Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 191

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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.
Side Story, Chapter 4
Rainwater Pooled in Palms (1)
The rain that had started as a thin drizzle at dawn grew harsh and thick by morning.
When I opened my eyes at the sound of it beating against the window, the mountainside below was already thick with fog.
“No customers today.”
I stretched languorously and rose, pulling the quilt over me as I muttered to myself.
“…Maybe that’s not so bad?”
On rainy days like this, the café’s customers dwindled noticeably.
Since the shop did so well, I found myself thinking such things—though it was ungrateful to complain.
Shaking off the thought, I made my way to the kitchen, where Cayden was already making preparations to open, dressed neatly.
Cayden began heating water and smiled softly at me.
“You’re awake?”
“Mm. Wasn’t today supposed to be your day off? I thought you had to fix the Temple roof.”
“I did, but as you can see.”
Cayden’s gaze turned toward the window and he shrugged.
“The rain is coming down too hard. I can’t work outside in this.”
“Fair enough… and with your weak constitution, you’d catch cold if you were out in weather like this.”
“It’s almost completely better now.”
Cayden naturally retrieved two cups and added tea leaves to them.
The kitchen, the way his hands moved as he took out the cups, the motion of pouring the hot water into them—everything was familiar.
“Ah, a letter came for Meyson. I left it on the table.”
“Thank you.”
I looked at Cayden for a moment, then turned my gaze to the table and picked up the letter.
Reading it, I saw that his business at the Mage Tower had stretched on longer, and it seemed he would stay a few days more before returning.
“So it’ll just be the two of us today. He says he’ll be a few days longer.”
“Is that so? With the rain, we probably won’t get many customers anyway.”
Cayden handed me the cup and continued.
“Then I’ll look after the shop today, and Rosia, why don’t you work on Mana Stone Processing? Isn’t the delivery date coming up soon?”
I watched Cayden for a moment, then took the cup. Hot steam rose up.
“No matter how I look at it, you’re the owner and I’m the assistant.”
“That’s sudden.”
Cayden smiled softly with a light chuckle.
I laughed along and sipped my tea.
“Maybe. Raiely is waiting, anyway. Haven’t had time to make anything these past few days with how busy I’ve been.”
“Then let’s do that.”
I nodded lightly and gazed out the window while drinking my tea.
Cayden said nothing more and quietly looked toward the same view as me.
In the silence, only the sound of rain striking the window was pleasant to hear.
Ah, and the occasional chirping of Armstrong from beneath the eaves of the yard.
I finished the cup, savoring this rare moment of peace.
“I doubt anyone would come on a day like this…”
Would they? Before I could even finish, the shop door opened.
I turned in surprise, wondering if someone had really come through this rain, and found Biedler standing there in a coat completely soaked.
Biedler shook his dripping hair and sighed.
“An umbrella was useless. Rosia, could you find me something to dry off with?”
I hurried to the entryway with a towel.
“You walked here in this rain? From where?”
Rather than take the towel from my hands, Biedler pulled my wrist toward him and began wiping the moisture from his face with it.
Though it was Biedler’s strength moving me, it looked as though I were the one wiping him dry.
When I tried to slip my hand away, Biedler leaned his face closer and wore a pitiful expression.
“You said you didn’t like it. I came all this way through the rain—surely you can help me dry off?”
His crimson eyes traced over me thoroughly, as if he wanted to see every detail.
I’d grown accustomed to that gaze long enough ago, yet my heart still sometimes moved of its own accord.
To keep such feelings hidden, I carefully avoided his eyes and roughly dried his hair with the towel.
“Here are dry clothes.”
Cayden, who had approached without a sound, handed clothes to Biedler.
Biedler looked at Cayden and raised his eyebrows slightly before lowering them.
“Still here, I see. By now your body should be fully recovered.”
Though he seemed displeased, Biedler respected and acknowledged Cayden more than anyone else.
“Not yet. Meyson said I need more time to recover.”
“…Hmm.”
Biedler removed his soaked vest to change into dry clothes.
As he did, the wet shirt clinging to his body revealed its contours entirely.
Biedler began unfastening the buttons of the nearly transparent shirt one by one.
Though I was accustomed to seeing another’s body, my face burned strangely and I turned away.
“But what brings you here so early? What about the Imperial Palace?”
“I didn’t sleep. As soon as I finished my work, I left. This is where I ended up.”
“Again? I’ve told you not to push yourself…”
“I came here precisely to avoid pushing myself. I needed to see you.”
The light in Biedler’s eyes as he looked at me was endlessly tender.
Faced with such words, I couldn’t say anything more and laughed despite myself.
“Alright. Thank you.”
Ever since we confirmed our feelings for each other, Biedler made time no matter how busy he was to come see me.
He continued to show me his heart so that I would never feel uneasy or think of anything else.
The water had dried from his hair, so I drew the towel away and lightly touched his damp strands.
I couldn’t very well stroke the Crown Prince’s hair openly, but I wanted to do it once while pretending I wasn’t.
Yet Biedler seized my wrist, which he’d been holding all along, and pressed his lips softly to the most tender skin on the inside.
“…What are you doing…!”
“You touched me first.”
“No, I was just checking if it was dry.”
“Really?”
Biedler pressed his lips deeper and lingered there.
Where his lips touched burned as though seared by fire. The heat beginning at my wrist traveled up my arm and spread across my face.
Biedler’s eyes grew intensely darker. As his touch grew hungry and his gaze more fervent, I floundered—until Cayden intervened, mercifully.
“Your Highness, I’m here too. I thought you might have forgotten.”
“You lack discretion.”
“This is my workplace, after all. Don’t forget that.”
Cayden filled a cup with hot water until the surface rippled, then withdrew.
“Thank you for the tea.”
Though they looked as though they were ready to devour each other, the things they had been through together had somehow forged a peculiar sort of friendship between them.
Biedler knew, too, that Cayden had gone to the trouble of boiling more water and bringing it for him, since his body would have grown cold by now.
I watched the two of them fondly and asked.
“Where’s Seniel?”
“He went somewhere with Orbis. Came alone today.”
“Is that so?”
I wondered briefly where the two of them had gone, then rose from my seat.
“Where are you going?”
“Just to do some Mana Stone Processing and come back. Since there don’t seem to be many customers today and I have a lot of backlog.”
“I’ll help.”
“The Crown Prince doing Mana Stone Processing?”
“I cleaned the shop before. No point being shy about it now.”
That wasn’t wrong, so I couldn’t argue further. In fact, I had been the one who asked him to clean the shop back then.
Recalling those days, which now seemed like a distant past, a smile came to my face.
“All right. Though I’m not sure how much help you’ll be.”
I led Biedler to the room where the Magical Stones were stacked.
Once we settled comfortably, Biedler sat across from me.
“What do I need to do?”
“Well… I just sort of do it, so I’m not sure how to explain it… You just have to concentrate?”
“Those with talent really do have it easy.”
Biedler’s brow furrowed as he grasped a Magical Stone in both hands.
Yet as expected, nothing happened.
“It’s fine. I’ll do it.”
“There must be a method to it.”
“There isn’t. Even the Mage Tower was surprised.”
“Then at least hold onto them. You can play the role of passing them along, can’t you?”
He meant he’d just watch from the side instead of helping.
I let out a sigh, yet in the end I allowed Biedler to sit beside me anyway.
While I processed the Magical Stones, the sound of heavy rain continued.
Cayden had started making something in the kitchen, and I could hear the rhythmic sounds of him preparing ingredients.
Though there were no customers, the shop somehow felt full.
Biedler truly only held the Magical Stones. He fetched them when asked, cleared them away when instructed, and somehow it felt natural—even amusing—that the Crown Prince was running these small errands.
“Being like this brings back old memories.”
“What memories?”
“When you used to put me to work.”
“Put you to work? I provided you lodging in exchange for honest labor.”
“You had me sleep on the floor.”
“That was shelter for someone who’d gotten lost in the mountains.”
Biedler chuckled. His eyes softened as he recalled those days. When I thought about it, we really had come far.
“This.”
As I finished processing nearly all the Magical Stones and brushed off my hands, Biedler silently pushed something toward me.
It was a small glass jar. Something was inside it.
“What is this?”
“I asked Armstrong for it. Your hands seem to have grown rougher lately.”
I slowly looked down at my hands. From daily chopping various ingredients and washing dishes, they certainly were rougher than before.
“You noticed that?”
“How could I not? I have to hold them constantly.”
Biedler opened the glass jar and poured a small amount of the liquid inside into his palm.
Then he took my hand and began slowly applying it, starting from the back of my hand.
Apparently my stunned silence amused him, for Biedler’s lips curved up slightly.
“Stay still. I need to apply it evenly.”
“…I can do it myself.”
“Would you have me pass up such an opportunity? Considering the effort I brought, indulge me.”
Biedler’s hands wrapped around my wrist with great care.
The way he caressed each finger was so tender, as though he were handling something precious and fragile.
Following his words, I decided to let the effort he’d made take precedence and released the tension in my hands.
As the liquid was applied smoothly, my lips curved up as well.

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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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