Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 66- Fake Guild

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Carlisle’s sudden question left me speechless.

I clenched my fists and averted my gaze for no reason.

“Why are you so obsessed with Jerome? Like someone filled with insecurity.”

A subtle silence followed.

Carlisle, who had been watching me with a now expressionless face, spoke in a gentle tone.

“If you don’t join my guild, Luna Guild will disappear. Rhea borrowed carat from me to keep the guild running. The moment I demand repayment of all those carat…”

“……”

“The guild members and land of Luna will become Flare’s.”

The unbelievable words made my mind go blank.

Now that I thought about it, Carlisle had handed Rhea an envelope of money.

While Derek’s friends tried to take the guild’s land by force, Carlisle was using a far more cunning method.

“If you were planning to take it anyway, why did you lend them money for maintenance? Don’t you feel sorry for them?”

“That’s right. Initially, I lent them money with no intention of taking anything. It was more like a charity.”

“……”

“Until you joined the Luna Guild.”

So, he was threatening to financially pressure Luna if I didn’t join Flare.

I let out a bitter laugh, completely at a loss.

For a moment, I considered joining an entirely different guild, neither Flare nor Luna, but no one would accept Jeanne, who had no magical abilities, especially with such a poor reputation.

If I had known this guild had so much debt, I never would have joined in the first place.

Holding my throbbing forehead, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“How much did the rabbit brothers borrow?”

“Principal and interest together, 5 million carats.”

It suddenly felt like the guy who had punched Jeanne in the face was kinder by comparison.

In my previous life, I had been tormented by loan sharks because I couldn’t repay my debt, and now, after possessing this body, I suddenly owed 5 million carat again.

“Give me some time.”

After processing the situation, I became strangely calm.

Instead of thinking about repaying the debt, I started considering it an investment in the potential of the rabbit brothers, and suddenly, it didn’t seem like such a bad deal.

Just as I was mentally shifting gears, Carlisle abruptly held up a single finger.

“What are you doing now?”

When I realized what his gesture meant, I was horrified.

I grabbed Carlisle’s finger and shouted in frustration.

“Are you crazy? How am I supposed to raise 5 million carat in one month?”

“If you can’t repay it, just say so.”

“……”

“I’ll suggest a more convenient way.”

A large hand gripped my waist, and Carlisle’s thumb brushed over my stomach, sending chills down my spine.

Trembling, I whispered in disgust.

“Go to hell.”

“Yeah, that’s the look I wanted to see again.”

Why did everyone seem so eager to torment Jeanne?

Tears welled up in my eyes from the sheer injustice of it all.

Carlisle, watching me fume, buttoned up my robe and whispered.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. If it gets too tough, there’s always the convenient solution.”

Damn it!

After parting ways with Carlisle, I lost all reason.

The thought that Carlisle might steal my chastity, which I had barely protected from Jerome, sent heat rising through me.

I stormed into the guild house, kicking the door open with a loud bang.

The old door collapsed behind me with a crash.

“Rhea, Remi! Bring me the guild’s ledgers, right now!”

The rabbit brothers, who had been playing cards on the carpet, jumped up in a panic.

I scoured the guild house for anything of value, but all I found were strange-looking dolls and snacks.

Holding my head in my hands, I groaned.

‘I shouldn’t have given that mana stone to Duke Carlote.’

If I had sold that mana stone, I could have paid off the debt by now and then some.

But if I hadn’t handed over the mana stone, I wouldn’t have been able to enroll in the academy.

Rhea came running with the guild ledgers in hand.

“Here!”

“Who’s been keeping the ledgers?”

“What do you mean, ‘who’?”

Rhea blinked at me in confusion.

With a sinking feeling, I opened the guild ledger.

As expected, nothing was written in it.

Since the guild was in such a sorry state, they hadn’t even bothered to keep the books.

‘If things continue like this, not only will we be unable to repay the debt, but the guild won’t be able to function. We’ll need to hire a supply officer soon.’

But who would join a failing guild with no money, no guildmaster, and even a broken door?

“At this rate, we could lose the guild house.”

At my words, the rabbit brothers’ faces turned pale.

Rhea clung to my arm desperately.

“That… that can’t happen! We have to protect this place until the guildmaster returns. Isn’t there anything we can do?”

“Is there really nothing we can do?”

The rabbit brothers were on the verge of tears.

If I hadn’t joined the Luna Guild, Carlisle wouldn’t have suddenly demanded repayment.

Overwhelmed with guilt, I hesitated before speaking.

“There are two ways for the guild to make money. One is through guild commissions, and the other is by registering crafts with the magician’s trade association and selling them.”

That was right.

The guild wasn’t completely out of options.

But to earn money from guild commissions, we needed strong magic abilities.

Guild commissions typically involved fighting monsters or escorting clients.

However, Jeanne couldn’t use any magic, and the rabbit brothers’ magic was more supportive than offensive, making it difficult for us to make money from commissions.

‘Wait, in the original novel, around this time…’

Suddenly, a memory from the original story flashed through my mind.

I gasped in realization.

The rabbit brothers flinched at my sudden change in demeanor.

Suppressing the laughter bubbling up inside me, I slowly turned around.

“Do you two know the best way to make a lot of money in a short time?”

The rabbit brothers stared at me, confused.

Rhea cautiously offered her guess.

“L-labor…?”

“No, it’s saving! We should save!”

Shaking my head at their suggestions, I calmly explained.

“Both labor and saving are ways to make money, sure.

But they’re not the best methods for Luna Guild, which needs to earn 5 million carat in a month. There’s a much faster way.”

I walked over to the window and looked out at the massive field I had seen earlier while climbing the hill.

‘Even to someone like me who knows nothing about horticulture, that soil looked good. With dirt like that, any crop would grow strong.’

After gathering my thoughts, I spoke calmly.

“The best way to make money in a short time is through investment. Buy as much of a promising product as you can, then sell it when the price goes up. Of course, it’s riskier than labor or saving.”

“……”

“But, what if someone already knows what’s going to be a hit?”

A faint smile spread across his lips. His heart raced at the thought of finding a breakthrough.

Clenching his fist, he murmured,

“It’s only a matter of time before that person starts raking in the money.”

An eerie silence fell.

The rabbit brothers stared at me with suspicious eyes, as if they were looking at a cult leader.

I tore off two sheets of paper and scribbled down instructions.

Handing one sheet to each of the brothers, I spoke firmly.

“Even if you don’t understand, it’s fine. Just do exactly what I tell you. By the day after tomorrow, find someone who can perform the magic written here. Make sure to tell them the payment will be generous.”

The brothers blinked their large eyes.

They didn’t expect me to help them this eagerly.

But it wasn’t just for their sake—I had to protect this guild.

I wasn’t about to let things go Carlisle’s way. Slamming my palm on the table, I barked,

“Why aren’t you moving yet?”

Finally snapping out of it, the rabbit brothers dashed out of the guild house.

I sighed and steadied myself.

‘I can do this. I’m the one who created this world.’

I took off the robe I was wearing and tossed it carelessly into the corner.

As soon as I remembered the sticky touch lingering on my waist, I bit my lip hard.

‘Carlisle, things won’t go your way. Never.’

✽ ✽ ✽

In the dead of night, amid a raging thunderstorm, Twitty woke up to a strange noise coming from the greenhouse.

Yawning lazily, she grabbed the oil lamp from the wall and stepped out of her room.

‘What’s that noise?’

It was a series of sounds—clang, clang, like something being struck, followed by the heavy scraping of something being moved.

The mysterious noise was definitely coming from inside the glass greenhouse.

Without thinking, Twitty opened the door, and then screamed.

“Ahhh!”

There, squatting barefoot with her long hair untied, was Jeanne.

Her appearance was terrifying.

Jeanne sat motionless as Twitty, her voice trembling, shouted,

“L-Lady Jeanne? What on earth are you doing here?”

“You saw.”

Jeanne’s cryptic words only frightened Twitty more.

Twitty’s hand, which was gripping the oil lamp, began to shake.

“W-What do you mean…?”

“You saw it…”

Jeanne rose with a chilling expression, holding a small shovel in her hand.

Her eyes gleamed dangerously.

Twitty, shocked by the sight of Jeanne staggering towards her, fell backward.

“I-I’m sorry! Please, Lady Jeanne, spare my life!”

Twitty, trembling in fear, covered her face with her arms.

Jeanne, watching her in confusion, extended the shovel she was holding.

“What are you talking about? From now on, you’re an accomplice too. Take this.”

Twitty, completely bewildered, grabbed the shovel and awkwardly stood up.

Looking closely, she realized that Jeanne’s pale face and hands were covered in dirt.

Twitty hesitated before carefully asking,

“So, what are you doing at this hour, exactly?”

“What else?”

When Twitty saw what Jeanne had been digging up, she let out a sigh.

Jeanne, shaking the shovel in her hand, gave a faint smile.

“I’m searching for a gold vein.”

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(Translator: Twitty’s POV that’s why Jeanne pronouns are changed to she/her in the last narration.)

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