TMFC 08

Chapter 8

What on earth is it?

Leon’s attitude felt somehow different.

I reached out my hand, recalling that unfamiliar sensation.

A warm, strange feeling wrapped around my entire body.

“What are you thinking about?”

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.

Since when did it start? When did Leon begin to feel different emotions toward me?

No matter how much I retraced it, I couldn’t find the starting point.

Was it a mistake to bring him in the first place?

But if I had left him alone, it was obvious he would have been dragged off and abused by others.

Knowing that, I couldn’t just ignore him.

“I think I should keep some distance.”

Even though he didn’t even recognize me, he strangely seemed to be getting more attached to me.

I couldn’t think of any other solution. If Leon became attached to me, it would be a serious problem.

That wasn’t the direction I wanted.

I stood up, furrowing my brow.

“What am I even worrying about?”

Even so, once the mark appears on Leon, his interest in me would naturally fade.

As time passed and we drifted apart, he would forget me again.

He probably wouldn’t even be able to find someone like me in the first place.

What nonsense am I worrying about?

I shook my head with a self-mocking smile.

Maybe I had grown attached. Useless thoughts were filling my mind.

After all, the only reason Leon showed interest in me was because I saved him.

Childish feelings disappear quickly.

I took out the notebook I had kept in the drawer and checked the date.

“Not much time left.”

The marks on the wall were also steadily increasing.

Thirteen years old. Year by year, the gap between our heights kept widening.

But in contrast, the distance between us felt like it was getting closer.

Would a mark appear on me too? Did I also have a destined person?

I didn’t expect it, but somehow it felt like I didn’t have any fixed destiny.

It was ridiculous to expect such a thing for someone like me, who wasn’t even an important character in this novel.

“Well, whatever.”

Who I meet doesn’t matter.

I would be gone from here anyway.

After seeing the heroine, Janis, meet him, I planned to leave this place.

Of course, I would watch from afar in secret.

I just hoped I wouldn’t end up dying.

If something like that happened, I would have to go find Leon.

I had no intention of entering a forced marriage or getting caught up in other people’s conflicts.

I just wanted to live quietly.

“By now, I’ve saved up enough money. I should be able to leave and live on my own.”

But I didn’t know how to do anything.

Unbelievable. Even though I knew the story, I couldn’t do anything!

My helplessness made me feel irritated.

Rolling around on the bed wrapped in my blanket, I closed my eyes.

I recalled the book’s contents and made some small investments under a hidden name, but it wasn’t enough.

I needed a more stable job.

“A café? A dessert shop?”

I don’t even have any skill.

But if you think about it, didn’t the heroines in novels always run off somewhere and open cafés or bakeries?

Maybe it would work out if I tried.

“No, no. I’m not the heroine.”

I quickly accepted reality.

Once I tried making a cake in the kitchen and burned it…

I might go down in history as the fastest business failure in this world.

“That time… even kind Leon almost cried saying sorry.”

I remembered Leon’s expression when he stared at the blackened cake in horror, and I let out a small laugh.

He couldn’t throw it away or eat it, and he looked so flustered.

It was kind of cute.

Should I try baking cookies tomorrow?

Maybe I had improved a little.

I was younger back then. This time might be different.

I could almost smell the delicious cookie scent already.

“C-cookies?”

Diriya stammered as she looked at me in surprise.

I nodded confidently.

“Yes, I’m going to make cookies after a long time.”

“Miss, I know a good pastry shop…”

“Diriya. I’m going to make them myself.”

At my firm words, her pupils shook.

Next to her, Leon also averted his gaze and stepped back.

“Elle, I had sword training… I forgot.”

Seeing him quietly try to escape, I narrowed my eyes.

“I know you don’t have anything scheduled today.”

“…Make-up training.”

“You really don’t want to eat what I make?”

“N-no!”

Leon shook his head, eyes wide.

His lie was completely obvious, but I pretended not to notice and smiled.

“It’s fine. I’ll just make them alone and bring them to you.”

“I think I should help you! I suddenly want to make cookies too!”

At Leon’s hurried voice, I shrugged.

“Alright, fine.”

Diriya sighed in relief at the fact that Leon would join.

It seemed everyone in the count’s household already knew about my lack of skill.

The head chef, who had been watching me worriedly, glanced at Leon.

“Will Sir Leon be joining as well?”

“Yes. If Elle wants it, I’ll join her.”

Leon smiled brightly and stood beside me.

Rolling up my sleeves with determination, I looked at the ingredients in front of me.

“You all don’t trust me at all. Just watch.”

At my energetic voice, the chef’s eyes changed slightly.

Their somewhat expectant gaze gave me confidence.

Where did my initial boldness go… now I was struggling with soft, messy dough.

“…Leon, it won’t come off my hands.”

In the end, I asked Leon for help.

He looked at my hands and moved behind me.

“It’s all sticking to your hands.”

Leon leaned over from behind me.

The sensation of his solid chest made my eyes widen.

‘Since when did he grow so much?’

I, tucked into Leon’s arms, stared at his large hands cleaning the dough off mine.

He skillfully removed the dough and guided my messy hands to the water.

“Let’s wash first.”

“…Okay.”

Before I knew it, I was trapped in his arms, washing my hands under running water.

Leon carefully washed my hands from behind.

“Hey, I can wash my hands myself.”

“Mine are already dirty anyway, so it’s fine.”

He didn’t move until every bit of dough was gone from my hands.

“If you add a little more flour, it won’t get this sticky.”

I watched as my dough gradually became normal and was impressed.

As expected, Leon can do anything.

“Thanks. Still, thanks to you, the dough didn’t fail.”

“I got good at it thanks to you too, Elle.”

“Huh?”

At his words, I tilted my head.

Diriya, who was organizing ingredients, spoke to me.

“Miss, don’t you remember? Since you kept coming into the kitchen saying you wanted to try everything, Sir Leon had to suffer a lot with you.”

“…Me?”

“Of course. You burned several cakes, didn’t you?”

Strange. I thought I only did it a few times…

Seeing Leon not denying it, it must be true.

Come to think of it… maybe I really wasn’t skilled at all.

My mouth turned bitter.

“Still, this time it looks like a success.”

At Diriya’s words, I nodded.

The dough had finally come together properly, but it wasn’t something I achieved alone.

“So maybe I’m just not suited for this either?”

What am I supposed to do to survive?

My future looked completely dark.

Was I just a character created without any talent because I was destined to die anyway?

Everyone is supposed to be born with at least one talent!

Why am I like this? I couldn’t even blame anyone.

If I went to that cursed Edga and asked why he gave birth to me like this, I might die that same day.

‘Ah… should I just bake cookies for him too?’

Maybe we could get along a little better?

Now that I was older, maybe he would be less annoyed by me.

I couldn’t keep ignoring him forever, so maybe I should try to fix things.

While I was thinking about Edga and our relationship, Leon lightly tapped my arm.

“Elle, do you want to do baking? Then I’ll always help you.”

He probably thought I was frustrated because the cookies weren’t working.

Leon always watched me carefully in a way that felt excessive. I didn’t need that.

“No, Leon. I wanted to do it entirely by myself.”

“You’re doing really well already.”

At his words, I closed my lips.

Idiot. Anyone could see it was all you.

And saying he would always help me… as if he would stay forever.

How shameless. He doesn’t even know his own future.

“Leon, you can’t always help me.”

“…Right. You’re right.”

He seemed to already know what I was going to say.

Because I had repeated it to him so many times it felt like brainwashing.

We were family, but we would eventually separate.

Friends, but nothing more.

That was the relationship between Leon and me.

I told him every day so he wouldn’t forget. That we would leave when the time came, that our paths were different.

‘If he ever refuses to leave later, I’ll have to run away first.’

I didn’t want to die entangled in the heroine’s story.

Even my father—I would leave without hesitation if he showed no chance of changing.

“Hmm, shall we try cutting the dough now?”

In the awkward atmosphere, Diriya handed us cookie cutters.

Without saying anything, I rolled out the dough and began cutting it carefully.