Chapter 2: Job hunting is Difficult

Chapter 2: Job hunting is Difficult

Mr. Nizea’s mansion in the middle of Griuwerz city was noisier than usual. To be more precise, it was only in one room of the mansion.

“I’m bringing her back!”

“Oh, my! Oh my god! I knew it!”

Mr. Nizea, who had been overwhelmed by his wife’s power yesterday, seemed to have regained his energy after one night. The couple had been in a heated argument since morning.

The servants did not show any courage to stop them, and only concentrated on their own work. They were the most focused as ever in their work.

“I was only doing what you do! Let’s say it cruelly then!”

The maid and the butler passed by quietly in front of the room where the two were fighting each other. They quietly placed their ears on the door and listened to the voices inside. Then, they shrugged their shoulders.

“This is going to take a while.”

“It likely will.”

When the servants were about to leave the front of the door with haste, “Anyway!” Mr. Nizea’s loud voice boomed, “Bring her back!! Raven!!!”

The butler, who was called, looked as if he bit on a bitter bug, while the maid beside him let out an “oops” and ran away, leaving him unceremoniously.

The station where Lucille got off was quiet. She scanned the area for a sign of the town. Anyway, she had to find a place to stay for the day. No matter how small the town is, there must be at least an inn.

‘Their stares hurt.’

Even if she looked at the information board, it was too rough for her to understand. Once she left the station, she started to blindly walk around town. She was the only one walking around with a luggage in her hand and the people in town looked at her as if she was a rarity.

Are there seldom people from outside that go there? It certainly didn’t look like a tourist spot, and there might just be a few travelers. As Lucille wondered if she had made a wrong choice, she began to dim. Then, she finally spotted a signboard that looked like an inn. It was a small three-story inn with a brick roof. In front of it were flowerpots and beautiful blooming flowers.

‘Due to this, I can somehow understand the atmosphere of it.’

With a simple impression, Lucille opened the door. The door bell rang with a soft clang.

“Oh, welcome.”

As soon as she entered, there was a wooden counter and a middle-aged man sitting behind it comfortably. His checkered shirt looked as simple and cute as the flower pots outside.

“Is there a room available?”

“Of course. Uhm, guest book, guest book.” The man put on his glasses and opened an old ledger, “Could you write down your name, contact information, and the number of nights you’ll be staying?”

Lucille Onibus

She wrote down her name, then stopped, “Uhm, actually, I’m planning on moving here. So, what should I do about the address? Also, I don’t know how many nights I’ll be staying.”

The innkeeper’s eyes widened at her words, “Oh, I see! It’s quite unusual. Miss... Lucille, are you alone?”

Lucille could read the innkeeper’s eyes that he understood that she had a reason to be there. She nodded her head, “There are seventeen siblings in the family and each of us has to make a living on our own...”

“Seventeen?!” The innkeeper’s eyes grew even wider as she calmly responded with a yes.

She was not lying. She is the second to the last in the family. From her memories, her older brothers and sisters were already independent.

“Well, what can I say...it’s hard...”

The suspicious eyes that she had seen earlier was gone, and words of earnestness and appreciation were directed at her.

‘Well, more importantly...’

“Then, the guest book?”

“Ah, the contact information and number of nights staying is fine. Then, the room...”

“—the cheapest room.” Lucille immediately said. After all, those words still kept on going around her head.

The innkeeper came out of the counter and took her luggage and said, “Every room is kept clean.”

They went upstairs and she was shown the room on the third floor. It was bright and sunny, it would be the room she’d be staying in.

‘Oh my. It’s not that bad at all.’

While she was guided up the stairs, the innkeeper explained to her why it was the cheapest room. She was quite prepared for it, but it was no problem for her at all. Until yesterday, she had been in the attic where the annoying noise of mice bothered her. The rooms where they let paying guests stay in was a far cry from the servants’ quarters she used to stay. Sure, the furnishings in the room certainly looked old, but the room itself was clean and it had a nice view of the city streets from the window. It was rather superior to the much more expensive and worse accommodations in the big cities.

The innkeeper seemed relieved at her good reaction to the room, “Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Before the innkeeper left, she stopped him by asking, “Is there a place that can help me find a job?”

“Oh, yes. If that’s the case, you should go to that building with the red roof on the street over there. A man named Cortez is good at that kind of thing.” The innkeeper pointed out the window and explained in a local remark.

Lucille guessed from the way he said it that it was not a proper “employment agency.”

“Thank you. I’ll be going there immediately.”

“Hmm. I hope you find a good job. Ah, dinner is at 6pm.”

Lucille responded with an “okay” as she watched the innkeeper, who she identified as a good person, walk out of the room. It was good that they were kind to outsiders, unlike in her previous city, Griuwerz, it was quite business-like and cold in that regard.

“Well, let’s get ready...shall we?”

After a night on the train, her fatigue has come to its peak. The desire to bury herself on the bed in front of her increased, but she wanted to get a job as soon as possible.

So, she gave herself a push and sat down in front of the small dresser to get herself ready.

‘Red roof, Mr. Cortez. Red roof, Mr. Cortez.’ Lucille walked around the town carefully reciting those important words in her head.

No one dressed flamboyantly and no one walked fast as if there’s something in dire need. The town is quiet and lined with buildings made of wood, brick, and other materials with beautiful textures.

‘This feeling...reminds me of my hometown.’

A feeling of nostalgia welled up in her. As she walked, she arrived at the red-roofed building that she had to visit. A handmade sign was hung on the door.

“Courtdieu Chamber of Commerce”

Chamber of Commerce. Lucille felt a tinge of uneasiness at the sound of it. What she’s hoping for is a live-in job like a housekeeper or maid, just like before. She wondered if there’s such a network in the Chamber of Commerce.

‘Then, it doesn’t exactly have to be a live-in housekeeper...’

She knocked on the door with hope as she waited for an answer.

“Yes, yes, yes~”

‘How cheerful’

It was a young man who casually answered the door. When he saw her, he looked at her and realized that a stranger had arrived, but he still welcomed her with a friendly smile.

“Sister, are you from somewhere else? Do you need anything? Ah, perhaps a new contract for one of our specialties?”

Lucille hastily stopped the young man, “Oh, um, I’m here to see Mr. Cortez.”

“Ah, yes! It’s me! I’m the owner of the Chamber of Commerce!”

“......” She couldn’t help but be silent. The image she had in mind was someone older and more knowledgeable. She had no idea that a young man of her age or younger would be the owner.

“Ah—I just started this recently. There is nothing like this in the town and I thought that it would be better for something like this here.”

Perhaps he is more solid than he looks. Anyway, since this person is Mr. Cortez that the innkeeper mentioned, she had to talk business with him. In order to fulfill her original purpose, she told Mr. Cortez that she wanted to get a job, just as she had told the innkeeper.

“A live-in housekeeper, huh...” When he heard her request, he began to think with a finger in between his eyebrows.

‘What should I do? I knew that it’s an unusual thing to ask here...’

As she anxiously watched Mr. Cortez, he turned to her apologetically, “I’m sorry. I don’t have anything I can introduce you to right now.... In this town, there are not many mansions that have live-in housekeepers to begin with. Maybe one or two.”

‘Waahh—I figured... I see...’ She realized that she had chosen a place that was drastically unsuitable for her job search as she lamented in her own foolishness.

“I see...” Lucille said, sounding blatantly disappointed, without putting any effort to mend her situation.

“Don’t give up just yet!” Mr. Cortez hurriedly said,? “I’ll go ask! They may be understaffed!” He energetically pounded his chest. Perhaps to cheer her up, he gave her a bright smile, “Here, this is a local specialty of this town,” he said, handing her a beautiful package.

It smelled faint yet good.

“It’s soap. It is infused with flower oil and it’s very soothing.”

“...Thank you very much.” Lucille thanked him as she left with the small package in her hand.

The town was calm as ever, but perhaps due to her mindset now, she felt a sense of darkness and loneliness to it. And thus, the first day of planning and job hunting ended in a state of uncertainty. Then, she slept like mud on the bed in the inn.