Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Fixer Agency's Temporary Part-Timer (4)
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“Well then, I'll be heading out. You did great today.”
“Yeah. You too.”
“Okay. Bye, Yuria! See you tomorrow!”
“...”
*Bye-bye.*
I gave a little wave to Alice, who seemed to be in a hurry to leave.
Was she that happy that I'd said goodbye?
She waved back with a bright smile before quickly exiting the agency.
*She likes me way too much. I might get the wrong idea.*
Maybe it was because I could clearly feel how genuinely she liked me.
For someone like me, who was completely unfamiliar with this sort of thing, she was impossible to dislike.
Was she the type to give love freely without expecting anything in return?
It was an admirable mindset that a petty person like me could never hope to imitate.
Of course, the excessive skinship that made me break out in a light sweat was a bit much...
But that was something I could draw a clear line on. It's not like she was the type to force herself on me if I said no.
“You worked hard too, part-timer. Today must've been tough with all the unique clients... Here's your pay for the day. Go on, check it.”
“...!”
After Alice had vanished from the agency in a flash.
Feeling sorry that there had been more work than expected, Raven scratched the back of his head and pulled an envelope from his coat, handing it to me.
*My pay for the day, already!*
I happily took the envelope from him and rustled it open.
Inside were crisp, warm bills that looked like they had just been withdrawn from an ATM.
One, two, three... As I counted, I realized there were two more bills than we'd agreed on.
*There's more here than there should be.*
When I flapped the envelope at Raven as if something was wrong, he chuckled and answered as if it were nothing.
“Those two are a bonus. Buy yourself a snack on the way home. Need me to walk you?”
“...!”
“Alright, if you don't. Get home before it gets too dark. And try not to get tangled up in any trouble.”
*Shuffle, shuffle.*
His business with me seemingly concluded, Raven turned his back, gave a casual wave, and slowly walked deeper into the office.
The classic tough guy, never offering a hand unless asked for help first.
The thought that he would have grumbled while walking me all the way home if I'd nodded made me want to smile.
*Well, time to go.*
I carefully placed the day's pay envelope into my skirt pocket.
Then, I bowed deeply to Raven's retreating back, full of gratitude.
I turned around, carefully opened the door as quietly as possible, and stepped outside.
*It's cold. It really looks like it's going to snow now.*
A biting, cold wind blew through Nighthaven at night.
Most of the people walking on the streets were bundled up in thick coats.
So for me, wearing only a maid uniform with no outerwear, the chill seeping through the gaps in my clothes was almost unbearable.
It had been chilly yesterday, but definitely not this bad.
The breath I let out unconsciously scattered in a white cloud in the air.
*...Since I have some money now, maybe I should buy something to wear over this?*
Clothes are something you wear again and again once you buy them.
Now that I had some money, there was no reason to be stingy.
Having made my decision, I shivered and scurried into the first clothing store I saw.
“Oh my, what a cute customer! What are you looking for?”
“...”
“This coat? Hmm, it looks so big it'll swallow you whole...”
*That's what I want. It's embarrassing to be seen walking around in a maid uniform.*
I quickly thrust the money at the worried-looking shopkeeper and bought the long, thigh-length coat without a second thought.
Then I slipped it on and stepped back outside.
*I guess people really do need money.*
A soft smile spread across my lips at the instant warmth from just one piece of outerwear.
“Welcome! Is this for takeout?”
“...”
“Ah, one basic sandwich? Got it!”
Afterwards, I held the wrapped sandwich that would be my dinner close to my chest and trudged along, retracing the path I had walked with Greg earlier.
No matter how big a city Nighthaven was, it seemed inevitable that the crowds would thin out once you left the main streets.
By the time I reached the gray district where Greg's general store was located...
...the streets had become so deserted they felt empty.
Even the back alleys wouldn't be this devoid of people.
I was suddenly struck by how amazing it was that Greg had decided to set up shop in a place like this.
*Well, I suppose that's why I visited so often.*
Musing on this, I used the emergency key Greg had given me just in case to unlock the door to the general store.
*Ugh, it's like a freezer in here! First... I should cover the window.*
The inside of the store was bone-chillingly cold.
It seemed the cold wind had been pouring in through the window broken by the vampire.
*I knew it.*
I blocked the broken window with a thick cloth to keep the wind out and immediately turned on the heater.
Then, using my psychokinesis, I swept the shards and dust rolling on the floor out of the store.
I took out several wet mops from the storage room and meticulously wiped every corner of the store.
The store wasn't exactly small, so if I'd done it myself with my pathetic body, it would have been hard labor that would have left me exhausted and collapsed midway through.
But moving the tools with psychokinesis made the job neither difficult nor time-consuming.
*That should do it for now. I'll have to buy and install new glass tomorrow. As for the hole in the wall... if I just stuff it with a sponge, Greg will figure out the rest later.*
*Rustle.*
As the air gradually warmed up, I took off my coat and draped it neatly over the sofa.
Then I went to the back of the store and changed into the comfortable clothes I had forgotten and left behind last night.
After a quick wash in the bathroom, I trudged back to the sofa with the maid uniform in my arms and sat down on the cushions.
The truth was, my body odor was unusually faint, so it wouldn't be noticeable even if I didn't wash for a few days.
Still, dust and a little sweat were unavoidable. Cleanliness was important.
*Hmm... it's not that great. Maybe a 6 out of 10.*
I took out the takeout sandwich, munched on it, and rated it internally.
Maybe it was because it cost a quarter of what my usual sandwich did. It tasted decidedly cheap.
It wasn't terrible, feeling like a new experience in its own way, but it was the kind of taste you'd get tired of after eating it twice.
Still, I should be grateful that I could enjoy it now.
I gazed at the nearly finished sandwich, lost in thought.
*I'll wear the maid uniform for work and clothes like this when I'm resting. Come to think of it, I'll need more casual clothes. I want to change my underwear every day, too. And since it's winter, a scarf and gloves...*
*Sigh, why are there so many things to spend money on?*
Suddenly drained while cleaning up the remains of the sandwich, I slid down, lying on my back on the sofa and staring at the ceiling.
*Ah, I only came here to clean the store for a bit. I don't want to get up.*
When I thought about it, my home... no, my base, which could barely be called a home, had no heating and was bone-chillingly cold. The bed I'd made myself was so hard it made my back ache.
But here, it was warm even in thin clothes, and even the sofa, which wasn't a bed, was incredibly soft.
*Greg isn't here anyway. Should I just secretly sleep here?*
*I cleaned it this thoroughly, so maybe I've earned the right?*
*...No, doing that without the owner's permission isn't right. How shameless can you be? Idiot. Fool.*
*Don't mistake someone's kindness for a right. Be someone who knows how to be grateful.*
I suppressed the desire welling up from deep within me and turned on my side, curling up like a shrimp.
*Still, Greg is a kind orc. He'll forgive me for lying here for just a little while, right?*
I snuggled my head into the soft sofa, soothing my tired body and mind from the long walk.
After rolling around for a while, just as I was starting to get tired of lying down...
...I suddenly remembered the Tesseract hanging around my neck.
*When will this thing wake up? And what on earth was that yesterday...?*
How could the Tesseract talk, and why did it help me?
And with the Tesseract in my possession, what changes would occur in the original story?
As I furrowed my brow and continued to ponder, a feeling of hopelessness began to creep in.
It was like being lost at sea, alone on a sailboat in the vast, open ocean.
Would this lead to a good outcome? Or would it spiral into something terrible?
Unable to see the future at all, I clutched the Tesseract tightly in my hand and thought quietly.
*Whatever happens, I won't have any regrets. This was my choice.*
It was, perhaps, a firm resolution for my future self.
*...Ah, forget it. It'll work out somehow. Ugh! I should just go home.*
*Being serious really doesn't suit me.*
Feeling awkward, I patted my cheeks and then neatly folded the maid uniform I'd set aside, placing it on the sofa so it wouldn't wrinkle.
I had nowhere to keep it at home anyway. I figured I'd come by every morning to change and also keep the store clean so dust wouldn't pile up.
Thanks to my psychokinesis, cleaning wasn't difficult. And besides, this was the place I'd be working at again in a month.
There wasn't much difference between cleaning then and cleaning in advance.
Once I was roughly finished, I double-checked that the lights and heater were off, then took one last look around the darkened general store.
*I'll be back tomorrow.*
*Please let tomorrow be as peaceful as today.*
I closed the door of the quiet general store, making a silent wish.
Of course, wishing for peace in this bustling city... it was a rather funny thought.