Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: That Guy's a Monster
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My daily bakery-making plan as Sien Mirmod continued.
The most important part of that plan—or rather, the biggest obstacle to harmony—was this guy.
I called him "Boss," then grabbed his hand tight and grinned. He scratched the back of his neck.
"......Boss, huh."
His expression looked a little innocent.
I stared at him quietly, then tilted my head.
"Boss, right!"
"......Why'd you call me?"
"Let's make some bread."
I beamed at him, and he looked down at me skeptically. But he was still gripping my hand—which he could easily crush with his strength—so no matter how I looked at it, he seemed to want to make bread.
Plus, while the boss was acting all stiff, the gypsy kids next to him were completely entranced by the kitchen.
I grinned and blinked up at the boss.
"Yeah? Come on."
That was when it happened.
An unexpected saboteur blocked my plan.
"No way!"
The brown-haired boy shouted so loud it made my ears ring, then stared at me. He roughly yanked my sleeve.
It was pretty violent, and I nearly tumbled to the floor with a crash, but I barely steadied myself. Ted started to draw his sword at the sight, but I shook my head no.
For now, let's hear what this boy has to say.
I'd just gotten my footing back when the boy spoke in a cold, commanding tone, like he couldn't care less.
"I don't like him. Get rid of him."
Since he'd been the victim of violence, I decided to respect his wishes.
"......Oh, yeah."
But even so, completely excluding the boss and the other kids didn't sit right with me.
So I came to one conclusion.
"Okay, the boss and his friends can use the left side of the kitchen, and you and me will use the right."
I planned to get close to this brown-haired boy, while leaving the boss and the gypsies to Asid, Ted, and the maid sisters.
To find out why the boss and this brown-haired boy were fighting, I'd have to ask the brown-haired one first.
I winked at the boss.
He looked utterly deflated for a brief moment, then nodded.
'It's definitely not just simple violence—there's something more.'
The spring-melt expression he'd almost had earlier was gone, replaced by a winter-frost one.
'What is that closed-off look on his face?'
I rolled my eyes and looked at the brown-haired boy, the victim of the violence.
For now, I'd butter him up properly and figure out exactly what happened.
***
Unlike the kids' complicated relationships, the savory aroma of baking bread soon filled the air.
We divided the round kitchen into two sections, and the fun bread-making time continued.
I left the maid sisters—who were twitching to join me—Aisid, and Ted behind, and made bread alone with the brown-haired boy.
Slap on the hygiene gloves!
Kneading the fluffy dough with my little hands, then rolling it long across the cutting board like a ball—it gave a surprisingly thrilling sense of satisfaction.
I giggled as I squished and pounded the dough.
From nearby, the cook said, "As expected of our baby miss, handling the flour so well with those tiny hands."
I was staring contentedly at the rising dough when it happened.
The brown-haired boy next to me snatched my dough away. Then he casually placed it in front of himself like it was his own.
'What......?'
I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.
He wasn't making bread. Instead, he was eyeing my dough greedily. He kneaded it like it was his, but when it didn't work, he slammed it onto the cutting board.
"What?"
I stood on tiptoe, grabbed some more flour from far across the table, and remade the dough. He kept pounding his dough, getting flour all over his hands. Feeling a bit weirded out, I cautiously called to him again.
"Yeah, um."
"......Yes."
The boy flinched for a second. But he seemed in a better mood from making bread.
"Um...... what happened earlier?"
"......"
Thwack-!
Ignoring my question, the boy punched the dough—bam!
I startled and covered my ears tight. It was the first time I'd seen someone show such direct violence right in front of me. My tiny heart felt like it had dropped to the floor.
As Asid, Ted, and the maids rushed toward us, I waved them off to stay back.
I pressed down on my pounding heart and quietly watched the boy.
"That guy's a monster."
"Huh......?"
The word "monster" dripped with deep disgust. I stared at the boy, then rolled my eyes. Just how bad was it for him to call him that......?
"Everyone likes that guy. They don't know his dirty schemes."
There was clear resentment and inferiority.
I carefully opened my mouth.
"Yeah? What do you mean......?"
Luckily, maybe because he was still a kid with an immature mind, or maybe he wanted to pull me completely to his side, he glared at the boss—who kept watching us—and said,
"That guy's filthy. I never bullied him, but he chased me down just for my pranks......!"
"Huh?"
I tilted my head.
"What kind of prank?"
He stared at me. Then he grinned slyly.
"Can't tell you that."
Seeing that smile made my stomach churn weirdly.
Really weirdly.
"......If you come back later, I'll tell you what the prank was."
I kept kneading the dough as I pondered. I remembered the advice I'd quietly given the maid sisters when I sent the boss over.
I'd told them to play with him enjoyably, then subtly probe. And to get info on the wandering gypsy sorcerer.
I wondered if the maid sisters had succeeded.
I nodded awkwardly at the brown-haired boy.
***
The fun bread-making time ended.
The boys on the other side were giggling excitedly, their faces covered in flour.
One boy near the boss came running up to me.
"Coming back tomorrow too?"
"......Yeah!"
I nodded vigorously.
My twin pigtails whipped around with the motion.
The boy in front of me let out an admiring sigh, and the gypsies' eyes sparkled.
They were all looking at me with envious gazes.
At first I hadn't noticed, but these gypsy kids turned out to be more innocent than I'd thought.
Exactly two exceptions.
The boss and the brown-haired boy.
......These two had clearly crossed an irreversible river.
Looking at Deadri sister, who stood nailed to the spot behind the boss, it seemed he'd said something to her. Her heart's door was starting to open a bit.
'......He really made me curious.'
I smiled faintly and waved.
"Now let's go hand out the bread!"
I cradled the bread, then slid it neatly onto the tray.
Now, more than the kids' power struggles, it was time to find that amazing sorcerer!
The moment I clenched my fist, the boss spoke to me.
"Hey."
His tone was still rough and a bit prickly, but as I turned curiously, he wore a faint smile.
"......Thanks for making good memories for my kids, Sien Mirmod."
I'd never told the boss my name. How did he know?
"Huh......"
I blinked and nodded.
He laughed brightly.
"Now let's go give bread to the street folks. They'll love it."
I nodded hard.
The boss was starting to soften up!
Once his heart opened a bit more, I'd ask what happened.
As I gradually got closer while hearing the orphanage gypsy kids' backstories one by one, I'd find the sorcerer.
And the first step in that plan.
Small talk!
Keeping a smile on my lips, I looked at the bear-shaped bread in his hand and said,
"Yeah! You made bear bread......? So cute!"
But he looked shocked as he stared at me.
"This is...... castella......?"
......I froze in shock too.
I couldn't fathom how that hole-riddled thing could be called castella.
No matter how I thought about it, it felt like the distance between our hearts had grown.
But somehow, that boss.
"......Bear bread."
He seemed fun to tease.
I grinned at him, then turned away. Now it was really time to hand out the bread.
***
A somewhat dirty, rundown alley.
A fluffy tray was set down.
Atop it, delicious, pillowy breads wafted sweet aromas. Of course, there were the boss's clumsily shaped ones, but fresh from the oven, they were warm and tasty.
"Have some bread!"
"Free! It's free!"
Free bread.
The poor gypsies chatting haphazardly in the alley naturally lit up.
"Whoa, is that real?"
"Aren't those the orphanage kids from that corner?"
The gypsies all stood, eyeing the bread greedily. Thinking they could just overpower the little kids and take it all.
"Grab and run—"
"Hey. Look over there."
A gypsy's finger pointed at the burly maids.
"......F-Fine, hold back."
Fortunately, their vile fantasies quickly vanished thanks to the armed knights and muscle maids around the orphanage kids.
"Yeah...... Ha, let's just take one each."
This was the mindset of being weak against the strong and strong against the weak.
The gypsies lined up neatly and took bread one by one.
Meanwhile, Sien scanned each of their faces, searching for anyone from the original story.
'But there's really no sorcerer here.'
They were all grubby, with black hair...... black skin, no mole above the lip.
I sighed.
'Guess I need to get close to the gypsy friends and dig for info under the radar.'
I'd considered using an info guild, but gypsies were free spirits. No way they'd get caught in a guild's net.
I kept handing out bread while racking my brain.
At least one reward: people thanking me.
"Doing a good deed, little one."
"Yeah."
"First time seeing pink hair."
"Huh?"
"Means you're cute."
The kindly grandmas looked at me fondly as they passed. Blushing, I handed out bread diligently.
So far, no leads on anyone sorcerer-like.
Meaning no countermeasures yet against Axel Mirmod.
I could see my lifeline burning away, but oddly, I felt proud. Beaming, I wiped my forehead.
As the prepared bread steadily ran out, the maid sisters slipped back into the orphanage for more.
That's when some late-arriving gypsies blew up.
"You're a noble, right? Pitying us?"
"This bread's crap anyway."
The gypsies came up, gesturing rudely and cursing.
One jostled my big tray, sending a bread rolling—tok—to the ground.
Unfazed, I looked at them steadily.
But the other kids were different. Seeing their carefully made bread hit the dirt, the orphanage kids' gazes shook seriously.
They were hurt.
Ted, watching the scene, came to my side and menaced the gypsy like he was drawing his sword.
"Back off now. I won't stand for more."
"Ha! Big-shot noble with a knight escort. Ptoo!"
I bit my lip as he spat on the ground.
"Don't need your damn pity, got it?"
Quiet until then, I spoke to them.
"No!"
"......Then what is it."
Their faces twisted menacingly.
"Just...... my heart."
"......What? Like that exists."
"Giving 'cause I wanna. So take if you want. Not pity, nope."
The gypsies huffed.
They didn't take the bread I offered, just turned away.
"......Hey, let's go."
"Only 'cause of the knight."
Even with the good smell, refusing meant they really hated it.
As I stood there a bit downcast, the boss approached cautiously.
Unlike when he'd glared coldly at me earlier, or told me to "get lost" at first sight, he looked somewhat gentler.
"......Sien Mirmod."
"Yeah?"
"......You've got guts."
Hearing that reminded me of Leonhardt.
I tilted my head as the boss said my name.
Then, lowering his voice, he asked,
"Still curious?"
"......Huh?"
"Why I hate that punk."
His attitude still seemed heated.
I looked at the brown-haired boy heading into the orphanage.
"Yeah, curious."
I judged it worth asking about once.
He smirked and brushed back his hair.
But his eyes were definitely wavering.
Like he was worried about my reaction.