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Chapter 10
“You’re saying I really said something like that?”
“Yes! And while Madam was listening quietly beside us, you even asked her if she could take me in and let me live with your family.”
When I looked at Belle with obvious suspicion, she answered firmly.
“It’s true. Why would I lie about something like that? Anyway, it was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me. That might be why I followed you. Everyone else only scolded me, saying I wasn’t the only one suffering, and avoided me because I was dirty. But you were different.”
“……”
“Now that I think about it, maybe I just needed someone willing to listen to me. I was truly happy that someone like you came to me. Maybe there are many people out there who need someone like you.”
The moment I heard that, it felt as though someone had struck me hard across the head.
“My lady?”
“Belle, you’re a genius.”
Right.
Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner?
Just because no one else in this world ran such a business didn’t mean I needed to fear it.
The demand existed.
People simply didn’t realize that minds could become ill too.
This might actually be the legendary blue ocean market!
Thinking that, I tightly grabbed Belle’s hands.
“M-My lady, what are you talking about?”
Belle glanced nervously at the hand I was suddenly holding.
Her face was full of confusion, unable to understand what I meant.
Well, that made sense.
The idea I had come up with probably didn’t even exist in this world yet.
“We’re opening a counseling center, Belle.”
“A counseling center?”
“A place where people can talk about the pain and worries they’ve kept buried deep inside because they couldn’t tell anyone else. A place where they can speak openly and work through those feelings together. We’re going to create a place like that.”
“What?!”
Belle jumped in shock as though she had just heard something impossible.
I squeezed the hands of the wide-eyed Belle staring blankly at me.
“Belle, you just said it yourself. That many people are searching for someone who will listen to them. So we’ll create that place for them.”
“But that means exposing your weaknesses. In a world where people gain nothing from revealing flaws, who would willingly open up about themselves?”
“Of course there will be people like that. But there are also people who desperately need help right now. We’ll create a place where we can listen to their pain, acknowledge it together, and help them find a way forward.”
Belle tilted her head thoughtfully.
What I had come up with was creating a counseling center for people suffering from emotional pain.
This world had no hospitals for wounded hearts.
Which meant there were undoubtedly many people silently enduring their suffering alone.
I might not be able to completely cure them, but I at least had the ability to help them search for solutions together.
“I even came up with a name. Secret Garden. What do you think?”
“Secret Garden?”
“Yes. I named it hoping people’s hearts could bloom again like flowers in full blossom.”
“It sounds wonderful. But, my lady…”
Belle nodded along with my idea, then hesitated nervously.
I knew exactly what worried her.
I thought the same thing myself.
“To open a counseling center, we’ll need money. Where are we going to get it?”
“For now, why don’t we start tomorrow by looking for places with cheap rent?”
Belle seemed to realize I was serious.
After thinking for a moment, she nodded.
“All right, my lady. Looking around doesn’t cost anything, at least.”
“…Belle, do you know you sometimes hit people right where it hurts?”
“Oh dear, was that rude of me?!”
“No. It was a compliment.”
Seeing Belle’s face turn pale enough to look like she might faint if I answered differently, that was all I could say.
“Then I’m relieved.”
“Let’s go home and think things through first.”
Slowly, I released Belle’s hand.
Soon, the carriage cut through the darkness on its way toward the Adrian estate.
* * *
Unlike my plans, reality was far from easy.
After several days of searching all over for somewhere to rent and still finding nothing, that much was obvious.
“My lady, there really aren’t any suitable places here either.”
“Yeah. Let’s check somewhere else.”
After examining the rental notices posted on the wall, I turned away.
Even if I sold everything I owned, the prices were absurdly high.
At this point, the only way to get more money would be to ask Baron Adrian for help.
But knowing he would probably sell anything for the sake of his daughter, I didn’t want to tell him about this no matter what.
“My lady, there are more rental postings over there too. Let’s check them.”
“Right, let’s go!”
The situation was discouraging, but there was no time to wallow in despair.
I needed to earn money before Ian met the female lead, Christine.
And to do that, I needed to make this business succeed.
No matter what, I’m going to make this work.
Determined, I rounded the corner of the alley—
And someone suddenly stepped in front of us.
“I never expected we’d run into each other here again.”
At the familiar voice, I looked up.
Lucas was standing there.
“Your Grace, it’s been a while.”
As soon as we began talking, Belle quietly backed away far enough that she wouldn’t overhear us.
“I truly appreciate the help you gave me that day, my lady.”
The sincerity in Lucas’s bowed head was unmistakable.
Considering the terrifying rumors calling him a cold-blooded warmonger, he was surprisingly gentlemanly.
Even after I embarrassed myself while drunk, he had been the first to approach me and ask whether I was feeling all right.
Ah, remembering that again is embarrassing…
Fanning my burning face with my hand, I looked up at him.
Then I noticed how much healthier his complexion seemed compared to before.
“How have you been feeling?”
I hesitated for a long time over whether I should ask.
But in the end, I couldn’t hold back the question.
If his condition had worsened, perhaps there was still another way I could help him.
What if my advice didn’t help at all?
Maybe because I had once been a psychological counselor, I found myself strangely nervous.
After hearing my question, Lucas hesitated briefly before answering.
“I followed your advice that day—trying to stay calm and keep my mind steady—and it helped more than I expected. It’s all thanks to you, my lady.”
“I’m really relieved it helped.”
I smiled in relief.
Just then, I noticed Corner striding toward us from behind Lucas.
As I returned Corner’s respectful greeting, Lucas spoke again.
“But what brings you to a place like this, my lady? These are brokerage offices.”
“Ah, I have some business here too.”
“May I ask what kind of business?”
I hadn’t expected him to ask for details, so I was caught slightly off guard.
But he continued staring directly at me with genuine curiosity.
Or rather, he seemed to be waiting for me to explain my purpose.
What should I do?
After hesitating for a moment, I made up my mind.
Right now, finding a property mattered more than anything.
And maybe Lucas really could help.
“I’m just looking for a decent property.”
“A property? What kind are you looking for? This is my district, so I can help you search.”
The way he answered made it seem as though he had been waiting for exactly those words.
All hesitation disappeared.
He genuinely seemed to want to help me.
“I’m planning to open a counseling center.”
* * *
“A counseling center?”
“A place where people can talk about the pain and worries they can’t tell anyone else.”
She was serious.
This woman truly intended to do it.
The conviction in her unwavering eyes made that clear.
Well, this wasn’t a bad situation.
Thinking that, Lucas slowly opened his mouth.
“Is there anything specific you’re looking for? What sort of budget or size do you want?”
“The most important thing is the budget. I don’t have much money. It doesn’t need to be very large, but it should at least fit a table and two chairs. If it’s clean too, that would be ideal.”
“And what budget are you considering?”
“About this much.”
Elisha held up three fingers.
Lucas shook his head.
“There isn’t a place in my district you could rent for that price. No—more accurately, there’s nowhere in the capital where that would even be possible.”
“I figured as much. No wonder I couldn’t find anywhere that matched my standards no matter how hard I looked.”
Lucas quietly watched her sigh deeply.
Then he realized this was the perfect time to say those words.
After all, he had personally experienced Elisha Adrian’s abilities several times already.
There was no reason to hesitate further.
“My lady, do you have time right now?”
