The Guild Master Whose Hobby Was Helping People Found Himself Surrounded by the Strongest, Overly Attached Members - 13

Chapter 13: I Absolutely Don’t Want to Prepare 2

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We finished our preparations for the request and disbanded, each heading into the night. Tomorrow was the day of the request… I tried to shut my eyes to that looming dread and sleep, but no matter how I turned, it weighed on my mind and kept me awake.

At times like this, it was actually better to get up once—it often brought me closer to sleep. For a change of pace, I walked to the guild’s lounge. In the cool air, the faint aroma of tea drifted about.

“…Lisette?”

Across a small round table, bathed in candlelight, she looked up at me and smiled softly.

“Shin-sama, thank you for your hard work today.”

“…Tea time? At this hour?”

Alone, at midnight? Come to think of it, why is she here at all?

Lisette should have her own home, and yet, for some reason, she was in the guild with unnerving frequency. I had assumed she stayed in one of the spare bedrooms, but whenever I checked, the sheets remained perfectly unwrinkled. In the first place, I hadn’t permitted guild members to stay overnight, but I was too unsettled to question her about it.

“I thought Shin-sama might not be able to sleep, so I prepared tea and waited.”

“…Waited? For me to come?”

“Yes. This is your preferred blend, Shin-sama. I made it slightly sweeter than usual.”

Lisette held out a cup. I accepted it and sat down, the faint scent of vanilla and herbs rising with the steam.

Why do you remember that?

“To remember what is precious to me is only natural, don’t you think?”

She said it so smoothly that it caught me off guard. Even though I hadn’t spoken aloud, it felt like she saw straight through me.

Precious, huh…

But Lisette’s definition of “precious” didn’t feel like the ordinary “I like this person well enough.” It felt more like “I’d stake my life on this one person” kind of thing.

“…Would it be alright if I sat beside you? Just for a little while.”

She picked up her own cup, pulled out a chair, and sat next to me—closer than appropriate. Not the distance between superior and subordinate, but of lovers.

“Do you have something you want to ask me?”

“No, nothing. I already understand what Shin-sama is thinking.”

Then you must also understand how I feel about that.

“…I just wanted some attention as well.”

Her voice was barely a whisper. Lisette always spoke with a calm composure, but now it carried a subtle softness, almost warmth. She sat not at the edge of her chair, but close enough that our arms nearly brushed.

The fragrance of her soap and the faint scent of flowers mingled with the tea. She reached for my cup, lifted it gently… and instead of handing it back, she sipped it herself.

“…Fufu. Just the right temperature.”

“…Wasn’t that cup for me?”

“Yes. But drinking the same thing makes me feel closer to you, Shin-sama.”

She gazed at me as she said it.

“I’ve thought about this for a while, but… You really spoil me, Lisette.”

Between the financial support and now this, I was being pampered left and right.

“Of course. You like sweet things, don’t you?”

She answered without hesitation, folding her arms. The motion emphasized her ample chest, and I instinctively averted my eyes.

“For example…”

She placed a small cloth bundle on the table. Inside were round, simple baked sweets, lightly browned with butter and sugar.

“I would be happy if they suited your taste, Shin-sama.”

“You made these too?”

“Of course. If I want attention, my preparations must be flawless.”

She showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment. Yet, her eyes shimmered faintly, as if holding something back. I reached for one of the cookies.

“How is it?”

“…Yeah. It’s good. The right amount of sweetness.”

At that, Lisette smiled softly, almost as though she had been rewarded.

“I’m glad that it suits your taste.”

She raised her cup to her lips. The same tea I had been drinking, with the exact same aroma. Setting it down, she leaned slightly toward me.

“…May I rest against you, just for a moment?”

She asked, but her posture already suggested reliance, leaving no room for refusal.

“…Do as you like.”

The moment I said it, Lisette exhaled softly and rested her head on my shoulder.

“Your shoulder is warm, Shin-sama.”

“I’m alive, after all.”

She chuckled quietly at my weak joke.

“…I think I may be a little selfish.”

“How so?”

“Because I don’t only want to serve you. I want to monopolize you. Your smile, your voice, your words… I want them all to be mine alone.”

A faint unease stirred in my chest.

“But I do understand. The top priority is always Shin-sama.”

Even as she said that, she took my hand, wrapping it in hers—gently, tenderly, yet with a firmness that implied she would never let go.

“I feel as though I’ve lived my entire life for this moment, to hold your hand. If it is your wish, I will give you everything. My sword, my knowledge, my time..  My life.”

Each word carried a weight that seemed too heavy for the quiet night to contain. And yet, strangely, there was no menace in them.

“From now on, please take the time to get to know me better, alright?”

“A-ah… Yeah.”

For now, I nodded.

“And if the opportunity arises, I would also like to help fulfill your…Preferences.”

At that, my throat involuntarily clicked.

“…Preferences? What exactly do you mean by that?”

When I asked, Lisette smiled just faintly, with a mischievous glint.

“How did it sound to you, Shin-sama?”

No way… Does she know? No, impossible.

She only smiled serenely, her usual composed expression.

“Th-then… I guess I’ll indulge a little tonight.”

I slipped an arm around her waist to hide my anxiety.

“Yes. Gladly. As much as you like.”

Lisette answered with calm warmth. I swallowed down the nagging doubt at the back of my mind along with another sip of tea.

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