The Guild Master Whose Hobby Was Helping People Found Himself Surrounded by the Strongest, Overly Attached Members - 40

Chapter 40: Overwhelming Wealth 2

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“Th-these… What about all my clothes!?”

A few minutes later, I was in my room, drowning in despair. My simple, practical clothes had been replaced with extravagant jackets embroidered with lace and gold thread. On my desk sat a tea set and a bouquet of roses. And there was a mysterious portrait (of me) hanging on the wall.

“Ohohoho! Shin-sama must learn to recognize his own brilliance more! Now, please, put this on!”

Under Lady Ceres’s command and the old man’s unstoppable execution, I was stripped before I knew it and forced into the new outfit. Each time I slipped on a sleeve, cheers of “It suits you so well~!” erupted.

Each time a button was fastened, the old man nodded solemnly with, “Perfect.” I was nothing more than a dress-up doll. My head was about to burst from the shame and confusion.

“Ahhh~! You look absolutely wonderful!”

Ceres beamed at me with a radiant smile. Before I realized it, I was completely dressed in a gold-and-white ensemble, the kind you’d wear to a grand ball. And beside me, for some reason, the old man was holding a sketchbook, scribbling furiously. Next to him stood Lizette.

“…What are you two doing?”

““Recording.””

“Recording what!?”

“The moment milady’s dream takes form.”

“For the sake of fulfilling my own desires.”

“Stop itttttt!”

The others began gathering from the lobby. As I struggled in vain, Ceres pressed her hands to her cheeks and gazed dreamily at me.

“As I thought… The one I’ve chosen was not a mistake. Shin-sama, from this day forward, let us shine together—even in high society!”

“No, don’t pull me away from being an adventurer!”

“Ohohoho! But of course! However—enhancing the dignity of White Lamp will surely be of great use to you!”

Ceres declared with overflowing confidence. What frightened me was seeing the others nodding in agreement with her words.

Ragnar shouted in excitement.

“A plan to raise the commander’s charisma! Magnificent!”

Iris calmly analyzed.

“Indeed. She may have a point.”

No one—no one but me—was trying to stop this madness.

“But… Isn’t this going a little too far—”

“Shin-sama.”

Ceres took hold of my arm.Up close, her gaze was strangely earnest, almost like a pure maiden. Even the old man behind her reacted with a twitch.

“I truly love you.”

“—”

That one line made me fall silent for a moment. It was true. Everything she had done up to now—the chandelier, the lavish chair, even the ridiculous portrait—was, in her own way, an expression of affection. It was reckless, sure, but at the very least, her feelings toward me were genuine.

But—if I accepted everyone’s goodwill head-on, my ideal life would vanish without a trace. I didn’t dislike receiving affection. And, needless to say, Ceres was beautiful. The issue was balance. I needed to find a way to fulfill their wishes while keeping things on my rails.

It wouldn’t be easy to execute perfectly, but—given the situation—that had become my responsibility.

“…Ceres. The world of nobles and the world of us commoners are different.”

I gently held her hand. She blushed and twitched in surprise. So did the old man behind her.

“And… I don’t help people because I want gratitude. I do it simply because I want to.”

Without mentioning my… Peculiarities, I spoke quietly but firmly.

“…I also don’t like standing out too much. You’re a smart girl, Ceres. You understand that, don’t you?”

The room fell silent. Ceres blinked, then slowly nodded as if she had realized something.

“…In other words, what you mean to say is that true brilliance is not in outward appearance, but something that overflows from within?”

“That’s right.”

I answered immediately. Truthfully, I hadn’t thought that far at all. But recently I had learned something.

If you entrust your thoughts to someone who’s fond of you, they’ll conveniently misinterpret it in a good way and Ceres right now is the perfect example of that.

“As expected, I can never stand on the same pedestal, Shin-sama. …It seems I let myself get carried away.”

Her drill curls drooped as she lowered her gaze. Her voice was so small it was hard to believe she was the same person who had brought in a chandelier with such force.

“But still…”

She covered her mouth with her fan and peeked up at me anxiously. The usual confidence was gone, replaced with the face of a girl her age.

“…Please, don’t hate me. If you were to hate me, Shin-sama… I could never recover.”

“I don’t hate you. Just… Well.”

I glanced around the room. The chandelier. The gold-thread curtains. The ridiculous portrait. My stomach tightened.

“…It’d really help if you could return everything to how it was before.”

At that, Ceres’s face lit up with a bright smile.

“Understood! I shall restore everything at once! Everyone, begin clearing out!”

“As you command.”

With a single word, the old man removed the chandelier with impossible speed and carried off the vases. Ceres bustled about, pushing furniture and folding curtains with energetic grace. The efficiency was staggering. In mere minutes, the guild, once gaudy with decorations, had returned to its familiar, modest atmosphere.

“…Ahh, this is better.”

I sighed with relief, returned to the lobby, and sat down—only to find myself savoring the comfort of the chair.

“…Leave the chair and sofa as they are.”

“Eh?”

“I mean… Well, you know? It’s good for my back… Yeah?”

Ceres blushed with a delighted “My!”  while the younger trio cheered, “Yay!” Meanwhile, Rovan-san, holding his glass of liquor, gave me a withering stare.

“…Feels good to indulge a little, doesn’t it, kid?”

“O-only in moderation…”

And so, the sudden dignity-enhancement project came to an end—though…

“…Shin-sama. This portrait, I must beg you to let me keep that at least.”

Ceres cradled it like a treasure—the very same portrait of my face, drawn huge and framed in ornate gold.

“N-no, no way… That’s just embarrassing…”

“Shin-sama! This is proof of how I envision you. There is nothing embarrassing about it!”

She painted it herself…!? In the end, I was forced to give in. The portrait was hung in the most prominent spot in the lobby—right behind my chair.

“Wow~! It’s like Shin-san is watching over us!”

“Two commanders! What a blissful sight to see!”

Even if I couldn’t see it while seated, I could definitely feel those eyes boring into me.

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