CH 67

The assailant shouted triumphantly.

“Kekek, I came from the dark guild! In the future, I will manage <Little Bakery>. If you hand over 20% of your monthly sales, you will keep your life!”

Without hesitation, the pot Annette was holding flew through the air.

Klang–!

The man who had been hit in the head (he was surprised at the power of the bakery owner for a moment) hurriedly corrected his demand.

“…Every time, 10% of sales!”

Kwang!!

“J-Just, 5%!”

Kwang!!!

The assailant stumbled, bleeding from his nose, and then ran away through the door (at first he was distracted and almost entered the furnace).

“—I can’t give the sales.”

It couldn’t happen. 

The self-employed person said firmly with a gaze that was like a maniac’s.

Then she put the pot away and hurriedly supported Kyle, who was lying on the floor.

“Mr. Kine, are you okay?”

“…….”

Kyle had a slightly moved face. To her, and the pot’s performance.

“You are so wonderful, Owner.”

‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did my coolness show?’

Annette smiled happily, flicked her nose, and lifted him up.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Fortunately, the kitchen wasn’t very messy. The cleanup was done quickly.

Mr. Kine said he came to see me and found a suspicious shadow in the kitchen. And there was a physical fight.

I put marshmallows on hot cocoa and gave them to Mr. Kine and asked,

“You seemed to be winning, but why did you let go of his arm and say hello like a fool?”

“…It was so nice to meet the owner, and I forgot we were fighting for a moment.”

“Oh my God.”

―You mean you forgot about that?

It was like seeing a retriever who threw away its chew toy and rushed towards its owner upon seeing him or her.

I blinked for a moment, then pointed to the wilted bouquet, slightly squashed from the fight.

“Did you bring this bouquet to give to me?”

“That’s right.”

He made a slightly sad face.

“…It’s crushed. I will bring you something even prettier tomorrow.”

But it’s pretty enough.

As if only the most coveted of snowflakes falling for the first time were collected, the pure white and fragrant bouquet was quite beautiful.

―Besides, he was thinking of coming to the bakery tomorrow too!

‘He’s a great regular.’

This was not enough even if I gave him the title of ‘man who likes bread’.

The bread lover smiled happily and put the bouquet he brought into the vase.

“The flowers are crushed, but the fragrance is not.”

I was afraid he might be upset, so I smelled the scent and said so with a smile.

“…Is that so.”

He laughed happily. It was a somewhat touched face.

“The owner is also nice to talk to.”

Then he added,

“…You were always kind to everyone.”

‘It doesn’t seem like we’ve known each other for so long that you can speak in the past tense with an expression that’s as if you’re recalling something, Regular.’

To bring flowers to the baker who lives alone at night.

This was obviously—

‘He has something to ask you.’

—Offering a bribe!

It would have been better if it was something to eat.

This innocent stag didn’t know the basics of bribery.

“Actually, I have something to tell you.”

“…….”

Coming all the way here tonight to offer bribes, I was sure he had something important to say.

“Please speak.”

I readily answered, and smiled softly.

“…….”

Mr. Kine adjusted his posture as if he was a little nervous for some reason.

A wonderfully handsome face looked at me.

He carefully licked the plump lips under his cool, outstretched nose.

“Actually— I have something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time.”

“…….”

“Miss Annette.”

The ‘name’, which he exhaled like a difficult breath, felt that it was something not easy for him to call, so it had a very formal feel.

I focused on his words.

The man’s large hand touched his heart.

He swallowed his breath with his cheeks flushed red, and spoke with difficulty.

“You, like, ist…”

His voice was a little low. I raised my eyebrows and asked.

“Ist?”

Would I like to use you as an assistant?

Could I give you an early morning discount?

‘What?’

I listened to the following words.

As I looked at him, I ate bread little by little like a chinchilla who was sparing food (but my eyes were serious).

I couldn’t concentrate when I was hungry. I think I was too nervous earlier, so my digestive system was churning.

“…….”

He looked at me like that, and bit his plump lips.

Then, his eyes softened as if he was looking at a cute little animal.

“―I forgot what I was going to say.”

“Yes?!”

He exhaled and laughed.

“I think I hit my head hard when I fell earlier.”

“Wait!”

I grabbed the bread I was eating, stood up, and hugged him.

“Speed is key for concussion treatment!”

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

‘Fortunately or not.’

I looked closely into his soft brown hair, like a field of wheat in autumn, but nothing came out of it.

Hmm, no brain hemorrhage.

But there were scratches on his handsome face.

His lips were chapped, and there was blood dried up on the corners of his thick lips (it felt like a national loss, and I was offended).

“Aren’t you not feeling well?”

He quietly shook his head.

I was a little puzzled because he really didn’t look sick.

‘You must have grown up nicely, but this doesn’t hurt?’

‘Unexpectedly, he can take quite a bit of blows?’

As I opened the first aid kit, I said,

“It’s fine though. A regular customer gave me a very good ointment, so if I apply this, you will get well soon!”

He smiled happily.

“Thank you, Owner.”

He was holding a mug of cocoa in his big hand, and it looked so small that it looked like a 100ml size mug.

Meanwhile, the hot cocoa made his square-rimmed glasses foggy.

Oh my.

―Wasn’t he pretty much drinking blindly?

I thought it was a little cute because a big man was doing it in a gentle way.

“It’ll sting.”

I warned him, picking up a cotton ball with tweezers and tapping his lips.

The man sat quietly. Holding the cocoa cup in one hand.

‘He’s a man without aggression like a stag.’

Zero attack power?

Thinking back, it was funny that he said hello (and very politely) there.

No, originally, stags have a dirty personality.

But really, no matter how tall and muscular this man was (his muscles were checked while we were shopping), it was clear that his heart was tender.

―Wasn’t he less aggressive than a stag?

I said with a little affection towards him.

“I really don’t think you can kill even a single ant, Mr. Kine.”

“…….”

“You’ve never properly killed an ant, have you? You’re so nice. I mean, look at your face. It looks just like that.”

He took a sip of hot cocoa, his eyes wide open.

Ah, for some reason, there was no answer?

It was the same expression as when the owner of the fruit shop asked if we were ‘newlyweds.’ 

…Why does he look a little double-hearted?

I teased him a little more.

“I’m really worried about how you’ll live in this difficult world.”

“…Is that so?”

“If it weren’t for me, you would have suffered a lot from the thug, didn’t you? If it weren’t for me and my valiant pot, you would have lost your life.”

“—Thank you, Owner. I will give my life to you.”

He seriously touched his chest.

“This body too.”

…I didn’t mean it that way.

‘Don’t do that. Don’t get too close to the dictionary meaning of ‘Owner’.’

It sounds kind of weird.

I shook my head, took a little ointment and brought it to the corner of his lips.

My finger touched his wound.

“Ah.”

The juicy lips parted. With a low moan scratching the inside of his neck.

“Pain?”

His lips brushed against my finger.

“…It tickles.”

“…….”

“That’s right.”

For a moment, in the long breath of the man, the candle shook. His lips, jawline, and cheekbones were clearly visible in the shimmering light.

—I felt a strange sense of tension for a moment.

Candles were all there was in the dark bakery, the gas lamps were still not lit.

I was looking at his lips for the treatment, while he only had a dark gaze on my face.

Normally, he didn’t even make eye contact.

Apparently, when I was not looking at him, it was easier for him to look at me.

I tried my best to ignore that gaze, and when I applied the ointment,

Grip—

The large hand that was holding the chair was gently strained.

As if resisting an impulse.

‘…The atmosphere is strange.’

I stopped the treatment and said something playful on purpose.

“Right. Come to think of it, when you drink cocoa, your glasses get cloudy, don’t they? How about taking it off for a while when drinking something hot?”

“…….”

“—Like this!”

I snatched off his glasses with both hands.

“Are your eyes very bad? Can’t you see me like this?”

It was then. A large, warm hand gently grabbed my wrist, narrowing the distance.

The moment the candle flickered, we became so close that I could barely breathe.

He lowered his long eyelashes.

“In this way, I can see you.”

“…….”

His deep, low voice rang out.

The strangely flushed man, looking straight into my eyes, whispered while carefully placing my hand on his hot lips.

“Healing is not over yet, Owner.”

“…….”

I decided to amend my judgment on him.

‘You have attack power, quite a bit.’