Chapter 10

"Wait! If you say it all at once, I won't be able to remember it!"

"Hehe, you're right."

Yurisies, who showed signs of panic, found it amusing and smiled, but then was glared at. After a cough to clear her throat, she composed herself and once again relayed the necessary information to Yurisies.

Yurisies said, "Wait a moment," and then left the basement.

I took a deep breath in the now empty cell.

The tray held a meal that had already gone cold. While waiting for Yurisies to bring various things, I reached for the simple meal out of boredom.

"…Itadakimasu."

Compared to the meals Amalilis had been eating, this was a bit… no, quite simple.

However, it was a balanced meal I hadn't had in days, and my heart leaped with joy. Compared to living off convenience store bread and onigiri, and looking forward to the staff meals from my part-time job at a restaurant, this was a blessing.

And perhaps because I hadn't eaten due to the tightness of the corset, my empty stomach growled loudly.

(Not exactly delicious, but I can't complain since it's just food.)

The grilled fish was a bit fishy and had many bones, but it was edible, so I'll take it. The vegetables had a good crunch and texture, probably some kind of stem, core, or skin. The bread was as hard as a rock, but it softened in my mouth, and the wheat flavor seeped out nicely.

Being able to spend time in a comfortable space without being rushed brought tears to my eyes from a sense of relief and joy.

"…Amalilis, here are the things you asked for."

I was so engrossed in my meal that I didn't even notice the footsteps. When I heard my name, I turned around to see Yurisies standing there, looking as if she had seen a monster.

"…What happened to you?"

"That's what I should be asking you… Amalilis Linoverta."

"Eh…?"

"Why are you crying?"

Only then, when she mentioned crying, did I touch my cheeks.

(Being able to eat slowly in such a quiet place without worrying about debt is so joyful… I couldn't help it.)

I quickly wiped away my tears, and the smooth bread slipped from my palm.

The bread hit the floor with a thud and rolled away.

I immediately chased after it, picked it up, and carefully brushed off the dirt. It was the three-second rule.

(I must have looked undignified… but there's no point in acting like a lady in a cell.)

I placed the bread back on the plate as if nothing had happened. Yurisies's eyes widened even more when she saw this.

"…Please, keep what you just saw a secret."

"…!"

"More importantly, thank you for bringing what I asked for."

I wiped away my tears and bowed slightly. Yurisies looked at me with a furrowed brow, which was a refreshing change from her usual expressionless face.

Yurisies reached out toward me.

I didn't miss the fact that she was trying to take the half-eaten bread from the plate. I held the plate away to prevent her from taking it.

"Hand over that bread…!"

"…!"

"…What do you think you're doing?"

She looked incredibly upset that I wasn't giving her the bread.

However, I couldn't give in either. "What do you think you're doing" is what I should be saying.

I don't want to give up the main dish, which is the bread.

I was planning to savor it slowly, but if she takes it now, I won't have anything left to eat.