8.
Morning light seeped between the curtains.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling.
“……Mmm.”
Perhaps because I’d been looking over my notes until late last night, my body felt heavy.
Rubbing my eyes, I got up and roughly washed my face first.
For breakfast, I crunched on the cookies I’d received as a gift.
“They’re pretty tasty.”
Fortunately, this world didn’t seem to be one where even sugar was considered precious.
A sweetness that was decently palatable.
And free, at that.
After filling my stomach moderately, I went down to the first floor and opened the door.
Ring—
With the sound of the bell, the refreshingly cool morning breeze brushed past my body.
Looking around, there was already a line in front of the door.
“Teacher! Good morning!”
At the very front were Mari and Rije.
Behind them were two maids I was seeing for the first time.
And familiar golden hair and blue eyes.
“I hope you are well, Teacher.”
It was the Revantia Young Lady.
She tilted her head slightly with a light smile.
I could feel the other maids watching her.
However, ever since I became the one doing the selecting, it seemed they felt it was my responsibility, so they didn’t run away.
The result was this ironic sight of maids and a noble young lady standing together in line.
‘...So she came.’
Seeing the Revantia Young Lady, I recalled how she had left yesterday.
A face that had seemed almost funny, yet clearly held disappointment.
Since that had been my last sight of her, I felt a needless sense of relief.
Simply because she had come after all.
Wait, hold on.
Then doesn’t that mean this person came yesterday and came again today?
Two days in a row?
‘This is a first.’
There had been regulars.
But there had never been someone who stood in line two days in a row.
At the earliest, there’d be an interval of three or four days.
Even then, if someone came often once, it was normal for them to become scarce that week.
But the Revantia Young Lady was now standing naturally nestled among the maids.
With a face as if nothing was wrong, standing docile.
‘Well, I’ll let it slide for now.’
Scanning the line, I picked today’s three.
“The two maids I’m seeing for the first time, and Lady Revantia.”
When I called out names excluding Mari and Rije, Mari opened her mouth with an “Ehh?!”
Rije, who let out a small sigh, grabbed Mari and pulled her away.
You’re useful, Rije.
I’ll definitely make it up to you next time.
***
The consultations for the two maids went smoothly.
Both were first-time visitors.
One had a headache, one had stiff shoulders.
That didn’t change what I had to do.
Just like with other people, I listened to them moderately and then hypnotized them.
I kneaded their shoulders.
I pressed their backs firmly.
It was something I could do with my eyes closed now.
After sending off the second maid, I opened the door.
“My, are you finished?”
What came into view was a snow-white dress.
As expected, it was the Revantia Young Lady.
Since I now selected three people, those chosen didn’t have to wait right in front of the door.
They only needed to come back before evening.
But this person hadn’t moved.
She had continued waiting in front of the door until the consultations for the two maids ahead of her had ended.
“You could stop by somewhere and come back later.”
“I have nowhere in particular to go.”
“You could have waited inside the carriage.”
“Well.”
She glanced out the window once and smiled.
“I wanted to get some fresh air.”
A relaxed attitude.
A face that said it really was nothing.
...Could she really be that free?
Was that possible if you were a noble?
I wouldn’t know. I was kicked out in an instant.
Anyway, that was how the Revantia Young Lady’s consultation began once more.
***
The moment she sat on the sofa, her gaze turned to the top of the desk.
The tea set she had gifted.
Beside it was likewise the box containing the tea leaves she had gifted.
Her turquoise eyes took in both items in an instant and formed small crescents.
“Did you use the teacup just now?”
“Ah, I haven’t used it. Since it is the Young Lady’s item.”
She who had clearly shown disappointment yesterday.
Fortunately, it seemed she had shaken off those emotions; she felt similar to usual.
It was only ‘similar,’ not exactly the same as before, but….
‘I’m weak to that kind of thing, after all.’
—Oppa, isn’t there anything different about me?
—Nope! I don’t think so!
I got slapped by an imaginary girlfriend.
I rubbed my cheek, which didn’t particularly sting, and looked at her.
The Revantia Young Lady was still smiling.
With an expression that said something had definitely changed, yet it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was different.
“There is no such thing with gifted items. You may use them to your heart’s content.”
“Ah, then….”
She didn’t seem particularly angry.
So I asked with a slightly lighter heart.
“May I use those tea leaves as well?”
“Hmm?”
It happened in an instant.
Her eyes narrowed.
Her smile remained the same.
But her gaze had changed.
Eyes that had turned cold.
It was likely because my words just now had completely missed her expectations.
“Ah, I don’t mean anything strange. I thought I could use them when serving guests….”
I hurriedly added an excuse, but rather, she laughed briefly as if exhausted.
“Sigh….”
A laugh that sounded like a sigh, or perhaps irritation.
Oops.
So the tea leaves were off the table, too.
She took a long breath and spoke clearly.
Without taking her eyes off me.
“Teacher. Haven’t you gone a bit too far?”
***
“W-well, shall we begin the consultation first? Lady Revantia. What concerns do you have today….”
I hurriedly changed the subject and moved into the consultation.
With the intention of skipping past it with hypnosis if things got difficult.
Perhaps because the topic change was so blatant, she looked at me with flickering eyes.
“It’s not a concern, it’s irritation. Yes, irritation.”
“W-what’s causing this irritation…”
“Sigh…….”
This time it was an outright sigh.
Then her gaze dropped.
She fiddled with her nails with a displeased expression.
An attitude as if she didn’t even want me in her sight.
“The Revantia family is an ancient house. You know this, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course….”
I’m not particularly quick-witted, but I know this.
That I mustn’t say I don’t know something I don’t know right now.
“You must also know what it means for a crafted box bearing such a family’s seal, yes?”
“...Yes, of course.”
Each time I said ‘of course,’ the Revantia Young Lady nodded slightly.
The problem was that her nodding didn’t look affirming at all.
Because each time she nodded, her brow furrowed slightly more.
Oh no.
This person is really angry.
“But you see.”
She withdrew her gaze from her nails and looked straight at me.
“The young lady of the ancient Revantia family personally selected tea leaves, placed them in a box stamped with the family seal herself, and gifted them—yet you say you’ll use them to serve guests.”
“......”
“Do you truly not understand what that means, Teacher?”
“...I apologize.”
I apologized immediately.
Of course I meant it.
It was my mistake to say I’d use them for serving guests without knowing their true value.
“I am truly sorry. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again….”
“It’s not that I cannot forgive you.”
“...!”
She continued calmly.
She’ll forgive me?
The moment I was about to feel relieved,
“But from the position of the ‘young lady of the ancient Revantia family,’ it is difficult to do so.”
“...Pardon?”
She had said something incomprehensible.
She said it wasn’t that she couldn’t forgive me.
But that her position made it difficult?
Was she accepting my apology or not?
Anyway, it was my fault, so I should apologize.
“I apologize once again, Lady Revantia. I was thoughtless….”
“That’s not it.”
The Revantia Young Lady waved her hand as if frustrated.
Her lips quivered.
An expression saying she had something to say, but I wasn’t getting it.
Seeing that, a past memory suddenly came to mind.
Right after possession.
My half-sister Veronica’s words to me in the hallway.
‘You don’t know how uncomfortable your presence here makes so many people, do you?’
I didn’t know.
I learned it later the hard way, though.
Who knew it meant to get lost from this household.
“Teacher.”
As I fell into thought, the Revantia Young Lady opened her mouth again.
Her voice had softened considerably.
A tone as if she was trying to soothe me.
“A family title is bound to be used in public settings.”
She straightened her posture.
Back straight, hands placed neatly atop her knees.
“But if you insist on using only such formal address even in a private setting like this… wouldn’t that mean you are keeping your distance?”
“......”
“My calling you Teacher is an expression of the respect and intimacy I hold for you.”
Here, her eyes trembled slightly.
Her ear tips were red, too.
She probably knew she was saying something terribly embarrassing right now, which was why she was like this.
“If you, Teacher, show an attitude befitting that….”
She briefly directed her gaze to my lips before raising it again.
“Rather than as the young lady of the Revantia family, might I be able to show you my true self as an individual?”
A long explanation.
Ending with a gentle smile.
A face asking, surely you understand now?
I looked at her quietly.
An expectant gaze.
Faintly reddened cheeks.
A gaze that kept turning toward me as if urging for an answer.
She was truly speaking with her whole body.
Please understand already.
The problem was.
‘Why do noble young ladies always have to speak so difficultly?’
She was saying it was a private setting, so I could speak comfortably.
Even I could understand that much.
But what am I supposed to do about it?
Think about it.
If I clumsily opened my mouth here,
Ah, so I can speak comfortably?
Then since I’m older, I’ll drop the honorifics?
Such stupid words were bound to pop out.
Then the mood and everything else would be completely ruined.
‘There’s really no other way.’
It wasn’t that there was no way.
I was the only person in this world with a cheat skill.
Just before her next words came, with her pouting face ready to continue her complaint.
I activated my ability with perfect timing.
[Specialty: Hypnosis activated.]
“Sigh, as I was saying—”
She stopped there.
A swaying gaze.
Eyes gently loosening.
Her raised shoulders lost strength and dropped down.
Her parted lips slowly closed.
Silence.
1 second.
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
Snrk—
I immediately got up from my seat and went behind her.
Since I had to do the same thing anyway.
***
Press, knead.
“Hehe…….”
Her shoulders, stiffest I’d seen in recent days, as if she had something to be tense about.
As I pressed them, I racked my brains.
‘I should try properly this time, right?’
There was something I had learned for certain while consulting all this time.
No memory remained of the time under hypnosis.
Instead, upon waking, the brain arbitrarily filled in that blank.
In a way that ‘I received a consultation.’
And that memory followed the direction of the words heard right before waking.
If the last thing sounded like advice, it became right after receiving advice.
If it sounded like words wrapping up a consultation, it flowed in that direction.
In other words.
Even if I only threw out a conclusion, they would create the process themselves.
Then there was only one thing for me to do.
Leave behind the conclusion that ‘I was forgiven.’
That would be enough.
Finally, after loosening her stiff nape, I gauged the time.
It was almost time.
I withdrew my hands and quickly returned to sit across from her.
And just before she woke, I opened my mouth.
“Then you have forgiven me, yes?”
Her eyelids trembled lightly.
Eyes slowly opening.
A gaze wandering through empty space before reaching me.
1 second for her focus to return.
Another 1 second to process my words.
After that.
She, awakened from sleep, spoke in a languid voice.
“Ah, that’s right.”
A face so gentle it was hard to believe she had been irritated moments ago.
“It is only right to forgive you.”
Phew.
A sigh of relief slipped out.
Honestly, I was a bit scared.
Being pointed out in noble fashion just how tactless and insensitive I was had been quite a frightening experience.
Of course, what I had just done wasn’t exactly righteous.
I had made her create a conversation that never happened herself.
But it wasn’t like she couldn’t forgive me at all?
She could forgive me, but something was holding her back.
I had merely tweaked that conclusion a bit.
In a direction favorable to me.
As I quietly celebrated, the corners of her lips rose gently.
It wasn’t a childlike smile.
Something languid.
A strangely moist-looking smile.
It was strange.
To call it merely the expression of someone whose anger had faded—her gaze was excessively intense.
Her turquoise eyes were fixed on me.
A gaze that seemed to say she wouldn’t let me go.
“Of course?”
“...Yes?”
“Since you went so far as to say that, Teacher.”
I froze instantly.
Didn’t I only talk about forgiveness just now?
She tilted her head slightly, perhaps finding my reaction odd.
“You clearly said it, Teacher?”
She spoke slowly.
As if nailing down the words she had just heard from me.
“I am your Chloe.”
“...Pardon?”