Elian faced Lorenz with an attitude that was still calm but noticeably colder.
“Smooth interviews with the guardian are just as important as, if not more important than, counseling with the child. No matter what effort I put in alone, without Mr. Lockhart’s active cooperation, it’s impossible for Lucas to come out of his room and start talking.”
Nevertheless, Lorenz’s attitude did not crumble. With unwavering eyes, he accepted Elian’s words impassively and muttered while chewing over part of what he’d heard.
“Without my active cooperation, it’s impossible…”
“……”
“That would make for a rather convenient excuse when the results aren’t good.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because I, as the guardian, didn’t cooperate—if you make that excuse, you can avoid responsibility, can’t you?”
The blue color in Elian’s eyes changed temperature. It no longer resembled the sky or stars or sea. It was like a thickly frozen midwinter lake.
He wasn’t intimidated. He didn’t rage emotionally either. He simply conveyed his thoughts in a quiet but firm tone while looking straight into Lorenz’s eyes.
“I’m sorry to say this, but Mr. Lockhart, it seems counseling for Mr. Lockhart is more urgent than for Lucas.”
Cracks appeared here and there on Lorenz’s face, which had been feigning impassivity like pale marble. He couldn’t believe what he’d heard. Literally, he felt like he’d been hit by this twenty-five-year-old trainee counselor.
Elian didn’t give him a chance and continued speaking.
“It’s unfortunate that the first interview has proceeded like this, but it doesn’t seem like there will be any progress in our discussion at this rate. I think it would be better for both of us to stop the interview here for today. Then.”
Rising from the sofa and bowing lightly, Elian left without further delay.
Lorenz maintained his posture as his eyes followed Elian Bellotti’s movement walking out of the room. Outwardly, Lorenz seemed completely unaffected. However, as soon as Elian left the room, he desperately craved whiskey.
“I’m sorry to say this, but Mr. Lockhart, it seems counseling for Mr. Lockhart is more urgent than for Lucas.”
A belated sense of humiliation arose from the words he had thrown and left. Strength entered his tightly closed lips.
Margaret, who had been observing the interview from nearby, approached with a tray and collected the cups. Her gaze as she glanced back at Lorenz was tinged with reproach. Lorenz felt wronged.
“Is it my fault?”
“I can’t praise you for doing well.”
“Right. Well, it’s nothing special. People getting upset with me for unknown reasons is always happening anyway.”
“Even after hearing Mr. Bellotti’s explanation, you don’t know the reason?”
“He’s a counselor, and he came here to fix the child… to stabilize the situation, didn’t he? As both guardian and employer, I merely specified clearly what I wanted. Is that a problem?”
Margaret stood up straight while holding the tray.
Another employee, recognizing that the interview had ended, quietly entered the study and took the tray from Margaret.
“Mr. Bellotti must have understood that your purpose is to get Lucas into Ashford without any problems.”
“That’s right. That’s my purpose.”
“If he can’t get into Ashford, is Lucas a worthless existence to you?”
Lorenz immediately frowned as if he’d been subjected to an unjust slander.
“Why does the conversation go that way?”
“Mr. Bellotti must have understood it that way.”
“If he can get into school without problems, it means the child has gotten better by that much. I just presented it as a kind of visible goal… only…”
In the middle of continuing his words, Lorenz’s expression distorted even more miserably as he realized something himself. Clicking his tongue, he muttered in a tone that said it couldn’t be helped.
“Margaret understood my intention properly.”
It’s not my fault.
That counselor made a hasty judgment on his own.
“Well, I’m someone who’s been by your side since you were born.”
“……”
But in truth, Lorenz also knew from experience. That he had absolutely no knack for private conversations outside of business. Making someone repeatedly angry, disappointed, and eventually sad by causing misunderstandings was his specialty.
With an unpleasant face, he rose from his seat to return to his room. From behind, Margaret suggested.
“How about inviting Mr. Bellotti to dinner as planned?”
Lorenz turned around sharply with an incredulous face.
“Have a meal together?”
“As an apology.”
“Why should I apologize?”
His tone was fierce.
“You even said things like you’d give a bonus if he achieved what you demanded. That was rude.”
“I proposed that if he achieves my request, I would provide appropriate compensation. Is that rude? I think it’s rather fair and considerate.”
“When you try to move someone who has professionalism and pride in their work and gives it their all unconditionally with money, that becomes disrespectful rather than respectful, Lord Lorenz.”
“……”
It was a story Lorenz couldn’t understand. He could grasp the meaning intellectually, but he couldn’t accept it.
He had hired a counselor to fix Lucas. Naturally, he was curious about by when the child could be fixed. He hoped he would improve enough to be able to enter school normally. He proposed that if the situation improved within a short period, he would pay a corresponding bonus. —He couldn’t fathom at all which part of that process was wrong.
Lorenz didn’t realize that the misunderstanding occurred not because of the content, but because of the format in which the meaning was conveyed.
Difficult.
As difficult as romance.
“You mustn’t treat Mr. Bellotti simply as an employee hired by providing compensation.”
“Then how should I treat him? Like royalty?”
To make Lorenz, who was openly displaying displeasure, understand, Margaret prepared an example he could accept.
“Think of him not as a subcontractor of the Lockhart Group, but as a partner company. It’s a cooperative relationship.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You brought him here to get his professional help. So regarding Lucas’s problem at least, we shouldn’t be the ones giving him instructions, but rather listening to his opinions.”
However, what came back from Lorenz, who seemed to be thinking for a moment, was only a cold response.
“Well, even so, I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
Watching him not yielding in his stubbornness, Margaret let out a low sigh. In the current Lorenz, she occasionally saw overlapping images of his childhood self who would unreasonably insist on having his way. Young Lorenz was a child who never bent regarding things he couldn’t accept.
He headed toward the door through which Elian had exited earlier.
“Dinner is at 8, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be in the listening room until then, so make sure no one disturbs me.”
He had returned to his usual tone as if he’d already shaken off what had happened with Elian, but he couldn’t fool Margaret. The very fact that he was seeking out the listening room testified to his sunken mood. A considerably heavy sigh escaped from Margaret, who was left alone in the study.
■
