“Then I’ll head out first. You worked hard today.”
“Alright. Good work.”
“Yeah. Bye, Yuria! See you tomorrow!”
“…”

Bye-bye.
I gently waved at Alice, who seemed to be in a rush to leave for something important.

Was she really that happy because I waved at her?
She smiled brightly, waved back, and hurried out of the office.

“She really likes me, doesn’t she? I might end up misunderstanding at this rate.”

I could feel her genuine affection toward me.
For someone like me, who wasn’t used to such feelings, she was impossible to dislike.

Should I say she’s the type to give love unconditionally, without expecting anything in return?
She had a kind of mindset that someone petty like me couldn’t even attempt to imitate.

Of course, her excessive physical affection, enough to make me sweat sometimes, was a bit overwhelming…
But that was something I could handle by setting clear boundaries. She wasn’t the type to push if I rejected her.

“You worked hard too, temp. We had some unusual clients today, so it must’ve been tiring… Here’s today’s pay. Check it out.”
“…!”

After Alice disappeared from the office in a flash, Raven scratched the back of his head, seemingly apologetic about how much work there was today. He handed me an envelope.

Today’s wages already!
Feeling happy, I took the envelope and opened it eagerly.

Inside, there were fresh, crisp bills, as if they had just come out of an ATM.
One, two, three… Counting them revealed there were two more bills than what we’d agreed on beforehand.

There’s more in here than expected.
I waved the envelope at Raven, signaling that something seemed off, but he just chuckled and shrugged.

“The extra is a bonus. Get yourself some snacks or something on your way home. Need me to walk you home?”
“…!”
“Alright, if you don’t need it, then that’s that. Just make sure you get home before it’s completely dark. Don’t get caught up in anything troublesome.”

With that, Raven waved dismissively and strolled lazily toward the back of the office.

Truly, a man of the times who wouldn’t lift a finger unless explicitly asked for help.
Still, imagining him grumbling while walking me home if I’d nodded made me chuckle a bit.

“Well, time to head out.”

Carefully tucking today’s pay into the pocket of my skirt, I bowed slightly in gratitude toward Raven’s retreating figure.

Then, turning around, I quietly opened the door and stepped outside.

“It’s cold. Looks like it’ll snow soon.”

The night air in Night Haven carried a sharp, icy wind.
Most people on the streets were wrapped in thick coats to fend off the chill.

Wearing nothing but a maid uniform, I felt the cold wind slipping through the fabric, making it hard to bear.

Just yesterday, it was chilly, but not like this.
I exhaled, and my breath turned into a white puff in the air.

“Maybe I should buy something warm to wear? I’ve got money now, after all.”

Clothes were a long-term investment.
Since I had the money, there was no reason to skimp on something so necessary.

Resolving to treat myself, I hurried to the first clothing store I saw and stepped inside.

“Oh my, what a cute customer! Looking for something specific?”
“….”
“This coat? Hmm, it might be a bit too big, it’ll completely cover you…”

That’s exactly what I want. Walking around in a maid uniform is embarrassing.

Ignoring the shopkeeper’s hesitation, I handed over the money and bought a long coat that reached down to my thighs without a second thought.

Once outside, I put on the coat and immediately felt its warmth.
Having money really does make life better.

“Welcome! Would you like this to-go?”
“….”
“Oh, a basic sandwich? Coming right up!”

With a warm sandwich in hand, I retraced the path Greg and I had walked earlier.

Even in a bustling city like Night Haven, the number of people dwindled as you moved away from the main streets.

By the time I reached the gray district where Greg’s General Store was located, the streets were nearly deserted.

Even the alleys probably weren’t this empty. It made me admire Greg’s decision to open a shop in such a place.

“Well, it’s thanks to this location that I frequented it so often.”

Reflecting on such thoughts, I took out the emergency key Greg had given me and unlocked the shop’s door.

“Ah, it’s freezing in here! Better block those windows first.”

The shop was icy cold inside, likely because of the broken windows letting in the winter wind.

I knew it.
Using thick cloth, I blocked the broken windows to stop the draft, then turned on the heater.

With telekinesis, I swept shards of glass and dust out of the shop and retrieved several rags from storage to wipe down every corner.

Though the shop wasn’t small, the work didn’t feel too overwhelming with my abilities.

“Done for now. I’ll buy some glass tomorrow to fix the windows. As for the holes in the walls… Greg can take care of those later.”

Satisfied with the warm air filling the room, I carefully took off my coat and hung it on the sofa. Then I headed inside to change into the comfortable clothes I’d left behind last night.

After washing my face and freshening up, I returned to the sofa with my maid uniform folded neatly in my arms.

Even though my body rarely seemed to accumulate odor, staying clean was still important.

“Hmm… Not the best taste. Maybe a 6 out of 10.”

As I munched on the sandwich I’d bought, I couldn’t help but rate its flavor.

It was cheap and tasted that way, but it was a new experience, so I didn’t entirely dislike it. Still, it wasn’t something I’d eat twice.

Grateful for the small comfort, I leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

“Ugh, I came here to clean, but now I don’t want to get up.”

The thought of returning to my base, where it was freezing and the bed was hard, made me reluctant to leave the warmth of the shop.

“Maybe I should just sleep here? I did clean the place thoroughly.”

But that wasn’t right.
Don’t mistake kindness for entitlement.

Suppressing the temptation, I curled up on the sofa like a shrimp.

Greg was kind, so he’d probably forgive me for resting a bit.
Rubbing my cheek against the soft cushion, I let my tired body relax.

Eventually, when lying down got boring, I found myself fiddling with the Tesseract around my neck.

“When will you wake up? And what was that yesterday…?”

I still couldn’t understand why the Tesseract had spoken or helped me.
And how its presence might alter the original story.

Gripping it tightly, I made a quiet vow to myself.

No matter what happens, I won’t regret it. This was my choice.

“Ugh, enough of that. Let’s go home.”

Serious thoughts didn’t suit me.
Shaking off the awkward mood, I folded my maid uniform neatly and placed it on the sofa.

I’d return tomorrow anyway. Better to keep the shop clean and organized.

After double-checking the heater and lights, I took one last look around the quiet store.

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Hoping for another peaceful day, I closed the door behind me.

Peace in a city like this? What a silly thought.