Welcome to the Café of the Dark Guild’s Successor - Chapter 90

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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 successor.
Episode 90
“What, if you’re going to eat this well anyway.”
Thinking the cat would devour it all, I felt a warm sense of satisfaction rise in me.
My mood lifted at once, and I lit the fireplace, then kindled the candles as well.
I surveyed the living room, now considerably brighter, and entered my room.
There, I studied the report that Ven had brought me and fell into thought.
“I should tell both of them, shouldn’t I?”
Whether it was Juliano who tried to send poison to the Imperial Palace, or the head of Strofan—either way, it was a grave matter.
I couldn’t prove it immediately, but I had to inform Raven and Bidler of this information.
I stared at the two communication devices for a moment, then tapped my finger against Bidler’s crystal orb.
A red light flickered within the orb. According to the manual, the connection was established when it turned green.
“I hope this is working properly?”
I gave the orb another tap.
I waited for the color to shift, but suddenly the communication device lit up with a green glow.
“I thought you’d thrown it away. You still had it with you?”
An irritable voice abruptly poured from the crystal orb.
“Yes?”
“I waited days without you using it. I assumed you’d discarded it.”
If that tone sounded aggrieved, then was I misinterpreting things?
I suppressed the laughter threatening to escape and answered.
“I had no business to discuss. If you were curious, you should have reached out first.”
“Do I need business to speak to you?”
“Don’t you?”
“…Fine. What is it?”
I lifted the crystal orb and set it on my lap, settling into a more comfortable position.
“I received a business proposal recently.”
“A business proposal?”
“Yes. Do you know Juliano, the Empress’s brother?”
“Know him well enough. Why is that name coming from your mouth?”
“Because he made the proposal. That’s why I visited the Verdian Territory yesterday.”
“……”
Though I couldn’t see his face, I could almost picture Bidler’s astonishment—the corners of my mouth lifted.
When you only hear a voice, you find yourself imagining the speaker’s expression.
Finding this oddly pleasant, I waited for Bidler to continue.
“Visit where? More importantly, if you received a proposal under Strofan’s name, shouldn’t you have consulted with me first?”
His voice rose in pitch, his tone trembling faintly with a hint of hurt.
Focusing only on his voice, I sensed far more emotion than when we faced each other.
“I did consider telling you…but you obviously would have refused.”
“That’s true. So… I did consider your feelings.”
“I see.”
Bidler’s breathing steadied immediately.
“…It’s surprising that Juliano showed himself at all. I haven’t seen him since he was very young. How did he seem?”
“Nothing remarkable, but how do I put it… like a serpent. The kind who keeps their true nature hidden?”
“What business did he propose?”
“To open a café identical to ours in another territory. The royalty percentage was high, so the proposal itself wasn’t unreasonable.”
“Is there any need to expand the café? I didn’t know you had such ambitions for business.”
There was too much I still couldn’t explain to go into detail.
“I wanted to maintain a connection with the Strofan family. Who knows when that might be useful?”
“…You think more deeply than I do. Thank you.”
“It’s just sharing recipes, so there shouldn’t be any real danger. Whatever happens, I’ll keep you informed. Please don’t be hurt.”
“I understand your intentions now. That’s enough. I’m not hurt.”
Bidler’s voice softened. The slow cadence was quite pleasant to hear.
I set the communication device on the bed and shifted position, leaning back against my pillow.
“But I found something odd in Juliano’s study.”
“What?”
“Poison. It was mixed in with the gifts being sent to the Imperial Palace.”
“What? How did you know it was poison?”
Startled by how loud his voice suddenly grew, I feared my ears might tear.
I pushed the communication device away from me and spoke evasively.
“I happened to see it, and it was strange—colorless and odorless—so I took it quietly. I know a doctor by chance, so I asked him. It’s all coincidence, really.”
“Poison meant for someone in the Imperial Palace… Understood. I’ll look into it next. But from now on, even if something seems suspicious, pretend you didn’t notice. Please, stay out of dangerous matters.”
“…I will.”
He actually believed that?
I thought it fortunate that Bidler was rather unobservant.
“I have a small amount stored away—I’ll give it to you. Oh, did you manage to decipher the letters?”
“Not yet.”
A deep sigh came through the communication device unfiltered.
“It’s not easy investigating discreetly. One thing’s certain—it’s not an ancient language.”
“I see.”
By now, I’d relayed everything I needed to. The conversation through the communication device had stretched longer than expected.
“Shall I hang up then?”
“Yes. Contact me if anything comes up. Or even if nothing comes up… I mean.”
And the communication cut off.
I immediately tapped Sophia’s communication device.
After a brief wait, her device also turned green and connected.
“Rosia! Finally reaching out. I’m hurt, I’m hurt.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy. I just got back from the Verdian Territory.”
“What?”
I should have told Sophia before I left.
Unfamiliar with using the communication device, I’d forgotten, and now there was a flurry of hurt feelings everywhere.
I soothed Sophia through the device and relayed everything that happened in the Verdian Territory without omission.
“So…you’re saying it contained poison? Even mixed with basilisk fluid, which is notoriously difficult to procure?”
“That’s right.”
“Who could it have been meant for?”
“I don’t know. The Empress perhaps, or the Emperor. Maybe the Crown Prince. Or possibly the Second Prince.”
“Thanks for the information. I’ll keep it in mind. I’ll need to pay closer attention to the head of Strofan and the Count as well now.”
“Right. If I find reason to go again, I’ll let you know. What about the letters?”
“Still working on it. I’ll contact you as soon as I figure anything out.”
My conversation with Sophia was clean and quick.
Until just a moment ago, my heart had felt hollow, but after talking with both of them, the emptiness was filled.
***
The next day.
After sleeping deeply, I woke refreshed.
I finished washing and preparing to open the shop, but it was still quite early.
With rare free time on my hands, I took out the map I’d been keeping.
“Where could it be?”
Somewhere on this mountain, there was supposedly a place buried with Majo Stones.
I began marking likely positions on the map, then gave up.
At this rate, I’d end up marking the entire mountain. The mountain was deep enough that it could be buried anywhere.
I considered searching the mountain directly, but if it could be found that way, someone would have found it already.
I abandoned further thought about the map and decided to focus on the shop today.
“I’ve closed for several days now. If I’m running a café, I should serve customers.”
I took my place at the preparation counter, thinking that somehow I seemed to have less rest than when I worked in the Guild.
“Should I try making jam?”
I’d originally planned to buy ingredients and make it right away, but my trip to the Verdian Territory had delayed things.
I decided on strawberries for the fruit.
The reason was that strawberries were Seniel’s favorite fruit.
“How much should I make? Some for Seniel and me. Cayden can share with me… Sophia and Riley? That should do it? Oh, should I make some for Bidler too…?”
Making that much seemed like it would be a lot, but I decided to use all the strawberries I had anyway.
I took out the largest pot I owned and chopped strawberries into it.
I opened the lid of sugar I’d bought from the grocer, but I couldn’t gauge how much to use.
The grocer’s wife had said roughly to use sugar in proportion to the fruit, but…
I should have asked for more details.
I regretted it belatedly.
“Well… is this enough?”
I spooned it in gradually, but compared to the amount of fruit, it seemed too little, so I just grabbed the container and poured it in.
In the process, sugar spilled unexpectedly, and nearly everything in the container emptied into the pot at once.
“You…you put in way too much.”
I panicked, but the sugar already spilled was rapidly seeping into the strawberries.
At this point, it wasn’t so much a ratio of strawberries and sugar as it was strawberries pickled in sugar.
“…It’ll work out somehow.”
Believing it would taste even better with all that sugar, I lit the flame.
Ah, it wasn’t in the recipe, but I added a few lime leaves too, thinking it would smell nicer.
Shortly after, the pot began to boil vigorously, and a sweet aroma spread throughout the space.
“This time it seems like I’ve done well.”
I gazed at what was surely going to be a successful dish when I suddenly heard Armstrong’s cry from outside.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
“Hmm? I gave her plenty of feed last night. Did she already eat it all?”
I had filled her bowl before bed, so I thought it odd and went to check the yard.
Opening the coop door to look Armstrong over, I could hardly believe my eyes.
“What is that?”
“Peep!”
“Squeak!”
In Armstrong’s arms were two little fluffy bundles.
“Ch-chicks?!”
There had been times when Armstrong refused to lay eggs and instead brooded over them.
I’d always been relieved that she kept failing, but this time the chicks had actually hatched.
“What do I do about this?”
As I stood bewildered by the downy, still-discolored chicks, the cat silently crept over beside me.
The empty lettuce bowl suddenly came to mind, and I quickly grabbed the cat.
“You absolutely cannot repay her kindness this way. Don’t eat them. Don’t bother them either, or I’ll chase you far away. Do you understand?”
“Mew?”
Of course, the cat didn’t seem to understand my words.
To be safe, I firmly closed the coop door and returned to the shop with the cat in my arms.
I hadn’t planned to increase my animals, and as I stirred the jam, I fell into deep thought.
“I can’t put them back now that they’ve been born. Later, even if I end up keeping them for food… I can’t just let them freeze to death.”
The cold weather seemed too harsh for newborns.
With no other choice, I grabbed an unused blanket and went back outside.

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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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