39. A Real Holiday

"You will start working tomorrow?" Grace's eyes widened. She almost dropped a piece of sausage in her mouth.

"Yes. I even got a uniform." Adro nodded without lowering his chin.

"But... are you sure about working there?" Grace asked.

Rolling his eyes, Adro complained, "My God, Grace, why do you always do this? Just because I'm a prince who lives in a palace doesn't mean I can't do various things. I swear I'll slay a dragon in front of you if there's a chance, so please stop thinking of me as a spoiled prince."

"It-it's not that, Adro," Grace said before hurriedly sipping water to avoid choking. Then, she adjusted her seat to face him better. "I'm not thinking you wouldn't be competent as a fast-food server. I just thought... maybe there's a job more suitable for, well, your appearance... and background."

Squinting his eyes, Adro recalled that a similar question was asked by Mr. Willis, the man who would be his boss tomorrow. The man whose neck would turn red when exhausted, who thought Adro was a famous model and couldn't possibly apply for a job at a fast-food restaurant.

"Adro?"

"Yes?" Snapping out of his reverie, Adro chuckled and shook his head. "For now, the most important thing is that I have a job and an income. I think I'll enjoy it enough. So, you don't need to worry."

Sighing, Grace smiled and nodded. "All right. If you're sure, I'll support you in whatever way. Let me know if you need help."

"I'm sure I won't need it," Adro replied before ruffling Grace's hair. "That's my line."

"Well..." Grace rolled her eyes.

"Hey, what's up with those eyes?" Adro laughed, still messing up Grace's hair.

"Nothing! Stop messing up my hair!" Grace tried to fend off Adro's hand.

***

The next day, Adro showed up at his new workplace. As mentioned earlier, he would be a server because Mr. Willis had his own intentions.

Just as Mr. Willis hoped, Adro's gorgeous face and proportional body quickly caught people's attention—not just women but almost all the customers who came to the restaurant.

In addition to his prince-like appearance, Adro also had impressive skills in his work. He had high stamina, always appearing energetic and in top form until the last hour. He was also adept at his job and had a good memory. Moreover, his friendliness and polite mannerisms made guests even more captivated, leading to generous tips.

In just a few days, news about a handsome server at the fast-food restaurant spread widely on social media, especially in the Torben city area. This made the fast-food restaurant even busier and more famous. The news didn't take long to reach Bella's phone, and she immediately informed Grace.

With a spare key, Adro opened Grace's house door. It was already dark, and he knew she had come home.

"Hi," Grace greeted as soon as her door opened.

Adro smiled. "Thanks for waiting for me until this late."

"It's nothing. I just finished showering too. Dinner is still warm, so we can eat right away if you want," Grace said.

"Of course," Adro replied, placing his phone and wallet on the table before washing his hands.

"By the way... are you okay?" Grace asked as Adro sat on the bar stool. "You look tired—I mean, much more tired than usual."

Taking a deep breath, Adro grinned and nodded. "I am a little tired, indeed."

"Is it getting heavy? I heard the restaurant has been busier lately; it has been bustling every day." Grace said.

"Actually, the job is not demanding at all. But because the women keep calling me and I have to respond to them, I feel tired inside," Adro explained, laughing a little.

"That must be exhausting. Bella said, You've gone viral on social media, and many people take pictures with you," Grace said.

"Even so, working in this world is interesting. In my world, my people always cheer for me, but the difference is that they don't dare approach me because I'm a prince. Greeting the restaurant guests and seeing their smiles makes me realize that I should be closer to my people," Adro explained.

"Anyways, tomorrow is my last exam. After that, my time is completely free, so we can go to the library again," Grace said.

"Oh, that's great," Adro replied absentmindedly before taking a bite of his dinner. His work for the past few days had made him obliterate his goal of finding his way home.

"I'm tired of always going to the library," Adro suddenly said while poking at his mashed potatoes with a fork.

"Yes?" Grace raised her eyebrows. "Well, okay, then. Do you want to look for it through the internet?"

"Can we go on a real vacation?" Adro asked.

"What?" Grace furrowed her brow.

"Well, so far, we've used your free time to find a way to bring me back. I think it's not just me who's bored with that. Isn't a vacation supposed to be about having fun without burdens? I want us to take a real vacation. Now that I have an income, it won't burden you anymore. I want to visit fun places with you," Adro explained.

"I… I see…" Grace muttered.

It was not surprising why Adro felt bored. It was true that they always spent their holidays going to the library, exploring the internet, and visiting the abandoned mansion to find a way for Adro to go home. Unfortunately, none of them yielded results. Adro must be tired of everything, especially since he had a job now.

'It seems like Adro forgets his desire to go home. Should I remind him about that? No. No. He might get upset like the last time when I reminded him not to lose hope. Maybe he indeed needs a vacation.' Grace thought.

Clearing her throat, Grace asked, "Do you like watching fishes?"

"Fishes? Like at the market?" Adro furrowed his brow.

Grace chuckled. "Not those fishes. It's actually marine life. There's a giant aquarium park near the beach. There, we can watch marine life. I think it's quite enjoyable."

"If you think so, then we should go there," Adro replied, smiling at Grace's enthusiasm.

***

"Mr. Willis packed this for you." Adro showed a plastic bag to Grace.

"Again? Oh, he's so kind, even though we've never met in person. Should I go there to greet him?" Grace said, peeking into the transparent bag.

"No need. The restaurant is bustling." Adro replied, starting the car engine.

"I'm glad you're surrounded by good people." Grace smiled.

Adro chuckled. "I consider it gratitude. My presence boosts his restaurant's sales."

"But he cares about you and your household so much that he often wraps salads for me. I believe he is kind from his heart." Grace said.

"Perhaps it's because I always talk about you at work. I said that you love their salads," Adro shrugged.

"You... talk about me often?" Grace pointed to herself.

Adro nodded slightly. "Yes. I said I have a younger sister at home. Is that okay? I couldn't tell them about my homeland and real family when they asked about my family."

"That's true. Of course, it's okay. You can mention my name to them as long as you keep bringing salads," Grace laughed.

"I know that, Miss Menken." Adro ruffled her hair while chuckling.

Behind her giggle, Grace was lost in her thoughts. 'That's right. Adro must only mention your name because someone asked about his family. It's not because you're special to him, Grace!'

During his life, Adro had never swam in the open sea; he only sailed on it. He never imagined that the ocean harbored various unique fish. He also never imagined he could walk in a glass tunnel surrounded by an artificial sea with many of its creatures swimming around.

"Adro! Over here!" Grace exclaimed, placing her camera in front of her eyes.

"What?" Adro smiled, looking at Grace, who was standing in front of him, and starting to step back.

"I'm going to take a picture of you. The blue light here is amazing," Grace said while adjusting the frame of her camera. "Pose!"

Chuckling, Adro agreed to pose in front of the large aquarium behind him, letting Grace take several shots.

"Awesome! The light makes you look even cooler!" Grace giggled while sliding through her camera screen to see all the pictures she had taken, most of which were of Adro.