The single flower that the 10-year-old boy offered while trembling had now turned into a dazzling diamond ring.
The man in front of me looked as if he could pull out his heart.
However…
For me, it was a little sudden.
Kyle carefully observed the change in the girl’s expression.
Soon, I closed my eyes and opened my mouth.
“Kyle, I—”
“I know. I know this proposal is sudden.”
He smiled so that I wouldn’t feel burdened, very kindly.
“I mean nothing to you. So,”
Suddenly, the forlorn smile disappeared, leaving only eager eyes.
“Could you give me a chance?”
“…….”
“A chance for me to be of any ‘meaning’ to you.”
Instead of putting the ring on my finger, Kyle pressed the ring case into my hands.
Then he wrapped his hot hand around the back of that little hand, pressed it to his forehead, and whispered.
“At that time, I want to be your man.”
“…….”
The light of the sunset gently hovered over his hair that resembled autumn, and the lake was calmly beautiful.
―The scent of lilac was still breathtakingly thick in the afternoon.
A man ‘proposed’ to me.
It was an unexpected sweet accident.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
The accident has been messing with my head for a while.
After closing the business the next day, until the afternoon of a late lunch.
Swiik, swiik.
I sliced onions into the stew and scooped out a spoonful from the simmering cast iron pot.
‘Hmm, perfect.’
“Noah, let’s eat!”
“Thank you, Annette.”
Today after <Little Bakery> closed, Noah came to this place saying he was worried that the gas lamp would not be fixed.
This time, holding a rather sturdy stick.
I decided to eat with Noah.
There was nothing like baking and cooking to organize my thoughts.
As I ate warm bread and stew, I pondered.
‘…It’s a sudden proposal.’
I had heard all the facts, but honestly, I was a little embarrassed.
Actually, I didn’t even know who I got the proposal from.
I guess I got it from the shy bread fan of <Little Bakery>.
Or maybe it was from the son of an ‘aspiring father-in-law’ who once trembled and offered flowers from behind the sofa.
Or maybe it was given by the leader of Larva, the heinous killer, Kine.
Even the last one, a pervert who romantically laid out red roses to beat someone… Ah, right! That’s not it (he blushed as he said no, they were the remnants of Delphi).
‘It’s shocking that it’s all one person.’
Ah, the variety of life.
“It’s delicious, Annette.”
Noah ate the bread with his watery eyes shining.
‘Heuk-heuk, cute guy.’
It was healing just looking at it.
“Is it delicious? Eat a lot, Noah. I am so reassured that you came to protect me today!”
As I smiled, Noah’s cheeks turned red.
Looking at Noah somehow reminded me of that shy little chestnut Kyle.
The little boy was also really, really cute.
“After I become an adult, can I formally propose to the Lady?”
He was like a baby bulldozer.
So I replied to make the baby happy, but…
“Okay, gentleman!”
I rubbed my forehead and grabbed the spoon.
“Ah. I shouldn’t have made a promise!”
Some babies grow up and keep their promises from 10 years ago!
Stupid Annette, why didn’t you know?
Noah asked, tilting his head.
“What promise are you talking about? Annette.”
“…Nothing.”
I thought as I ate the bread mechanically.
—I never thought of getting married.
To be honest, there were many men who courted me while I was running this little bakery, so I was not unfamiliar with this kind of feeling, but it was my first marriage proposal.
Of course, I always wanted to have my own family someday.
My future dream of being a bakery owner had come true.
Now all I needed to do was have a family (I was pretty goal oriented).
Nevertheless, if he had asked for an answer to the proposal on the spot, it would have been ‘no’.
‘I don’t know him well yet.’
However.
“Could you give me a chance?”
“…….”
“A chance for me to be of any ‘meaning’ to you.”
What he wanted was a simple opportunity.
‘…It is cruel to refuse even that.’
I took a quick bite of rye bread, and brought a pen and paper to the table, where we were still eating.
‘Anyway, I have to convey the message I was thinking of yesterday. To Mr. Kyle.’
Following Circe’s work, it was a little burdensome for Larva to escort me so closely.
So, first, I asked him to remove the escorts around <Little Bakery>.
It’s been more than 10 years now, and Gerard’s pursuit didn’t seem like a big threat.
Due to his respectful nature, he would probably bite it immediately upon receiving this message.
“And this…”
I took the ring case out of my pocket and placed it lightly on the table.