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Chapter 33
From the marble-decorated exterior alone, I could tell this place wasn’t ordinary.
The inside, if anything, was even more extravagant.
“Gilbert.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“Can I talk like a country bumpkin who just came to the capital?”
“You mean, ‘I’ve never seen anything this fancy before’?”
I nodded without hesitation.
Gilbert burst out laughing.
“Impressive, right? Everyone’s jaw drops the first time they come here. They poured a ridiculous amount of money into this place.”
“Yeah, they really must’ve poured it in by the bucketload.”
There were marble statues, little fountains, and even a small orchestra performing in the lobby.
‘The world of the rich, huh.’
My humble, commoner heart was pounding.
‘No, wait, he hasn’t said he’s paying yet.’
I shouldn’t get my hopes up and then end up embarrassed later. I swore to myself to stay calm and quietly followed the staff.
Meanwhile, Felix walked a step ahead, looking perfectly at ease—like he was in his own home.
‘Well, he’s a Cazliden, after all.’
Even the most arrogant maître d’ wouldn’t dare shove a reservation book in the face of the Lord of Proud.
“This way, please.”
The staff led us to a VIP room down a long corridor.
‘Insane.’
Even here, the smell of money was overwhelming.
Like peeling an onion—layer after layer, it just oozed luxury.
I sat down slowly in the chair the staff pulled out for me and kept looking around at the magnificent interior.
White marble, blue carpets, finely carved wall patterns…
‘I’ve heard the royal dining hall is beautiful, but…’
I’d never seen it myself, yet this must be what it feels like.
‘The food prices must include the décor and ingredients, right?’
Yeah, with this kind of setup, it should be expensive. I told myself that as I glanced down at the menu.
‘What the—’
Holy crap, it was insanely expensive.
‘How many zeros is that?’
I never thought I’d live to say the line, “I’m a poor girl on a date with a rich guy,” but here we were.
And yet, no matter how many times I looked, the prices were still outrageous.
Just in case I’d have to pay, I looked for something cheap—like a salad.
‘50 gold?! That’s like a year of living expenses!’
This was madness. The world they live in (그사세)…
“What’s wrong, my lady?”
When I groaned over the menu, Gilbert asked.
I carefully closed it and said, “I’m… not that hungry.”
“What?”
He stared at me, wide-eyed.
“No way, my lady. We came all this way; you have to eat something!”
“But—”
My poor little wallet couldn’t handle this kind of trauma.
“Don’t worry, the young lord is paying. At least have dessert.”
“W-what? Who’s paying?”
“The young lord, of course.”
“What?”
Felix grumbled, “What about me?”
Gilbert shrugged.
“Isn’t it obvious? This place is so expensive I hardly ever come myself. If he’s offering to pay, we might as well go all out.”
“…”
“Still, don’t overdo it. If you’re too full, just drink some water and order dessert.”
“What’s the most famous—uh, I mean, the most expensive thing here?”
Things were suddenly looking up.
I quietly reopened the menu, and beside me, someone let out a soft laugh. When I turned, Felix was staring at me like I was unbelievable.
Feeling a little guilty, I hid my face behind the menu.
‘Crap, did it look too obvious that I’m mooching?’
But come on, this was the kind of restaurant where everything looked fancy and delicious!
Gilbert was right—if there’s ever a time to freeload, it’s now.
Even newly rich people don’t throw money around this casually.
“My lady, did you really think the young lord would go Dutch with you?”
What—how did he read my mind?!
Startled, I shook my head. “N-no?”
“You totally did.”
Gilbert chuckled knowingly. As expected from someone who deals with people all day, he had an uncanny lie detector.
“No, it’s just… these prices are a bit overwhelming for a humble commoner like me…”
“Oh, come on. The young lord isn’t stingy or petty. Maybe a little cold, harsh, and scary sometimes, but—”
“Hey.”
Felix shot him a sharp look. Gilbert coughed awkwardly and waved his hand.
“Anyway, just relax and order whatever you want. It’s a rare, legal opportunity to take money from the upper class.”
“Ohh.”
“Ohh? Really?”
Felix glanced sideways at me, holding his water glass.
“Don’t fill her head with nonsense.”
“Nonsense? It’s vital survival knowledge if you want to live in Proud.”
“That’s not how that works. Just eliminate the problem.”
“Well, that’s easy for you to say, my lord. Our lady here might be strong enough to hang someone up herself, but—”
Oh my god!
Before he could dig a deeper hole, I jabbed Gilbert in the side.
He quickly changed course.
“—what I mean is, she has a strong heart! Yes, a firm and noble heart. She’ll thrive in Proud if she keeps that attitude, right, my lady?”
Wow, so this is what it takes to be a guild master—top-tier improvisation.
Realizing that even lying well was a skill, I nodded fast.
Felix still looked suspicious, but luckily, I had my trusty menu as a shield.
“So, what’s the best dish here? Lobster? Or the tenderloin steak?”
“Just order them all. He’s paying anyway.”
“…Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Of course! This is the same man who once wired me a hundred billion without blinking.”
“Then I’ll have lobster, tenderloin steak, caviar, and shark fin soup.”
Gilbert barely managed to stifle his laughter.
“My lady knows what’s good. The shark fin is delicious.”
I hadn’t even known that—it just sounded expensive.
“I thought it might taste good,” I lied smoothly.
Fine. Let’s say I just happen to have the palate of a billionaire. Adjusting my ‘concept,’ I quickly scanned the rest of the menu.
Then Felix, who’d been staring holes into my cheek, suddenly spoke.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes?”
Startled, I snapped the menu shut.
“How much do you know?”
“…Huh?”
What was that supposed to mean? Was he mad about how much I ordered? I’d heard that rich people could be the stingiest.
But wait, didn’t they just say he wasn’t like that?
“What floor do you work on?”
“Floor?”
“Yeah. You seem to come to the guild often—where exactly do you work?”
“Uh, um…”
I mean, it was true I was there pretty much every day.
Before I could answer, Gilbert jumped in.
“She works with me, my lord. I needed an assistant, and she was the perfect fit.”
“Does she have any skills?”
Wow, that phrasing rubbed me the wrong way.
