TSBSFVW 64

Chapter 64
Bread Fever. Oh, Did I Just Save the World? (2)

Prince Marc was forced to return to the Yan Empire.

Ellie couldn’t make sense of it from there.

Why the prince?

Of course, even if he was a prince, the fact that Marc used violence against Lady McClure was a problem.

Marc probably thought that since they were engaged, and since her title would become meaningless once the Rosso Kingdom was conquered, it wouldn’t matter.

“As long as the assault succeeded, most people wouldn’t even dare make an issue of it.”

It was truly a despicable way of thinking.

But still, Ellie couldn’t deny that Marc’s calculations weren’t wrong.

In fact, many incidents had played out like that.

The attempt to kill Ellie instead of Lady McClure wasn’t even considered a problem. Ellie had been dressed as a maid, and in reality, she wasn’t “Ellie McClure,” just plain “Ellie.”

At worst, he should have only been scolded a little—“Even if your fiancée annoyed you, you should have controlled yourself.” That should have been the end of it. Yet, he was forced to return to Yan.

Edmund and Van were indignant, saying, “In the end, we didn’t even get a proper apology,” but honestly, Ellie couldn’t care less.

“What’s the use of getting something you can’t even eat?”

Did it turn into money? Did it do her any good?

An apology without sincerity was meaningless. And even if she heard one, she had no intention of forgiving him anyway. Just seeing him get screwed over was enough.

Which was why she really didn’t want to sit through a case briefing from his brother instead of the man himself.

“Because of my rude younger brother, you suffered, Ellie.”

“Well, yes, a little…”

“Your arm was broken, your shoulder dislocated, and you call that a little?”

“Quite a lot?”

“You’ve got guts. I like that.”

Ellie could only blink, speechless. Damien chuckled.

“I’ll see to it that he’s properly re-educated so he won’t misbehave again. For my sake, forgive him to this extent.”

“I… I didn’t think forgiveness was even possible.”

Ellie’s bewildered reply carried many meanings.

That she had truly abandoned her status. That even when her life was at stake, she had no desire to reclaim it. And that she had no expectations from Damien—or Marc.

Damien said,

“You have no idea what kind of fortune you’ve grasped.”

“……”

“I’ve decided to make use of you. If all you’d done was invent some new flavor or form of dessert, I wouldn’t have punished my brother no matter how disgracefully he acted. He’s stupid and a bit hot-blooded, but that spirit of his can be useful.”

“A bit hot-blooded?” That’s putting it mildly… Ellie bit her tongue. If she opened her mouth, her true thoughts would come spilling out.

If that’s hot-blooded, then I’d already be a corpse from lack of it. He wasn’t just hot-blooded—he was an explosion waiting to happen. And you call that spirit? Covering for him just because he’s family…

“But if you can solve the problems you spoke of—our eating habits and food culture—then your value goes far beyond that.”

Ellie’s jaw dropped without realizing it. She must’ve looked like an idiot, but she was just that shocked.

“So it wasn’t just because they liked the taste that they decided to sponsor me?”

She hadn’t dared say it aloud, but she had thought Damien, like Morris, Van, and Edmund, was simply infatuated with good food.

“I can’t be sure your solution is real yet, but it’s not good to let things lean too far in one direction. To fix this, there’s no one more suitable than you. Under my name, you’ll be protected anywhere, and if necessary, you can even ask me to punish your enemies.”

Damien’s ashen eyes fixed on her, heavy with meaning.

Ellie swallowed dryly. He was clearly referring to Duke McClure.

A promise to grant her anything she wanted sounded sweet, but if she believed it at face value, she’d only regret it later.

People who claimed they’d grant all your wishes were either genies in lamps—or con artists.

And if neither, then they were demons waiting to collect a higher price later.

Ellie said,

“I don’t have any enemies.”

“Really? I feel like you do.”

“…I don’t. If I ever get any in the future, I’ll let you know.”

Even if I did, I don’t.

At least until then, she could keep Damien’s sponsorship.

Right now, she told herself she’d never confide anything in him. But she couldn’t guarantee that, as a human being, she wouldn’t recall his words in a desperate moment.

“…Fine. I’ll trust you for now.”

“Thank you…?”

“Duke McClure is lucky, too. He tried to deceive the Imperial family and still walked away unscathed. Even I think that was a very generous outcome.”

Ellie thought it strange, since it was Marc who attacked Elaine, yet that was his conclusion.

“If you’d only been a little more honest, he would’ve paid the proper price.”

In other words, Damien had let him go for now—keeping Ellie’s words in mind—and was planning to make him pay later.

Ellie felt just a little regretful.

“The engagement has been annulled, and the secret of his daughter’s birth is buried. The Duke returned to Rayad this afternoon.”

“Um, Elaine—that is, Lady McClure—what about her…?”

Damien looked at Ellie with an unreadable expression. She wondered if she’d said something wrong. His voice turned sullen, as if displeased.

“My healer is competent. She’s in better condition than you and has been sent back. No need for unnecessary concern.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no reason for you to thank me.”

“Still…”

“I really can’t figure you out. I thought your relationship was bad, but maybe it isn’t?”

Ellie only smiled vaguely.

“She likes me. We’re not on good terms, but still.”

Their relationship wasn’t good—that much was true.

If she left out the Duke, Elaine was just an annoying person, not someone she actually hated. Though spoiled, Elaine had genuinely liked her, and Ellie didn’t want to deny that.

If Elaine had been someone she could hate wholeheartedly, it would’ve been easier.

If she’d been the kind of person who felt no guilt toward Ellie, Ellie could’ve hated her without hesitation.

Damien said,

“Here’s some advice. Don’t keep close people who aren’t of use to you.”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You don’t sound like you will.”

“I will. Honestly.”

“Just because someone likes you doesn’t mean you should give them everything. Do that, and you’ll lose it all in the blink of an eye. The moment you think ‘just this much is fine,’ you’ll end up with nothing left in your hands.”

“……”

“Even things you think are worthless. Takers are greedy. Don’t forget that.”

Ellie nodded silently.

“So he thinks Elaine stole my identity…”

It was more accurate to say Duke McClure had taken it and given it to Elaine. Still, whether Elaine wanted it or not, she had ended up with what had been Ellie’s.

Trying to explain that Elaine hadn’t wanted it would only make Ellie look more pathetic. Long-winded stories and excuses were powerless against results.

“Not like we’ll ever meet again anyway.”

It would’ve been nice to see her face one last time, but Ellie had no desire to go looking for Elaine.

“Ellie, no!”

That desperate voice still rang in her ears.

Whatever the reason—whether guilt or a sense of justice—Ellie was grateful Elaine had tried to protect her.

She couldn’t see her as merely the heroine anymore.

If they met again, she couldn’t trust herself not to get emotional. So it was better for both of them never to meet again.

She still despised Duke McClure, and she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t end up hating Elaine too, simply because she stood by his side.

“You have no plans to leave Rosso, I hear.”

“Not none at all, but… not right now.”

“Why not? Yan is a good place to live. At my side, you’d have nothing to worry about.”

Ellie almost hiccupped in shock. The sudden gentleness in Damien’s tone made her want to run.

His words might’ve sounded sweet, but his eyes were sharp like a hawk watching its prey. Meeting them head-on was terrifying.

“When I succeed on my own…”

“You don’t count catching my eye as success?”

“Of course I do. It’s the biggest success of my life, yes.”

Her mouth now spewed flattery automatically, like a reflex. Ellie grinned sheepishly, and Damien said,

“Then you can shift your base to Yan now, can’t you?”

“I haven’t even fully succeeded in Rosso yet. Moving to Yan won’t magically fix that.”

“You’d say the same thing to me that you told Morris?”

Damien didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press further.

“The king of Rosso should thank you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because you decided to stay. Thanks to that, he’s been spared from being crushed.”

Ellie froze.

So he had been preparing to invade Rosso?

As if reading her thoughts, Damien smirked, and Ellie went pale.

“…Hiiik…”

That confirmed it.

“Pretending to be scared now is useless. Don’t worry. I like it when someone I favor dares to be cheeky.”

“……”

“It’s still tolerable. So keep working hard.”

“Y-yes…”

“If you ever change your mind, just say so.”

Ellie lowered her head, trying to hide her ragged breathing.

Did I… unknowingly just prevent a war?

…It seems like I did…

Her heart pounded wildly.