Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 85- Fake Guppy

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I’d gotten the Guild Leader’s approval after returning from running away, and we’d raised enough capital for the guild, so why the hell can’t it work out?

Dylan laughed, despite the murderous aura I was giving off.

“I looked into Luna Guild after the general meeting. Even though Jerome came back, the guild’s got problems. In the end, they couldn’t meet the minimum member requirements.”

“…”

“The committee thinks they’ve waited long enough.”

At Dylan’s sudden chilling tone, I bit my lower lip.

As he said, the academy required at least six members to form a guild.

Even with me, Jerome, the Rabbit brothers, and Layla, we were still short one person.

Despite running around tirelessly to recruit, we were still one member short.

Dylan, who wore a smug expression, quietly added in a suggestive voice as I struggled with a troubled look on my face.

“Jeanne, why don’t you just give up and join our committee…?”

Bang!

“Dylan, you bastard! Did you steal my calculations again?”

The sudden entrance of Cedrick, booming with rage, caught everyone off guard.

Dylan raised both hands in mock surrender, laughing.

“Cedrick, you shouldn’t be losing your temper in front of your beloved sibling.”

Cedrick stopped in his tracks at Dylan’s words and finally noticed me.

Our eyes met awkwardly. Now that I thought about it, it had been a while since I last saw Cedrick.

He raised an eyebrow.

“What are you doing here?”

Maybe it was just my imagination, but the way Cedrick looked at Jeanne felt different.

When I first got pulled into this novel, his gaze was cold, as if he found me annoying.

But now, his eyes were warm, almost like he was looking at a real younger sibling.

It didn’t match his cold tone, but his gaze was unexpectedly gentle.

Suddenly, I remembered a conversation we’d had before.

“Cedrick, what guild are you in again?”

“I’d never do something as bothersome as that. I’m too busy helping Father. My path’s already set, so I don’t need to waste time with guild activities.”

Right.

After being thrown into this novel, I’d grown somewhat close to Cedrick, so maybe it wasn’t a totally impossible idea.

Glancing at Dylan, I spoke as calmly as I could.

“…Let me introduce you to the last member of the Luna Guild.”

Silence followed. Cedrick’s warm gaze suddenly turned sharp.

Sweat beaded on my forehead as I avoided his eyes.

Then Dylan, in a serious tone, murmured quietly.

“Quick thinking. 100 points.”

---

Ignoring Dylan, who was laughing at who-knows-what, I hurried over to Cedrick.

He stared at me in disbelief, and I put on my most pitiful face to plead.

“Cedrick, all you have to do is lend your name to the guild.”

If there was one thing I’d learned from past experience, it was that Cedrick responded better to emotional appeals than logic.

My desperate expression seemed to work as Cedrick’s shoulders twitched slightly.

Dylan, watching us with amusement, chimed in with a smirk.

“Give it up. That guy’s turned down recruitment offers from all the major guilds. Not just the big ones either, even the committee tried and got shot down. You siblings really lack charm, huh?”

“Shut up, idiot. I’ll see to it that you end up in Raseburn Prison.”

Even as those two bickered, my mind was focused on one thing: I had to recruit Cedrick.

He was good-looking, came from a great family, and was incredibly talented.

Ever since entering the academy, he’d never once lost the top spot.

His papers at the end of each term turned the academic world upside down, and his understanding of engineering made him a genius at developing magic tools.

If Cedrick joined, Luna Guild would regain its former glory in no time.

Of course, his temper was awful.

Actually, it was beyond awful.

But if I could recruit someone of Cedrick’s caliber, I could put up with that temper.

While he was busy hurling curses at Dylan, Cedrick suddenly turned and walked out of the committee room.

Dylan waved me after him, as if urging me to follow.

I quickly chased after Cedrick, but his long strides meant he was already far ahead.

I had to almost run to catch up.

“Is there something you want?”

“…”

“Something you want to eat before you die, maybe?”

The hallway was filled with workers, likely due to some renovation.

Despite the chaos, Cedrick kept walking without a single change in expression, until he suddenly stopped.

He turned toward me, his face dark with irritation.

“How many times have I told you to stop bothering me and stay locked in your room…?”

Just as Cedrick was about to start chewing me out, his gaze landed on something, and he went silent.

I followed his eyes.

The purple scarf tied at the end of my braid was fluttering in the breeze from the window.

“I’ve never seen that before. Where’d you get it?”

“Huh? Oh, a friend gave it to me.”

“Which friend? I didn’t know you had any friends I didn’t know about.”

Cedrick’s persistence reminded me of something I had forgotten.

Oh right, this guy was the crown princess’s fiancé!

This was it. I confidently replied.

“Layla gave it to me. She joined Luna Guild because of me in the first place. It wouldn’t be right for you to leave, since your fiancée’s in the guild. Don’t you think?”

“…”

“It could be a chance for you to score some points with her, too…”

“You really have a way of oversimplifying things, don’t you?”

Cedrick’s tone was sharp, and for a moment, I froze.

His expression, though, was oddly hurt.

When I hesitated, unable to respond, Cedrick grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward him.

“What if I already like someone else?”

I stumbled forward at the sudden pull, my eyes locking with his.

There was a strange emotion in Cedrick’s gaze—disappointment.

“Would you still say the same thing?”

His unexpected words shook me.

Right, Cedrick didn’t like Layla.

Their engagement had been arranged since childhood, with no say from either of them.

It was essentially a political marriage.

Layla liked Cedrick, but she also longed for freedom, not a forced marriage.

They were both victims of this arrangement.

And here I was, carelessly suggesting he use this situation to gain favor with his fiancée.

No wonder Cedrick was upset. Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I offered a quiet apology.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“…”

“It wasn’t just about Layla. I’ve hardly seen you lately since you’ve been so busy. I thought that if we were in the same guild, we’d run into each other more often, so I suggested it.”

As the heir to his prestigious family, Cedrick worked tirelessly to live up to expectations.

He spent late nights helping his father, engaged to someone he didn’t even love, and was constantly called upon by the treasury to solve the empire’s economic issues.

Whenever I saw him like that, I couldn’t help but see myself.

Back when I’d rush home after school, skipping out on time with friends to handle chores or practice archery, not because I wanted to, but because my father expected it of me.

It’s not always bad to sacrifice yourself for something, but if I could, I’d tell the past version of myself, Jieunsoo: “You don’t have to live like you’re just getting through a pile of laundry. It’s okay to live a little more happily. The world won’t fall apart because of it.”

“We can’t offer you extravagant conditions like the other big guilds, our ranking is low, the roof leaks rusty water sometimes, and 80% of our old guildhouse is mortgaged…”

“…”

“But it’ll definitely be fun being together.”

The strength slowly left Cedrick’s grip on my wrist.

I could feel his previously fierce demeanor softening.

Sensing this, I cautiously added, “Is that not enough?”

If Cedrick had retorted, “And what if my father is disappointed? How would you take responsibility, idiot?” I would have let him go without a fuss.

After all, believing it’s okay to live more happily is my philosophy, and Cedrick has his own.

However, instead of his usual irritation, Cedrick just stared at me in silence.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Jeanne, you…”

Just as Cedrick was about to say something, he suddenly pulled me into an embrace.

Before I could even question his sudden action, there was a crashing sound behind me.

“Are you alright?”

A worker fixing the chandelier on the ceiling shouted worriedly.

If Cedrick hadn’t pulled me toward him, I might have been hit by falling glass, though the chandelier itself wouldn’t have hit me.

I was about to thank him when Cedrick shoved me away. In that short moment, he had reverted to his usual fierce mood.

I cautiously asked, “…Weren’t you about to say something?”

“It’s nothing.”

“…”

“What fun? If I stay with you, nothing ever goes right—just a bunch of annoying problems.”

Ah, I see.

Humans are said to adapt, and I guess I’ve gotten used to his sharp words that used to pierce my heart.

It reminded me of a documentary I once watched about lions in the savanna mating.

I absentmindedly ignored his harsh words, but then I noticed his ears turning red.

I narrowed my eyes.

‘What a fool. Of course you’re overheated if you keep getting worked up like that.’

Cedrick clicked his tongue at my expression and arrogantly tilted his chin. “Lead the way.”

“Huh?”

“I said lead the way to the guildhouse. I’m curious to see just how incompetent the people are that such a successful guild like Luna is on the verge of collapse.”

Still dazed, I didn’t respond until Cedrick snapped, “What, are you not going to lead? If not, I’m leaving.”

I quickly waved my hand like a trained butler, “P-please follow me this way.”

Glancing back at Cedrick, who followed me without protest, I clenched my fist and smiled faintly.

‘You were right, Layla! It’s a lucky charm!’

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