episode_0052

That night.

I sought out a bar called ‘De Clasio Bar’.

The staff immediately recognized me not as a customer, but as an applicant for a serving position.

I met the owner of the bar.

He glanced at my face, then.

“Hired!”

And a set of clothes was placed in my hand.

“…What is this?!”

It wasn’t an apron, nor was it a dress.

It was a peculiar outfit.

I tried it on, and…

Sigh.

This had a lot of problems.

My shoulders and chest were exposed, just like with an apron.

But it was connected to a short skirt, leaving the top and bottom feeling too bare.

Air touched my entire body.

It was practically like being half-naked.

There was a lot of exposed skin, and my belly button was visible.

The fabric was so thin, it felt like it would become see-through if it got wet.

“Ugh…”

Only then did I notice that the other servers were wearing the same clothes and guiding customers.

They seemed to have adapted to such clothing, showing no signs of embarrassment at all.

First, I learned simple customer service methods.

The work wasn’t difficult.

It was a simple task: sitting beside a customer, pouring their drinks, and chatting with them.

I was told to follow the customer’s orders as much as possible, but if their demands were too excessive, to call a nearby guard.

“Finally, if you come to an ‘agreement’ with a customer, use the rooms on the third floor.”

“‘Agreement’?”

“Excellent service brings in big tips. Look over there. One’s going up.”

The male staff member pointed towards the stairs.

One of the servers was going up to the third floor with a customer.

Above the stairs, it was much darker and gloomier.

Roughly… I could guess what the third floor was used for.

“I… don’t think I’ll have any use for it.”

“Well, if that’s what you think. But for your information, know this: you don’t get a salary.”

“What?”

“You use our facilities to earn as many tips as you want. The facility usage fee is 5 gold per day. It’s quite cheap compared to other bars.”

In other words, ‘hired’ didn’t mean becoming an employee of this bar, but rather being given the ‘qualification’ to work here.

And that too, by paying a daily usage fee.

…Then what happens if I can’t earn more than 5 gold a day?

Does it just become debt?

It seemed so.

The servers were actively seducing customers to earn more tips, whatever it took.

“Kyaa! Welcome! You’ll play with me, won’t you?”

“Customer-nim! You made me feel so good last time! You remember me, right?”

“Come here! I’ll give you plenty of service! Hm?”

They spared no means or methods to attract customers’ attention.

They put on heavy makeup, wore revealing clothes, and even openly grabbed customers’ arms and pressed their chests against them.

…What, what is this?!

I was stiffened by the shocking working conditions and the blatant atmosphere.

“Is that lady over there new?”

A male customer in a brown coat and a fedora approached.

“Ah, yes! I’m new.”

“Wow- A pretty and cute new girl has joined us.”

“Thank you…”

“Why are you so stiff? Haven’t you adjusted yet, being new? Haha! It’s okay. Let’s just have a chat together. Come along.”

Saying so, he put his arm around my shoulder as if embracing me.

Although I was embarrassed and flustered, I was led by the customer’s embrace to a secluded spot.

As soon as we sat down, an expensive bottle of alcohol was brought out.

He asked me to pour him a glass, so I did, and the man quickly downed it.

I had been a little worried, but the conversation was more normal than I expected.

The customer asked why I came to work at this bar.

When I replied that I came because I needed money, he burst out laughing, saying it was the first time he’d heard such an obvious yet honest answer.

As we continued talking, my tension gradually eased.

The customer merely drank and conversed.

He didn’t show blatant interest in me or make unreasonable requests.

Somehow, the topic of my hometown came up.

When I told him about life in a mountain village, he smiled as if intrigued.

“Oh, only 50 people live in your village?”

“Yes.”

“My mansion has 50 people living in it. It’s practically a whole village, isn’t it?”

“Ahaha, then… you must find it difficult.”

“Difficult? Me? Why do you think that?”

“Our village chief always made every decision carefully, for our well-being. If you also have 50 dependents… your shoulders must surely feel heavy.”

“…Hmph.”

He smiled.

In a pleasantly tipsy state.

“Haha! To think the day would come when a server here would worry about me. You, you have a different kind of aura. You’re not like the other women who only think about getting money from my pocket.”

The customer let out a deep sigh.

“Everyone says I’m the happiest man. Because I have a lot of money. Of course, to some extent, that’s true. It’s better than having no money, isn’t it? But that’s not all. Rather, money is something that, the more you have, the more you lose. If I look around, at some point, I’ve become… just a rich fool.”

He tilted his glass and drained it.

Clink.

The customer’s face, as he set the glass down, was exceedingly dark.

“A few days ago, my close friend died. He was the only one who truly understood me…”

“…That’s a sad thing.”

“You, what’s your name?”

“Tia.”

“Tia. Can you comfort me?”

He tilted his head and leaned on my shoulder.

I briefly wondered what I should do, but decided to just gently stroke his hair.

Gently.

The customer said in a gloomy voice.

“Now, I suppose I’ll never have a ‘friend’ again.”

“…You can just make new friends.”

“Is that possible? Even the servants in my mansion think of me not as their master to serve, but as a money tree that gives without restraint.”

“You can.”

He let out a scoff.

“That’s too idealistic, Tia. In Deseo, as long as you have money, you can’t make true friends. Even new acquaintances, once they get a little close, brazenly come to borrow money. They’re not curious about me as a person, but more about the money I possess. I’ve met enough of those types to be sick of them throughout my life.”

“But if you didn’t have money… couldn’t you make true friends?”

“Give up my fortune? Haha. That’s a disappointing answer.”

I quietly shook my head.

“No. I heard there’s a saying in Deseo: ‘There is no good deed without a price’ [a proverb about people always expecting something in return for kindness].”

“It’s a saying one must always remember.”

“One day. Suppose you meet someone who performs a good deed with no expectation of return. What would you think?”

“…A hypocritical person trying to satisfy their moral vanity?”

“What kind of person was your friend?”

“Someone who understood and cared for me.”

I demurely closed my eyes.

“Sir. I also have a friend. We were so close… that we could tell what each other was thinking just by looking into each other’s eyes. That friend was always good to me. They granted all my requests. Do you think such a friend truly desired some return from me, or was they merely being hypocritical by treating me well? Was your friend such a person?”

“Tia. That’s a pure story from childhood. Once you become an adult and have money… such beautiful relationships can’t exist.”

I took a deep breath.

“There was a mister who accompanied me until I arrived in Deseo. When I was sick and suffering, that mister let me rest comfortably, and when I was in trouble due to lack of money, he sold his own treasure to help me. Without his help, I wouldn’t have even made it this far; I would have collapsed.”

“He sold his own treasure to help you? He must be a truly remarkable person.”

“Even so, that mister didn’t use his help as leverage to ask for anything in return, even though I felt indebted. I believe that’s precisely what ‘goodwill without a price’ is, and the beginning of the process of understanding each other.”

The customer replied cynically.

“But Tia. What would change even if that were true? The people in this city are different from you. They’re the kind of people who, if you give them bread, will demand cake.”

“Then give them cake.”

“…What?”

“If you keep giving without expecting anything in return, those people will start to wonder, ‘Why are they doing something so foolish?’ And it’s only when that question arises that someone might truly begin to understand you, don’t you think, Sir?”

Our eyes met.

His eyes, previously clouded with sorrow, felt as if they had cleared a little.

“Haha… You’re right about that. Just like how you’re giving me such valuable advice now without receiving any tip.”

He set his glass down and stood up.

“Thank you, Tia. Meeting you today made me realize a lot. Here’s a tip. Please take it.”

Jingle.

40 gold coins were placed on the table.

I was so surprised that I covered my mouth with my hand.

I had only sincerely wanted to comfort the customer and spoke my mind directly.

40 gold felt too excessive.

But the customer said with a face that insisted I take it.

“Tia. You don’t belong in a place like this. When I talk to you, it feels as if… I’m sensing the character of an honorable noble from long ago, someone who wasn’t swayed by money. Although it’s a small amount, I hope this tip helps you when you look for other work.”

“…Thank you.”

“Then, I hope we can meet again somewhere else.”

The customer put on his fedora again and left.

40 gold.

To be exact, after deducting the 5 gold usage fee, it was 35 gold.

That was my first day’s earnings.

* * *

The next day, I went to work at the bar again.

Although the customer I met yesterday had advised me to look for other work.

I couldn’t do that due to lack of time.

For now, this bar was the only way I could earn a lot of money.

It wasn’t dangerous work, and if I could earn 30 gold just by pouring drinks and chatting appropriately.

There was no reason to refuse.

As soon as the bar opened, new customers came in.

It was five middle-aged men.

“Staff! Bring over any pretty lady!”

“Yes, Sir!”

A staff member nudged my arm.

“You go.”

And so, I became a server for the second time.

I secretly wondered what kind of conversation we would have this time.

However, they only talked about the upcoming arena tournament next week. They didn’t show much interest in me.

I didn’t interject, quietly refilling their glasses.

As the smell of alcohol grew stronger.

One of the customers gestured to me.

“Hey. You. Come here.”

“M-Me?”

“Yeah. Is there anyone else who’d come closer right now besides you?”

I hesitated, then approached, and suddenly he grabbed my waist.

“…Huh?”

“You need to come closer. Like this. Kh-kh-kh.”

The customer, his face flushed, grinned widely.

“Are you upset that we’re only talking among ourselves and didn’t give you a tip after calling you over?”

“Oh, no…”

“That’s because you don’t know how to entice customers. Alright, I’ll teach you how to pour drinks deliciously.”

He made me sit on his lap and held out an empty glass.

The moment I tilted the bottle to pour the wine.

The customer suddenly pushed the bottle up with his glass and exclaimed.

“Whoa! That’s not how you do it. You need to bow your head lower.”

“L-Like this?”

“Lower!”

I bent my waist sharply and poured the drink.

“Kh-kh-kh… Yes. That’s how you subtly show your cleavage to make the wine taste better.”

I could feel the customers’ gazes change as they looked at me.