I Was Supposed to Be Feeding the Pigeons, But Somehow I Ended Up Feeding a Beautiful Demon Lord Instead - 12

Chapter 12

Several days had passed since the bakery “Marie’s Shop,” located in a corner of the royal capital, was completely surrounded by the Demon King’s elite force, the “Black Knights.”

Jet-black armor encircled the shop. The knights stood motionless, radiating intimidation. Normally, customers would disappear and the place would turn dead quiet… but reality was different.

“Rear guard, over here! Don’t break the line!”

“This is bread personally favored by His Majesty the Demon King! Show some respect and line up properly!”

The knights were directing traffic while curious citizens formed a long, snaking queue. I glanced at the line from the side and entered the shop through the VIP pass.

As soon as the knights saw me, they clicked their heels in salute and opened the way. It seemed Bel had already made arrangements beforehand. Connections in the government office really were impressive.

“K-Kazuya-saaaaan…!”

The moment I stepped inside, Marie, eyes brimming with tears, looked across the counter and pleaded for help. Dark circles had formed under her big droopy eyes, looking even blacker against the flour dusted on her cheeks. Her signature ahoge, usually so lively, drooped pitifully from exhaustion.

“Please help meeee! The knights scare me so much my hands are shaking and I can’t bake the bread properly anymore!”

“Marie-chan, you’ve become super popular. Even getting official guards — it’s like you’re the royal purveyor now.”

“Guards!? Is this really guarding!? They keep muttering things like ‘You’ve got good skills, you scum…’ or ‘Use the very best flour for His Majesty the Demon King!’ nonstop!?”

I see. This must have been the support measure Bel proposed to the Demon King, but the knights on site were taking it way too seriously, and it had become overwhelming pressure for Marie-chan. Overprotectiveness can be a problem too.

“It’s okay. They look scary, but they’re just really into bread. …Here, I brought you something.”

“Wah! Thank you so much!”

“Yeah. Eat this and cheer up. …Oh, and I’m going to go talk to Bel-san for a bit.”

“Bel-san?”

“The government office person. After I introduced your shop to her, word somehow spread all the way to the Demon King.”

“Wow… but maybe this is actually a chance! The shop has never gotten this much attention before!”

“Right, right. I’m really happy that your bread is so popular, Marie-chan. Though I’d be in trouble if I couldn’t buy it anymore.”

“Ufufu. I’ll always set some aside for you, Kazuya-san. Come anytime, okay?”

“Sure. Thanks. See you.”

I encouraged Marie, picked up my own portion of bread along with a homemade dessert, and left the shop.

◆

The usual park. The usual bench. Bel was there, but her expression remained clouded. She stared fixedly at me as if she had been waiting for my arrival.

“…Kazuya. …Were you at Marie’s shop again?”

“Yes. I went to check on her.”

“…Hmph. And that Marie girl — is she safe?”

“She seemed energetic enough, but I also felt a little sorry for her.”

When I gave a wry smile, Bel frowned.

“Sorry for her? Why? The knights have laid down an ironclad defense that not even an ant could slip through. She should feel honored, not dissatisfied—”

“Bel-san. Do you know the story of ‘The North Wind and the Sun’?”

“…The North Wind and the Sun? Some kind of weather weapon?”

“It’s a fable.”

I opened the basket and took out a small glass container that had been kept cold with an ice pack. Inside was golden custard with dark brown caramel sauce settled at the bottom. Custard pudding.

“The North Wind tried to force the traveler to take off his coat by blowing fiercely. But the traveler only clutched his coat tighter. Then the Sun shone warmly, and the traveler took off the coat himself because he felt hot… That’s the story.”

“…I see.”

“Right now, your bakery is in the middle of a North Wind storm. The knights are so intimidating that Marie-chan has completely shrunk back. Bread dough doesn’t rise well when it’s cold, you know?”

I handed her a spoon and removed the lid of the pudding.

“Instead of tightly surrounding and pressuring her, you should create a sweet, warm environment. …Like this, for example.”

Bel took the spoon and gently poked the quivering pudding.

“…It’s soft. This isn’t bread?”

“It’s pudding. Eggs, milk, and sugar, slowly steamed until firm. Try it.”

She scooped up a bite and brought it to her mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, the pudding melted smoothly from her body heat.

“…Ngh.”

Bel’s eyes widened.

“…Did it disappear? No… it melted…?”

“Smooth, right?”

“…Sweet. And the richness of the egg… so gentle.”

She kept moving the spoon, one bite after another. The thick, sweet custard filled her mouth, then mixed with the caramel at the bottom. The slightly bitter caramel tightened the sweetness, transforming it into a mature flavor.

“…Delicious. The bitterness of this black sauce really brings out the sweetness.”

“A heart that’s tense and stiff needs to be gently loosened like this with something sweet. The current way the knights are handling things is a little too ‘hard.’”

After finishing the pudding, Bel gazed thoughtfully at the empty container.

“…Hard, huh. Indeed, the knights’ armor is rough and intimidating.”

“Yes. Something softer would be better. If Marie-chan feels ‘protected’ and can work freely and comfortably, the bread will turn out even tastier.”

“Work freely and comfortably…”

A rational light returned to Bel’s eyes.

“I understand. Instead of surrounding and intimidating, raise the shop’s status so much that people want to serve it willingly. Truly a policy of the ‘Sun.’”

“Yeah, something like that. The best thing is to support her as a fan.”

Bel nodded in satisfaction and licked the caramel from the corner of her mouth.

“I understand, Kazuya. …We shall stop the North Wind. From now on, we will shine warmly and relentlessly like the Sun, leaving no escape.”

“Ahaha, please keep it moderate, okay?”

She stood up and gently patted my head.

“Your pudding… it soaked into my heart. Even my own heart feels a little melted.”

Bel left behind a soft smile and disappeared. While eating the remaining pudding, I looked up at the sky. I hoped this would ease the knights’ siege and let Marie-chan finally get some peaceful sleep.

◆

Starting the very next day, the “Black Knights” took off their jet-black armor and instead began wearing fancy aprons that read “No Bread, No Life.” They cheerfully helped with attracting customers and making deliveries.

On top of that, a gigantic shield was set up in front of the shop proclaiming “Demon King Army Certified – Supreme Gold Award Winner,” and Marie was officially appointed as “Demon King’s Personal Court Baker.”

The shop had shifted from being surrounded by the North Wind to being surrounded by excessive protection in the name of the Sun.

And so, Marie-chan continued baking bread with teary eyes, still suffering from overwork and pressure.

Demon King Verzaria. While Kazuya sat in the park eating a baguette and thinking “Yeah, Marie-chan’s bread really is delicious,” she inwardly smirked, “Hmph, of course — it’s bread made under my ‘management,’” fully satisfying her twisted possessive desires and looking extremely pleased with herself.