Chapter 68
Chapter 68
"......."
I spent a while in thought. Shin So-hee must have been anxious after bringing it up, because she didn't interrupt me once.
......Actually, it's not a bad idea at all.
Put bluntly, even if I hired someone new, there's no guarantee they'd be on my side. No, it's worse than a lack of guarantee. They'd most likely be the Chairwoman's person. Even Yang Hye-in started out working for the Chairwoman; she only began truly looking after me at a certain point.
And it isn't just the maids. Everyone who works in this mansion belongs to the Chairwoman. They're all people the Chairwoman chose.
In that context, if Shin So-hee became my maid...... Honestly, leaving aside the obvious weirdness of her suddenly wanting the job, the situation is good. No, calling it "not bad" is underselling it. It's genuinely good. It would mean always having someone at my side I can talk to openly.
But even so, I can't just casually bring Shin So-hee on as a maid.
Money isn't the problem. I'm not some moderately wealthy person—my personal assets exceed 200 trillion won, and my annual income is in the trillions. I'd already been considering sums on the order of 15 trillion just to fend off the Chairwoman's attacks. Paying out tens of millions a year is easy. Yang Hye-in's salary was 500 million won a year to begin with.
The obstacle lies somewhere else entirely.
"So-hee."
When I called her by name, So-hee, who'd had her head angled down, flinched and looked up.
"......Did you talk to your family about this?"
"......Uh......."
I put a hand to my forehead the moment I saw her hesitate.
Right. A high schooler can have a part-time job; there are just restrictions on the type of work. But even so, parental consent is essential, because a minor is still a minor.
First off, whether a minor can legally work as domestic staff would need its own check, but even if it's possible, there's another snag. Working hours.
Of course, working-hour limits apply to adults too. I don't remember the exact cutoff, but I do know that if you exceed a certain number of hours a week, the Ministry of Employment and Labor issues a warning even if the worker receives their full pay. I think I saw that in an ER documentary once.
And the rules are even stricter for minors—working beyond a certain amount of time is outright prohibited. Even if being domestic staff is possible, she can't be at my side 24/7 doing maid work the way Yang Hye-in did. Actually, Yang Hye-in's hours were such that she could easily have reported it if she'd wanted to.
But legalities aside, she clearly needs to talk to her parents...... In So-hee's case, her father. At the very least, it's the right thing to do. Just working somewhere is one thing, but she's talking about becoming live-in domestic staff at a wealthy family's mansion. Doing that without permission, planning to eat and sleep there, would be improper.
The way So-hee evaded my eyes made it obvious she'd come here powered by impulse, without really telling anyone anything.
......What on earth was she thinking?
Maybe Yang Hye-in really did signal something to the three of them?
Well, I'll figure that out soon enough.
I pulled my legs up onto the bed to sit cross-legged and spoke.
"Bring a chair and sit here."
When I pointed in front of me, So-hee nodded and moved quickly, dragging a chair over and sitting down facing me. The way she sat on the chair in a demure pose made her declaration about becoming my maid seem genuinely sincere.
Though the effect was somewhat undercut by that she was wearing a tracksuit.
"Fine. I'm in favor of giving work to someone I know, too. Honestly, I'd be more comfortable having someone I'm familiar with take on the job."
"Right, right."
So-hee nodded vigorously, agreeing. She was quite a bit taller than me, but the way she acted at moments like this was a little puppy-like and endearing. Well, when you look at the ages, there's nearly a decade between us.
"But whatever the case, I can't entrust something like this to you without your family's consent."
Right, now that I think about it, this girl has a younger sister, too. I don't remember her exact age, but in the game she seemed to be in elementary school. She never appeared in a CG, but every line of hers was pure innocence.
It's already a household of just her father. If So-hee leaves, it'd almost certainly create a huge gap. Someone has to look after the younger sibling when her father is at work. Leaving a kid home alone, no matter how you slice it, isn't great.
"......."
So-hee bowed her head for a moment at my words.
"If you come back with your family's permission, I'll reconsider."
When I said that, So-hee lifted her head.
......I was expecting a dejected look, but that's not what I got. Her expression was...... how should I put it—it feels a little awkward to say, but it was closer to "moved." Like a scene in a movie that hits you right in the chest: a family reunited, a protagonist finding their lost dog, something like that. Is that the right way to describe it?
Though I had no real idea why she was making that face.
And then, the very next instant, my field of vision was flooded with dyed-blonde hair.
"Mmph—?"
So-hee, who'd been staring at me, suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Wh-what—what's wrong?"
No, come to think of it, this girl has hugged me several times before. Mostly of the face-against-her-chest variety. There was the time I accidentally nosedived into her, and times she initiated the hug herself. Anyway, it's happened.
But the reason I was so thrown off this time was...... this embrace felt, I don't know—normal. No, I'm not even sure what I'm saying myself.
Point is, that's just how it felt.
So-hee didn't answer. She simply pulled back as abruptly as she'd hugged me.
Her face, now filling my vision, was set with an expression of firm resolve.
"Then I'll go get permission. If I get it, will you accept me?"
"Huh? Uh...... Well, yes?"
To be honest, fretting over the legal issues feels pointless at this stage. Why split hairs over technicalities when every servant in this mansion is effectively complicit in child abuse?
And besides, if working hours are a problem, she can just wear the maid uniform for a few designated hours a day. The rest can be treated as her boarding and lodging here.
"Then I'll get permission!"
For whatever reason, So-hee was so worked up that she sprang to her feet. Then she immediately spun on her heel—
And walked straight into the bathroom attached to this room.
Uh, yeah. Sure. Okay.
I mean, you can get permission from your dad over the phone, I suppose.
......But would he really say yes to something like that?
*
"Dad!"
The instant her father picked up, So-hee shouted into the phone.
[Huh? Oh—oh, kiddo, what's going on?]
Hearing the urgency in his daughter's voice, he answered with a note of surprise.
"I......"
So-hee started to continue but glanced toward the bathroom door. Last time, she'd faintly caught the sound of Sara showering through it. If she raised her voice too much, her words might leak outside.
"I—I found someone I like."
[Oh, really...... What?]
Her dad broke off with a cough, like he'd just choked.
[Wh-what did you say? Can you say that again?]
"I said I found someone I like."
[What? Really? My daughter? Likes someone?]
A beat of silence hung on the line, then came a hearty "Pff-hahahaha" of laughter.
[Oh, what's all this? Who's the lucky person? If my daughter likes them, they must be someone pretty incredible, right?]
"Yeah, they are. Really incredible. And cute."
[Well, my daughter does have high standards. So? Are you two dating?]
"Uh...... No......?"
So-hee's eyes, which had been smiling up until that moment, wobbled a little.
[Then are you still at the flirting stage? How fresh! How youthful!]
Another cheerful "Haha" came through the phone. The background noise sounded like he was in the car, probably on his way home now. He'd taken her younger sister out to play that morning. Maybe her sister was asleep in the back seat?
"Uh, no. Not that either."
[Hm?]
The other end of the line went quiet.
[Ah, th-that...... Is it unrequited, maybe?]
"Uh...... For now?"
[What kind of lousy ba—Ahem.]
A sudden surge of anger must have hit him, because he cut himself off with an "Ahem," clearing his throat to collect himself.
[What kind of guy is he, to shake up my daughter's heart like that?]
"He's from another school...... Oh, actually, I'm at his house right now?"
[What?]
"I had something to take care of here."
[......What kind of something?]
"Oh, well, so, I had something to discuss with him in private......"
[No, no, hold on. Kiddo. Wait just a second.]
Her dad cut So-hee off mid-sentence. Then, in a measured tone, he began to summarize everything she'd told him so far.
[So. You've found someone you like. This kid is from another school. And because you had something to discuss in private, you're alone with them at their house. Is that what you're telling me?]
Strictly speaking, they weren't exactly "alone." Of course, the other servants barely paid any attention to Sara's room, so once they were inside, it might as well have been just the two of them.
[Kiddo, where are you calling from right now?]
"Uh, me? I'm in the bathroom."
[The bathroom, huh.]
Strangely, her dad murmured that part very quietly to himself.
"Oh, right. There's something I want your permission for, Dad."
[Sure, kiddo, tell me.]
Her dad's voice had gone oddly calm, much more than before. So-hee thought it was a little strange, but she decided to press on—she needed permission, just as Sara had said. In fact, asking while he was this calm might actually get her a proper answer.
"I—I want to work at this person's house."
[......So, you want to 'perform work' at this person's house. The person you like.]
Huh?
No, the phrase 'perform work' was a little weird.
"No, I meant I want to keep doing it going forward—"
[Kiddo.]
"Yeah?"
[What's the address there?]
"Huh? Here? Ah, I don't know the exact address, but it's that place I slept over at last time."
[......That wealthy friend you mentioned...?]
"Uh-huh, that's right."
Honestly, the amount of money barely mattered, but it was true. Sara's wealth was simply enormous, both relatively and in absolute terms.
"So anyway, I was thinking I could work here and earn money—"
[Kiddo.]
"Yeah?"
[Where exactly did you say that place was? Your dad can't seem to remember.]
"Oh, here, it's...... I think it should come up if you search for the Matsuda Department Store."
[Got it. I'll be right there. Don't do anything, just wait.]
And with that, the call cut off with a click.
.......
What was that?
It sounded like Dad was absolutely furious during that last part.
Did I say something wrong? So-hee sank into deep thought.