At my suggestion, the Crown Prince rubbed his forehead as if it was a headache.
He tried to convince me a few more times, but when I persisted, he finally gave up.
“Yes, then let’s go together.”
“You are indeed intelligent, Your Highness.”
I smiled and praised the Crown Prince, but soon fell into thought again.
“Now, I have to decide what to disguise myself as...”
As we decided earlier, Delton just had to transform into a cat, and the problem was us.
“Well, Your Highness, please disguise yourself as an orphan.”
"Orphan?"
“Yes, the place we’re going to infiltrate is an orphanage. Even if the director is stingy, she can’t turn away an orphan who came to her on her own when everyone is watching. I think six or seven years old would be a good age.”
“Let’s do that. Then, what do you plan on disguising yourself as, Princess?”
“Well, actually, a servant is the most optimal job for undercover investigations. You can move around freely, doing cleaning and other chores.”
“But according to the child, the director is a stingy person. She is the type who even saves food for the children and firewood, which is essential for winter, so how could she increase the number of servants?”
“Yes, that’s true. That’s the problem, though..."
I was lost in thought for a while, and soon I shook my head as if I was annoyed.
“Why worry about such trivial things? Just take it easy.”
“How can you say that?”
“Well, what could be difficult? As long as the director has no choice but to hire me, that’s it.”
The Crown Prince's expression became a little puzzled at my snickering words.
The next day.
“Oh, My..."
I went to the daycare center at the crack of dawn, and stood in front of the main gate, stamping my feet with an embarrassed expression.
I was holding a broken wooden fence in my hand.
A pitiful voice came from beside me.
“...Is this the ‘way the director has no choice but to hire you’?”
A boy of about six or seven years old with light brown hair, brown eyes, and shabby clothes.
He was the Crown Prince who transformed with the help of Delton's power.
“Why? Isn’t that a good idea? If you ask for compensation after causing an accident like this, you can just go in and say you’ll pay with your body since you don’t have any money, right?”
“That’s not it...”
The Crown Prince, who had been looking at me with a sour gaze, let out a low sigh.
“Isn’t your voice and expression too awkward? If you were to act like that in front of the director, she’d immediately arouse suspicion.”
“Huh? Is it that awkward? I tried my best...”
“It’s awkward. Seriously.”
“No, why are you being so firm again...”
He let out another short sigh as I scratched my cheek with an awkward expression.
“Do your best. Why is someone who has deceived an entire empire with a three-inch tongue and even become a Saintess acting this way? Do as you usually do, as you usually do.”
“That’s because I was blinded by that piece of trash. Do you think it’s easy to act in the middle of the street, with someone you know right next to you? If possible, try to stay away from me and avoid looking at me. If possible, cover your ears as well.”
As I continued to make demands, the Crown Prince muttered something and took a few steps away from me.
“Yes, I’ll do as you request, so please do it properly.”
What?
I think I just heard the phrase, "You're doing all sorts of things."
I glared at him with fresh eyes, but the Crown Prince did not notice it because he was staring at the distant mountains with his ears covered as I had requested.
I, who was fighting alone against his back without knowing anything, soon let out a deep sigh and started burning my acting spirit again.
“Oh my, what should I do with this? I accidentally broke this. What should I do with this! Oh my!”
It's definitely better without the Crown Prince's gaze.
I shouted loudly enough that the director inside the building could hear me clearly.
After a few minutes of this live performance, a light finally came on in one corner of the daycare building, and the director finally appeared.
“Hey, what’s this noise at this early hour of the morning?”
She looked disheveled as if she had just woken up.
I quickly opened my mouth.
“Are you the owner of this building?”
“But?”
“Oh, I see...”
I rolled my eyes in embarrassment.
The sleepiness that had been covering the director's eyes evaporated as if she sensed something was wrong.
“What on earth is going on?”
She approached me with quick steps, then quickly looked at the piece of wood in my hand and furrowed her brows.
“What is this? Is this our daycare fence?”
“Th, that... I’m sorry, I was walking down the street and tripped on a rock, and then I accidentally kicked the fence. What should I do...?”
I lowered my head as if I was ashamed, and carefully looked at the director's expression.
'You're not going to let it go as it is, are you?'
All I could see was a fence, so I tore it down, but it was so old that I was worried I might be showing unnecessary mercy.
But fortunately, the director was much more shameless than I expected.
“What can you do? Of course, you have to pay compensation!”
She let out a merciless scolding and looked around the fence with eagle eyes.
“Hmm, let’s see. Man, this isn’t something that can be easily repaired with simple repairs. I’ll have to replace the whole thing.”
“Yes? But I only hit this fence. Why the whole thing...”
“Oh my, what are you talking about? A Giant like you slammed into the fence, so of course the entire fence was hit! Look, it’s shaking here too!”
“Giant...?”
I looked over my body with wide eyes.
Although I had gained a bit of weight compared to before due to my appearance being transformed by the power of Delton, I was by no means large enough to be described as giant.
Just an average body type.
But the director was stubborn.
“Anyway, the fences need to be replaced. This is non-negotiable, so don’t waste your time trying to persuade them.”
“Ah, yes...”
“Hmm, then how much should I get paid?”
The director, who had been looking back and forth between the fence surrounding the orphanage and my clothes, soon opened her mouth.
“Well, judging from your appearance, Miss, your circumstances don’t seem all that great. Just give me twenty silver coins.”
It was as if she had been given an enormous favor.
But I just couldn't accept it with tolerance.
“Huh? How did I get that much money...”
Twenty silver coins are worth two-thirds of a gold coin.
So, on average, it was two months' worth of living expenses for commoners.
'Do you think this lady has caught some kind of a bug?'
It wasn't a fence made of bricks, it was just a few pieces of wood put haphazardly. Twenty silver coins.
I had no intention of giving her money anyway and was planning on paying with my body, but I couldn't help but get angry when I heard such an absurd amount.
“A wooden fence worth twenty silver coins? That’s ridiculous! Besides, this fence looks quite old, and there are many places where it’s rotted away!”
“What are you talking about? How much did I pay for this when I first got it done! I specially commissioned it from the best carpenter in town! I thought about the situation and had him carve it for me, but you have this shameless girl?”
The director, who was not only harassing me but also taunting me, raised his voice and said, “Hurry up and give me the money! Don’t bother a busy person!”
I was so shocked by the sight that I opened my mouth wide, but then I came to my senses and lowered my head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know the ways of the world... I didn’t realize that the fence was that expensive.”
“I wish you knew now. So when are you going to give me the money?”
“That’s... Actually, I don’t have that much money right now...”
The director's expression hardened at my words.
“No, a young lady of working age doesn’t even have that much money saved up?”
“I haven’t found a job yet... So, is it okay if I just use my body?”
“You’re going to beat me with your body? Are you saying you want to work at our daycare center?”
“Yes. Whether it’s laundry or cleaning, if you leave it to me, I’ll do my best!”
When I asked with an enthusiastic expression, the director frowned.
“If it's a servant, there are already two, so why are you doing this..”
It seemed like she was unhappy with my words that I would pay compensation for my body rather than money.
But what can I do? I don't have any money. Even if I rob everything, not a single speck of dust will come out!
She eventually had no choice but to accept my offer.
“I can’t help it. Then you’ll compensate me by helping you with chores for a month.”
Oh, really.
'This lady is going too far.'
Just because you broke an old wooden fence, it didn't take a week, or a month? A whole day?
It was so shameless that even a robber would come looking for a lesson.
I laughed inwardly, but anyway, my goal was to get a job at a daycare center.
I nodded willingly.
“Yes, I will! I will work hard!”
The director, who had snorted at the sight of me like that, looked at the Crown Prince who was standing a little distance away from me, and asked with a puzzled look.
“But who is that kid next to you? Did you bring your younger sibling along too?”
You found it so quickly.
I was clicking my tongue, but soon I shook my head naturally.
“No, I don’t know that kid.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yes, he was there the whole time. I thought he was a child from this orphanage...”
“That’s not our daycare kid.”
“Could this be a child who has lost his parents?”
“Hmm.”
The director, who was observing the Crown Prince as if observing my words, asked.
“You, how did you get here? Are you an orphan?”
"Yes."
The Crown Prince nodded.
“My parents both passed away in an accident a while ago, and people told me to come here. The director here is like an angel, and I’m sure she’ll take good care of me.”
Wow, look at that flattering gesture.
I stuck out my tongue as I watched the Crown Prince talking nonsense that he didn't mean.
But those words must have sounded quite sweet to the director's ears.
“Well, there’s no better place for orphans than our orphanage.”
She nodded her head in satisfaction and readily gave her acceptance.
“Yes, I’ll take care of you. Come in. Come in too, young lady.”
Surprisingly, she took the Crown Prince in one go.
I thought she'd be upset because she had one more mouth to feed...
'Was the Crown Prince's flattery that nice to hear?'
The Crown Prince and I looked at each other with bewildered expressions at the unexpected turn of events.
Then, immediately, the director gave a scolding order.
“What are you guys doing? Aren’t you going to come in?”
“Yes, yes! Let’s go!”
We put aside our thoughts and quickly followed her into the daycare.
Delton, who had transformed into a white cat, followed us around nervously.
So we successfully infiltrated the entire building.
With the ambition to reveal the director's embezzlement and hidden secrets.
But...
“What the heck!”
He tried to convince me a few more times, but when I persisted, he finally gave up.
“Yes, then let’s go together.”
“You are indeed intelligent, Your Highness.”
I smiled and praised the Crown Prince, but soon fell into thought again.
“Now, I have to decide what to disguise myself as...”
As we decided earlier, Delton just had to transform into a cat, and the problem was us.
“Well, Your Highness, please disguise yourself as an orphan.”
"Orphan?"
“Yes, the place we’re going to infiltrate is an orphanage. Even if the director is stingy, she can’t turn away an orphan who came to her on her own when everyone is watching. I think six or seven years old would be a good age.”
“Let’s do that. Then, what do you plan on disguising yourself as, Princess?”
“Well, actually, a servant is the most optimal job for undercover investigations. You can move around freely, doing cleaning and other chores.”
“But according to the child, the director is a stingy person. She is the type who even saves food for the children and firewood, which is essential for winter, so how could she increase the number of servants?”
“Yes, that’s true. That’s the problem, though..."
I was lost in thought for a while, and soon I shook my head as if I was annoyed.
“Why worry about such trivial things? Just take it easy.”
“How can you say that?”
“Well, what could be difficult? As long as the director has no choice but to hire me, that’s it.”
The Crown Prince's expression became a little puzzled at my snickering words.
***
The next day.
“Oh, My..."
I went to the daycare center at the crack of dawn, and stood in front of the main gate, stamping my feet with an embarrassed expression.
I was holding a broken wooden fence in my hand.
A pitiful voice came from beside me.
“...Is this the ‘way the director has no choice but to hire you’?”
A boy of about six or seven years old with light brown hair, brown eyes, and shabby clothes.
He was the Crown Prince who transformed with the help of Delton's power.
“Why? Isn’t that a good idea? If you ask for compensation after causing an accident like this, you can just go in and say you’ll pay with your body since you don’t have any money, right?”
“That’s not it...”
The Crown Prince, who had been looking at me with a sour gaze, let out a low sigh.
“Isn’t your voice and expression too awkward? If you were to act like that in front of the director, she’d immediately arouse suspicion.”
“Huh? Is it that awkward? I tried my best...”
“It’s awkward. Seriously.”
“No, why are you being so firm again...”
He let out another short sigh as I scratched my cheek with an awkward expression.
“Do your best. Why is someone who has deceived an entire empire with a three-inch tongue and even become a Saintess acting this way? Do as you usually do, as you usually do.”
“That’s because I was blinded by that piece of trash. Do you think it’s easy to act in the middle of the street, with someone you know right next to you? If possible, try to stay away from me and avoid looking at me. If possible, cover your ears as well.”
As I continued to make demands, the Crown Prince muttered something and took a few steps away from me.
“Yes, I’ll do as you request, so please do it properly.”
What?
I think I just heard the phrase, "You're doing all sorts of things."
I glared at him with fresh eyes, but the Crown Prince did not notice it because he was staring at the distant mountains with his ears covered as I had requested.
I, who was fighting alone against his back without knowing anything, soon let out a deep sigh and started burning my acting spirit again.
“Oh my, what should I do with this? I accidentally broke this. What should I do with this! Oh my!”
It's definitely better without the Crown Prince's gaze.
I shouted loudly enough that the director inside the building could hear me clearly.
After a few minutes of this live performance, a light finally came on in one corner of the daycare building, and the director finally appeared.
“Hey, what’s this noise at this early hour of the morning?”
She looked disheveled as if she had just woken up.
I quickly opened my mouth.
“Are you the owner of this building?”
“But?”
“Oh, I see...”
I rolled my eyes in embarrassment.
The sleepiness that had been covering the director's eyes evaporated as if she sensed something was wrong.
“What on earth is going on?”
She approached me with quick steps, then quickly looked at the piece of wood in my hand and furrowed her brows.
“What is this? Is this our daycare fence?”
“Th, that... I’m sorry, I was walking down the street and tripped on a rock, and then I accidentally kicked the fence. What should I do...?”
I lowered my head as if I was ashamed, and carefully looked at the director's expression.
'You're not going to let it go as it is, are you?'
All I could see was a fence, so I tore it down, but it was so old that I was worried I might be showing unnecessary mercy.
But fortunately, the director was much more shameless than I expected.
“What can you do? Of course, you have to pay compensation!”
She let out a merciless scolding and looked around the fence with eagle eyes.
“Hmm, let’s see. Man, this isn’t something that can be easily repaired with simple repairs. I’ll have to replace the whole thing.”
“Yes? But I only hit this fence. Why the whole thing...”
“Oh my, what are you talking about? A Giant like you slammed into the fence, so of course the entire fence was hit! Look, it’s shaking here too!”
“Giant...?”
I looked over my body with wide eyes.
Although I had gained a bit of weight compared to before due to my appearance being transformed by the power of Delton, I was by no means large enough to be described as giant.
Just an average body type.
But the director was stubborn.
“Anyway, the fences need to be replaced. This is non-negotiable, so don’t waste your time trying to persuade them.”
“Ah, yes...”
“Hmm, then how much should I get paid?”
The director, who had been looking back and forth between the fence surrounding the orphanage and my clothes, soon opened her mouth.
“Well, judging from your appearance, Miss, your circumstances don’t seem all that great. Just give me twenty silver coins.”
It was as if she had been given an enormous favor.
But I just couldn't accept it with tolerance.
“Huh? How did I get that much money...”
Twenty silver coins are worth two-thirds of a gold coin.
So, on average, it was two months' worth of living expenses for commoners.
'Do you think this lady has caught some kind of a bug?'
It wasn't a fence made of bricks, it was just a few pieces of wood put haphazardly. Twenty silver coins.
I had no intention of giving her money anyway and was planning on paying with my body, but I couldn't help but get angry when I heard such an absurd amount.
“A wooden fence worth twenty silver coins? That’s ridiculous! Besides, this fence looks quite old, and there are many places where it’s rotted away!”
“What are you talking about? How much did I pay for this when I first got it done! I specially commissioned it from the best carpenter in town! I thought about the situation and had him carve it for me, but you have this shameless girl?”
The director, who was not only harassing me but also taunting me, raised his voice and said, “Hurry up and give me the money! Don’t bother a busy person!”
I was so shocked by the sight that I opened my mouth wide, but then I came to my senses and lowered my head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know the ways of the world... I didn’t realize that the fence was that expensive.”
“I wish you knew now. So when are you going to give me the money?”
“That’s... Actually, I don’t have that much money right now...”
The director's expression hardened at my words.
“No, a young lady of working age doesn’t even have that much money saved up?”
“I haven’t found a job yet... So, is it okay if I just use my body?”
“You’re going to beat me with your body? Are you saying you want to work at our daycare center?”
“Yes. Whether it’s laundry or cleaning, if you leave it to me, I’ll do my best!”
When I asked with an enthusiastic expression, the director frowned.
“If it's a servant, there are already two, so why are you doing this..”
It seemed like she was unhappy with my words that I would pay compensation for my body rather than money.
But what can I do? I don't have any money. Even if I rob everything, not a single speck of dust will come out!
She eventually had no choice but to accept my offer.
“I can’t help it. Then you’ll compensate me by helping you with chores for a month.”
Oh, really.
'This lady is going too far.'
Just because you broke an old wooden fence, it didn't take a week, or a month? A whole day?
It was so shameless that even a robber would come looking for a lesson.
I laughed inwardly, but anyway, my goal was to get a job at a daycare center.
I nodded willingly.
“Yes, I will! I will work hard!”
The director, who had snorted at the sight of me like that, looked at the Crown Prince who was standing a little distance away from me, and asked with a puzzled look.
“But who is that kid next to you? Did you bring your younger sibling along too?”
You found it so quickly.
I was clicking my tongue, but soon I shook my head naturally.
“No, I don’t know that kid.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yes, he was there the whole time. I thought he was a child from this orphanage...”
“That’s not our daycare kid.”
“Could this be a child who has lost his parents?”
“Hmm.”
The director, who was observing the Crown Prince as if observing my words, asked.
“You, how did you get here? Are you an orphan?”
"Yes."
The Crown Prince nodded.
“My parents both passed away in an accident a while ago, and people told me to come here. The director here is like an angel, and I’m sure she’ll take good care of me.”
Wow, look at that flattering gesture.
I stuck out my tongue as I watched the Crown Prince talking nonsense that he didn't mean.
But those words must have sounded quite sweet to the director's ears.
“Well, there’s no better place for orphans than our orphanage.”
She nodded her head in satisfaction and readily gave her acceptance.
“Yes, I’ll take care of you. Come in. Come in too, young lady.”
Surprisingly, she took the Crown Prince in one go.
I thought she'd be upset because she had one more mouth to feed...
'Was the Crown Prince's flattery that nice to hear?'
The Crown Prince and I looked at each other with bewildered expressions at the unexpected turn of events.
Then, immediately, the director gave a scolding order.
“What are you guys doing? Aren’t you going to come in?”
“Yes, yes! Let’s go!”
We put aside our thoughts and quickly followed her into the daycare.
Delton, who had transformed into a white cat, followed us around nervously.
So we successfully infiltrated the entire building.
With the ambition to reveal the director's embezzlement and hidden secrets.
But...
“What the heck!”
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