Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 71

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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 heir to the Dark Guild.
71
I grabbed Seniel’s cheeks in my palms and turned his face back toward me, speaking clearly enough that he’d understand.
“Seniel. You keep coming here, and it’s making the shop busier and busier. Don’t you realize all those customers turning away because there are no more seats—they’re all your fans?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“If you keep showing up, word will spread more. Then the shop will do even better!”
“Isn’t it good if the shop does well?”
Watching Seniel tilt his head as if genuinely confused, I barely managed to swallow the words that nearly tumbled out of my mouth.
‘Because this isn’t just any ordinary shop!’
What would happen if a Dark Guild branch became this crowded with customers?
“Hmm… if you really don’t like having so many people, should I chase them all out?”
Seniel, upset at being scolded, immediately began emanating a sinister aura around him.
The problem was that his fans had come far enough to reach this place—they’d probably find even that side of him charming.
I was about to stop him, worried it might backfire, when the door opened again.
“No seating avai—”
I’d started to announce that we had no seats left, my brow furrowed, when I saw who’d opened the door and slumped back into my chair.
“The usual, Rosia.”
Without even checking if there were seats, he strode straight to the register, exchanged nods with Seniel, and I could only stare in disbelief.
“Since when do you have a usual order, sir?”
“Wasn’t I a regular here?”
At Bidler’s innocent blinking, I lost any will to argue back.
“Miss, should I finish crushing these strawberries?”
“What are you doing coming in here? Please leave the kitchen. This is my domain.”
“Your domain? Are you seriously claiming territory next to our lady? Want to settle this?”
Cayden, who’d somehow become my assistant, wasn’t lacking in looks either, so the sight of three men standing together and snarling at each other—much as I hated to admit it—made quite a picture.
A very attractive picture, at that.
Perhaps that was why.
The young ladies in the shop were shrieking, saying they’d have no regrets even if they died right here, and some actually slid right out of their chairs.
At this point, I’d given up all hope. I slumped in my chair and muttered as I gazed blankly at the chaos unfolding in my shop.
“Should I just shut the place down entirely?”
Of course, Bidler—apparently with no intention of letting me rest for even a moment—came over and folded his arms across his chest.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you serving drinks?”
I pointed at Cayden, who was moving his hands busily.
“The priest will make them.”
“Why would a priest be making drinks?”
“We’re swamped.”
I gestured around, as if to say can’t you see? The shop was still packed with customers who wouldn’t stop shrieking and showed no signs of leaving.
Bidler paced with a dissatisfied expression, then leaned in close to my ear and whispered.
“I have time on my hands right now.”
“And?”
“I can help too.”
“Please, don’t.”
While not quite as popular as Seniel, Bidler was famous enough that postcards of him circulated.
If word got out that he was working here—
“Ugh.”
I didn’t even want to imagine the flood of customers that would bring.
Just then, a customer wrote something on the back of one of Seniel’s postcards and handed it to me as she left.
I sighed as I placed another stack of postcards into a box.
“These are all from Seniel’s fans. It’s not even a secret anymore, is it? With how much he comes and goes like this, it’s like trying to hide the sky with the palm of your hand.”
“Why not turn this place into a full-fledged tourist attraction then? I hear even the nearby villages have been revitalized. Expand it as a business.”
I glared at Bidler, who spoke without understanding my concerns, and headed back into the kitchen.
The female customers who’d been filling the shop took one last look at Seniel and Bidler, then left surprisingly quickly.
“It was truly wonderful being here. Coming here was the best decision of my life.”
“It was so delicious. Your face—I mean, the drink.”
“I’ll keep it a secret that I saw you here, Seniel. I won’t tell anyone.”
As if I believed that.
In any case, they all left with beaming smiles plastered across their faces.
I was clearing tables when Bidler sidled up to me again.
“What brings you here today, sir?”
It had been nearly two weeks since our agreement, so I cautiously probed whether he’d come about the fiancée situation.
“Didn’t Seniel tell you?”
I glanced over at Seniel, who was chasing a cat, and shook my head.
“I haven’t heard anything.”
“The Royal Knight Corps Passing List came out.”
I froze, my hand stopping mid-wipe on the table, and turned to Bidler with an uncertain expression.
“Did he pass?”
“Of course. He passed, naturally. That’s what we gathered here to celebrate.”
Passed.
Those two words echoed loudly in my ears.
I’d always known Seniel would pass. I’d never worried about it, so why did hearing that he’d made it fill me with such overwhelming emotion?
I’d never felt this happy, not even when completing difficult missions.
I rushed toward Seniel with a broad smile, and as he sat before the cat, I threw my arms around him tightly.
“Look how you’ve grown. Really. Whose little brother are you?”
“Your little brother.”
Ever since he was young, he’d said he wanted to join the Royal Knight Corps. And now he’d realized that dream.
“You’re really amazing. Your parents must be so incredibly proud.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course!”
The frustration I’d felt about him coming to the shop during the day melted away completely. Right now, I couldn’t find Seniel any more endearing than he was.
That’s when it happened.
The shop door swung wide open and Orbis burst in, singing a congratulatory song.
“Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations on our passing!”
Orbis was holding a large two-tiered cake in his hands.
I was watching blankly, trying to figure out what was happening, when Seniel released my hand and stood up, moving to Orbis’s side.
As if they’d planned it together, he pulled out small candles and placed them on the cake, lighting them.
Then, holding the cake with its flickering flames, he walked slowly toward me.
I was startled, my lips parting slightly in shock.
“Why are you bringing the cake to me? You two are the ones who should be congratulated.”
“I’m this big because of you, big sister. I’m congratulating you. And thanking you.”
Seniel had no idea what kind of sacrifice I’d made for him.
I was overwhelmed simultaneously by guilt for not being honest and gratitude that he’d grown up so well.
“Is it really me who blows it out?”
“I want to blow it out myself, but this one time I’m giving it up to you. Go ahead.”
As I heard Bidler grumbling that it should be his moment as Seniel’s knight, I carefully blew out the candles.
The bright flames went out.
At the same moment, my eyes began to sting, and I clenched my muscles to keep from crying.
‘When was the last time I blew out birthday candles?’
Before my parents passed away, our family always celebrated birthdays together every year.
Since joining Raven, I’d never had my birthday acknowledged. Naturally, I’d never lit candles again.
In the guild, no one knows each other’s birthdays. If you paid attention to such things, you’d grow emotionally attached and develop lingering regrets.
A happiness I’d forgotten long ago filled my heart with warmth.
I was grateful to Seniel and Orbis for making me feel this way again, and grateful too to Bidler and Cayden for being here with us.
“Let’s all eat the cake together.”
“Should I cut it then?”
Cayden, who’d been quietly standing back and observing, suddenly came to my side and held out the cake.
“Why would you cut it? If Rosia’s going to cut it, then I should be the one. It’s my knight order.”
I gave Cayden and Bidler a look of exasperation as they needlessly squared off, then handed the knife to Seniel.
“You two do it.”
Of course, I also pulled Orbis’s hand over and placed it on top of Seniel’s.
The two of them held the knife together and began to cut the cake.
“Doesn’t this look kind of weird?”
“…I’m uncomfortable.”
It did feel a bit like a bride and groom cutting the cake at a wedding.
The way they both grimaced and pulled their hands away was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ll cut it. Everyone step back.”
Unable to stand it any longer, Bidler said it was frustrating and swiftly divided the cake into five perfect pieces.
We all picked up forks and stood together, sharing the cake.
As I ate the sweet cake studded with strawberries, I thought my eyes might water from how sugary it was.
‘I wish I could tell my younger self about this.’
To the version of me from ten years ago—the one who’d let Seniel go and decided there was no life left to live, the one who abandoned everything in resignation.
That a future far better than expected was waiting. No, that a quite happy future lay ahead.
While I was in Raven, I felt as though I’d been submerged in a deep ocean, swimming through my entire life unable to escape.
But that’s not the case anymore.
I’ve completely emerged onto solid ground and can now walk the path I choose.
I don’t know what kind of future will unfold, but even if it leads to misfortune, my future is mine to decide.
Most of all, I’ve experienced moments so happy that I wish time would simply stop.
‘Will moments like this come again in the future?’
I found myself looking forward to what comes next.
For me, this was an enormous change.
I kept pressing down my surging emotions with cake and devoured the last piece.
Then I looked up, and everyone was staring at me.
“…What?”
“Looks like big sister really does love sweet things. Here, have some more.”
I realized that while everyone else had barely touched theirs, my plate was completely clean.
Embarrassed, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stepped back, intending to collect myself.
But Bidler followed me and gestured for me to come with him.

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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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