Chapter 45: The Villain's Ending is Only Death
The next morning, I ate the breakfast Emily brought to the table by the window.
"Miss, how is the taste?"
Emily asked softly, watching my reaction.
The quality of the meal had improved dramatically compared to before. It seemed to be the aftermath of yesterday's events.
"Chef got up at the crack of dawn and cooked it himself, they say."
"So, you're saying my breakfast until now wasn't made by the chef himself?"
Emily immediately clamped her mouth shut and drew a breath at my remark.
"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. 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."
"I will definitely embrace those who serve me. Don't worry, your efforts will be rewarded soon."
Emily's eyes welled up with tears, as if she had been deeply moved by my words.
"I've never, not once, expected any reward......"
"Enough. Show your humility through your actions from now on."
As I comforted the sobbing Emily, the butler arrived just as I finished my breakfast.
"Miss, did you call for me?"
He bowed his head respectfully at the door. I nodded casually.
The butler approached me cautiously.
"Thanks to you, I had a good tour of the attic. I wanted to express my gratitude."
"That's good to hear, Miss."
Facing the old butler's visibly tense expression, I smiled gently.
His face brightened immediately.
"Did you enjoy the fireworks? They started earlier than usual compared to past festivals."
I couldn't really enjoy them because I was fighting with Leonard.
However, I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth and just brushed it off.
"The Duke has instructed that whenever you wish to visit the attic, the door will be opened for you."
"Really? That's great news."
Thinking I would never go there again, I answered listlessly.
The butler then delivered even more shocking news.
"And Master Derek has instructed that whenever you wish, we should arrange a luncheon together......"
"That's enough. I called you here for a reason."
I hastily interrupted him, as this was something I never wanted to happen.
The butler looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I asked about something that had been bothering me since I scolded Leonard yesterday.
"How is Eclis doing? I remember asking you to take care of him......"
"Eclis, the slave you bought, Miss?"
I stiffened at the casual term he used.
"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 much he had been attentive to me 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."
Apprentice knights who join 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."
"......Because he is a slave."
The butler hesitated, perhaps recalling my reaction earlier.
"Since you strongly insisted on having him as your bodyguard, the young Duke did register him as an apprentice knight in the family......"
But that was as far as it could go.
I leaned back in my chair, feeling a sense of futility.
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?"
The butler looked perplexed at my question.
"Either by purchasing a new status or by earning recognition through significant achievements. But neither will be easy."
"Because he is from a defeated nation."
The stark difference in status made me speechless.
'How did Eclis become a full knight in the game?'
I recalled the game's plot.
[Eclis, despite his outstanding sword skills, had to hide his true abilities and serve as a fake noble's bodyguard due to his slave status.
However, after the protagonist appeared, he began to dislike Penelope, who was tormenting her.
Finally, his efforts in stopping the villainess who tried to kill the protagonist and finding evidence were recognized, and he was freed from his slave status.]
In a secret knighting ceremony, he pledged his loyalty to the protagonist, and she handed him an ancient sword, which was the highlight of Eclis's route.
[After the villain was defeated, he revealed his status as a Sword Master with the Duke's full support and was even 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 the slave auction because he noticed his exceptional sword skills.
No matter how talented Eclis was, he couldn't have reached such a high level on his own.
'Then, the Duke must have trained him diligently, recognizing his potential......'
That thought led me to a chilling realization, and my mouth dropped open.
I had brought him in to serve as a bodyguard but had no idea if he even had a master, and I had left him to fend for himself.
Moreover, I had let him be tormented by the crazy Leonard.
If I were Eclis, I would have already vowed to kill me dozens of times.
The butler looked at me with concern as my face turned pale.
I suppressed my trembling and asked.
"How is Eclis doing, in your opinion?"
"Excuse me, in what way, Miss?"
"In every way. Is he receiving proper training? How is he adapting among the other apprentice knights? How does he seem to be feeling?"
The butler pondered for a moment before answering.
"......He hardly shows any change in expression, so it's hard to tell how he feels. But he seems to be doing well."
"He must be much more comfortable here than in the cramped cages where slaves are kept. He must be truly grateful to you, Miss."
I visibly relaxed at the butler's answer. He had finally said something right.
After all, I had seen the cages where slaves were kept like animals at the auction.
'So, this place must be much better than the auction.'
I nodded. But my sense of relief was short-lived.
"Of course, there have been some complaints and suggestions from the other apprentice knights......"
"What kind of complaints?"
"Apparently, there was some friction when he was first assigned to the dormitory, as the other knights refused to share a room with a slave."
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 explained calmly, but I couldn't hear a word.
My pupils shook as if in an earthquake.
I had been so busy that I hadn't even imagined such things happening to Eclis.
If this continued, he would die at the hands of that guy before reaching any ending.
I quickly ordered the butler.
"Prepare me for an outing."
"......Excuse me? What kind of outing, Miss?"
The butler, taken aback by my sudden request, let out a confused sound. Perhaps my tone was too serious.
The butler bowed and hurried out of the room. He was a quick and efficient man.
I also called Emily urgently to prepare for the outing.
"Call the maids and have them dress me up as best as they can."
Emily, surprised by my sudden command, reluctantly went to fetch the skilled maids.
I had to get out of the role of 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 couldn't help but admire the beautiful face they had adorned.
I let them do as they pleased and asked, exhausted.
"Not yet! 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.
The maids, standing in front of the full-length mirror, looked at me with eager anticipation.
I carefully examined my reflection in the mirror.
When I asked for a concept, they went all out, even if it meant breaking a rock.
A light makeup and a neatly braided half-up hairstyle.
Ruby earrings and a necklace that matched my pale pink hair.
Wearing a white dress with gold thread intricately embroidered on the shoulders and chest, I looked like a doll crafted with divine skill, truly beautiful.
Feeling embarrassed to say such things about myself, I chuckled.
The maids burst into exclamations of admiration.
As a smile spread across my face, the cold expression vanished, and a new, enchanting beauty emerged.
Their reaction to my words was so exaggerated that I couldn't help but laugh again.
Dismissing the fussing maids, I turned to Emily.
"But, Miss, where are you going dressed so beautifully?"
Emily pouted, asking to be taken along.
I smiled brightly and told her my destination.
I'm going to boost our darling's morale.