Chapter 10 THE FAKE CAKE IN THE DISTRICT ACROSS THE WAY
Nora had not expected the warmth from that small incident to linger until morning, enough to make her steps feel a little lighter as she headed toward the market, momentarily forgetting about the threats that had been coming one after another.
“Your butter rolls are truly the best, Nora,” Aunt Hettie praised as she accepted the warm brown paper bag.
Mornings at the local market always began with the lively voices of vendors and the aroma of freshly roasted coffee mingling in the air.
Nora smiled warmly as she welcomed her regular customers from behind the wooden stall counter. Her movements were lighter than usual, even though she had nearly lost her shop the night before.
The peaceful morning atmosphere helped Nora forget about the terror of the previous night, even if only for a little while.
Her stall was once again filled with locals looking for warm bread for breakfast, and for a moment, she could pretend that everything was all right.
Aunt Hettie did not leave immediately after paying for her order.
The middle-aged woman adjusted her shawl while glancing toward the main road, as though there were something she wanted to tell Nora.
“By the way, you don’t need to trouble yourself with baking complicated cakes anymore,” Aunt Hettie said casually.
Nora’s brow furrowed slightly at her words. Her hands stopped wrapping the order, something in Aunt Hettie’s tone making her wary for no clear reason.
“What do you mean, Auntie?” Nora asked in confusion.
“A new bakery opened in the district across the way the day before yesterday,” Aunt Hettie replied cheerfully, unaware of the change in Nora’s expression. “They sell a pitch-black cake that supposedly grants the dreams of whoever buys it.”
Nora immediately froze.
Her heart pounded hard against her ribs, and the hand that had been holding the wrapping paper suddenly felt cold.
A pitch-black cake with the claim that it could grant people’s dreams.
The description was far too identical to her late grandmother’s forbidden recipe to be a mere coincidence.
The moment Aunt Hettie walked away, Nora hurried off to find Kael, her hands still trembling slightly as she thought about the possibility that had just crossed her mind.
Several hours later, Nora was already walking away from the market district.
She was not alone.
Kael walked beside her, wearing a simple gray cloak to conceal his identity.
The knight’s appearance had been made to resemble that of an ordinary citizen, though his straight, imposing posture was still difficult to hide completely.
The cobblestone streets of the district across the way looked busier and more unfamiliar than the roads Nora usually traveled.
Their footsteps fell into an easy rhythm as they walked side by side, looking like a couple simply enjoying the morning.
“Don’t stare at me so closely,” Kael said flatly without turning his head.
“Who’s staring at you?” Nora shot back irritably, straightening her gaze toward the road ahead, though her cheeks felt slightly warm.
They stopped for a moment at a roadside tea stall.
Steam rose from the clay cups placed on a small wooden table, providing the perfect excuse to sit for a while without drawing attention.
Nora slowly sipped the warm herbal tea. The sweetness of the honey soothed her throat, which had felt dry ever since she heard Aunt Hettie’s story.
Kael sat across from her at the small table, not touching his drink at all.
His eyes remained fixed on the movements of the people around them, alert and watchful, as though he were accustomed to doing this kind of thing.
“The shop is at the end of the bend,” Kael whispered quietly.
Nora gave a small nod and set down her cup.
They quickly finished the rest of their tea and continued toward the direction Kael had indicated.
The scene outside the new bakery was strikingly different from Nora’s shop.
Its walls were painted a dazzling gold, completely different from the old wood and faded paint of Clover Bakery.
An intricately carved wooden sign hung above the main entrance. The shop’s name was neatly engraved in silver lettering, looking so new that it almost gleamed.
A long line of people stretched in front of the entrance.
The customers’ faces were bright with hope, something that made Nora’s stomach twist uncomfortably the longer she looked at them.
Nora and Kael slipped through the tightly packed crowd.
They stopped directly in front of a large glass display case, doing their best not to attract attention.
Nora drew a deep breath and held it.
Her eyes remained fixed on the contents of the spotless display.
A medium-sized cake sat atop a white porcelain pedestal.
Its exterior was a deep, pitch-black color, smooth and glossy as though it had just been taken from the oven.
A strange aroma immediately pierced Nora’s nose through the glass.
A sweet scent mingled with the sharp sting of burning ash, a combination she knew far too well.
Yet the original recipe book was still safely in Nora’s possession.
Her grandmother’s notebook had never left the kitchen drawer since Nora found it.
Even the Black Velvet Cake section had never contained any writing because Nora’s grandmother had erased the words herself.
Kael moved closer to Nora, his broad shoulders shielding part of her from the press of people in the crowd.
“That’s Black Velvet?” Nora whispered softly, making sure no one could hear her.
Kael merely nodded without a word.
“How could they have made it?” Nora whispered beside Kael’s arm, her voice barely audible amid the noise of the crowd.
Kael did not answer immediately.
His jaw tightened as he studied every detail of the cake inside the display case, his eyes moving quickly as though searching for something that could explain this strange situation.
Kael’s gray eyes grew darker.
Something terrible was happening behind the sale of this fake cake, and he seemed to already have an idea of what it was.
A neatly dressed shop attendant opened the main door wide.
He carried a silver tray filled with slices of cake for the customers to sample, his smile too perfect to feel sincere.
“Please, have a taste,” the attendant said pleasantly to everyone waiting in line. “One bite to make your greatest dream come true.”
Nora stared at the black slice of cake on the tray with a shudder.
She knew all too well what price those unfortunate people would have to pay.
The image of Julian’s empty face flashed through her mind once again.
Kael suddenly grabbed Nora’s wrist, his fingers closing firmly around it without leaving room for protest.
The man pulled Nora backward, away from the crowd of customers.
“We have to leave now,” Kael said firmly.
Nora gently pulled her hand free and pointed toward the bakery door, her body freezing for a moment.
Her eyes widened as she saw who had just stepped outside to welcome the customers.
