Cass could not help but copy Kala and flick her finger on Nnah's forehead. She pursed her lips into a disapproving frown.
"You girl, I'm not talking about that! I'm asking about skills that can be used for work like cooking, sewing or cleaning. That's what I mean." She then turned to the older Urduja. "And you Kala, yes, taking care of Nnah is a great skill, but it's not one that can be used to apply for employment. Maybe, if you know how to do accounts or if you are great at sales talk, I can help you with another job with higher income."
Nnah was at most around thirteen so it was somehow acceptable that the girl answered that way. However, Kala was, at most, fifteen. He should have known better than answer her that way.
"D-Did we do something wrong, milady?" Tears slowly dripped down Nnah's cheeks. They've only been working under Cass for several hours, but she felt like it was the best thing that ever happened to her since her aunt died. Though Cass was their employer, she actually felt and acted like a big sister. "Don't you want us here anymore?"
Kala immediately kneeled down. Nnah followed suit.
"We apologize, milady! Please, don't fire us!"
"Please, don't fire us!"
How was she to explain that she could not bring them? Actually, leaving them was easy. All she had to do was step out of this room and make sure she would not be in their sight for about a minute.
Yes, she discovered that all it takes was a minute for a memory about her to reset.
Once she leaves them, the two of them would forget they were ever employed by Cass. The three of them would go on their separate ways.
However, Cass felt like her conscience would not allow for that to happen. There was a reason she met these two. Maybe it was sheer coincidence. Maybe it was Fate. Either way, she had met them and so she felt it only right to help out these two.
"I am going to somewhere far away, somewhere dangerous, so I can't bring you," Cass started to explain. When she noticed that Kala was about to argue, she waved her hand to cut him off. "I will leave you here in Enqeton, but this will only be a temporary arrangement. Once I finish my other business, I will return. If you are still willing, you can continue to follow me."
"I understand, milady," Kala said through sniffles.
Smiling, Cass gestured for them to stand up. "So? What skills do you have? I want to recommend you to some of my friends for the meantime."
Kala flushed, his face and neck deep red with shame. "I'm sorry, milady. Do not be mad. Both Nnah and I are illiterate with no skills. We cannot read and write, and I can only count up to ten. At most, Nnah can pickpocket so perhaps you can say she has clever hands. No one had ever taught her any skill though so I can't be sure… as for me, I can do manual labor. I may not be good at anything and I may not be strong, but I'm extremely hard working!"
Her gaze softened at the two youths who had their heads lowered.
She could not imagine how life would be if she wasn't born a Vega. It was her family who groomed her to be who she is right now.
The education, the wealth, the support, the love… if not for those, how could she grow up to be an idol of the younger generation? How could she not gain the admiration of countless people and envy of many aristocratic peers?
Maybe, she would be like these two who felt shame in their ignorance because they were born with an inferior background.
They were not stupid because they were born to be one, but because circumstances molded them that way. Cass was sure that these two youths would be like sponges absorbing a lot of skills and knowledge once opportunities knock on their doors.
"If I let allow you to choose a job, what would you want?"
Kala gripped his hands into tight balls. "I-I-I want to be a teacher!"
"I want to be a painter!" Nnah claimed loudly, but then she realized her folly and her voice turned mosquito soft. Her tears were yet to dry. "My father used to be a painter. That's how he met my mother who also paints. I… I can't really draw well because a canvas is expensive, but I know I can learn in time."
The Urduja boy dotingly rubbed his cousin's head. "Hey ugly, dry your tears first before you talk about becoming a painter."
"Yes, cousin!"
Cass sighed. Really, everyone carried stories of their own. "I got it now. I know where you can work. My friend Letiz is a widow to two children. Last time she talked to me, she mentioned needing some extra hands to take care of her kids. She is not a painter, but she does embroidery. She can teach you her craft. She's a really kind woman, and I'm sure she'll allow you learn how to read and write along with her kids. Are you two okay with taking care of toddlers?"
"Yes, thank you, milady!"
The two cousins bowed down to their waist, and Cass could only shake her head at their sincerity.
"Come on. Walking to her place from here would not take an hour. Just in time for early lunch."
The three of them left the inn. Just as they stepped back into the streets, Kala then cleared his throat and scratched his cheek.
"Uhm, milady."
"Yes?"
"I-I won't learn embroidery too, right?"