The Beast That Licks Me - Chapter 2.9

Rosette ate an entire piece of bread that came with the meal. Evan’s eyes widened at this behavior that differed from usual.

“You eat too, Evan. You need energy to think properly.”

As soon as Rosette gave permission, Evan devoured his portion of bread in one go. Rosette looked at him with pity. He used to be a divine beast of a Count’s family who had enjoyed all sorts of delicacies… Now he was grateful for such ordinary bread. Rosette resolved to buy Evan delicious food within a week, no matter what.

“So Rosette, are you not writing anymore?”

“Huh?”

“You were always sitting at the desk writing something. Isn’t that writing?”

“What? No!”

“No?”

“Actually, yes…”

Rosette admitted with slightly flushed cheeks. Though she had been secluding herself, she wasn’t doing nothing. Rosette had been writing in her cabin. Having grown up with books as companions, Rosette was interested in writing as well. Although she had never published anything, Rosette was confident that once her writing saw the light of day, it would sell like hotcakes. She wasn’t certain, but even imagining it brought her joy.

“I was thinking of trying to rent out the book once it’s finished.”

“How does that work?”

“I just show the writing I’ve done, and if it’s good, I get even a few bronze coins for it.”

I might accumulate so much money that we’ll have luxurious meals every day. Rosette suppressed the urge to say this.

“Then what should I do?”

Evan mumbled quietly. Rosette nearly burst out laughing at his serious expression.

“Hmm… Let’s think about that slowly.”

“What if we starve to death while thinking?”

“Then let’s think slowly but quickly.”

Rosette said with a fake cough, trying to hold back her laughter. Evan gave her a sidelong glance, apparently aware she was teasing him. Finally, unable to contain herself, she burst out laughing.

“Rosette.”

“Yes?”

“It might be my imagination, but you seem excited.”

He was right. Rosette clenched her fist and smiled.

“Yes, overcoming adversity is what protagonists do.”

Shouldn’t a protagonist face at least one such trial? Rosette was confident that once she started earning money, she would become rich in the blink of an eye. It was the misguided confidence of someone who had read too many adventure novels.

***

Crash!

Rosette flinched at the sound of breaking dishes. The plate that had been covered in soap bubbles just moments ago was now shattered beneath her. Rosette turned around slowly with a look of despair.

“Miss Rose-!”

A stern-looking man scolded Rosette in a low voice.

“I’m sorry!”

Rosette bowed her head deeply. The head that had never bowed when she was a Count’s daughter was now bowing several times a day here. The man looked at the plate and pressed his temples as if he had a headache. It was fortunate that it was a busy time with many customers; if it had been a quiet period, a much louder scolding would have been heard.

“Didn’t I tell you this was your last chance?”

The man’s cold voice was signaling the end. Rosette anxiously clasped her hands, which were still covered in soap bubbles.

“I’m sorry, please give me one more chance…”

“No, Miss Rose, you’ve shattered all my trust over the past few days. I can’t work with you anymore.”

The kitchen briefly fell silent as someone was losing their job.

“I hired you because you looked decent, but you’ve spilled soup on customers, scattered forks and knives on a customer’s arm, and when I finally gave you the easiest job of washing dishes, how many plates have you broken?”

The man’s voice gradually grew louder, as if his frustration was erupting. Rosette accepted the barrage of words with a miserable expression.

“I won’t ask you to pay for damages. You’d probably break more dishes while trying to compensate! Just leave. I’d prefer not to see you even as a customer from now on.”

The man turned his back and left the kitchen after stabbing Rosette’s heart with a dagger. Rosette bit her lip hard. Her eyes felt hot. If she relaxed her guard even slightly, tears would fall. The kitchen was already treating Rosette as if she didn’t exist. There was no one there to offer her words of comfort. Rosette finally trudged out of the kitchen.

***

“Rosette, you’re early?”

When Rosette entered the room, Evan jumped up to greet her.

“Did something happen? Your eyes are red.”

Although she had cried her heart out before coming back to avoid worrying Evan, her lips quivered at his kind, concerned words.

“I got fired…”

“…Again?”

At Evan’s response, Rosette burst into tears and the frustration she had been holding back.

“Yes, I got fired again! But I really worked hard, truly…”

Rosette began to cry so loudly that Sarhen would have fallen over backward if she had heard it. Evan, flustered and not knowing what to do, hugged Rosette and patted her back.

“I’m sorry, Rosette. It’s my fault.”

“I really did try my best, you know….”

“I know, Rosette. I know.”

Evan patted Rosette’s back while holding her, seeming to understand everything. Rosette cried her heart out in Evan’s arms for a while.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Rosette nodded with her puffy face. Evan cleared his throat slightly and averted his gaze. He was clearly smiling. Rosette kicked Evan’s shin with her foot. Even after being kicked, Evan continued to chuckle.

“You’re laughing? Is this funny?”

“No, heh. It’s just too funny. Rosette, sorry, I’m sorry. It hurts. I was wrong.”

After kicking Evan’s leg for quite some time, Rosette leaned her head weakly against the wall. The unpleasant saltiness of the wall was nothing to her now.

“I don’t know what job I should do next…”

Rosette mumbled dejectedly.

“Fired from cleaning, fired from laundry, fired from the restaurant…”

“Rosette…”

“I thought I’d quickly become good at whatever I did. Reality is different. And cold…”

Rosette spoke in a depressed tone. Evan looked at her with pity, seeing how deflated she had become. She was so different from a few days ago when she had been full of hope and enthusiasm.

Just the other day, Rosette had been asking staff members if they needed extra hands. Thanks to her likable appearance and proper identification, Rosette had easily secured employment.

Her first job was cleaning. She was assigned to clean rooms, and being her first job, Rosette really put her heart into it. Although she lacked efficiency, taking over 30 minutes for tasks others could complete in 10, it was understandable considering it was her first time.

What happened next could only be described as bad luck. After finishing her second room cleaning, Rosette entered the third room. When she entered the room with the cleaning sign displayed, she made eye contact with a guest who was about to take a bath. The guest had gone out early in the morning, hanging the cleaning request sign, but returned before the cleaning time and forgot to turn the sign around. The startled guest screamed and tried to push Rosette out. However, Rosette stepped back so quickly that the guest’s feet got tangled, causing them to fall and expose their back to people passing in the corridor. This immediately became a major complaint, and Rosette was fired before she had even worked half a day.

“I should have just let myself be pushed…”

Rosette muttered regretfully. Knowing that this wasn’t Rosette’s fault, a staff member felt sorry and immediately introduced her to another job.

Her second job was doing laundry at a laundromat. Unfortunately, the laundromat owner wasn’t particularly kind, and Rosette had to learn while sweating nervously under this difficult boss. Loud shouting would follow even the smallest mistake. Each time, Rosette’s courage shrank, and her mistakes became more frequent.

Nevertheless, Rosette endured stubbornly for a day. The reason she wasn’t fired despite numerous mistakes was that nobody else was willing to tolerate the owner’s temperament for such meager wages. Rosette managed to last the day and even celebrated with a small toast that night.