Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

She wants to become Subaru Natsuki's lord.

It wasn't simply about wanting this powerful and strange person to join their side, nor was it about gaining more power through Wang's selection.

It was because Subaru Natsuki had told her that he would entrust his life to her if she could become someone worth following.

Emilia didn't want to see him lose an arm.

I don't want to one day have to watch helplessly as he gives up his life like that.

She wanted to be a lord whom Subaru could entrust with his duties, but one who would not let Subaru sacrifice himself in vain.

"I understand."

Emilia raised her head, and the sorrow in her eyes did not disappear into thin air, but was gradually replaced by determination.

I will try my best to gain your approval.

"I will also strive to become someone that Subaru is willing to follow, but who Subaru doesn't need to casually give his life for."

She paused for a moment, as if recalling something Natsuki Subaru had once said.

"To make you look at me in a new light."

That statement sounded a bit stiff.

Natsuki Subaru nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. With such ambition, one can be considered to have the bearing of a lord."

As the serious topic came up, the blue butterfly that had been hovering around Subaru Natsuki suddenly landed on his right shoulder.

Parker then turned his attention to it.

"This butterfly seems to have been following Subaru since the beginning."

“That’s right. Ever since I woke up, it has stayed by my side, as if it were intelligent. Is it the same kind of creature as you, Mr. Parker?”

Subaru Natsuki said.

Parker flew over to the butterfly and circled it once.

"It doesn't look like an elf."

"However, the fact that such a weak life form is willing to approach you suggests that Subaru might have good affinity with spirits."

Parker turned around and said, half-jokingly:

"It's a pity I've already made a contract with Ria. Otherwise, I might have chosen Subaru."

Natsuki Subaru immediately showed a regretful expression.

"It's such a pity."

“Parker, contracts can’t be changed or replaced so easily.”

Emilia pouted and corrected her quietly.

"Haha, just kidding. Of course, Leah is the best!"

Parker smiled and slumped back onto her shoulder, pleased that Emilia's mood had finally returned to normal.

Just then, Ram's voice came from the garden entrance.

"Lady Emilia, Lord Subaru Natsuki, breakfast is ready."

Ram glanced at Subaru Natsuki's empty left side, her expression not changing much.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the blue butterfly on Subaru Natsuki's shoulder.

At that moment, she felt a sudden tightness in her chest.

It was as if she had some inexplicable connection with that blue butterfly.

But this feeling came quickly and went quickly.

Ram assumed it was just his imagination and didn't investigate further.

Please move to the restaurant.

Natsuki Subaru nodded, then seemed to remember something.

"Yesterday I heard Rem say that Roswaal wasn't at the manor. Where did he go?"

"Lord Roswaal has gone to retrieve the sword."

"I can say that," Ram said calmly.

"Lord Roswaal said that since he promised to give you a sword, he naturally cannot let you leave empty-handed."

Subaru Natsuki was immediately filled with respect.

"It seems Roswaal is an honest man after all!"

Ram's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Just when she thought she wouldn't find anything strange coming out of Subaru's mouth, Subaru always managed to come up with something new...

Today, only Subaru Natsuki, Emilia, and Puck are in the restaurant.

Ram set the breakfast on the table one by one.

A blue butterfly followed Subaru Natsuki into the restaurant and landed on the edge of the table in front of him.

It didn't approach anyone else, but just kept flapping its wings in Natsuki Subaru's direction.

Natsuki Subaru stared at the suspiciously colored soup in front of him and fell silent.

Parker is faster than him.

The tiny sprite flew to the edge of the bowl and tried a bite.

The next moment, its face turned bluish-purple.

"Leah."

Parker looked serious, his paws covering his mouth as if he was about to vomit.

"This... tastes awful!"

Emilia was stunned.

“Puck, you can’t say that. This is all the result of Ram and Rem’s hard work! You used to enjoy eating it, didn’t you?”

"But it really didn't taste good today!"

Parker was bent over, his voice sounding somewhat distorted from the unpleasant taste:

"Anyway...Lia, you absolutely mustn't eat it!"

Emilia looked at the breakfast on the table with some suspicion, then glanced at Parker.

"If we don't have soup, what will we eat?"

Subaru Natsuki nodded.

"Yeah, what do you want to eat?"

"I, a dignified General of Chariots and Cavalry, am not afraid of death, so why would I be afraid of a bowl of soup?"

After he finished speaking, he picked up a spoon and took a sip of soup without any hesitation.

The restaurant fell silent.

Subaru Natsuki's expression remained unchanged.

He simply put down his spoon silently, picked up a napkin from the table, and wiped his mouth...

“Ram”.

"what's up?"

"Bring me some wine."

Ram glanced at him.

"You're already drinking soup, why would you want to drink alcohol?"

But then a confident smile appeared on her lips, and she gave Subaru a thumbs-up:

"Luckily, Ram had already guessed it."

"Lord Subaru, don't worry, I added a lot of Shaoxing wine to this soup."

"What!" Natsuki Subaru was struck dumb, staring at the soup bowl in front of him with wide eyes and a look of utter despair.

This is such a waste!

"Forget it, I might as well skip this meal."

Natsuki Subaru sat up straight, his expression solemn.

"Just pretend I've never been to this restaurant before."

Seeing Puck and Subaru's reactions, Emilia finally put down her spoon and couldn't help but ask:

"Ram...who cooked today's meal?"

"Ram did it," Ram replied without any politeness.

The air in the restaurant seemed to freeze instantly.

"That's not surprising...that's not..."

Puck mimicked Subaru's tone, but blurted out the second sentence before he could finish it.

Feeling the burning pain in his esophagus, Natsuki Subaru, despite having EX pain tolerance, didn't act like Puck did, but his voice had become somewhat hoarse:

"How is this going?"

Emilia explained:

"Subaru, you don't know this, but at Roswaal's mansion, only Rem is the true 'all-purpose maid'."

She handled everything from cooking and laundry to cleaning and sewing, making her the core of the mansion's operation.

In contrast, Ram is much better at housework...

Subaru Natsuki slowly turned his head to look at Ram, his eyes seemingly wondering why Rem wasn't cooking today.

Ram, holding the teapot, seemed to feel no remorse whatsoever, and even poured Emilia a cup of tea with a hint of pride.

"Rem was attacked yesterday and is very tired, so she is still resting in her room."

Chapter 44: 044. Not Heroic Enough

Emilia nodded.

"I see. She must have been exhausted yesterday."

"It's understandable that she didn't come to dinner."

"understand?"

Subaru Natsuki suddenly stood up.

The movement was too fast, and I lost my balance, almost falling to the left.

He quickly braced himself on the table with his right hand to steady himself.

"She and I made a promise to go to the dungeon together to see Elsa today."

"What's going on now that she's not coming out?"

Emilia quickly advised:

"Subaru, Rem is probably really too tired. You just woke up last night too, so you should rest for a bit."

"No."

Subaru Natsuki shook his head.

“No jokes in the military! Since she promised me, she can’t leave me alone at the dungeon entrance.”

As he spoke, he looked at Ram.

"Ram, where is Rem's room?"

Ram wanted to stop it.