Chapter 52: Outside the Bedroom, As Emilia (End)

“It’s delicious…”

Even though she had eaten the red grilled salmon countless times, perhaps it was because she was sitting across from her Lord and eating together that it tasted better.

It tasted much better than the first day.

Well, the first day, her stomach was in a terrible state, so she couldn’t eat properly, but the red salmon she was eating now was undoubtedly the best grilled salmon she had ever tasted since reincarnating to this world.

The smoky scent of charcoal from the grilling, the sweet sauce, and the nicely shredded radish all mixed together.

Especially the dish presentation! She, who used to shout “Plating is everything!” was now looking at a meal placed on a luxurious, ornate plate with a vintage design, making her mouth water just by looking at it.

“How is it? Is it good, Emilia?”

Rosel asked while Emilia shyly continued her meal, her shoulders slightly hunched.

The question about whether it tasted good wasn’t just about the food.

It was about whether Emilia was okay with the gazes from Zichelle and the other servants.

Emilia, realizing this, wiped her mouth with a napkin and answered.

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“I’m glad. Be sure to chew slowly and thoroughly. We have plenty of time.”

“Yes, Lord.”

At that moment, a servant holding a teapot approached and attempted to pour water into Emilia’s empty cup.

“Ah, ah, thank you.”

However, before the servant could pour the water, Emilia, as if receiving a drink from a superior, held the cup with both hands and tilted it herself.

The servant looked at Zichelle in surprise.

This was the first time in the servant’s career that a water cup had been presented to them first.

Though she had entered the mansion as a s*ave, she was a warrior and owned by the Lord, who had spent 500 gold to acquire her.

She was the noble Duke’s s*ave.

In terms of legal hierarchy, she was a commoner, but if the Lord had spent a large sum to bring her in, she was, from a practical perspective, above the servant.

The current situation made it clear.

Where else would you find a servant sitting down to dine with the Lord?

And given Rosel’s reputation, there was growing certainty that Esil, under false accusations, had been turned into a s*ave.

Thus, the servant was caught off guard.

She had not expected Emilia to raise the cup so respectfully.

Zichelle, noticing the servant’s gaze, nodded silently, and the servant poured the water.

Emilia gave a slight bow, expressing her thanks.

“Thank you.”

“…Y-yes.”

The servant backed away with a bewildered expression.

Rosel, enjoying his food, smiled contentedly. His gaze, full of honeyed affection, lingered on Emilia, who appeared pure and somewhat innocent.

Yes, this was Emilia.

She was pure, polite, and untainted, coming from a world without class divisions.

Rosel couldn’t hide his smile as he saw her slowly coming to life.

Even in a time when revolution was approaching and chaos loomed.

“Are you finished eating?”

“Yes.”

Rosel, having finished his meal to match Emilia’s somewhat slower pace, stood up.

The meal had been a success.

The shared dining experience had gone well.

Now, Rosel, feeling a desire to move things forward, decided to make a suggestion as Emilia rose to follow him.

“Are you full?”

“Yes. It’s been so long since I’ve eaten this well.”

“I’m glad. Now, you should let it digest, don’t you think?”

“D-digest…?”

“The back garden of the mansion is nice for a walk. Would you like to go?”

“The back garden…? A walk…?”

“Yes, nothing helps digestion like a walk.”

At the mention of digestion, Emilia chastised herself for momentarily imagining something inappropriate.

She then, still polite, made her way to follow him, bowing respectfully to Zichelle and the servants.

“It was really delicious. Thank you.”

Even though she was still officially a s*ave, she hadn’t forgotten her place to express gratitude for the meal.

Of course, the servants, upon receiving her thanks, were left looking at each other in confusion.

Thud, thud.

The Duke’s back garden was a place where, except for the night guards and gardeners, no one would usually go.

Although it was an open area, it was also a space designated for the Lord, and there was no real reason to come to the back garden.

“Wow… this place is really beautiful.”

Emilia, stepping into the back garden for the first time, marveled at the evening-lit garden.

It was a small garden, but it had everything.

A pond, benches, shrubs, flowers, and even cute little sculptures.

The back garden, bathed in the evening glow, was indeed a wonderful walking path with a single stone path laid out for a pleasant stroll.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes. Really. It’s so nice.”

Once Rosel confirmed that no one was around, he asked again, using a more familiar tone.

He himself felt a bit awkward. But knowing that his previously condescending tone wouldn’t be beneficial to Emilia, he was making an effort.

“…Thank you, Master. Really.”

While walking on the stone path, Emilia suddenly expressed her gratitude.

It felt like she was taking the first step back into a world she thought she had lost.

The life she once thought would be miserable as a temple s*ave was flowing in an unexpected direction.

It was a life of salvation.

As a temple s*ave, not walking on all fours like a dog with a leash, but walking comfortably side by side with her respected master—what s*ave could ever dream of that?

Rosel, the Duke, was the person who saved her.

If it weren’t for him, she would have been sold to Count Rubran and might have ended up being treated like livestock, possibly committing suicide in the end.

She had a desire to live, but the ugly life of a temple s*ave might have overshadowed that desire.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure at first.

She wasn’t sure she could live as a temple s*ave.

But now, she was confident.

With her master, she believed she could live.

The hard sensation of walking on the stone ground.

The sound of the bushes swaying in the wind.

The gentle breeze blowing.

And the beauty of the garden, covered in the evening glow.

The more they continued walking, the more those little things came to her as a deep, emotional experience.

Things she would have never noticed before now filled her gaze, sounds she would have ignored now tickled her eardrums, and sensations she would have passed by mindlessly were now recorded in her cells.

She was happy.

She wished this walk with her master would last forever.

It might be presumptuous, but she really didn’t want this happiness to end.

She felt so good, almost to the point of feeling guilty for being so happy, as her master had pulled her out of the filth and cleaned her up, making her beautiful.

The sound of insects buzzing added even more color to the walk.

Rosel was equally happy.

He was happy to walk here with her, but he was even happier that Emilia was feeling happiness.

How much had he worked for this moment?

Of course, there were still challenges to face, but if Emilia could feel happiness in the brief moment of freedom left by Duke Duvell, that would be enough.

He didn’t wish for anything more.

Thus, they walked silently, both feeling the pleasant thrill, until Emilia called him.

“…Master.”

“Yes?”

“Is there truly nothing you wish for from me?”

“…”

This happiness, which came without a price, made her feel embarrassed to continue accepting without giving anything in return.

Emilia, gathering her courage, asked Rosel, and he fell silent, lost in thought.

“What do I want…”

He understood Emilia’s feelings.

With her temperament, she might gradually start feeling burdened.

The idea that there is no such thing as a free favor was a common understanding in her world, so he understood, but truly, Rosel didn’t want anything from her.

“Anything is fine, Master. Really.”

“Hmm… Even if I said I didn’t want anything, you wouldn’t just leave it at that, would you?”

“Yes!”

As Rosel seemed to step back, Emilia answered eagerly, convinced she had hit the mark.

“What I want… Well, I really don’t want anything…”

Rosel muttered, looking down at the stone path with his hands behind his back.

What he desired was nothing more than Emilia’s happiness, and he knew he wasn’t in a position to ask her for anything, so his mouth refused to open carelessly.

“I really just want you to be happy. That’s it. Or, you can say something first, then I’ll tell you what I want.”

“Me, first?”

Emilia seemed a bit flustered at first but then smiled mischievously, as if she was certain she had caught something.

“Then I’ll say it first. I want to do whatever it is that you want, Master.”

“…What? Ah, no. That sounds like cheating.”

Rosel stammered.

It was the first time he had ever stuttered in front of someone.

It was because, oddly enough, this time with Emilia made him feel strangely nervous.

Why?

Because just as Emilia had been a virgin warrior, Rosel was also a virgin Duke.

Emilia giggled as she saw Rosel flustered, covering her mouth as she laughed.

“You’re getting flustered. This is surprising.”

“…Well, I’m human, too.”

Rosel, nervously avoiding eye contact, seemed unable to focus on anything today as the distant mountains were nowhere to be found.

And seeing this side of him, Emilia couldn’t help but feel a little proud.

She had always seen her master as someone perfect, meticulous, and flawless—like an impenetrable fortress—but to see him like this was something unexpected.

It felt like she had become a little closer to him, and Emilia couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

‘Master… You have a cute side to you.’

‘Ugh… Does this make me seem a bit silly?’

A strange atmosphere hung between them as they walked side by side on the stone path, just a short distance apart.

Emilia lifted her heels, walking lightly and cutely, almost as if jumping over the stone path.

“Is there really nothing you want from me…? Even that feels a little disappointing…”

“Ah. Yes. There is. There is.”

In the end, Rosel raised the white flag.

He had no intention of making Emilia feel upset, and his words hit their mark.

Emilia, sticking out her tongue playfully, grinned.

“Really? What is it?”

“Ah, um… If I had to ask for something… Then…”

“Then…?”

Rosel turned his gaze to a small statue near the pond to avoid Emilia’s eyes.

“Well, you could just call me Rosel instead of Master.”

“…Yes, yes?!”

Emilia stopped in her tracks, and Rosel scratched the back of his neck, responding curtly.

It was his first time walking this long and talking with a woman, and his back was already sweating.

“Wait, I mean… only when we’re alone?”

“But…!”

“Well, there’s nothing else.”

Things like holding hands, kissing on the cheek, or a back hug—light skinship—were what Emilia had imagined.

But being asked to call him by his name instead of “Master” felt like a thunderbolt. She thought something more intimate might be easier.

‘Ah, no…! Master, why that…!’

Enjoying Emilia’s embarrassment, Rosel smirked and walked ahead.

It was a good choice.

If she continued calling him “Master,” it would mean she was voluntarily acknowledging herself as a s*ave.

To escape from slavery, at some point, she had to stop using that title.

Now was the time to sort things out. He wanted to remind her that she could call him by his name, as a warrior, Emilia could do so.

“Ah, no, Master…! I mean, not that… Anything else?”

“There’s nothing. If you can’t do it, you don’t have to. I don’t want you to do it against your will.”

“Hm~ I can’t really think of anything else.”

“Ah, no, that’s not it…!”

Rosel walked the stone path with a playful expression, glancing up at the sky.

Then, as if to make sure Emilia heard him, he spoke aloud.

“Today, the sunset is really beautiful. It reminds me of someone.”

It was sincere.

Rosel had often come to the garden to clear his thoughts, but today, the colors of the sunset were particularly stunning.

And the face of Emilia, blushing under that same light, seemed to appear in the sky.

“Ah, ah…!”

Emilia, stamping her feet as she watched Rosel walk away, felt a growing sense of unease that he might keep walking further if she didn’t call him.

With a clenched fist, Emilia finally called out to him.

“…Rosel! Wait…!”

At the low shout from behind, Rosel stopped in his tracks and smiled joyfully.

At the call of Warrior Emilia, he was more than willing to stop.

“Come here, Emilia.”

With shining golden hair fluttering behind her, Emilia ran into Rosel’s arms, embracing him tightly.

Not as the s*ave Esil, but as the warrior Emilia, into his embrace.