Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 75

Chapter 75

"Eric, this is urgent."

"Ah, yes. It's about that guild again, I assume."

"You're being disrespectful."

"You're mistaken."

Cedrian ignored Eric's reaction and sighed, clearly wanting to be asked what was bothering him.

When Eric ignored that, Cedrian started talking on his own.

"Come to think of it, the capital has too few places for entertainment."

"Entertainment...?"

"Besides going to restaurants and cafes, there's nothing to do."

"Why are you talking like someone who's been dating for two years, exhausted all date courses, and is looking for new content?"

"Oh, there are parks. But even in parks, all you can do is walk around!"

"Then how about visiting an exhibition?"

"An exhibition?"

It was a good suggestion. At restaurants, cafes, and parks, the only conversation topics were work or personal matters, and Cedrian was at a disadvantage when it came to personal talk.

"Know any good exhibitions?"

"Didn't the Royal Art Museum just renovate? It's popular for its stylish souvenirs."

"Excellent idea. Even someone not interested in art could suggest visiting because the souvenirs are good."

Cedrian then began flipping through brochures about the Royal Art Museum on his own.

Watching him, Eric thought Cedrian seemed more accustomed to doing things himself than giving orders, but since it benefited him, he didn't say anything.

"Ah, this piece is good. I remember learning about it from my art teacher as a child. But without making it too obvious, I'll naturally..."

"You're researching the artworks in advance?"

"So I can provide the necessary background knowledge when needed, right?"

☑ Long periods of looking in the mirror

☑ Pondering how to naturally start a conversation

☑ Thinking about conversation topics for dates

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

☑ Researching everything and pretending not to know

As Eric diligently checked off items following His Majesty's instructions, he remembered something.

"But Your Highness, aren't you supposed to be pretending to be an ordinary social newcomer? Too much art knowledge might not be good."

"Don't worry. I'll consider all that and speak accordingly. ...Wait. It seems Ms. Odrette is starting to get curious about my past—what should I say about my previous company?"

"Excuse me?"

"Eric, this is an order. Find a suitable company I could have worked for and create a record for it."

"...What kind of company should it be?"

"One with strict hierarchy, emphasis on etiquette, and a family-like atmosphere..."

---

"Nice to see you on the weekend, Cedric!"

This wasn't an act—it was genuine. I had no friends, so on weekends I'd either investigate the Temple with Cedrian or go to the guild alone out of boredom.

Cedric, who always wore suits for work, was also in casual clothes today. Since it was summer, his arms were visible beneath his short-sleeved shirt. Hmm, did he exercise regularly?

"...The outfit suits you."

"Oh, really? Thank you."

I wore a flowy dress I'd never wear to the office. Wearing nice clothes made me feel excited too.

"Shall we go to the restaurant we talked about first?"

"Yes."

Well, we'd go to a restaurant and a cafe and casually dig into Cedric's past.

We chatted over a reasonably priced meal. To lighten the mood, I talked about the guild.

"I'll pay..."

"What are you saying? I'm the boss."

I quickly paid, and Cedric looked disappointed.

"But when dining with a woman, it's only natural for the man to pay..."

Hmm, if we were meeting privately that might be natural, but we were also colleagues.

"Where shall we go next? Should we go to a cafe?"

As soon as I said that, Cedric spoke up as if he'd been waiting.

"How about the Royal Art Museum? It's not far from here..."

"Ah, the place that recently renovated and is being promoted? Great, I wanted to go there too!"

"Did you?"

Cedric's face brightened—he'd apparently wanted to go too.

"Do you like art, Cedric?"

"I have some interest."

Well, considering Cedric's amazing artistic skills, that wasn't surprising.

"...I, outside, you can just call me by name."

"Really? Okay, Cedric. You don't have to call me Guild Master either."

"Th-then I'll call you Ms. Odrette..."

I was about to ask if that wasn't too formal, but since Cedric seemed happy about it, I let it be. Maybe he found excitement in saying his boss's name.

I'd heard from Susanna that the newly renovated Royal Art Museum was a hot spot for young people.

"Oh my, Guild Master, you're behind on trends! The souvenirs they sell there are super popular! So many cute things!"

"Hoho, more popular than a certain essay?"

Even Morian knew the museum was popular.

"Admission is free. The air conditioning is good, so when it's hot, people just sit inside for free."

"Ah, I see..."

Anyway, I'd wanted to go too, and it seemed Cedric felt the same.

"Wow."

Entering the museum for free, we saw a splendid marble building and dazzling chandeliers. The overall interior was antique and elegant.

"It's so big, I don't know where to start!"

"I heard the second floor, Hall 2 is the most popular, and Hall 12 on the second floor is less popular but has wonderful artworks."

"Wow, let's start there then?"

Cedric guided us smoothly, so we could find our way even in the complex museum.

Entering Hall 2 first, there were quite a few visitors, just as Cedric had said.

"This still life is pretty."

"I like this camel."

"Right, the animals are cute, aren't they?"

We walked along, leaving light comments, and eventually stopped before a large painting in the center.

Titled Man Standing by the Window, it was an oil painting of a man gazing out the window. Outside, a bright cityscape stretched out, but the man's face wasn't visible.

"The man's face being hidden is intentional, right?"

When I asked, Cedric spoke as if he'd been waiting for the question.

"I think so too. Judging by the artist's name, this is from the transitional period between late Enlightenment and early Romanticism. The composition where the figure doesn't face the viewer is characteristic, and at the time, it was interpreted as a declaration that one would not explain their inner self to the outside."

What—if I hadn't asked, I'd have missed out.

"The light clearly comes from outside, but the figure's face remains hidden. So this painting is often seen as symbolizing an individual disconnected from the world, or a person who refused to stand at the center of history. Interestingly, other portraits by this artist from the same period all depict the subjects' eyes with obsessive detail. Only in this work did they deliberately erase the gaze."

"Is that guy a curator?"

"He must be a docent!"

"...Cedric, you really know art history well."

"I-it's just an interest..."

"Right, that's why you did the former Guild Master's son's art homework so well."

His extensive knowledge left me bewildered.

"So what's the conclusion?"

"W-well, as far as I know, one interpretation is that it's a person who has seen something they didn't want to see."

"Something they didn't want to see..."

I looked at the work again. It was a painting with a strong artistic personality—even without Cedric's explanation, it was eye-catching. But this...

"Maybe it's failed redevelopment?"

"Excuse me?"

"Look. All the buildings in the city the man is looking at seem new. But the building he's in looks shabby, from the walls down. Maybe he held out but the redevelopment failed?"

"Oh."

Cedric's eyes widened.

"That's a very fresh and novel interpretation."

"It was a joke... I do have some cultural education, you know..."

By now, I couldn't tell whether Cedric was flattering me or being sincere. Last time I checked, his Stockholm Syndrome was pretty severe too.

Back   Next