13.
‘Even on my own, it’s not as if I have no options at all.’
That was the thought I’d had yesterday while watching Chloe.
With that resolve, morning dawned.
As usual, I quickly finished getting ready, went down to the first floor, and opened the door.
It was a day Chloe wasn’t scheduled to come.
Today, I had to deal with nobles whose irritation would be plain to see all by myself.
Not that I felt particularly anxious.
After all, it was a good chance to test the secret plan I’d come up with last night.
‘All right, let’s see.’
Jingle—
The moment I opened the door, what I saw was, as expected, a long line stretching out.
It was a somehow wrong-looking scene, with more noble young ladies than maids.
The maids were whispering among themselves in the corner, watching the mood.
The young ladies were busy glancing over while hiding their faces behind fans.
Soon, their gazes all focused on me.
Before I could even open my mouth, a sharp voice flew at me.
“Lady Levantia doesn’t seem to be coming today?”
That one remark was the signal.
As if the reins of an angry beast had been released.
The complaints the young ladies had been holding back began to burst out.
“Excuse me, but just how long are we supposed to wait outside?”
“This is the first time in my life I’ve seen a shop without even a waiting room. Honestly.”
Their voices grew louder and louder.
At the center of it all was a familiar face.
A green dress.
Upturned eyes.
It was the young lady of the Viscount Fleur family who had come yesterday.
‘……She’s here again.’
Looking closely, there was something a little strange about it.
Hadn’t this woman left without saying much after her consultation yesterday?
She’d been rude, yes, but she’d seemed satisfied enough.
So why was she taking the lead and raising her voice today of all days?
I quietly swept my gaze around.
The eyes of the other young ladies.
All of them were fixed on Lady Fleur.
‘Ah, so that’s it.’
Yesterday, she had been alone, but today, there were many eyes watching.
Standing meekly in line among them must have felt like a blow to her pride.
So she had chosen this.
Instead of waiting quietly.
She would take the initiative by voicing complaints and seizing control.
“You are aware that our family is involved in the ownership of the land in this district, yes?”
Lady Fleur covered her mouth with her fan and spoke in a low voice.
It was not only meant for me to hear, but for the other young ladies as well.
However, the glare in her eyes held a strange nervousness.
Rather than truly being angry, it felt like she was forcing herself to act strong for the sake of appearances.
As if, now that she had actually done it, she was wondering whether this was really right.
‘Well, that type is actually easier to handle.’
Her acting like that didn’t irritate me.
Because women like this were the perfect subjects.
Test subjects for my secret plan to control the line.
“……Very well.”
I slowly took a step forward and opened my mouth.
“I will receive Lady Fleur first. And after that, these two ladies here……”
I nodded toward Lady Fleur.
Then, one after another, I gestured to two young ladies who were wearing expressions just as arrogant as hers.
“……Hmph. Naturally.”
They seemed to think their specialness had been proven.
They raised their noses high, their shoulders lifting smugly.
It felt something like a young lady’s victory pose.
Swallowing a faint smile, I led Lady Fleur into the consultation room first.
***
Inside the consultation room.
Once the door closed, the tense air from outside eased somewhat.
As expected, it seemed she had been acting especially difficult because she was conscious of others watching.
Well, her insolent attitude as she looked around the shop remained the same.
“Begin.”
The consultation with Lady Fleur began at once.
The moment she opened her lips, complaints poured out of her.
“To leave someone of noble standing like myself standing out on the street. That is hardly proper treatment.”
“What are your selection criteria? No, does a mere commoner even have the authority to decide such a thing?”
“And Lady Levantia comes and goes every time, does she not? If it is because she is a regular, then I believe I have satisfied that condition as well.”
In other words, lining up hurt her pride, and since she was annoyed that only Chloe was receiving special treatment, she wanted to be treated the same way too.
No, but isn’t this only her second consultation?
In what world did someone become a regular after just two visits?
Hiding my disbelief, I nodded appropriately.
“I apologize for the inconvenience. That is why I have invited you in like this, so please hear me out for a moment.”
“Hmm? I’ll listen, at least.”
Lady Fleur’s eyes widened with curiosity.
At the corners of her mouth hung an arrogant smile, as if saying, “Naturally, this will be a proposal to my liking, won’t it?”
“First, regarding the line……”
Her gaze focused on me.
The longer I drew out my words, the more I could feel her attention gathering on my lips.
And at that moment.
[Perk: Hypnosis has activated.]
“……”
Her hand, which had been gripping her fan tightly, slid down.
Her upright head tilted to the side with a thud.
A steady breathing filled the consultation room.
Kooool—
Perhaps because it was the second time, there was no resistance.
I rose from my seat and went around behind her.
A little harder than usual, I pressed down on her shoulders.
“Nnh……”
Then, I pressed firmly against her scalp, again and again and again.
“Hah……”
Today, I loosened up her body with particular care.
When she woke, her body had to feel refreshed for her to believe firmly in the effects of the consultation.
Only then would my secret plan work well on her.
And so, fifteen minutes later.
I withdrew my hands and returned to the seat across from her.
Her eyelids slowly began to open.
Watching that, just before she fully woke, I quietly whispered the line I had prepared.
“Then, Lady Fleur, you are actively in favor of standing in line, correct?”
A fait accompli hammered into her ears before her focus had even returned.
I continued whispering as her eyes opened.
So that it would become a firm conclusion within her.
“Not only do you agree to standing in line, but you are actively supporting it. I can only thank you.”
“……”
A moment later, she blinked her hazy eyes and fully woke.
If this had been yesterday, she would have given a small cough and immediately stood up, but now was different.
What came back was an entirely different voice.
“……Yes.”
A low, gentle answer, with not a hint of resistance.
It was hard to believe it had come from the same mouth that had been spewing complaints until just a moment ago.
“……One should stand in line. Because that is the rule……”
Her languid eyes were half-unfocused.
Her attitude practically dripped with obedience.
After staying like that for a moment, she blinked several times.
Then she returned to her usual upright posture.
Looking around as if flustered, she spoke confidently, as though back to normal.
“…It is only natural to follow the rules. It is nothing particularly special.”
The obedient look from just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
Even so, the gaze that glanced at me from beyond her fan was watching my reaction.
As if asking, “Is this what I’m supposed to do?”
“……”
I smiled inwardly.
Right after the hypnosis was lifted.
I already knew that the fleeting instant when the brain filled in the blanks in its memory on its own was when the effect was strongest.
It took the final words I had thrown at her as its conclusion.
And that her subconscious would fabricate a process to fit that conclusion was something I had proven through consultations until now.
The result was the sight before my eyes.
The young lady of the Viscount Fleur family, who until moments ago had been making a scene because she didn’t want to stand in line.
Before I knew it, she was declaring that, if it was a rule, it must naturally be followed.
She slowly rose and placed her hand on the table.
Clink, clink, clink.
Three silver coins fell.
After a brief, awkward cough, clink, clink.
Having offered up a total of five silver coins, she soon made her way outside.
***
Jingle—
The gazes of the young ladies waiting outside all turned at once.
When she had gone in, Lady Fleur had been brimming with confidence, saying, “Hmph. Naturally.”
But the way she came out was completely different.
The fan that always hid her face was lowered, and her expression had grown strangely languid.
Without even trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.
She opened her mouth with gentle eyes.
“Everyone, would you hear me out?”
The two young ladies waiting for their turn.
Several other young ladies who had perhaps expected Lady Fleur to put this back-alley counselor in his place.
To them, Lady Fleur spoke in a soft voice.
“……Rules, once decided, are meant to be followed.”
Her voice was completely different from before she had gone in.
Blank looks appeared on the faces of the young ladies who had been waiting.
Unconcerned, Lady Fleur continued speaking as though expounding an obvious truth.
“You should all do so. Because that is the rule.”
“……?”
The young ladies’ expressions twisted strangely.
It wasn’t wrong.
But since the person saying it was the same one who had been leading the fuss just moments ago, they could only find it absurd.
Lady Fleur lightly folded her fan and walked toward her carriage.
With steps that had grown much lighter, almost airy.
A strange silence flowed among the remaining young ladies.
The mouths that had been pouring out complaints just a short while ago now could not open so easily.
I did not miss that gap.
“Next, please come in.”
The footsteps of an unknown young lady hesitantly headed toward the entrance of the consultation room.
Perhaps because of the ironic situation just now, her steps were much more docile.
‘And by the time she comes out, she’ll be even more docile.’