Chapter 326

+25 BONUS

After the Inferno Guild, the next announcement came from the capital's physician's office, Arcane Sanctum. They had sent various precious medicinal herbs, including a century-old rare herb and a snow lily.

Following Arcane Sanctum was the Tideborn Guild, which also sent rare treasures. Among them, Mystic Pearls were the most prized. They seemed determined to outdo the Inferno Guild, delivering three jars of Mystic Pearls, along with a variety of gemstones. Their offerings filled three entire boxes.

Viola grew colder and trembled with each announcement. The more she heard, the more her body shook.

Carissa also felt her body shiver more with every announcement. She could hardly hear the list of gifts, only the names of the guilds. Many of these guilds were unfamiliar to her.

Why would they add to her trousseau? It must have been her master who informed them.

Finally, after hearing announcements from six or seven more guilds, Carissa recognized the voice of her fifth guild senior:

“The goddaughter of the Pathfinders Guild’s leader is getting married. The guild has sent a dowry of one hundred and eight chests, ten shops in the capital, two estates in Meadow Ridge, and ten thousand gold coins.”

The sound reverberated through the long street, likely audible for ten streets around.

The Pathfinders Guild? Carissa was indeed an apprentice of the Pathfinders Guild, but was she more than just an apprentice? The sheer weight of the dowry items left everyone stunned.

Viola had also hired the Elegance Atelier’s maids for her makeup, and had a slightly heavier application due to a few freckles on her fair skin. Nevertheless, the blush was well-applied, giving her a more natural look. However, upon hearing the deafening shouts reverberating through several streets, her made-up face turned ghastly pale.

“What? The Pathfinders Guild sent what? One hundred and eight chests of items? Ten shops in the capital? Two estates? And ten thousand gold coins?”

This was impossible! Ten thousand gold coins was an unimaginable weight! How could it be carried? It had to be a mistake.

“Yvonne, go outside and see!” Viola shouted in disbelief.

Inside Northwatch Estate, Carissa covered her mouth with one hand, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. Oh, this wasn’t what she expected from her master. What kind of surprise was this? After days of shock, they chose to show up at the last moment to celebrate her joyful day. Was it to make her cry and ruin her makeup?

Lulu, who had been running alongside the dowry procession, turned anxiously when she heard the commotion from behind. Lulu recognized the members of the Pathfinders Guild carrying the chests. She hurried back, spotting several familiar faces among the crowd. Gasping, she ran back and shouted, “My lady! So many people have come! Your… the other guild instructors, your guild seniors, and guild juniors—they’ve all come! There are so many of them!”

Clutching her wedding gown, Carissa dashed out of the room. The moment she saw her master, tears began to stream down her face. She stood in front of the main hall door, stamping her feet repeatedly and spinning around in frustration. Her heavy crown was askew, and she wiped her tears vigorously. As people came in one by one, she couldn’t see them clearly anymore.

A tall figure approached her, a mix of affection and helplessness in his gaze. “You never shed a tear, even when you fought with others to the point of getting injured. Why are you crying so easily now? Don’t go telling everyone you’re Adrian Russell’s apprentice in that state, okay?”

Adrian’s rough, calloused hand gently brushed her face, wiping away her tears. With a sad smile, he added, “Enough now, don’t cry. Your makeup is too beautiful to ruin with tears. Was this beauty mark just for show? Why has it faded?”

Carissa sobbed uncontrollably. “Sage Adrian, you all lied to me! You said you wouldn’t come, and now you’re here. You’ve made me lose sleep for nights, and now, you show up just as I’m about to leave!”

She wiped her tears repeatedly, gradually managing to distinguish the faces of those who had arrived: her master, Everett, and her fellow guild members.

The head of the Inferno Guild, accompanied by his apprentices, also arrived. Violet was making faces at her, and even though Violet’s eyes were red, she still managed to smile.

There were members from the Crystal Bloom Guild, Lunar Guild, and Emerald Guild, as well as the eldest sons of prominent Ebonflow families and many other guilds Carissa didn’t recognize. Cynthia and Bun were also there, standing behind their own masters. They smiled at her, their own eyes misted with tears.