Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 55

Chapter 55

I followed him up the observatory stairs. Though it was a bit of an ordeal without an elevator, my excitement outweighed the effort.

The Crown Prince showed his identification badge to the startled observatory staff and exchanged a few words, then looked back at me as if he'd received permission.

"They won't spread word that we were here. Let's go."

"Yes...!"

Finally, we reached the observation area. One of the staff guided us.

"Yes, yes, Your, Your Highness. If you wish to view the stars..."

He seemed a bit nervous, but after explaining how to use the telescope, he left.

The telescope was so professional and complex that we fumbled at first, but soon got the hang of it. The Crown Prince slowly adjusted the telescope and fixed his gaze on one spot.

"Here."

"What do you see?"

"Quite a lot."

He handed the telescope to me. Careful not to disturb the settings he'd adjusted, I stepped onto the platform and brought my eye close.

"Wow..."

An exclamation escaped my lips.

Countless stars, invisible to the naked eye, shimmered and filled the sky. They were so unfamiliar that at first, it felt as if someone had deliberately dotted them there.

But the stars held their positions steadfastly. The stars I'd seen with the naked eye were just white dots, but seen like this, each had its own color.

They were so brilliant and beautiful that my anxiety melted away. I felt as if nothing in this universe could frighten me.

"I never thought I'd see something like this... Thank you..."

It was enough to make all my worries seem meaningless.

I pulled my eye away from the telescope and looked at the Crown Prince, realizing he'd been watching me the whole time. Feeling a bit shy, I smiled brightly.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"...Yes, they are. The way you focus on something... no, yes."

"Have you seen them often?"

"Occasionally as a child. It was a memory I'd forgotten, but I wanted to share it with you, Ms. Odrette."

"I never expected you to think of this..."

As I continued to admire the view through the telescope, he added.

"There's a constellation over there—can you see it?"

"A constellation?"

Honestly, constellations were just named arbitrarily, weren't they? As I tilted my head, his voice came from behind.

"Look closely. There should be a W shape."

That, I could find. Soon, I spotted it and exclaimed.

"I found it!"

"I always thought it resembled you, Ms. Odrette."

"Excuse me?"

"That constellation can be observed from anywhere. It's not as famous as the North Star, but it also serves as a guide for those who are lost."

"But why me..."

"Seeing how you help others made me think that."

Whether it was just empty words to comfort my anxiety or genuine, I couldn't tell, but my heart raced anyway. It felt good to know someone thought of me and cared for me this much.

"I was just doing my job..."

"That's precisely why I think people who do their jobs well are precious..."

"Ah..."

"If there were more people like that, this Empire would develop even further."

As expected of the Crown Prince—always thinking about the nation. For a moment I'd been flustered, but I suppose he was just praising me as a capable talent.

Still, it felt reassuring that I'd likely avoided the future where he locked me up as in the original story. I'd make sure not to slack off in building my guild.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After viewing the stars, I smiled at him again. Perhaps because I was in a good mood, I found myself laughing instead of trembling.

"Thanks to you, tonight will remain a good memory."

---

"Your Highness, what have you been doing out until this hour?"

When Cedrian finally returned to the office late, Eric, who seemed to have stayed, was furious. Seeing him, Cedrian felt guilty.

"Sorry I made you work late."

"No, what on earth happened? I thought you'd been taken somewhere! You said you'd be back soon..."

"I went to the observatory with Guild Master Odrette. I've made sure no one will talk, so don't worry."

"What the hell!"

Eric used an expression inappropriate for addressing the Crown Prince, then quickly pulled out a notebook.

"Surely...!"

☑ Long periods of looking in the mirror

☑ Pondering how to naturally start a conversation

☑ Giving expensive gifts

☑ Thinking about conversation topics for dates

Below that, one more line was added:

☑ Saying cheesy lines like "I'd even pluck the stars for you"

While Eric immersed himself in his imagination, Cedrian was also thinking.

'What an incredible spirit of sacrifice.'

Cedrian was now in awe of how noble and great a person Odrette was.

When he'd been in the form of Cedric, Odrette had done her best not to worry her subordinate.

And when he'd been in the form of the Crown Prince, she'd tried to hide her own sacrifices from her superior.

But Cedrian knew both sides of Odrette. Odrette as a superior, and Odrette as a subordinate.

And he loved both versions of her... Either way, Odrette was a responsible, devoted, and lovable person.

Perhaps anyone would inevitably come to like Odrette. Was there anyone else so perfect in this world?

"Sigh..."

When Cedrian sighed, Eric's eyes narrowed.

"That's the sigh of someone going mad because their love is so adorable. This is serious, Your Highness..."

Even as Eric spoke, Cedrian continued to think.

If only Odrette existed in this world, everyone would be full of love and like each other—what a pity...

No, if that happened, everyone would like Odrette too?

That was unbearable.

Or maybe not? Odrette deserved to be loved by everyone.

But then again, thinking about everyone liking Odrette made him jealous. He wished Odrette would pay attention only to him.

"Eric, how can I get attention as a subordinate?"

"Being absolutely terrible at your job would get you attention."

"I meant in a positive sense."

"Then you'd have to be good at your job."

"Hmm, I see. What about getting attention as a superior?"

"Why would you need attention from a superior? Ugh."

Those words wounded Cedrian slightly.

At the same time, he fell into thought.

'When should I reveal that I'm both Cedric and the Crown Prince?'

If he kept hiding it, Odrette would surely feel betrayed...

But he no longer wanted to even imagine Odrette looking at him with a sense of betrayal.

Wondering when to reveal his identity, Cedrian stayed up all night.

---

The Crown Prince saw me to my front door and returned to the palace.

Though I'd only slept a few hours, last night had been so pleasant that I wasn't tired.

'The Crown Prince is such a good person!'

His name in the original story was Cedrian.

Hmm, until now I'd kept my distance by calling him "Crown Prince," but maybe I could call him Cedrian now?

Because it felt like we'd grown closer.

Cedrian would think of me as his person too, right? He wouldn't suddenly lock me up someday, would he?

Worrying about the original story as I walked, I soon arrived at the guild.

"Good morning."

When I arrived with bright energy, I saw that the guild members had already arrived. But for some reason, Cedric's expression looked much more haggard and tired than usual.

"Cedric, did something happen?"

"...I couldn't sleep. There was something on my mind."

"I see. Let me know if you're too tired."

"No. I actually enjoy coming to work at the guild these days."

At those words, not just I but also Susanna and Morian looked at Cedric as if he were crazy. Was that maybe...

"Stockholm Syndrome...?"

Who would actually enjoy coming to work? I muttered without thinking, and Susanna and Morian each offered their opinions.

"I knew it was happening, but I didn't expect him to go this crazy."

"It's very serious. Extremely serious."

Back   Next