18.
Veronica, having entered the counseling office, immediately tried to kneel before me again.
"Don't."
I grabbed her shoulder before her head touched the floor.
Vivid red hair spilled down over her wrinkled dress.
The symbol of the Sinclair house.
The pride of a woman who had once looked down on me and sneered now scattered emptily, as though it held no value whatsoever.
Setting aside my complicated feelings, I spoke first.
"Sit."
"……."
"I said sit."
I lightly pushed her down onto the sofa.
A hunched posture, as if even leaning back were a luxury.
Her gaze on the floor, her hands on her knees.
She looked like a child awaiting punishment.
"I dared to think I had been forgiven."
"……."
"Even though I was hardly qualified…."
And so she continued apologizing, just as she had outside.
I truly had no idea how things had come to this.
True, I had hypnotized her.
But I had merely reused, almost word for word, what I believed another noble lady had once told me.
At most, an extremely safe line about lightening the burden on her mind.
Hearing those words, she had thought on her own that she was forgiven, and in the end, this was the result.
For some reason.
She seemed to believe that the forgiveness she had received had been false from the very beginning.
'……Come to think of it, I never actually said I forgave her.'
But that wasn't because I couldn't forgive her.
It was simply that I hadn't considered it something worth forgiving in the first place.
If this had settled things, that would have been that, but I couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.
A deep sigh escaped me internally.
Comforting herself with words I had never even said.
Suffering on her own for reasons unknown.
And the answer she had eventually arrived at was a public apology.
As a noble lady, in front of everyone.
……What a headache.
Who the hell was supposed to clean up the aftermath?
What should I do for now?
Would forgiving her work?
I decided to test it.
"Fine, I forgive you."
But it backfired.
"……Again, because of me, forcibly…."
Her eyes turned so red they looked ready to burst before she hung her head.
Was she finding it filthy that forgiveness seemed to be forcibly extracted?
Haah.
Okay, analysis complete.
What this person needed wasn't an 'I forgive you' coming from my mouth.
Because she wouldn't believe those words even if she heard them.
If it was no use even when I said it myself, there was only one way.
Making her come to the conclusion herself, inside her own head.
And the only thing that could make that possible was this.
[Privilege: Hypnosis]
Using hypnosis to clean up a mess that had grown because of hypnosis was absurd.
But to be honest, this hadn't grown because of hypnosis.
She was rampaging on her own, for some reason even I didn't know.
Right.
She was rampaging now.
In a way that destroyed herself.
Then I had to suppress it.
With a single sentence to insert into her mind just before she woke.
'Just saying I forgive you won't be enough.'
What immediately came to mind was leaving her with the conclusion that I forgave her.
But if I left as a finishing touch words that hadn't worked just moments ago, I had no idea what might blow up later.
Alright, should I give her a basis?
A basis she could accept that she had been forgiven.
'……Family, huh.'
No matter how much I thought, this was all that came to mind.
To think I would end up using this word.
It wasn't even funny.
To think I'd try to use the 'family' card on the people of the very house that had cast me out.
But this would probably be the most effective.
Because the frame of family was a mold that defied logic.
A relationship that remained no matter what you did.
The only relationship that needed no reason for forgiveness.
How to do it was decided.
But before that, there was one thing I had to make clear.
Outside.
The people who had seen her kneeling earlier.
There had been nobles, and maids too.
Whichever they were, they were people with connections to high society.
"Let me tell you one thing."
"……."
"That thing you did outside."
Her shoulder flinched.
She seemed to be aware of it.
"You clean that up. Whether it's silencing witnesses or handling the rumors, it's all your responsibility."
"……."
"If you dump it on me, things will really get annoying."
It might have sounded a bit cruel, but this was the right thing to do.
If what happened outside earlier spread, it would clearly become a headache.
And honestly, from where I stood, the punishment itself was already a form of atonement for her.
If you kept making such a person aware of their faults and demanding apologies, they would just spin in circles endlessly.
To make her stop, I had to give her proper work to do.
She slowly raised her head.
Red, bloodshot eyes.
But what rose in them was neither defiance nor resentment.
It was a nod.
"Veronica."
"……."
I called her name carefully.
She slowly looked up at me.
Then I really had to do it now.
The work of putting her mind to rest.
"Shall we talk for a bit?"
Though most of this conversation would only take place inside your head.
[Privilege: Hypnosis has been activated.]
***
This time, I didn't relax her body or anything.
I simply let her lie still and sleep.
Then I suddenly remembered the phrase 'Effect amplification upon contact with target,' so I at least stroked her head.
"Sorry…."
It was sleep talking.
Even while asleep, she made such sounds.
Just how troubled was she?
As I stroked her head over and over, it was soon time.
Her deeply bowed head slowly rose.
The moment when luster returned to her hazy eyes.
I had gotten the timing right.
"Veronica. I'll forgive everything that happened."
So that this wouldn't end with just that.
"We're family, aren't we? Right?"
So that a plausible basis could take root within her, I said it all in the end.
She slowly looked up at my face.
Her hazy eyes cleared, and after blankly staring up at me for a while, she neatly placed both hands on her knees.
She rose from her seat.
She didn't say a word.
However, the eyes looking up at me were different.
No appropriate word came to mind, but if I had to describe them…….
'……They don't look like eyes that see a person?'
Still worried that things might flow strangely again, I looked at her with uneasy eyes.
"Ah…."
She let out a voice filled with wonder.
Then she turned her gaze away as if embarrassed.
"Let me say again, I to you…."
"Stop."
Whatever it was, she was probably going to apologize again.
Anyway, it seemed more or less settled.
At least her words were coming out comfortably now.
Then that was that.
"It's fine. We're family."
Forcing an awkward smile, I took her neatly folded hands.
Holding them firmly, as if lending her strength.
"Right?"
Emphasizing it once more.
"……."
At my actions, she smiled softly.
That's right, because we're family.
She muttered softly and stood up.
"……I seem to have caused you a lot of trouble."
So she did know.
Then she knew who had to handle it too, right?
"Don't worry about the outside. I'll take care of it."
It was a calm tone.
Not the voice that had been sobbing until just now, but the voice of someone who had taken on a task.
Shoulders straight, she walked toward the door.
Without a tremor.
Then she paused in front of the door and turned around.
"Because it's between us, isn't it?"
She disappeared.
Whatever it was, she'd handle it herself.
Whether it was difficult or painful.
Thinking it a somewhat hollow ending, I realized one fact and my face stiffened.
I had realized too late.
She had already left.
"……My fee."
Because the flow had been so natural, I had just let her go again.
Why does she keep leaving without paying?
***
After that, Veronica never came to the counseling office again.
Instead, letters came steadily.
The first letter went roughly like this.
'It seems rumors are circulating about that day. You just live without worrying, little brother. Your older sister will take care of everything.'
Little brother.
Older sister.
I hesitated for a moment at the word choice.
Before, she wouldn't have called me by name, let alone this.
Did the word 'family' make her like this?
It was a bit frightening, but the result wasn't bad.
I should let it pass.
The second letter.
'I hope we can meet again soon. There are too many things lurking around that shop without knowing their place. They need to be thoroughly managed. I'm sure you think so too.'
…She doesn't mean she's going to manage me, right?
This too should be let go.
The third letter.
'I couldn't fall asleep easily. Since I haven't thrown away the pillow you used, I fell asleep hugging it.'
Wait.
The pillow I used?
She fell asleep hugging that?
Don't tell me this is what letters between family are like in a romance fantasy world?
It was somewhat strange, but I still didn't know the noble culture of this world well.
I guess this was how siblings expressed their feelings.
Probably.
Dismissing it as no big deal, I tried to write a reply.
It was then.
BANG.
The door to the counseling office burst open.
Dazzling blonde hair.
Blue-green eyes.
And moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes.
It was Chloe.
"Sir!"
She was out of breath.
She had clearly run here.
The Lady of Count Levantia, famous for her impeccable composure, stood there with her hair disheveled.
"Sir, did something happen to you at the hands of the Sinclair lady!?"
"I'm fine."
"How can you be fine? There are rumors circulating in high society! That your counseling office has some connection to the Sinclair house…!"
"Ah, about that."
I said as calmly as possible.
Because it was true.
"It's nothing, Lady Chloe. Someone I know did come by, but it was nothing hostile."
"That can't be! You were threatened, right? Right? Veronica Sinclair, I can never forgive——"
"No, I'm truly fine. Veronica didn't really do anything."
I meant it.
If anything, all she had done was bow her head, cry, and leave without paying my fee, so what.
But.
Chloe's expression was strange.
An expression as if she had heard something she shouldn't have.
……What?
The thought that I should change the atmosphere first took priority.
"Lady Chloe, could I ask you for a cup of tea?"
"……."
She sat still and looked at me.
Her blue-green eyes didn't waver.
Without her usual shyness or excitement.
Just eyes staring quietly.
"Is something the matter?"
"……You call me by name so easily."
She muttered something quietly and rose from her seat.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Her footsteps were louder than usual.
Was there something to be angry about?
Shortly after, she brought tea.
I took a sip.
……It was fucking hot.
Had she made some mistake, unlike her?
If it was a mistake, I should pretend not to notice.
As I tried to set down the tea, Chloe's gaze remained on the table.
A letter.
The letter that had come from Veronica was still spread open.
"A letter? And you're in the middle of writing a reply."
"Yes, that's right."
"…For someone, I had to ask Helen to bring a reply."
"…?"
She muttered again.
She had been talking to herself a lot today.
I tried to let it pass since it seemed like a soliloquy, but thinking about it, it was indeed time to write a reply.
Since Helen wasn't here, if I asked Chloe, would she look it over for me?
"Excuse me, Lady Chloe."
"Yes."
"Could you look over this reply? If there are any lacking parts, please let me know…."
"Haah."
She snatched the letter with wide eyes.
She read the contents clearly and distinctly.
"To. Ve. Ro. Ni. Ca."
She paused for a moment.
"Unbelievable."
Then she read my half-written reply as well.
"It. Would. Be. Nice. If. We. Kept. That. Matter. Secret. Between. Us."
As if chewing each letter one by one.
"Unbelievable."
The letter went flying onto the table.
Chloe quietly opened her mouth.
"How strange."
"I heard from Helen."
"That I was the only one you exchanged letters with."
"Someone is called by name even after causing all that trouble."
"While someone had to ask Helen just to receive a reply to a letter."
She who had been pouring out words at a rapid pace.
Put on a smile that seemed fabricated.
And said this.
"Strange. My Isaac would never do that. Right?"