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Chapter 7
Kristen frowned, then let out a sigh before speaking.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hah… The ducal house will be billed automatically at the end of the month, so you don’t need to worry about payment.”
“Ohhh. So that’s how it is?”
I almost misunderstood—again! I must’ve consumed too much content; my imagination’s running wild. Still, there’s no way the male lead would do something like that. I smiled sheepishly and tilted my head.
“What exactly were you thinking just now…? No—never mind.”
Kristen clicked his tongue and placed the pendant into my hand. A cold, cool sensation seeped into my palm.
So this thing is basically a corporate card here, right?
An unlimited corporate card!
The sense of security hit me like I’d suddenly become a chaebol, and I swallowed hard.
“If there’s anything you need, buy all of it while you have the chance.”
“I’ll work extremely hard!”
I bowed deeply and straightened up. How could he be so generous? I’d already wanted to buy ink in different colors, and I needed new quills too.
If there were fountain pens, I wanted those. If there were books on this world’s tax law or administrative law, I wanted those too. And if they had a typewriter, then that as well.
Everything—that word alone made my heart flutter…
Kristen, who was already handsome, somehow looked even more handsome. A personality and appearance you’d only see in the heavens, not the human realm. The perfect boss—as long as he stayed someone you admired from afar.
“By the way, when will I receive my salary? Would it be possible to get an advance?”
“An advance? Do you need money for something?”
For a moment, there was something faint in Kristen’s voice. Even rich people get sensitive about salaries, huh?
“Ah, I wanted to buy some personal necessities as well.”
I wanted underwear, a few comfortable dresses, and one or two pairs of shoes that wouldn’t kill my feet.
My tastes and Roella’s original tastes were completely incompatible. I had no idea about the local prices, but I was already mentally prepared to blow my first paycheck in tears.
“I’ll need clothes that are practical for work, and shoes too. What I’m wearing now is… really uncomfortable.”
Even though the lace wasn’t excessive, the outfit was ridiculously tight, as if it were meant to emphasize the body, and the skirt was so puffed up that it was hard to sit down.
How was I even supposed to work in this? Sit perched on the edge of the chair? And if I was hired as a bedroom maid (?), why on earth did I need heels like these?
When I asked Madam Rosette, she only told me that these were the clothes I’d brought with me. It felt… suspicious. You know the cliché. Since she’d be staying in the same bedroom, maybe she’d tried to approach the male lead with ulterior motives.
Given that her father blew away all the money he got from selling his daughter, that kind of personality wouldn’t be surprising. Though maybe Roella herself didn’t intend it. Either way—these clothes were a no.
“…If that’s your intention, we can purchase them together.”
“Yes…? Really?”
“Consider it compensation for working day and night for Acrasia.”
“…I will work like a dog!”
“What?”
I smiled brightly. Salary saved. How could he be this merciful? Kristen’s face was literally glowing gold now.
Clutching the pendant tightly, I left the mansion behind. A warm-looking knight was waiting in front of the carriage. He wasn’t wearing armor—just a comfortable shirt and trousers.
Still, the sword at his waist and his combat boots made it obvious he was a knight.
“Hello, Lady Roella. I’m Huutnen. I’ve been assigned to escort you today—and to carry your luggage, so please feel free to use me.”
He looked younger than me. The man spoke cheerfully. Even assigning me a porter—this really was boss-tier behavior. I knew it. You can tell just by looking at him.
It was a great start.
Today, let’s do some serious flexing.
* * *
Kristen ran a hand through his hair and turned to Aidan.
“What exactly did Lady Roella say just now?”
“She said she’d work like a dog…”
Aidan’s voice carried amusement. Kristen let out a hollow laugh as well. Even if she was a minor noble, she was still a noble lady—he never imagined such words would come from her mouth. And yet her eyes had been full of nothing but enthusiasm, without the slightest sense of impropriety.
Kristen clicked his tongue.
“Will it really be fine? A noble is still a noble. If she wants to indulge, there’s no limit.”
“…That much is fine. All the money paid to Roella and her father was taken by the father anyway, wasn’t it?”
Kristen smiled coldly.
“I consider it the price for keeping me alive. No matter how much it costs. Besides, we’ve placed surveillance on her—there’s no room for escape. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
He didn’t have the luxury to worry about such things now. Soon, his vassals would gather at the ducal castle—to appoint a new civil engineering administrator.
Because of that, Kristen completely forgot about this matter.
* * *
After placing the order for the printing materials, I headed to a general store first.
It was still work hours, after all, so I wanted to buy things directly related to my job first. Since I had no idea what kinds of items existed in this world, I planned to browse carefully before purchasing.
A typewriter would be nice. I’d been really missing the scent of modern civilization lately.
Jingle.
According to Huutnen, all office supplies were sold here. Let’s start with ink.
Huutnen followed closely behind me.
“Wow, there are so many ink colors.”
Writing is all about equipment. In a world without highlighters or fluorescent pens, colored ink was invaluable. Bright colors, preferably.
Hot pink? The pigmentation on this is great.
I picked three colors that would stand out immediately among black ink.
Next were quills and fountain pens.
“You have an excellent eye! I could tell the moment you walked in. Let me introduce this fountain pen first—newly arrived, and designed with ladies in mind—!”
“Design isn’t important.”
For work, practicality comes first. The shop owner looked puzzled.
“With a pen like this, love letters will just flow out effortlessly, milady! And of course, we also sell high-grade stationery that pairs perfectly with it!”
Love letters? What love letters?
“I didn’t come here for that. I’m looking for a fountain pen for work. Something highly practical. One that won’t hurt my hand even after long use, with smooth writing, and that glides effortlessly with a single stroke.”
The shop owner’s face stiffened. Looks like his plan to sell expensive stationery fell apart.
The pen he recommended was pretty enough, but it even had gemstones embedded in it. Seriously—why would anyone buy that?
I noticed they also seemed to sell typewriters. Getting one of those sounded far better.
“And I’d like to look at typewriters too.”
“A typewriter…!”
The shop owner’s enthusiasm instantly returned.
“For professional use?”
“Yes. I’d like one with high sensitivity—something that registers easily even with a light tap.”
“In that case, please come this way!”
We set the fountain pens aside for now and headed toward the typewriter display. Ah… finally, something that smelled like modern civilization. I was getting dizzy.
“The cheapest typewriter starts at 20 Ecras.”
Two million won? That’s basically laptop prices. Modern civilization, indeed.
But I had an unlimited corporate card.
Bring me everything.
Heh.
