I’m Just a Counselor

Estella continued, still completely oblivious to her brother’s shock.

 “There’s no way I’m going to make her part of the family, so I’m telling you. Oh, you don’t have a girlfriend, do you? I have to ask you this first. It’s not in the original story.” “Esti, wait.” “You said you’d do anything for me. Does that mean you’d do anything for me, like get in a relationship or get married? You’re not interested in any women anyway.” “It’s possible I don’t like Miss Vanessa.” “You hate Miss Vanessa?” 

Estella asked, and Jeremiah’s mouth slowly closed.

‘Dislike Vanessa?’

 

It was true that his first impression of her hadn’t been good.

 

Jeremiah didn’t like the counseling center. Neither did her counselor.

 

He thought it was a place where people went to get their asses handed to them. Jeremiah thought it was a place where Vanessa was supposed to deal with them in moderation and then send them on their way.

 

There was more to it than that Estella would go in and out of a place that might have bad water.

 

‘Clearly, Vanessa Asel was not what I thought she was.’

 

He didn’t think much more of her than that, which is to say, he didn’t judge her for better or worse.

 “How could I not like her, she’s exactly what you need.” “Well, you want to, then, do you? That’s great!” “No, wait. Esti…” “This is the first wish I’ve ever made to you! Please, please, please. I’m so desperate. If you listen to me, I’ll be really good from now on. I won’t get into any trouble and I’ll be a good girl!” 

Jeremiah was at a loss for words in the lark-like voice that kept coming and coming.

 

He reached out to Estella to calm her down. She hesitated for a moment, then reached over and gently grasped his hand, shaking it, her face very serious.

 

Just as Jeremiah felt a faint sense of foreboding, Estella spoke in a determined tone.

 “Okay. This seals the deal.” “……?” “Then I’ll only trust you from now on! Thank you! Bye!” 

Apparently, Estella had misinterpreted Jeremiah’s intentions.

 

After shaking his hand, she quickly released it and stormed out of the office. Jeremiah stared after her in disbelief.

 “What the hell…” 

He could only sit in stunned silence as the shock continued.

 

* * *

 

As soon as she walked out of Jeremiah’s office, Estella was gone like a flash.

 

Vanessa thanked the occupant of the castle for his kind words and headed for her home in Hessel to gather her things as she had told Jeremiah.

 “Miss Vanessa, are you taking this with you?” 

She didn’t have much to do, as she wasn’t much of a packrat to begin with, and the knight who came with her did all the heavy lifting.

 

As she stood idly in the corner while the knight lifted her luggage into the carriage, Vanessa turned her attention to the window.

 

‘It’s almost the end of fall.’

 

The leaves were falling in a picturesque fashion, and she was instantly transported back to three years ago, when she first arrived here.

 

It was around this time that she had possessed Vanessa Asel and it was at this time that she came to the North like a fugitive from the system.

 

Within three years, she’d been hired by a duke and moved into a castle. Quite the rise, she thought, chuckling.

 “I’ve got to work hard.” 

While she was firing up her newfound enthusiasm, the townspeople crept up around her.

 “Hey, Vanessa. Are you moving?” “I had my heart set on a separate house down the mountain, but oh well. I guess the boyfriend thing worked out.” “That guy is your boyfriend?” 

Vanessa had told the villagers that she was living with her boyfriend, because it’s not very nice to see a woman living alone in a place like this. So maybe that’s why the knight coming in and out of the house now is getting some weird misunderstandings…

 

‘Well, I guess I don’t have to say no here, right?’

 

She smirked, deciding to keep the concept alive until the end.

 

Just then, she heard a familiar voice.

 “That’s Vanessa’s boyfriend?” 

A husky voice, low for a woman. Vanessa turned her gaze in the direction of the voice.

 

And there it was, a hooded figure. She called out to her happily.

 “Sherry!” “Hi, Vanessa.” 

Sherry tilted her head in Vanessa’s direction, and her hood lifted slightly, revealing her face.

 

Fair skin not common in the North, lustrous black hair, and a tear dot beside her left eye.

 

The bewitching beauty stared at her with a light smile.

 “Are you moving, and what about the Secret Garden?” 

She was her first customer, and the one who helped get Secret Garden off the ground. The reason Vanessa was able to hit the ground running was because she was there.

 “It’s funny, when I do what she tells me to do, things work out.” 

Oh, and Sherry also gave Vanessa a medieval version of a stun gun that could knock out a mugger in one shot.

 

Anyway, after all the ways Sherry had helped her, Vanessa felt a little bad that she’d tried to move on without telling her, so she smiled sheepishly.

 “Well, it just so happens that I’m moving for a while. I don’t think I’ll be able to run the Secret Garden.” “Oh, well, then where am I going to go and tell my secrets?” “I’m very sorry.” 

It would be rude of Vanessa to ask Sherry to come all the way to the Duke’s castle to see her. For some reason, Sherry seemed to shy away from crowds and public places.

 

But Vanessa didn’t want to leave, so she decided to keep her remarks to herself.

 

Vanessa smirked and bent down slightly when she saw Sherry raising her magpie paws. She leaned in and whispered in her ear.

 “Actually, I’m Princess Estella’s counselor, and I’m staying at the Duke of Oppenheim’s castle.” “…Oppenheim?” “So if you ever need to talk to me, you can come to the Duke’s castle.” 

Sherry gave me a puzzled look, then nodded slowly.

 “Okay. So if I want to see you, I can come to the Duke’s castle.” “I’d like to… ugh.” “I’ll definitely be there.” 

Sherry emphasized the word

“definitely”

and smiled.

 

There was even a hint of mischief in her smile, and Sherry lowered her magpie claws.

 

‘Why does she seem so different today?’

 

Strange. Sherry is her usual bewitching, sweet self, but there’s something different about her.

 

Vanessa scratches her head, not sure what it is, and Sherry asks her.

 “So, is he really your boyfriend?” “Oh, no, I didn’t want the town to know that I was living alone with a man, so I told them I was with my boyfriend.” “I see, good for you.” 

Sherry lifted her hand and stroked Vanessa’s hair.

 

Vanessa giggled into her touch, then realized something and opened her mouth.

 “So, Sherry, what happened with your boyfriend?” 

This was the last conversation she had with her.

 “That jerk… no, he cheated on me and asked me to break up with him, and he made a baby… no, he made a baby!” 

‘Hmm, and then she drank and cried.’

 

Then Vanessa had to stay up all night drinking and soothing her.

 

Despite being a stunningly beautiful woman, Sherry has been strangely unlucky in love, and She’s counseled her many times about her failed relationships.

 

As Vanessa chuckled softly at the memory, she grumbled,

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”