Without taking my eyes off the two men, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a bag. The clinking sound of the gold coins echoed in the eerily silent street, causing the men to stare at it greedily.
"This is fifty thousand gold," I said, my voice ringing loud and clear in the silence. I jiggled the bag a bit, the gold inside jingling merrily. "It's all in here."
The bear beastkin's eyes widened, and he released his grip on Lila. The man looked dumbfounded as he reached out to take the bag.
"You serious, mate?" the grizzly growled, his voice barely a whisper as he carefully took the bag from my hand, his eyes never leaving the gold.
"Very," I responded curtly, my gaze flicking to Lila. "Now let her go."
With the promise of gold overriding their desire for Lila, they quickly agreed, backing away. I watched as they scrambled off into the night, their laughter echoing off the buildings.
"Well," I said, turning to look at Lila. "That takes care of that."
I turned to Lila, meeting her wide, hazel eyes. She looked at me nervously, her hands clenched at her sides. "I... I am not an adventurer," she stammered out, her gaze dropping to the cobblestone street. "I don't know how to fight, I am just an ordinary girl."
I watched her for a moment, the faint moonlight casting shadows on her worried face. Then, I broke into a small, easy grin, a sharp contrast to the tension in the air. "Who said you will be a fighter?" I asked, my voice soft.
Lila blinked, her eyes widening in surprise as she raised her face to meet mine. "Eh?" she murmured, her expression one of confusion.
I chuckled lightly at her reaction, the sound echoing softly in the quiet street. "You're not going to fight," I clarified, "You will not be one of the adventurers."
"Then... what will I be?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as if she was afraid of the answer.
I looked at her, my eyes taking in her frail figure. "You will be my personal maid," I finally said, my words causing her to gasp.
"A... A maid?" she echoed, her brows furrowing as she took in my words.
I nodded. "Yes, a maid. You'll be in charge of cooking, cleaning, that sort of thing. And in return, I'll provide for you, and ensure you're safe. What do you think?"
There was a long pause as Lila took in my words. She bit her lip, her eyes showing a mix of fear and uncertainty. But then, she slowly nodded, a determined look replacing her previous uncertainty.
"I'll do it," she said quietly. "I'll become your personal maid...Master."
Q: Would you hire a personal maid?