The moment she heard the word ‘meal,’ her stomach growled. Come to think of it…… she hadn’t eaten anything since before being sold to Lerrbatia. Melissa hadn’t even bothered to give her breakfast.

Ribeta hesitated before opening the door. A sturdy man wearing an eyepatch over one eye held out a tray. Ribeta reflexively took the tray.

“I am Luca, serving Diego. These are things Diego instructed me to bring you. I’ll collect your reply tomorrow morning.”

Reply?

Looking down, she saw a letter envelope alongside the pot, teacup, and cloche-covered plate.

“Do I need to write a reply?”

“He said you’d know once you read it. What time should I bring breakfast?”

She didn’t want to trouble Luca. Ribeta was about to say anytime was fine when she caught herself.

‘Anything’ was a phrase that made servants terribly uncomfortable. I’ll eat anything. I’ll wear anything. I’ll go anywhere. After saying such things, there truly wasn’t a single master who would actually choose ‘anything.’ You’d be lucky not to get scolded for bringing just anything.

“Then…… please bring it at the same time the Count eats.”

Luca’s eyebrow twitched for a moment. But soon he bowed his head as if it were nothing.

“Understood. I’ll take my leave.”

Ribeta found his momentary expression curious, but Luca closed the door immediately, leaving no chance to ask.

She settled at the table. The tea in the pot was lavender tea, and the plate held honeycomb cut into bite-sized pieces. Both helped with sleep—the countess, Melissa’s mother who suffered from insomnia, often requested them.

Why would he bother with this…… Count Ruperto personally instructed him to prepare these. He truly was an unfathomable man.

Her throat was parched, so Ribeta immediately took a sip of tea. The deep lavender fragrance lingered in her mouth.

“It’s delicious……”

I’ve never had tea this good before.

She hadn’t drunk much tea in her life, but even what little she’d had was barely worthy of being called tea. She’d scraped together the dregs left after brewing tea for Melissa and put them in cold water to drink.

Ribeta marveled at the lavender fragrance as she picked up the envelope. The elegant handwriting caught her eye. As she slowly read the words, she unconsciously spoke aloud.

“What on earth is this……?”

※※※

The next day.

She woke at dawn before sunrise out of habit. Her eyes were bloodshot red.

The bed was so uncomfortable she’d tossed and turned all night. To think a soft, warm, gentle bed with the pleasant smell of sun-dried linens felt uncomfortable. Her situation felt somewhat pitiful—having become more comfortable sleeping on hard, damp floors. Still, though she hadn’t slept properly, just being buried in the warm, soft blankets made her happy.

Not that she could stay buried forever.

Ribeta fell into contemplation. Sleep wouldn’t come, yet getting up meant having nothing to do. Cleaning, laundry, cooking. A life where she didn’t have to do anything felt strange and awkward.

Her savior appeared then.

“Breakfast.”

“Breakfast?”

When Ribeta asked in surprise, Luca merely nodded and wheeled a trolley laden with food into the room.

“Diego has breakfast at this hour.”

So that’s why he made that strange expression. After hearing her request to bring it at the Count’s mealtime.

Though the timing was unexpected, it worked out well. She had nothing to do anyway. She worried about the time after breakfast but decided to think positively.

She could enjoy the food slowly, very slowly. No one would rush her to eat quickly. No choking from eating too hastily, no having to dispose of Melissa’s leftovers.

Was this what freedom felt like?

“Thank you for bringing it. I’ll eat well.”

“Will you give me your reply?”

“Ah, yes. Here it is.”

Ribeta held out the envelope. Luca took it and tucked it into his inner pocket. Ribeta hesitated before speaking carefully.

“I did write a reply, but I’m not sure if I wrote it correctly. If I made a mistake, could you tell him I’m sorry?”

“There are no mistakes in Diego’s dictionary. As long as you followed his instructions, that’s sufficient.”

“I don’t mean the Count made a mistake. It’s just, the letter’s contents seemed a bit…… strange, so I mentioned it.”

Luca merely blinked. The contents of a letter the Count personally wrote couldn’t be strange, and even if they were, he had nothing to say about it. That’s what he seemed to convey.

Though she felt bad for taking his time, Ribeta added one more thing.

“By any chance, when might I be able to leave this room……”

“That is for Diego to decide. Well then.”

“Yes. Sorry for taking your time.”

Luca closed the door without answering, as expected. The situation felt no different from being imprisoned, leaving her uneasy. Though the environment was incomparably better than Lerrbatia’s underground dungeon.

Her thoughts had been correct after all. Without gaining freedom, it didn’t matter where she fled. Only the master changed from this person to that person.

Ribeta felt more hopeless now than when imprisoned in Lerrbatia. In Lerrbatia, with luck, escape seemed possible. But here, within Count Ruperto’s domain, she sensed that no matter what she tried, she couldn’t break free.

Ribeta’s thoughts naturally drifted toward Diego.

Starting the day from such an early hour must mean he has much to do.

Honestly, it was unexpected. All the nobles Ribeta had experienced or heard about were lazy people. Even Melissa, who’d been closest to her, was the same. Without special plans, she’d wake long after sunrise. Even then, she wouldn’t wake when Ribeta roused her. After eating breakfast like that, she’d spend hours sprawled on the sofa—that was routine. The other nobles she’d heard about from fellow slaves at work weren’t much different.

Yet Count Ruperto, who was supposedly second to none in the Empire for debauchery, actually woke earlier than anyone.

Ribeta recalled his ashen eyes. Empty like ruins after everything had burned in flames, eyes like ashes where no emotion could be felt.

She’d never seen a libertine with such eyes.

‘Perhaps really…… the rumors might be wrong.’

But even so, the fact remained that she was a slave sold to the Count.

Shaking her head, she began moving food from the trolley to the table. Whatever happened, it was best to eat when she could. Who knew what might occur.

※※※

“Nothing unusual. Meal delivered successfully.”

Diego was changing clothes. Without even glancing at Luca, he held out his hand. Luca wordlessly handed over the envelope he’d received from Ribeta.

“Are you proceeding with today’s schedule as planned?”

“Mm.”

“Understood. That woman left questions—shall I relay them?”

“Go ahead. Sounds entertaining.”

Diego swept back his hair while looking in the mirror. Combing his soft bangs neatly back made his impression considerably colder and harder. As he tightened his cravat, Luca relayed Ribeta’s words.

“She asked me to tell you she’s sorry if she made mistakes in her reply.”

“Hmm.”

“And she’s curious when she’ll be able to leave that room.”

When she’ll be able to leave that room?

Diego chuckled. That was half up to Ribeta herself, and the other half up to him.

She must be anxious. A woman who’d tried to seize freedom even through death. After struggling so desperately only to be caught again, she must be quite disheartened.

However, that wasn’t his fault.

Diego showed no particular reaction as he left the mansion. Just before boarding the carriage, he looked up at where Ribeta was staying. The firmly closed window somehow satisfied him.

If she’d been opening the window and looking outside again today, I was going to nail it shut.

He smiled pleasantly and climbed into the carriage, taking out the envelope. Luca, seated in the driver’s seat, started the carriage. Listening to the steady rhythm of hoofbeats, Diego’s eyes narrowed gradually as he read the letter.