LPSB 27

chapter 27

Seeing the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed, as if he were already drooling, only made the situation feel more ominous.

‘Since Hiser warned me… there’s no way he’d actually try to hurt me, right?’

The day I revealed the effects of my bread, Hiser had naturally led the dragons into signing a non-aggression treaty regarding the bakery and its owner. Tarkis should definitely remember that.

But separate from that, Tarkis’s gaze as he looked at me was unnervingly bright. He seemed so eager that he couldn’t hold himself back and immediately fired off another question.

“Hm? Answer me. Did you come here to participate in tonight’s auction?”

“That’s not it…”

I couldn’t even finish my sentence. I still had a conscience—I couldn’t just say I came to steal his item.

While I hesitated over how to phrase it, Izrael spoke in my place.

“We came to retrieve my sister’s necklace.”

“A necklace? No, wait—sister?”

Tarkis’s eyes darted between us, scanning back and forth.

Then he narrowed his gaze and leaned his upper body toward me. As if whispering a secret, he asked softly,

“Bread girl, does your younger brother bake bread too?”

No. If you’re going to whisper, use telepathy or something. Or at least actually lean in properly!

‘What kind of person says something like that loud enough for everyone beside them to hear?!’

Dragons, as I saw more and more, weren’t lacking in awareness—they were just completely self-willed.

‘Well, of course. Why would dragons need to read the room…’

I swallowed a sigh inwardly.

Izrael didn’t know I baked bread, nor did he know I was acquainted with dragons. If we got out of here, I’d definitely be interrogated thoroughly. I could already see it.

I spoke firmly, shutting it down immediately.

“No. My brother is different from me.”

For some reason, Izrael’s eyes turned even colder after that.

I made excuses in my head.

‘This is all to protect you…’

It would not be good for Izrael to catch the attention of dragons. I needed to change the subject quickly.

“Anyway, we don’t have time for this. Please return my necklace.”

“What kind of necklace is it?”

I explained how I had ended up here.

“It’s an heirloom my mother left me. I need to recover it—and find out who stole it.”

“Oh dear, oh dear. Theft is a bad thing.”

His tone was light, like a kindergarten teacher reading a fairy tale.

I couldn’t tell if he was actually taking me seriously.

Tarkis kept his gaze fixed on me, the corners of his lips curling upward.

His dazzling smile—gentle yet perfect—somehow felt unsettling. It felt like he could see through what I was thinking.

“Of course I should help you, bread girl. I’ll return your necklace too.”

I had some experience dealing with dragons. When things went this smoothly, there was usually a strange condition attached.

Before he could say anything unreasonable, I cut in first.

“I can pay any amount of money.”

But Tarkis didn’t even blink.

“This is an auction house, not a shop.”

“Pardon…?”

“It’s a place where people compete in price, and the highest bidder takes the item.”

He continued slowly.

“What if I really want that necklace?”

“Then… you’re saying I have to compete with you to win it?”

Tarkis smiled brightly and nodded.

What kind of nonsense was this?

‘He was acting like he’d give me anything just a second ago—was he messing with me?!’

I hadn’t expected him to suddenly change like this.

“But you said you’d return it earlier.”

When I protested, Tarkis tilted his brows pitifully.

“But then the bread girl would just take the necklace and leave…”

A dragon acting like a child despite being old enough to know better.

“Stay and play with me a bit. Okay?”

Play with him? This was ridiculous.

Even when I read the original story, I remembered thinking the dragons in this world were all a bit insane.

The problem was that I couldn’t afford to refuse.

I had to get that necklace back no matter what. I couldn’t return empty-handed.

“What do you mean by play… or rather, compete?”

“Let’s play a game.”

This dragon… was his mental age like seven or something?

I seriously wanted to ask how old he was.

‘Please don’t tell me he’s a newborn dragon like Aka…’

Tarkis tempted me further.

“The winner gets the necklace. How about it?”

First, I needed to know what kind of game it was.

As if he had been waiting, Tarkis spread a wide green velvet cloth over the table like a tablecloth.

Seeing that familiar color made me flinch.

Don’t tell me… hwatu?

I was actually pretty good at it—good enough to win quite a bit from relatives during holidays.

But my hopes were completely shattered.

What he pulled out was a board game covered in complex patterns.

From a velvet pouch, he poured out game pieces shaped like animals, each embedded with rubies, sapphires, or emeralds.

Tarkis smiled brightly and declared:

“Check Marble!”

This game had appeared a few times in the original story.

It wasn’t a real existing board game, but something the author had created themselves. It was so complicated that only a handful of readers actually understood the rules.

• Did the author even understand this while writing it?
• I read the rules five times and finally got it.
  • Really? I still don’t understand it… please explain.
  • The author wrote it like I was human, but I’m just an ape who can only click the next chapter button.
• Is it chess mixed with Monopoly?
  • No, it’s about capturing pieces and taking land.
  • Isn’t that literally chess + Monopoly?
  • Chess is about the king, Monopoly is about money.
  • So it is a mix then?
  • Why are you all so confused? Seriously…

Still, this much was manageable. Because I wouldn’t be the one playing.

I leaned toward Izrael and whispered,

“Izrael. You’re good at this game, right?”

Izrael looked at me as if I were ridiculous, then nodded.

I turned to Tarkis.

“My brother will play instead. Is that okay?”

“Your brother? Hmm…”

Tarkis scanned Izrael from head to toe.

After stroking his chin in thought, he said,

“Then I suppose I should also set a reward if I win.”

“A reward?”

“If there’s a reward, it makes the game more exciting, even against your brother.”

Fifteen or fourteen—it didn’t matter to him. Tarkis was convinced he would never lose to a human child.

I wanted nothing more than to punch that overly pleased face of his.

Of course, I held myself back.

His point wasn’t entirely wrong. I thought about what I could offer.

Money probably wouldn’t work.

Then—

‘Something Tarkis would like… wait a second.’

I had an excellent bargaining chip.

I raised my hand calmly, showing just my index and middle finger.

“Double.”

Anyone watching might think I was a gangster negotiating an illegal deal.

One loaf of bread per dragon per day—that was the rule I had announced for my bakery.

But if Tarkis won this game, he would be allowed to buy two loaves instead of one.

Tarkis understood immediately and widened his eyes.

Ding!

<<The dragon Tarkis, who asked for double, trembles with unexpected joy.>>

<<The dragon Tarkis, who asked for double, nods vigorously!>>

‘Hooked.’

And not just Tarkis was pleased.

Even if Izrael lost, I wouldn’t suffer much loss anymore.

And judging by his reaction, it seemed I could retrieve the necklace easily regardless of the game outcome.

This was effortless profit.

Tarkis hummed happily as he prepared the game.

“Now, let the game begin.”

Thus began the game between a fourteen-year-old human boy and a dragon who had lived for centuries.

The game progressed quickly. Tarkis rolled the dice confidently, as if he were certain of victory against Izrael.

But as time passed, his once-glossy expression gradually darkened.

One by one, his pieces were captured by Izrael.

In the end, even his last remaining territory was taken.

Izrael, who had maintained an expressionless face the entire time, finally spoke.

“Finished.”

The result was Izrael’s complete victory.