TSBSFVW 42

Chapter 42
Bread Eight. Next to a Dog, Next to a Mad Dog, Next to a Madman (5)

Ellie was gripped by a strange sense of betrayal.

It was one thing for Van, coming from an elite noble family, to act as he did—but even Maurice, who constantly sang about money and whom she had assumed to be stingy, and Edmund, who had a tragic past, seemed unfazed by what would have seemed like a luxury to anyone else.

At a suburban villa in the city—not their residence—and lying around all day, having three meals a day served along with a comfortable bed was something they were completely used to.

“Even though we all played together in a shop barely big enough for four people to stand.”

They never complained, frequently coming and going as if fetching a hidden honey jar, and somehow had grown accustomed to living in spacious, comfortable surroundings. It felt oddly unsettling.

Though it was just the start of winter and Rayad wasn’t unbearably hot even in summer, the shop with its oven was sweltering.

Even after baking the dough at dawn and airing out the heat, the lingering warmth made Ellie sweat heavily, making it very difficult for her.

Yet no one complained, making her forget that they had lived in an entirely different environment.

She realized just how different her life was from theirs.

“Right, someone worthy of being the heroine’s partner should have both beauty, wealth, and honor…”

Still, Ellie’s shivering sense of betrayal and awkwardness lasted only a short while before she sank into sweet comfort.

Humans are like that.

Bad habits take hold instantly, but good habits are quickly forgotten. Instinctively, people reach for what is easy, convenient, and sweet.

Ellie had no choice but to admit it.

As Maurice said, she needed rest.

Only after her tension relaxed did she realize how tightly wound she had been living. Even after opening her shop and thinking she had found comfort, she had never truly been able to let go.

Looking back, there hadn’t been a single day when Ellie had nothing to do.

“This is the plight of a self-employed person…”

Anyone running a one-person business would understand. At the start, even taking a day off felt like a huge burden. Even knowing she could pay off debts with her inheritance, or that she sold out her stock every day, the fear of going bankrupt tomorrow was human.

As always, Ellie could not afford failure.

She had nowhere to return to.

If she failed, she wouldn’t just be chased away by the heroine’s supporters—she would starve from lack of money.

So she had to endure, shoulders tense with effort.

If Maurice hadn’t forcibly stopped her, Ellie would have collapsed soon. Even if she had endured, she wouldn’t have lasted years without ruining her health.

“I should thank him later.”

Maurice, seasoned in business, could surely see Ellie’s state clearly.

“Consider it an apology for unintentionally overworking you.”

“Unintentionally?”

“It couldn’t be helped. Every opening has its effects. Thanks to that, <Cookie Walking> established itself far quicker than expected. And you knew that, which is why you even cut back on sleep to work, right?”

“That’s true. If I were just earning a wage, I wouldn’t have worked this hard…”

“Rest is just as important as working hard.”

Yes. Rest is important.

Ellie’s body cried out in protest—her wrists and shoulder joints felt like they might snap, and her back hurt.

“Worked so hard, yet sleep-deprived, I actually gained weight. Will I ever have a slim body in my life? I didn’t even eat that much…”

Her body was actually average, but her round cheeks made her look heavier than she was.

The glass doors let in a cool breeze, and they were tall and arched. Ellie lay wrapped in a blanket on a nearby armchair. Full and relaxed, sleep naturally overtook her.

“Could this be heaven…?”

“Is this your kind of heaven, Ellie?”

She lifted her eyes and saw Van smiling as he handed her a glass of water.

“Peaceful, full, …I don’t really like the person much, but it’s enough to feel like heaven.”

“You still dislike me?”

“…Not as much as before.”

“Good to hear.”

Van smiled, seeming pleased, almost blissfully naïve to the point of looking a bit silly.

‘Such a pushover.’

After a few months, Ellie saw Van as a wounded teenage boy—though basically good-hearted and gentle, he had been hurt a lot, which made him wary and suspicious. Yet he melted like cotton candy for those he trusted.

‘I’m one of them too… probably.’

Watching how he treated Edmund—like a scolding master with a doting dog—Ellie realized Van treated her similarly.

It made her uneasy.

If she didn’t voice her discomfort, she feared she would eventually get hurt when they sided with Elaine. She couldn’t calmly say, “I knew it.”

For now, though, she could tolerate it. Even if she got a little hurt, she could endure.

She wished they would leave according to the story as quickly as possible.

At that moment, Van suddenly approached her face.

Seeing his emerald green eyes so close, Ellie gasped, and he spoke.

“What are you worrying about?”

“Just… I was worried if the shop is running well…”

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”

“….”

“I’ll make sure, along with Edmund, that nothing happens to you.”

“What are you guarding? I’m not some artifact.”

“Huh?”

“…It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Ellie pushed him away and wrapped the blanket around herself.

“Going to sleep more? Maurice said dinner will be ready soon.”

“If there’s nothing to do, I might as well sleep.”

Does he think I’m his little sister or something…? She didn’t care why Van looked at her so warmly; she didn’t want to know.

‘Something is definitely going on, surely.’

Even though there was a villa, it wasn’t exactly a holiday-like setting in a border city, and it was just one week. Maurice wouldn’t waste several days without a plan. Or perhaps Ellie had her own reasons for leaving Rayad.

She closed her eyes, determined not to be surprised no matter what happened.

A week passed without incident.

“Are we really going back now? For real?”

“Reluctant? Want to play more?”

“You really just brought me here to rest…?”

You? Him? Maurice?

“This feeling of being scolded even though I’m doing well…” Maurice grumbled.

During the vacation, Ellie did absolutely nothing. Maurice and Van took care of all the meals. Edmund occasionally disappeared for a while but mostly spent lazy time with Ellie.

They read, went for walks to digest, played pointless card games, and that was it.

By the end of the week, Ellie’s cheeks glowed—thanks to eating well and sleeping well.

She guessed she had gained at least three kilograms.

“You can’t be so suspicious of people, Ellie.”

“….”

Had she truly doubted an innocent person? Edmund hugged her from behind and said:

“After all this, you still don’t know this guy? Ellie, have you forgotten why you came here?”

“Ah, right! Chocolate!”

Maurice shot Edmund a sharp glance.

“Time to go get it. Come on, let’s go.”

Van loaded the carriage, and Edmund took a seat inside first. Maurice held Ellie’s hand to help her get in, briefly studying her round face.

Why… what? Haven’t you seen a round face before? Did you gain weight, so you’re staring at me? You all ate and played the same as me—why am I the only one who gained weight…

Ellie glared aggressively at Maurice, worried about her puffier face compared to a week ago. Maurice lightly brushed under her eyes with the same hand that had helped her up.

“Yeah, much better now.”

“….”

Ellie slowly sat on the carriage seat, stiff. Edmund, already seated, said:

“You’d better ditch Maurice, Ellie.”

“…What do you mean?”

“That guy’s a real bastard. I don’t want you to struggle.”

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Fine. If that’s how you feel, then that’s that.”

Edmund didn’t say more. Neither did Ellie.