Chapter 13
Plenty of places weren’t hiring complete newcomers without any experience. She found just one place that accepted first-time teachers, but she was too young for it.
“Should I lie about my age…?”
The salary was a bit disappointing, but she was tempted. But could she get away with it? If caught, it would be a huge problem. Getting fired was a given, and the community was small, so word would spread quickly. She couldn’t even dream of finding another job.
‘Isn’t it the youngest daughter of the Mullier viscountcy who got fired for lying about her age to get a teaching job?’
Just imagine if that reached the ears of her father, who cared so much about appearances.
‘Aniella Mullier! Don’t tarnish the Mullier name and stay put at home until you’re married!’
Even though it was just her imagination, Aniella’s ears rang as if she could hear his shouts right beside her. She immediately gave up on the idea of lying about her age and scoured the ads again. After searching and searching, she finally found one listing that perfectly matched her conditions.
“No experience or age requirements. Physically healthy person with two arms, two legs, and two eyes. Non-smokers and non-drinkers preferred. Those in need of urgent funds are welcome; loners with no family or friends are especially welcome…”
The more she read, the more she doubted it was really an ad for a tutor. No matter how hard she was for money, it wasn’t worth risking her safety.
She let out a sigh and closed the newspaper. It was frustrating; she had bought the paper for 1 gold, and it yielded no results.
It seemed her only option now was to go door-to-door herself, asking if anyone needed a tutor. She wasn’t confident, being timid, but what choice did she have? Sometimes, a person just has to do what they have to do.
Grumble.
As if realizing she’d be doing a lot of walking from now on, her stomach growled the moment she stepped out of the house.
“We’re out here to fill you up. Just be patient a little longer.”
Aniella soothed her grumbling stomach by patting her flat belly.
Three hours later, Aniella, dragging her tired body, plopped down by the riverside.
Despite mustering enough courage that her hands were slick with nervous sweat, she was rejected every time. Thinking about it, it was only natural. It was an era where even maids weren’t hired without a letter of recommendation. Even from the opposite perspective, no one would welcome a woman who showed up out of the blue knocking on their door as their child’s teacher.
“A letter of recommendation. That’s the problem. If I just had that, I could at least try to start a conversation.”
Aniella muttered to herself as she watched children swinging nets by the riverside. Seeing them play without a care about making a living made her intensely envious.
“I also had a time like that…”
Her mind, which had been about to recall those memories, came to an abrupt halt. By the time she had developed a concept of money, her father had already failed in business once. There wasn’t a single servant left in the house.
The mansion, traditional in a good way and dilapidated in a bad way, was far too large and full of things needing repair. Instead of running around by the river, her daily routine consisted of sewing, cleaning, and helping her mother with household chores.
Realizing she hadn’t had many bright and happy times made her already grumbling stomach start to ache.
“Hey, it’s Aniella!”
From the group catching dragonflies, one child recognized Aniella and approached. It was little Philip from the neighboring house. He was a cute kid with bright brown hair and chubby cheeks, but Aniella disliked him because he always picked on her.
“Why are you lounging around here instead of working?”
Just like that.
Aniella opened her eyes vaguely and gave a detached smile.
“One needs work to be able to work.”
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