Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 55
Hesitating, Roel listened as Hawk, the owner of the Double Axe Inn, explained his urgent need for help.
His wife, who had been helping him run the inn, was now bedridden following a difficult pregnancy and childbirth. Meanwhile, an employee who had been with them for five years had eloped overnight with a mercenary guest.
He couldn’t possibly manage the inn alone, so Hawk was desperate for assistance.
After hearing his detailed situation, Roel found it difficult to refuse. Almost involuntarily, she decided to start working at the Double Axe Inn.
‘It should be okay…’
Roel reassured herself as she was shown the room where she would stay while working at the inn. She comforted herself with the thought that she could always refuse any inappropriate demands from the mercenaries.
Though Hawk was burly and temperamental, he didn’t seem like a bad person.
“Those mercenary fools complain about everything! Now, I can relax a bit.”
Still, a nagging unease remained.
* * *
Roel agreed to start work the following dawn, as she needed to prepare breakfast for the guests.
“I’m too busy myself, can’t really show you everything. You’ll have to figure out some things on your own. Once my wife gets better, she’ll train you properly.”
“Thank you.”
“Our room is next door, so if something comes up, just let us know. Your pay will be three silver coins per month. You knew that, right?”
“Yes…”
The salary was modest given the amount of work. The cost of a week’s stay at such an inn was about three silver coins. The average monthly salary in the capital was around ten silver coins.
Moreover, Roel had to pay a commission to the employment office for six months, effectively reducing her take-home pay to about two silver coins.
It was significantly less than the average wage, but Hawk was confident in his offer.
“Room and food are covered, and that’s quite generous already. If you want to earn more, give good service to the guests to get tips.”
His rationale was that she could earn substantial tips depending on her service, such as serving food, cleaning rooms, or preparing bathwater, justifying the lower salary.
“We don’t take tips earned by their staff. Those flashy hotels and inns are more rude. They take a cut from the tip the staff earned.”
Hawk proudly claimed that the Double Axe Inn was much more honest and fair.
He conveniently left out that most of the inn’s guests were rough mercenaries known for being stingy and often causing trouble for the staff.
‘Thank goodness they don’t steal my wages, at least…’
Roel thought. Given her fearful and anxious nature, her expectations from employers were quite low. She felt fortunate as long as she was paid on time.
“You can start work tomorrow, but feel free to look around today. If you haven’t eaten, you’re welcome to watch the kitchen work or help out!”
“Yes, I’ll head down shortly.”
Roel responded, hearing guests coming down, as Hawk quickly went back to his duties.
Roel took this as a hint to start helping immediately. She unpacked her belongings in her room, planning to head out as soon as she caught her breath.
‘The room isn’t bad…’
The small room had a little window, a fairly comfortable bed, and a small table. Compared to the attic room she had lived in as a maid, it was definitely an upgrade, especially since there wasn’t a draft coming from the window.
But compared to the cabin—much larger, warmer, and with Kyden there—it felt lacking. Thoughts of Kyden pained her like a needle to the heart.
Is he doing well? Is he eating properly? Have the villagers bothered him? Has he forgotten about her? Is he wearing the scarf? Has his injury healed?
A flood of thoughts overwhelmed her. Roel quickly got up from her seat.
‘I need to see what work there is to be done.’
Moving helped her cope when she had a lot of thoughts.
Thinking of Kyden, worrying about him, recalling her own circumstances would make her realize how much she missed him. It could plunge her into a deep sadness and just wanting to die. It led her to believe that keeping busy was a better coping mechanism.
As Roel entered the adjoining restaurant to the inn’s reception, she found Hawk frantically preparing food in the attached kitchen. It appeared a late-arriving guest had requested dinner.
The kitchen was a mess, with dirty dishes piled up and tables still cluttered with used utensils.
Cooking, serving, managing guests, and cleaning—it was clear that Hawk couldn’t manage everything on his own.
Though she was officially starting work the next day, Roel couldn’t just stand by and watch. Rolling up her sleeves, she began clearing the tables.
After entering the kitchen with the cleared dishes, Hawk looked up and smiled at her.
“Hey, you don’t have to start working today!”
Though his words said so, his relieved expression showed he was glad for the help.
“No, it’s better to start learning the work quickly.”
