Wait a moment, merely proceeding in this direction does not necessarily conform to one's envisioned outcome.
Yuzuriha lightly shook her head, endeavoring to convince herself.
Miss Chelsea is not one to easily succumb, especially since she had previously cautioned the other party; Miss Chelsea should be well aware of Jonas's character.
The relationship between the two is confined to mere cooperation, akin to the relationship between the Nason Financial Group and the Alt Division.
Miss Chelsea is a discerning individual, not one to be swayed by mere rhetoric...
Thus, while Yuzuriha sought solace within herself, the scene that unfolded before her momentarily rendered her mind blank.
A black bulletproof car came to a halt in front of the Strien Grand Hotel.
Shortly after, the figures of Chelsea and Jonas appeared within the girl's line of sight.
Their close proximity resembled that of an intimate couple; Chelsea's face was partially obscured by a mask, seemingly evading recognition.
Yet, having served under him for such a prolonged period, how could Yuzuriha possibly fail to recognize his true identity?
—"Miss Chelsea, what are you doing, Miss Chelsea?!"
In her agitated state, Yuzuriha attempted to rise, only to inadvertently collide with the wall.
Upon feeling the pain, the girl instinctively covered her head, tears quickly welling up. After a brief moment of disarray, she gradually regained her composure.
Upon coming to her senses, despite the sudden lump on her head, the girl disregarded it and crawled in the direction of the telescope.
Seemingly eager to validate her inner thoughts, the first thing Yuzuriha did upon standing up again was to peer through the telescope.
However, the telescope's view had already lost sight of the two figures.
For a moment, the girl's mind went blank, then she shifted her gaze towards the black car.
The car was already vacant.
Yuzuriha's petite face turned pale.
Did they... truly enter?
........
Chelsea's complexion flushed as she breathed heavily beneath her mask.
She instinctively avoided the gaze of others, seemingly unwilling to be discovered in her current state, even though there was no one around except Jonas.
As the elevator doors slowly opened, Jonas spoke with a hint of resignation:
"Miss Chelsea, are you perhaps being overly cautious?"
Upon hearing this, Chelsea glared fiercely at Jonas, refraining from speaking.
"There are no surveillance devices here, and only my fingerprint can unlock it."
Seemingly perceiving Chelsea's thoughts, Jonas dispelled her concerns, then continued:
"So please, rest assured, this place can be considered absolutely secure."
With that, he placed his finger on the door lock.
Immediately after, the electronic door scanned their identities and opened directly.
Before them was an exceedingly spacious room, yet the ambience of ambiguous lighting made Chelsea feel quite uncomfortable.
"I never... imagined, Mr. Jonas, that you harbored such inclinations."
Chelsea struggled to speak, stealing a glance at the man beside her.
Even in such circumstances, Miss Chelsea remained unyielding in her penchant for mocking him.
Perhaps it was a simple attempt to derive security by belittling him, or perhaps it was apprehension about what was to come; Miss Chelsea's words were laden with hostility.
Ignoring the sarcasm in his words, Jonas removed his gloves and gazed at Chelsea, speaking:
"I believe Miss Chelsea is aware of what will happen next, isn't that so?"
"..."
Chelsea did not respond to his question, but her slight recoil evidently betrayed her thoughts at that moment.
Not receiving an answer, Jonas didn't seem to mind too much. It was as if he was speaking to himself while explaining to Chelsea:
"I must clarify, my methods can only provide relief..."
"The damage caused by forcibly removing the companion chip is irreversible, and even if normal physiological functions recover, it will take a considerable amount of time."
"All I can do is mitigate and alleviate the hidden ailments accumulated over time."
Companion chips often specialize according to the user's needs, and even after removal, they inevitably influence the temperament of the implanted individual.
"This process may be somewhat difficult for you to accept."
"So, Miss Chelsea, my treatment methods may appear somewhat harsh."
Jonas's calm narrative instilled a sense of foreboding in Chelsea, but her somewhat groggy mind was unable to thoroughly analyze the implications of his words.
Even during past relapses of old ailments, she had never experienced such impairment of normal thinking. Perhaps, as Jonas suggested, the more accumulated hidden ailments, the more severe the consequences when they erupt.
If she continued suppressing them with tranquilizers as before, there would come a day when she couldn't suppress them anymore, just like today.
The consequences at that time would not be as simple as impaired consciousness... it was even possible for the brain to be directly damaged.
Realizing this, Chelsea couldn't help but feel a little frightened, though she didn't show it.
"You... must not do anything too extreme."
As if she had made a firm decision, Chelsea clenched her teeth and spoke.
"Of course, this is merely treatment."
Jonas's words slightly eased Chelsea's mind, but before she could continue speaking, she felt the support of her own strength suddenly dissipate. Caught off guard, she fell to the ground.
Looking up at the man before her, Chelsea felt a slight annoyance.
For some reason, his condescending demeanor made her feel uneasy, but her pride wouldn't allow her to bow down like this. Just as she was about to speak, she was directly interrupted by Jonas.
Jonas's speech remained calm and steady, as if narrating a very ordinary event:
"The personality effects caused by the chip are latent, and the more resistance, the more likely it is to cause damage to the brain."
"The first thing I need to do is make you recognize this..."
"So..."
Pausing for a moment, his tone became unequivocal as he continued:
"Chelsea, kneel."