Charlotte's eyes trailed after Allen's hand as he held out a small leather bag across the table.
Then, her eyes grew wide anxiously as she finally grasped the contents of the small bag.
Standing up abruptly, she exclaimed, "S-salary?! I can't accept something like this!"
"Why are you surprised? I said I was hiring you. Naturally, you will receive payment for your handwork."
"But all I did was clean your house…" Charlotte trailed off in a small voice.
Though she had been learning how to cook lately, her outcomes were still limited to burnt fried eggs and watery broths. In other words, when it came to culinary skills, she was no better than Allen.
Charlotte slumped apologetically. "I don't feel that what I've done is worth being compensated for. Rather, I feel like I should be the one paying rent..."
"Don't say that. You clean the house diligently every day. Thanks to you, the house is comfortable and free from dust," Allen persuaded.
Though Allen could live comfortably even in a pile of trash, it didn't hurt having a comfortable place to stay. Thanks to Charlotte's attentive cleaning, the quality of Allen's life had improved significantly.
"So, consider this as fair compensation for your work. Please, take it," Allen insisted.
"... Alright." Charlotte inwardly sighed, accepting the leather bag despite her reluctance. She could never win against Allen when it came to the battle of words.
Peeking timidly inside, she immediately shot up, startled. "Five gold coins?! I can't accept this! It's too much!"
Allen's brows raised. "Really? I even reduced the amount because I was afraid you would be overwhelmed…"
"What?! How much did you originally put in there!?" Charlotte asked, mortified.
Although the exact number of bills was uncertain, the bag was definitely filled to the brim, almost bursting at the seams. However, knowing this piece of information wouldn't do Charlotte any good.
Allen shrugged, casually brushing off Charlotte's shock and changed the subject, "Now, now, it's good to save money but try spending some of it, alright? After all, you have never had any money which you could spend as you wished before right?"
"That's true, but…" Charlotte grew quiet and her brows knitted as she tried to refute. From daily necessities to clothing and shoes, Allen had taken care of most of her needs, so she didn't need anything else.
Did she feel she had to hold back because she was living off him?
"If there's something you want or want to try, don't be shy, just say it," Allen encouraged, trying to get Charlotte to express her own desires.
"Oh!" Charlotte suddenly exclaimed, looking as if she had realized something. She looked at the leather bag and then, back at Allen before softly clearing her throat.
It seemed like she had come up with an idea for how to use the money.
Straightening her posture, Charlotte stared at Allen meekly through her lashes, "Well then, um… if it's possible…"
"Go on. What is it? You can say anything." Allen urged her excitedly. For the first time, Charlotte was going to voice what she wanted.
Allen waited with bated breath as Charlotte mustered the courage to speak. Finally, with a hopeful voice, she nervously said, "I would like to go to the town by myself..."
Flashback ended.
The scene from yesterday vividly replayed in Allen's mind, and Allen couldn't help but to hold his head and groan.
"Sending her off to town by herself... It's like throwing fresh meat into a cage of wild animals! There's no way I can allow that!"
She could be harassed by thugs like the other day, or lose her way or hurt herself from a fall… or worse, her true identity could be exposed and she could be captured. One after another, unsettling thoughts flooded Allen's mind.
"But, I still want to grant Charlotte's wish... what should I do...?" Allen asked, looking up at the two girls. But–
"Oh, that pancake shop looks pretty good! There's a long queue every day."
"Most of them are probably fake customers. Instead of going there, you should try the alleyway..."
Erika and Miaha were engrossed in their girly conversation, completely ignoring Allen.
"Hey, can you two listen to me!?"