Good Money -1-
Ricardo had left, leaving Olivia alone in the room. She sat on the bed, staring blankly out the window.
"Hmnya."
The sunlight blazed. Grains of sand sparkled. It was quiet.
No Ricardo to chatter noisily at her, no Ricardo to irritate her by calling her a pig. On days like this, the best thing was to lie in bed and sleep—but Ricardo had woken her up, and now she was wide awake.
-Tweet tweet….
"Haaawwn."
Olivia stretched languidly and leaned against the window.
"Bored. Hungry."
Every time Ricardo went out to work, she was left alone in the mansion like this. Like a guard dog watching the street outside, idly scanning for passersby until drowsiness took over and she napped. Someone might say she could just call a maid to keep her company, but she hated that. They weren't close, and it felt awkward. Or maybe it was a weird paranoia that everyone hated her. Without Ricardo, she just didn't feel like talking to anyone.
Troublesome.
In the end, Ricardo was the one who understood her best. He fed her when she was hungry, always hitting exactly what she craved—a true butler. Olivia found this Ricardo comfortable. She took pride in it: her butler was competent. He'd served her temperamental self for thirteen years. Probably no one else on the entire continent could match him. She knew it herself—how high-maintenance she was. Born and raised delicately, she was the prickly type who reached for action before words, rag in her mouth be damned.
No wonder the dog she'd raised for ten years had preferred Ricardo over her, even though she'd given it plenty of treats.
Olivia had a good sense of self-awareness. She preferred a heartfelt "fuck!" over fake "haha-ho ho" laughs. Pretension was a world away from her. Ricardo dressed it up nicely as "honest," but she knew it wasn't a compliment. Still, she liked hearing it, so she never told him to stop.
She'd once tried to change her personality. Bought a book of polite phrases and studied it.
-100 Ways to Change Yourself? Why are you reading something so boring, miss?
-That's why I'm quitting.
-Good call.
Books didn't work, so she hired a tutor.
-This is your new tutor, miss.
-He looks like an asshole.
-Pardon?
-Get out.
She even tried meditation.
-Miss?
-Zzz….
-Sweet dreams.
But her prickly nature wouldn't budge. She wanted to speak kindly to people—especially to Ricardo. She felt pathetic, always snapping and whining at the one person who took care of her. And the reason he'd gone out to earn money… it all stemmed from her mistakes.
She'd tried to secure him a job that would let him live leisurely forever, but she'd ruined it all. Was it love that went wrong? The academy? Or her? Where had it all gone off the rails? No—all of it was her fault.
Waking up early in the morning after so long had her thoughts swirling. Especially that bizarre dream from before. It had been too vivid for a mere dream, that vision—and since then, she'd spent more time reflecting on herself. If not for Ricardo, I'd probably be dead by now. She kept looking back at the past.
"My head hurts."
A butler and his lady probably couldn't live together forever. Ricardo would marry someday. And she'd spend her life in this bed.
"Depressing."
Thinking of that grim future soured her mood. She wished Ricardo would burst through the door right now with his usual grin to comfort her. She loved his silly smile every day; being with him eased her heart. Now, without him, her future felt blank.
"My benefactor… huh."
What even was her relationship with Ricardo? Employer and employee was already shattered. She just hoped he didn't hate her.
Lost in thought, Olivia gazed out the window. The guards patrolled diligently. Birds flew busily. Kids played hard. Everyone hustling in their place. It made her feel even worse about her useless self.
That was when she spotted it—a kid in a deep-brimmed hat, carrying red paint, visible from afar. The sneaky glances around screamed mischief.
Thief?
Too suspicious for a painter. Olivia stared hard. Nothing worth stealing in this house, but still—watching someone take anything pissed her off. Clutching the bell to summon a maid, she kept her eyes on the kid.
Thwack.
The kid stood at the front wall, brush in hand. Olivia sucked in a huge breath at the sight.
And barked without a filter.
"Hey, you little shit!!!"
Come to think of it, she wasn't unemployed. She was working hard—guarding the house. Watching the kid bolt made her grin.
"Hee hee hee."
About thirty minutes after checking the address on the business card, I arrived at my destination without much trouble.
"This the place?"
I'd been pleased it was closer than expected, but the unexpected spot gave me pause.
"Weird."
Hanna had said:
-Our family runs a small knight order. You could earn a little pocket money if you come.
-Pardon?
-Green tea. Tasteless. Don't you need money?
Her sharp eyes had read my family situation from one cup of tea. Noble instincts, I guess. Thanks to that, I'd scored a decent gig recommendation.
But a knight order? On the way here, I'd pictured knights in shiny armor. Typical knight orders hunted monsters in their territory or took commissions from other houses.
But this wasn't a knight order.
[Adventurer's Guild Popo]
"Huh?"
Hanna, who'd gotten word ahead, waved at me.
"Over here."
She waved enthusiastically. True to expectations, Hanna wore familiar gear: brown leather pants and boots. Classic adventurer outfit. It irked me a bit.
I walked over quickly and whispered so no one else could hear.
"Didn't you say knight order?"
"Right. Knight order."
Hanna proudly showed off her "party"—just her standing there alone. No shieldbearer, no archer, no healer in nun robes. This a knight order? She seemed normal, but now she looked like she had a screw loose. Was she okay?
"It's the knight order I run."
"Pardon?"
"Well… it's just me. But I'm a knight, so it's a knight order, right?"
Questions swirled in my head, but Hanna didn't care. She seemed thrilled I'd come so fast. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me inside the guild.
"Pocket money, and you can hide your identity."
"Adventurer?"
"Yes."
Hanna gave an awkward smile. Had I been scammed? Felt like a kid had tricked me, but she insisted hearing her out would change my mind, so I nodded.
"I'm a B-rank adventurer, you know."
"Rank or not, you did kinda trick me."
Hanna brushed off my complaint. She knew what I'd wonder most and cut to the chase.
"Last vacation, I did it for a week. Guess how much I made?"
She held up one finger.
"10 gold?"
My voice rose. 10 gold was decent—about a commoner's monthly living expenses at 30 gold. Great for short-term work.
But danger came with it. Blood on your hands meant no safety net. That's why I'd stuck to construction labor instead of adventuring.
Impressive, earning her own keep.
I'd pegged her as a sheltered noble, but she had her head screwed on straight. Favorability up.
Still, I'd decline. Too risky. I mulled a gentle rejection: Better construction work than blood for 10 gold. Plus, quests ate time—hunting monsters meant days in the mountains, impossible with Olivia waiting.
Hanna's eyes widened, waving her hands in disgust.
"No way? Who'd take pocket change like that?"
"Huh?"
"100 gold."
I nearly called her "big sis." Scary how a younger girl almost made me slip. My eyes bugged out like a monk's.
Long time seeing that number. I wanted details.
Hanna stifled a "pfft" at my face.
"Big jobs pay well. And solo, no splitting shares."
"Don't high-rankers snag those first?"
She flashed her silver badge.
"I'm B-rank."
"Ah…."
"High-difficulty quests go to higher ranks first. And named requests come my way sometimes."
Her bright smile made me curse my past ignorance. Why hadn't I known about this sweet gig? Bricklaying on sites—tears welled up. The novel skipped adventurer perks. Probably 'cause it was full of dreams and romance—no room for gore.
Hanna smiled apologetically, taking my hand.
"Sorry. But I had to hook you somehow."
True. I'd have refused flat-out. Didn't know adventuring, and a noble lady solo? I'd have scoffed.
One question lingered.
"Why me?"
My impression couldn't have been great—smashing her senior's face, making me her villainess's chat buddy. Embarrassing stuff. Calling me casually felt off, so I asked before starting.
"The stuff at our mansion probably wasn't a fond memory."
Might be a trap over grudges. Better safe.
Hanna bowed her head.
"Well… yeah."
She eyed my hand.
"You're the first butler I've seen wield aura like that."
"Pardon?"
"First young guy using aura, and controlling it so finely. Even my dad can't— he just smashes everything."
Limit Break skill. I kept quiet.
Hanna smiled faintly.
"Adventuring isn't just for money. Hoping to grow more."
"I see."
Her pitch: Risky quests pay big, better with proven skill like mine than meh teammates. Plus, she wanted to improve too.
She bowed politely—different from the mansion vibe.
"So I asked."
I looked at her.
"Skill's what matters?"
"Yes?"
"Over money?"
If yes, I'd give her the answer she wanted. But her face cracked—thought I was belittling her priorities.
Before bigger misunderstanding, I went materialistic.
"Then 8:2 split."
"Huh?"
"Shares."
"What the…!"
"In return, in four weeks, I'll make you beat Mikhail."
I'd raised Mikhail and the sub-males. In ways they never knew.