a little nervous that Seitra was going to yell at him, but she just sat him down in the chair I was sitting in and picked up the makeup tools she had left behind.

 

“Your eyebrows are a little unruly, I think you should trim them, and I think you should emphasize your eyes a little more.”

 

“Oh, I’d love to help you with that, Mistress!”

 

“Me too!”

 

The maids scurried off, not wanting to miss the chance to legally touch Shane’s face. Seitra calmly tousled Shane’s unruly hair and spoke.

 

“You don’t look like a knight at all, and I can’t help it. Let me help you with that.”

 

“Of course I don’t feel like a knight, because I’m not a knight… Ahaha. Anyway, why the sudden change of heart, weren’t you never going to like me, Handmaiden?”

 

“Hmm. You did know, didn’t you?”

 

“How could I not know after seeing you like that?”

 

“Still, it would be a shame to be short of knights to escort Viscountess Asell to her first public appearance, and there’s the Crown Prince’s side of the story!”

 

“Mmm…”

 

Shane gave Seitra a quizzical look at her grumbling, but soon closed his eyes obediently.

 

With a deft touch, Seitra switched Shane’s as well. The two maids worked diligently on his face as well. Somehow, it seemed more sincere than when they decorated me.

 

When they were finished, Seitra patted Shane on the shoulder.

 

“Now stand up.”

 

Shane’s face didn’t change as dramatically as mine, but his mood was more subdued, and it seemed to match his clothes a little better.

 

“Great makeup.”

 

I muttered to myself again and nodded at Shane.

 

He studied his reflection in the mirror, a little dubious, before thanking Seitra and the maids and rising from his chair.

 

Standing beside me, Shane leaned down and whispered in a low voice.

 

“You know, I know she’s using the crown prince excuse, but she said earlier that she’s doing this for Vanessa.”

 

“Is that what she said?”

 

“Yeah. When did you get her, you’re so fast.”

 

Shane giggled and shook his head. I giggled and punched him lightly in the side.

 

Soon after, someone knocked on the mansion’s door. A woman organizing her makeup supplies scurried out and opened the door.

 

“His Highness the Crown Prince has sent a carriage.”

 

Standing at the door was the same servant who had delivered Julian’s invitation the day before.

 

I saluted him with my eyes, and he returned the favor, smiling broadly at me. Behind him, two horses trotted by.

 

‘I’m glad he didn’t overdo it.’

 

I wondered if Julian was sending a grand carriage or something, since he’d sent it all the way to Seitra, but it was an ordinary two-horse carriage.

 

‘It’s a bit too fancy for an ordinary carriage, but it’s an imperial carriage.’

 

Still, it looked similar to a duke’s carriage, so I wasn’t overwhelmed. The imperial crest was clearly covered.

 

‘Was that also for my benefit?’

 

Shaking my head, I narrowed my eyes at the sight of a blue head stepping out of the carriage. 

 

‘Why would Kianton be there and…?’

 

“Miss Vanessa, there you are, I thought we were supposed to go to Snowflake Manor first.”

 

Kianton walked over to me, beaming at the sight of my face, but stopped when he saw Shane beside me.

 

Shane grinned and waved at Kianton, but Kianton looked at him warily and muttered to himself.

 

“You were with the Duke the other day…”

 

“And today I’m a knight of Viscountess Asell’s?”

 

“Lord Kianton, you’ve seen him before, Shane, when he came as my escort.”

 

“Ah, we did that once…”

 

Kianton looked at Shane with a slightly suspicious glance, then turned to Seitra.

 

If she was the crown prince’s maid of honor, she and Kianton must have crossed paths often. In fact, Seitra’s eyes were bright with pleasure.

 

“I’m told that His Majesty would like to pay you a special compliment. He also asked me to thank you for the favor.”

 

“Our King said such things…!”

 

At Kianton’s words, Seitra dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief.

 

After thanking the two maids behind Seitra for their service, Kianton turned back to me.

 

“He sent me because he didn’t think there’d be anyone to escort Miss Vanessa… Well, I suppose it won’t be necessary.”

 

“Yes, well. Ah…”

 

“There are many other knights in the palace besides me, so shall we go?”

 

Kianton turned away. Shane held out his hand to me coldly.

 

I took his hand and climbed into the carriage. The sun set and darkness fell as we rode to the palace.

 

Kianton, sitting across from me, asked if I was bored.

 

“You look very beautiful in your dress today, Lady Vanessa.”

 

“Thanks to the handmaiden.”

 

“His Highness the Crown Prince was very particular. He nearly lost the designer’s soul when he was choosing the dress.”

 

My mouth dropped open at the story.

 

‘I’d thought that might be true, but…’

 

Julian really picked that out?

 

I asked, squinting to see if Kianton was exaggerating.

 

“He told me himself the other day that he’s been using me to do things to the Duke…, just to piss him off. Wasn’t this dress part of that, and he really cared enough to pick it out?”

 

“Yes. It was omitted because His Majesty, um… really didn’t like it, but it was a bit embarrassing, and he’d already decided by then that he’d rather use Miss Vanessa…”

 

Kianton glanced at Shane, then continued.

 

“He had a crush on… Miss Vanessa.”

 

“Kollock!”

 

“Vanessa, are you okay?”

 

I coughed loudly, and Shane patted me on the back. I barely nodded.

 

“Kianton…, aren’t you talking too fast?”

 

Julian has a crush on me, and if Julian knew that Kianton had said this, he would have fired him immediately.

 

But Kianton was still speaking seriously.

 

“No, I don’t think so,” he said, “I think it’s a shame that he’s expressed such interest, and Miss Vanessa has so casually dismissed it. Say you’re  a kid…”

 

“When I came in without a dress, Your Highness…”

 

“Yes, and how he was hard on me!”

 

Kianton exposed Julian’s behavior as if he had a plan.

 

“When the Princess and the Empress came to tea, you didn’t notice that your Majesty had eyes only for Miss Vanessa, did you?”

 

“Did you…?”

 

“And! when the Duke came, how delighted he was to talk of Miss Vanessa!”

 

The way he said it, like he was talking down to Jeremiah. Wasn’t he just happy to be able to pick on Jeremiah?

 

“And how he listened to me tell him about the Viscount Asel lottery because of Miss Vanessa!”

 

“Wasn’t that because you had a deal with the Duke?”

 

“Actually, it’s not as easy as it sounds to get your name back on the noble rolls, even if you’re the crown prince, it’s a bit of a hassle, and the process is cumbersome.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“And also… how angry he was when the Duke accused him of aiding and abetting Miss Vanessa’s kidnapping… I didn’t tell you last time, but I really thought I was going to die that day…”

 

I rolled my eyes at the sobbing Kianton. Now that I heard it, I had my doubts.