I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22. Suspicious Yet Competent Part-Timer (1)
“What in the world is this nonsense?”
“Nonsense? How could you say something so harsh!”
“Not you! I’m talking about this!”
“Ah. You mean that? It’s truly not difficult to understand, is it? As expected, the consideration of the Previous Witches really shines through in this recipe.”
Easy?
This is easy?
“Even if a Korean language teacher’s grandfather came here, he couldn’t interpret this!”
“Why would Korean language skills even be necessary here!”
“Anyone can see it’s necessary!”
This recipe wasn’t presented intuitively like the previous ones.
It was written like a poem, packed with metaphorical expressions.
What is the high mountain shrouded in night’s curtain, and why harvest dew?
What is this ascending and purifying, and why must it be done three times?
And what does it mean to tread like the earth?
“Why would I tread on espresso?”
“You know that’s not what it means!”
“I know! But even knowing that, I still have no idea what it actually means!”
I never expected this disaster to occur.
Until now, I’d thought everything was too easy.
According to Noir, this recipe was left behind by one of the Previous Witches from long ago—someone who was more skilled in potion-making than bread-making.
Since there were no security systems back then, the witches had written it in terms only they could understand.
“So Noir, do you know?”
“I don’t.”
“Didn’t you say you’ve served witches for generations?”
“That’s exactly why I don’t know. A butler is not a witch.”
“We’re doomed.”
Even Noir, my last hope, didn’t know what these words meant.
When she said it was easy, she was simply repeating what the witches passed down through generations had said—”Wow, she really wrote it so simply?”
“Sigh. Then let me try to interpret it.”
What choice do I have?
My bread has already reached its peak thanks to the witch’s recipe.
If I resort to commercial beans in this situation, not only would the economics not work out, but compared to the bread’s special quality, it would actually be a step backward.
I have no choice but to figure it out somehow.
“First, since it mentions ‘harvest,’ it must be referring to coffee beans.”
The keywords are night, high mountains, moonlight, and dew.
Let me start there.
I remembered there was a sack full of coffee beans on one side when I came in, so I pulled the strings on them one by one.
“There are three different types.”
[Bud of Dawn]
▷ Coffee beans harvested when the dawn constellations graced the coffee trees growing wild in the plains where flowers bloomed in profusion.
▷ They emit a clear yet subtle floral fragrance.
[Sunset’s Cry]
▷ Coffee beans harvested by burning rage from coffee trees blooming in the ashes of war that swept across the battlefield.
▷ Their rough, smoky flavor is exquisite.
“These two aren’t it. Then it must be this one.”
[Midnight Dew]
▷ Coffee beans harvested by moonlight in the dead of night from coffee trees blooming only on dew atop the lofty mountain peaks.
▷ Their nutty richness and acidity achieve perfect balance.
“This might be easier than I thought?”
“See? Owner. Everyone said it was easy, didn’t they?”
I’d already deciphered half of it.
If I continued at this pace, the remaining lines would be incredibly simple to interpret.
“Right. Let me give it a shot.”
* * *
“Hey.”
“Meow.”
“Answer me. Stop pretending to be a cat now.”
“M-meooow….”
I sighed watching Noir turn away, staring only out the window.
Right, nothing would change by doing this anyway.
“I seriously have no idea what you’re saying.”
In the end, I spent the entire night absorbed in deciphering, but it all ended in failure.
If the interpretation doesn’t work, shouldn’t I just try something else?
“All failures. Complete failures.”
I’d attempted various trials using the available ‘Midnight Dew,’ but they all resulted in failure.
Wondering if perhaps I’d misinterpreted from the bean selection itself, I tried using different beans, but the result was the same.
“I just keep getting this.”
[Witch’s Failed Espresso]
▷ Literally, it’s a witch’s failed espresso.
▷ Um… you were trying to make espresso, right? Right?
“Ugh. This won’t do.”
Staring at the status window that kept scratching at my mind, I felt too irritated to continue.
Besides, I had no more time to pour into this anyway.
“Looks like I’ll have to work after pulling an all-nighter.”
The sun beginning to rise meant I had to return to my main business.
Reluctantly, I needed to bake bread for today’s sales.
“Noir. Let’s go.”
“Meow.”
“Sigh.”
I returned to the bakery, cradling the creature that had fallen into lethargy and could no longer move.
The moment I pulled fresh bread from the oven and opened the door, customers streamed in.
“Welcome!”
“Where are the baguettes?”
“They’re over there. Is there anything else you’re looking for?”
“Diet bread!”
“The pumpernickel is this way.”
Customers grabbed the breads baked from the Witch’s recipe, along with other varieties.
And today, I had prepared yet another weapon to capitalize on this momentum.
“Oh? Is this salt bread? Didn’t you have this last time?”
“Ah, yes. I just finished developing the recipe. I’m starting sales today.”
It was the special salt bread whose recipe I had obtained just yesterday.
Since I couldn’t sit idle while deciphering the Witch’s espresso recipe, I had baked it during that time.
“Then I’ll take this too!”
“Understood. That’s 2,000 won.”
“What? Why is it so cheap?”
And I had priced it affordably.
If I had only a little of Sky’s salt, I would have set the price higher, but thanks to Sky and the Cheonryong Guild members’ help, I had more than enough salt to spare.
Perhaps that was the reason.
[You have acquired 5 BP.]
[You have acquired 5 BP.]
[You have acquired 5 BP.]
[….]
BP accumulated endlessly.
“And it’s not just BP.”
Now I was finally beginning to generate proper profit!
The business gradually entered stable territory.
Now I had surpassed the level of merely worrying about rent and could actually calculate net profit.
As I worked frantically, time had already slipped to 10 o’clock.
“Ah. I need to make a call.”
There was a customer who had made a reservation for pumpernickel earlier.
If I recalled correctly, she had mentioned it would take some time to get here, so I was about to call her quickly when—
Ding~
“Welcome. Oh? Customer?”
“Ah. Um… hello….”
A blonde-haired customer dressed in plain training clothes, armed with sunglasses and a mask across her face.
Her name was definitely….
“You’re Kim Chae-eun, aren’t you?”
“Eek!”
“Yes?”
“No… that’s not it….”
She startled at the sound of her name, jumping back with a gasp.
Interacting with people must be difficult for her.
And here I was, calling out her full name so bluntly—no wonder she looked so flustered.
“I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just….”
“You came for the bread, right? I was just about to text you, but you’re here early?”
“Yes….”
I’d expected her to arrive around closing time, but she’d shown up before the sun had even reached its zenith.
But the bread was ready, so it didn’t matter.
I carefully sliced and packaged the pumpernickel loaves I’d set aside earlier, then quickly grabbed a Salt Bread from beside me and handed it over.
“Here you are. Enjoy.”
“Oh? What’s this?”
“It’s on the house. A service. Haha.”
“Ah. Thank you.”
Though I’d tried to hide my face as much as possible, I could see her beaming smile.
They say customer service starts with the little things, and it seems they were right.
“Oh, and….”
“Yes?”
“This pumpernickel. Would it be possible to place a regular order for it?”
Perhaps it was because I’d shown genuine kindness.
Chae-eun had made a truly wonderful proposal.
A regular order, no less.
A guaranteed regular customer!
This was the stable income I’d only dreamed of!
I tried to calm my trembling heart as I asked.
“How much were you thinking of ordering regularly?”
“Hmm… roughly….”
Chae-eun counted on her fingers, estimating the quantity.
“60 a month?”
“What? 60?”
“Oh, no!”
It seemed she’d miscalculated.
There’s no way one person would eat 60 of these filling pumpernickel loaves every month, no matter what.
“90! Or rather, let me just order 100 at a time to be safe!”
It seemed she was planning to eat nothing but pumpernickel for every meal.
* * *
“Hehe. Pumpernickel, pumpernickel.”
Today was a day Chae-eun had been eagerly anticipating.
The day she could finally receive the pumpernickel she’d been waiting for.
“Ah. This is it. This scent.”
The moment I arrived home, I carelessly tossed my outer coat aside and immediately tore open the packaging to grab the bread.
Just holding it near my nose released such a comforting floral aroma.
“This is definitely bread I absolutely must eat one of every single day.”
It wasn’t just because it tasted good.
I had experienced it firsthand.
The almost magical efficacy of this bread.
“I’m certain. It’s because of this. Eating this bread enhances my workout results.”
Spouting words that would make anyone tell me to stop talking nonsense—that eating bread improves exercise effectiveness—without hesitation.
But I was absolutely convinced.
“With this bread… my comeback will be instantaneous. Eating whatever I want while dieting isn’t just a dream anymore!”
When I ate Pumpernickel and exercised, I barely got tired, and since I wasn’t overexerting myself, there was no risk of injury, and the results were remarkably visible.
So how could I not revere this bread?
“That’s why I ordered so much. My guild members need to try one each too.”
Once they eat it, the other Favor members will notice.
That this is the bread of faith itself.
“Just you wait, haters. I’ll make my comeback no matter what. Huff!”
Chae-eun crunched away at the Pumpernickel with burning determination.
Of course, she was happy throughout the process.
Perhaps because of that.
“Unnie! I’m heading out?”
“Mmph.”
“Ugh. What am I going to do with her like this? Seriously.”
My younger sister, who had stopped by briefly out of concern for me during my activity hiatus, didn’t hear my response.
Even if the malicious comments were forced, they were about dieting, but watching me lose my mind and do nothing but eat, my younger sister let out a deep sigh.
“She’ll figure it out fine, I guess. The smell is nice though.”
The moderately sweet and savory bread aroma seeping through the air.
Since my unnie definitely makes good money, she probably bought a bunch of delicious bread from somewhere like a hotel.
“There’s salt bread too?”
Looking closer, there was a single salt bread sitting separately in the packaging.
Thinking that bread worth eating so mindlessly must be delicious, she asked me.
“Unnie! I’m going to meet Haeryang. Can I take this?”
“Mmph.”
“Geez. Really.”
With faith in my blood relative who wouldn’t pay attention even if asked again, she took the bread.
Hoping that my only family member, who was waiting for my return, would regain strength eating this bread at least.
Time passed, and it was a foregone conclusion that I would rage upon discovering my salt bread was gone.
And….
“Huh… why are there tears….”
Tears streamed down the face of a woman who had tasted the salt bread that resolved abnormal conditions, without her even realizing it.
And whatever consequences that would bring upon Seung-hyun’s Bread Shop, it too was all part of a predetermined fate.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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