Chapter 285

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“…It’s okay. I’m just a little… confused.”

Seri said, picking at the misshapen chocolate cake.

The light returned to her unfocused eyes.

A bit of life flickered back into her vacant expression.

But she still couldn’t hide the hazy atmosphere.

As if her soul had left her body, as if she were drunk on sleep.

As if dreaming, as if lost in reverie.

Seri fiddled with her fork, her face blank. From time to time, she placed her hand on her forehead and let out meaningless groans. 

To be honest, I was very worried. She had been brainwashed like Regina and had barely escaped. I couldn’t easily guess the extent of the aftereffects.

Her situation was a little different from Regina’s. Unlike Regina, who tortured me, she probably didn’t harbor extreme guilt. But I couldn’t be optimistic. I didn’t know what she had done under Astaroth’s orders.

“I just… can’t believe it.”

Seri raised her head and looked at me.

Then she turned her gaze to the closed door.

She narrowed her eyes as if staring at someone beyond that door.

“That I’m finally free.”

Yoo-seong gave us space again.

The position of commander of the Celestial Corps was bound to be a burden in a face-to-face situation.

Even if Yoo-seong himself didn’t intend it to be. It was like a trainee having a private meeting with the commander. I was as familiar with Yoo-seong as family because I had inherited everything from Lucille, but it wasn’t the same for other students. It was truly shocking and terrifying.

Her mind was already in turmoil, so I couldn’t make her even more uncomfortable.

Judging that, Yoo-seong left the room, telling us to talk comfortably.

Of course, he probably didn’t really go far. He was probably listening to everything outside the door.

“Actually, I had half given up. The frequency of regaining my sanity was decreasing, and even when I did, I was quickly brainwashed again… It felt like wandering through a maze with no exit… I wondered if I would be used and die like this forever… I was really scared…”

“Seri…”

“But suddenly being freed… it feels like I’m dreaming. It feels like a convenient delusion. Surely it’s not a real dream, is it? Should I pinch myself?”

“Ehehe… Why are you pulling my cheek…?”

“I don’t like pain. How is it, Lucia? Does it hurt?”

“It hurts…”

“Then I guess it’s reality.”

Seri giggled.

The smile didn’t last long.

It quickly faded like a bubble.

She seemed to be suffering from a different kind of aftereffect than Regina.

If Regina was struggling with the sins she had committed, Seri was similar, but…

Hmm, I don’t know. I don’t have mind-reading abilities. I’m just guessing based on information. I just know the feeling is different.

“Are you okay? If there’s anything uncomfortable or difficult, tell me everything. I’ll help you.”

I asked like a doctor examining a patient.

Because to treat, you have to identify the cause first.

Seri paused for a moment, then shrugged and replied.

“No… uh… um… I mean… what should I say…”

“You don’t have to feel pressured. Tell me honestly. I’ll listen to anything.”

“…Really?”

“Yes!”

I nodded, smiling brightly.

Today I’m counselor Lucia!

I’ve already successfully cared for a patient named Regina.

I’ll also relieve Seri’s mental burden with pats and hugs!

“If you’re surprised… no, it’s not just surprised. You can’t despise me? Or I’ll cry? I’ll roll on the floor and sob at this age.”

“Ehehe, you don’t have to worry about that.”

I thumped my chest confidently.

Seri made a humming sound and stared at me intently.

My sparkling eyes seemed to be a burden, and she sighed and averted her gaze.

“Then, I’ll say it?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Can I fuck you?”

“…Huh?”

“Honestly, I’m really horny.”

“…Huh??”

Uh.

Excuse me, yes, what did you say?

I didn’t expect this either.

“Th-that’s right, yeah, that’s a normal reaction. What am I saying? Sorry. Forget everything.”

Seri covered her face with both hands.

Her ears, which she couldn’t hide, were burning red.

She was trembling all over, so she must have been very embarrassed.

“I wasn’t originally like this… Astaroth, that bitch… what did she do to me…”

“Um, Seri?”

“Did you know? I almost raped you before?”

“Eh.”

“You know, your defenseless sleeping figure was so hot, you were protesting for me to fuck you, I couldn’t just pass it up… It ended in an attempt thanks to Alice… but still, I’m sorry…”

…Was Seri a lesbian? I recalled the settings of the ‘novel’. Seri didn’t have much screen time, but there was no mention of homosexuality. Rather, considering she showed more than friendly affection towards Carlos, she was more likely to be heterosexual.

This time, I retraced Lucille’s memories.

I looked at Seri within the range I could read right now.

No matter how much I read, she was quite far from homosexuality.

“I’m trash… I was trash from the beginning… Now I’m irredeemable, unrecyclable trash… Burn me and scatter the ashes in the sea…”

I seemed to know what was going on. It was probably because of Astaroth’s brainwashing. She must have remade Seri’s mind to her liking. In the process, Seri’s sexual preferences had changed slightly. The brainwashing was lifted, but the aftereffects remained. It seemed like Seri would need some time to fully recover.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m going to die of shame. I want to die of embarrassment. I want to die of guilt.”

“I-It’s okay! It ended in an attempt, right?”

Seri’s heart wasn’t relieved by my consolation.

Rather, she curled up as if she was even more tormented by guilt.

“It didn’t become nothing just because it ended in an attempt…”

“That’s, that’s true, but…”

“And you know, when I go outside, I used hypnosis indiscriminately? When I saw a cute kid, I’d use hypnosis to charm them… Eeeek!”

“Seri?!”

Thump, thump! 

Seri slammed her head on the table. Of course, a normal table couldn’t withstand Seri’s headbutt, so it broke in an instant. I hurriedly snatched the chocolate cake. Thanks to that, I was able to prevent the floor from being dirtied with chocolate.

“I kept the last… I kept the last line. I defended it. It was my last resistance. Good job, me. Really good job. But, but…”

“U-Um, first calm down…”

“Embarrassed… ashamed… and my heart… my conscience hurts too much…”

Seri clutched her chest.

A faint tremor could be felt in her voice.

“…I’ve been using hypnosis at will until now. I’m not talking about after I was brainwashed by Astaroth. I was like that before that. I abused my abilities to my liking. And I packaged it up as I pleased. I swayed hypnosis as I pleased, but brazenly. I said I helped them. So I didn’t understand properly. I definitely helped them, but everyone was angry at me. Why are you doing this… I didn’t understand it then, but now I know. I know because I experienced it myself. That’s how those people felt. The feeling of not being yourself is… really vomit-inducing. It’s scary. It was really scary.”

“…”

“So, um, what was it, what I wanted to say was…”

Seri slightly lowered the hand that had been hiding her face.

Tears welled up in her face, which was flushed like a peach blossom.

“I’m going to commit seppuku now, so cut off my head.”

“That’s too extreme?!”

“Or cremation wouldn’t be bad. Fire is said to absolve sins… Burn fiercely, you impious sinner…”

I was speechless as I watched Seri, who was muttering as if she had lost her mind.

Ah, really! Regina and Seri! Why are you all trying to throw away your lives so carelessly!

“Seri, calm down. Calm down and look at me.”

I grabbed Seri’s shoulders. I pulled her towards me and made her meet my eyes. Her ruby-like eyes were as rotten as dead fish eyes.

“Don’t talk about death lightly, even as a joke.”

“I’m serious…”

“If you’re serious, you shouldn’t say that even more!”

In Regina’s case, I was the victim, so it was solved if I forgave her. But Seri is quite different. She’s a victim, but I’m not the only victim. There are an unspecified number of victims. 

Moreover, she had started committing sins even before she was brainwashed. She can’t use brainwashing as an excuse. So, I had to use a different method this time.

“Seri, you’re sorry, right? You feel guilty towards the people who have been manipulated by hypnosis until now, right?”

Abuse of power.

That was her problem.

That’s the fundamental reason why Seri was assigned to Class D.

She hypnotizes ordinary people who can’t resist supernatural abilities. 

From her point of view, it was to help, but from the point of view of the person being hypnotized, it was fear itself. Like the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, her good intentions were only good intentions for her. 

In reality, it was malice arising from ignorance. Seri was a troublemaker because she didn’t know such a simple fact.

But now, she has recognized that malice.

She realized that her good intentions were not good intentions.

This was actually a good sign.

It was a golden opportunity to solve her carelessness.

“Then you shouldn’t die even more. Death is not atonement. It’s just an escape. Nothing changes when you die, right? It doesn’t even benefit the victims.”

“…”

“If you really want to repent of your sins, do it alive.”

Seri couldn’t answer and mumbled her lips.

I pressed down on the sigh that was about to burst out.

…She’s really severe.

Okay, I’ve decided.

Class D will be intensive care for the time being.

I’ll have to keep a close eye on her until she overcomes the aftereffects of brainwashing.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Regina’s brainwashing was weaker, so she suffered fewer aftereffects.

On the other hand, Seri was deliberately brainwashed, so she suffered greater aftereffects.

She’ll need sometime to fully recover.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Went from a class filled with troublemakers to a class of traumatized kids in a swoop.

Congrats, now hurt them so they can make cuter expressions!