Chapter 53 –  The Best Job

Her voice was desperate, and indeed, he felt pity knowing she had been spoken ill of by Mrs. Dunn.

However, even as he thought this, Mr. Woodley shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t grant that request, Miss Bailey.”

“Oh…”

Eloise clenched her trembling hands tightly. She couldn’t just turn back after coming this far.

If she could set things right, she didn’t mind being a little undignified. She decided to muster all the courage she had left.

“Is it really difficult? Even if not immediately, if you could at least promise to call me if a position opens up…”

“That’s not the issue.”

Mr. Woodley scratched his head awkwardly for a moment before speaking hesitantly.

“The factory got a bit noisy after you didn’t return from your leave, Miss Bailey.”

“…I heard about that from Mrs. Dunn.”

When Eloise lowered her head with a downcast expression, the manager felt troubled.

“They said I greatly disrupted the work atmosphere.”

“…”

In fact, he had already heard from Mrs. Dunn that Eloise had visited the factory a while ago.

That day, unfortunately, the owner had come to the factory to check the quarterly financial statements, and this poor young lady had been found sleeping in the warehouse, looking almost like a beggar.

‘At least she looks tidy now, thank goodness…’

By the time the manager arrived at the factory, she had already collected her overdue wages and left, but Mrs. Dunn was still furious.

Already annoyed by the various rumors surrounding the factory, Mrs. Dunn had seized the opportunity to rant about the “shameless delinquent girl.”

Her tirade ended with a stern warning not to even consider taking her back if she ever returned to plead.

Mrs. Dunn seemed genuinely fed up.

This was understandable, as the factory owner had previously caused problems by showing interest in young, pretty female workers, and Mr. Woodley was also being criticized for following in the owner’s footsteps.

Mr. Woodley had a history of causing similar issues at his previous job, leading to his dismissal, and it was only with the help of his distant relative, Mrs. Dunn, that he had found a position here.

He had to avoid falling out of her favor at all costs.

“…Yes.”

Above all, this was the best job he had. Selfish as it might be, he absolutely did not want to be kicked out of here.

“If we take you back, Miss Bailey, the factory’s order will be disrupted. Naturally, the workers’ attitudes will slacken, thinking they can break the rules and still be taken back.”

“But…”

Eloise wanted to persuade him, even if it meant bringing up the fact that she had been spoken ill of because of the manager’s unwanted kindness.

However, it was she who had caused the confusion by not showing up at the factory without any notice, so she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Her desire to cling on was strong, but she didn’t want to be shameless. Eloise sighed silently.

‘What can I do? I’ll have to start over from scratch. Go back to the square…’

At that moment, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt at the sight of Eloise’s pitiful appearance, Mr. Woodley, who had been staring at the corner of a document, spoke up.

“Well, I can give you a referral.”

“A referral?”

Her eyes, clear and bright like a hidden spring in a deep cave, instantly captured the man’s gaze.

Her eyes were always so pure that they made his heart tremble.

‘For some reason, she really tugs at my heartstrings. Especially since she has no family to rely on in the capital…’

Swallowing dryly, Mr. Woodley continued.

“You said this was your first job, right? You might not know, but the history of women working here in Brightnum isn’t that long. Do you know what that means, Miss Bailey?”

“…I don’t really know.”

“It means it’s very common for women to face discrimination in wages and unfortunate incidents. And there’s no one to listen to them.”

Perhaps due to his awareness of having contributed to those unfortunate incidents in the past, Mr. Woodley awkwardly rubbed his nose.

The fact that he had immediately admitted his wrongdoing and paid the price was the only part he could claim as a sort of redemption.

Meanwhile, the young woman in front of him still had an innocent look on her face.

“What kind of unfortunate incidents…”

“Sleazy men will constantly try to approach you. There are hardly any factories composed solely of female workers like this one. Because of the hierarchy, it won’t be easy to reject them. And just so you know, if anyone whispers about a job with better pay, firmly refuse.”

Before he knew it, he was passionately advising her as if he were her uncle.

Seeing Eloise frown as if she didn’t understand, Mr. Woodley rubbed his tired eyes and explained.

“That’s all a ploy to lure you into the back alleys. Night work, I mean!”

“What…?”

“Many women who came out to work to support their families ended up drifting into that kind of work. Especially young ladies like you, Miss Bailey. It’s a trap. Once you’re in, you can’t get out.”

“…”

Eloise, frozen with shock, shook her head as if to dispel the horrible thought, causing her honey-colored curls to sway beneath her worn bonnet.

“…So you’re saying you’ll introduce me to a new job?”

“Oh, yes. It’s where I used to work. It’s not a place with only female workers like here, but you won’t be working mixed with men, so the atmosphere should be good. There hasn’t been a single incident over wages in years, and it’s more relaxed compared to here. You can trust it.”

“Is that really true?”

Eloise’s eyes widened in disbelief. The workplace Mr. Woodley described sounded too perfect.

His voice was so calm that it didn’t seem like he was sugar-coating anything. Eloise clasped her hands together in front of her mouth.

“Then should I go there and mention your name, Mr. Woodley?”

“Uh… no, that’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Mr. Woodley scratched his head again.

“Uh… it’s complicated, but it’s better not to mention me. However, my friend is still working there as a manager, so I’ll let him know this evening. Oh, you know it’s hard to find a job anywhere right now, right?”

“…”

For Eloise, who believed there would always be plenty of jobs in the capital, this was news.

However, not wanting to appear naive, Eloise nodded silently.

“He should be able to create a spot without much trouble. When can you start working?”

“The sooner, the better.”

“Alright, I’ll tell him you’ll be coming tomorrow, so go check it out then. I’ll write down the address for you.”

With that, he began looking around for a blank piece of paper.

“Thank you, Mr. Woodley. How can I repay this kindness?”

“Don’t worry about it. I also felt a bit guilty.”

“You really are a good person…”

No matter his story, Eloise couldn’t hide her gratitude.

She felt a resolution blooming in her heart to live by doing good deeds for those around her as well.

It was immediately after that she realized she hadn’t even asked what kind of job it was, captivated by the manager’s ideal description.

“Um, Mr. Woodley. Where is that workplace?”

“Huh? Oh, I didn’t mention that!”

Laughing at his own oversight, Mr. Woodley handed her a note with the address and answered.

“It’s a meat factory, Miss Bailey.”

“…What?”

At that moment, she heard a cracking sound, as if something was breaking.

“If you’re lucky, they sometimes give out leftover meat. Isn’t that great?”

It was clearly the sound of Eloise’s reason cracking.

* * *

She learned later that the area where Ansel’s mansion was located was called Royal Arch.

It was named after a triumphal arch built nearby to commemorate the Kingdom’s victory in the continental war half a century ago.

It was said to have been modeled after the palace’s main gate, hence the grand name.

In any case, Eloise returned to Royal Arch before sunset.

The quiet maid silently took her coat and bonnet, and while Eloise changed into indoor clothes in her room, she thoughtfully prepared bathwater.

Not wanting to meet Ansel looking like a drowned rat again, Eloise quickly undressed and jumped into the bathtub.

The warm water, filled with sparkling bubbles, seemed to wash away the day’s tension completely.

To avoid repeating the mistake of falling asleep in the bath, she hurriedly washed and stepped out of the tub, only to find that the nightgown she had left in front of the bathroom had disappeared.

In its place was a neatly folded indoor dress.

“Um…!”

Unfortunately, the hallway was empty.

She couldn’t very well wander around the mansion n*ked to find her clothes, so she was in a predicament.

Meanwhile, Ansel’s return time was fast approaching.

With no other choice, Eloise picked up the pristine white chemise dress and gently slipped her damp body into it.

The fabric was astonishingly soft, and the embroidery and rich, elegant ruffles were so impressive that they were breathtaking. It was undeniably a high-quality garment.

‘Such a fancy indoor dress. Even at Mrs. Fulham’s house, I didn’t see a chemise dress this beautiful…’

The dress draped gracefully over her slender figure, as if made just for her.

Even so, Eloise felt uncomfortable, as if wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

It was strange, considering it was incomparably softer and more comfortable than her old, shiny, worn-out nightgown.

Even the water droplets falling from her hair onto the dress bothered her, so she quickly returned to her room to finish drying her hair.

Just then, she heard the sound of the front door opening, but she paid it no mind.

It would take time for dinner to be served and for him to change out of his uniform and prepare for dinner.

However, contrary to her expectations, she soon heard the sound of the maid climbing the attic stairs.

“He is waiting in the dining room.”

Eloise, holding a towel, let her lips part in surprise.

“…Already?”