Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 60

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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.
Chapter 60
“I was wondering why you’d give me something I can’t even eat as a gift.”
I felt a sting of embarrassment—Hestanya had read my thoughts exactly.
She moved carelessly, yet her perception was sharp, and she possessed a remarkable talent for understanding hearts.
“That’s why I brought food too. Ta-da!”
How could someone maintain such warmth even while keeping a distance?
I gazed at Hestanya in wonder, not a wrinkle in sight on her face.
“I don’t have anything to give you…”
“Why would I expect something in return? I’m giving because I want to. Your face is my gift. You look so much like Seniel that just seeing you fills me with joy.”
Hestanya looked at me with eyes full of affection, then caught herself, slapping her cheek lightly.
“You have a flower vase, don’t you? Let me arrange these right away.”
“I don’t think we have one…”
I rummaged through the cabinet looking for anything that might work, and stopped short when I found the flower vase my mother had loved.
“So it was here all along.”
“Oh my, what a beautiful vase. These will look perfect in it.”
Now that I thought about it, our home had always been full of flowers in my childhood, and the air was always fragrant.
Father would pick wildflowers each season and give them to Mother. I remembered Mother smiling brightly as she received them.
“Thank you, Hestanya.”
As I thanked Hestanya for bringing back these cherished memories I’d forgotten, the unease I’d felt about her being called Seniel’s stalker began to ease.
“Sit down. I’ll make you a delicious drink.”
“Yes!”
Hestanya sat by the window where the sunlight streamed in, resting her chin in her palm as she watched me.
Feeling the weight of her gaze, I finished the lime juice and set it in front of her.
Then I casually asked,
“Lately, a lot of young noble ladies have been coming to the shop. Did you happen to mention me and Seniel to anyone?”
“Well… just one person. I only told the Branch Vice-Chairman. But that’s not the reason. Rumors were already circulating among the high-ranking executives. Word even got out about the time Seniel and I visited the Bakery.”
“Everyone’s quite something, aren’t they.”
“There’s intense interest in Seniel. People watch him wherever he goes.”
At this rate, they’d rival the Information Guild.
I seriously considered whether I should recruit Hestanya and the executives from her organization.
“I’m troubled too. I keep denying it, but… if Seniel would just stop coming for a while, the rumors would die down.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Pardon?”
I delivered the unfortunate news to Hestanya, who had widened her eyes over her coffee.
“He’s already been here. I ran into the woman he came with.”
“Oh dear.”
Hestanya sighed, resigning herself to the inevitable.
“But still, there’s going to be a big party soon. Seniel will be attending. What sort of style do you think he’d like?”
“He prefers a mature look.”
“Really?”
The lace-covered pink dress Hestanya was currently wearing would be absolutely dreadful.
I didn’t know Seniel’s tastes well, but I knew from childhood that he’d always had a preference for older women.
“Thank you for telling me! Then I can’t waste any time sitting here. I need to change my dress!”
For the first time, Hestanya didn’t even finish her drink before she bolted out.
“I was trying to tell her I was attending too.”
Even with a mask, my familiar face might be recognized if we crossed paths at the venue.
I’d wanted to warn her beforehand, but she’d already fled before I had the chance.
Alone in the quiet shop, I touched the forget-me-nots I’d arranged in the vase and breathed in their fragrance.
***
A few days later,
someone Bidler had sent knocked on the shop door.
They said a carriage had been positioned at the base of the mountain for me to attend the party.
I packed light and stepped outside, where Cayden was waiting—though I wasn’t sure how he’d known.
“Please watch the house again.”
“I will. In return, think of me like last time.”
I realized he meant the dessert I’d brought back had pleased him, and he wanted me to do the same this time. I nodded.
“And this.”
Cayden extended the hand he’d been hiding behind his back, revealing a corsage made of red flowers.
“You made it yourself?”
“Yes. I saw the flower vase a few days ago. I thought you liked flowers, so I made this for you to pin on your dress.”
He must have misunderstood when he saw me keeping Hestanya’s flowers in that vase.
Though “misunderstood” was a loose term—I had been staring blankly at the vase even when I was with Seniel.
“Thank you.”
As Cayden handed me the corsage, he gently touched my wrist—specifically, the bracelet hanging there.
“Will you take that off?”
The purple bracelet I’d been wearing ever since I received it as a gift long ago.
I glanced at it and shook my head.
“No. There’s no need to take it off.”
Satisfied with my answer, Cayden smiled softly.
“Rosia will be the most beautiful at the party. I’m sorry I can’t see it.”
“I’m going anyway, so what. I’ll be back.”
“Yes. Take care of yourself.”
As Cayden saw me off and I descended the mountain, my heart felt strange.
Someone was waiting for me, and I had a place to return to—an unfamiliar kind of daily life.
It felt different from the stability I’d known in the Guild.
‘This kind of life is nice too.’
I thought this as I climbed into the carriage at the foot of the mountain.
Just as we were pulling out of the mountain, I felt an odd sensation and looked down from the carriage window.
And my eyes met a pair of bright blue ones.
“Meow.”
“You startled me!”
A cat had somehow gotten into the carriage.
“When did you climb in? You can’t come with me.”
I picked the cat up—its expression looked wounded—opened the carriage door, and set it down outside. I couldn’t bring it to the Capital.
After a long journey, we arrived at the Capital.
Before heading to the party venue, the carriage stopped in front of Aing’s Shop for preparations, as was apparently necessary.
When I opened the shop door and stepped inside, Aing greeted me enthusiastically.
“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you.”
I bowed politely and looked around the shop. Thankfully, only the essential staff were present.
“Shall we get started? Come this way.”
In the room Aing led me to, the finished dress from the previous sketch was displayed on a mannequin.
This was my first time seeing the actual garment—a deep teal mermaid-cut dress.
The slightly flared hem had a mature elegance to it, and while the neckline was cut somewhat low, jewels attached to it lent a glamorous touch.
“I’ll help you into it now.”
The attendants from the previous visit asked for my permission and began helping me change.
With the fabric clinging to my waist and wrapping around my entire legs, I felt confined from the moment I put it on.
“I’ll forgo the corset.”
The attendants wanted to cinch my waist further, but I stopped them—I’d be unable to walk properly if they did.
“With your pale complexion, the color creates such beautiful contrast—it suits you wonderfully.”
“Of all the dresses I’ve ever seen, this is the finest!”
The attendants couldn’t stop marveling as they helped me dress.
“Beautiful. So very beautiful. Though I made it myself, I can’t believe how well it suits you.”
Aing let out a small cry of delight when she saw me in the dress, clearly pleased with her work.
However, I found myself frowning, wondering how anyone could live in such an uncomfortable garment all day.
After the dress, I changed into shoes as well.
The attendants immediately gathered around to begin my makeup and hair.
“How long will this take?”
“About an hour.”
An hour of sitting still—I’d rather be on a mission, I thought with a yawn.
Tired from the long carriage ride, I dozed off briefly with my hands in the attendants’ care.
“My goodness, high society will be in an uproar. Such beauty.”
“She reminds me of someone…”
I opened my eyes at the murmuring and was startled to see my reflection in the mirror.
“How do you feel?”
“It’s remarkable.”
It was genuine admiration.
I realized that clothing and makeup could transform someone’s image this completely.
The woman reflected in the mirror was impeccably groomed in a way I could never imagine in my daily life at the shop.
“You’re so beautiful that even with a mask, you’ll be the most eye-catching person there. I guarantee it.”
“I’ve prepared many young ladies, but I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you. It was truly a joy. Please, you must visit again next time.”
I received the burdensome gaze of the lead attendant and gestured to Aing standing beside me.
“How much do I owe?”
“The cost has already been covered by His Highness.”
“I wasn’t planning to let someone else pay. I was just curious.”
When Aing mentioned the amount, my jaw dropped—it was far more than I’d expected.
In that moment, I became certain I would never buy such a dress with my own money again.
Aing continued studying me with pride, already telling the attendants to order fabric, convinced that orders for dresses like this would flood in after tonight’s party.
“Where have you been hiding? You’re impossibly beautiful. Tonight’s star will surely be you, my dear. Shall we head to the venue?”
As I left the room, finished with my preparations but correspondingly exhausted, I spotted Bidler sitting in the reception room.
He sat on a silk sofa with his legs crossed, flipping through a catalog.
“When did you arrive?”
At the sound of my voice, Bidler looked up—and his expression visibly hardened.
“It suits you perfectly, doesn’t it? Hehehehe.”
Aing laughed deeply, spinning circles around me.
But Bidler remained silent, boring into me with an intense stare.
After a long silence, Bidler’s first words were criticism.
“The neckline is too low.”
His head tilted, clearly displeased with the dress design.

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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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