Chapter 89: Maid
Hitori and the others were aware that Ren wanted to hire a maid or a housekeeper.
When it came to household chores, the most capable weren't Karen or Anon, but Yuno and Satou. They were so dedicated to providing Ren with a comfortable living environment that they'd even gladly wash his feet at night.
Normally, the two of them could manage the 850-square-meter house just fine. But on weekends or those weekday evenings when they couldn't resist slacking off, it usually fell to Ren to handle the chores.
It was quite inconvenient, and having someone to share the workload would be nice. So, Hitori and the others had no objections to the idea of hiring a maid.
Anon, who loved being in the spotlight, even proactively joined Ren for the interviews. If the candidate passed, she'd become a young lady with a maid! Even if it was just one maid, it was still a maid, after all.
On the last Tuesday of June, after school, Ren and Anon went together to the café where the candidate had arranged to meet.
Inside the café, there was only one girl who fit Ren's requirements—a young woman with pink medium-length hair and bangs covering her left eye, sitting in a corner.
"Hello, you're here to apply for the maid position, right?"
"Yes, young master."
Ren and Anon walked over, greeted her, and sat down.
Upon being addressed, the girl straightened her posture and even used an honorific title for Ren.
"I'm Ren Watanabe, and this is Anon Chihaya. What should we call you?"
Ren accepted the "young master" address with great satisfaction. He was getting a taste of being a young master, and being respectfully addressed as such by a beautiful girl was genuinely pleasant.
"Young Master Watanabe and Miss Chihaya can call me Ram."
The girl with bangs covering her left eye gave her name—Ram.
"A foreigner?"
The name Ram didn't sound particularly Japanese, but her appearance, even with her left eye hidden, didn't look foreign either. Ren couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.
"Well, that's not important. Young Master Watanabe, could we discuss the interview first? I really need this job and am confident I can handle it."
Ram nodded calmly, tacitly acknowledging her foreign identity, then glanced at Ren a few more times before getting straight to the point about the job. She seemed quite focused on securing the position.
"No problem, but you're aware of my requirements, right?"
Ren liked straightforward people like this. Her appearance already met his first requirement.
Her pink medium-length hair had a healthy shine, and her fair skin showed no signs of pigmentation. Even with her left eye covered, she was undeniably a beautiful girl.
"Yes, they're quite demanding. But I happen to meet all of them, so I hope Young Master Watanabe will give me a trial period. If you're not satisfied, you can dismiss me directly."
Ram nodded slightly. Ren's requirements weren't just about being the right age and having pink hair—he also wanted someone skilled in all household chores, good at cooking, able to drive, and available at a moment's notice, among other things.
It sounded less like hiring a maid and more like making a wish.
But Ren was fortunate, and so was Ram—she happened to meet the criteria and was also in need of money.
"No problem. How about starting the trial period today? Come to my place tonight and cook a meal."
Having finally encountered someone who met the requirements and was willing to apply, Ren showed Ram considerable leniency, deciding to begin the assessment with food.
"Alright."
Seeing Ren being so straightforward, Ram instantly breathed a sigh of relief. She was actually an orphan; after reaching the age where she had to leave the orphanage to make a living, she had been searching for a job. However, she hadn't found a suitable one—either the hourly wage was too low, the working hours were too long, or employers wouldn't hire her because she was a young girl.
It wasn't until she stumbled upon Ren's wish-like job posting on an online recruitment platform that things changed. To attract more interest, Ren had already raised the salary to ten million yen per month.
It looked like a scam, which ironically made even fewer people dare to inquire. Only Ram, with a "give it a try" mindset, took the initiative to confirm the meeting location instead of letting Ren choose. Otherwise, if he had suggested going to Myanmar for a "business trip" after agreeing, she would have been done for.
But Lady Luck smiled upon her today—Ren wasn't running a scam. He seemed to genuinely be a young master and was truly recruiting a maid.
"You can drive, but you probably don't have a license yet, right?"
After arriving at the parking lot, Ren had initially wanted Ram to drive, but then it occurred to him that not everyone, like him, had a driver's license while still in high school. So, he reluctantly gave up on the idea.
"Yes, and I'm not even sure how well I can drive... I learned it all on my own..."
At this, Ram guiltily averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact with Ren, and nervously clutched her handbag. Driving was her only weak point—she had only theoretical knowledge and had never had a car to practice with.
"It's fine. You can practice with my car, and I'll arrange for your license as well."
Being able to drive was a basic requirement, but considering Ram still seemed quite young, Ren didn't press her. Instead, he gave her a chance to improve and had the System handle her driver's license.
"Thank you, Young Master."
Just this small act of leniency moved Ram deeply. She was here to apply for a job, and for any employee, being treated with such understanding by a superior was extremely rare.
This feeling of gratitude might have been small, but it was enough to make her, who had just entered society to find work and support herself and her family, determined to give her all for Ren. At least at this moment, she had resolved not to let him down.
Afterward, Ren brought Ram back to his spacious apartment.
No wonder Ren was willing to offer ten million yen when making his "wish"—he was genuinely wealthy.
Having grown up in a cramped, humble room, Ram felt somewhat restrained upon entering Ren's home, afraid of accidentally knocking over something that might look inexpensive but would cost more than she could ever afford to repay.
"The kitchen is here, and there are still ingredients. If you're successfully hired, you'll be responsible for daily grocery shopping."
Ren took Ram on a tour around the house, explaining the layout to her. Ram pulled out a notebook, jotting down everything she couldn't remember immediately.
"This will be your room. You'll be staying here for a long time to come. Is that alright?"
After showing her the kitchen, recording studio, private cinema, and bedrooms, Ren brought Ram to the maid's room in the corner. Though small at only 20 square meters, it was still luxurious.
"Could I go home one night each week? I have a younger sister at home."
Ram looked somewhat troubled as she made this request, gazing at Ren with hopeful yet anxious eyes. Normally, maids had very few days off, but her situation was special—she had a twin sister named Rem who had been her constant companion since childhood.
If she had to stay at Ren's place continuously without returning home, her sister Rem would undoubtedly worry.
"That's fine, but not on weekends. Is that acceptable?"
The request wasn't unreasonable. If he couldn't even grant one night off per week instead of a full day, he'd be worse than capitalists. Ren could understand Ram's difficult position and readily agreed.
"Thank you, young master."
Hearing this, Ram gratefully bowed to Ren.
"No problem. As for the maid uniform, you can choose one yourself."
Ren waved his hand dismissively before instructing Ram to select a maid uniform. Since he was hiring a maid, this was an essential requirement.
"Yes."
Ram didn't mind changing into a maid uniform. From now on, she would be a maid of the Ren household, and she was confident about successfully starting her new position.