Nadia looked flustered as she extended her hand, then scowled.

“……You have to let go for me to shake your hand or hit it away.”

“Ah.”

Nadia was still kneeling, her arms twisted behind her by Mihail.

“Duke Mihail, please let go.”

“Is that okay? Didn’t Lady Lutri try to harm the duke?”

Nadia was startled and asked me.

“……When did you become a duke?”

“Not long ago. My father was killed by the zombified crown prince. Now I am Duke Kitten.”

“……That’s unfortunate.”

“What can you do. Surviving this mess is a miracle in itself.”

Nadia couldn’t take her eyes off me as I answered casually.

At least I didn’t feel the same madness in her eyes as before.

“Duke Mihail, Lady Nadia won’t recklessly attack anymore. Please let go.”

Nadia must have realized that I was her only lifeline to survive here, so there was no reason for her to be hostile to me anymore.

「She must have been lured by the promise of food.」

‘Well, the outcome is good, isn’t it?’

「Yes.」

If I could gain a useful companion in exchange for precious food, it was not a loss.

‘Well… The amount of food consumed will increase as more people are accommodated in the Duke’s mansion.’

That could be solved if I could fill the ingredients from the pocket dimension once I got back to the Duke’s mansion.

With a mysterious jar that doubled the amount of food, adding about ten Nadias would not be a problem.

“……Understood.”

Mihail hesitated, but obediently followed my request and let Nadia go.

“Ugh, my arms hurt.”

Thud. Thud.

Nadia rotated her sore arms this way and that. After finishing some light stretches, she grabbed my hand with her lips tightly closed.

“……If you break the promise, you won’t be spared. I don’t want to be stabbed in the back twice.”

Seems like there are many people making threats, including Luus.

“Do as you please. If I betray you again, then boil or roast me as you like.”

“……Heh. Fine. No loopholes.”

We shook hands, staring straight into each other’s eyes.

A good alliance was formed between me, who had no intention of abandoning Nadia, and Nadia, who was starving.

“Since you’ve decided to follow me, I’ll give you a gift first.”

Nadia’s expression melted at the word ‘gift’.

“What……is it food?”

“Yes. Food. How long are you going to speak informally to me? I’m older than you and a duke, you know?”

You should be speaking formally to your elders if you’ve decided to make peace.

When I sent her that look, Nadia hesitated and finally stammered out a sentence.

“……Thank you, Duke Kitten.”

「Looks like she’s really starving, bowing her head so obediently.」

‘Seems like it.’

I was about to take a chocolate bar and a bottle of water from the pocket dimension but paused.

“Hmm……”

The term ‘Duke Kitten’ felt too stiff.

I didn’t want to maintain a distant relationship with a girl who barely survived, like Mihail or Luus.

「Even though she tried to kill you?」

Zero asked in surprise if I really wanted to do that.

‘She won’t from now on.’

「Do you have two hearts? Being this daring…」

‘I appreciate the compliment. I know my strengths.’

「Whatever you say…… But don’t get careless and get stabbed.」

‘What do you mean, careless? You and I are tied by fate, you know?’

In a true crisis, Zero would step in to protect me.

‘If I die, the newcomer’s promotion will be hindered, and you’ll have to deal with the twisted story alone.’

So, I wasn’t worried.

……Also, I couldn’t just leave Nadia alone, constantly reminding myself of the hardships she had gone through.

“Nadia.”

“What, why?”
Shyly reverting to formal speech, she looked exactly like a cat baring its fangs.

“Call me ‘big sister,’ and I’ll give you a chocolate bar and some water.”

“……?”

Nadia, who had cast out at least 500 question marks, did not hide her absurd expression.

In the original story, she had always followed the princess, and the informal nickname ‘big sister’ was never allowed by Elizabeth.

“What’s your scheme? And aren’t you a bit cheap, bargaining with food?”

“So, will you do it or not?”

“Okay… Fine, Elizabeth big sister.”

Nadia turned into a well-ripened tomato once again.

“Good, now give me the chocolate bar quickly. I’m really hungry.”

Contrary to her assertive and arrogant tone, I burst into laughter at Nadia, who politely stretched out both hands.

“Alright, here you go.”

“Awesome…!”

When I generously offered five chocolate bars and a water bottle, Nadia devoured them on the spot, forgetting her dignity.

The scene of the meal was evidenced only by the empty wrappers of the devoured chocolate bars and the empty water bottle.

“Ah… that was good. I feel like I can live now.”

“You ate them all?”

“Yes, no, I mean yes.”

“Shall we then proceed with some more questions?”

Lus interjected into our conversation.

He used magic to cut through the iron bars and dragged out the snoring Benedict from the bed inside.

“Nadia Lutri Yeongae. Why have you imprisoned this guy in the basement?”