The Obsessive Male Leads Want to Eat Me Alive - Chapter 57

—————

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

—————

Chapter 57
While savoring chocolate and admiring the serene, peaceful landscape, I allowed myself a brief respite.
Basking in the warm sunlight was an added bonus.
Ahhhh—
“Well rested? Shall we head back inside?”
Upon entering, Um was sweeping the Bakery with practiced strokes, brush in hand.
And he was still wearing that fluffy bread-patterned apron.
‘You’ve truly become a capable assistant baker, Um.’
I wiped my nose with quiet satisfaction.
‘Hehe, it was quite difficult to coax him at first.’
Um, who could manipulate fire, was the perfect candidate to help with the Bakery’s labor—though he’d resisted fiercely at the start.
Like a large dog with an extreme aversion to leashes, he’d rebelled with loud protests.
‘So I had to gradually make him familiar with bread.’
“Um, just look at the beautiful golden color of this croissant!”
“No. I absolutely won’t look, so give up!”
Slowly, very slowly…
“Dip this freshly baked, fragrant morning bread into rich milk and taste it together. Delicious, isn’t it?”
“Hmph… it does have flavor.”
Slowly, I laid the trap of a cunning bread temptress.
“Chapssalsal, the full moon is particularly beautiful tonight.”
“It looks like an appetizing morning bread.”
“…Is that so?”
―In the end, Um had been absorbed into bread.
One day he simply donned the apron himself and gradually began assisting with the baking work.
Of course, he occasionally grumbled about his remarkable career transformation.
“Imperial Strategist, wealthiest man on the continent, War King who sparked a new civilization… and baker.”
But in a small business, labor costs comprise a substantial portion of expenses, you know…?
Accept reality, Um.
‘Hehe, an excellent cost reduction.’
Of course, the benefits of Um’s assistance extended far beyond operational savings.
There was an unexpectedly significant advantage as well.
I walked toward the lights illuminating the bread display cases and snapped my fingers lightly.
Pop!
At that gesture, the lights extinguished as if by magic.
It was Sordi’s power.
‘Sordi, as you spend more time with Um, your resonance is growing stronger.’
Thanks to this, I could now wield both their powers to a considerable degree.
Though it was still far from perfect.
For instance—
“Chapssalsal, we’ll be away for several days.”
“Oh… Is it already that time?”
“Yes, we’ve lingered here far too long. It’s time we returned.”
I still lacked the ability to keep Sordi and Um here indefinitely, among other limitations.
Yet it was better than before.
Consider our first meeting.
‘I couldn’t even summon them then—I had to ride a monster flower all the way to where they were.’
The second time, I managed to call them briefly to the Warehouse.
Later, I learned that the place where I’d first met Sordi and Um was called the Sorcerer’s Hall, where the spirits of sorcerers gathered.
They rested there normally, appearing only when I summoned them.
I answered with a bright smile.
“It’ll be a well-deserved vacation for you both. Go enjoy some delicious food and get plenty of rest. Sordi, Um.”
Sordi covered his eyes with his long sleeves and asked plaintively.
“What will we do if we miss our little one?”
“You’ll be fine!”
The red-haired wolf also grew serious, crossing his arms.
“Chapssalsal, running the little Bakery alone must be quite burdensome for you.”
“It’s manageable!”
Despite my steadfast defense, the worries of this doting couple only deepened.
“We might cry every day missing our little one. Thank goodness we have a portrait to console us.”
‘…When did you even paint that portrait?’
“Chapssalsal, summon me anytime. Even if you need an extra hand at the Bakery, call for me. I’ll leap out instantly, even if I’m resting―”
‘Please, just go back.’
I listened to their endless worries, and eventually, at Sordi’s suggestion of “let me embrace you once,” I hugged them both in turn.
‘Both of them have serious separation anxiety.’
I shook my head silently to myself.
After such a lengthy farewell—it took over thirty minutes—Sordi and Um finally returned to the Sorcerer’s Hall.
“Phew…”
I placed my hands on my hips and surveyed the now quiet and peaceful interior of the Bakery.
“Is this my time alone at last?”
I smiled contentedly.
* * *
Hmm, hmm―
As I entered the kitchen with a cheerful hum, the lights flashed on automatically, illuminating the space brightly.
The gleaming oven, the low and compact countertop, the cooking utensils arranged in neat rows―
This was my favorite place.
I tied on my apron and checked the dough I’d prepared earlier for fermentation.
“Mm, just right.”
As I rolled the soft dough with a rolling pin—swish, swish—that delightful chewiness felt wonderful.
While I worked, a stew simmered in a cast iron pot, chunks of lamb, potatoes, onions, and bell peppers releasing a delicious aroma as it bubbled away.
“Heave.”
I slid the dough into the oven and ignited the flame with a whoosh. The mixture puffed up almost instantly.
Like perfectly plump chick bottoms.
Humming softly, I withdrew the fluffy, freshly baked bread and settled at the table with a generous dollop of sweet fig jam and yogurt.
“Lulu, shall we have a taste now?”
Hooooo—
Steam rose delicately from the bread I’d just removed. I grasped both ends carefully and pulled, watching it tear cleanly along the grain to reveal the warm, tender interior.
“This is insane.”
I bit into it immediately.
The flavor melting like butter across my tongue was perfectly blissful, as always.
“Ahhhh, I made the right choice becoming a Bakery owner….”
My satisfaction as a bread enthusiast was at 1,000%.
Crackle—
I unfolded the newspaper and savored the leisure.
“I wonder if there’s anything interesting today….”
I always read the newspaper during lunch.
And not just any newspaper—the World Daily.
‘Every so often, news about Sisrain and Heinrich appears in here.’
Of course, this extra character was absent from the original work.
But—
‘I’m curious whether things are flowing toward a happy ending.’
Having existed as merely ‘Reader 1’ before entering the original story, and then directly influencing the narrative so profoundly, observing it now felt quite intriguing.
Like peeking at an altered original work, like reading an exciting new novel with bated breath.
In truth, after nearly a decade had passed, my feelings toward Sisrain and Heinrich had become nothing but beautiful memories.
There was no chance we’d ever meet again, not in a million years.
So perhaps that’s why.
‘It feels less burdensome.’
Since this newspaper covered global news comprehensively, articles about Sisrain or Heinrich appeared only once or twice a year at most.
Yet each time they did, the content was fascinating.
As for what articles had appeared so far—
A hidden prince of the Eldorado Imperial Palace (Sisrain) had been discovered, and he had been in a secret childcare facility.
Children from that facility were rescued, and the Forest was ultimately closed down.
‘Hmm, that turned out well.’
Of course, living in the Forest had been pleasant, that much was true.
But it was a place where children were raised and exploited for specific purposes.
The intentions were fundamentally corrupt.
When I saw the article, I’d grown curious about the whereabouts of the Forest Children and their teachers, and for a moment considered calling Julius… but ultimately decided against it.
‘Revealing my location could make things awkward for both of us.’
I couldn’t trust the Phantom Boy alone.
I too was hiding meticulously from my past, not a single strand of hair visible.
As a result, Gerard had been searching in vain for nearly a decade.
“Well, how would anyone find me when I’m living cut off from all pursuit in this remote village? …Unless they’re an obsessive maniac, they absolutely won’t find me.”
I muttered to myself before suddenly flinching.
Wait, wasn’t that just now a rather ominous thing to say?
“Cancel that. Even an obsessive maniac would have a hard time! Even if they were obsessive, no, I’m absolutely unfindable!”
Though no one was listening, I deliberately shouted loudly toward the sky.
Whether it’s God or the author, I don’t care—please hear these words and delete my ominous flag.
Do you understand?
‘Much more reassuring now, hehe.’
I wiped my nose and leisurely unfolded the newspaper again.
In any case, the only other news was that Sisrain had fought a war once.
That was the entirety of the article about Sisrain.
Summing it up, Sisrain was flowing along roughly as the original work intended.
But Heinrich was not.
‘Why is Heinrich’s path different from the original?’
Judging from the article that read “Heinrich Hyacinth,” it was certain he’d been adopted into the Hyacinth Marquis Family as the original work stated, but his actions diverged from the original.
Heinrich had made a name for himself as a genius mage (this much matched the original), and by inventing various magical artifacts, he was earning tremendous wealth.
A nouveau riche, no less.
There was absolutely nothing like this in the original work.
Given my personal taste, the number of tragic novels I’d read was nearly impoverished.
―After all, if a tragic character lies on mountains of gold coins and wipes their tears with premium silk, doesn’t the pitifulness diminish?
Anyway….
‘Since he became rich, that must be good, right?’
I pondered while crunching on an apple.
There was also that ridiculous article about how he’d “grabbed the aged Mage Tower Master by the collar,” displaying such chihuahua-like audacity to the whole world, but I deliberately tried to forget it with my foggy brain(?).
Fortunately, today’s newspaper contained no mention of the boys.
“…Phew, another day without incident.”
I smiled contentedly.
It’s that feeling where no news is good news.
After all, if things like “Mage Tower Master’s collar” keep appearing in the papers, it would be rather troublesome.
I folded the newspaper neatly and tidied away the plate that had already been cleaned.
Just then, I heard the bell attached to the door ring with a ding.
“Welcome!”
I greeted them with a bright smile.
‘Oh, could this be someone coming to pay back a debt?’
The self-employed proprietor reflexively glanced at the door, recalling the first outstanding debt that had appeared.

—————

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

—————