Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A café operated by the heir to the Dark Guild.
105
Curious about what sort of sacred object this Sculpture might be, I headed straight to my room and knocked on the communication crystal.
I explained the situation briefly to Sophia and asked her a favor in advance.
“If Hestanya goes to find William and hands over the commission, let me know right away.”
“Got it. We’ll gather intel on what other guilds have been searching for recently too.”
For now, I decided to leave it to Raven and wait for word.
And a few hours later.
I was about to close early, thinking no more customers would come today.
As I reached for the curtains, I felt the aura of several skilled individuals approaching the shop and my brow twitched.
“Who is it?”
It was an escort formation protecting someone in the center.
To be safe, I tucked a Dagger beneath my clothes and sharpened my gaze.
The door soon opened.
I tried to force a bright greeting, pulling the corners of my mouth up,
“Welcome.”
But the moment I saw the face of the man entering the shop, half my smile slid away.
‘Why is the Crown Prince here?’
Arthur—the firstborn son of Empress Clione and now the Crown Prince.
He walked toward me holding an enormous Rose Bouquet.
“Are you the owner of this establishment?”
“I am.”
“Take this.”
I half expected it, but he thrust the bouquet at me without warning.
I wore a listless expression and made my refusal clear.
“Thank you, but might you have mistaken me for someone else?”
“I heard you’re the granddaughter of Grand Mage Meyson.”
The fact that he came knowing this, yet with such a high-handed manner, made my anger begin to simmer.
The Empress had burned down my shop just days ago, and now her son was here adding fuel to the fire.
……
When I neither confirmed nor denied it, Arthur forced the flowers into my arms.
“Listen well. I’ll say this only once. I am Arthur. The sole Crown Prince of this empire.”
His voice brimmed with confidence.
He spoke as though knowing his identity would make me fall to my knees at once, looking down at me with arrogance.
“It is an honor to meet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Already knowing who he was, I answered calmly and bowed.
My lukewarm response seemed to displease him, and his brow furrowed.
“Is that so, being the granddaughter of a Grand Mage? Dreadfully dull.”
He then stared hard at my face, brought a hand to his chin, and tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Strange. You don’t seem unfamiliar. I couldn’t possibly have forgotten a face like this.”
Of course not. He’d harassed me at the party and spilled wine on me.
Though with the mask and different attire, he’d never think it was me.
I shook my head with disdain.
“Where is the Grand Mage?”
“He’s away at the moment.”
“Is that so? I wanted to have a word with him. What a shame.”
With that, he sat down arrogantly with crossed legs and gestured with his chin.
“Bring me something.”
“The shop caught fire just days ago. I haven’t had time to prepare provisions.”
I brought it up deliberately, but showing no tact whatsoever, he didn’t apologize—merely clicked his tongue.
“No provisions in the shop? Tsk. Then bring me water.”
I suppressed a sigh and poured cold water into a cup, setting it before Arthur.
Just then, the Cat that appeared from the back of the shop bounded forward rapidly and struck the water glass with perfect accuracy.
Meow.
As the cup spilled, water drenched Arthur’s trousers.
“How dare you!!”
“Oh, the cat—I’m terribly sorry. Here, use this to dry off.”
“That mad creature! Bring it here at once. I’ll return the favor with water of my own.”
“That… is a cat kept by Meyson.”
“What?”
“He treasures it like family.”
……
Arthur raised his hand to strike the cat but couldn’t bring himself to swing, and lowered it huffily instead.
“It’s had poor training.”
“I’ll certainly mention it to him.”
Suppressing my laughter, I scooped up the Cat and set it on the sofa.
I gave it a look telling it to stay put, then returned to Arthur with more napkins.
“I disliked this shabby place from the moment I arrived. And now my clothes are ruined……”
“Shabby it is, yes. So what brings Your Highness, someone so distinguished, to visit such a shabby shop?”
Whether Arthur took my barb as praise, his lips curved up slightly as he answered.
“There was a misunderstanding with my mother. I came to offer an apology in her stead.”
He gulped down the fresh water he’d been brought, then fixed his gaze on me.
“The New Year Ball will be held soon. As a gesture of apology, I’m offering you a special opportunity—to be my partner.”
Is he calling this an apology?
It was infuriating, but considering “like mother, like son,” I arranged my face into an apologetic expression.
“I’m grateful for the offer, but I already have a fiancé.”
“What?”
Arthur’s eyes widened, and he set down the water cup with a bang.
“Whoever your fiancé is, he must be worthless. Think carefully. You’ll never get another chance like this.”
“As Your Highness says, being a Commoner, your partnership is hardly suited to me. I know my place.”
“You know your place—good. Well, the granddaughter of Grand Mage Meyson is useful enough, even if you’re a Commoner.”
When did he dismiss me as a Commoner at the party?
Now he calls me the Grand Mage’s granddaughter and tries to seduce me? His true nature was so transparent it disgusted me.
And this fool might become Emperor someday.
‘The kingdom is doomed to ruin.’
I cursed inwardly and responded with even colder indifference.
“I apologize.”
“Are you refusing my proposal? My offer of partnership?”
Arthur’s face flushed red—his pride wounded.
He even looked ready to hurl something from the table before catching himself.
If he hadn’t known the shop was connected to Meyson, he’d likely have torn the place apart.
“I’ll return. By then, settle this engagement or whatever it is. I’ve chosen you as my partner.”
Arthur left me with his unilateral declaration and stormed out of the shop, huffing.
I frowned watching him kick Armstrong in the courtyard on his way.
Armstrong fluttered and quickly dodged, making a pathetic sight of it.
“Lunatic.”
Meyson, who’d transformed back into human form at some point, stood beside me watching Arthur’s departing figure, his voice low and fierce.
“He inherited his parents’ temperament. Uses his head purely as decoration. Coming here with that attitude—I should march to the Imperial Palace and…”
“Please, don’t. His intentions are so transparent it’s actually better this way.”
This way I could prepare in advance.
“If I had my way, I’d thrash him soundly. But since you say otherwise, I’ll restrain myself.”
As Meyson glared at Arthur’s retreating back, the boy—who’d been walking fine—suddenly tripped and fell sprawling to the ground.
“Did you do that, Meyson?”
“I did nothing.”
I quickly drew the curtain so Arthur couldn’t see back this way and let out a small laugh.
“Still, for such a haughty Crown Prince to come here directly. You must be something special, Meyson.”
“Perhaps. Looks like she intends to make you her son’s woman and drag me down with you in one fell swoop.”
“She doesn’t even know her own son. Sending someone like that—what good does she think it will do?”
“True enough.”
I found myself curious what expression Arthur and the Empress would wear if they learned I was Biedler’s fiancée.
***
At that same moment.
Biedler, having finished his duties as master of Aide, entered the Imperial Palace.
Despite his long absence, no one at the palace sought him out.
“A child completely cast aside now.”
Before Arthur’s appointment as Crown Prince, Biedler had received various powers of decision from the palace, but his desk now sat empty.
Biedler released a thin sigh and headed toward his quarters.
He’d been planning to prepare the agenda for tomorrow’s regular council meeting when he found Princess Melissa standing before the main gate.
“Your Highness?”
Melissa’s face bloomed with a smile upon seeing Biedler.
“Hello, Prince. I heard you’d arrived and came running.”
Biedler studied her carefully.
Her clothes had grown more elaborate, her expression far more composed than before, yet something felt oddly discordant.
“Let’s go inside first.”
“Yes.”
The passersby were already stealing glances at the two of them together.
It was obvious that rumors of their meeting would spread within hours.
I considered sending her away at once, but her reason for coming seemed significant, so I brought Melissa to my study.
“What’s your business?”
“Are you still unwilling to consider marriage with me?”
“If that’s why you’ve come, there’s nothing more to discuss. Don’t seek me out again.”
As Biedler turned to leave, Melissa quickly grasped his arm.
“No, it’s not that. Actually, I need to confess something to you.”
“What is it?”
“While you were away from the palace… I told Her Majesty the Empress that we’d begun dating seriously.”
“What?”
Melissa continued hesitantly, gauging Biedler’s reaction.
“I’m sorry. Her Majesty was trying to drive me away, and there was no other way.”
Biedler’s confusion about how Melissa remained at the palace was now resolved.
“The Empress could never have believed you were dating me when I’ve been away from the palace all this time.”
Besides, hadn’t he left after explicitly saying he had a fiancée?
“It wasn’t so much belief as letting me stay. She could simply shift responsibility onto me. She’s been subtly spreading rumors about you and me.”
So Clione was keeping Melissa as a disposable pawn beside her at all times.
This way she could pressure Biedler through rumors of involvement with Melissa.
Even if he corrected the misunderstanding later, he could simply discard Melissa then—a manageable situation to observe.
“Knowing all this, why do you still persist? Do you believe you can change my mind?”
“No. I just needed time. And because of that… I’ve achieved my goal.”
Melissa placed a hand on her belly and bit her lip.

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