Love Doesn’t Matter

right.
I won’t do that in the future.
I’m going to stop doing nonsense and help with housework.
Mom looks tired these days.”

Reminded again, Emilia’s heart was heavy.
She went to Ramsco and confirmed that her stepmother had paid off all the debts.
There was no doubt that Hadius had also paid off the rest of the debt.
However, perhaps because of the extreme stress of the past, her stepmother’s complexion still looked very bad.

‘You should relieve your heavy burden as soon as possible.
So finding a job comes first.’

* * *

‘Dram General Store.’ Emilia clenched her fists under the sign.
After walking around all day, she finally was there.
The purposeful determination she had shown in front of her younger brother in the morning had completely disappeared.
After being treated as a useless child from yesterday to today, the courage to knock on the door gradually disappeared.

‘You knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Do not give up.
You can’t just step back like this.’

She held her heart and pushed the heavy door with all her might.
A gentle-looking clerk greeted her kindly.

“Hello, perhaps, am I able to get a job here?”

Emilia repeated what she had said dozens of times over the past few days and waited for the other person’s reaction.
Even if she was ridiculed or kicked out right away, she thought she wouldn’t be disappointed.
But surprisingly, the clerk went inside the curtain behind him after telling her to wait for a while.
Emilia’s heart began to beat with anticipation.
After a moment, a man who seemed to be the owner appeared and looked up and down at her.
With a small, bulky physique and a pipe in his mouth, he introduced himself as Samuel Dram.

“Are you looking for a job?”

In front of his curious gaze, an unknown hope sprung up.
Emilia swallowed dry and began to explain eagerly what she could do.

Sales promotions, displaying, cleaning… while listing all the things she could do, Emilia discreetly added she could read books, too.
The man didn’t cut her speech nor give her a sour look like everyone else.
Emilia’s voice grew more and more confident.

“It may seem strange to you to suddenly appear and say this, but please let me work for just a few days.
Try to hire me for three days without pay, and fire me if you think I’m of no use.
Mr.
Dram has nothing to lose.”

The man, who was thinking about something with his mouth closed, suddenly licked his lips.

“At a time when the number of unemployed people is overflowing due to terrible machines, do you know that there aren’t just one or two kids like you who came asking for work?”

Fortunately, the words that made her eyes widen continued immediately.

“Do you really need a place to work?”

“Yes? …Ah yes!”

“How about doing this? There’s another place I run, and I think there must be something for you to do there…”

Emilia’s face swelled with hope.

“If you let me, I will do my best.”

“Follow me.”

He led Emilia out of the store.
While walking behind him, Emilia felt her heart race out of control.

‘As expected, it was good not to give up.
You ended up doing it.’

‘By the way, when he asks my name, How should I answer this? I’d rather use a pseudonym.
There’s nothing wrong with being careful.
What would be good? Elaine? Sedna?’

She walked frantically with excitement, yet she felt something strange.
The ‘Dram General Store’ was not in the downtown area, but it was still in a place where many people visited.
However, the steps of the man walking ahead keep heading towards the back alley.
Slowly, she started to get anxious.

“Excuse me…”

The moment Emilia was about to stop walking, the general store owner also stopped.

“It’s here.”

The tip of the saliva-stained pipe pointed to a shabby building.
It was a place where the odors of alcohol and garbage mixed.
Emilia just realized it.

It was a tavern.
The atmosphere was quite different from the tavern in Türn Street she went to with Hadius….

“Don’t worry.
It’s not a brothel.
I never do such dirty business.”

The general store owner continued as if reassuring her.

“Well, drunkards can touch your ass sometimes, but they’ll give you a bunch of tips instead.
Again, our store waitresses never sell their bodies.
Because I refuse stinky girls with syphilis.
There may be customers who are drunk and will try to undress you but don’t worry about that.
I will take care of blocking them when the moment is suitable.”

Dram sucked the pipe deeply and looked into Emilia’ face once more.
The tip of the saliva-stained pipe tapped her short hair.
Emilia’s face turned pale.

“I don’t know how it happened, but I’ll lend you a wig.
You might even be able to fix your fate with tips.
I also have a conscience.
Of course, I’ll pay you.”

Perhaps it was because she was inflated with anticipation until the very last moment.
Emilia felt nauseous, and she felt as if she had fallen into the mud.

“No, I never intend to do such a thing.
Please let me wash the dishes or clean.”

The man’s two eyes wandered around the white, beautiful face and slender body.
Perhaps it would have been better to see greedy eyes.
Dram’s gaze seemed to be looking at the useless doll of the world.
It was the same expression that the shopkeepers showed when she knocked on the previous doors.

Unlike other commoner children, like Haley, who had been on the frontline of this life for a long time, Emilia was close to a noble young lady.
The result of participating in the noble world for the past five years was to return like a boomerang in this way.

“Why would I kick out the kitchen staff whom I have been working with for decades, to employ a kid like you?”

An annoyed, crooked smirk crossed the man’s face.

“Well, you’re not suddenly going to ask to raise the ransom, are you? Mmh?”

“…Excuse me.
Mr.
Dram, I’ll just go.”

“Ha!”

Samuel Dram suddenly moved and blocked Emilia’s path.