It Seems That the Slave Girl Is Actually a Count's Daughter. - Episode 23: A Verbal Promise

Episode 23: A Verbal Promise 

“El-sama, please wake up. It’s already noon.” 

Someone was gently stroking my face. It had to be Pamela—no doubt about it. And this time, I wouldn’t make any mistakes. 

I cracked my eyes open slightly. Yep. she was fully clothed. That was an important check. If I woke up to a naked girl in the morning, my heart wouldn’t be able to take it. 

“Good morning, Pamela.” 

“Good morning, El-sama. You seem more clear-headed today.” 

“Yeah. Getting hit with this much sunlight will do that.” 

The sun was already near its peak in the sky. It was shining through the window. I had completely overslept. No one was scolding me for it, though—they probably understood the situation from last night. Breakfast had already been skipped, and we were preparing for lunch instead. 

After getting dressed, I headed straight to the dining room. 

“Sorry, Pamela. I ruined our morning training today.” 

“It’s nothing to worry about.” 

Pamela didn’t seem upset. Could last night have been just a dream? Even if it was, I wouldn’t doubt it for a second. 

As I tilted my head in thought, Pamela handed me a letter. 

“El-sama, this was in the post. It seems to have been delivered this morning.” 

The only letters I ever received were usually job requests from the Adventurers’ Guild. I thanked Pamela and took the envelope. I cut it open without a second thought using a letter opener. 

As expected, it was a personal request from the Adventurers’ Guild—an urgent commission. Apparently, a monster believed to be a Dragon needed to be taken down. 

The wording was important. “Believed to be a Dragon” meant it wasn’t confirmed. Either there were very few witnesses, or they had all been wiped out. 

For them to go out of their way to request someone of my Platinum-rank adventurer status, it meant there was definitely some kind of monstrous creature involved. 

The sender was—Count Reinach. Pamela’s father. 

This was tricky. Was there really a Dragon-like creature causing trouble in his domain? Or was this just an excuse to summon me there? 

I decided to probe Pamela first. 

“Pamela, are there any Dragons in Count Reinach’s territory?” 

“A Dragon…? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” 

She tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and then answered. 

I see. So Pamela didn’t know. If she had known, I would have suspected a setup. 

If this were just an excuse to call me over, Pamela should have been the one pushing the topic of the Dragon. But since she wasn’t, it meant she genuinely had no idea. 

Which meant… There was a real possibility that a Dragon had actually appeared in Count Reinach’s lands. 

I showed Pamela the letter. 

Her deep blue eyes—like a vast ocean—widened in shock. 

“A Dragon… in my father’s lands…?” 

She was speechless. 

In this world, the appearance of a Dragon was classified as a natural disaster. It was considered something beyond human control. The only response was to pray it would leave quickly, minimizing the damage as much as possible. 

“There’s a chance the domain’s army has already moved to subdue it. If that’s the case, the Dragon won’t take it lightly. We should head to Count Reinach’s lands immediately.” 

“You’ll accept the request!?” 

“Of course. I’ll show you that a Platinum-rank adventurer isn’t just for show.” 

I smirked, lifting one corner of my mouth. Pamela had looked so down. She seemed to relax just a little. 

She knew how terrifying Dragons were. Maybe she had learned about them in school. But despite recently taking down an Earth Dragon, she still seemed skeptical about whether I could do it again. 

But then— 

“Wait, there’s one problem.” 

“A problem? What is it?” 

“If you’re still a slave, this could be very bad. If word gets out that a noble’s daughter is a slave, it’ll be a disaster in high society.” 

Pamela gasped. She seemed flustered, realizing the seriousness of the situation. 

“Which is why—I’m going to release you from your slave contract. Right now.” 

“…Huh?” 

Pamela froze. It was as if her body had turned to stone. 

Then, in the next moment, tears—like scattered pearls—began to spill from her sapphire-like eyes. 

Why is she crying!? 

“El-sama… Are you saying… you don’t need me anymore?” 

“No, no, no! That’s not it at all! Not even close!”

“Ahh, Master finally made Pamela cry~!” 

“Wait a second, Shiro! This is a misunderstanding! I need Pamela! She’s someone precious to me! This is just temporary! Once we finish this job and come back, I’ll reestablish the slave contract!” 

I was desperate. I never expected to be so shaken by Pamela’s tears. And in that moment, I realized something—I no longer saw Pamela as just someone I liked, but as someone important to me. Whether I admitted it or not, this was love. 

“…Is that really true?” 

As I cupped Pamela’s cheek and gently wiped away her tears with my thumb, she hesitantly asked. Her voice carried doubt. She wanted to believe, but she was scared. That’s how it sounded. 

“It’s true. I promise.” 

“But just a verbal promise isn’t very convincing, right~? This is the perfect time for that!” 

“That?” 

Shiro arched one eyebrow. He was looking up at me with a mischievous glint. Despite being a cat, he had an impressive range of facial expressions. 

“You should hold her tight and seal it with a passionate kiss! Oh, or maybe… you could push her down and go all the way? If that’s the case, Orto and I will go wait in the other room.” 

With a smug grin, Shiro motioned toward the next room with his paw. 

…Okay, maybe he had a point. Well, not about the last part. 

Pamela, upon hearing Shiro’s words, turned bright red—her face resembling a fully bloomed crimson rose. Even her ears were flushed. 

Our eyes met. 

And then—Pamela closed hers. 

Backing out now would be a disgrace as a man. 

I gently placed my hands on her shoulders, pulled her close, and pressed my lips softly against hers. 

Her lips were smooth, dewy, and a delicate shade of pink. A gentle, warm sensation spread between us. 

“Mmm…” 

A quiet sigh escaped Pamela’s lips. 

…Oops. Maybe I held it for a little too long? 

As I pulled away, her eyes were glossy with emotion. She was staring at me as if longing for more. 

In the end, we kissed three times in total. 

And then, we headed to the slave merchant.