38. Adro's New Job

'What are you thinking, Grace? Adro is the fiancé of a good woman. They're getting married!'

Watching Grace take a deep breath and exhale as if the weight of the world had been placed on her shoulders, Adro cleared his throat before speaking again: "Sometimes, I wonder if your school is enjoyable."

"Pardon?" Grace turned to Adro.

"Honestly, I've always wondered if you enjoy going to university. It's because you always look exhausted when you come back from there. Your face, for some reason, looks tortured." Adro explained.

Adro's question left Grace silent. Images of her unpleasant university life played in her mind. The only thing that made her excited about life was Adro. Besides him, her life felt like hell, especially on campus after Sarah left and the elevator incident that still became the hot thing to laugh at.

"Is… is that so? I didn't know I looked like that. But I'm sure it's because I'm tired from studying. You know, it drains a lot of my energy," Grace replied, chuckling.

However, Adro could detect the lies in Grace's smile. He reached for her cheeks and said, "Look into my eyes."

Startled, Grace did as Adro instructed, staring into his crystal blue eyes without blinking.

"Is it true that your face always looks sad whenever you get back from campus just because you're tired of studying?" Adro asked again.

Adro's piercing look made Grace's eyes tremble. And as Adro had predicted, two seconds later, Grace averted her gaze and turned her face away.

"So it's true?" Adro withdrew his hand from Grace's face.

Biting her lower lip, Grace could only press her lips together without daring to look at Adro, whom she realized was still staring at her.

"When you bought me clothes at the department store …" Adro paused, trying to get Grace to look at him, but it seemed her courage was too small to make her keep looking down. "… I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation with those three women."

Grace's eyes bulged. Adro's last sentence made her lift her face.

"At that time, I didn't intend to overhear your conversation. I only didn't want to cause you trouble by appearing in front of your other friends, but I ended up hearing your conversation." Adro explained before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I'm sorry for covering this up from you. But since we're friends now, I think I should tell you."

"I-I... at that time, I..." Grace stammered, both eyes getting teary.

Adro nodded before reaching for Grace's hand and holding it. "At that time, you said that you were fine, and that was a lie. They said mean things to you that made you cry. From that, I knew that you had an unpleasant time in your study place. I'm sorry if I pretended to be unaware. I didn't want to worsen your feelings at that time."

"I-I'm sorry, I lied," Grace muttered.

"No." Adro wiped the tears from the corner of Grace's eyes with his thumb. "I understand why you covered it up."

"I just... didn't want to look so pity in your eyes. I thought if you saw me that weak, you would doubt me and think about not asking for my help anymore. Honestly, your presence makes me feel useful while I'm just a useless girl throughout my life," Grace explained.

"At that time, I decided not to interfere in your affairs because I thought I would soon return to my world. But the reality is that I'm still stuck here now. The reason I can still live well here is you, Grace. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would happen to me. You don't need to try to be useful because your kindness exceeds everything."

Watching Grace still bow her face with tears filling her round eyes, Adro lifted her chin. "Grace, I want to be your good friend, and even considering you as my little sister is not without reason. You are bigger than you think. Don't keep judging yourself so small. As a good friend, I don't like seeing you bury your suffering. I'm willing to take it all in if you want to scream it out."

Staring into Adro's deep eyes, warm drops trickled down from Grace's eyes. But before those tears could move to her cheeks, Adro's fingers swiftly wiped them away.

"I'm sorry for always lying to you, Adro. I know I'm weak, and people also see me as weak. That's why I don't want to add that bad impression by telling others about my life's problems." Grace murmured.

Shaking his head, Adro replied. "I think I'm not just anyone to you, Grace. Besides, that's not the right way to become strong, or even to look strong. If you don't have someone to be the receptacle for your sadness, then make me, because I care about you and I don't like seeing you sad. Do you understand?"

Feeling warmth fill the cold space inside her chest, a thin smile appeared on Grace's moist lips. She nodded slowly. "I … understand."

"Thank you." Adro patted Grace's head once, then sighed. "If necessary, I'll give a lesson to those who hurt you, especially the man named Victor."

Grace furrowed her brow. "How did you know about Victor?"

"I heard those women mention his name, and for some reason, that name stuck in my mind," Adro answered. Then he turned to Grace again before continuing, "From now on, I want you to tell me whenever you need help with anything because I will be glad to do that, and I want to see you smile because you look prettiest when you smile."

Grace couldn't answer. It was easy for Adro to say that. Even though he came from another world, like most men, he easily praised a woman and filled her stomach with butterflies. However, he did not know that his sweet words had a big impact on Grace's heart. The longer he did it, the more Grace feared ending up falling for a man she shouldn't love.

***

"Max said money flows out like water when you're poor. It turns out that it's true," Adro thought as he looked at the contents of his wallet.

No matter how hard Adro tried to remember, he didn't feel like he had squandered his money. Well, he did buy some items and clothes, including something essential to have in this world called a cell phone. He also bought some pretty clothes and delicious meals for Grace when they strolled around the city. However, he was sure that he had been frugal with his money.

'As a prince, I'm not trained to save money. It seems to be my biggest weakness now,' Adro thought as he pulled out some bills from his wallet. "Being poor never crossed my mind, even after I imagined myself being stomped by a dragon."

"Can I take your order?" Asked a man standing behind the cash register.

"One package of Joy 2 Meal for here, and one salad to go," Adro answered.

"All right. Your order will be delivered shortly. Sorry for the long queue," the cashier said.

Adro shook his head. "No problem. This place is crowded because of its delicious food," he said while observing the kitchen window that showed the busyness of people behind it and the bustling surroundings.

"Thirty-three dollars," The cashier said.

"Here you go." Adro handed over the money he had prepared earlier and glanced at the cashier's name tag that read Manager beneath his name, Edd Willis.

"By the way, Mr. Willis, since this place looks hectic, do you happen to need additional staff?" Adro asked when the man was preparing his change.

The cashier looked at Adro with slightly squinted eyes. He held the change in his hand. "A staff? Yes, we plan to add more. If you know someone who wants to work here, they can come and do a short interview with me."

"Coincidentally, I'm the one who wants the job. I can start as soon as possible." Adro said.

"You?" Mr. Willis furrowed his brow. "Are you sure you want to work in this fast-food restaurant?"

Tilting his head slightly, Adro replied, "Why not?"

"If you're serious, wait at one of the tables. I'll come to you soon." Mr. Willis handed over the change to the man in front of him as the line got longer.

Smiling broadly, Adro took the change. "Sure. I'll wait for you."