Chapter 102

The end of the downtown area of the Capital.

Zagnac, leaning against a big old tree at the entrance to the forest, flicked his finger. Before long, someone approached him, who was alone. However, he still looked relaxed.

“Should I say it’s been a long time?”

Smiling, he turned his head to see Benjamin, who ran the Ratchata Bakery. Perhaps it was quite interesting to see him change from his usual patissier outfit to casual clothes. Zagnac blew a light whistle and looked at Benjamin up and down.

“Long time no see.”

Unlike when he was at the Ratchata Bakery Shop, Benjamin’s face was not lively. He didn’t have a bright smile, and he didn’t have the sweet smell of bread that always emanated from him.

Hearing his greeting, Zagnac raised his index finger to eye level and shook it lightly from side to side.

“Not for long, because we met a while ago.”

“…Yes.”

“How about the bakery?”

“I closed it for a while.”

Zagnac frowned at Benjamin’s answer.

“Oh, no. The customers on the outskirts who have been waiting for you will cry.”

“Hahaha.”

Benjamin laughed out loud as if he couldn’t stop it. The laughter of the two people under the tree spread loudly.

Zagnac, who had been laughing for a long time, spoke first.

“What about Findar? Have you met her?”

“Yes, I am relieved that she seems to be doing well.”

“She is doing well. She behaves wildly with customers and is very satisfied with her work. Thanks to that, I think I’m going to die.”

“I see.”

“Benja.”

As Zagnac smirked as he lifted his back from the tree, the dark purple eyes looked directly at Benjamin.

“If I ask why you came to the Capital, will you answer?”

“Well. I want to see Findar, and I’m here to see the Duke who left the outskirts.”

“If you say so, then it must be so.”

Not asking any more questions, he just took a step closer and put his hand lightly on Benjamin’s shoulder.

“What about my gift? Did you bring some bread?”

“If you like sweet things that much, you will become obese.”

“Gee, it’s really scary to hear from you.”

Their conversation was normal. It sounded like a casual and lively conversation between a close friend that hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

Even Benjamin, whose face was dark at first due to the quietness, was gradually starting to look like his original appearance. The normal conversation went on for over five minutes. There were stories about boring bread, shops, and new products.

Zagnac, who had been talking for a while, stretched lightly into the air and straightened up.

“I have to go now. Azela is waiting for me at the boutique shop.”

“I thought the Madam… no, lady was out of sight, but she was in the boutique shop.”

“I have to pick out a dress for her to wear to the party… If you’re going to the boutique shop to see Findar, let’s take the carriage together.”

“No, please go first. I will go back after looking around the capital city after a long time.”

“…Alright, then do that.”

When he replied calmly with a willing nod, Zagnac waved lightly at Benjamin as he greeted back before turning towards the prepared carriage. As he turned away first, Benjamin, who had been watching him, also turned his back.

The moment Benjamin was about to take his step, he heard Zagnac’s voice calling him from behind.

“Oh, Benja.”

Turning his upper body back, Zagnac glanced at Benjamin again as the man in front of him smiled and nodded his head.

“Yes.”

“I forgot to ask earlier.”

“Yes, please ask.”

“What is the use of that small dagger you have in your chest?”

Zagnac smirked. Benjamin did not respond to the beautiful eyes that curved in crescent shapes. Just as he had said, he quietly put his hand into his chest.

Seeing this, he smiled again.

“Did you come to the Capital to kill me, Benja?”

A cool wind blew passed the two of them.

As the wind blew, the leaves from the trees fell between the two of them. Benjamin said nothing, and seeing him like that, Zagnac just smirked.

“Looks like you have no intention of telling me, Benja.”

“….”

“But I intend to tell you everything, Benja.”

Hearing his words, Benjamin strengthened his hands more. His brow furrowed violently. As Benjamin was about to take a step, Zagnac uttered, walking lightly from side to side.

“Benja, I think of you especially for giving me delicious bread.”

“….”

“Of course, you gave me other things besides that.”

A good gift called, ‘Findar.’ Zagnac swallowed the words and walked in place as if playing a joke as he went on.

“So, I wouldn’t recommend taking that dagger out of your chest.”

“….”

“If you pull out that sword, Benja, I can’t help but regard you as an enemy, even if you didn’t mean to do that to me.”

“Duke.”

“Your sister, Findar, will also become an enemy to me.”

Raising his hand to meet Benjamin’s gaze, Zagnac, with a kind smile, pretended that his hand was a blade and slashed his neck without hesitation.

“Then, I have no choice but to kill Findar.”

“….!”

Benjamin’s eyes widened when he heard Zagnac’s cruel words without the slightest consideration. He pulled out the hand he had placed in his chest and dropped it powerlessly down. His eyes swayed like bare branches in the wind.

“Yes, well done.”

Seeing Benjamin’s empty hands, Zagnac lightly clapped his hands and praised him in a lively voice. Benjamin’s face contorted.

“What are you going to do with Findar?”

“What? What kind of question is that? If others hear it, they will misunderstand!”

Zagnac smiled broadly. His curved lips were grotesque. A word popped into Benjamin’s mind as he faced him…

The word ‘devil.’

“I’m not doing anything to Findar, Benja. She’s a great employee of mine and works hard for me every day!”

“….”

“Of course, Benja, assuming you don’t do anything.”

Saying so, he put his hands behind him and smiled. Benjamin’s empty hands trembled. He was terribly afraid for his younger sister, despite not being blood-related to the extent that he threw all his life into keeping her alive.

Zagnac was well aware of that fact because it was he who saved those two people.

“Benja, I don’t know who made you do this dangerous thing.”

“….”

“You didn’t know more about yourself better than I did.”

He then came quickly in front of Benjamin, who stared blankly into the air. Suddenly seeing him in front of him, Benjamin was startled. Even though it was not a distance to approach him with a single step, he was standing in front of him in an instant as if he wasn’t human.

“The most important thing to you is your younger sister, Findar. Right?”

Zagnac was delighted with the strong bond between the two siblings. A brother and sister with such a strong bond, he could use both just by having one. Perhaps proving his words, Benjamin could not do anything to him, who was threatening Findar’s life.

“Hey, Benja.”

Raising his hand, Zagnac rubbed it heavily on Benjamin’s shoulder as the man’s eyes in front of him were still staring into space.

“I love your handmade bread very much.”

“…Duke.”

“So, your precious hands…”

As he said that while glancing down at Benjamin’s empty hand, Zagnac carefully touched his finger, which was long and white, different from his own. Of course, that finger was full of cuts from the sword.

“Please make sure I don’t cut it myself.”

Then, I can’t eat good bread.

He spoke to Benjamin with a smile and rubbed his shoulder again before turning around this time.

“How did you know?”

Benjamin shouted loudly at him, who stood still and climbed into the carriage. Hearing that voice, he calmly turned around. At the same time, Benjamin gulped at his slow, blinking gaze. He wondered if he should not have stopped Zagnac.

“How did I know what?”

“That I am trying to kill you.”

Zagnac turned his gaze into the air with a lost look. Then, he let out a slight exclamation and clapped lightly.

“Is that the question? In human language, it must mean, ‘You trusted me so much, how could you doubt me?’ right?”

Human language.

As if he was not human, Benjamin gulped once more. Zagnac lowered his bitter gaze for a moment, then looked up at Benjamin with a bright smile as if he had never looked like that before.

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t trust any human.”