Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 57

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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 run by the Dark Guild’s Heir.
Episode 57
“Your Majesty, surely you’re not still placing your hopes in Bidler, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good. He shouldn’t be. That child is proof of your betrayal of me.”
At Clione’s frigid words, Philas lowered his head weakly.
“Isn’t hastening the Crown Prince’s investiture enough?”
“I want something more certain. Have Bidler marry and send him to the Leo Kingdom.”
“Your Majesty! Even so, that is… We would never send a prince as a hostage, not unless a princess came to the empire.”
“Once our Arthur becomes emperor, Bidler will have to leave the palace anyway and live separately in his own territory. Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
The emperor’s eyes hardened with contempt as he gazed at Clione, who spoke threats with such casual ease.
“Your Majesty would surely prefer your son alive somewhere far away rather than dead. If Bidler goes to the Roa Kingdom and serves Arthur faithfully, then I will acknowledge that child.”
“Even you have your limits. This is going too far. You’ve already disposed of Susanne like that—is it not enough?”
“My, what frightening words. I haven’t done anything.”
Susanne had been Bidler’s birth mother and the emperor’s former lover—she’d been falsely accused through Clione’s machinations and hanged to death.
The emperor found Clione utterly repellent, yet he had no choice but to yield to her every whim.
Without Clione, Philas—a man of merely ordinary noble birth—would have been stripped of the imperial throne.
Even decades after ascending to power, his position remained precarious.
“Then let us summon the Princess for this investiture. It would be best if the two of them saw each other first.”
“That’s excellent.”
If they called the Princess and announced the betrothal naturally before everyone present, it would be done.
Clione was already picturing how to orchestrate the affair, and she smiled with satisfaction.
“I do hope Melissa and Bidler will make a fine match.”
“Now then, you may go.”
Clione left the conference room, leaving the now-irritable emperor behind, walking with elegant grace as she giggled to herself.
“You seem in excellent spirits, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve finally found a way to rid myself of that wretch. I won’t have to see him anymore. He won’t be coming back alive.”
Clione made no attempt to suppress her laughter, gesturing casually to her secretary.
“Any reports yet?”
“No, Your Majesty. Since the Second Prince grew suspicious, there have been no further updates. The surveillance seems to be encountering difficulties.”
The background investigation into Bidler, which she’d quietly commissioned through the Knight, was proving troublesome.
It was a pity that she hadn’t obtained any usable information, but she’d found an easier way to dispose of him regardless.
“Fine. Have him recalled, then. And inform Father—have him send word to the Leo Kingdom. Do make sure the party invitation for Princess Melissa is particularly special.”
“It will be done.”
Clione’s smile never wavered as she contemplated removing Bidler, that thorn in her side at last.
***
After returning from the Capital City, my daily routine at the shop began again.
The very first thing I did the morning I woke up was cleaning.
Dust had settled throughout the house, cobwebs hung in the corners, and everything felt stuffy from having the windows closed.
“All that from being away just a few days.”
I muttered as I flung the windows wide open.
After finishing the cleaning, I tackled the weeds that had grown in the courtyard.
By the time I finished the laundry that had piled up, the morning had vanished in a flurry.
“Training really is easier than this.”
Only late in the afternoon could I finally catch my breath and wipe the sweat from my brow.
But I was satisfied with the way the shop gleamed and polished. I flipped the sign back to open for business.
“I’m getting hungry.”
As I looked for something to snack on, I pulled out the Fruit Basket that Seniel had left behind.
I picked up a plump red apple and began peeling it with a knife.
The moment I finished removing the skin, I took a crisp bite and glanced around.
“Where’s the cat?”
The fat one with silver fur, to be precise.
I thought I’d share the apple with it, but it was nowhere to be seen.
It came and went as it pleased, like it owned the place, but with Demonic Beasts roaming the mountain, I worried something dangerous might happen to it.
“Not like it’s my cat, anyway.”
I pushed the worry aside and finished the remaining apple clean.
I cleaned up the kitchen and boiled water for a brief rest.
I was planning to have the Coffee that Hestanya had left.
As I poured the steaming water into the cup, a rich aroma filled the cottage and spread throughout.
“Mmm, that smells wonderful.”
I relaxed visibly, sitting by the window and gazing out.
The tree in the courtyard visible through the pane had turned a golden yellow.
“The seasons are changing.”
As the wind blew, the leaves rustled.
I was admiring how the yellow leaves blanketed the ground when I suddenly came to my senses.
“…I’m going to have to sweep those up, aren’t I?”
When I was younger, I would just run and play whenever the leaves piled up like that.
When I came back inside, they’d be cleaned up somehow, so I never imagined there’d be cleanup involved.
“Is this what it means to be an adult?”
I sighed softly and retrieved the broom I’d put away earlier, heading back outside.
As I swept the yellow leaves into neat piles, various thoughts came to mind.
The strange things that had happened since I settled here.
The Thicket and Cliff deep in the mountains. The icy presence that lay beyond them.
The Village that vanished in flame and the Demonic Beast.
My mother who once held Sloopan’s castle. Me, who might have the Immunity Ability.
It felt like if I just knew one key word, the whole picture would come into focus. But I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“I’ll understand someday.”
I gave up on rushing to find the answer.
Instead, I decided to focus on helping Raven, something I’d been putting off to handle personal matters.
“I need to live up to the name.”
If I hadn’t quit, and I was using this place as a covert branch to support headquarters, then I had my part to play.
There was also gratitude toward Raiely, who still kept me listed as Prince.
“Shell.”
I wrote a note saying I could now actively use this place and sent it with Shell.
After tidying the courtyard, I was sitting to rest when I felt a presence near the Barrier Stone.
I quickly went inside the shop, tied on my apron, and waited for the customer.
“Welcome.”
A moment later, a woman in noble attire, accompanied by an escort, entered.
She was clearly of aristocratic standing—not quite at Hestanya’s level, but it made me doubtful.
“Thank you for coming.”
“I’ll have two beverages. Anything is fine.”
The woman smiled at me gently, then rather than sit, inspected every corner of the shop.
I kept watching her as she wandered around, and she seemed overcome the whole time, her expression brimming with emotion.
‘Peculiar.’
When I brought over the lime juice, she sat down and looked at me.
“Where do customers usually sit?”
“Most prefer the window seat.”
“Then I’ll…”
Her cheeks flushed as she moved to that spot and sat in quiet contemplation for a long while.
Then, looking very satisfied, she left a generous tip and departed.
“What was that?”
Something felt off, so I followed her. There was a carriage at the bottom of the mountain.
A noble woman who’d come all the way here deliberately.
I wondered if it was another matter involving Seniel, retracing the facts in my mind, when another customer arrived.
“Are you open?”
That’s the second customer just today.
I blinked in disbelief but smiled naturally out of habit.
“Yes, we’re open.”
I marveled inwardly at myself—in just three months of running this shop, I’d grown so naturally into welcoming customers.
“I’m a Knight in training.”
The man who’d entered discreetly introduced himself as a Knight.
“Could you come here for a moment…”
He stood by the window and waved me over.
I wondered why he didn’t just come inside, but as I leaned out, he asked carefully in a small, timid voice.
“I heard you sell Potions here at very reasonable prices. Is that true?”
“No, it’s not.”
I denied it immediately, of course.
My beverages might have potion-like effects, but that didn’t mean I was selling potions.
But where did he hear that?
I narrowed my eyes, trying to recall who might have said such a thing, and there were far too many suspects.
The entire Black Eagle Knights had tasted my beverages at least once.
I thought I should have imposed Keeping Secrets as I studied the Knight before me.
“M-my friend told me that the Potions here have incredible effects. He said I should definitely visit if I was ever in the area, but… you don’t sell them?”
“We don’t sell Potions.”
He looked crestfallen at my firm answer.
“I see.”
He turned to leave, but after only a few steps, he seemed unable to resist and came back to the window.
“Then what do you sell here?”
“This is the menu.”
I handed him the paper, and after seeing the beverages listed, he simply pointed at one at random. He clearly didn’t expect much.
“I’ll have this one then.”
“That’ll be fine. Put the money in that box there.”
I watched him place the payment in the window box, then quickly prepared the beverage.
Since it only took mixing the ingredients, the drink was finished in no time, and the Knight let out a long sigh at the sight of it.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
The moment the Knight drank it without any real expectations, his eyes went wide as saucers.
He downed the entire beverage in one long gulp, then couldn’t seem to find his words, his mouth just hanging open.
“Why… why why…”
“Is something wrong?”
“Isn’t this a Potion!!”
I’d seen this reaction from the Knights before, so I calmly corrected him.
“No. It’s a beverage. Ordinary.”
“Ah! Now I understand. Is that a code? Bev-er-age.”
The Knight seemed to have fallen into his own train of thought and made a serious misunderstanding.
No matter how much I denied it, he just laughed foolishly and bowed deeply.
“I’ve started training nearby. I’ll be coming every day from now on. Thank you for having me!”
And just like that, I’d gained a regular customer.
From that day forward, customers began appearing at the shop every day for several days.
One. Two. Three…
Sometimes I’d look out and see three tables simultaneously filled with seated customers, and I found myself growing increasingly puzzled.
“Why is the shop doing so 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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