CH 98

“If death is the only way to be with you forever…”

“My only dream will be death.”

Heinrich, when did your heart grow so big?

I came down from the hill where the magic had happened, a little dazed.

“I don’t want an answer now, Sister.”

“…Okay.”

“But I hope you don’t answer too late.”

Heinrich made eye contact, covering his embarrassed face with his hand. With his beautiful eyes wide open, he said affectionately.

“Now, I want to call you ‘wife’ instead of ‘sister’.”

“……!!!”

‘Crazy.’

‘What do you mean ‘wife’, Heinrch!’

I covered my mouth and returned to the party with a slightly shocked face.

The party hall was relatively quiet.

Most of the guests were drunk and asleep (a genius wizard did me a favor, so the hall was warm even at night), while some seemed to have already gone home.

Those who went back first left a thank-you note in my mailbox.

Seeing that it was quite a lot, it seemed that tonight’s party was almost done, except for a few drunkards.

As soon as I entered the bakery, I poured myself a cup of cool water first.

“…Since, I got the ring.”

A wedding ring.

I opened the ring case, looked at the ring gleaming and shining, and was immersed in thought.

I had never thought about marrying Heinrich as much as marrying Kyle.

If I were to imagine it now—

Without realizing it, I covered my mouth and whispered.

“…My husband looks too erotic?”

That was the original setting.

Whether he was a man or a woman, it was because he was a beauty.

If I thought of him as a ‘brother’, it was okay, but if he became a ‘husband’, it would be detrimental to my heart day and night.

I imagined being married to Heinrich.

“Wife, what are you doing until so late at night?”

“Ah… I was reading a book.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Heinrich, in some strange silk robe (I didn’t know why he’s wearing that in my imagination), came behind me and whispered.

“I’m a little hungry because it’s late at night, honey. Shall we have a late night snack together?”

Heinrich spoke affectionately to me with shining eyes.

“I’ll bring something to eat.”

After a while.

Heinrich whispered to me as he set the tray down in the bedroom.

“Would you like some scones? Or some milk tea? If not…”

Suddenly, Heinrich grabbed my waist with a strong arm and looked down.

Narrowing his sultry eyes—

He licked his lips and whispered in my ear with a sensual voice as if he was going to swallow and chew me.

“Do you want me to feed you, Wife?”

Keuk! I spit out water without realizing it.

‘Crazy. What am I imagining…!’

I think I heard something like an impure devil in my brain.

Oh, my God. I repent! Please forgive me for my sins.

I ended up having very bad thoughts about my brother.

“Ha.”

I was flailing(?) like crazy for a week, so I guess I was becoming weird too.

…Why did this happen?

Until recently, I was just a peaceful baker running <Little Bakery>.

I met three crazy guys and everything changed.

“It would be great if all three could be neatly organized.”

Then the shackles on my wrist and the two wedding rings would all be cleaned up.

I mumbled, picked up the ring cases that Heinrich and Mr. Kyle had given me, and went up to my room on the second floor.

Then I opened the drawer next to the side table.

Click, click.

It was a ‘double drawer’ with another drawer inside the drawer: a place where I store some pretty important things.

At the moment when I was about to put the ring cases in there and close it…

Sparkle!

“……?”

A light leaked from within a shabby cloth pouch.

As if there were fireflies in it, something was self-illuminating.

‘What’s this?’

When I opened the pouch out of curiosity, I found something very old.

This was the first time in 10 years that I saw this.

―An empty locket necklace.

The only thing my parents left with me when they left me in the cradle.

That locket pendant without a single picture.

“……!”

As soon as I took out the necklace, the light from the locket went out.

‘Weird.’

“There is nothing that could shine.”

The locket was made of wood, and the necklace strap was a leather strap that was so worn out that it could fall off.

Was a firefly trapped in the pouch? I tried to shake the inside out, but there was nothing.

Anyway, there was no way it could get in there in the first place.

“…….”

I inadvertently tried to put it back in, but I soon took the necklace out and hung it in plain sight

—Let’s see for a few days.

‘It’s kind of weird.’

I wonder…

…Do I even have a real ‘family’?

Mom or Dad, by now, might be desperately looking for me.

“It’s absurd, though.”

A little bitter laughter leaked out.

Because even since my previous life, I never had any parental or family luck.

So I know it’s a dream that won’t come true, but it’s okay to have hope in the locket, right? It might shine one more time.

“If it’s just an ordinary wooden locket, it would be difficult to find the owner because there’s no photo.”

If this was a special locket…

“If it’s not ordinary, one can find the owner.”

I lay in bed with a little hope.

“Whew.”

Anyway, it’s been a long day today… 

It was just a party, but there were so many extraordinary things that happened.

I soon fell into a dark dream, listening to the sounds of people still enjoying the little party outside.

—While Annette was sleeping…

Without knowing what was going on.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

A thick smoke was scattered in the air.

“Do you believe what he says?”

Avilus reacted a little agitatedly towards Gerard, who was smoking a cigarette.

“Never, he has no reason to tell us where Annette is in the first place.”

“…….”

Last night.

The person Gerard met deep in the forest was a very unexpected figure.

Contrary to expectations, he was not a commoner, but a noble. So, of course, he wasn’t a street thug, and he didn’t even ask Gerard for anything in return.

The beggar child who delivered the letter, and the cheap paper used by commoners, were merely instruments that proved he was good at camouflage.

A man who defied all expectations and appeared leisurely.

He just said,

“I don’t want anything. I’m just here to inform you.”

Although Gerard had been searching like a dog for over 10 years, he could not find her location. How could this man provide such high-end information so easily?

—Also, without any cost.

“She is now on ‘Bayonaire Island’ of the destroyed Fris Empire.”

“……!”

But it was true. The man just said so and left.

Of course, Gerard still didn’t know whether the information was authentic or not and if Annette was really there… 

But Gerard had a strong hunch.

What the man said was the truth.

His fingertips trembled, and his lips were dry.

“That girl was hiding on the island… She was determined to run far away. Wicked thing.”

“…It is clear that he is trying to take advantage of the prince.”

“I know.”

Gerard bit onto the cigarette in his leather gloved hand and sucked crudely.

With the bright red spark rising from the end of the rod, his pupils sharpened in an instant.

“What kind of profit are you trying to get through me?”

The reason he didn’t want anything in return was probably because he benefited from ‘announcing his position’ itself.

What advantage was that?

—No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out.

But all he could tell was, Annette, that ferocious girl.

The girl who drove him almost crazy for 10 years.

His only hope was that she was on ‘Bayonaire Island’.

Avilus said to his master.

“Prince, then, before we go looking for that girl, let’s take some time and carefully plan…”

“No.”

Patience was long gone.

“If you want to use it, use it willingly.”

In the end, both of them would only move for mutual benefit.

“—She will eventually fall into my hands.”

Even if there was a storm, it was enough to go to the center and grab what he wanted.

It was clear what he wanted; no matter how the other person was trying to take advantage.

Gerard’s red eyes blazed with madness.

“Bring the girl from Bayonaire. right now.”

Avilus, who read the strong will of his master, immediately lowered and bowed his head.

“If so, shall we send a formal summons order? Or shall we release the wild dogs?”

Choice was a luxury when one was desperate. Chasing from several directions was the law when it came to catching rabbits.

He ordered briefly.

“Whatever you can do, do it all.”

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Meanwhile, Annette’s room.

In front of Annette’s bed, who was sleeping soundly. The ‘empty locket’ hanging on a hook began to move.

“…….”

It was like a lie or an unreasonable hope, but beautifully—

It glistened, shone, and spun smoothly.