Vilhel shot back with a slightly pale face.
“I don’t like to think about it.”
“Okay, I get it.”
Laila understood Vilhel’s reaction.
Vilhel, who has spent a long time in close proximity to Marquis Hildergarde, knows better than anyone else who he is. It must have been a very difficult act to steal from him, knowing what kind of person he is.
Even if the item has been returned to its place now,.
Vilhel is indeed competent. Laila thought to herself once again.
And now was the time when she needed another helping hand from the competent Vilhel.
“Just so you know, I didn’t call you today to ask for a favor like last time.”
“Is that so?”
“I wanted to ask for your advice…….”
“Advice?”
Unexpected words made Vilhel pause. Laila nodded.
“Are you going to keep standing there and listen?”
“Are you sure it’s just advice?”
“Promise.”
At the weighty word “promise,” Vilhel’s eyes widened slightly. Seizing the moment, Laila added,
“It’s a simple problem, but I think it would be easier to solve if Vilhel, the smartest man in the marquisate, could give me some advice.”
In the Marquisate!
Smartest!
Vilhel!
Thunk. The barrier in the mind of the thirty-year-old man easily melted away.
Vilhel quietly closed the door behind him. With a face completely devoid of suspicion, Vilhel approached Laila.
“Now, tell me. What’s the problem that requires the wise advice of Vilhel, the smart one in Hildergarde Marquisate?”
“Well, um…”
Laila hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“What do I need to do to start wanting to live?”
“What?”
“I mean, I’m currently in a state where I don’t want to live, so to change that state…”
“Miss Laila!”
Vilhel suddenly raised his voice, then grabbed both of Laila’s hands.
Vilhel’s voice trembled slightly.
“……Was it so hard for you?”
“Huh?”
“…Have you been feeling this way for a long time? Is it because of that that you acted impulsively a few days ago? Oh dear…”
“What?”
“Well, it’s understandable. The world isn’t easy or fair. But still, you’re only ten years old now…”
“Wait, Vilhel.”
Laila twisted her hands out of Vilhel’s grip, letting out a bitter laugh. It took her a moment to realize what he’d misunderstood.
“I misspoke. It’s not about me.”
“What?”
“The person who doesn’t want to live isn’t me.”
Vilhel blinked his eyes, then let out a soft “Ah.” His upper body, which had been leaning towards Laila, slowly retreated.
Standing upright, Vilhel asked a natural question:
“Then who is it?”
“There’s ……, someone I know.”
Laila considered answering “Sion,” but decided against it.
After all, even if she mentioned Sion’s name, Vilhel wouldn’t understand.
And inevitably, she would have to add the explanation that he was her slave, but Laila didn’t want to do that.
Slave.
No matter how many times she said it, the word made her tongue feel uncomfortable.
“Someone I know.”
After gently stroking his chin, Vilhel spoke again.
“So, if I understand correctly, someone you know is currently in a state where they don’t want to live, and you want to help change that?”
“That’s right.”
Laila nodded, thinking of Sion disguised as “someone she knows.”
Instinctively, her mood sank a little. She felt stifled.
Why doesn’t he want to live?
It was incomprehensible.
Since accepting Sion’s condition, she has been plagued by this question.
Laila had always wanted to live.
Even before the regression.
Even after the repeated regressions,.
Laila’s desire to live was something that came naturally.
However, the fact that this natural emotion doesn’t exist for Sion right now…
Laila clenched her fist quietly.
Understanding Sion wasn’t really the most important thing.
‘I must make him want to live.’
Cold sweat formed on her palms.
The fact that Sion was in a state of not wanting to live was a huge problem for Laila.
She had saved Sion’s life, and furthermore, she provided him with a comfortable place to sleep and food.
And as a result, she hoped that Sion would feel even a little grateful towards her.
She hoped that as time went on, even the tiniest bit of gratitude would accumulate.
And eventually, that accumulated gratitude would transform into feelings of ‘liking’ or ‘affection’ towards her.
That was Laila’s plan and hope.
But if Sion had no will to live,
That would be a huge problem indeed.
How could Sion feel grateful to Laila, who provided him with living conveniences if he didn’t want to live in the first place?
Laila needed Sion’s gratitude. In other words, she needed Sion to want to live.
As Laila exerted more force in her clenched fist, Vilhel spoke.
“Do you know why that person doesn’t want to live?”
“……No, I don’t know.”
“Did something bad happen to him recently?”
“Something bad?”
“Was he seriously injured, or did he lose someone close to him…?”
Laila blinked.
Both had happened.
However, what was likely important in this situation was clear.
“He lost someone close to him.”
“How close?”
“Family.”
“He recently lost his family…”
Laila suddenly realized. Yes, recently. It hadn’t even been a month since Sion tragically lost his family and was brought to the manor.
Suddenly, she remembered Sion’s sleep talk and drawings.
The vivid traces of his unspoken pain and longing.
Feeling like she had just bitten into sand, Laila furrowed her brow slightly, and Vilhel spoke.
“I see, he’s suffering from complicated grief.”
“Complicated grief?”
“It’s a mental illness that occurs when someone loses a loved one or even a pet they’ve raised.”
“A mental illness…”
“If he feels like he doesn’t want to live, his condition must be severe.”
“Can he get better?”
Laila asked urgently, almost without realizing it. Vilhel nodded lightly.
“Who am I to say, but I do know how to alleviate the effects of grief?”
“Alleviate? Can he fully recover?”
“That varies from person to person. But once his condition improves to a certain extent, he’ll want to live again despite his suffering.”
Laila breathed a sigh of relief. That was good enough.
“But, Miss.”
“Yes?”
“While I’m quite intelligent, knowledgeable, and familiar with complicated grief, I must say…”
What is he trying to say? Just as Laila was wondering, Vilhel completed his sentence.
“If it’s this kind of issue, wouldn’t Elvin be slightly more suitable than me? Just a tiny bit. Anyway, Elvin is a doctor.”
Even if it’s a mental illness, it’s still an illness. Vilhel had a point.
Laila lowered her gaze at Vilhel’s words, pondering for a moment before lifting her head.
“Elvin won’t do.”
“Why not?”
“Because Elvin would insist on treating the patient himself.”
“Well…… of course he would.”
“I don’t want that. I want to be the one to help him.”
More specifically, she didn’t want to create any situation where Sion would feel worse.
‘No one likes to be treated like a patient with a mental illness.’
Laila was aware that stigma surrounding mental illness persisted.
Vilhel, accurately reading the unspoken intention behind Laila’s words, looked at her with a gleam in his eyes.
“You’re considerate of him.”
Rather than being considerate, it’s more like she’s being stubborn for wanting him to live, Laila thought casually.
Vilhel silently stared at Laila for a moment before lowering his voice.
“Miss Laila.”
“Yes?”
“Laila, don’t get too attached emotionally.”
“…….”
“I’m saying this for your own good.”
Laila slowly closed her eyes and opened them.
…He’s figured it out.
Who the person disguised as “someone she knows” really is.
Well, with the rumors spreading around the manor lately, it’s no secret who she has been paying attention to.
Vilhel’s expression was quite serious. His words of concern were genuine, but…
“It’s okay.”
To give away her heart.
“That won’t happen.”
Unless the sky splits in two, it definitely won’t happen.
ha! this is really a crazy premise