IRFVA 06

Chapter : 6

A lot had happened today as well.

And with it, a wide variety of customers had come and gone.

As if to compensate for the good customers in the morning, nothing but terrible customers stormed in afterward.

Customers who fought like wild animals, customers who mistook the neighboring house for ours and muttered information guild request codes, customers who searched the inn like they were hunting down their parents’ enemies, an assassin-like customer who had somehow been hiding upstairs and then slipped out with a “tch,” and customers who drank alcohol, suddenly started showing off their strength, smashed tables, and left while laughing, shouting things like, “Hah-hah! I’ve gotten stronger!”

Was it even right to call these people “customers”?

I sighed and thought to myself.

It was true that, just as the three mercenaries from “Scorpion” had said, a lot of mercenaries desperate for money were coming in.

There were many customers, and today’s income wasn’t bad either…

But I had been busy cooking, busy serving, busy cleaning tables, busy dealing with customers, busy taking orders, busy cleaning broken tables and bringing in new ones, busy picking up shattered dishes, and I even had to desperately pretend I didn’t know anything while saying, “This is not an information guild,” while dodging fighting mercenaries, falling between pushing people, and stopping brawls with a shield in hand.

This was not human workload.

I threw the broom I was holding onto the floor.

With a dull thud, it collapsed in an unsightly heap.

Suppressing the urge to scream, I stomped my feet and gritted my teeth.

I wanted to become an “Insta-famous restaurant,” but instead I was filming a “Field Experience Life Show.”

After pulling at my hair in frustration, I sighed.

“…I want to hire part-timers.”

I desperately needed manpower.

But that didn’t mean the business was making enough money to hire workers.

Some decent customers did leave money for repairs, but considering how much was being destroyed every day, hiring staff was completely unrealistic.

Of course, there had been that one cloaked noble-looking young master who had said, “Does this not work?” and offered a red jewel.

Other innkeepers or minor characters in novels would have panicked like, “Oh my, this is far too precious…!”

But modesty? What was that? I immediately accepted it.

Instead, I provided the best service I could. I built a tower out of food for him.

Cooking while being happy somehow made the food look like it was glowing with gold dust. But that was a minor issue. This was a romance fantasy world anyway—there was probably some visual effect.

Still, even if I used that to hire staff, how long would it last? There was no guarantee noble customers would come every day.

The only saving grace was that there were still no lodging guests.

If even the upstairs beds had been destroyed, I would have smashed their heads in.

“Or rather, one of the upstairs windows has already been broken by what looks like an assassin.”

I sighed and went out into the backyard.

This old wooden building had a tiny backyard behind the kitchen.

It wasn’t large enough for anything in particular, but it was a fenced, empty space that helped clear the mind.

And today, I needed to clear my mind.

I sat down heavily on a two-step stone staircase, stretched my legs out, and looked up at the sky.

Since this romance fantasy world ran on mana stones instead of oil, there was no pollution, and the sky was clear.

The stars in the clear sky were beautiful, and I could hear insects chirping in the peaceful night.

I slowly calmed myself.

“Right… I’m still alive. If Lady Bell managed this place until now, I should be able to handle it too.”

I tried to reassure myself, but then I remembered the slightly relieved expression she had when she left and shivered.

…No, it’ll be fine. I comforted myself and looked up at the stars again.

One particularly bright star caught my eye, and I clasped my hands together to make a wish for the crown prince’s M-shaped hairline.

“Please let it start forming an M shape. A receding hairline from the front would be far more despairing than a circular bald spot.”

—Rustle.

At that moment, I heard a sound in the empty space besides me.

“……”

I flinched and looked around, but there was no one there.

It was a fenced-in area—no one should have been able to enter.

“Was that the wind? But I definitely heard something stepping on grass.”

Lost in thought, I stood up.

“…An animal?”

This didn’t seem like a place where wild animals would come.

It’s not like Korea—there shouldn’t just be animals coming down from mountains behind the house!

As my thoughts spiraled, I clenched my fist.

I quietly backed away, went into the kitchen, grabbed a frying pan, and came back out.

I scanned the surroundings again.

—Rustle rustle.

“…Who’s there!”

I raised the frying pan dramatically into the air in a strange defensive pose, trying to assert dominance as I slowly, very slowly moved toward the sound.

Wait—does this pose look ridiculous? I lowered one arm late and held the frying pan with both hands instead.

Even though I was determined to check it, fear crept in as I approached the dark trees beyond the fence.

What if it’s a ghost?

I had already dealt with all kinds of customers. It wasn’t that scary anymore.

Even if an assassin jumped out, they’d probably just go “tch!” and ignore me as they flew away. That was my level.

But a ghost?

“…If we both become ghosts after dying, wouldn’t it be awkward meeting each other? Maybe it’ll look at me?”

While I was thinking such nonsense, I heard the rustling sound again—clearer this time.

It was coming from below.

I swallowed nervously and slowly lowered my gaze.

And there, in my sight, was a black…

“…A snake?”

A beautifully shimmering snake with glossy scales was quietly looking up at me.

For a moment, I was mesmerized by how beautiful it was, but I quickly came to my senses.

I had no idea whether it was trying to kill me or whether it was venomous.

My grandmother once told me:

“You can’t tell whether a snake is venomous or not. Trying to figure it out is useless—you’ll just end up dead.”

As I cautiously stepped back, the snake tilted its head anxiously as if it were nervous, then slowly approached me.

Still half-dazed, I snapped back to my senses and raised the frying pan high, ready to knock it out if needed.

If it was venomous, I was done for.

I didn’t want to become some background extra who dies from snake venom in a romance fantasy world—especially behind my own house!

But unlike my tense reaction, the snake looked strangely relaxed and slowly approached me.

It gently came to my feet and bumped its head against me, rubbing affectionately as if showing friendliness.

“…Huh?”

Confused, I froze as the snake rubbed its head against me a few times like it was being affectionate, then looked up at me quietly.

Its clear, shining eyes looked like it was saying it wanted to stay by my side, and I stared blankly into its blue eyes.

“You… what are you?”

I muttered absentmindedly, and the snake looked around briefly, shook its head, and then nodded.

The motion felt almost like it was acting cute, and I relaxed without realizing it, dropping the frying pan to the ground.

It had only been moments ago that I was wary of it, but seeing its behavior made my caution disappear.

I slowly reached out my hand toward the snake at my feet.

So this is what it means to be charmed by a snake.

Even as I thought that belatedly, I carefully bent down and extended my arm.

Hiss hiss.

Making soft hissing sounds, the snake slowly climbed onto my arm.

As if trying to show it had no intention of attacking, it gently leaned against me.

“Do you want me to take you with me?”

The snake nodded.

I let out a small laugh without realizing it.

There was no way it could understand human language, and yet here I was, talking to a snake.

Still, I didn’t dislike the situation.

In this unfamiliar world, aside from a few people, this place had not been kind to me.

Lady Bell had been kind, but she was essentially a fanatic… no, devout believer who accepted me as fate.

Even in the ducal household, I had done nothing, yet the maids always spoke ill of me.

Whether they thought I couldn’t hear them, or didn’t care if I did, they whispered while I stayed inside my room.

“So the princess has finally gone mad.”

“Serves her right for all her misdeeds.”

The villain is supposed to be hated. Even if it wasn’t something I had done.