Can he really be trusted?
“Just trust me! Iāll completely cure the Young Masterās illness!”
The man boasted loudly, thumping his chest.
Aisha thought he was far too full of hot air and not at all trustworthy, but for now, she decided it was better to watch and see.
She also wanted to observe how psychological counselors in this world conducted their treatments.
Since they werenāt even considered proper doctors, could they really be systematic at all?
“All right. How will you proceed with the treatment?”
“I, Reed, intend to conduct the Young Masterās counseling based on records from treating hundreds, thousands of cases.”
“So then, explain how the treatment will actually proceed.”
“Huh? Whatās there to explain?”
“ā¦”
Momentarily at a loss for words, Aisha fixed Reed with a stare.
Sweating bullets, Reed hurriedly explained,
“N-no, what I mean is, I always start with counseling to understand the patientās state of mind, then proceed with treatment. I need to see just how serious the Young Masterās condition is before I can decideā¦”
Perhaps because of her icy gaze, his reply came out much more subdued than before.
Since his words at least made some sense, Aisha nodded.
“So be it.”
And thus, Reed was brought to meet Jeron.
“Ahem! Greetings, Young Master. I am Doctor Reed, who will be in charge of you from now on.”
“Doctor?”
Jeron, who hadnāt been told anything since he had been summoned so hastily, only glared sharply.
“Get out!”
Whether he was a doctor or not, clearly displeased, Jeron hurled objects while throwing a tantrum.
“U-urgh!”
Startled, Reed let out a scream and quickly retreated from Jeron.
Aisha and the servants hurried to block the flying objects.
Though he dodged swiftly, Reed ā doctor though he claimed to be ā was seen scribbling things down, making some sort of analysis.
Still, wasnāt it a bit much to be so frightened of the very patient he was supposed to handle?
“Get out!”
In the end, Reed was driven out without managing to exchange even a proper word with Jeron.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ***
“Hahaha! Just trust me!”
But even after being thrown out like that, Reedās mouth kept running.
“ā¦Hmm.”
No matter how urgent it had been, leaving Jeron in the hands of someone like that felt unsettling.
After ordering Reed to draw up a treatment plan and report back, Aisha went straight to find the physician and Luzbel.
“Where did you even find that man?”
“He was a wandering psychological counselor. He doesnāt seem to have much authority, but in the village he was somewhat recognized for his abilities.”
“ā¦Is that so?”
“Yes. It seems there were quite a few people who received treatment from him.”
The physician handed over a neatly organized set of documents, showing he hadnāt chosen the man carelessly.
The records listed patients Reed was said to have treated.
Looking through the first pages, his skills didnāt actually seem bad.
“Then why does he talk in such a frivolous way? His boasting is excessive, too.”
It was hard to believe that the same person who compiled these documents could sound so different.
“ā¦I also thought the same, to be honest,” the physician admitted.
“We brought him because of the urgency, but Iāll look more carefully again.”
“Do that.”
If someone better could be found, Reed could just be kept as an assistant.
If the patient himself refused, then Reed would have to be dismissed.
Anyway.
“The counseling will be carried out.”
“Yes, of course! Iāll do my utmost to earn your trust!”
And so Jeronās counseling was arranged.
“I donāt want to!”
Since Jeron rejected things from the start, it wasnāt easy, but he was persuaded.
The deal was that if he went through the counseling, he wouldnāt have to see Aisha for a whole day.
That he agreed so quickly ā as if eager to avoid her ā hurt Aisha a little, but she told herself it was her karma.
Thus, before the session, the situation of the family was explained, and Aisha was present to observe.
“Ahem. As I said before, I am Doctor Reed.”
“ā¦”
“I will be in charge of the young masterās professional counseling from now on, so just trust me and follow along. I, Reed, have never failed to cure a patient!”
“ā¦”
What was he even trying to do?
Did he not see the icy stare in Jeronās eyes?Ā
Yet Reed kept babbling on, praising himself.
As his endless boasting showed no signs of stopping, Aisha intervened.
“When will the counseling actually begin?”
“Ah, yes, of course. Letās begin!”
At least he wasnāt merely wearing the title of counselor ā the questions that followed were somewhat serious.
“If you have anything youād like to say to me, feel free.”
“ā¦”
“Well then, may I ask you some questions?”
“ā¦”
“Does Her Grace make you very uncomfortable?”
“Why the hell are you asking that?”
But since Jeron wasnāt cooperative, the session proved difficult.
“Because I need to understand your feelings in order to proceed with counseling! Speak freely! I, Reed, am a capable doctor fully prepared to listen and take it all in!”
“ā¦”
At the mention of Aisha, Jeron bared his teeth for a moment, but then clamped his mouth shut again.
Thanks to that, Reed broke into a cold sweat as he struggled to get Jeron to speak.
It was useless, though.
“ā¦That will be all for today.”
In the end, after sweating for two hours while dealing with Jeron, Reed was the first to give up.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ***
Contrary to her initial doubts, Reed put his heart and soul into the counseling sessions with Jeron.
It was enough to make Aisha feel almost sorry for having mistrusted him.
But Jeron only seemed to go further astray.
Why on earth?
His violent tendencies, his habit of throwing things whenever he didnāt like something ā all the same.
No, if anything, it had gotten worse.
No matter how much correction was attempted, by the next day objects would be flying again.
Was the counseling not having much effect? At times she felt discouraged, but then reminded herself ā he had been neglected for five years and was only now receiving treatment. Expecting him to improve overnight was shameless on her part.
At the very least, she kept her promise: whenever he had a counseling session, she would stay completely out of sight for about a day afterward.
“ā¦Hm?”
Jeron suddenly tugged tightly at Aishaās sleeve.
“What is it?”
She asked in a voice tinged with expectation. Jeron flinched, then quickly released his grip.
“Donāt you have something to say?”
“ā¦No.”
“ā¦Do you want me to stay here longer?”
“Do as you want.”
For some reason, it seemed he didnāt want Aisha to leave.
If heād hated it, he would have told her to get lost immediately, but saying “do as you want” meant her interpretation wasnāt wrong.
What luck! Aisha quickly sat down beside him.
Reed was going to remain, but Aisha, wanting to be alone with Jeron, sent him away.
“What do you do for fun when Iām not around?”
“ā¦”
“Donāt you get bored?”
“ā¦”
No matter how much she talked, no answers came back ā but that was fine.
Because this was the first day Jeron had reached out to her first!
Suppressing the grin that kept threatening to spill out, Aisha chattered on.
“Counselingā¦”
That was when Jeron finally spoke.
“Hm?”
Was it about the counseling?
Come to think of it, lately he had been answering Reedās questions more and making some progress. Could something about it be bothering him?
“How long does it go on?”
“Why? Do you not like it?”
It had seemed like he was getting better.
But Jeronās face looked uncomfortable, uneasy in some way.
What was it?
No matter how much she pressed, Jeron never told her exactly what about it was bothering him.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ***
‘Did I miss something?’
Aisha found herself deeply concerned about Jeron.
It might have been nothing, just a meaningless signal ā but after that, she kept a closer eye on him and Reed during their counseling sessions.
Jeron seemed to be uncomfortable with Reed, whether consciously or not.
And that was despite Reedās ever-smiling, friendly-looking face.
On the first day, he had shown signs of displeasure, but not this kind of avoidance.
“Hmm.”
Something was going on.
Aisha began to suspect that maybe, on days when there was no counseling and she didnāt appear in front of Jeron, Reed might be doing something to him.
Perhaps she had felt too relieved thinking Reed was competent at his work.
So today, she decided to secretly follow him.
Just in case, she brought the physician along too.
“Thereās no way heād have the guts to lay a hand on His Grace’s son.”
Even as he said that, the physician trailed after her with a very suspicious look on his face.
Reed, shuffling along and glancing all around, checked that no one was around, then moved off somewhere.
Where Jeron was.
“Greetings~ Young Master!”
Because of Jeronās violent behavior, nobody ever wanted to be near him.
As a result, even the maids who had been assigned to him would sneak away, leaving him alone for long stretches of time.
Now too, with Aisha absent, Jeron was sitting by himself in isolation.
‘ā¦Iāll have to say something to the servants.’
Leaving a child alone like that, no matter what ā that wasnāt right.
Perhaps startled by the sudden intruder, Jeron immediately scowled the moment he saw Reed.
But Reed just kept smiling.
And then, suddenly, with a cold face as if he had never been smiling, Reed said:
“With a face like that, itās no wonder no one ever comes looking for you, Young Master.”
Whatā¦?
“Even Her Grace will soon grow tired of your behavior.”
‘What the hell did that bastard just say?’
It was so outrageous Aisha could only let out a hollow laugh ā but painfully, Jeron didnāt say a word back.
He simply sat there, taking the abuse in silence.
