Volume 1 Chapter 24 Leonsroar Vs Saintwise
The time is 4:30 in the morning. It's still a bit dark outside.
In this season at the end of summer, a cool breeze with a hint of autumn creeps in through the slightly open window.
"...I think I had a dream about a cheating man..."
I sat up in bed by the window, yawned, and stretched my arms up.
I had a feeling that Sir Stefan from when we first met had appeared in my dream.
On mornings when I had dreams of those days, I would cry and grumble, saying things like, "We were so happy back then... You lying cheater, perish..."
But today, I wasn't that down.
"I've changed a little, haven't I? His Highness might... change his mind, too, right?"
I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom on the second floor.
I washed my face at the sink, combed my hair, and tied it back in one ponytail.
I returned to the bedroom, put on a blouse and skirt, and donned a black apron.
I placed the gem amulet I received from Sir Ciel in the pocket of my apron.
"I probably won't see him again..."
It's not good to have even a few good memories.
If he had been cold to me from the beginning, I might not have felt angry, resentful, or sad.
"But I'm still a little mad, so maybe I should accidentally wash my face with toothpaste instead of soap when I wake up in the morning..."
I offered a prayer to the dawn sky.
Sir Stefan and I are no longer connected, and I have no lingering feelings.
But the sin of stealing my innocent first love is heavy.
After all, someone can only have one first love.
I don't intend to fall in love again.
"I was great yesterday. I'll be able to bake bread in the morning."
The face of Sir Stefan floated into my hazy mind.
I felt like I had met him recently, but I couldn't quite remember his face, so I drew a black line around his eyes and made a peace sign.
Sir Stefan, you look energetic in the morning.
A fluffy, white, full moon-like object covers Sir Stefan's face.
It's dough.
I remembered the dough I had kneaded the night before.
From outside the window, I hear the sound of bell crickets.
I closed the slightly open window and neatly made the bed.
Then I headed for the kitchen on the first floor.
Inside the storage room is dough made from yeast mixed with fermented raisins, which I had kneaded the night before.
It's fluffy and looks like a rabbit's butt, which is cute.
In the kingdom, about half of the people prefer bread, and the other half prefer rice.
I like both, and Mr. Lucian and the knights who come to eat breakfast say they don't mind either.
So I change it depending on my mood, but I make bread more often because I enjoy kneading the dough.
It takes time for the dough to rise, so I have to knead it at night.
But this kneading process...
I like it almost as much as making meat mince, because I can pound all my anger and hatred into the dough.
"But I've repented... I won't take out my anger on the dough anymore."
I took the dough out of the storage room, placed it on a clean work surface sprinkled with flour, and wiped it down.
The dough, which had puffed up to the size of my face, was fluffy and soft.
It had risen beautifully, which made me happy.
"Now, let's roll it and bake it. Today, I'll try baking it with walnuts and cranberries."
Yes. It sounds delicious.
The walnuts and dried cranberries were gifts from Mr. Tsukuyomi when he came to play with Mx. Margaret.
I kneaded them into the dough and shaped them into balls the size of my fist.
I arranged them on a baking sheet and put them in the preheated oven.
Thanks to the flame magic stone, I can control the temperature of the oven and bake the bread stably.
"Wow, I'm amazing...! And I'm not angry or crying today...!"
Because I had a dream about Sir Stefan, my mental state almost fell into the dark side for a moment, but now it feels like a refreshing morning when I can even hum a tune.
"... Hmm? So, the mysterious power that Mr. Lucian said you could infuse by taking out your grudges... is it just cooking? Ordinary cooking...?"
Does that mean I have no value to Mr. Lucian?
And will I no longer be of any use to Sir Ciel?
"Oh well."
Originally, I intended to open a quiet, one-person restaurant here, and spend my life providing food to cute girls and children.
I've returned to my roots.
While baking the bread, I made a creamy soup with plenty of onions, carrots, and realistic sausages.
Then, if I make scrambled eggs, the breakfast set will be complete.
As I was doing all this, the bread was done.
The restaurant was filled with the fragrant, slightly sweet aroma of the bread.
The bread, toasted to a golden brown, was round and packed with cranberries and walnuts, making it look delicious.
The time was just past eight in the morning. The wall clock in the restaurant ticked.
Gentle sunlight streamed through the window, and from outside, a commotion that didn't seem like a refreshing morning could be heard.
"...W-what's going on..."
It seems there's a fight going on in front of my store.
I peeked out, trembling, and saw Mr. Noctis, the deputy leader of Leonsroar, a tall, slender knight with fiery red hair, and the rest of the Leonsroar gang, glaring at Mr. Leavis and the rest of the Saintwise gang.
"Ms. Lydia, good morning."
"Ms. Lydia, good morning."
As I stepped out, Mr. Leavis and Mr. Noctis, who had been glaring at each other, turned to me and smiled brightly.
I had a feeling they were arguing, but maybe it was just my imagination.
"Oh, good morning, Mr. Leavis, Mr. Noctis, everyone... Um, did you come to eat breakfast today?"
After all, this is a restaurant.
And since they're glaring at each other in front of my store, I don't think they have any other purpose besides eating.
I want them to go inside quickly because it's a nuisance to the neighbors.
"That's right, Ms. Lydia! Since Sir Ciel purchased a home in the south district and moved his laboratory there, we came to greet him. So we thought we'd eat Ms. Lydia's breakfast here, but Noctis got in the way."
"Of course...! What do you mean, Saintwise? Ms. Lydia's meals are ours, Leonsroar's!"
"W-well, since it's a restaurant, it doesn't belong to anyone..."
As I said, looking utterly perplexed, the Saintwise gang took out something like a fan.
The fan was inscribed with my name and, for some reason, a heart mark.
"We are Saintwise, but since Ms. Lydia saved our lives, we founded the 'Follower of Ms. Fairy Lydia Society'. Our love for Ms. Lydia is five hundred times, no, a hundred billion times greater than Leonsroar's. In other words, the priority for today's meal at the restaurant is ours, Saintwise."
Along with Mr. Leavis's words, the Saintwise gang exclaimed, "Ms. Lydia! Our savior!"
"What are you talking about, Leavis? Ms. Lydia is our Leonsroar's bride! How many times do you think Lucian, our gang leader, has tried to woo Ms. Lydia and been rejected...! Leonsroar discovered the raw gem of Ms. Lydia, who shines like light! We will also start the 'We Support the Cute Lydia' Club, everyone!"
Along with Mr. Noctis's words, the muscular Leonsroar gang roared, "Ooh!"
"Please stop, please stop...! There's plenty of food, so please eat it together...! If there aren't enough seats, I'll use the kitchen workbench as a table, so it'll be a nuisance to the neighbors..."
I take it back.
I thought it was a refreshing morning, and I, a woman with no grudges against men, thought the birds were chirping.
But they're too hot-blooded. Too hairy.
I appreciate their feelings, and I'm glad they want to eat, but...
It looks like the bread I baked for today will disappear in an instant with this number of people.
I pushed the men, who were a nuisance to the neighbors, into the restaurant, crying and sniffling.
"Lydia, good morning! It's a beautiful morning. I overslept and got a late start, but it looks like the Saintwise gang is here today, too."
As I hurriedly served the meal, with the help of the knights and the mage gang, Mr. Lucian walked in with a smile.
"There's no food for Mr. Lucian to eat..."
"W-why..."
Why!? I glared at Mr. Lucian, the source of all evil, with teary, resentful eyes.
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