The next morning, I ate the breakfast Emily brought to the table by the window.
"Miss, how is the food?"
Emily asked softly, watching my reaction.
The quality of the meal had drastically improved compared to before. It seemed to be a result of yesterday's events.
"The head chef got up at the crack of dawn and cooked it himself, they say."
"So, you're telling me that my breakfast until now wasn't made by the head chef?"
"......"
Emily immediately clamped her mouth shut and drew a breath at my remark.
"I'm not blaming you, so relax."
I put down my fork for a moment and looked at Emily.
"I know you've been working hard for me all this time."
"A, Miss......"
"I will definitely take care of my people. Don't worry, you'll be rewarded soon for all your hard work."
At my words, Emily's eyes welled up with tears, as if she had been deeply moved.
"I've never once expected any reward......"
"Cut it out. Show your modesty through your actions from now on."
While consoling the sniffling Emily, I had just finished my breakfast when the butler came in.
"Miss, did you call for me?"
He bowed deeply at the door. I nodded casually.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
The butler approached me cautiously.
"Thanks to you, I had a good tour of the attic. I wanted to say thank you."
"That's very good to hear."
Facing the old butler, who looked visibly nervous, I smiled.
His face immediately brightened.
"Did you enjoy the fireworks? They started earlier than usual compared to past festivals."
"Uh, well......"
I couldn't really see them properly because I was fighting with that Leonard guy.
However, I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth and just mumbled.
"The duke has instructed that if you wish to visit the attic again, the door will be opened for you at any time."
"Really? That's great news."
Thinking I would never go there again, I replied without much enthusiasm.
Then the butler went on to say something even more shocking.
"Also, Master Derek has arranged for you to have lunch with him whenever you wish......"
"That's enough. I called you here because I have something to ask."
I hastily interrupted him. It was something that would never happen, now or in the future.
"About what......"
The butler looked at me curiously.
I asked about something that had been bothering me since I confronted Leonard yesterday.
"Is Eclis doing well? I remember asking you to take care of him......"
"Eclis, you mean the slave you bought, Miss?"
"Slave?"
I stiffened at the casual term.
"Surely you haven't been calling him that in front of others?"
"A, no. I made a mistake. I apologize, Miss."
At my cold tone, the butler quickly shook his head.
Knowing how he had been considerate to me in various ways yesterday, I decided to overlook his minor slip of the tongue.
"Where is Eclis staying now?"
"He is staying in the dormitory next to the training ground, where the apprentice knights live."
"Who is his master?"
Apprentice knights who joined the family's knight corps are assigned a master to serve.
Based on yesterday's events, I guessed his master would be Leonard.
However, the butler's response left me dumbfounded.
"He cannot have a master, Miss."
"What? Why?"
"......He is a slave, is he not?"
The butler hesitated for a moment, perhaps recalling my reaction earlier.
"Because you strongly insisted on having him as your bodyguard, the young duke had him registered as an apprentice knight in the family, but......"
It was clear that anything beyond that would be difficult.
"......"
I leaned back in my chair, feeling disheartened.
The butler was right. I had bought Eclis from the slave market for a price, but I hadn't freed him.
"Is there any way to free him?"
At my question, the butler looked perplexed.
"Either by purchasing a new status or by earning recognition through great achievements. But neither will be easy."
"Why?"
"Because he is from a defeated country."
Feeling the stark difference in status, I was at a loss for words.
'How did Eclis become a full knight in the game?'
I recalled the game's content.
[Eclis, through his blood, sweat, and tears, reached the level of Sword Master, but had to hide it due to his origin and serve as a fake noble's bodyguard.
However, after the protagonist appeared, he began to dislike Penelope, who tormented her.
Finally, he stopped the villainess who tried to kill the protagonist and found evidence, earning recognition and freedom from his slave status.]
In a secret knighting ceremony, he pledged his allegiance to the protagonist, who then handed him an 'ancient sword,' a highlight of the Eclis route.
[After disposing of the villain, he revealed his status as a Sword Master with the full support of the duke and was granted a knighthood by the emperor.]
Recalling Eclis's success story, I suddenly frowned.
'When did he become a Sword Master, then?'
Originally, it was the duke who brought him in.
He bought him at a slave auction because he noticed his exceptional sword skills.
No matter how talented Eclis was, he couldn't have reached the level of mastery on his own.
'Then, it must mean that the duke, recognizing his potential, trained him diligently......'
Thinking this, I suddenly felt a chill.
'Then I'm in big trouble.'
I brought him in to serve as a bodyguard but didn't even know if he had a master, and left him neglected.
Moreover, I was the one who let him be bullied by that crazy Leonard......
"Crazy, this is insane."
I was shocked.
If I were Eclis, I would have already vowed to kill me dozens of times.
"......A, Miss?"
The butler looked at me with concern as my face turned pale.
"......Butler."
I suppressed my trembling and asked.
"Butler, how is Eclis doing these days?"
"Excuse me, in what way?"
"In every way. Is he receiving good training, adapting well among the apprentice knights, and how does he seem to be feeling......"
The butler thought for a moment before answering.
"......He rarely shows any expression, so it's hard to tell how he feels. But he seems to be doing well."
"Really?"
"He must be much more comfortable here than in the cramped cages where slaves are kept. He must be truly grateful to you."
I visibly relaxed at the butler's answer. He finally said something right.
After all, I had seen the iron bars where slaves were kept like animals at the auction.
'So, this place must be much better than the auction.'
I nodded. But my happiness circuit only went that far.
"Of course, there are some complaints and suggestions from the other apprentice knights......"
"What kind of complaints?"
"Apparently, when he was first assigned to the dormitory, there was friction over the issue of not wanting to share a room with a slave."
"What?!"
I let out a scream at the butler's words.
"But that's inevitable given his background, Miss. The other apprentice knights are from the families of vassals."
The butler calmly explained the reason, but I didn't hear a word.
My pupils shook as if in an earthquake.
'Damn it.'
I had been so busy that I never imagined such things were happening to Eclis.
If this continues, he might end up dying at the hands of that guy before the ending.
I quickly ordered the butler.
"Prepare for an outing right away."
"......Excuse me? What kind of outing?"
"Shopping."
"Ah."
The butler, taken aback by my sudden request, let out a confused sound. Maybe my tone was too serious.
"As you wish, Miss."
The butler hurriedly bowed and left the room. He was a quick and efficient man.
I also called Emily urgently to prepare for the outing.
"What is it, Miss?"
"Call the maids and have them dress me up as elaborately as possible."
"......Yes?"
"Quickly."
"Yes, yes!"
Emily, taken aback by my sudden order, hurriedly went to fetch the skilled maids.
I had to get out of being a negligent owner as soon as possible.
Alone in the room again, I glared at the air with burning eyes.
And I muttered in a sinister voice.
"Today's mission is 'Who killed our darling?'"
* * *
"You are so beautiful, Miss!"
"Looking like this, you seem like a goddess who just descended from heaven!"
Even though the noble lady disliked it, the maids, as usual, fussed over my beautifully adorned face.
This time, I didn't stop them and let them do everything as they pleased, exhausted.
"Are you done?"
"No! We still need to do your hair. Please sit a little longer, Miss!"
Forced to sit by Emily pressing down on my shoulders, I finally escaped the torture after a long while.
"How does it look, Miss?"
The maids looked at me standing in front of the full-length mirror with great anticipation.
I carefully examined my reflection in the mirror.
When asked what kind of concept I wanted, I had begged for something that would make even a rock crack, and they had faithfully followed my request.
A light makeup, a neatly braided half-up hairstyle.
A deep pink hair color and matching ruby earrings and necklace.
Wearing a white dress with gold thread intricately embroidered on the shoulders and chest, I looked like a doll crafted with great care by a god, truly beautiful.
I chuckled, feeling embarrassed to say such a thing about myself.
'Wow.'
A gasp of admiration erupted from the maids' side.
As a smile appeared on my face, the cold expression vanished, and a new, alluring woman emerged.
"......I like it."
Just those words made the maids, their eyes welling up with tears, laugh again.
Dismissing the fussing maids once more, I turned to Emily.
"Thanks, Emily."
"But why are you dressing up so beautifully, Miss? Where are you going?"
Emily pouted, asking to be taken along.
I replied with a fresh face, revealing my destination.