It Seems That the Slave Girl Is Actually a Count's Daughter. - Episode 9: Weakness

Episode 9: Weakness 

I feel light seeping through my closed eyelids. It seems the morning sun is shining through the curtains. Morning already? But I’m still sleepy. I don’t want to open my eyes. 

But what’s with today? I feel like I woke up better than usual. Normally, I’d dive back under the covers. But for some reason, I feel like, “Maybe I can get up now.” It’s probably because of the warmth I feel on my left arm. 

“Good morning, El-sama.” 

A soft, gentle voice, comforting and peaceful, reached my ears. Could an angel be lying next to me? Drawn to that voice, I leaned over the angel sleeping beside me. Hmm, this bedding is softer and more huggable than I expected. 

“E-E-El-sama!?” 

“Huh? P-Pamela!? S-Sorry, I was half-asleep! I’ll move away right now!” 

Crap, I was completely out of it. 

I’m terrible in the morning. Usually, I wake up feeling gloomy. But today, I felt unusually refreshed—probably because Pamela was sleeping beside me. That makes sense now. 

Wait… huh? I can’t move my body freely. 

“I-I don’t mind if you stay like this.” 

Pamela held onto me tightly. She was refusing to let go. My mind was waking up more and more. The sensation of her chest against me was becoming sharper, more pronounced. 

And then, a suspicion crossed my mind. 

Could it be that Pamela… isn’t wearing anything under her bathrobe? 

This is bad. If I try to push her away forcefully, there’s a chance something might slip out. Pamela’s chest was pressing against me. It was squishing in a way that looked almost painful. 

“Whoo-whoo! You two sure are heating things up this morning!” 

Shiro chimed in teasingly. Startled, Pamela loosened her grip just a little. Taking that chance, I managed to escape. 

Shiro, good job. 

“Good morning, Shiro. It’s a beautiful day today. Perfect weather for going out. Now, Pamela, let’s eat breakfast quickly and then go check your attributes.” 

Pamela had been pouting and giving me a half-lidded stare. But she suddenly brightened up. 

“Yes! Oh, but… what about your work, El-sama?” 

“Oh, right, you don’t know much about Platinum-ranked adventurers. You see, Platinum-ranked adventurers receive requests directly at their homes.” 

That’s why Platinum-ranked adventurers need a home base in a city. That’s why I live here, in the town of Besajin, which is relatively close to the royal capital of this country. 

“I see. So, do you have any requests today?” 

“No, not at the moment. One might come in later. But even if it does, I probably won’t start working on it until tomorrow or later.” 

Pamela nodded thoughtfully, placing a hand on her chin. I like that she’s trying to learn. 

“I’ll head downstairs and start preparing breakfast. So you should change and come down when you’re ready, okay?” 

Pamela gasped slightly and bit her lip. She must have realized that this was an order. She also seemed to have noticed that she had fallen behind in preparing breakfast. 

“…Understood.” 

She sounded reluctant. Hopefully, this teaches her to sleep in clothes she can move around in right away. No more sleeping in just a bathrobe. 

— 

Breakfast was a simple sandwich with bread, fried eggs, bacon, and fresh cabbage. It’s quick to make. And by switching up the vegetables, I can keep things interesting. 

As for Pamela… she’ll have to make do with the same meal as me. I can’t provide the kind of lavish breakfast she’d get in a noble’s household. 

Shiro doesn’t need food. But he enjoys soft and jelly-like treats as a luxury. He won’t die without them. 

I finished preparing breakfast quickly, and Pamela rushed downstairs. She had changed into practical, full-coverage pants to avoid injury. Good. Exposed legs would have been distracting. I should have her wear this outfit even when we’re at home. 

Pamela’s expression darkened when she saw the prepared breakfast on the table. She sat down with a dejected posture. 

Ugh, this is awkward. I should have waited for her before making breakfast. 

“I’m sorry, El-sama. I couldn’t do anything…………” 

“P-Pamela, that’s not true! Just being able to eat breakfast together like this is enough for me. I usually eat alone, after all.”

Pamela’s face lit up as if a magic lamp had been turned on. Alright, looks like she’s cheered up. We continued eating breakfast while I explained the details of today’s plan. 

“Today, we’re heading to the wastelands in the south to test your magic aptitude.” 

“The southern wastelands…? That’s quite a distance, isn’t it? C-Could it be… are we going to camp out!? Setting up a tent… sharing a sleeping bag… just the two of us…!” 

It seemed Pamela had entered full-blown fantasy mode. She placed her hands on her cheeks, her face turning red. And she was shaking her head from side to side in embarrassment. Even Shiro, usually unfazed, watched her with an exasperated expression. 

“You don’t need to worry. We’ll use the teleportation magic [Heaven’s Gate] to get there in an instant. That means we can return instantly as well. There’s no need for camping, so you can relax.” 

“…Huh?” 

Pamela turned to me with a blank expression. Huh? Did she actually want to try camping? If that’s the case, maybe I should take her somewhere safe for it next time. 

Pamela quietly nibbled on her bread. She looked noticeably downcast. Seeing her so obviously disappointed made me feel like I’d just said something terrible. 

By the way, when camping, someone always has to keep watch at night. Sharing a sleeping bag is pretty much impossible. I wonder if she realizes that?