kscans

Chapter 192 - Promotional SS. Zack's Monologue

☆Zack's Monologue☆

"Alright, it's ready."

A large, stone oven had been added to the kitchen garden. The oven, adjusted with magical tools to maintain a constant temperature, was used for different purposes depending on the need. This too was provided by the young baroness. She had said that for confectionery, measurements and heat control were life. With accurate measurements and knowledge, failure was unlikely.

A splendid oven, unbefitting of a poor orphanage.

She had explained that temperature differences could adversely affect the finished sweets, and the kitchen, which relied on firepower, was sweltering hot.

In fact, when Zack was baking choux pastry, he had accidentally opened a gap, and he witnessed the puffed-up pastry instantly deflate.

The despair of that moment is beyond description.

To ensure he would never make such a mistake again, Zack approached confectionery with sincerity.

"A new creation? I'm looking forward to it."

"Thank you very much."

The lady accepted the product with a beaming smile.

"Do you have a recommendation for today?"

"This crepe with seasonal fruits and jam. It doesn't keep well, so please enjoy it today."

The smiling faces of the people lined up. The fact that all of them had come seeking Little One Brand sweets made his eyes spin. The orphanage, which no one had paid any mind to, was thrust into the spotlight by the young baroness's management.

We can live by our own skills.

This was a groundbreaking change.

The children of the past, who had nothing and were kept alive by the goodwill of others. The foolish me, who saw that as charity and cursed the whole world. To be poor. To be hungry, it easily strips a person of their pride. When you're hungry, you're cold. You become sad and lonely, desperately huddling together with your friends. Sleep becomes shallow, and you easily fall ill, leading directly to death.

Starvation is terrifying. The instinct of a living creature fears it.

The several years of constant exposure to such fear were more than enough to harden Zack's heart. One by one, children grew weak and unable to move. The headmistress was also running herself ragged without eating or drinking, on the verge of ruining her health. He resented his young self for being unable to do anything.

At that moment, as he was wandering the town, thinking he might as well resort to stealing. A little girl bumped into Zack and fell. He hastily helped her up, and to his surprise, she said she was looking for the orphanage. Zack, who had been tense with the intention of committing a crime, was disarmed by her innocent eyes and reluctantly guided the little girl to the orphanage.

And then, things changed drastically.

With the gold coins donated by the little girl, the children of the orphanage ate their fill for the first time in years. A soup with a little bit of meat. It was a thick, warm soup, simmered in what they called white sauce, a recent trend, and packed with chunky vegetables. The soup was so delicious it brought tears to his eyes, and Zack moved his spoon in silence. The other children were the same, and the headmistress watched the silently eating children with teary eyes.

"You should eat. This is delicious."

At Zack's encouragement, the headmistress shook her head.

"Just seeing you all eat so happily fills my heart. Give me a moment."

At her words, something welled up inside Zack too.

He understood, in that moment, the meaning of a full heart. And the children, with their bellies full for the first time in a long while, deeply savored the warm night.

Even if it's just a moment of happiness, that's fine.

To make this happiness last as long as possible, Zack and the headmistress were thinking of using the donated gold coins to improve the fields. There was no guarantee that this business of selling Little One Brand sweets, proposed by the little girl, would succeed.

Be as steady as possible. Zack seriously thought about the orphanage, hoping this happiness wouldn't break for as long as possible.

But that too ended up being a needless worry.

As it turned out, the confectionery sales were a huge success. It was an on-parade of happy screams that they couldn't make them fast enough. A large amount of honey, given to them to use freely. A few guard bees, placed there in case any bad people came after the honey.

Everything went smoothly, and before they knew it, the old orphanage was rebuilt, embroidery and lace-making were added to the children's handiwork, and from the abundant profits, they were even able to build a Little One Brand confectionery store.

A miraculous scene, like something out of a fairy tale.

Zack vows. That one day, he will surely repay this debt.

Remembering his childhood vow, the grown-up Zack scoffs at himself. As if spitting on his younger self, he pictured him in his mind and crushed him with a gushari.

"There's no such thing as forever. There was no 'one day'."

The Little One was lost.

Covered in the dregs of regret, he turns to leave, not yet knowing. That in the near future, that miracle will happen again.

The Little One will come, grinning nikah, to shatter the ice around the hardened Zack once more.

~Fin~