Chapter : 32
For example, when the knight unconsciously tried to call out to Oongni—
“Anyway, Princess…”
“I’m not a princess, I’m Mom! Dad!”
The baby dragon, seizing the opportunity, widened her big eyes.
Though her little body rested on Velix’s thigh, the intensity she gave off was terrifyingly dragon-like.
“Mom. Say it, Dad.”
Flustered, Velix licked his lower lip.
“Ah, right. So… you—”
“Call me Mom!”
“……”
Velix fell silent at Lulu’s unexpectedly forceful warning and mulled it over for a while.
At last, screwing his eyes shut, he mustered up the courage and mumbled,
“…M-Mom.”
“Honestly, sweetheart. Normally it’s Dad who calls Mom, Mom, not the other way around.”
“Ah-ha!”
The ones who were actually supposed to be called weren’t paying attention, immersed in their own conversation.
“……”
Suddenly, Velix missed Lian terribly.
That was when Angela abruptly stopped walking.
“Something’s off.”
“Eep!”
Because of that, Lulu, who had been perched on Oongni’s back, smacked her face into his rear and rubbed her forehead with her tiny hand.
“What is it, sis?” Del asked awkwardly.
Angela didn’t answer. She only narrowed her eyes slightly, staring ahead.
At the end of her gaze stood a massive barred building.
“According to the tracking artifact, she’s in that building. But this isn’t a merchant guild. Isn’t this the headquarters of the Twin-Blade Mercenaries?”
Del hurried up to whisper beside her.
“No, my daughter was definitely held by the Attran Guild.”
It was then—
“So you didn’t know. The Twin-Blade Mercenaries own the Attran Guild.”
At this unexpected piece of information, both Angela and Del turned their heads toward Velix.
Looking slightly taken aback, Velix asked,
“…You really didn’t know?”
“Velix, how do you know that?”
“Well, even our ducal house secretly owns the Reber Guild…”
Shocked, Angela quickly covered his mouth.
“The Reber Guild belongs to your family? Can you just blurt out a secret like that?”
Velix carefully pushed her hand aside.
“The Reber Guild’s master now belongs to the Princess. What does it matter?”
“…Does it work like that?”
“Anyway, this is the place.”
“I see.”
Did he just say something strange?
Angela shook her head. First things first—they had to rescue the family.
“To enter the guild formally, we’ll need to disguise ourselves as people befitting a guild. Let’s start with a clothing shop. And from now on, focus on your assigned roles.”
“Yes, madam.”
“Got it, sis.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Mom!”
Lulu was the only one to salute solemnly as she answered reverently.
A short while later, at a shop.
“Oh my, madam, you look stunning. Don’t you agree?”
“My mom’s so pretty! My mom’s the best!”
Angela, who had been bundled up in a black robe, now wore a lavish blue dress.
Velix donned a sleek suit with a fur cloak draped over it.
“You look… fine.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, no—I mean handsome. Handsome, my husband—!”
Angela had accidentally misspoken, and when she overcompensated with enthusiasm, Velix let out a gruff sigh.
“Well, look at me, wearing clothes like this!”
“Uncle, who are you?”
Lulu tilted her head, staring at the completely transformed Del.
“One might mistake you for a prince.”
Angela chuckled at her own joke that only she seemed to get.
Chase emerged next, wearing a navy suit with a violet fur cloak that matched his purple eyes.
His doll-like features, now adorned with such finery, gave him an almost sacred air, as though he belonged in a portrait despite his young age.
“……”
After staring at himself in the full-length mirror for some time, Chase suddenly spun in a circle.
Everyone was surprised by the unexpected action.
“Bucket list: wear pretty clothes and spin around—achieved.”
“Wha?!”
His flat gaze then landed on Lulu.
That’s right. This was all just to check off his bucket list…!
“Lulu’s wearing a pretty dress too! Lulu’s the best too!”
Meanwhile, Lulu burst through the door in her frilly dress, waiting eagerly for everyone’s reaction—
“Our daughter is the most beautiful of all—!”
Angela, naturally over-the-top without even trying to play the “mom” role, swept Lulu up in a hug.
…If I had a mom, would it feel like this?
Held in Angela’s arms, Lulu’s round cheeks lifted into a smile.
“Hehe.”
And just like that, Lulu’s bucket list—to have a family—was fulfilled as well.
At that same time.
Spotless. Perfect, without a single blemish.
Attran Guild’s overseer, Conrad, muttered as he wiped a window frame with his finger that no one was even looking at.
“…As I thought, the underlings only work hard if you nag them.”
He had just finished giving the maid Daisy a long lecture, all in the name of maintaining the Attran Guild’s “peace.”
As a result, the girl beside him quietly scrubbed away without a single complaint, cleaning the entire four-story mansion.
“Conrad, the client from that place has asked us to increase the supply of Brachsap herbs from 100 stalks to 200.”
“Oh? And the crop progress?”
“They whine that it’s hard to grow, but one of them’s a botanist. I’m sure he’ll do fine if we just threaten him a little.”
“Good.”
But then Conrad wrinkled his nose and sniffed.
“By the way, why do you all smell like weeds? Did you just come back from the fields?”
“Yes.”
“How many times have I told you to put on perfume afterwards? Do you want to openly advertise we’re growing illegal plants here?!”
“Well, it’s not like normal customers come here anyway…”
“Fool!”
Conrad smacked the mercenary’s back.
Dejected, the mercenaries slumped and sprayed themselves with perfume.
This place must remain spotless. No suspicious trace, not even a whiff of scent, must remain.
While muttering to himself, Conrad turned to vent his frustration on Daisy, who had been silent all along.
“What are you staring at? Keep scrubbing!”
“I-I wasn’t staring… Y-Yes, sir!”
Suddenly, an employee rushed over.
“Conrad, s-sir! A visitor has arrived. They wish to discuss a contract about minerals.”
“What? Minerals? Poisonous ones?”
“They said regular minerals.”
“What? How would legitimate traders know about us?”
In truth, the Attran Guild was a “guild” in name only—it was little more than a shabby mercenary band.
Their main trade items were illegal goods.
“They say they’re from the Reber Guild.”
“…Reber?”
At that, Conrad’s narrow, suspicious eyes widened with greed.
“Yes.”
“Well, well…”
The Reber Guild.
It dominated the southern and western markets of the Lydia Kingdom and was known as the most trusted trading house for nobles and wealthy commoners alike.
They know of our existence?
It was possible. Perhaps even the Reber Guild secretly dabbled in shady trades.
Quickly straightening his jacket, Conrad slipped a ring onto his finger.
“Bring them to the parlor immediately. Daisy, hide yourself! We can’t let such important guests see shabby sights.”
“…Yes.”
Barely audible, Daisy hurried into the corridor and vanished.
Shortly after.
In the parlor, Conrad sat waiting, admiring the gleam of his ring.
“This way to the parlor,” said the staff, ushering in the visitors from the Reber Guild.
“So this is the Attran Guild? Are you the one in charge?” asked a young woman, accompanied by a man who seemed to be her husband, a middle-aged man, and a child.
They don’t flinch at my ring?
And their attire was luxurious—most likely genuine guild people.
Conrad plastered a genial smile on his face and stood up.
“Welcome, welcome! Normally we receive notice before such visits… has something urgent occurred?”
“We’re in charge of the Reber Guild’s mineral division. While traveling as a family, we heard of a supposed guild that’s actually just mercenaries.”
“Ah, you must have heard from some high-level sources, ha ha ha!”
So they’re mineral dealers. Since they brought children, they must not know everything about us.
Not that it mattered.
If they were Reber Guild people, they’d have money. Travelers in particular were known to spend lavishly.
With enough flattery, Conrad might even sell them some overpriced goods.
He suppressed the greedy curl of his lips.
“A family trip, is it? You two must be very close as a couple. Who suggested the journey first?”
The couple exchanged solemn looks and then pointed at each other.
“She did.”
“It was my husband.”
