Chapter 90

I left the manor right after breakfast. It was the guild’s opening day, so there was no time to spare.

“I should have finished the cake before we left…”

Alex, sitting across from me, furrowed his brow.

“You’ve been saying that the whole way here. I told you, you can eat it when we get home. No one’s going to steal it from you.”

“But it won’t taste as good after a day…”

“What’s gotten into you? You’re never like this. Do you have a bottomless pit for a stomach? How can you still be hungry after eating so much?”

“Don’t be so dense. It’s common knowledge that there’s a separate stomach for dessert.”

“What kind of ridiculous common knowledge is that?”

Annoyed, Alex raked a hand through his hair and rapped on the carriage wall.

At the signal, the coachman pulled the carriage over to the side of the road.

“Why are you stopping the carriage all of a sudden?”

“You said you wanted cake!”

“…Are you going back to the manor?”

“Are you crazy? It’s too far. Jean Blanc’s dessert cafe is closer from here.”

“I don’t think it’s open yet.”

“That’s why I have to go get in line! God, this is so annoying. Who ever heard of having to wait in line for a stupid cake?”

“…”

Grumbling all the while, Alex stepped out of the carriage. When I opened the window and stared at him, he suddenly asked.

“What? You want something else too?”

“…No.”

“Get going, then. You’ll be late.”

“Oh…”

Alex gestured to the coachman, and the carriage slowly started moving again.

Zenia, sitting beside me, spoke cautiously.

“Your Grace, your ears are red again…”

“Be quiet.”

“Yes…”

My face flushed for no reason. I felt a little queasy, too.

I don’t know why he’s acting so out of character and making me feel so strange.

‘That idiot Alex.’

“Zenia.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Look away while I’m asking nicely. You’re going to burn a hole through my face.”

“Yes…”

As I cooled my face in the breeze blowing through the window, the guild building came into view in the distance.

‘They said it was the most expensive building in the capital…’

It oozed extravagance from the outside, and just looking at it made my heart swell with awe.

[Guardian]

The large, dark green letters embedded in the building’s exterior were visible even from afar.

Silver vines coiled around the letters, giving them a look of sophistication rather than gaudiness.

‘The letters are emeralds, and the silver vines are platinum, weren’t they?’

To think the entire sign was made of jewels.

As expected, Duke Ruthius’s spending habits were beyond common sense.

“*Sigh*…”

Looking at the guild building only made me more anxious.

What good is a top-tier building if there’s no one in it?

‘I wonder how many people will actually show up after seeing Kaiel’s advertisement.’

To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations.

For the time being, the Guardian registration desk would likely be collecting dust.

Most hunters were already part of Bluebird. They’d probably be too wary of the Emperor to make a move right away.

That’s why I didn’t think much of it when I asked Kaiel to handle the opening advertisement. I knew it wouldn’t be very effective.

‘Maybe three or four people from the Magic Tower will join? Add me, Alex, and Dante to the list… If we’re lucky, we might get around ten people.’

Ten members on the first day. That wasn’t a bad number.

Frankly, I would have been satisfied with that.

‘My rival is the Emperor, after all. I should be grateful for even ten.’

There was just one thing that bothered me: the thought of disappointing Duke Ruthius and Alex.

Duke Ruthius, in particular, would be so dejected.

‘He poured so much money into this. Would he really be satisfied with just ten members?’

If I’d known it would come to this, I would have stuck to my original plan of starting small and growing slowly.

It wouldn’t have been so pressuring then.

‘You can’t expect to be full after the first bite. Once the gates open, the number of guild members will naturally increase.’

It’s greedy to expect perfect results from the start.

‘This is a battle against time. We’ll be the ones to win in the end, so there’s no need to feel sorry now.’

Just as I was composing myself, Zenia glanced around outside the window.

“Oh, we’re almost there. You should get ready to… Gasp! Your Grace! Look over there!”

“Where?”

Where Zenia pointed, an unbelievable sight unfolded.

A line of people snaked around like ants carrying cookies.

“Wow, there are so many of them! They must all be hunters trying to join Guardian!”

“…”

“Do you see those makeshift tents over there? Do you think they stayed up all night to join the guild?”

“…No way.”

“What do you mean, no way? You can see them right there! Your Grace, isn’t this a huge success? Congratulations!”

The carriage stopped in front of the building. Zenia leaped out and pulled me along.

“Hurry and get out, Your Grace!”

I stepped out of the carriage, bewildered. At the same time, the people who spotted me began to clamor and crowd around.

“It’s Princess Astell over there!”

“The Princess has arrived!”

“Ooh, does this mean registration is about to start?”

“Your Grace, hurry up with the applications! We’ve been waiting all night!”

Caught off guard by the completely unexpected situation, Zenia took the lead.

“Alright, alright, I’ll be handling the applications, so please come this way! And form a proper line!”

I stared blankly at the hunters lining up and following Zenia like preschoolers.

‘Am I dreaming?’

As I blinked at the unbelievable scene, a familiar voice reached me.

“Congratulations on Guardian’s opening, Lady Astell.”

“Your Grace, have you just arrived?”

It was Johan and Kaiel.

“Yes, just now…”

“I’m here too! Your Grace!”

The summoner, Yulia, popped out from behind Kaiel and shot her hand into the air.

“There are so many people. It looks like it’ll be tough for one person to handle registration… Your Grace—no, you’re the Guild Master now. Guild Master, may I help?”

“Are you going to join?”

“Of course!”

“Then… go help her.”

“Yes! I’d love to!”

Yulia let out a cry of delight and ran over to Zenia.

A bewildered Zenia soon began handing out application forms with Yulia.

I watched them blankly for a moment before turning to Kaiel.

“Sir Kaiel, what on earth did you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“What kind of advertisement did you run to attract such a crowd? Don’t tell me you made some false claim like they’d get rich if they joined?”

“Do you believe this crowd gathered because of the advertisement?”

“Of course. Why else would so many people be here?”

Kaiel began to laugh, and Johan joined in. I glared at them sullenly.

“Why are you both laughing like that? It’s unsettling.”

Kaiel pointed to the scattered, abandoned tents in front of the building.

“The advertisements only started running this morning. Do you think the people who brought those tents saw them?”

“…”

“Your Grace, these people would have gathered even without any advertisements.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

Johan gently placed a hand on my shoulder. His soft smile gradually calmed my churning stomach.

“Because they believe in you, Lady Astell.”

“In me…?”

“They believe you are a hero. That is why they have flocked here—to protect this world alongside their hero.”

Johan’s explanation sent a chill down my spine, freezing my heart.

I’m not a hero who saves the world. I’m the mad princess who would let the world fall to ruin just because she doesn’t want to die.

“…I see.”

But I had no choice but to answer calmly. I couldn’t let my true feelings show.

Because I am the villain.

* * *

After reading applications until my eyes felt like they would fall out, I took a short break with only the last two left.

In a single day, 286 hunters had applied to join.

There were not only hunters from the Empire but also from Akron. This was a result even I hadn’t anticipated.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

I discreetly pushed one of the two remaining applications aside.

“Accepting the Master of the Magic Tower as a guild member is a bit… burdensome.”

Kaiel, who had nonchalantly submitted his application without a word to me, hardened his expression.

“You’re accepting the Second Prince as a guild member. Why not me?”

“The Second Prince is my lover…”

“And? Have you forgotten? You were the one who said any hunter could join.”

“…”

The reason I’d dangled the formulas as bait for Kaiel was to draw in mages from the Magic Tower as guild members.

That was the only reason, but things were taking a strange turn.