It all began with leftover dough.
Sabel, in one of his "experimental bakes," had tried to create a coffee-infused bread he called Bean Baguette Supreme. He left the oddly shaped lump of dough near the fire to rise... and forgot about it.
By the time Percy sniffed it suspiciously, it had already developed a pulse.
And then—it bounced.
Right off the tray, onto the floor, and out the café door.
Act 1: Bread on the Loose
The streets of the kingdom were quiet.
And then they weren't.
The enchanted baguette bounced down the road, knocking over crates, chickens, and a noble's hat. Marketgoers screamed. A cheese vendor fainted. One guard tried to catch it and got slapped in the face with dough.
Back at the café, Sabel peeked out. "...Is that my bread?"
Percy deadpanned. "It's rolling toward the palace."
Rosemary sighed and grabbed the emergency net. "Again?"
Act 2: The Chase
Sabel, Rosemary, and Percy set off in hot pursuit, dodging flour prints and scattered breadcrumbs. The baguette led them through a vegetable stand, a magician's tent, and finally — over a canal via laundry lines.
It was gaining speed.
Sabel used a ladle as a slingshot. Missed.
Rosemary tried polite reasoning. "Excuse me, bread?"
It growled.
Percy tripped on a tomato and yelled, "IT'S GONE FERAL!"
Just before it reached the palace gates, Sabel threw a cup of hot coffee.
The bread stopped.
Sniffed.
And slowly, lovingly… absorbed the coffee.
Act 3: The Redemption of Bread
Sabel approached carefully. "Easy, buddy… You're just overcaffeinated."
He whispered sweet bakery nothings.
"Think of the oven… the soft butter… the toasty crust life you were born for."
The baguette quivered.
And then — flopped into his arms, warm and perfectly golden brown.
Sabel cried. Percy clapped. Rosemary muttered something about therapy for carbs.
Act 4: Back to the Café
The café proudly displayed a new menu item:"The Runaway Loaf Latte Combo" – coffee paired with a small, bouncing baguette-shaped muffin.
Kids loved it. Adults feared it.
The actual baguette? Now a regular, bouncing softly in a basket behind the counter, occasionally thumping with excitement whenever someone ordered extra butter.
And thus, peace was restored… until someone whispered about "flying croissants."