Chapter 3: Interview (1)

I had one week left until the interview.

During that time, I decided to learn about the ‘Rachel’ I had possessed while preparing for the interview.

The method is simple.

Look for a diary or dial in the house.

But the result was disastrous.

“Why isn’t there anything?”

There was no diary, and the dial was empty. I don’t know why she bought a dial if it was going to be like that.

If this were the 21st century, I would have investigated internet records, but this is the Middle Ages.

Even the communication device supplied by the development of magic was not in the house.

In the end, all I could find out was that Rachel was an orphan who lost her parents at a young age.

Time passed like that, and the day of the interview came.

“Miss. We’ve arrived.”

“Thank you.”

I handed the money to the coachman.

The Muelia Duchy was not far from where I lived, so I could arrive in one day.

“Ouch. My butt.”

I chose a low-cost carriage to come at a cheap price, and my butt hurts so much.

The coachman gives me change.

“Be careful, miss.”

“Ah, yes. You too, sir.”

I rubbed my butt and walked through the city.

The word “miss” was still awkward.

Even though I accepted the reality, I flinch every time I hear it.

“Sigh. I have to get used to this, I guess.”

Even if I can’t completely change my identity to a woman, adaptation to this body is essential.

Many people were walking around the city. Merchants soliciting customers, children playing.

It’s peaceful.

It’s an atmosphere where you can’t imagine it will be stained with screams and blood when the civil war breaks out.

It wasn’t difficult to find the Muelia Duchy in the vast city.

“Wow. How tall is that?”

A spire soaring high as if piercing the sky. Around it, the flag symbolizing the duchy was fluttering in the wind.

That’s where the mansion where the Muelia family is located is.

“I have to walk for a while.”

It was far enough to make me want to curse.

It shows how vast the Muelia Duchy is.

After walking for about two hours, I was able to reach the front gate of the mansion.

“So this is the Muelia family. It’s a different feeling to see it in person after only seeing it in the novel.”

The huge iron gate and the overwhelming pressure of the knights guarding it were no joke.

“Excuse me. I came for the library librarian interview, where should I go?”

I asked the knight in front.

“I need a confirmation from the job guild.”

“Here you go.”

“I’ve confirmed it. If you go straight inside, you’ll see a sign guiding you to the library. But you came quite early?”

“Yes. I might get lost. Thank you. Have a good day.”

I entered through the front gate that the knight opened.

“He said to go straight ahead.”

I went straight as the knight said.

The inside of the duchy was quite spacious.

A well-maintained white rose garden, a fountain, and sculptures with a sense of aesthetics are appropriately placed.

As I was walking around, I saw an arrow sign as the knight said.

[Librarian applicants, please wait here. When the time comes, we will move to the interview location.]

“I guess I’m the first one.”

That’s understandable.

There are still three hours left until the interview.

I have a habit of always leaving an hour early when I have an important event like an interview or exam.

This time, the other party is a duchy, so I left three hours early.

I don’t know what will happen if I’m late even after submitting my name.

“Sigh. I suddenly miss modern civilization.”

I suddenly missed my phone.

With one touch, I can listen to music, and with one touch, I can read a novel.

Of course, the surrounding scenery was beautiful enough.

Nevertheless, as someone who is used to the intense stimulation of the 21st century, it’s just boring.

“I should have brought a book.”

I rested my chin on the table and spaced out.

If there was a fire, I could have stared at the fire, but I just stared at the sky.

As I was feeling the cool breeze and not thinking about anything.

Swish.

Something quickly passes through my vision.

“Kyaak! Mmph!”

I was so surprised that I screamed. I covered my mouth at the awkward sound and looked around.

“He…were you surprised?”

A little girl was standing behind me. The identity of that ‘something’ a moment ago was the girl’s hand.

“Uh…um. Who are you?”

Snow-white hair. White eyes, a very cute little girl.

Based on her external features, she looked similar to the protagonist described in the novel, Emily Muelia.

But she wouldn’t be Emily’s younger sister.

If this girl was the youngest of the duchy, a guard knight would have followed her, and the current youngest of Muelia is sick and can’t leave her room.

“I’m Yona. What about you, sister?”

“I’m…Rachel.”

“Oh, sister Rachel. Can you do me a favor?”

“I can do anything as long as it’s not difficult. What’s the favor?”

“Play with me! I’m bored.”

Yona smiled brightly.

Her appearance was so cute that I stroked her head, and her smile deepened.

“I knew sister would be bored too. Let’s go!”

She pulled my arm.

She simply mistook stroking her head as meaning to play with her.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter. There are still three hours left, and the fact that she can play around here means that she might be a guest here.’

I was also bored, so I went along with it.

The place we arrived at was a garden a little further away. There was no one around.

“But is it okay to play here?”

“Yes! I got permission! Hehe.”

She smiled again.

I stroked her and asked.

“But what are we going to play?”

“Gasp!…Uh, I didn’t think that far. What should we play?”

Yona was startled and bit her finger. Her eyes rolled from side to side.

Even that look was cute, so I chuckled.

“Then let’s think about it together from now on. Why are you so anxious? Are you short on time?”

“No? But you don’t have time, sister.”

“I still have three hours. Don’t worry.”

I brought her to a nearby bench and sat down. You can’t just sit on the floor because your clothes will get dirty.

“Let’s think briefly and do whatever comes to mind at that moment. How about it? The person who thinks of something more fun wins.”

“Okay! I won’t lose!”

She clenched her fist. Seeing her burning passion, I also thought.

‘What should I do?’

There are a few things that come to mind.

When my grandmother was admitted to the cancer center, I naturally went to my grandmother after school to take care of her.

At that time, I didn’t have money, so I used a multi-person room.

Except for one person, everyone was a patient around my grandmother’s age.

That one person was a 12-year-old girl. Lee Gyeoul.

She was readmitted because her childhood cancer had recurred. Her appearance of always sitting by the window and staring at the sky was so pitiful.

Because of that, when I peeled fruit for my grandmother, I used to give some to Gyeoul as well.

As I took care of her like that, she slowly started to open up to me.

Where it hurts, what her parents are doing, etc., we talked about various things.

Then I happened to ask why she kept looking at the sky.

[“Because I’m bored. Time goes by quickly when I look at the sky.”]

It was so sad.

She’s at an age where she should be out playing with her friends, but she’s trapped in a prison called a hospital and has to stare at the sky.

So I decided to play with her.

At first, I recommended mobile games, but she said they weren’t very fun.

‘At that time, the most common things we did were jacks, yut nori, and ttakji.’

These are games I thought of based on my grandmother’s advice.

Contrary to the thought that it would be boring, it was quite fun. Gyeoul liked it too.

She was mature and grown-up, but when I was about to leave, she would ask if we could play one more game.

Then, after my grandmother passed away, we became less and less in touch and eventually lost contact completely.

I think I heard that she was completely cured, but I’m not sure.

“I wonder how she’s doing.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. More importantly, did you think of something? I did.”

I’m thinking of bringing out one of the games I played with Gyeoul at that time.

Yona shook her head with a gloomy expression. Her facial expressions are quite diverse.

“Then do you want to hear what I, no, sister, thought of?”

“Yes! Tell me!”

The easiest thing to do is jacks. It’s also a game that young children actually play a lot.

But there are no decent things like jacks here.

I also thought about playing tag, but if you fall, your clothes will be a mess. Considering the upcoming interview, I’ll pass on tag.

So what I came up with is.

“Have you heard of Red Light, Green Light?”

(TL Note: Literally ‘The Mugunghwa flower has bloomed.’)

“Red Light, Green Light? What’s that?”

I started explaining the game slowly. The rules are simple. Move while the tagger is turned around and touch the tagger’s back.

As the explanation continued, Yona’s eyes sparkled. She’s full of desire to run out and try it right away.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Because it was the first time in a long time that I had any healing in my life, which was hard only because of part-time jobs.

In the end, I nodded at Yona’s words that she wanted to try being the tagger and stood at the starting line.

Now, just carefully approach and touch Yona’s back.

So we enjoyed the game.

Without knowing that someone was watching me.

“Hmm. I don’t recognize that face. Who is it?”