Chapter 52: The Girl Without a Profession
Lena brought her back in the end.
Like a big bad wolf who had lured Little Red Riding Hood into her lair and devoured her grandmother…
Lena walked ahead, Mines trailing behind, her small hand nervously clutching Lena’s sleeve, struggling to keep up.
Her 1.6-meter stature and short legs made it difficult, but Lena slowed down, waiting for her, as if Mines were the Master.
“Need a break?” Lena stopped, frowning.
“I’m fine, Master, please don’t mind me…”
Mines clearly wasn’t used to physical exertion. After just a few hundred meters from the arena, she was already out of breath, sweat glistening on her face.
How could such a person kill?
Lena felt like she had picked up a delicate flower, beautiful but fragile. A lovely vase, but hardly a bodyguard who would collapse after a short run, needing her master to wait…
“Forget it if you can’t keep up.”
Lena glanced at the sky. It was getting late, and the others should be returning soon.
“I can do it!” Mines said anxiously.
Her flat chest heaved as she said with conviction, “I can definitely handle this job, Master, please believe me!”
“…”
Lena’s expression remained unchanged.
“Master…”
“I’m saying you should go back and pack your things. Report to the mansion tomorrow.” Lena said, exasperated.
Did she look that scary, that unapproachable? Why was everyone so afraid of her?
She felt wronged and wanted to go home and cuddle with the little fox girl…
“Then tomorrow… what time should I arrive?” Mines wanted to clarify, to avoid any further misunderstandings.
This bodyguard job was crucial for her, directly related to her siblings’ well-being, the primary source of income for her family of thirteen.
Mines had already decided to cling to someone powerful, like her friend, selling her body for a better life.
If pushed to desperation, she would even offer the most sacred thing a girl could give—praying this “Master” wouldn’t recoil from her scarred, broken body…
A painful memory seemed to surface, Mines’s eyes trembling. She looked up at Lena, like a fledgling instinctively flapping its wings, searching for its mother.
Mines desperately clung to this lifeline, refusing to let go.
And this Master… seemed approachable, not discriminating against her scarred skin, not as aggressive as other Masters…
“Tomorrow… come as early as possible. I usually wake up quite early,” Lena said casually. “As for your salary… ten gold coins a month, how about that? Don’t think it’s too little. According to the mercenary market, this is already a high salary. After a one-month probationary period, your salary will double.”
Double, that was twenty gold coins…
This was enough to cover her siblings’ food and lodging for several years, with plenty to spare.
And this was just her monthly salary.
Master was so kind…
Mines was genuinely happy, but she couldn’t help but wonder about the job’s specifics.
“Master…” Mines asked softly, her delicate face seemingly carrying an innate submissiveness. “Is it dangerous work?”
She felt uneasy accepting so much money unless Lena admitted to wanting her to go through fire and water, or if she was after her body. Only then would Mines feel better.
“Are you scared?” Lena paused, chuckling, her chest jiggling slightly. “You have the guts to fight to the death for money, but not the courage to work with me? Don’t tell me you killed Taylan just by sheer luck…”
“I… I understand.”
Mines let go of her last reservation.
“Mm, I will protect you, Master, and ensure you’re never harmed.”
“Nice words, but lacking conviction.”
Lena took Mines for a stroll, buying her a new outfit along the way. A beautiful clothes hanger needed beautiful clothes. “Try this on. An evening gown isn’t suitable for you.”
Mines hesitantly held the clothes, entering the fitting room at Lena’s urging.
Moments later, a girl in a red feather dress appeared before Lena.
The close-fitting neckline revealed the girl’s delicate collarbone and slender neck.
Her soft, slightly curled black hair made her small face appear even smaller. Her eyelashes were long and curled, the corners of her eyes slightly downturned, her crimson eyes sparkling like stars, yet a hint of sorrow lingered within them.
She was incredibly thin. Even the smallest size looked too big on her, the burn scars on her back alarming, like a monstrous parasite feeding on her life force.
“Master, is this okay?”
Mines asked timidly, her face flushed with the shyness of a young girl.
Under Lena’s gaze, her cheeks turned a delicate pink, like a ripe peach.
“Is there anything strange about it?”
“Wonderful, red suits you. It helps to offset your melancholy.”
The red feather dress resembled a phoenix reborn from ashes, symbolizing the girl’s new beginning, leaving the past behind and embracing the future.
Lena’s judgment was impeccable. She paid for the dress and left the store.
“This will be your uniform from now on. You have to wear it both inside and outside. I’ll buy you a few more in different styles so you can change…”
Looking at Mines’s emaciated figure, Lena swallowed the words “the cost will be deducted from your salary.”
Damn, she had spent the money too soon!
She hadn’t even checked Mines’s professional rank before giving her a dress! Was it too late to take it back?
“Thank you, Master, I love it. I will work hard to repay your kindness.”
Mines’s words made Lena even more embarrassed to ask for the dress back.
Forget it…
It was just a dress; Lena wasn’t stingy. “Mm, one question, what is your profession…?”
This was important, especially the rank.
Lena estimated that Mines’s rank couldn’t be lower than four. After all, she had instantly killed the arena champion, so she must be at least rank five.
Twenty gold coins a month for a loyal rank five bodyguard, what a bargain!
A huge profit!
Mines: “Profession? I don’t have one.”
“???”
Lena thought she was joking, her expression darkening.
But Mines nodded seriously, her voice weak. “I haven’t awakened yet, Master…”
“Didn’t you say you’re an adult?!”
“I am…” Mines bit her lip, her hands fidgeting. “I’m an adult, but I haven’t awakened my profession…”
Lena almost fainted, wanting to demand Mines return the dress.
But then she thought, if Mines didn’t have a profession, how did she conjure that blade?
The little girl was definitely hiding something!
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