“Just call me Gilbert.”
“‘Guild master’ sounds too stiff.” Gilbert, sprawled weakly on the sofa, waved a hand as if dismissing the formality.
I glanced sideways at his dark, heavy eye bags and asked, “Wouldn’t it be better if you got some sleep?”
“…Do I look that tired even to you, my lady?”
“You look like you’re about to die from overwork.”
“Damn it.”
Gilbert swallowed tears and rubbed his face with both hands.
With a long, weary groan, he muttered, “My lady. You really must not do anything reckless later just because of money. Don’t pack your schedule too tightly either. Got it?”
That sounded suspiciously like personal experience.
“Sniff… I went completely insane over money… seriously…”
If he’d known it would be this brutal, he said miserably, he would’ve stayed locked away in some back room and never come out.
“Honestly, this isn’t living. I’ve done all kinds of missions in my life, but this… this feels like I’m going to die. Someone save me.”
“How long is this schedule supposed to last?”
“A week. And there are three days left. But I haven’t slept properly for three days, barely eaten anything either. My blood sugar crashed so hard I actually fell down the stairs once…”
He rattled off his complaints like a machine gun, voice breaking at the end.
“…How much were you paid?”
“Ten billion.”
“Then just endure it.”
So weak.
At that point, wasn’t it basically set for life?
Work yourself to the bone for a week and get ten billion?
That’s basically a jackpot.
Sure, it might be a dangerous job—but Gilbert was a competent guild master. If he took it on, it meant it was difficult, not impossible.
He accepted it because he could handle it.
“You’re so cruel, my lady… I’m literally dying here.”
“You sold your soul to capital. What did you expect?”
“Do people tell you you’re cold often?”
“They tell me I’m realistic quite often.”
“….”
Apparently even he thought he’d sold his soul to money, because Gilbert pressed his lips shut.
After a moment, his shoulders slumped.
“Whatever… it’s almost over anyway. Since you’re here… want me to show you around the building?”
“A tour?”
My eyes widened slightly.
Gilbert smiled faintly. “You’ll be coming here often from now on. Might as well get familiar with it.”
“Hmm—sure, I don’t mind.”
I was actually curious anyway. And since I was already here, a tour didn’t sound bad.
Besides, the building was clearly enormous.
‘What if I get lost?’
People were everywhere, so I could probably just ask for directions, but I didn’t trust myself. For someone directionally challenged, a place like this was basically an escape room.
“I’d like to guide you myself, but—”
“Just go to sleep.”
“…Yeah. That’s probably best.”
Gilbert accepted my suggestion without hesitation and rang a bell.
Soon after, the staff member who had guided me here entered briskly.
“You called for me, sir?”
“Show the lady around the building.”
The employee’s eyes widened in shock. He looked back and forth between Gilbert and me before quickly nodding.
“Ah—yes, understood.”
“And treat her with the utmost respect. Also, assign her a room as close as possible to the sixth-floor office. Make sure the interior is properly prepared.”
“We’ll arrange it immediately.”
He glanced at me once more, then hurriedly stepped aside.
Gilbert yawned deeply and waved.
“See you later, my lady.”
As soon as Felix stepped down from the carriage, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. Meital, who followed behind him onto the ground, stretched his arms.
“Why the front entrance? There are too many people.”
“It can’t be helped. The back route is under sewage construction right now.”
There was no way a carriage could pass through a road barely fit for pedestrians. So they had taken a long detour, eventually stopping in front of a massive building.
Felix, however, had a deep aversion to people. Crowds alone were enough to put him in a bad mood.
So naturally, walking under all those staring eyes was unpleasant.
Meital watched his lord from a distance, hands shoved casually in his pockets.
“Ah… honestly…”
What am I supposed to do with this terrible adolescence?
He had been cute when he was younger, with that sharp temperament, but now… the longer time passed, the more sensitive he became. It was exhausting.
‘It must be because of the seizures.’
They said it was pain beyond imagination. Living with that his entire life would make anyone irritable.
And on top of that, his already difficult personality…
‘He didn’t sleep again last night, did he?’
His face, heavy with fatigue, was even more irritated than usual.
If someone provokes him today, there’ll be trouble…
“We greet His Highness the Grand Duke!”
Meital let out a silent sigh at the overly energetic greeting behind him. It was good that someone had come to welcome them—but the timing couldn’t have been worse.
“We were told that after your prior appointment ends, you would briefly—ghk!”
The staff member speaking in a rapid stream suddenly inhaled sharply. A chill ran down his spine, freezing him in place. An icy gaze slowly tightened around his throat.
“Lower your voice.”
The staff member clenched his trembling jaw and nodded stiffly. Clicking his tongue, Felix resumed walking.
Meital quickly patted the frozen employee on the shoulder and hurried after his master.
“Go easy on them. He looks like a new hire.”
“He should’ve kept his mouth shut and done his job.”
Who told him to speak so carelessly?
Felix frowned.
“What kind of day is it? Why are there so many people?”
“I don’t know either. And this is the main building—of course there are people.”
“I don’t like it.”
Honestly, what a temper…
Today especially, he was at his peak irritability.
‘Still… at least his work is progressing.’
Felix hadn’t come here for nothing. He was here for the highlight of a ten-billion-commission job.
Tonight, he and Gilbert would be storming the target’s base.
‘He must be absolutely itching for it.’
He was normally prickly, but not the type to lash out randomly. Still, he tended to release his stress somewhere else…
“Are you coming or not?”
“Yes, yes. I’m coming.”
Meital obediently followed, glancing at his lord’s waist. Even with a sword as tall as himself strapped on, Felix climbed the stairs effortlessly—like a knight of the imperial guard.
That sword wasn’t just for show. Tonight, it would be used to cut through the organization’s members one by one…
No, “clean them up.”
Felix was best at slicing things apart.
‘Well, rather than touching anything unpleasant early, it’s better to just train.’
If it’s good for something, it’s good for something.
Thanks to his relentless training regimen, his skills had improved day by day.
In fact, he was now far superior to the estate knights.
‘Honestly… he’d be perfect if not for that personality.’
Even as a man, Meital had to admit Felix had a face that promised a bright future. It was no wonder noble ladies were already going crazy over him.
He just had one flaw big enough to overshadow everything else…
“Hey. Wait—”
“I didn’t say anything insulting.”
“…?”
Felix stopped walking.
“….”
“…?”
Blink.
Meital blinked blankly, then gave an awkward laugh.
Having heard what sounded like a confession from his subordinate, Felix’s mouth curved upward in satisfaction.
“So you were insulting me just now.”
……Please spare me.
