Chapter 7

　　She was silent for a moment.

　　It sounded as if he hadn’t eaten in days. It was too loud to ignore. And now that she looked closer, the man was rather thin. His tall, broad-boned frame gave him a sturdy appearance, but when she’d grabbed his wrist, she’d felt very little flesh.

　　“Are you hungry?” she asked, sighing.

　　He nodded honestly. She knew she had no obligation to care for this lawless man, but as she fiddled with the buttons in her palm, she decided to extend her generosity.

　　“Alright. Take what you need to eat, and then you have to leave.”

　　“Can I really eat it?”

　　In truth, one of these buttons could buy her entire vegetable garden several times over. And it’s not like there was any real emotional distress.

　　“Yes. Take as much as you want.”

　　The moment she gave her permission, he reached for the cherry tomatoes, plucking them from the vine and popping them into his mouth.

　　“Wait! Are you just going to eat them like that?”

　　“You said I could.”

　　“Aren’t you going to wash them?”

　　“Do I have to?”

　　She had to admit, she sometimes ate them unwashed herself, since she’d grown them without a single drop of pesticide. But this man looked like a nobleman. Beyond his expensive clothes, he carried himself with a different air. His arrogant, informal speech, his utter lack of guilt, his carelessness with money—everything about him screamed of a pampered upbringing.

　　“Well, no. They’re fine to eat as is, but…”

　　As if to ask then what’s the problem?, he tossed another tomato into his mouth. The gesture was surprisingly crude for someone with such a refined appearance. Even if he is that hungry…

　　His actions were too uninhibited. Elena had never met a nobleman in person, but her dreams had given her glimpses into their world. Many of the protagonists in her dreams were high-ranking aristocrats, and most of them would have considered this man’s behavior barbaric. He looks like the type to cut a cherry tomato with a knife and fork.

　　Something was off. Could he not be a nobleman?

　　While she pondered this, he continued to devour the tomatoes, not with enjoyment, but with the single-minded goal of filling his stomach. He chewed mechanically, his expressionless face suggesting he couldn’t taste a thing. Watching him, she felt an odd compulsion to intervene.

　　“Stop eating.”

　　“…Why?” His gaze seemed to ask why she was stopping him when he wasn’t full. She didn’t want to meddle, but she couldn’t help it. Since she was already being generous, she might as well go all the way.

　　“Since it’s come to this, let’s have a proper meal. Follow me,” she said after quickly harvesting a few more vegetables.

　　Without a shred of suspicion, he trailed after her into the house. She pointed toward the small washroom. “Go wash your hands in there.”

　　As he headed to the washroom, Elena rolled up her sleeves. An unexpected guest meant she had work to do.

　　“Sit in that chair. I’ll have it ready in a moment.”

　　He emerged with clean hands and sat obediently at the table, looking like a small child waiting for food. A strange feeling stirred in her, but she pushed it aside and focused. The meal came together quickly: warm, freshly baked bread, smoked meat grilled with vegetables, steamed sweet pumpkin, and a salad. It was the most lavish meal she’d made in a long time.

　　Growl. Growl. Grooowl.

　　The man sat perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the food, not moving a muscle until she had set everything down and taken her seat.

　　“Eat,” she said, unable to watch him wait any longer.

　　The moment the word left her lips, he reached for the food with a speed that surpassed his earlier attacks.

　　How strange. His table manners were atrocious, his use of a fork no better than a child’s. And though his blank expression hid it well, he seemed utterly fascinated by the meal. He would take a bite of bread and then stare at it intently, or tilt his head in confusion with every mouthful. At first, she was just confused. But as his strange behavior continued, a sense of unease settled over her.

　　“What is it? Is this the first time you’ve had bread like this?”

　　“It is,” he said simply.

　　She was speechless.

　　It was just ordinary buttered bread. For him to have such a reaction… had he truly never eaten something so humble?

　　“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it,” she said, ready to snatch his plate away.

　　“It’s delicious.”

　　“It’s delicious…?”

　　“I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before.”

　　He certainly knew how to keep a person off-balance.

　　“You must be used to much finer food. It’s rewarding to hear you enjoy something I made,” she said, feigning modesty. A compliment was always nice, even if it was a lie.

　　“That’s not true,” he said bluntly, still eating with gusto.

　　“What’s not true?”

　　“I’ve never eaten food this good.”

　　“What do you normally eat…?”

　　“Hard bread and soup.”

　　Without thinking, she scanned him from head to toe. His skin was fair, as if he’d never known a day of hardship. His clothes, though disheveled, were clearly custom-made from expensive fabric. He exuded an air of nobility from every pore. She couldn’t understand why someone like him would be eating such meager fare.

　　“Why is that?”

　　“It was all my masters would give me.”

　　Elena was struck dumb.

　　The word was so unexpected that Elena was struck dumb. The man who had just dropped a bomb on her table simply stared back at her, his expression placid.

　　Don’t tell me…

　　His lack of common sense, the mention of masters, a relationship where he wasn’t fed properly—it all pointed to one unbelievable conclusion. This man wasn’t treated like a human being.

　　It was a ridiculous hypothesis. Slavery was illegal under imperial law. She wanted to laugh it off, to assume there was some other explanation. But the law was not always followed. With his stunning looks, he would be a perfect trophy for someone to display; with his physical prowess, he would be an ideal tool to exploit.

　　“How did you get to my house?” she asked, her voice hushed.

　　“I don’t know.”

　　“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

　　“I really don’t know. There was a bright flash, and when I opened my eyes, I was here.”

　　“What kind of explanation is that?”

　　“It’s the truth.” He didn’t seem to be lying.

　　“Then where are these… masters of yours?” This was the crucial question. If he had escaped, she was in a dangerous position. Pursuers could descend upon the village at any moment. She had offered a meal out of pity, but she had no desire to be entangled in something so complex. Her life’s goal was simply to eat well and rest easy.

　　“I don’t have a master anymore.”

　　“That’s a very ambiguous answer.”

　　“Why?”

　　No one would simply discard something they considered their property.

　　“You said you had masters before.”

　　“I did.”

　　So, he had masters, but now he doesn’t? It was getting more suspicious by the second.

　　“Are you sure you don’t have a master? How is that possible?” Did he kill them? she wondered, a chill running through her. Given his volatile nature and incredible strength, it was certainly possible.

　　“It just… happened?”

　　He really did kill them…

　　Just as she was about to let out a horrified gasp, he spoke again.

　　“The last person who bought me said I didn’t need to consider him my master.”

　　“Is that person alive?”

　　“Of course,” he replied, his expression asking, who died and why?

　　Elena felt a flush of embarrassment. “Ahem. Then why did he say that?”

　　The man fell silent once more, his lips sealed. Just then, his stomach rumbled again. He had stopped eating while they were talking.

　　“I won’t ask any more questions. Just eat,” she said, deciding it was best to feed him first and think later. A well-fed ghost is a happy ghost, after all—though she had no intention of turning him into one.

　　At her permission, he resumed eating with renewed vigor. For such an elegant-looking man, he had a remarkably hearty appetite. When he finally finished, the tension in his face seemed to have eased ever so slightly.

　　“I’m going to clean up, so just wait here.” She gestured to the sofa, and he obeyed without a word.

　　Is he just used to following orders because of his past? His obedience was so absolute it was hard to recall the man who had attacked her without warning. Well, since I’ve come this far, I might as well give him dessert.

　　After clearing the dinner dishes, Elena prepared some fruit and tea. When she turned around, she found him asleep, leaning against the sofa. Dumbfounded, she walked over to him.

　　“Excuse me? Hey?”

　　His eyes were peacefully shut, his breathing soft and even. “You fall asleep pretty easily for someone in a stranger’s house.”

　　She was about to shake him awake and kick him out when she took in his disheveled state. His clothes were torn and frayed, ripped in some places and sliced cleanly in others. It looked as if he’d had a very long, very hard day. Glancing out the window, she saw that the sun had set, blanketing the world in darkness.

　　She sighed. This might be the last moment of peace the man would have for a long time. What’s the difference between sending him out now and sending him out in the morning?

　　Elena fetched a blanket, draped it over his shoulders, and retreated to her room. She didn’t see his eyes flutter open and watch her go.