Chapter 20

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 20

Chapter Title: The Lord's Footsteps

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- Pat pat.

"Sleep well, sis."

Elise gently patted the unconscious Luna's rear like a baby, then pulled the blanket up to her neck.

As she softly brushed aside the sweat-dampened white bangs from her forehead with her fingers, Luna let out a faint sigh.

But then.

- Twitch.

A faint ripple of light spread, as if the magical veil was lifting, and a pair of long, snow-white rabbit ears emerged above the unconscious Luna's head.

Luna's perception-lowering spell, Camouflage, had been released.

"Whoa?"

Elise's eyes went wide in surprise.

Luna never let this spell drop, not even if it meant falling asleep.

She had a pathological fear of revealing her ears, of exposing her Beastkin identity.

And yet, it was off?

And moreover.

Elise turned her head. Her gaze fell on Luna's laptop, still glowing with a blue light.

[Hunter Gallery]

And the two stark letters remaining in the search bar: Beastkin.

Elise was at a loss for words.

Her sister, Luna, still believed she was living in the Empire.

Which meant she firmly thought that even here on Earth, Beastkin were a race despised by all.

'Sis, it's okay now. This is Earth.'

No matter how much Elise tried to convince her, that stubborn belief never wavered, not even once.

And yet.

Luna herself had come all the way to this den of desires and searched about her greatest complex: being a Beastkin?

For Elise, who prided herself on being Luna's closest confidante, it was unbelievable.

Clearly, something massive had shifted in her sister's heart today—something beyond normal comprehension.

The pieces started falling into place in Elise's mind.

The counseling session she mentioned going to this morning.

And her behavior afterward, so unlike her usual self.

Every clue pointed to one person.

"Oppa."

Elise whispered into the air as she softly stroked the cheek of the fainted white rabbit. At that moment.

"Nngh…."

A delirious moan escaped Luna's lips, and an intrigued smile curled on Elise's face.

"I thought he was just handsome, but turns out he's got skills too, huh?"

Just from Union Guild alone, a truckload of counselors had been assigned to her sister.

From so-and-so psychological analysts to famous psychiatrists.

But they all bounced off Luna's defenses, complaining that trauma over her race was a case no one on this world could understand.

And yet, this kind of progress from just one session….

"What did you do to our innocent sis~?"

Elise's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What the."

Already asleep?

I checked Luna's status while toweling off my wet hair after a shower.

It was only 10 PM. A bit early for an adult to turn in, but she seemed like a bunny fresh to a new country.

But what's this Main Stance thing.

Having some kind of dream? Or maybe dreaming of Hunter Gallery….

Whatever. If she was asleep, there wasn't much else to see.

Out of respect for my patient's privacy, I released the PIN.

Oh, and I'd already apologized to Jin Sea. About testing PIN on her last time.

I explained the reason and carefully said sorry if it upset her, and she burst out laughing.

'Hahaha! That happened? It's fine, it's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fine! But good thing you could see my status.'

She kept saying it was fine, but didn't miss the important part.

'So, Counselor? What'd my status say?'

'You were super comfy chilling at home. Harmless as can be.'

'Heehee. Yeah? I am pretty harmless.'

I finished that brief recollection, dried my hair completely, grabbed a glass of lukewarm water, and sat at my desk.

For now, I only had one ongoing client.

Luna.

Time to plan the direction moving forward.

First off, the seed of self-esteem was planted well.

She must have at least vaguely felt that Beastkin aren't unilaterally hated in this world.

Now, what remained was nurturing that fragile sprout into a sturdy identity as a Beastkin.

What's the most effective, brilliant, high-quality way to do that?

"Guess it's…."

The trademark of rabbit Beastkin, the symbol ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she hid so desperately.

Her twitchy ears and fluffy tail.

Not me forcing it off, but her lifting the veil of her own will.

That would be the surest proof she'd accepted her Beastkin identity.

I thought that far, then paused.

"...Huh?"

Wait a sec.

The goal of this counseling was ultimately for her to show her ears….

Which means….

This afternoon's system window flashed back in my mind.

The option from the status window during Luna's session.

A bit aggressive and abrupt, but it was pointing straight to the final goal—the quickest shortcut.

The odds were a little low, sure.

You saw all the way here, huh?

As if responding to my words, a system window popped up before my eyes.

Whether embarrassed or shy from the praise, there was just a lone emoticon scratching the back of its head.

Suddenly, trust in it went up a notch.

The options might be a bit outlandish and rushed, but I felt a strange conviction they weren't wrong.

Anyway, I had ongoing visits to Union on Wednesday and Friday this week.

This whole week was Union Guild house call period.

So if I went again tomorrow….

'Wanna try showing your ears?'

I'd have to gently suggest it.

The second house call at Union went much smoother than the first.

The follow-up sessions scheduled for the morning mostly wrapped in under 10 minutes.

Clients who'd had their emotional knots untied in one go last time all left with brightened faces, thanking me profusely.

Even those gradually improving didn't snap at me like before; they opened up softly about their worries.

Everything was going smoothly.

I took a bite of my packed sandwich for lunch and turned on my tablet to check the afternoon schedule.

"Now… remaining are… Luna and… Elise…? Why her…?"

I was chewing the last of my sandwich, puzzled, when.

- Knock knock.

"Um, Counselor? Sorry if you're busy, but… got a minute?"

Between scheduled sessions, as I rested, a hunter with an unfamiliar face peeked through the door.

Obviously not on the reservation list.

"Ah, sure, it's fine. What's up?"

"I didn't sign up originally, but… colleagues said you're amazing, so… any chance for a quick session now…?"

That was the start.

'That guy's pretty good.'

Like a fortune teller's word-of-mouth spreading, rumors about my counseling took off.

Hunters who'd been skeptical and hadn't even applied started showing up after hearing reviews from peers.

By lunchtime's end, the door to the counseling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠room was like a popular eatery with a line.

Thankfully, Luna and Elise were evening slots.

Couldn't turn away people who came….

I eyed the long queue and shoved the rest of my sandwich in my mouth.

"Alright. Let's start. What's troubling you?"

Looked like on-time clock-out was doomed again today.

Union Guild's top floor, Hunter-exclusive lounge.

One white rabbit was fidgeting restlessly on the sofa, unlike her usual self.

As if not paying attention, but all her nerves were fixed on the lounge door.

- Creak.

Then the door opened.

Luna whipped her head around reflexively to look. Her red eyes held unmistakable anticipation.

But the next instant, it turned to disappointment.

"Hunter Gaspar! Head to the stamina testing room now!"

The guild staff called someone else—not her name, unfortunately.

- Thump, thump.

Without realizing, her sullen face stamped her feet under the sofa.

Frankly… she looked like a lovesick girl waiting for a tardy date.

And the black rabbit sitting beside her watched the whole scene with keen interest.

Then, Viktor’s voice came from the nobles' table.

"Heard some mental counselor showed up at the guild lately. Utter foolishness. Proves their mental fragility themselves."

"Exactly."

The surrounding nobles chimed in as if scripted.

"At a glance, he's obviously some rootless con artist. Getting advice from the likes of him is shameful…."

Before Viktor's last words finished, Luna—who'd ignored the surrounding noise—frowned sharply, her white brow creasing vividly.

- Shiii….

The air around Luna grew subtly colder.

Elise, sitting right beside her, sensed the change first.

First time seeing sis show emotion toward nobles.

As she was about to pour oil on this fun situation with a word to Viktor.

- Creak.

The lounge door opened again.

Luna's head snapped back to the door in surprise.

"!"

This time it seemed real. A guild staff held a tablet, announcing the next turn.

"Hunter Elise! Your counseling slot! Get ready!"

But the name from the staff's mouth wasn't the one she'd been waiting for.

Luna's head whipped toward her sister beside her.

"You… too…?"

Elise nodded at her sister with a bright, innocent smile.

"Yup."

At that, Luna sank deep into the sofa.

And then, unbeknownst to anyone.

- Thump thump.

She started stamping her feet again.

Meanwhile.

In front of Yoo Seon-woo's counseling office, where he wasn't.

The Heavenly Demon, Jahwa-yeon, had come herself to keep her promise of visiting soon.

Curious what face her physician would make upon receiving the gift she'd thoughtfully chosen.

But greeting her was a firmly shut door and a single unfamiliar note above it.

"……."

Jahwa-yeon read the sentence slowly, deliberately, letter by letter, with emphasis.

Soon, a short sigh escaped her cherry lips.

"…Ha."

House calls? Leaving without a word to me?

As my physician, he should await my summons, standby here anytime.

Didn't he say to come find him whenever?

- Tap.

Jahwa-yeon lightly tapped the shut door with her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠delicate foot clad in fine silk.

She turned away.

"This once, I shall specially overlook it."

Like a sovereign granting great mercy, she murmured to herself.

But unlike her dignified turn, her shoulders slumped slightly.

Like a sulky child.