Episode 9
“Ah, no, the employment contract? Suddenly, what…?”
Startled by my foolish voice, Melis quickly cleared her throat and asked again. As expected, his aide promptly handed over a document.
“Read it and sign at the bottom.”
Flustered, she quickly scanned the sheet in front of her eyes. Just as he said, the five words “Employment Contract” were boldly printed at the top, and dozens of contractual conditions were densely listed beneath. But before she could fully absorb them with her dazed expression, her mind snapped back.
“If this is because of what Garulus just said, it’s really okay! I can take care of meals and lodging at the inn, and work can come later…”
“What does that matter?”
“Huh?”
“Did you say your name is Melis?”
At the low question, Melis slowly nodded. He slightly furrowed his brow, seemingly annoyed by having to explain this situation further.
“Whether you want it or not doesn’t matter, Melis. I don’t care either. What matters is that Garulus wants this.”
“But…”
“This is almost the first time the child has asked me for something sincerely. For nearly three months, he acted like he hated me and didn’t even want to dine with me, but now he’s using his whole body to beg. Do you understand what this means?”
No matter how much she tried to recall, Garulus had never really used his whole body to beg before, but that didn’t matter to Melis right now.
“I understand what you’re saying, but honestly, I don’t know if you know what kind of person I am and are choosing me as the child’s nanny for that reason.”
“That doesn’t matter either. Even if you were a murderer who had killed dozens of people.”
“Eh?”
“There’s always a guard near the child. And I’m not trusting you; I’m trusting Garulus. Even if he looks innocent, he’s quite perceptive. I may not know, but there’s something about you that captured his heart.”
Melis’s mouth opened slightly at his utterly unreasonable logic. Even more surprising was that there wasn’t a hint of mischief on his face. Yet she still had points to argue.
“B-but usually the Grand Duke’s nanny is a role for nobles or highly educated people. I’m just a commoner, and I barely graduated from the academy. My professor even told me to just take my diploma and graduate quickly.”
She tried to belittle herself seriously, adding a slight lie, stabbing her heart like a dagger. Of course, the lie was that she was a commoner; the truth was about the academy. The reverse would have been better, but…
“Garulus has a separate teacher, so you don’t need to worry about that. And so what if you’re a commoner? I said it would be fine even if you had killed someone—do you think that would bother me?”
Kermanomon’s expression became increasingly indifferent. He leaned comfortably against the chair back, showing no intention to hide his annoyance, and glanced at her casually.
“So, just sign it.”
As Melis rolled her eyes, trying to find something else to argue, Kermanomon let out a low sigh, furrowing his brow slightly.
“I don’t understand why you’re refusing. I don’t like saying this, but for a commoner like you, these are the best conditions imaginable. Why don’t you at least read it properly?”
“This won’t change anything if I read it…”
But it did. As she reluctantly read through the contract, her eyes gradually widened. Providing accommodation in the Grand Duke’s residence and three meals a day was natural; as mentioned before, there were attendants for Garulus’s education, servants for assistance, and even guards. She truly only had to be the child’s playmate.
“However, you must work for at least three months.”
At the mention of three months, Melis’s ears perked up. The conditions became more and more enticing as she listened. Then she noticed something on the contract and her mouth fell open.
‘At this amount…’
It matched the commission fee she had entrusted to Vivian with great care. That fee was her entire savings, accumulated from pocket money over nearly ten years. Of course, her allowance had been tiny, but this sum was well over three times a normal commoner’s salary.
Even if she went out to work immediately, it was uncertain whether she could earn even half, or a third, of this amount.
‘Melis, listen carefully. I’m giving you advice as a senior: everything in life runs on money. Love and friendship may betray you, but money never will.’
For some reason, Vivian’s life philosophy flashed through her mind at this moment. Her eyes trembled as she looked at Kermanomon.
“So, have you changed your mind yet?”
Reading her expression as if he could, Kermanomon, resting his chin on one hand, spoke leisurely.
But as she saw the Grand Duke’s crooked smile, thoughts of his merciless hatred for humanity and her own status as a fake beastkin reliant on medicine passed through Melis’s mind. How much worry and fear she had felt before coming here.
“But I…”
“By the way, bonuses and travel expenses are paid separately each quarter.”
“I’ll do my best!”
Melis bowed deeply at her waist and quickly picked up the quill to sign the contract. The sum was far too large to refuse.
‘Ah, senior. I always criticized you for being materialistic, sorry. It turns out it was me who was materialistic.’
That night, Melis lay on a bed in the Grand Duke’s residence, not at an inn. She couldn’t even properly remember how the day had passed.
“Phew…”
She let out a soft sigh and tossed herself restlessly. Everything still felt surreal. Melis stared blankly at the patterns on the ceiling.
“I can’t believe I’m really in the Grand Duke’s residence…”
The Severus Grand Duke’s residence differed greatly from her imagination. The people there welcomed her, a sudden new member, kindly, and the room assigned to her was even larger than her previous one.
‘I’ll be counting on you for now.’
Above all, Severus, or rather her employer Kermanomon, wasn’t as scary as she had imagined. The image of a cold-blooded person she had conjured from rumors and her own thoughts was strangely different from the reality.
Melis reached out to touch the sides of her head. Her ears still poked up.
Shortly after entering her room, and perhaps as the medicine wore off, she returned to her original form. She had locked the door tightly in case anyone came, but she couldn’t overcome her anxiety and swallowed the medicine immediately after an hour had passed. The first hour was unbearably tense.
“…”
The luxuries she now enjoyed were only possible because she was a beastkin. Realizing that made her mouth feel bitter.
“…It’s okay.”
Turning to the window, Melis reassured herself. The first full day as a beastkin hadn’t been as bad as expected. If every day were like today, life in the Grand Duke’s residence might not be so bad after all.
That night, Melis fell into a deep sleep, imagining peaceful days ahead in the Grand Duke’s residence.
“Garulus! Won’t you come here?”
“No! Melis, you come here!”
About two weeks later, Melis’s hopes for a calm and peaceful life were shattered. She had been in a standoff with a half-naked Garulus for thirty minutes. Garulus, perched atop a bookshelf, glared at her with a sullen face.
“How am I supposed to get on the bookshelf! And I told you it’s dangerous, so you can’t climb up there!”
“Then isn’t that saying you shouldn’t come! Stop bothering me and go!”
From the day she began fully taking care of Garulus, Melis finally understood why her salary was so immense. It wasn’t simply because Kermanomon was generous.
Garulus was truly an extremely challenging child. Energetic, mischievous, curious, and quick as a monkey beastkin. On top of that, he was picky about food and hated getting dressed!
Up until now, he had obeyed her because of the unfamiliar outside environment. Returning home, Garulus reverted to his true self and ran wild like a wild horse.
Hearing that more than ten nannies had passed through Garulus’s care in the past year had shocked her! No wonder they hired nannies so easily. Even if she treated him somewhat informally, everyone just let it slide.
“The teacher will be coming soon! You need to put on pants!”
“I’m fine in just my underwear!”
Shouting, Garulus stomped in the air, fuming. Thinking back, on the first day they met, Garulus had only been wearing a loose t-shirt. She regretted suspecting him unnecessarily.
Placing her hands on her hips, Melis scolded sternly:
“If you don’t come down immediately, I’ll put Brussels sprouts in tonight’s dinner!”
“Eek! Go away before you strip my underwear!”
Master, please. Melis tightly shut her eyes, ignoring his half-exposed apricot-colored butt. But even more embarrassing than his butt was something else entirely.
