episode_0421

“It’s a bit awkward to say someone is beautiful to their mother-in-law…”

If there’s a boss who doesn’t appreciate a competent employee, tell them to come see me.

Moreover, she’s kind-hearted and even shows affection towards me.

I couldn’t help but find her beautiful.

“If I were alone, I would never have suggested it to the city hall. I wouldn’t have felt the need for it. Although I made the suggestion, it was thanks to you, Nae-gi, that we could eventually revamp the area. When I hired employees, I only hoped they’d keep dust off things when I was away.”

I didn’t hire employees to burden them with grand tasks.

However, the employees managed to attract customers on their own and improve the surroundings.

“Look at it now. There are many more customers than before, and the surroundings are much brighter.”

“….”

“With all these accomplishments, how can one not find it beautiful? I feel like a competent employee should be carried around like a trophy.”

Despite explaining this fervently to Nae-gi, she remained silent.

Usually, a person who should respond would be eager to continue the conversation if they were interested.

“Why are you bowing your head? Did my words make you uncomfortable?”

Curious, I asked, and upon closer inspection, her ears turned red.

Could it be that Nae-gi is bowing her head because of…

“Are you making such embarrassing remarks so casually?”

“Embarrassing? I was sincere.”

“That’s even more problematic. Goodbye! I’ll take my leave now. I’m sorry for bothering you!”

Nae-gi hurried down the stairs and quickly disappeared.

She couldn’t bear the embarrassment and ran away.

Peering outside the window to see where she was fleeing, I could confirm she was quietly entering the house.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Since what I said didn’t seem to warrant such extreme embarrassment, I was puzzled.

“Was that an inappropriate remark?”

If she seemed upset when we met next time, I decided to apologize.

As I washed up, the hangover that had quickly vanished was creeping back over me.

“I really need a good hangover cure.”

Although I claimed the hangover was fine, the grimace on my face couldn’t be hidden.

Once I returned, I would probably eat something because I wanted to cure the hangover.

She already knew that a hangover cure helped with a hangover.

※ ※ ※

“Ugh… Fool! Idiot! What will happen if you fall asleep there!”

Eating the hangover remedy the boss had brought with a bitter spoon, I recalled the embarrassing past.

When you drink a lot, there are times when you don’t remember, but perhaps because I drank good alcohol, the memories came flooding back vividly.

And that was the problem.

I was so embarrassed that I didn’t know how to face the boss.

“Alcohol is the enemy. Why did I do that?”

I shouldn’t have drunk so ignorantly.

No matter how upset I was, revealing such a truth to the boss…

“How low can you stoop? Ah~ What did I ask?”

There were many questions about the daughter, and how they ended up in that kind of relationship.

Now that the girl had just come of age and was in a romantic relationship with the boss, bad thoughts crossed my mind.

I knew the boss was a good person, but due to past experiences of trusting people when young, I couldn’t believe it.

Though not explained in detail, it was certain that something very unpleasant had happened to Francine.

“In the first place, it’s a different case from mine… That girl is a noble.”

It wasn’t like they were forced into a relationship, and even if they had a good bond, there was no reason to be rejected due to social status differences.

No, even if they broke up, it wouldn’t cause a big issue.

Unlike herself, there would be no need to forcibly separate a child due to social status.

She empathized with her daughter, worrying about her due to the pain she had endured because of her own social status.

The daughter was already taking good care of herself.

There was no need for her to worry or take care of her.

“What should I do?”

Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.

It wasn’t the time to leisurely nurse a hangover.

She needed to find a way to leave this place as soon as possible.

“I didn’t know the boss would really come to catch me.”

I realized that he was someone who always kept his word once he said something.

Even though she wanted to escape from here, she knew she had to resolve the mess she had caused before leaving, and that wouldn’t be resolved in just a day or two.

“What if the boss calls Fran here in the meantime?”

It was because of such worries that she wanted to leave immediately.

“No, it’s impossible to roam outside so easily after enlisting. I heard that once you enlist, you can’t leave the military for 10 years.”

Commoners have no idea how nobles live after enlisting.

It’s just a vague guess.

They say that they will be busy dealing with monsters and won’t be able to roam outside freely.

Since childhood, they’ve been indoctrinated to be grateful for what the nobles sacrifice.

So even though the situation turned out like this, she didn’t expect to reunite with Fran anytime soon.

“You’re too much, boss!!!!”

The day after being plagued by a hangover all day.

A visitor knocked on the door of the general store, surprising everyone.

“Welcome.”

Thinking the person in the deep hood was a customer, she greeted them with familiarity.

But the hooded guest didn’t come to browse the store; instead, they stared right through her.

Something felt off from that moment.

‘What’s going on?’

An instinctual feeling of unease.

Even though she couldn’t see their face, the presence of the guest was strikingly noticeable.

It wasn’t because the guest was staring at her.

There were rude guests who blatantly stared at her occasionally.

She dealt with those guests by ignoring them.

Some would get offended, try to strike up a conversation and then leave after being rejected, or stubbornly stare back before leaving with regret.

“Judging by the petite figure, it seems like she’s a woman….”

So, it was appropriate to respond with indifference to this guest as well.

Gender didn’t change her behavior.

Strangely, the guest’s gaze felt particularly piercing, making her quite nervous.

“Why are you standing there so awkwardly?”

Perhaps sensing something odd, the boss quietly approached and asked.

“I don’t know either. One of the guests is making me unusually nervous.”

“Is it suspicious?”

“No! It doesn’t seem suspicious… Well, I can’t be sure. She just keeps staring at me. But judging by her petite stature, she seems like a female guest. Why would a female guest stare at me?”

“Just because she’s a female guest doesn’t mean it’s a problem. And judging by her small stature doesn’t guarantee she’s a woman.”

Upon hearing that small men also exist, she quickly regained her composure.

“You wait here. Where is that person?”

“On the right wall.”

As she turned her gaze back to inform the boss, she noticed the unsettling guest acting strangely.

“She must have gotten scared when the boss appeared; she looked away.”

“Would you like to go to the break room for a while?”

“Do I have to? Wouldn’t it be better to do other things? There are other customers here.”

“I’ll take care of those customers. Please, go inside.”

Sometimes, when situations seemed dangerous, the boss would usher her inside, and it seemed like the same feeling this time.

“Don’t be too harsh. Upon further thought, I may have overreacted due to being overly concerned about the guest who made me unusually nervous.”

“Yes. I understand. Don’t worry and go inside.”

“Okay.”

Dealing with rude customers, she knew it was wise to listen to the boss’s words.

Eventually, she entered the break room and took a short rest.

Although curious about the situation outside, she made an effort to think about other things.

Through past experiences, she learned that intervening in this issue would only make the situation much more complicated.

“Miss Nae.”

“Are you done?”

Thinking that the situation was resolved quicker and quieter than expected, she went outside.

However, the general store, which had been open and functioning just fine, now had its door closed and locked. The hooded customer was still inside the shop, standing next to the boss.

“Is this an acquaintance of yours?”

Considering it might be possible since it wasn’t the first time the boss’s acquaintance had visited.

“Given that they’ve traveled with a loved one… huh?”

In the midst of her distracted thoughts, something she hadn’t considered before suddenly seized her mind.

The customer lowered the hood that covered their face.

Swoosh-

Long hair cascaded outward.

Thump!

Her heart raced.

At the sight of the hair, she naturally thought of someone specific.

In her life, there was only one person with white hair.

“Aga…?”

Though she had often heard that she resembled someone, she never imagined it.

A face like mine?

My younger self?

Having not spent days gazing at mirrors like a noblewoman, it wasn’t easy to recall.

Furthermore, unlike a well-bred child, she wore old, smelly clothes, didn’t she?

Her daughter would undoubtedly be much prettier than she was in her youth.

…That’s what she thought.

But seeing with her own eyes how inadequate her imagination was, she realized.

“Hello.”

“Oh my goodness!”

An exclamation involuntarily escaped her lips.

How can someone be so elegant and beautiful!

She couldn’t understand why everyone said this child looked like her.

What exactly is similar?

Compared to this beautifully grown child, what about herself?

Embarrassment washed over her as she could only display a shabby appearance.

Seeing her speechless, the boss said to her,

“Fran, this is the person you were looking for.”

The child found me?

“They really do resemble each other. It’s astonishing.”

Fran was staring intently at me.

Did I style my hair nicely today?

I feel like I did my makeup haphazardly.

What expression should I wear?

Even breathing felt nerve-wracking.

She understood why her gaze kept drifting towards the hooded customer.

It was an instinctual maternal feeling that she hadn’t even realized herself.

“Hello. I’m Fran.”