Chapter 4 From Princess To Waitress

Won't we run out of gold if we keep eating here?" Forest asked, glancing at me.

We had been dining at the same restaurant and lingering there for nearly three days, yet Evander never showed himself.we were staying at a nearby inn as well, and I hadn't expected finding that immortal would be this difficult.

"What if you return to Hulorya for a while and bring me more gold?" I asked.

Forest frowned at the suggestion.

By then, we were already too embarrassed to remain in the restaurant. We had been occupying the same table for nearly five hours, so we decided to leave.

Just as we stepped outside, a waitress pinned a poster to the entrance of Morloya Restaurant. It immediately caught my attention. I walked over and read it.

As soon as I saw what was written on it, an idea began to form in my mind.

"What are you thinking?" Forest asked, already looking at me as if she could guess what was on my mind.

A grin spread across my face.

"I'm going to apply as a waitress here. We'll earn money, and I'll have a much better chance of meeting Evander!"

Forest let out a long sigh and shook her head.

"You're insane."

She folded her arms and gave me a skeptical look.

"Have you ever served anyone in your life?" Her expression made it clear she thought my idea was terrible.

"I can learn," I replied with a shrug. "Besides, we don't have a choice. We're running out of time."

I pulled the poster from the wall before snatching the small pouch hanging from Forest's waist.

"Time for you to get some rest, my Spirit Beast," I said with a mischievous grin.

Forest's eyes widened.

"Wait—"

Before she could protest, I used my spiritual power and forcibly sealed her inside the pouch.

"Yuemie!" she shouted from within. I gave the pouch a light tap.

"My name is Yuna now," I reminded her.

I coughed a few times before stepping into the restaurant. The illness had already begun to take its toll on my body.

"Excuse me," I said, approaching one of the waitresses. "Where can I apply?" I asked, showing her the poster.

She glanced at it before looking back at me.

"Do you have any experience?" she asked.

I instinctively tightened my grip on the hem of my skirt, but I kept a confident smile on my face.

"Of course," I replied without hesitation.

In truth... I had never served anyone in my life.

"All right, follow me," she said, leading me to the restaurant's office.

She knocked three times before opening the door.

"You can go in. Just tell the manager you're here to apply," she said with an encouraging smile.

"Thank you."

I took a deep breath and stepped inside. A woman seated behind a large wooden desk looked up and greeted me with a warm smile.

"Hello. How may I help you?"

I walked over and showed her the recruitment poster.

"I'd like to apply for the waitress position."

She nodded.

"All new applicants must complete a one-week training program. If you pass, you'll become a regular employee. Don't worry, the training is fully paid."

"When does the training begin?" I asked.

"You can start tomorrow," she replied with a smile. "You'll be training alongside several other new recruits."

She reached into a cabinet, took out a neatly folded uniform, and handed it to me.

"Welcome to Morloya Restaurant."

A smile spread across my face as I accepted the uniform.

"Thank you very much for your help."

I returned to the inn with my new uniform folded neatly in my arms. I didn't know if I had made the right decision, but I had no other choice. It was the only way I could think of to get close to Evander.

Reaching for the pouch hanging from my waist, I released Forest. She emerged in her wolf form, sitting with her back turned to me, her fluffy tail flicking in obvious annoyance.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Are you sulking?" I asked, walking over to gently stroke her ears.

"I couldn't let anyone see you," I said softly. "If someone sensed that you're a Spirit Beast, we'd both be exposed."

Forest remained silent, refusing to even glance in my direction. With a helpless sigh, I raised my hand and summoned my spiritual power. A faint glow gathered in my palm before a wooden bowl filled with dried deer out of thin air.

The moment its aroma filled the room, one of Forest's ears twitched.

A smile tugged at my lips as she slowly turned around before shifting into her human form.

"Is... that for me?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

I nodded, handing her the bowl.

"Of course. It's all yours."

Without another word, she eagerly accepted it and happily began eating.

Forest had always loved deer meat, dried, roasted or grilled, it didn't matter. Whenever she was upset with me, dried deer never failed to win her over.

I finally managed to convince Forest to stay inside the pouch while I trained in Morloya. She didn't want to be left behind at the inn anyway.

"Yuna, are you sure you can handle this? You might only make yourself sicker," the manager said worriedly, reaching for the tray in my hands. But I refused to let go of it.

"I'll be fine. Besides, I'll get my salary later, so I'll be able to buy some medicine. By tomorrow, I'll be perfectly okay," I said confidently.

My hands trembled as I struggled to balance the tray. Yuna must have been suffering even more than I was, especially since she hadn't been taking the proper medicine. If only Forest and I had arrived sooner, I could have saved her brother. At the very least, we would have found him while he was still alive.

"I know your family's reputation," the manager said with a weary sigh. "Every one of them is known as a thief. But I hope you're different."

"Don't make me regret giving you this chance, Yuna."

An awkward smile found its way to my lips as a flicker of shame settled in my chest.

How ironic.

I was born a princess, yet in this world, I was nothing more than the daughter of a family of thieves.

"You have my word," I said with a small smile. "I won't betray your trust."

I wouldn't tarnish Yuna's name either. I promised myself that she would never be remembered as a thief. Once I completed my mission, I would give her and her family a proper burial as a sign of my respect and gratitude.

"Isn't that Evander?"

The words snapped my attention toward the direction my fellow trainee was pointing.

The moment my eyes landed on him, my breath caught.

Evander.

A violent surge of fury crashed through my veins, burning hotter than wildfire.