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“Then I’ll head in first. Thanks for today.”

“Okay. Good job.”

“Yeah. Bye, Yuria! See you tomorrow!”

“….”

Goodbye.

I waved my hand softly at Alice, who seemed in a hurry to leave, as if she had somewhere busy to go.

Was it really such a joyful thing that I said goodbye to her?

With a bright smile, she waved back and soon rushed out of the office.

‘She really likes me. At this rate, she might fall for me.’

It was hard not to feel that she genuinely cared for me.

For someone as inexperienced as me in such matters, she was someone I just couldn’t bring myself to dislike.

Should I say she’s the type to give love without expecting anything in return?

Such a remarkable mindset that someone as petty as me could never replicate.

Of course, the excessive physical closeness, slightly sweaty at times, felt a bit burdensome…

But that’s something I could set clear boundaries on. She wasn’t the kind of person who would insist on being close if I told her I didn’t like it.

“You did well too, part-timer. Today’s clients were a bit unique, so it must have been tough… Here’s your pay for today. Check it out.”

“…!”

As soon as Alice left the office, Raven scratched the back of his head, looking a bit guilty, and took a packet out of his pocket to give it to me.

My pay for today already!

With a delighted heart, I took the envelope from him and opened it right there.

Inside the envelope were fresh, crisp bills that looked like they had just been withdrawn from an ATM.

One, two, three… Counting them, I found there were two bills more than we initially talked about.

Is there something extra in here?

I flapped the envelope in front of Raven, looking to him for an explanation, and he smirked, saying it was no big deal.

“Two bills are a bonus. Get some snacks on your way. Do you need me to see you off?”

“…!”

“If you don’t need it, then good. Get home quickly before it gets completely dark. Don’t get involved in any nonsense.”

With a gentle wave, Raven turned his back to me and slowly walked back inside the office.

Indeed, a true man of this era who wouldn’t extend his hand unless asked for help.

It made me chuckle to think that he would have grumbled while seeing me home if I had just nodded.

‘Well then, shall I go?’

I carefully tucked the envelope with my day’s pay into my skirt pocket.

Turning my back to Raven, I deeply expressed my gratitude with a bow.

Then I turned around and carefully opened the door to go outside, trying not to make too much noise.

‘It’s cold. It’s really going to snow soon.’

In Night Haven, the chilling wind blew at night.

Most people roaming the streets were bundled up in thick coats.

For me, wearing only my maid outfit without any outerwear, the cold wind seeping through the gaps in my clothes was hard to endure.

Just yesterday, it was only a bit chilly, but not like this.

My breath escaped as a white mist into the air.

‘…I finally have some money. Should I buy a coat?’

Clothes are generally worn for a long time after you buy them.

With money in hand, there’s no reason to be stingy.

Having made that decision, I shivered as I walked briskly into the first clothing store I saw.

“Oh, what a cute customer! What kind of clothes are you looking for?”

“…”

“This coat? Hmm, it looks too big; it seems like it would cover your whole body…”

That’s exactly what I want. It’s embarrassing if people notice I’m wearing a maid outfit while walking around.

Without hesitation, I thrust some money into the shop owner’s hesitant hands and quickly bought the long coat that reached my thighs.

I put the coat on and stepped outside.

Indeed, one needs money to be warm.

Just putting on a coat made the warmth envelop me, and a smile crept onto my lips.

“Welcome! Would you like it wrapped up?”

“…”

“Ah, just one basic sandwich to go? Got it!”

After that, I held tightly onto a sandwich, which would be my dinner, and trudged back the way I had come with Greg.

No matter how big Night Haven was, it seemed unavoidable that the streets would thin out as I left the bustling areas.

As I reached the gray district where Greg’s general store was located, the street seemed almost deserted.

Surely there shouldn’t be this few people in the back alleys further in.

I felt a sense of awe at Greg’s thought to set up a shop in a place like this.

‘Well, it’s precisely because it’s this kind of place that I often visit.’

While having such thoughts, I unlocked the store’s door with the spare key Greg had given me.

“Whoa, the inside of the shop is almost like a freezer! First off… I need to block those windows.”

The inside of the shop was chillingly cold.

It seemed the chilly wind had come sweeping in through the broken windows, thanks to the vampire.

I knew this would happen.

I quickly blocked the broken windows with thick fabric to prevent further drafts, and then turned on the heater.

With my telekinesis, I swept the shards and dust out of the shop like one would with a broom.

Then I took out several wet cloths from the storeroom and diligently cleaned every corner of the shop.

The general store wasn’t particularly small, so if I had to do this with my flimsy body, I would have probably exhausted myself during the labor.

However, using telekinesis made the task neither difficult nor time-consuming.

‘This should be enough for now. I need to buy glass for the windows tomorrow. As for the holes in the walls… I can just patch them up with some sponge for now, and Greg will take care of them later.’

Slowly, I took off my coat, which had warmed up nicely, and hung it on the sofa.

Then I moved to the back of the shop and changed into the comfortable clothes I had left behind last night.

After washing my face and body in the restroom, I returned to the sofa, holding my maid outfit in my arms, and plopped down onto the seat.

In truth, I didn’t have much of a scent right now, so it wouldn’t show if I didn’t wash for a few days.

Still, dust and a bit of sweat were unavoidable. Cleanliness is important.

‘Hmm… not that tasty. About a 6 out of 10, I guess.’

I took out the sandwich I had wrapped up and munched on it while mentally grading it.

Maybe it was because it was a fraction of the price of the sandwiches I usually enjoyed. It had that very cheap taste.

But it felt somewhat like a new thrill, so it wasn’t completely bad. Still, I could see myself getting tired of it after two bites.

But I should be grateful that I could enjoy it right now.

As I looked at the nearly finished sandwich, I pondered my thoughts.

‘I’ll wear the maid outfit while working, and during breaks, I should be like this. Now that I think about it, I need more everyday clothes. I also want to change my underwear daily. And since it’s winter, maybe a scarf or gloves…’

Hah, why are there so many things I need to spend money on?

As I was clearing away the remnants of the sandwich, I suddenly felt drained and reclined against the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

Ah, I just came to clean the shop for a bit. I don’t want to get up like this.

Come to think of it, my home… No, calling it a home is a stretch. The place I stay is freezing cold without heating and the bed I made myself is hard enough to hurt my back.

Here, even though I’m wearing thin clothes, it’s warm, and the sofa, not even a bed, feels luxurious.

Since Greg isn’t here, should I just sneak in a little nap?

I’ve cleaned so thoroughly, so maybe I deserve it, right?

‘…No, it’s wrong to do that without the owner’s permission. How selfish am I thinking like that? Silly. Foolish.’

Don’t confuse someone’s kindness for a right. Let’s be a person who knows how to be grateful.

As the desires surging from deep within me calmed down, I turned my body to curl up like a shrimp.

But Greg is a good orc, so maybe he’d forgive me for a bit of this.

Nuzzling my head against the soft sofa, I soothed my tired body and mind from walking for so long.

After rolling around for a while, when I started to feel bored lying down…

I suddenly remembered the presence of the Tesseract hanging around my neck.

‘When will it finally wake up? And what was that all about yesterday?’

How did the Tesseract speak, and why did it help me?

And now that I have the Tesseract, what changes will occur in the original story?

As I furrowed my brows lost in my thoughts, a feeling of helplessness began to wash over me.

It felt as if I were alone on a sailboat adrift in a vast, endless ocean.

Will this lead to good results? Or will it spiral into something bad?

Unable to foresee the future, I tightened my grip on the Tesseract and quietly contemplated.

No matter what happens, I won’t regret it. It’s the choice I made.

That might also be a firm pledge to my future self.

‘…Ah, whatever. Something will work out. Ugh! Let’s just go home.’

Seriousness just doesn’t suit me.

Feeling awkward, I puffed up my cheeks and then neatly folded the maid outfit that I had set aside, putting it on the sofa to avoid wrinkles.

I have nowhere to store it at home. I’ll drop by every morning to change outfits, and I plan to keep the shop clean so it doesn’t gather dust.

Thanks to my telekinesis, cleaning won’t be hard at all. And since I’ll be coming back to work in a month anyway.

Whether I clean it then or do it ahead of time won’t make much of a difference.

Once I finished tidying up, I checked again to ensure the lights and heaters were turned off and looked around the dimly lit general store.

‘I’ll come again tomorrow.’

I hoped tomorrow would be as peaceful as today.

As I quietly closed the door to the general store, I made a silent wish.

Of course, peace in this bustling city? What a ridiculous thought.