Chapter 45
“I can’t let you go alone.”
Susan, who had followed me since early morning, stopped the carriage before entering the Paringa alley and blocked me from going in alone.
“I said it’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. Besides, your clothes…”
Instead of the usual silk or lace dresses nobles wear, I was dressed in a simple cotton dress worn by commoners.
Plus, with a wide-brimmed hat that commoners use to shield from the sun, covering my face and hair, I looked just like a common woman going to work.
“Susan, I’m fine. You get back in the carriage and take a stroll.”
I tucked every single hair inside the hat and lowered the brim to cover my face perfectly.
Then I took out a small luggage bag from the carriage.
“No. If anything happens to you…”
“There won’t be. You saw yesterday the Imperial Guard was standing watch. Paringa is the safest place in this capital right now.”
I pushed Susan’s hesitant back and put her back in the carriage.
“I don’t know when I’ll be done. Pass by here every 30 minutes, okay? Now, I’m going.”
I waved at Susan and entered the Paringa alley.
Though I could feel Susan’s worried gaze behind me, I cautiously scanned my surroundings.
I had come avoiding Dustin’s work hours, so I was sure he was nowhere to be seen.
The knights just watched me as a common woman walking alone without much suspicion.
I pretended not to care about the knights and headed toward the inn.
“Wait.”
With about ten steps left before the inn’s entrance, the knights stopped me.
“Are you going to the inn?”
“Yes…”
“For what purpose?”
“Huh?”
I looked at the knights with a confused expression.
One knight glanced me up and down under my hat’s brim, but their faces didn’t look too suspicious.
“I’m going to stay here for a bit…”
That was my prepared answer.
Just as I was about to shake the luggage bag to emphasize, my eyes caught two black characters written on the inn’s entrance pillar.
‘Full…? What, no rooms?’
Then… what should I do?
I rolled my eyes in worry.
While pondering, I noticed a worn-out paper attached next to the inn’s door.
Staff Wanted
Paringa Inn is hiring staff.
Duties: cleaning assistant, kitchen assistant
Salary: minimum wage
Number of people: 1
If you want to work in a family-like atmosphere, feel free to visit Paringa Inn.
“Since you’re hiring staff here…”
I pointed to the paper, and the knight turned to look where I was pointing.
“Staff?”
After reading the notice, the knight glanced between the paper and me, then nodded.
“It seems you’ve come for a job interview.”
“Yes.”
My cotton dress showed signs of wear, and I had nothing to hide about my appearance.
The knight looked me up and down once more and exchanged looks with the other knights beside him.
“Alright. We hope for good results.”
The knight stepped aside from blocking me.
‘What a lucky break.’
It wasn’t what I expected, but the situation was resolved easily.
Actually, I had planned to barge into the inn and confront the mercenary leader, but now this felt like a chance sent from the heavens.
‘Alright, since it’s come to this, I’ll really work at the inn.’
If I worked at the inn, I could naturally run into the mercenary leader, strike up conversations, and raise his favorability…
Determined not to miss this chance, I opened the inn’s door with vigor and loudly declared,
“Hello! I’m here for the interview.”
“Interview?”
The innkeeper appeared in the lobby after hearing my voice.
Sounds of the mercenary group training echoed from beyond the inn, but inside was quiet.
“Yes. I saw the notice on the door.”
The innkeeper welcomed me with a kind smile.
“Please, have a seat.”
Soon, his wife brought me a glass of water, and I took off my hat that I had been wearing tightly.
“You want to work here?”
The innkeeper sitting opposite carefully examined my face.
“Yes. I really want to work here.”
‘More precisely, I want to work here so I can join the mercenaries and get close to Abel.’
I hid my true thoughts and smiled as brightly as possible.
“But… you don’t look like a commoner…”
With my hat off, my long shiny hair and pale skin that had probably never seen the sun, and delicate hands made it obvious I wasn’t a commoner.
The innkeeper looked puzzled.
“Huh?”
“Well… first, have you ever done dishwashing or such work?”
“Of course.”
‘In my previous life.’
I had worked many part-time jobs: washing dishes, serving, cleaning grills, handling difficult customers — I was basically max-level at those tasks.
But judging by his gaze, he seemed even less convinced by my confident answer.
“Can I see your hands?”
I extended my hand, and the innkeeper and his wife exchanged awkward glances.
“I thought so…”
He looked apologetic and reluctantly spoke.
“It would be hard for you to work here. Sorry.”
“What? But if you let me try for just a day…”
“I’m sorry.”
The couple bowed their heads apologetically.
“No… I’m serious. I’m confident I can do dishwashing, serving, cleaning, laundry well.”
Despite my persuasion, the innkeeper still looked troubled.
“We also find it hard to hire people, so we’d prefer someone with plenty of experience.”
“Sorry.”
‘No. I can’t lose this chance.’
Knowing this interview was my last opportunity, I blocked the couple from leaving.
“I’ll work for free.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll help without pay.”
The innkeeper and his wife’s eyes grew wide.
‘That’s absurd…’
Who works without pay?
Seeing them speechless and still shocked, I swallowed hard.
“Are you sure you don’t want to be paid?”
The innkeeper asked with a puzzled expression.
“Yes. But I’d appreciate it if the schedule could be somewhat flexible…”
“That’s no problem. Honestly, we barely had enough to pay the salary when we put up the ad. But unpaid work…”
The innkeeper smiled broadly, as if this was a windfall, while the wife looked slightly worried.
“So, can I work here?”
“Yes. Come by whenever you’re free to help. We’re happy to have another pair of hands.”
The innkeeper smiled brightly and explained what I would be doing.
Just as the explanation finished, the innkeeper hurried off toward the kitchen at the sound of boiling water.
“Um… can I ask something?”
With the innkeeper gone, the worried wife turned to me.
“Yes?”
“Is there a particular reason you’re going this far to work at our inn?”
“Well…”
Unable to explain, I fumbled my answer.
“Are you here to meet someone?”
“How did you know…”
Startled by the wife’s precise question, I covered my mouth.
“Who?”
“Hmm? Oh… that…”
“Don’t tell me… it’s not my husband?”
The wife grabbed my sleeve, her voice trembling, and gave me a desperate look as if praying for a denial.
“Huh? Your husband?”
I was shocked by the unexpected person she mentioned.
You mean the innkeeper, who looks like a friendly man with a balding head about my father’s age?
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Really? He’s so handsome, I worry other women will go after him… Please tell me it’s not true.”
“It’s not. I swear.”
“Then who is it?”
Her eyes seemed to think I still liked her husband if I didn’t say the name.
“The person I want to meet is…”
