Lily, seeing Anna respond, boasted, "That's right! This is a secret only a few people know. My Aunt recommended me to the lord! Tomorrow, I will become a maid in the lord's household!"

Anna couldn't care less about Lily's bragging.

What mattered to her was the information Lily had revealed—the Earl's mansion was hiring, and she just happened to be looking for a job!

But then, Anna felt disheartened.

The terrifying demon with goat horns was possessing Master Parish, and the Earl's mansion was his home. If she went there, wouldn't she be walking into a lion's den?

Seeing Anna's gloomy expression, Lily became even more smug. "Don't think you can seduce Master Parish with your looks. He's seen plenty of beautiful women. And you, are no more than a filth bitch!"

Hearing Lily's confession, anger surged within Anna.

She suddenly stepped closer, staring into Lily's eyes, "Do you think you will definitely get this job? No, I will take it from you."

Lily, who had never seen Anna confront her on before, was stunned. After a moment, she nearly jumped up, shouting, "You're dreaming! Do you think the lord will let a bitch like you work there? Without a recommendation, you can't even get through the Earl's gates!"

Anna didn't argue with her and simply said, "Stop calling me a bitch because when you insult me, you're insulting yourself. Let's wait and see."

With that, Anna pushed past Lily and went home.

Anna's decision to compete with Lily for the job wasn't made on a whim.

She had thought it through. If the demon was still targeting her, it didn't matter what she did. If the demon was no longer interested in her, working in the Earl's kitchen wouldn't bring her into contact with Young Master Parish, who was possessed by the demon.

So, when she boasted in front of Lily, she was genuinely willing to give it a try.

But what if she couldn't even get through the gate?

Well, if that happened, it happened. She had faced rejection while job hunting many times in both the modern world and this one.

Anna tore the wheat bread Little Tim had given her into small pieces. She first went to her room and gave a piece to both Evan and Adele. Their eyes widened with surprise and delight as they accepted the bread, saying, "Thank you, Anna!"

Seeing them enjoy the bread, Anna smiled, then left the room and knocked on the door of the next bedroom. Hearing Gayle's response, she walked in.

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"Mom, this is wheat bread from Little Tim. I've cut it into six pieces and already given one to Adele and Little Evan each."

Gayle put down the glass beads she was working on and took the bread Anna handed her. She seemed a bit lost in thought as she looked at the small piece of bread.

"Mom?"

Gayle snapped out of her daze and smiled gently, placing the small piece of bread aside. She patted the spot next to her and said, "Anna, sit down. I have something to talk to you."

Anna, a bit puzzled, walked over and sat down. However, she accidentally tugged at her wound, couldn't help but frown.

Gayle immediately asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," Anna shook her head.

Frowning, Gayle lifted Anna's skirt and saw the nasty wound on her knee.

She gasped, "Goddess, how did you get hurt?"

"I tripped," Anna casually explained, not wanting to elaborate on the incident involving the demon.

Gayle couldn't imagine her daughter experiencing something as bizarre as "being framed and pushed in front of a noble's carriage, only to encounter the demon-possessed heir, refuse his multiple proposals, and thereby secure her soul." She looked at Anna's wound with distress for a long time.

"Your father and I are bad parents."

Anna quickly said, "That's not true, Mom. We've never gone hungry. You've done more than enough."

After a moment of silence, Gayle said, "Anna, you are already seventeen years old."

Anna's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately sat up straight.

The marriage age range in this world was quite broad, with people marrying from thirteen to thirty, and second or third marriages were not uncommon. Generally, commoners married earlier, while nobles married a bit later. Based on the original Anna's impressions, noblewomen typically married at around twenty-three or twenty-four.

Anna was now seventeen, which was just the right age for a commoner woman to marry.

Gayle continued, "Your father and I have been thinking about finding you a husband. Little Tim is a good boy. He seems to like you, always bringing things to our house. If it's OK for you, your father and I will talk to Old Tim about your marriage."

Little Tim might indeed be a good choice for a husband. His family was well-off by commoner standards, and he was shy and considerate, with no signs of domestic violence. They could marry, have children, some of whom might die young, but most would grow up, and then they would live a quiet, ordinary life.

But Anna didn't want such a life.

She didn't expect to change this world, but she didn't want to be changed by this world either.

"Mom, I don't want to get married yet." Anna looked at Gayle.

Gayle sighed, "I don't want to marry you off so early either. But if you marry Little Tim, you'll have a better life. You could eat bread like this every day."

Anna nestled in Gayle's arms and nodded, "I know... but I want to earn the money to buy bread myself."

Gayle stroked Anna's head and whispered, "A good boy like Little Tim has many admirers. If you miss this opportunity, it will be hard to find another good husband like him."

Anna said, "I won't regret it."

She emerged from Gayle's embrace, smiled at her, and said, "Mom, I just found out that the Earl's mansion is hiring maids. I want to give it a try!"

Gayle was surprised, "The lord is hiring maids? Really?"

"Yes, I'll go to the Earl's mansion tomorrow," Anna said. "Let's talk about marriage later!"

Gayle and Evan respected their children's opinions more than other parents in this world, which was why they discussed Anna's marriage with her in the first place. After Anna's plea, Gayle finally nodded, "Then go and try! Goddess bless you. If you become a maid in the lord's household, you could find an even better husband in the future."

Anna nodded happily.

If she could become a maid in the Earl's mansion, she would be able to save a lot of money. Who care husband?