“I have also kept the consolation money that was sent along with the letter of condolence.”
The Guild Master, Grace, pulled out the letter and the jewelry.
After conquering the mansion, she had sent consolation money to the relatives of her retainers while tidying up the situation. It wasn’t as if she was starving so much that she couldn’t even eat a proper chicken skewer.
“Although I couldn’t visit because of the surrounding circumstances, I always prayed for you to overcome this situation. Your older sister would have felt the same way.”
Huh.
I wasn’t alone.
So moving.
Chit-chat about trivial matters and updates continued.
The Guild Master sent a sympathetic gaze. Her hand reached out and gently held the girl’s hand.
“You must have had such a hard time.”
The warmth soothed my heart.
“Y-yes.”
“You will only walk on flower path from now on.”
Her hand patted my knuckles.
“Yes.”
Pastel’s eyes were red.
This person seems really nice.
My guard lowered gradually.
Kindness was overflowing.
I felt like I would readily accept any request this person made.
I might even have to entertain a murder contract.
Nod nod.
Even the Hormonal Friend agrees.
The demon muttered softly with a complicated tone.
“I said not to let your guard down….”
I understood why my heart was melting, but the thought of my vigilance completely fading seemed concerning.
Pastel flinched.
I realized the corners of my mouth had relaxed.
Ah.
Had I slipped out of business mode already?!
I was totally defenseless!
Ahhh.
But, but.
How could I not soften my heart when the maid Emma’s relative spoke so kindly? It’s only natural to get teary-eyed.
Sniff sniff.
Of course, I knew rationally that this was merely an ice-breaking session before the real business began and a rapport-building exercise. It was obvious that the relaxation of my guard was a business tactic from the opponent.
However, rationality aside, my heart felt good.
Yes, yes!
Since I had received Emma’s goodwill, it wouldn’t be too bad to be scammed once by her relatives, right?
Huh.
That’s completely right.
Pastel is so smart!
Pastel casually exchanged pleasantries.
With my guard completely lowered and an open heart, it was actually the Guild Master who reacted.
The Guild Master seemed surprised that her cunning rhetoric aimed at the child’s difficult family history was working so well. She looked a bit sorry.
It was as if she sat down to deal with a crafty clan leader but then realized the opponent was just a child.
“I-I’m sorry. You’ve really been through a lot. All alone….”
The Guild Master seemed to have a pang of conscience. The folding fan opened up and began to flutter hurriedly.
Of course, while I felt inclined to be deceived, I wasn’t about to completely let go of my business mode, and I quickly noticed the Guild Master’s change.
Wow.
What a kind person.
Pastel was moved.
Kindness begets kindness.
Indeed, the world is beautiful.
“Yes, I did my best.”
I recalled the hunger I experienced before I resorted to small-time corruption.
Gurgle gurgle.
A life where I couldn’t even buy a chicken skewer.
Huff.
My eyes grew warm.
My chest felt heavy.
I instinctively wiped my eyes.
“Really, it was tough. I barely ate. If I had been just a bit less lucky, I might have starved to death.”
Tears came to my fingertips.
Huh.
I was really crying.
Ahh.
What a faux pas in a business setting.
I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve. My nose was running.
Ah, why am I like this.
If I start to cry, it’ll be a total disaster.
As Pastel flustered and tried to calm emotions, Grace felt her breath hitch at the sight.
This wasn’t the crafty clan leader she had anticipated.
She had expected a pretty and cute exterior to hide a dark heart, but this was truly just a child of that age.
“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to control myself. I’m really sorry.”
Pastel wiped her tears and sniffled.
Grace hurriedly took out a handkerchief.
“U-Use this.”
The hand handing over the handkerchief trembled.
“Thank you. I really apologize. Please wait a moment. I can calm down quickly.”
The child wiped her tears and sniffed. She folded the handkerchief and sniffed again.
The sight of the child trying hard not to be a nuisance in a public setting tugged at Grace’s heart. All the blunt tactics she had just used came rushing back to her mind.
She was acutely aware of the difficult circumstances. Who in this empire didn’t know about the fall of the Craft family?
Yet she had intentionally mentioned the child’s dark family situation, twisting her weak heart to find openings to peek inside.
A selfish process that aimed to evoke favorable emotions while recalling sympathetic memories.
What was the result of that?
The child was struggling to hold back tears. Then, while wiping her own tears that she couldn’t control, she kept apologizing.
Surely, she had reported that this was a bright child. A child with a beautiful smile and lively laughter.
How many wounds must be hidden beneath that bright exterior? And how had she so coldly wormed into that heart?
Her gaze fell on the letter of condolence and the jewelry.
To the child who had sent consolation payments to her retainers’ relatives, she…
Grace felt light-headed.
The calculations flew far away, and conscience filled her heart.
The Guild Master was no longer the Guild Master.
Before she knew it, a true child smiled brightly.
“Thank you! I’ll wash the handkerchief and return it! It’ll be completely clean!”
“N-No, you can keep it.”
I found it hard to meet the child’s eyes. I waved the folding fan with trembling hands.
“R-Right, but what brings you here, Your Grace?”
Grace had a mind to help this pitiful child with living expenses or anything similar. Beyond her heart, she felt a sense of duty.
“Ah! Right.”
The child smiled brightly. Then suddenly put on a serious expression.
How many wounds lie hidden in that smile?
How much effort lies behind that change?
Surely something pitiful that would break her heart would emerge.
A kind-hearted adult had opened their heart wide to take it on.
And then Pastel, sensing the opening, coldly punched into business mode.
“It concerns the establishment and operation of the guild under the Student Council. Since we’ve talked a lot about trivialities, I would like to discuss your acceptance and the profit-sharing ratio directly.”
Smuggling…?
Cold reality struck the Guild Master.
The kind-hearted adult was swept away before fully grasping the situation.
Pastel washed her face.
Splash splash.
Rub rub.
Splash splash.
“Phew!”
She took a fresh towel and dried her face.
“Wow, I didn’t even realize I had tear marks all over while focusing on the negotiation. No wonder the Guild Master was giving me such strange looks the whole time, wondering how silly the tear marks must have looked.”
So embarrassing.
“But I think I made the deal under good conditions, right?”
The Guild Master Grace agreed to take charge of everything from establishing to operating the student council guild in exchange for a portion of the profits. The capital would be covered by the Student Council.
Of course, the owner of the guild is Pastel.
With a whopping 100% stake.
Wow.
But why was Pastel the owner while Grace handled the management and the Student Council provided the capital?
The reason was…
Simply.
As the Vice President, Treasurer, Planning Director, Public Relations Director, Service Director, and Discipline Director, I wrote my name instead of the Student Council’s on the official contract.
Oh yeah.
“This is a very good deal. If that Guild Master were to contract on these terms every day, they should quit their business.”
Is it that much?
A sense of pride welled up.
“I caught it perfectly! The atmosphere changed immediately after I started crying, and I could see the Guild Master was flustered! They weren’t able to adapt to the change in the mood! Clearly, they had only attempted negotiations in serious or relaxed atmospheres before!”
A typical weakness of someone on the elite path. Though unintentional, it was a perfect opening.
“So I forced the negotiations through right away!”
Seizing the moment of confusion, I rattled off various matters.
“The fact that I concealed the professor’s letter of recommendation from the staff and hid my intentions added synergy! Being bombarded with new information left them more confused!”
This is business mode.
Pastel felt a sense of pride in her own intelligence.
“Can you believe how well it worked? The Guild Master was completely lost!”
Aha ha.
“I hope I didn’t push too hard with the poor maid’s younger sibling. Maybe I was too assertive based on my mood?”
Still, business is business, so I should give her something in addition to this contract.
Maybe a fruit basket (ingots).
Pastel laughed to herself and wiped her still-soaked face with her towel.
Wow, this towel is completely dry.
“Young Craft.”
“Huh?”
Pastel fiddled with the towel, then looked down at her sword.
“Don’t lose yourself to life.”
Huh.
“What do you mean?”
“…Never mind. Live without worries. Just be cheerful.”
Honestly, sometimes it’s really hard to understand the demon.
Maybe she’s just too old now.
Huh.
That’s truly a disrespectful thought!
An attack on the elderly that crosses bounds!
Ahhh.
I can’t even feel a sense of betrayal.
Pastel staggered under the piercing sting of conscience and hurried back to the reception room. I didn’t think of anything.
In the reception room, Guild Master Grace was gazing down at the contract with a haggard expression.
Huh.
Was the contract condition too much for the maid Emma’s relative?
Should I give up more than half the share?
Pastel, whose heart had softened rapidly, approached timidly.
“Guild Master…?”
Grace turned to look.
“Oh, you’re here.”
“Isn’t the contract condition a bit much?”
100% share seems excessive.
I patted my head and smiled foolishly.
Aha ha.
The Guild Master shook her head while looking at the contract in silence.
“It’s sufficient. Conducting smuggling under the Student Council’s authority has great merit. While the profit-sharing ratio is low, it is exceptionally safe. And I can privately take care of other matters.”
“Ahh!”
So you did take things into account as well.
Is this the dignity of a Guild Master?
Relief.
The Guild Master gave her a complicated look. A gaze that seemed to be both exploratory and compassionate.
Huh.
“Why do you look like that?”
The Guild Master shook her head.
“More importantly, even if the Scoff utilizes the Academy Skywhale, the manpower is an issue, so it’ll be difficult to establish a Craft Guild immediately.”
Huh.
“The core personnel and resources will likely need to be sourced from our guild, but we are currently busy with pirate suppression, so we don’t have the luxury to spare. The same goes for other guilds.”
“Ahh.”
It can’t be.
Automatic smuggling is under temporary inspection.
Pastel felt deep disappointment towards the pirates.
“It’s unacceptable that Emma’s relative is in trouble because of those ruthless pirates. I won’t stand for it!”
She jumped up from her seat.
“I will help with the pirate suppression!”
Pastel looked at the Guild Master with an aristocrat’s face.
She dignifiedly placed her hand on her chest.
“I, Pastel Love Craft, as the Craft Clan Leader, will gladly assist the maid’s younger sibling!”
With all my loyalty!
