Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 87

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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 Dark Guild’s heir.
87
“The mother in my memory is always laughing brightly. She was strict sometimes, but kind and ordinary. Yet… the more I learn about the mother I never knew, the more afraid I become. What if everything I knew about her was nothing but a lie?”
“Rosia, lift your head and look at me.”
At the gentleness in Cayden’s voice, I slowly raised my head from where it had been bowed.
“Trust what you’ve seen. Don’t trust what you haven’t. I told you before—everyone carries darkness within them. Your mother is no exception.”
To Cayden, who knows nothing, it must have sounded like nonsense.
Yet he spoke the very words I most needed to hear, as though he could read my heart.
“You’re right.”
I myself live as two people—the Prince of Raven and Rosia.
I have facets I cannot reveal even to the younger brother I hold most dear.
And so, wounded by mother’s hidden side and tangled in apologies for what I never knew about her, I could not think clearly.
If she didn’t tell me, then surely she had her reasons. I can understand them now, going forward.
“You’re right. Mother is simply mother. I was being weak.”
“That’s all that matters. I’ll make you something again when you return.”
“Thank you. It was truly delicious.”
I scraped the bowl clean and set down my spoon, then handed him the pouch I’d brought.
“I bought this in town for you. Eat it as a snack later.”
“You’ve really taken a liking to dumplings lately, haven’t you?”
Cayden grinned as he accepted the pouch and placed it on the shelf.
“I should head out now.”
“Wait just a moment.”
As I turned to leave, Cayden disappeared into the adjacent room and returned with a cloak.
Though I was already bundled in thick layers, he draped it over me and fastened it securely.
“Don’t catch a cold.”
“I won’t.”
Warmth inside and out.
Thanks to Cayden, I descended the mountain considerably warmer, leading the horse by the reins.
To reach Verdian Territory would take more than a day even if I rode without rest.
Since I might meet Aireen as soon as I arrive, the timeline remained uncertain.
“I want to return quickly.”
Thinking that from the moment I departed, I pulled the reins taut.
***
Mason faced his most pressing dilemma in recent memory.
He couldn’t recall the last time he’d worried over something this deeply—certainly not in the past fifteen years—and he sighed.
“Who on earth is supposed to eat this? Good grief.”
The plate overflowing with lettuce that Rosia had left behind. Mason’s expression as he regarded it was thick with displeasure.
In truth, he disliked vegetables.
During his years as Master of the Magic Tower, the head chef had always prepared only the freshest fare.
Except during the occasional retreat for closed cultivation, he had maintained a carefully balanced diet rich in meat.
After so many years of living, his palate had only grown more refined, and he was particularly fastidious about food above all else.
Living in the mountains, he had forgone the pleasure of fine dining and made certain compromises.
Yet even so, he’d never reached the point of eating plain lettuce like this.
“Lettuce… completely unseasoned lettuce…”
The unsalted, verdant leaves seemed to mock him.
“…And yet, the heart behind bringing it for me is, truly, quite lovely, isn’t it?”
After his inner struggle, he steeled himself, squeezed his eyes shut, and picked up a leaf.
Upon placing it in his mouth and chewing, it proved more palatable than expected.
“It’s not so bad, is it?”
Having finished one leaf, he gazed at the still-brimming plate and fell into thought again.
“It would be a shame to let it spoil. Perhaps I should preserve it?”
Wanting to commemorate the first gift from his granddaughter, he removed all the lettuce from the plate and froze it as is.
Using Freezing Magic to preserve something like this was easier for him than snapping his fingers.
“Heh heh, I should dry one leaf and use it as a bookmark.”
He thawed one leaf, dried it thoroughly, and fashioned it into a proper bookmark.
The sight of it alone brought such laughter that he chuckled like a delighted fool.
“If only I had someone to show this to.”
Had he a friend, he would go and display it proudly. For the first time in decades of solitude, he felt the loss of severed friendships.
He recalled friends he’d known long ago, their faces now hazy, and absently brushed back his hair to cover his forehead.
“It seems she wants repayment in kind.”
Though he wasn’t truly a cat, if it would bring joy to Rosia’s face, surely a small debt was nothing.
“Don’t compare me to common cats. This old man would catch a dragon for you if you wished. Ahem.”
Mason wondered what might please Rosia.
“A mere mouse is beneath my dignity. A giant eagle? A crimson bear? Or perhaps a wyvern from the canyon? No, if I start that grand, she’d be shocked. Let me begin with something already on the mountain…”
As Mason plotted his repayment, his mouth curved into a satisfied smile.
***
Verdian Territory lay to the southwest, with Mount Alein as its marker.
Given the heavy foot traffic, inns flourished along the route, making the journey less taxing.
After riding for just over a day, I arrived at the entrance and gazed up at the city walls.
“It really is impressive.”
Through my work as the Prince, I’d visited the territories of all Five Great Houses, yet these walls towered higher and ran thicker than theirs.
I queued at the checkpoint to enter the territory.
When my turn came, the guards examined my Identity Plaque thoroughly.
Along with my plaque, I showed them the Letter of Introduction that Aireen had written.
Upon seeing Aireen’s name, the guards exchanged words among themselves before leading me aside.
As I passed through the checkpoint and into the city, my eyes widened further.
I’d heard tales of Verdian Territory’s wealth, but seeing it firsthand exceeded all accounts.
‘Is this truly a town?’
The entire settlement was adorned as though it were the interior of the Imperial Palace itself. Statues, fountains, and small gardens dotted every corner.
Packed market stalls and streets teeming with people stretched before me.
Of all the territories I’d visited, this one had the most people and merchants by far.
“Wait here. I’ve sent word to Aireen.”
“Thank you.”
Apparently Aireen held considerable standing here—the guards brought me to a café to wait.
Sitting on the terrace, I continued observing the townsfolk as I waited for her.
Regardless of what atrocities House Sloropan had committed, the people’s faces were bright.
“They look prosperous.”
It was my honest first impression of Verdian Territory.
Moments later,
a carriage pulled up before me.
Aireen descended, wearing an ornate hat, and seated herself across from me.
“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you. You said yes, of course?”
“Yes. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Aireen smiled alluringly and crossed her legs.
The dress, cut high from calf to thigh, clung to her legs as bare skin was revealed.
“You’ll need to change out of those clothes.”
“I dressed neatly. Isn’t this sufficient?”
I’d worn my most demure dress from what I owned.
Surely that was appropriate?
Yet she frowned and wagged her finger decisively in refusal.
“That style isn’t to Juliano’s taste. Let me choose something for you.”
Why should I have to match a business partner’s preferences in fashion?
My expression soured, but having come this far, I couldn’t afford to sabotage the arrangement.
I agreed to follow Aireen’s lead and accompanied her to the Dress Shop she frequented.
“Welcome. We were notified and have been expecting you. Shall we go to your room?”
As Aireen, the shop’s most valued customer, led the way, I was ushered into a private room.
Seated on a deep-green silk sofa, a designer personally brought outfits on racks.
Aireen examined the dresses with casual entitlement, as if such service were her due.
“In business, appearance matters. If you’re to become Juliano’s business partner, you’ll need to cultivate an attitude befitting that role. Would you stand for a moment?”
Rising, I stood as Aireen held dress after dress before me.
“Rosia, you have striking looks and an excellent figure… I think we just need to refine your wardrobe. This one would be perfect.”
Having finally selected a dress, Aireen smiled and gestured to the attendants.
Her unabashed scrutiny unsettled me, but what unsettled me more was the dress she’d chosen.
“You’re sure about this one?”
Aireen nodded and handed the dress to the attendants.
They erected a screen and undressed me.
As I submitted to their ministrations, I exhaled softly.
The Purple Dress Aireen had selected clung to my entire body, accentuating every curve.
Most troubling was its design that emphasized the chest and waist.
It seemed better suited to seduction than to business.
“We’re finished.”
“Perfect. Juliano will adore it. That’s absolutely his taste, I assure you.”
Aireen gazed at me in the altered dress with evident satisfaction.
“Shall we go?”
Leaving the dress shop, I climbed into Aireen’s carriage alongside her.
As we passed through the town and ascended a high hill, the main gate of House Sloropan finally came into view.
Knights Order soldiers stationed ahead stopped the carriage, but upon seeing Aireen’s face, they waved us through.
‘From here on, I can’t afford to miss a single detail.’
Just as when I first visited the Imperial Palace, everything I observe becomes intelligence.
I gazed out through the carriage window, committing the interior to memory.
The estate was so vast that the main residence didn’t come into view until well after we’d entered.
Only after passing through gardens and a lake did a single building appear.
During our passage, I observed private knights conducting seamless patrols.
The sprawling grounds and thorough surveillance made infiltration formidable.
‘Even mapping the layout will take considerable time.’
Moreover, the interior was designed with numerous branching corridors, requiring careful memorization.
After passing several buildings, the carriage finally came to a halt.

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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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