BCHG Chapter 30

It was an unexpected offer, but there was nothing bad about it for me. After all, the reason I was desperately saving money was because I wanted to leave Isaac. If Raphael paid off that debt, I could leave right away. That was exactly what I wanted. But…

 

“…Thank you for the offer, but I’m sorry. I’d like to keep working here.”

 

The terms were too good to be true. Someone I had only known for a few days suddenly offering to pay off a huge debt of 150 gold? It made me feel uneasy.

 

Raphael, slightly raising an eyebrow, spoke. “That’s a shame. Isaac must be treating you quite well?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“If you ever change your mind, let me know. I plan to stay here for a while. Now, go get some rest for today.”

 

“Yes, Lord Raphael.”

 

I left Raphael’s room and headed to my own. As I was descending the stairs, I felt a gaze and looked up. There was Isaac, staring at me quietly before disappearing into the darkness.

 

* * *

A day off! Finally, a day off! I felt like shouting with excitement at this rare break. Ah, how long has it been since I’ve felt this free…! My steps were light as I walked through town.

 

Recently, I had felt uncomfortable staying at the mansion because of all the tension with Raphael and Isaac. Ever since Raphael offered me a new job, I’ve been uneasy about his intentions. The other maids mentioned how overly kind he was to them. It seemed like he was a bit of a Casanova.

 

…Could that be why he made that offer to me? If that’s the case, I definitely want to avoid it. It’s better to pay off all the debt and gain my freedom!

 

“That’ll be 15 gold and 30 silver altogether.”

 

After selling some items to the pawnshop owner, I left with a smile on my face.

 

Wow, 15 gold! Combined with what I’ve saved so far, I think I’ve reached 30 gold. I’ve already saved 20% of the 150 gold! At this rate, if I keep working hard, I could be free in less than six months.

 

A smile crept onto my face. Now that I had earned some money, it was time to explore the city a bit.

 

As I wandered around, a confectionery shop caught my eye. Now that I think about it, Isaac liked those jam cookies I gave him… I should buy some for him again.

 

As I left the shop with the jam cookies, I heard a familiar voice nearby.

 

“…Mia?”

 

When I turned around, there was Isaac and Raphael. Seeing them made my shoulders involuntarily tense.

 

…Is this really a coincidence? Could Isaac have been following me? I really didn’t want to see him on my day off…

 

Isaac looked as calm as ever, while Raphael seemed genuinely pleased to see me.

 

“Oh, Mia! I didn’t expect to run into you here on your day off.”

 

“Hello, Lord Raphael, Master.”

 

I bowed my head slightly. I hoped we could just exchange greetings and move on. Fortunately, Isaac stared at me for a moment before turning away.

 

“Let’s meet back at the mansion. Shall we go, Raphael?”

 

Phew, thank goodness…! I felt a wave of relief as Isaac seemed ready to leave. But Raphael didn’t turn to leave. He kept looking at me and then smiled.

 

“Mia. Do you have any plans for this afternoon?”

 

“Huh? Plans…? Not really…”

 

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it. I should have said I was busy! But it was too late. Raphael’s green eyes sparkled.

 

“Really? That’s great. We’re on our way to a garden party. Why don’t you join us?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

A garden party? What’s that? It sounded interesting, but the idea of going with Isaac made me uneasy.

 

I hesitated and asked, “Why are you inviting me?” I couldn’t think of a reason why he’d want to bring me along…

 

Raphael winked and said, “Because I want to impress you.”

 

“…”

 

“And if it’s just the two of us, the ladies will talk to us too much. I think it would be better if you came along.”

 

Hmm. So he wants to use me as a shield. I understood, but I still felt reluctant to go.

 

“But I’m not a noble…”

 

“It’s a party that doesn’t require you to be a noble to attend.”

 

“And I’m not dressed for it…”

 

“Then we’ll buy you something. Isaac, where’s a good tailor around here?”

 

Every time Raphael spoke, I felt more and more overwhelmed. Isaac sighed slightly and walked back toward me.

 

“There’s one if you walk this way. Let’s go.”

 

Isaac? Shouldn’t you be trying to stop Raphael? I mean, why would a maid be going to a garden party? And buying clothes, too!

 

But as a powerless maid, I couldn’t refuse Raphael. I was practically dragged into the tailor’s shop, and my jaw dropped at the luxurious interior. The dresses on display were unbelievably fancy. Are those real jewels?

 

I started to feel embarrassed about my plain outfit. As I lowered my head, the shop owner approached.

 

“Welcome. What kind of clothing are you looking for today?”

 

“We’re here to order a party dress for this lady. She needs to wear it today, so please check if you have anything in her size.”

 

“Yes, please come this way…”

 

The shop owner led me to the back of the store, where there was a variety of finished dresses, all glittering in different colors. It was overwhelming.

 

“What color would you like?”

 

“T-That…”

 

There were too many choices, and I couldn’t decide!

 

As I hesitated, Raphael approached and looked me over. “Hmm… How about a light yellow? I think it would suit you. This one mixed with white.”

 

“Oh, I think it would look great on the lady,” the shop owner agreed.

 

In this situation, I couldn’t exactly say, ‘No, I don’t like that one,’ so I just nodded.

 

“Well then, would you like to try it on? It seems to be about your size…”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

I took the dress and went into the fitting room. A shop assistant helped me change into it.

 

As I came out, I felt a bit awkward. While I was fidgeting, I heard Raphael exclaim.

 

“Wow, it looks great on you! Take a look in the mirror.”

 

I turned to the full-length mirror and was surprised. The saying that clothes make the person is true. I had never realized it since I always wore plain clothes, but I looked… pretty good.

 

The dress, made of layers of white and light yellow fabric, was adorned with white rose decorations, giving it the feel of spring in dress form. The deep neckline gave it a refreshing look and made my neck appear longer. Wow… This is amazing. I look really pretty.

 

As I stared in awe, I heard Raphael’s voice.

 

“Isaac, what do you think? Doesn’t she look pretty?”

 

Isaac glanced at me and replied in a monotone, “Yes. She’s pretty.” His voice was completely devoid of emotion. If it had been the cat Mia, he would have showered her with compliments, calling her beautiful and cute.

 

Meanwhile, Raphael was staring at me intently. He stroked his chin and said, “Hmm… the makeup and hair could use some work.”

 

“We offer makeup and hairstyling services here,” the shop owner chimed in.

 

“Really? Then let’s do that too.”

 

Wow, I’m really being pampered today.

 

I was led to a chair in front of a mirror, and several assistants began to work on me.

 

Wow, this is why it’s good to have money… Once my makeup and hair were done, I looked like a completely different person. It was a bit embarrassing.

 

When I returned to the waiting area where the two men were, Raphael smiled in satisfaction.

 

“Great, now we just need to pick out some shoes. Do you have any here?”

 

“Yes, we have a few pairs ready.”

 

The shop owner showed us the shoes, and Raphael selected a pair before kneeling down. “Give me your foot, Mia.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Wait, is he going to put them on for me? Isn’t that a bit much?

 

Feeling dazed, I extended my foot, and he carefully put the shoes on for me. Then he stood up and looked at me, smiling.

 

“They look great on you. Now, we just need to find a necklace and earrings to match. Shall we head to the jewelry store?”

 

Wait, jewelry too? How much is he planning to spend? I’m starting to get curious about the price of this dress. And why is Raphael treating me so well…?

 

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.

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