12 – Cypress Mosaic

Lorenz ​chose ​his ​study ​on the third ​floor ​as ​the ​location ​for the interview.

While waiting ​for ​the counselor, he ​skimmed through the ​resume ​he ​had ​been ​given.

“…Elian ​Bellotti.”

“It’s a pretty ​name, ​isn’t ​it?”

“Hmm?”

Lorenz looked back ​at Margaret, who was ​standing beside ​him.

“He is ​a beautiful ​person in ​appearance, ​but ​his name is ​truly lovely ​as well.”

“Ah…”

He was flustered.

It ​was because he hadn’t ​even realized he had ​spoken the ​name ​aloud.

“It means salvation, light, and nobility. ​It’s a good name,” ​Margaret ​added ​quietly ​with ​a satisfied smile. ​”Since Dr. ​Morgan ​recommended him, I ​wasn’t ​particularly worried, but he is ​more than ​qualified.”

Only ​then did Lorenz ​take ​his ​eyes ​off ​the name ​and ​scan the ​densely written professional history of the counselor.

Major ​in Psychology at ​the University of ​Chicago.

Master’s degree in Counseling ​Psychology from ​Northwestern University Graduate ​School.

Specialization ​track: Child and ​Adolescent Counseling.

Passed the ​NCMHCE exam ​immediately ​after obtaining ​the ​degree.

It was ​exactly ​as Margaret ​had ​said. ​Though not from ​an ​Ivy League ​school, ​it ​was ​a thorough elite course, recognized in American society as being equivalent.

Because he wanted a live-in counselor, he had been prepared to settle for someone with insufficient qualifications. However, aside from the fact that he was a trainee counselor rather than a fully licensed one, his qualifications were more than enough.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the knocking, Lorenz stood up from his desk.

“Please come in.”

When the door opened and the man appeared, Lorenz had to stop for a moment, catching his breath. They say appearance is merely a shell, but when that shell is so magnificent, one cannot help but feel pure admiration. It wasn’t that it held any profound meaning. It was simply like how anyone’s gaze is momentarily stolen when faced with an overwhelmingly beautiful piece of art or a stunning natural landscape.

Unfortunately, however, the perfection of a human’s exterior had absolutely nothing to do with the beauty of their interior. No matter how beautiful one’s appearance was, it only meant that the genes inherited from their parents had luckily been arranged ideally. It did not reflect the talent, ability, loyalty, honesty, or utility of the person. Lorenz was well aware of this fact.

“I came up as soon as I finished Lucas’s session. Have you been waiting?”

The other man looked puzzled by Lorenz’s behavior of simply staring at him in silence.

“No… not at all.”

Shaking his head, Lorenz cleared his throat, approached him, and offered a handshake.

“Let me introduce myself formally. I am Lorenz Lockhart, Lucas’s guardian.”

“I am Elian Bellotti.”

However, the moment their hands met, Lorenz was once again swept away by an indescribable, strange emotion. It wasn’t a clear-cut emotion like joy, sadness, depression, ecstasy, liking, or disliking. Was this the kind of complex sentiment one feels when unexpectedly reuniting with someone who was precious to them long ago?

He thought that after seeing him once more, he would be able to simply turn away, concluding it was a mistake. But his expectation was beautifully wrong. Nothing had become clear.

“Um…”

Had he held the hand for too long?

The man’s blue eyes looked at Lorenz with curiosity.

“Ah, my apologies.”

Apologizing, Lorenz immediately let go of the hand and hurriedly averted his gaze, asking, “Should I call you Mr. Bellotti?”

“Yes. Whatever you prefer.”

“Mr. Bellotti, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, have a seat here.”

The two sat facing each other on a sofa set in [visit our site]front of the desk. A glass of water was placed before each of them. After taking a [visit our site]few sips, Lorenz set the glass down and looked across at Elian.

“I’ve looked over your resume; you seem to be quite a prodigy.”

“I simply studied diligently.”

“You also have extensive experience volunteering at non-profit child support agencies during your college years. I imagine you must have been busy with your studies.”

“The psychology department at the University of Chicago is, of course, one of the top-tier programs. However, it tends to have a strong academic atmosphere. Since I believe counseling practice is important, I wanted to gain more field experience through volunteering and internships.”

“Even so, why did you choose the University of Chicago?”

“It’s where I grew up since I was young…”

Elian, who had been answering comfortably and without hesitation until then, trailed off and lowered his gaze.

Lorenz watched as Elian’s full and delicate lips repeatedly parted and closed in hesitation.

Finally, as if confessing, Elian let out the remaining words.

“And, I didn’t want to be too far away from my mother.”

“You must have a special relationship with your mother.”

“Yes.”

“Is there a particular reason?”

Elian blinked slowly.

“That… seems like a personal question.”

“Ah, I see. My apologies.”

Lorenz apologized, narrowing his brow.

It was a series of moments that were unlike him. It was strange. He felt in better condition than ever. Why on earth did he ask such an unnecessary question?

Regaining his composure while drinking water, Lorenz focused back on the contents of the resume to continue the conversation.

“However, I don’t see any record of you holding a formal license.”

“Three thousand hours of counseling practice are required to obtain a license. For now, you can consider me a trainee counselor.”

“It’s noted here that you’ve already passed the exam.”

“I have already taken and passed the NCMHCE to become a professional counselor. But as I mentioned, a formal counselor’s qualification is only granted after completing the prescribed counseling practice hours.”

“Hmm…”

A required master’s degree, passing the license exam, and completing thousands of hours of counseling practice… He felt he now understood why the fees for famous counselors in Manhattan could soar as high as 1,000 dollars per hour.

Lorenz carefully scanned the resume in his hand once more.

It was undoubtedly a significant career for his age. A life where anyone could see that he had pushed forward with all his might toward his goal without being distracted.

Furthermore, his attitude in answering questions was flawless. He did not hesitate, nor did he seem anxious. He did not brag excessively about his background. Lorenz felt he understood why Margaret, who was as picky as he was when it came to bringing people in, had hired him.

However, Elian misunderstood Lorenz’s intention. This was because Lorenz’s gaze and expression were serious as he stroked his chin and looked down at the resume. It looked as if he was dissatisfied with Elian’s background.

He couldn’t back down like this. Elian added an explanation to persuade Lorenz.

“I will not independently diagnose Lucas’s condition or set the direction of intervention. I will proceed by reporting my observations to Dr. Morgan and seeking his guidance and supervision. Therefore, you do not need to worry about the fact that I am a trainee counselor.”

But Lorenz was thinking something entirely different from Elian’s concerns.

Around the age of 18, Lorenz had begun so-called successor training at the Lockhart Group. It was different in nature from the training general interns or new employees received. From the start, he was trained from the perspective of someone who would become the future owner.

The results of a choice become one’s own responsibility. Sometimes, it can lead to uncontrollable consequences. Therefore, one must be cautious beyond caution. The same applied to deciding which people to keep by one’s side.

The “owner” that Lorenz realized was not a position of dominance, but a position of responsibility. With that perspective, he had dealt with countless people until now. Those who flattered without substance, those who were capable but grew timid before a great opportunity, those who betrayed their colleagues without hesitation if a better opportunity appeared… After encountering all sorts of human types, he couldn’t help but become experienced in reading people.

Elian Bellotti was a person who could be trusted in regards to the work of a counselor. Lorenz’s own intuition, which he trusted, was telling him so.

Lorenz placed the resume on the table.

Crossing his long legs and resting his interlaced hands neatly upon them, his gaze met Elian’s directly.

“Lucas is scheduled to enter Ashford next September.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately corrected himself.

“No, he must enter.”