Hmm...

  The sun is just about to rise, fortunately I didn’t sleep in this time. I have a long day ahead of me, so I better prepare everything early. The mornings are always the toughest, preparing the dough, and kneading it appropriately, rinse and repeat many, many times.

  Mornings are the time of the day where general loafs, sourdough, and white bread is sold, honestly despite they being much much cheaper and harder to make, they’re the ones that sell the most, although personally I enjoy the afternoon better, the time when I make confectioneries and cakes, they’re a tad bit more complicated but It’s fun to do them, plus I make a hell of a lot less of them.

  Actually it’s more of a fifty-fifty somedays, plus all the unsold cakes and sweets are handed off as free samples the day after, which brings in a lot of customers, I know some of my clients don’t make enough to buy my sweeter products, so some mothers bring their kids for the sweet free samples, and to buy the bread for their meals.

  Honestly it’s a rather brilliant system. I remember mom and dad fighting over this when they started the bakery. Mom wished to make it only for regur bread, since sweets are usually expensive. While dad wanted a bakery of treats, in the end they settled with both, little did they know they complemented each other so perfectly.

  Haa...

  It’s done, I better get ready to open the shop, and prepare myself as well. I have to be presentable as the seller, image is important, dad always mentioned as much.

  Although I hate my hair, it grows so much and it fluffs everywhere, getting it on a net for cooking is always a hassle, and by the time I get it off, it just makes me look like a ball of wool. Maybe I should cut it?

  What’s the point? It'll be back on this length in a month, I wonder if I should bme or bless my genetics. Mom was the same, although she was so soft, I remember falling asleep embraced in her warmth.

  “Sigh...”

  The line of customers is as long as always, it’s the same thing day in and day out.

  I wonder if something will change one of these days?

  I love baking, it’s the only thing I know, ever since I have memory my parents run this little bakery of ours, and while it’s the one thing I can do, I always wondered what else I could’ve done were it not for baking?

  I’m not getting any younger either, next year I’ll turn 28, and all I've ever done was this. How much I work is irrelevant, those thugs are gonna shake me down to my st penny, no matter how much I manage to earn.

  Midday arrives and I have bread with reheated dinner for lunch. It's bnd and uninspired, I really want to be able to cook myself more proper meals but oh well, the bakery takes all my time during the day.

  Maybe I should just leave those thugs all my money and abandon the bakery, perhaps move to another city and start over? How is it worth it to waste my life away here for longer?

  Maybe I’ll go around the world, learn a trade or two! Mom was a songstress so maybe I could learn to sing and py as well!

  I can’t help but daydream about those days, days I know will never come.

  I’m not... I’m not brave enough for that, and the idea of potential homelessness and starvation really pushes me away from that thought.

  I put another pie on the oven, and continue lost in my thoughts, both giving me hope and despair at the same time.

  Mom was a simple performer and Dad was a noble of this town once, then they met each other by pure fate, and their lives were forever linked together. How romantic, I wish something like that would happen to me one day.

  Even my mom travelled constantly thanks to her work, and met a myriad of people, what can I expect? I do the same everyday, and I see the same people everyday as well. There were a couple of adventurous gentlemen but, the moment the mafia showed their face, they refused to associate with me any further.

  “Sigh...”

  I’ve been sighing a lot, thank god I don’t do it in front of customers, I have to keep an amicable face after all.

  Still a part of me wishes and dreams that my blue prince will come for me one day, atop his noble steed and after taking my hand, we would gallop where nobody knows our names~

  Wouldn’t it be nice if fairy tales were real? Instead all that’s entering my store at the moment is yet another customer, although...

  I don’t recognize her, is she new in town? There has been quite a lot of turmoil since the change of ruler, so people coming in and out of town seem to be happening more and more. She seems like a nice girl, I’ll tend to her with a smile, the same that every customer deserves!

  “Hi! Are you new in town? I’ve never seen you before, welcome to Elizabeth’s bakery!”

  Will people think that I’m a narcissist? I know it was my mother’s name as well, and they probably DID name it after me most likely, since mom wasn’t the kind to be ok with using her name for this but...

  Ah whatever, my dear customer is a demon, those are rare, I never understood some people's prejudice against them, angry for things that happened so long ago, none of us were alive to see it, plus she’s kinda like me, we both have horns after all.

  And she’s dressed very elegantly, must be wealthy probably, not that I mind about their income, but higher css folks have a stricter pate! I proud myself about my work, so I want to hear her opinion. I'm sure I’ll blow her away with my cakes, they’re that good!

  She has to be new in town! no one eats in the bakery during the afternoon, it’s when the loan sharks rear their ugly head after all. which is why no one eats here, I’ve been thinking of removing the tables to be honest.

  Oh well, it should be fine, as long as she doesn’t bump into them, and avoid conflict.

  ...never mind, they came in early today, I better warn her.

  “U-umm... dear customer, you’re new in town right? You should probably leave for now, here comes some bad people!”

  She... refused? You don’t get it! It’s for your sake and-

  Oh great, here comes these two asses, it’s the same old song and dance, we do this every week, I’m sure I’ve already paid the debt many times over, so the extortion is pointless.

  You charge me money, and I pay it. Neither of us benefits from breaking the agreement, if you kill me you won’t get money anymore, and if I fail to pay, you’ll make an example of me like some of the other store owners in the neighborhood.

  I wonder if the new town lord will do anything about these criminals, they’re working together with the guards so we as people are just kinda screwed in all honesty.

  Oh great, they’re harassing the demon girl, she’s an easy target after all, having that foreigner appearance and air to her. Still, I don’t want to see any violence in the store, plus that poor girl has no idea why she’s being picked on.

  “Please leave my customers alone!”

  Ignored, as always...

  Haa... I tried to warn her but she wouldn’t listen, and now I have to get a new table!

  I want to interject, but what can I do? There’s no way I could possibly stand up to these two! I hope the demon girl cooperates so she doesn’t get hurt...

  ...Why are you provoking them!?

  I hate to say it but, I paralyzed in fear for a moment. Honestly I’m also tired of these thugs, the idea of picking up a knife from my kitchen and stabbing one in the back is so tempting, but my legs won’t answer me at the moment...

  ...

  ...

  And moments ter the demon girl killed one of the thugs, and threatened the other...

  W-who is this girl!?

  Things are kinda blurry after that, I have never seen anyone stand up to the mafia thugs before, and to do it with such ease as well! Most people wouldn’t dare, more so given their retionship with the government, but this girl’s telling me that she IS the town lord. And that her name is Marisa.

  That’s a first, but she didn’t seem to be lying given she even offered me a job as an accountant. She even paid for an entire cake and asked for a delivery to the town lord pace. I don’t exactly do deliveries, but after this commotion I doubt anyone will want to get something from my store today.

  Is she seriously pnning on heading to meet those criminals on her own? I better inform the pace knights at the very least! If she’s the town lord, having her die would be disastrous!

  I picked up Marisa’s purchase and headed running to the center of town where the pace is located. The entrance is gated and there’s knights protecting the entrance as always. It’s curious since I was told that they opened the gates for orphans not long ago, but whatever.

  “State your business!”

  The knights stood firm in the entrance, blocking my advances, but that’s ok. I needed to speak to the knights to begin with.

  While catching my breath, I expined to them as quickly as I could the things that happened at my store. They looked like they were talking to a lunatic or something. But the moment I mentioned Marisa’s name the two of them became concerned.

  “C-Could you describe how this woman you speak of looked like?”

  “She had absurdly bright red hair and horns! A demonfolk with abnormal strength!”

  The two knights looked at one another, and moments after that one whispered ‘go get captain Heather’ to the other. So it’s true! That demon girl is the town lord! I can’t believe she wasn’t lying this whole time, I just thought she was a wealthy noble from the demon realm or something!

  “Sorry for getting you involved, can you wait for us a little bit?”

  “Un!”

  Not long after that, Heather the captain of the pace knights came running to the entrance. Well running as best as she could while missing a leg and with a cane. So the rumor of her grievous injuries was true after all. She hasn’t been seen that often in town tely, so I can see why she doesn’t patrol with the knights anymore.

  After another expnation, Heather ordered the knights and in a matter of seconds, a small group of them were assembled and ready to march. I handed them the direction that Marisa asked me about, and asked them if I could join.

  It’s my fault Marisa got involved in this whole problem. And the st thing I want is for the knights to believe this was all my fault! I really can’t afford to receive criminal charges, it would be the end of me!

  ...And as we dashed towards the location, Marisa was going to the opposite side completely unfazed about the situation she apparently got herself into. Not only that she is scolding me for the cake, Did she seriously get rid of the mafia people!? What kind of monster is Marisa really!?

  ...

  ...

  Marisa came to my store almost everyday to buy sweets after the day we met. I knew she would like them! Not to toot my own horn but, you know. She makes a really sweet companion to be honest, constantly talking to me while I’m on the counter or going to the back to bake some stuff. Maybe she bothers the other customers by raising her voice so much? I wouldn’t know but customers in the afternoon have gone up as well.

  Not only that, we haven’t seen the criminals show their faces around my store anymore! For once in my life, I managed to get some money for myself! they never showed up, not even for the weekly payment.

  For a brief moment after all these years, I felt at peace! And it is all thanks to Marisa. She mentions that she wants my help with things, as well as hiring me but. So far she keeps telling me to wait until the situation with the loan sharks is resolved.

  I’m gd we could become friends though. More and more I enjoyed having idle chat with her, so the days that she didn’t show up, made me realize that I kinda miss her company when she’s not around.

  ...

  ...

  One day, after an earthquake, the town was thrown into pure chaos. So after closing shop for the day, I baked Marisa’s favorite cake, and headed to the pace. I want to give her something in return for helping me so much, plus. I’m kinda worried, wondering if she’s ok after the shakes from not long ago, but Marisa was not in the pace.

  Heather offered me to wait for her if I wanted to, or just leave the cake. I chose the first option of course, I wonder what Marisa is doing, the sun is about to set as well. She’s doing ok right? She’s so strong after all.

  Moments after that, Marisa appeared in the courtyard alongside a dragon! She’s Celestial!? From the legends!? And she’s so hurt too, and won’t stop bleeding! Both Marisa and another girl that I haven’t met before are treating Celestial with magic. Everything that happened afterwards left me completely dumbfounded.

  Marisa is the daughter of the demon lord of legends! ‘THE’ one that’s passed down in infamy across history. Who knew the old fable was true! And he’s apparently still alive? Honestly it now makes sense why she’s so strong but...

  There seems to be some family troubles, more like problems regarding the fate of the whole world. I couldn’t even digest all the information I was handed today. All I got from that was my participation to start working and helping Heather with finances since Marisa left to god knows where. I was awake all night long, just looking at the roof on my rather empty room.

  I ended up associating with someone way more important than just ‘town lord’, what the hell happened with my monotonous life!? Sure I wanted to change my perspective, maybe even travel somewhere else, but this might be a bit much.

  ...Marisa must have quite a lot of troubles huh? It makes me feel like my problems are small in comparison...

  The next day I headed to the pace. I'm not too confident in my skills but I will do my best. And then it was a hassle to get into the pace since the knights didn’t allow me to enter, were it not for Heather’s little sister going out the main door and vouching for me, I would have been left outside.

  I feel kinda bad for leaving the bakery closed today. But then again, I never closed a single day in my life, mostly because I needed the money. Hope my customers are not that angry about it.

  In the office I was pointed towards by the knights, there Heather and the other dwarf from yesterday were going over different documents and paperwork. Both of them had some serious bags under their eyes. I wonder if they couldn’t sleep st night either.

  The economical situation of our town was in serious trouble. I didn’t know we were not only in red numbers, but way lower than what I expected. Fortunately it seems we can still recover somehow. I don’t know how much the context of the different factions was looking like but Heather managed to give me a pretty good rundown of the situation.

  We worked some more, and before we knew it. All three of us finished sorting things up for the day, and then I was even invited to lunch at the town’s pace! Granted it might have been because I ended up having breakfast too early and my stomach betrayed me, but still!

  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of having lunch in such an important pce, but here I am! kinda curious about the food of the pace. I wanted to extend my skills to cooking besides just baking, but I never got the time or energy for it. Plus I had to keep the business afloat.

  I wonder if they’ll let me borrow their kitchen one day. Maybe I could learn stuff from watching the chefs of the pace as well. The dining hall was quite lively with everyone talking. And the food was delicious enough that I felt a hint of jealousy for a moment.

  ...

  ...

  Days went by, and my monotonous life was forever changed ever since I met Marisa. I ended up finding a bance of work by cutting the afternoon hours and I even set an application for hiring an assistant. Now that I have money and not only that, I will hopefully get some more from my accountant work. Things are looking up for me finally!

  I also got closer to Marisa’s social group. I already knew about Heather but everyone in town does. What I didn’t know was that she was married! And to Marisa no less! Not only that but Rushka is the princess of the dwarves, and she’s married to Marisa as well!

  I didn’t know that Marisa was married, twice even. I always wondered why she gave me weird stares from time to time. I just thought she was friendly, if a little awkward. I didn’t know she was into women...

  Or maybe I’m paranoid after learning of her preferences, she never exactly tried flirting with me even once, so I can probably rest easy and not have to worry about that.

  “Sigh...”

  Hmm... I wondered why I sighed, I haven’t done so in a long while.

  And speaking of Marisa, I wonder how she’s doing... I hope that she’s ok. Heather mentioned receiving letters from her so at the very least, she’s still alive. Why did Marisa have to go do something so dangerous?

  I pray that she comes back home safe and sound.

  ...

  ...

  ...That guy has been coming and going through the street constantly today. I only noticed it while I was baking because I thought he was looking for employment, but it might be something different.

  Well, the guards around town have been working rather hard as of te thanks to the budget cuts I helped put in pce, so I doubt they would try anything against my store.

  Although, maybe going out to buy things might be a good idea, to see if he’s just awkward or actually stalking me. I am running out of flour and other ingredients so I have to do a supply run anyways. And the town’s market is also quite crowded so it should be fine right?

  Hmm... speaking of ingredients, I heard Marisa can only get nourishment from blood. I guess she has a weird genetic disposition but I also wonder if there could be cakes or pastries made of blood. I never heard of any but I know that farm animal’s blood is sold dirt cheap for some very specific dishes in certain countries.

  Maybe I should try! I want to surprise Marisa when she comes back! Plus I know some farmers since they supply me with milk and eggs. Surely they can point me to a butcher that could get me the thing I’m looking for.

  That’ll have to wait, first my actual store’s ingredients. Speaking of the stalker, he didn’t follow me. I must’ve just been paranoid then, though. The knights sure are active today, running up and down, asking different store owners things.

  Are they looking for someone? Maybe I should drop by the pace and ask, Heather and everyone else are probably training in the middle of nowhere, plus-

  “Excuse me!”

  “Yes? Can I help with something?”

  A knight stopped me on my shopping trip. It made me feel so important that the knights ask me for my cooperations! Are they gonna ask me what they’re looking for? Although maybe I won’t be able to help that much.

  “Yes! We were looking for you!”

  “M-ME!?”

  “Yes! Come to the pace immediately!”

  Oh no, I wonder what happened...

  ...

  ...

  So... I’m stupid, and left my oven on while daydreaming! I can’t believe myself, what’s wrong with me! Now there’s an active hunt for the loan sharks thinking that they tried to kidnap or attack me.

  I can’t do it, I can’t say it was me who lit up my store in fmes!

  Wawawa! I will carry this secret to my grave!

  I still feel really guilty though, more so after Celestial teleported me to what I can only assume it’s her home. Everyone is working so hard and I’m just giving them more troubles. I look at the sky sprawling in front of me and wonder...

  How did I end up together with such a group? Do I even deserve to be here? There’s only so much I can do and yet... My heart feels tight knowing that they see me as a friend! I...

  I never had much of a pce to fit in, make it for my appearance, or even my interactions with the mafia. For one reason or another, I could never find someone I would call my ‘friend’...

  I...

  ...

  ...

  I will do my best! To not let Marisa or anyone else down! We will fix this economic problem one way or another! Although it seems Celestial was already sleeping on a pile of gold! Maybe it will be easier than I thought.

  In the end, everyone managed to stop the mafia group working underneath the town, and while the leader of the group managed to flee, a lot of people were arrested by the knights. They crawled out of the sewers like cockroaches.

  This marks the end of my problems with the loan sharks. And I have everyone to thank for this!

  “Heather…”

  “Ah! Elizabeth, good to see you, I wanted to have a word”

  “W-What is it?...”

  “We interrogated some of the criminals in prison and well...”

  ...

  ...

  “I-It’s a joke right!?”

  “I thought the same, but I corroborated the information with Celestial, and even interrogated a couple prisoners myself, so it’s the truth...”

  Are you telling me that my family NEVER had a debt to begin with!

  It was just that my father was a noble and the leader of the mafia had a bone to pick with him, so he tricked me into believing that he was in debt after he died!?

  I was dealing with loan sharks for no reason whatsoever! Sure I knew they were extorting me with their interests but you’re telling me they scammed me to begin with!?

  “Umm... Elizabeth!”

  “YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!”

  I’m literally stomping the ground! Give me back all those years of my life wasted sving away at the bakery! Where is this ring leader, I’m gonna tear him limb by limb!

  Joanne_carper