Chapter 45

The next morning, I had breakfast that Emily had brought me from the table in near to the window.

"How does it taste, lady?"

Emily asked me gently, looking at me. The quality of the meals had improved significantly, unlike before. It was like the aftermath of yesterday's work.

"The chef woke up early this morning and cooked himself."

"It sounds like my breakfast so far is not made by the chef himself."

"...."

Emily immediately shut her mouth and took a breath at my pick point.

"I'm not trying to blame you, so relax."

I put down my fork for a moment and looked at Emily.

"I know you've been trying so hard for me."

"Oh, lady."

"I'm going to hug my man for sure. Don't worry, as much as you've tried, the rewards will follow soon."

Emily burst into tears at my words with a bucketful of emotion.

"Boo, I've never asked for compensation…"

"Tuk, from now on, you're going to act modestly."

It was just after breakfast, soothing Emily. The butler came to visit.

"My Lady, did you call me?"

Standing in front of the door, he bowed politely. I nodded roughly.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

The butler came before me carefully.

"Thank you for the attic. I'm just going to say thank you."

"I'm glad you did."

I smiled at the old butler's face, which seemed tense. Then his face brightened up.

"Did you enjoy the fireworks? It certainly starts earlier than the last festivals."

"Yeah, well…"

I didn't even get a good look at the fireworks because of fighting with Leonard. But I couldn't bear to tell the truth with a look of anticipation.

"The Duke has ordered you to open the door whenever you want to climb the attic."

"Really? That's good news."

Of course, I don't think I'll ever climb there again, and I answered without a soul. Then the butler went further and delivered a shocking sound.

"And Master Derrick also make sure that you can have a luncheon together whenever you want."

"That's enough. I called you today because I had a question to ask."

I hurried to block his words. It was also something that would never happen again and again.

"What do you…"

The butler looked puzzled. I asked what had been bothering me since I had cleaned up Leonard yesterday.

"How's Eckliss doing? I think I asked the butler the other day…"

"If it's Eckliss… …you mean the slave you bought?"

"Slavery."

The naturally flowing title hardened my face.

"You don't call him that in front of anyone else so far, do you?"

"Oh, no. I made a mistake for a moment. I'm sorry, miss."

The butler shook his head hurriedly at the cold voice. Yesterday, I, well aware of what he cared about me in many ways, decided to be generous with a minor slip of the tongue.

"Where is Eckliss staying now?"

"He's staying at an apprentice's quarters next to the Secretary of State."

"Who was teacher assigned to him?"

The apprentices who enter the family's knights are assigned teachers to serve as seeds.

Based on what happened yesterday, I guessed that the teacher of Eckliss would be Leonard. But I was dumbfounded by the words returned of the butler.

"He cannot have a teacher. Miss."

"What? Why?"

"…isn't he a slave?"

The butler just opened his mouth after a little bit cold as if he had thought of my reaction

"Since the lady insisted strongly that he would become your escort, the Little Duke made him as an apprentice to the family, but...."

It meant that it was more difficult than impossible.

'Huh….'

I felt empty and leaned my back weakly on the chair. There was nothing wrong with what the butler said. I paid a price and bought Eckliss from the slave market, not from the order.

"How can I dismiss his slavery?"

My question made the butler look perplexed.

"There's a way to buy a new identity or to be recognized for its brilliant work. But neither will be easy."

"He's from a defeated country."

I was at a loss for words due to the remarkable identification gap I felt.

How did Eckliss become an official knight in the game?'

I mused up the contents of the game.

[Eckliss got to the position of the Sword Master with a bloodied effort, but he had to hide it and stop at the escort of a fake princess because of his origin.

But after the appearance of the FL, she becomes increasingly disliked by Penelope, who bullies her. And he is freed from slavery in recognition of his contribution to stopping a wicked woman who was trying to kill a woman in her bed and finding evidence of it.]

It was the highlight scene of Eckliss route when the two made a vow of loyalty to the FL at their own inauguration ceremony, and then the FL handed him the "Ancient Sword"

[After killing the villain, he reveals that he is the Sword Master with the full support of the Duke and proudly honors his knighthood from the emperor.]

Thinking of Eckliss' success story, I suddenly frowned.

'Then when did he became the Sword Master?'

Originally it was the Duke who brought him. It was bought at a slave auction because it was noted that his swordsmanship was outstanding, so even though Eckliss was very good, he could not have reached the level of Sword Master alone.

"Then, the Duke, who knew his potential in advance, trained him as hard as he could."

Thinking that far, I suddenly opened my mouth to a creepy family.

'Then I'm in big trouble.'

She brought him here to use him as a escort and left him alone without knowing if he had a teacher or not. And she's the one who made the crazy guy got bullied.

"Crazy, my God."

I was overwhelmed with astonishment. If I were Eckliss, I would have made dozens of promises to kill myself.

".....Oh, miss?"

  The butler suddenly looked at me as if I was strange, blushing.

"…butler."

I pressed down on my trembling stomach and asked.

"How does the butler see Eckliss these days?"

"What? In what way?"

"In many ways. How is he training, adjusting well among apprentices, how do you feel?"

To my question, the butler answered as if he were pondering.

"He hasn't changed much, so I don't know how he feels. But he seemed to be doing well."

"Really?"

"Well, it would be much easier to get by than the cramped cage that holds the slaves, and he'd be very grateful to you."

I was visibly relieved by the butler's answer. He said the right thing for the first time in a long time. I have seen with my own eyes the iron bars that kept slaves in captivity as if they were keeping animals in the auction house.

Yeah, it's much better here than the auction house.

I nodded. But my happiness circuit was that far.

"Of course there are some complaints or suggestions from other apprentices."

"What complaints?"

"Listen to me, miss, when he was first assigned to the quarters, there was a friction with the slave about not sharing the room."

"What?!

I screamed at the butler's subsequent words.

"But that's inevitable, considering his origins. Lady, the other apprentices have been removed from the family of the household gods."

The butler calmly explained the reason but I could not hear a thing. The pupils shook like an earthquake.

'Damn it'

I've been busy in my own way and never imagined it was happening to Eckliss. If this continues, I will die in his hand first.

I quickly ordered the butler.

"Please get ready to go out right now."

"…yeah? What kind of outing are you talking about?"

"Shopping."

"Ah"

The butler, who was embarrassed by the sudden remark, made a dazed sound. It must have been a very solemn tone

"Yes, lady."

The butler hurried out of the room with a bow. Being fast and quick was one thing I liked about him. I also called Emily urgently to get ready to go out.

"What's the matter, miss?"

"Call the maids and make as much effort as you can."

"...Yes?"

"Quickly."

"Yes, yes!"

Emily was also embarrassed by me out of the blue and hurried to pick up the skillful maids.

I had to break away from the image of an owner who neglected her people. Left alone in the room again, I looked into the air with blazing eyes. And muttered in a dreary voice.

"Today's operation is 'someone's got my baby down.'"

***********

"You're so beautiful, miss!"

"You look like a goddess who just came down from the way you dress up!"

The maids made a fuss again this time, as expected, whether they could not dislike the beautiful face decorated even if they hated the princess.

This time, I asked, exhausted, for giving up everything the swings did without stopping.

"Are you done?"

"No! I haven't touched your hair yet. Have a little more seat, miss!"

I was forced to sit down by Emily's shoulder, and it was a long time before I could get out og the torture.

"How is it, miss?"

Looking at me standing in front of the full-body mirror, the maids looked very excited.

I looked closely at my reflection in the mirror. When asked what concept I wanted, I asked them to do enough to make a stone go away, and they faithfully fulfilled my words.

A style of half-braid with light makeup and finely braided sides. Ruby earrings and necklaces that are the same color as crimson hair.

Wearing a white dress with gold threads tightly carved on my shoulders and chest, I was really pretty like a doll God had put his soul into. It was embarrassing to say this with my own mouth, so I laughed.

There was an exclamation from the maids' side. The cold impression of the woman disappeared from nowhere when the smile came on my face, and a new image of a charming woman appeared.

"...I like it."

The one word was nothing, and the tearful girls burst out laughing again.

Once again, I turned to Emily and said,

"Good work, Emily."

"But where the hell are you going, lady?"

Emily whined, "Take me with a sad face." I told him my destination with a fresh face.

"Military field"

Let's go try to cheer him up.

~~~~~