The Obsessive Male Leads Want to Eat Me Alive - Chapter 55

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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 55
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After Kirke’s assault had swept through like a tempest, the Imperial Palace carriages lay in ruins, their atmosphere as desolate as a funeral home.
Gerard’s adjutant, Abilos Teje, who had swiftly dispatched ravens to scout the surroundings, finally spoke.
“…They’ve vanished without a trace, Your Highness.”
Gerard’s fury erupted.
“AAAAAAHHHHH!”
He was consumed by madness to such a degree that he could not afford to consider his princely dignity or his usual image.
It had been within reach at last.
He had believed that useful, reckless girl was finally in his grasp. And yet she dared to mock him like this?
Successive failures had poisoned Gerard’s mind to its breaking point.
With veins bulging across his forehead, Gerard issued his command through eyes that had turned a sickly crimson.
“Assemble the swiftest soldiers and assassins from our forces to form a pursuit unit for Anette. Search every corner of all continents from beginning to end, the depths of the ocean, even the gaping maw of the abyss itself. Find that girl and bring her before me without fail.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“And mobilize all remaining forces to annihilate Kirke! Leave not a single one alive—bring me their corpses!”
“I shall obey, Your Highness!”
A grinding sound of teeth echoed from Gerard.
“These worthless guard dogs will be disposed of here and now.”
“…!!!”
Before the words had even finished, Gerard’s personal forces mercilessly slaughtered the Imperial Palace guards who had accompanied the procession. Blood sprayed like fountains, and heads fell like autumn leaves.
With eyes consumed by madness, Gerard roared at the rest.
“Let this be a lesson to all of you! Should you fail, you shall meet the same fate as these corpses!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
But Gerard did not know then.
That his countless forces would suffer countless failures and become corpses themselves, and that fresh reinforcements would be squandered in turn.
That they would never find a trace of the name ‘Kirke’.
That from that day forward, not a single soul would ever claim to have seen Kirke or Anette again—as if it were a lie.
It was, quite literally, an .
* * *
“Anette, where would you like to go?”
Anette, who had fortunately returned to human form in the chinchilla’s place, rode upon a horse with her arms wrapped around the Phantom Boy’s waist.
Clop, clop―
“Bayonere!”
Anette shouted again at the top of her lungs, worried that her voice had been carried away behind them. Her voice carried an unmistakable note of excitement.
“To Bayonere Island, please!”
“Bayonere Island…?”
“Yes!”
As Anette answered, she found herself sniffing at the Phantom Boy’s back.
‘Oh, without meaning to!’
The chinchilla’s habits still lingered…!
*That sweet scent… why does it feel so familiar? Where have I smelled it before?*
I tilted my head slightly, but the memory wouldn’t surface. Anette soon smiled and asked again.
“I’m going to make a fresh start on that island! Can you take me there right away?”
“….”
Phantom Boy gripped the reins with one hand and glanced back.
Toward the girl, his dark lips curved into a handsome smile.
“As the lady wishes.”
Clop, clop!
“Hah!”
As the boy tightened the reins and spurred the horse forward, the muscular black steed neighed loudly and galloped swiftly across the ground.
Sunlight streamed down brilliantly, illuminating their path with radiant warmth.
And so―
it was the perfect season for new life to blossom.
* * *
Bayonere Island.
One of countless islands belonging to the Bortage Territory on the Western Continent, blessed with pristine natural beauty and perpetually fair weather.
Though not a destination that drew crowds of tourists, it possessed a quiet charm and coziness—beautiful as a flower blooming in sunlight, and a wonderful place to call home.
The residents possessed cheerful and affectionate dispositions.
In such a place―
【The Little Bakery】 was open for business today as well.
“Well then, we’re opening for the day!”
The wooden window swung wide open.
“Ohhhhh!”
As the fragrant aroma of croissants baking wafted out, the customers already lined up outside sparkled with delight.
The bakery owner, a young woman with sweet-looking golden hair neatly tied back, greeted her patrons with an endearing smile.
“Welcome again today, Genji! You’re a bit late this time, aren’t you?”
Genji, a farmer with a honey-colored beard, was already drooling in anticipation.
“Hahaha! I couldn’t resist when I caught the scent of bread passing by. What’s good today?”
“All our breads are delicious, of course. But today, I’d recommend trying our tangy and nutty whole wheat sourdough with potato soup!”
At one table, a customer was already enthusiastically dunking bread into the potato soup with gusto, making satisfied sounds.
The slightly tangy and nutty bread, soaked in the soft and creamy potato soup, released layers of umami with each bite, and left the stomach warm and satisfied with every swallow.
Genji’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“Oh! I’ll have that set too!”
“Hehe, the date palm tart is delicious today as well!”
“I’ll take the dessert to go. It’s perfect for my daughter!”
“Of course~”
The bakery owner answered cheerfully and finished wrapping the package.
Then, from the back, a baker with crimson hair and golden eyes suddenly poked his head out.
“Glutinous rice!”
He wore an apron decorated with fluffy bread illustrations.
“The potato soup is running low.”
“Oh, Um. Couldn’t you make more?”
“Soup must simmer long and slow to become a dish worthy of bread. As you know, without my exceptional fire control and dedication, it simply won’t taste right! I can’t just whip it up on a whim.”
“―I see.”
The bakery owner smiled toward the customers, lowering his brows with a look of regret.
“The morning set is now sold out!”
“Nooooo!”
“This can’t be happening!”
The customers clutched their foreheads, groaning like zombies desperate for bread and potato soup.
But that’s simply how popular bakeries operate.
The morning set sells out within thirty minutes of opening.
The diminutive bakery owner consoled the customers and recommended other varieties of bread instead.
They departed with promises to arrive earlier tomorrow, their arms laden with freshly baked, fragrant loaves.
The small log bakery bearing the sign 【Little Bakery】 continued its successful operations for another day!
Yet this bakery had not always occupied this spot.
The proprietor, Miss Anette, first appeared on Bayonere Island at the age of twelve.
The girl who purchased a small house on the hillside repaired it herself, piece by piece, and made it her home.
And whatever she was doing, she always drifted through the village trailing the sweet aroma of fresh bread.
The villagers grew curious.
‘Why does that place always smell so delicious?’
The answer came soon enough.
The kindhearted girl frequently shared her bread with the neighbors, one loaf at a time.
Sometimes the bread was delicious, sometimes not—and when it wasn’t, the girl would study people’s expressions, then tap her chin and murmur, “Oh! I failed.”
At such moments, the villagers would scrutinize the bread carefully, wondering if perhaps she’d poisoned it.
Fortunately, no residents succumbed to poisoning.
As time passed, the frequency of “I failed” decreased rapidly.
When word began to spread that the bread she occasionally shared was truly delicious.
When the villagers started drooling with gleaming eyes whenever the girl passed by.
The 【Little Bakery】 opened to great success.
The secret to its popularity lay not merely in the bread’s taste—for in recent years, the bakery’s proprietress had become famous in her own right.
The small girl who once wandered the village had grown taller, her eyes taking on a fresh, spirited gleam, blossoming into quite a beautiful young woman.
Her long golden hair shimmered softly as if stardust had settled upon it, and her jade-green eyes held the essence of spring itself.
When she smiled, light radiated brilliantly from all around her.
The young men of Bayonere Island admired the bakery’s proprietress so deeply that they bought bread so frequently, there was a jest that they’d each gained five kilograms.
Yet a muscular assistant baker resembling a red wolf growled menacingly at her side, making it difficult for them to approach.
This young man was also one of the regulars.
Jingle―
The door opened, and a tall man stepped inside.
He appeared to be barely twenty years old.
Yet despite his lean frame, his bone structure was well-defined, suggesting a remarkably toned physique concealed beneath his ordinary clothes.
Of course, to Anette—whose obsession with bread was pathological—he would always remain nothing more than a big customer buying loaves.
‘Huh? He’s back again.’
Anette observed the man closely.
‘Hehe, our bakery’s VIP regular customer…!’
“Welcome!”
“Ah, hello there…”
Beneath curly brown hair sat a pair of rectangular spectacles, framing the image of a somewhat timid bookworm—the quintessential Nerd Young Man.
‘I wonder what he does for a living?’
The man had first appeared six months ago.
The Little Bakery opened at ten in the morning and closed by three at the latest, when the bread invariably sold out, yet he always arrived after two o’clock.
It was always during the quietest hours, when customers had thinned considerably.
Since then, he came at roughly the same time each visit, faithfully purchasing whatever bread remained.
‘Hmm, he comes three to four times a week and buys bread in bulk, so estimated weekly revenue from him is around 100,000 gold.’
This man spent a staggering 400,000 gold per month on bread alone.
‘I should cultivate this relationship properly.’
The conscientious proprietor approached him swiftly and spoke.
“Would you mind if I recommended something for you today?”
Crackle!
The Nerd Young Man, who had been selecting bread wrapped in paper, visibly startled, his shoulders jerking upward.
He reacted as though something radioactive had approached, and Anette herself blinked in momentary confusion, but upon closer inspection, she noticed his pale cheeks and earlobes had flushed a peachy pink.
Ah, the shy type?
‘Come to think of it, in six months he’s never initiated a conversation once.’
He always arrived like a phantom and dutifully purchased his bread. She sometimes wondered if he truly was a ghost, but the way he consistently withdrew money from his wallet proved he was decidedly human.
“Today our date palm tart came out wonderfully. Since you’re a loyal customer, I’ll give you a complimentary sample tart. It’s free!”
It was a lie. Today’s batch wasn’t selling, so her true intention was to have him taste this surplus product and hopefully buy more.
“…”
The man accepted the tart hesitantly, avoiding Anette’s gaze.
Then he parted his full lips and took a delicate bite with a crisp crunch, his mouth barely opening as he chewed with measured restraint.
He answered slowly.
“…Remarkably delicious.”
‘Hmm? His manner of speech…’
She had assumed he was just a neighborhood youth, but his accent and pronunciation were unexpectedly refined and elegant.
The young man gazed at her with an expression of genuine appreciation, then smiled gracefully with his handsome face.
“I am…truly grateful for your kindness, my lady.”
Beneath his striking emerald eyes lay a pair of charming dimples.

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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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