After kissing Clarice, Nolan told her to go home immediately and said nothing more on the matter. The girl wanted to ask what that meant, but hesitated and lost her chance to say anything.
A short while later, Eliza returned with the bread Nolan wanted. He then ate his breakfast alone because his servant had to leave his house in a hurry; she had been called for an emergency.
Finally, Nolan took the opportunity to run on his way to work, as he needed a morning workout every day. Everywhere he went, he could notice women's gazes on his body.
His muscles, especially thanks to his eye-catching clothes, by that world's standards, attracted a lot of attention.
But he didn't waste time worrying about it and soon arrived at the store. Fortunately for him, on his very first day, he would be working with the attractive attendant who caught his eye, as well as another woman named Lila, though she wasn't as pretty.
That said, as soon as he appeared, Lila seemed surprised to see the clothes he was wearing and told him to quickly put on the store's uniform. He shrugged and agreed, finding it cute how embarrassed the woman was to see him.
After putting on his uniform, he discovered that Lila had gone to her office, as she actually only worked with technical assistance. So he finally met the attractive attendant, and they could begin introductions:
"Hello, I'm Rachel. I'm your senior, so if you have any questions, you can count on me, okay?" She spoke in a cold, direct, almost robotic tone.
Her serious and penetrating gaze gave the impression that she was distant and uninviting. But Nolan quickly realized she wasn't genuinely cold. She was just reserved.
He had met shy girls like her in the past. Girls who, not knowing how to express themselves properly, end up being seen as unattainable or arrogant. But it was obvious that this coldness was just a shell, a natural defense mechanism for someone who didn't deal well with new people.
"I understand," he replied, with a warm and confident smile. "It'll be a pleasure to work with you. I hope I can count on your guidance."
Rachel backed away slightly when he stepped closer, as if she wasn't used to people being so near. He noticed the movement, but didn't let it affect him. Instead, he kept smiling, showing he was there to cooperate, not to intimidate.
That said, he couldn't help but devour her with his eyes.
Rachel was a 19-year-old young woman, of medium height, with fair skin and long white hair that fell in soft waves down to her waist.
Two red ribbons adorned her hair just above her shoulders, adding a touch of color to her otherwise sober look. But what stood out the most were her blue eyes and, above all, her beautiful face.
She had perfect proportions, a delicate nose, and soft pink lips that seemed to invite a kiss. Her features were flawless, delicate and precise, like those of a statue carved by a master sculptor.
She also had a beautiful body. The girl was quite slim, with more subtle curves, which wasn't exactly the boy's type. But beneath her loose clothes, she seemed to be hiding modestly-sized breasts.
That day, she wore tight jeans that highlighted her long legs, even though they were fully covered. Over that, she wore her work uniform shirt and what looked like a shirt two sizes too big for her, acting almost like a weird dress.
During his first day on the job, Nolan tried making small talk with the girl a few times, but without much success. She wasn't the type who liked chatting while working, being very focused on her responsibilities.
Giving up on trying to strike up a conversation, the man decided to just observe the day. Without a doubt, Rachel was focused and methodical, and she also preferred to keep her distance from people.
She could handle customers well when the conversation stayed professional, but was incapable of showing any genuine warmth. She would even smile when greeting a customer, but it was clearly a forced smile.
She tried to hide it, but the girl practically shut down in fear whenever a customer yelled at her or acted more erratically.
She never showed those feelings on her face, keeping her tone and expression neutral while dealing with such situations. But it was noticeable through the rest of her body language.
It was also perfectly clear how relieved she looked when Nolan stepped forward to handle the problem.
Especially when an old red-haired woman started screaming and complaining about her phone's warranty, threatening to sue the store, the girl nearly froze. Probably because she took her job so seriously that any damage to the store felt like a personal attack on her.
What's more, unlike most customers, this woman seemed to sense Rachel's vulnerable side and exploited it mercilessly, pushing her to the brink.
Nolan, who had no reason to just stand by and watch, stepped in. With a firm tone, he made it clear that her ridiculous threats wouldn't work. The old hag tried to argue back but failed miserably.
And during the whole ordeal, Rachel had unconsciously hidden behind Nolan's broad frame in a cute way.
Afterward, he noticed her stealing glances at him for hours but couldn't figure out why, until their shift ended and she finally approached him, meeting his eyes directly.
She took a deep breath, gathering her courage.
"Thank you… for earlier," she finally said, voicing what she'd wanted to say for a while.
Nolan realized then that this woman was deeply grateful for any kindness shown to her. She took favors seriously and always did her best to repay them.
"I was struggling with that customer," she admitted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger nervously, though her tone remained steady. "I'm supposed to be your senior here, yet I ended up needing your help. Sorry about that."
Nolan smiled faintly. "Don't worry about it. But if you really want to repay me… how about buying me a meal at McDonald's after work tomorrow?"
She hesitated for a second but nodded, and just like that, their "date" was set. Everything was going smoothly. But the moment Nolan turned to head to the back and change (since the night shift employees had arrived), chaos erupted.
Rachel screamed.
A woman had just tried to use magic to steal clothes in broad daylight.