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Chapter 50
Eight Breads. Beside the Dog, Beside the Madman (13)
Duke McClure remained alone, swallowing his anger.
“Arrogant brat! A lowly merchant trying to threaten me?”
McClure didn’t stop speaking because he was intimidated by Ellie’s words or felt anything from her.
It was because Maurice had shown him something from behind.
What Maurice revealed was a medal bearing Demian’s crest—a reminder not to forget who was behind him and Ellie.
And the faint smirk on Maurice’s face confirmed it: the one orchestrating all this from the shadows was undoubtedly that guy.
Even someone as cunning as McClure within the Rosso Kingdom was only relevant inside the kingdom. Compared to the Yan Empire, Rosso Kingdom was like a child to an adult.
The Yan Empire had grown by swallowing neighboring kingdoms one by one. They had stopped expanding in front of the Rosso Kingdom only because the emperor, engaged in conquest, had fallen ill.
In reality, Rosso Kingdom was the only kingdom holding its ground in the west of the continent. The other kingdoms and alliances were concentrated in the east, with other empires across the sea.
Rosso Kingdom was, in practice, an independent kingdom in name only—more like a vassal state.
If that guy reveals that he tried to deceive the Third Prince into thinking Ireine was an illegitimate child, things could get complicated.
Unlike the Fifth Prince, the Third Prince was difficult to handle.
Exposing a weakness to him would instantly make one a puppet.
He had hoped to quietly bring Ellie in and tame her gently, but her resistance was strong, making it hard to control the situation.
In this case, we’d either have to hide Ireine’s past as an illegitimate child completely… or get ahead by saying the legitimate daughter was in recuperation and couldn’t be presented.
Either way, the scheme would be obvious, but in matters like this, appearance and justification mattered.
If the legitimate daughter was assumed dead and the illegitimate child was presented as the adopted daughter, and she miraculously returned, suspicions might arise but could not be openly challenged.
Originally, simply adopting Ireine as a daughter would have sufficed, but publicly acknowledging her as an illegitimate child would attach that stigma to her for life.
Moreover, a royal family that values bloodlines wouldn’t likely bring an adopted daughter as a princess if a legitimate daughter was available.
Replacing Ellie with Ireine would be the simplest way to give the best benefits—but why suffer such a loss?
However, all of that was assuming the marriage candidate was normal.
If only I had known that the prince meant for Ireine was such a madman…
Ellie would have been married off immediately, and Ireine adopted to inherit everything.
He never imagined giving the war-obsessed Fifth Prince, who was constantly roaming the continent, as a match for Ireine.
If the Yan royal family had ever seen Ireine, they would have known she could at least be a suitable match for the Third Prince or the Crown Prince.
But Duke McClure hadn’t considered this.
Before Ireine appeared, the rumors about the McClure princess were mostly negative ones about Ellie.
Ugly, pig, stutterer.
These were insults McClure had added fuel to, exaggerating the slander.
The slander about Ellie was widespread enough that it could be easily discovered with minimal investigation. The royal family had prepared a hand that wasn’t even worth saving.
Thinking of Ireine as his daughter was McClure’s own belief, as was his assumption that everyone would naturally give only the best to his beautiful daughter.
This was all because he had only learned about marriage proposals three years ago.
If I had known from the beginning, I would have prepared multiple options long ago, damn old fools. Why did they follow the dead predecessor’s will so diligently!
Now, there was no choice. The marriage proposal had to be broken somehow.
He couldn’t say to break it outright, so the Fifth Prince had to back out first—or be put in a situation where marriage was impossible.
There was no way to give Ireine to such a man. Never.
Maurice guided Ellie, Edmund, and Ban to the parlor.
He told them to wait while he arranged their rooms and then disappeared.
Ban followed Maurice, leaving Ellie and Edmund in a brief silence before Edmund finally spoke.
“I never had parents, so I didn’t know.”
“……”
Ellie looked up at Edmund. He approached the sofa, sitting beside Ellie who hugged her knees.
“Having parents doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all good.”
“That… doesn’t count as parents.”
Ellie truly believed that.
Although it had influenced her clarity and divisions, that person had neither borne nor raised Ellie.
“I don’t know. All I had was the crazy man who made me.”
Born in a lab, Edmund had no true parents. Biologically there might have been, but practically, there were none.
Ellie felt guilty for drawing Edmund’s attention needlessly.
His words were probably meant to comfort her, assuming she felt down.
He looked low on energy, but that was just from having vented his anger after a long time.
“He just wants to be Ireine’s father. Since he can’t, he blames me instead.”
He replaced his guilt toward Ireine with resentment toward Ellie.
Ellie was proof of his shortcomings, and it must have been uncomfortable and annoying for him to have her constantly in front of him.
“Still, he’s a good father to Ireine.”
“What does that matter? He’s a madman to you.”
“Haha.”
“He’s your father too. Just think of yourself.”
“Ugh, I feel like vomiting.”
Ellie truly gagged in disgust, and Edmund laughed softly.
“Why not vomit on his face directly?”
“Oh, come on… I just had a brownie. Would be a waste to vomit.”
It was absurd to demand vomiting on a pig for what he ate.
“Brownie?”
“The one with ice cream on top. Did you eat it?”
“Of course! Ice cream, you say? What even is that?”
“You know the things Eddie made? We made all sorts of things with them. This is it. Thanks to Eddie this time, I survived.”
“You made it back then but didn’t give it to me?”
“It had to be frozen first, so I put it in the freezer pocket…”
Ellie scratched her cheek awkwardly at Edmund’s trembling from betrayal.
Edmund was more capable than Doraemon and more amazing than Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Anything Ellie requested, he could make instantly.
That was why she couldn’t throw him out, even while holed up in the cramped second-floor bedroom.
The oven thermometer was just the beginning.
The oven with adjustable heat, the mixer, the freezer—these were the most revolutionary. But there were also many small inventions:
A spatula made of silicone-like material with adjustable length and width, portable cooling pockets, and more.
“You promised that anything I made for you, I’d get to taste first.”
“I didn’t plan on that… Oh, sorry. There can be exceptions sometimes.”
Ellie had truly thought she would just fetch chocolate and leave.
The ice cream was ready, but she had saved it to pair with the brownies. Fortunately, she had made plenty to enjoy slowly.
Originally, the brownie should have had a generous scoop of ice cream, but Ellie, reluctant to waste it, agreed to just a finger-width. The brownie was cut small as well.
“It was still delicious.”
Ban entered and naturally continued the conversation.
“Right, Ellie? It was a bit sweet for my taste, but all of it was delicious. Amazing how you devised so much in such a short time.”
“I read it in a book.”
Ellie deflected as always.
“What about Maurice?”
“He left, said he was busy. Shall I fetch him?”
“No, it’s fine. Instead, would you like to sit here?”
“……?”
Ban approached Ellie obediently with a gentle expression. Ellie studied his face silently.
Come here when asked, go there when told…
When did he become such a meek sheep? The fierce glare he gave Duke McClure earlier was gone.
Ban threatens, Eddie throws people around… and yet.
Ellie realized how long she had spent with them—not just in time, but in intensity. The affection she had for them was matched by their care for her.
Even though she had kept her distance, assuming they would betray her someday.
“Your cheek is okay?”
“Huh? Oh… ah. That.”
Ban smiled, gently tapping her fair cheek.
“I didn’t even notice we brushed. Forgot about it.”
“No wound. That’s a relief.”
Ellie lowered her gaze, looking at Ban’s smooth face.
“Sorry… and… thank you.”
“I wish you’d say it louder.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“Haha, Ellie. If you say thank you, you must look at the person.”
Unsure of her expression, Ellie hesitated, and Ban cupped her face with both hands, lifting it. Ellie’s cheeks flattened against him, resembling a fish, and she instinctively frowned.
Ban laughed at how cute she looked, but seeing her frown, his laughter stopped.
“I told you I’d protect you.”
“I’ll definitely repay this debt…”
“It wasn’t even a debt.”
“……”
“We’re close enough for that, right, Ellie?”
Close enough to be slapped?
Ellie neither laughed nor cried, just held the back of Ban’s hand that had touched her cheek.
No matter the relationship, Ellie realized she could never truly hate Ban and Edmund. Even if they betrayed or criticized her.
Hating would be so much easier.
Relying on no one.
Trusting no one.
Loving lightly, able to leave anytime, keeping proper boundaries.
So she wouldn’t get hurt.
And it was these people who taught her she couldn’t. What a strange fate.
Edmund and Ban ignored Ellie sniffle.
