It Seems That the Slave Girl Is Actually a Count's Daughter. - Episode 6: Shiro’s Critical Situation

Episode 6: Shiro’s Critical Situation 

After confirming that all the clothes Pamela bought were packed into the wardrobe, we headed to the kitchen. The sun had already set quite a bit, and it was about time to prepare dinner. 

“I’ll go to the icehouse to get some ingredients. So get ready to cook.” 

“Y-Yes!” 

Her voice trembled slightly. Was she nervous? Well, that was understandable. It was her first time cooking in someone else’s house. And things were probably quite different from what she was used to. Leaving Pamela and Shiro in the kitchen, I made my way to the icehouse. 

Now, what should we have for dinner? I needed to see Pamela’s cooking skills. Something not too complicated would be best. A pot-au-feu should work—it’s mostly just simmering ingredients. 

What about drinks? Alcohol didn’t seem like a good idea. Something safe, like fruit juice, would do. 

After collecting chicken, leafy vegetables, and some fruit, I returned to the kitchen. 

“Pamela, dinner will be pot-au— W-What are you wearing, Pamela?!” 

“Huh? Master, don’t you know? It’s called a naked apron!” 

“I can see that!” 

Shiro was grinning at me, his eyes curved mischievously. Pamela was blushing furiously. She fidgeted as she clutched her apron. Could it be… Shiro’s doing? I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. 

“Ah, just so you know, I didn’t tell her to do it! Pamela changed on her own. Apparently, the store clerk told her that this would make Master happy.” 

Those bastards! What kind of nonsense were they teaching such an innocent girl?! And Pamela, don’t just believe everything you hear! 

I instinctively covered my face with my hand and looked at Pamela. Her embarrassment seemed to have peaked as she quickly turned around—revealing her completely bare backside. 

Oh no. 

She’s really not wearing anything under that apron. 

In a panic, I grabbed my cloak and draped it over Pamela. I needed to say something—something clever, something appropriate… 

“Pamela, you look amazing.” 

“…Thank you.” 

Tears welled up in Pamela’s eyes as she trembled slightly. No, that wasn’t what I meant to say! I needed to convince her to put some clothes on! 

“But, Pamela… Cooking dressed like that is really dangerous. Even though we have healing magic, I wouldn’t want your beautiful, fair skin to get hurt.” 

“El-sama……..” 

“So, how about changing into something with a little more coverage? I’d love to cook together with you, so please get changed quickly.” 

Did it work? Please, let this work! 

“I understand. I will change immediately.” 

Pamela’s teary eyes narrowed slightly before she happily skipped off to get dressed. It worked. 

“Shiro~? Why didn’t you stop her?” 

I asked Shiro with a smile. He flinched. Ah-ha, he definitely knew something. 

“Eek! I-I did try to stop her! But she wouldn’t listen!” 

“Hmm? And then?” 

“A-And then I figured if she was going to do it, she might as well take off her panties too—” 

“So you *are* the root of all evil!” 

Apparently, Pamela had been wearing underwear at first. But thanks to Shiro’s suggestion, she ended up in that shameless outfit. I grabbed Shiro by the scruff of his neck, lifting him off the ground. 

“S-Sorry to keep you waiting, El-sama… Huh? W-What are you doing?!” 

“Oh, I was just thinking of adding him to tonight’s dinner.” 

“Stop! Save me, Pamela!” 

“E-El-sama, please stop!” 

Since Pamela was desperately pleading for mercy, I decided to let Shiro off the hook for today. But next time, there would be no escape. If he wanted to avoid becoming dinner, he had better stop Pamela before things got out of hand again. 

“Um, El-sama, would you mind sitting down and waiting?” 

“No, this is fine. Cooking next to someone important to me sounds fun.” 

If anything happened to this noble lady, it would be a huge problem. It wasn’t that I doubted Pamela’s cooking skills. But it was best to be extra careful. That’s why I would stay by her side and keep a watchful eye. 

“S-Someone important… Uuu…” 

“Wait, Pamela!?”

I hurriedly supported Pamela as she swayed unsteadily. Were my words really that shocking? It seemed like I had given her the wrong idea. And I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about it. 

After she regained her composure, we cooked together. 

To be honest, I had underestimated Pamela. It looked like she could handle cooking on her own just fine. 

Thank goodness she wasn’t terrible at it. My mother’s cookies, for example, were so bad they couldn’t even be called cookies. The fact that my father ate all of them deserves respect. 

Once the food was ready, we gathered around the table. It’s best to eat while it’s still warm. We placed some lightly toasted bread in the center of the table and began eating. The flavors of the vegetables and chicken had blended perfectly, making the dish delicious. 

No… that’s not quite right. The food was great. But what made it taste even better was the fact that we were eating together. Pamela, too, seemed to be enjoying her pot-au-feu. 

As she quietly ate, I deliberately clanked my utensils against my plate, making unnecessary noise. Yet, she didn’t seem the least bit annoyed by my bad table manners. Did that mean she had already accepted that I had none? 

“El-sama, aren’t you going to drink any alcohol?” 

“Huh? Oh… I think I’ll pass this time. It’s been a while since I went into town. And I used a lot more mental energy than usual. If I drink now, I’ll probably get drunk too quickly.” 

“I see… That’s unfortunate.” 

Pamela responded with a hint of disappointment. 

Wait… was she hoping to drink? 

“Did you really want to try alcohol that badly?” 

“Yes. I wanted to try it at least once, but…” 

Pamela let out a deep sigh. 

I see. So she’s never had alcohol before. 

That’s… definitely a red flag. 

I can already sense trouble brewing. 

I’ll have to make sure she only drinks when I’m fully prepared for whatever chaos might follow. 

Seems like my sixth sense is still sharp.