Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 301

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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301. Sesi is Anxious (3)

The concentration enhancement training had begun, but Sesi’s distractedness showed no signs of improvement whatsoever.

“I’m working hard!”

Sesi claimed she was working diligently to avoid being kicked out of the assault team. The poor results made it hard to believe.

“I’m really working hard! If the bald priest saw this, he would have given me pocket money!”

Sesi insisted she was truly, truly working hard. Serena and Grey narrowed their eyes, finding it difficult to believe Sesi’s claims.

‘She says she’s trying to concentrate but reacts to everything around her?’

If the chatterbox Knight Marin kept her senses sharp to find opportunities to chat somehow, Sesi reacted unconditionally to anything happening around her, whether good or bad, whether she was interested or not.

It would be one thing if she just reacted, but perhaps because she felt withdrawn without her older sisters, she was particularly easily startled.

‘She was relying heavily on Hana and Duri.’

Seeing her dance with creaking joints when excited and pester the Bald Man for pocket money, I thought she had a brave and shameless personality, but that wasn’t the case.

With Neet busy receiving magic lessons and Hana and Duri gone to the 5th Floor, Sesi left alone in the lobby looked lonely and precarious, just like a lost child.

“I told you to concentrate!”

“I was concentrating!”

Look at her now. When Grey raised his voice, Sesi screamed back even louder. That sight felt like a small dog barking at passing people or dogs.

‘I think they said the more scared they are, the more they bark.’

They said fearful and sensitive dogs need desensitization training. Do fearful and sensitive people need similar training too?

While I was wondering what exactly to do, I felt a presence behind me. Prince Willow bowed politely to Serena.

“Your Highness Serena. Have you realized something about Miss Sesi?”

“I didn’t notice when she was with her sisters, but I was just thinking that she actually has a fearful and sensitive personality.”

“Wise Your Highness, your insight is also exceptional. I have something urgent to tell you about Miss Sesi.”

Prince Willow’s night sky-like eyes reached the old man who was scolding the red-haired girl.

“It would be good to tell Uncle as well.”

Prince Willow indirectly requested Serena to call Grey over. He seemed afraid he’d get hit with a staff and scolded if he called directly.

“Grey, rushing will only wear down her mental strength. Sesi, go to the herb garden or training room to catch your breath.”

“I’ll go with her.”

Lavenda took Sesi, who was drooping like a boiled vegetable, and left the lobby. Serena sat down in a chair properly and waited for the prince’s words.

“From what I’ve seen, Miss Sesi’s concentration is ordinary.”

“That looks ordinary to you?”

Grey spoke as if he was about to punch the prince right then and there. Prince Willow continued speaking while watching for signs, ready to run if Grey raised his hand.

“Miss Sesi doesn’t lack concentration. She’s sensitive. That’s why she can’t ignore what’s happening around her, that’s what I think.”

It wasn’t lack of concentration but hypersensitive reactions due to being sensitive. From Serena’s personal observation of Sesi, it was accurate.

When the Princess’s single eye showed favor, Prince Willow spoke more actively.

“What was the original reason for making Miss Sesi meditate? Wasn’t it to prevent her magic beast from going berserk when she panicked and got startled? We made her meditate to maintain composure, but when she couldn’t meditate, we said she lacked concentration and focused only on improving concentration. We put the cart before the horse.”

Every single word was correct. Grey, who had particularly scolded Sesi for not being able to meditate, twitched his eyebrows but didn’t argue since it was true.

“Then what do you think Sesi needs for her education, Will?”

While claiming to be the prince’s uncle, Grey’s way of speaking was truly bizarre, politely adding “big sister” to someone whose physical age was older.

Prince Willow answered calmly, seemingly unbothered by the old man’s bizarre speech pattern.

“Eliminating anxiety.”

“Anxiety?”

Serena asked back in surprise at the unexpected solution. Prince Willow nodded with confidence.

“You probably know that I often tell the circus siblings old stories with illustrations.”

‘You were doing that too?’

Serena had no idea. Grey seemed to know, holding his forehead.

“You’re always diligent about useless things.”

“Useless? Reciting folktales and old stories is excellent common sense and moral education.”

The Number Siblings, who had wandered the continent without proper guardians, lacked much common sense and had different ethics from ordinary people. Prince Willow argued confidently and returned to the main point.

“Folktales include all kinds of stories – fun stories, touching stories, scary stories. Since I was reciting without materials, I naturally recalled impressive folktales first, unintentionally focusing on scary stories. Miss Sesi was particularly easily startled.”

“Right, I remember. When you recited that type of ghost story that startles people, Sesi went crazy too.”

“I felt sorry for startling her to the point of fainting, so I observed Miss Sesi carefully after that. She reacted sensitively not just to scary stories but to all unexpected external stimuli.”

“Isn’t that just being cowardly?”

“It’s different from being cowardly. She really likes ghost stories that aren’t the startling type. But when I sneezed while telling a sad story, she jumped out of her skin.”

While the 1st assault team was conquering the labyrinth, they seemed to be having fun in the lobby.

Serena found herself wanting to hear the prince’s recitation at least once, with his unnecessarily good voice.

“The prince guesses that Sesi is sensitive to external stimuli because of anxiety.”

“As expected of Your Highness Serena. You are wise, intelligent, insightful, and truly care for the common people.”

After showering Serena with flattery, Prince Willow lowered his voice seriously.

“Miss Sesi showed negative reactions to stories about poor families, starvation, and incompetent people in folktales. I think Uncle’s threat to kill Miss Sesi’s magic beast and remove her from the assault team heightened Miss Sesi’s anxiety.”

Serena agreed too, but Prince Willow only mentioned Grey. This was exactly the speech pattern of a class-based society.

‘A 100% pure royal who can even guess a vagrant’s thoughts. What a scary guy.’

Serena belatedly regretted agreeing with the Empire bastard’s words. But spilled water cannot be gathered and spoken words cannot be taken back.

She couldn’t die over something like this, so she had to live and solve it.

“So? What do you think should be done to reduce Sesi’s anxiety?”

“Wouldn’t it work to resolve the cause of anxiety?”

“Do you know what the cause is? If she’s sensitive to external stimuli, training her to become insensitive would be faster.”

Even though he no longer lacked days to live like before, Grey was impatient. The old man came up with a heartless scheme.

“If we keep startling Sesi, she’ll get used to it and become bold.”

Looking at the old man’s shameless face, I recalled how he wailed sorrowfully every time he saw the prince die.

Of course, Grey didn’t know that the prince had died before. But even if he knew, Serena was certain he would have suffered similarly.

If Grey were shown the sight of the prince dying about 10 times, Grey would suffer all 10 times and become even more enraged.

There are things in this world that you never get used to or become numb to, no matter how much they’re repeated.

Because Serena knew this fact, she adopted the prince’s plan.

“Let’s first find out what makes Sesi anxious.”

Since Hana and Duri were on the 5th Floor, Serena went to find Neet.

Neet had left the noisy lobby due to Sesi’s inability to concentrate and Grey scolding such Sesi, and was meditating with Countess Nex beside Krom, who was dissecting earthworms.

“Neet. I have something to ask about Sesi.”

“Cough, about Sesi?”

“Yes. Did Sesi usually show a lot of anxiety?”

Though Neet was still young, she possessed amazing memory that remembered everything she saw and heard. Neet seemed to have many guesses and counted on her bandaged fingers.

“She’s anxious about starving. Cough. She’s anxious the Leader might beat her for not earning money. She was a bit anxious about Duri being found out for turning into a bear. She was also anxious when I was sick.”

Even just counting the things she was anxious about, Neet’s ten fingers weren’t enough. Given the Number Siblings’ upbringing environment, it was unavoidable.

‘They kept wandering around, and the only guardian they had was a human who abused and exploited children.’

Listening to Neet’s story made Serena’s heart heavy. Grey seemed similar, clearing his throat.

Perhaps thinking she was giving Sesi a bad impression by talking, Neet’s small lips closed. Serena understood the anxiety Neet felt and comforted her.

“Don’t worry. Sesi seems to have great anxiety, so I asked to reassure her.”

Neet’s unbandaged eyes stared intently at Serena. Whether she could trust Serena, Neet reopened her closed lips.

“The second thing Sesi fears most is becoming a burden by being incompetent.”

“She hates being incompetent but doesn’t make an effort?”

The old man grumbled in a small voice. This was why capable and diligent old-timers were scary.

“What does Sesi fear most?”

“…Being abandoned. Cough cough cough.”

Perhaps Neet was also afraid of being abandoned, as her coughing was loud. When Countess Nex stroked her back with hands that were thin as dry branches with only bones, Neet calmed down.

“I have no intention of abandoning you.”

“Us neither. Cough. We have no intention of abandoning Sesi, but Sesi…”

Sesi wiggled her bandaged fingers. After hesitating whether it was okay to speak, she finally opened her mouth.

“Hana said that Sesi was nothing but bones at first. When her mom and dad were going to abandon her because they had nothing to eat, the Leader brought her for cheap. Cough.”

It was a story that naturally made one frown. Sesi’s nationality was the Empire. Grey narrowed his brow and asked.

“What region has such terrible public sentiment? Do you know where in the Empire Sesi’s hometown is? The lord’s name?”

“Cough. I don’t know. Sesi probably doesn’t know either.”

“Grey. Now is not the time to ask about that. I see, so Sesi is anxious about being abandoned because of her childhood memories.”

“Cough. That’s part of it.”

Neet glanced nervously at the angry Grey as she continued speaking.

“After joining the troupe, she learned acrobatics. But she couldn’t learn it well, so the Leader and the Older Siblings who were there first scolded her a lot. They said she was useless and they should abandon her and leave… So Sesi only ate a little bit of food.”

The more they listened to Neet’s story, the deeper the furrows between the Princess and Old Man’s brows became.

“As Sesi grew up and became prettier, they were happy saying that if she became a rich man’s concubine, we wouldn’t have to starve. But being pretty is useless in the Labyrinth. She was happy when she became able to tame monsters, but…”

The Princess, who had recognized her unknown talent first and helped it bloom, had given her a ban on conquering the Labyrinth.

If she maintained her composure it would be fine, but from Sesi’s already anxious perspective, it would feel like having her lobby entrance pass taken away.

In her anxiety, her heart became impatient and her uneasiness would have grown even more.

‘This is difficult.’

Anxiety built up over a lifetime wouldn’t disappear with a few words or some meditation sessions. Even death couldn’t free one from it. Serena was living proof of that.

‘But continuing to let her conquer the Labyrinth is too dangerous for both Sesi and the Party Members.’

What could be done about this situation?

As Serena and Grey rarely shared the same feelings, pressing their foreheads and suffering from stress headaches, the Undead Crone who had been silently cutting open earthworm bellies casually spoke up.

“Can’t you just use medicine for that?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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