A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation

The hard bed and the chill in the air, combined with having gone to bed early last night, caused Rizel to wake up at a time when the morning glow was beautiful.

Of course, there was no window in the prison cell to actually see the sunrise, so she had no sense of time. Wrapping herself in the thin blanket, she looked drowsily at the handcuffs that bound both her hands.

She lifted one hand slightly, and the chain clinked softly. It was her first time wearing handcuffs, Rizel thought, her mind still fuzzy from waking up. Pressing her hands against the cold sheets, she slowly lifted her body.

The blanket slipped off her shoulders. Though thin, it was better than nothing, so she pulled it back up to her shoulders and sat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“Hah…”

She took a deep breath, and the feeling of cold air filling her lungs made her body shiver involuntarily. Since it was this cold even at dawn in Astarnia, it might indeed be an underground passage.

Worried about catching a cold, she slid her feet off the bed and put on her shoes. Standing up and looking outside the cell, she saw the same man sitting in the corner, back turned to her, just like yesterday.

Being called a slave and abused as he was, he was probably used to sleeping while sitting, Rizel thought as she looked down at his bowed head. Having slept in a bed, but feeling some pain from the hard surface, she couldn’t help but wonder how he could sleep so soundly.

(So vulnerable...)

If Rizel could use magic now, attacking his back would be easy. If she had a hidden knife, stabbing him would be simple too. But she wouldn’t do that.

Still, it made sense that he was defenseless. If this “battle slave” was someone Rizel knew, it would be impossible for her to hurt him by herself.

'No mana. Body, sturdy. Therefore, slave.'

'Are you affected by mana?'

'? No.'

He shook his head, his dull gray hair swaying like a dull blade. How much did he actually know about himself? Probably nothing, which is why he accepted his current situation so passively.

Thinking this, Rizel quietly squatted beside the man’s cage.

(Ah, getting up is definitely going to hurt.)

Actually, she was suffering a tremendous backlash from a previous day spent actively fighting as an adventurer, enjoying hand-to-hand combat with the boss's assistance. Combined with the hard bed, Rizel was experiencing her first muscle pain ever.

The pain was so bad that it made everything else seem minor. Her inner thighs and upper arms especially hurt, and she couldn’t raise her legs or arms properly.

But Jill had told her that moving around would help her recover faster, so she had been slowly and quietly moving for some time now. Why Jill had knowledge about muscle pain was a subtle curiosity—he probably had never experienced it himself.

Also, I’m hungry.

She probably hadn’t eaten anything since last night. Her stomach made a small growl as it woke up.

Looking at the dark-skinned back leaning against the cage, Rizel wished he would wake up and glanced down at the cobblestone floor. She picked up a few tiny chips from the worn stones and gathered them in her palm.

Then she began tossing the small stones at the man’s back. Even if it only caused a slight discomfort or tickle, that would be enough.

“...?”

Suddenly, the man shifted. He raised his face from looking down, glanced around, and then turned to look at her.

“Good morning.”

Rizel smiled as if nothing had happened, brushing the small stones off her hand.

The man stared at her for a few seconds, looking puzzled but nodded once and turned forward again. He moved his body gracefully, attempting to stand, and Rizel looked up at him from her crouched position.

She opened her lips.

“Won’t you reply?”

The voice that slipped out, faintly smiling, made the man stop his rising movement.

It wasn’t just a question but an encouragement, so natural that it left no room for hesitation. Without fully understanding why, the man slowly lowered his lifted waist.

Even sitting, he glanced back at her. Rizel narrowed her eyes gently and tilted her head slightly, prompting him again.