Chapter 532: Recruitment III

Adul Karos

“Best of luck,” wished Tamsin. “Thank you. I will need it,” I replied and got up.

I followed the guard out of the hall like the girls before me and began walking up the stairs.

Finally, the guard stopped at the top floor, where two more guards were by the door.

There was also a beautiful woman sitting behind the table.

“You can go inside, Miss Karos,” she said with a smile.

I am not surprised that she called my name; I am sure she has the name list, but I am surprised that she called me ‘miss.’

It had been years since someone had called me that. Knowing I am whore.

“Thank you,” I said a moment later and walked inside.

My eyes immediately fell on three women sitting behind the table as I entered.

The one in the middle with curly red hair is the prettiest. I also know her as the most important one.

Carla Salt heads all of Silver’s businesses, including the legacy. She is also said to be his mistress.

The one on the right is slightly younger. Her looks are above average, which surprised me.

I shouldn’t be. It is not the face of the madam that is important, but their ability to manage, and this woman manages the colossal legacy.

She must have some real ability.

The third is an older woman who looked to be in her seventies. She isn’t a whore, but she is the one I have to be more careful of.

Tamsin wasn’t the only one. This older woman had brought many girls to tears.

“Miss Karos, take a seat,” said Carla. “Thank you,” I replied and sat down.

I felt three sets of eyes on me and started feeling anxious as if a mountain was weighing on me.

I tried to control it. I need to be in control to ace this.

Getting into the velvet garden is extremely important to me. It will help me give my child the future he deserves.

“Miss Karos, tell me about yourself?” asked Carla. It was surprising to me.

I had not heard this question, nor had anyone ever asked me.

I was about to open my mouth and state my name and other details but stopped myself. They have this information, so they aren’t asking for it.

“I am a woman in her mid-twenties with a child. Whom I am motivated to give a more stable life.”

“I am not pretty, nor do I have any seductive skills that are common at my level, but I am good at talking and could hold the patron once he came to me and have been an above-average earner in brothels; I had worked with,” I replied.

It is not precisely the answer they might seek, but I could only think of this.

I looked at them, but there was no change on their faces.

“Why do you want to work in the velvet garden?” asked Madam Caena.

“Money,” I replied simply.

Money is the reason I want the job. It will provide a better life for my child and me.

“Why should we take you? Your face is average, and your skills are below average, and you don’t even have a secondary class,” asked the old woman.

Her words sting and tears threaten to emerge before I calm myself.

“You are right. I am not as pretty as others or have good skills, but I am hardworking, and if you take me, I will be forever loyal to the velvet garden,” I replied.

There was no change in their expression. They have likely heard it tens of times from the other girls.

I am very serious about loyalty. That is why I rejected yesterday’s offer from the strange man. He had offered money in exchange for information about the velvet garden.

The money was so substantial that it pained me to reject his offer, but I did.

I didn’t want any roadblocks to getting into the velvet garden, but now, I regret it.

I crush that thought as soon as it comes to mind.

“Can you tell me about the incident that happened three years ago? It says here you have assaulted a patron?” asked Madam, looking at papers in front of her.

Hearing that rage burned in my heart.

Whenever I remember that incident, my heart burned with rage. I took a deep breath and controlled myself.

“That man has made a move toward my son,” I replied, and the understanding flashed in the eyes of the two women immediately.

They might be in high positions now, but they are whores, who worked decades in the business.

They have seen all kinds of people, including monsters, wearing the clothes of men.

“Why have you entered this business?” asked Carla, and a mirthless smile appeared on my face.

“Desperation.”

“My ma died, and father picked up the bottle to fill the void. I went days without eating, and with no other skills, I had sold myself to the brothel,” I replied simply.

It is not a unique circumstance. Most of the girls who enter the business have similar circumstances.

More questions came.

They got deeper and deeper. Ask questions about the things I had forgotten.

I answered them to the best of my ability, but it didn’t seem to impress them, as their expressions barely changed hearing my answer.

It made me feel like crying, but I controlled the urge.

“The last question. What can you add to the velvet garden?” asked Carla.

I wanted to laugh hearing it.

What can I add to the mighty velvet garden? I wanted to ask this question, but I stopped and thought deeply about the question.

“Currently, I can’t add anything to Velvet Garden, but if you hire me. I will give my everything to the job; this is the only thing I can promise,” I replied.

I didn’t promise any grand things, and I don’t think they would believe me. So, I went with what I felt, and if they hired me, I would do what I said.

“That’s all. Miss Karos,” said Carla.

“Thank you for the opportunity,” I replied, getting up from my chair and walking out of the room.

“Miss Karos, please sign here,” said the girl behind the table, forwarding a page and the pen to me.

I looked at the page and read its content. It is a contract that asked me not to disclose anything that had happened in the interview.

I read it once again. You can never be too careful with the contract.

After that, I am sure there is nothing hidden. I took the pen and signed.

Just as I did, I felt an immense weight.

It is crushing, and that god, it is only for a moment, or it would have killed me.

The contract displayed the power of legacy attached to it. I didn’t think of it much, but now I know I can’t break the contract, or the consequences would be bad.

She took the page while I walked out.

“How was it?” asked Tamsin as I sat down. “Not great,” I replied with a sigh.

“Well, you will at least have me,” she said, to that, I smiled.

Soon, it was afternoon, and they announced the lunch. This time, I didn’t hold back. I ate everything I could.

The interviews continued, even when the evening rolled around.

Two hours later, they announced the dinner.

I had just returned from dinner when they called the last girl’s name.

………

Carla

“Finished finally,” Elme tiredly said as the last girl left the room.

It has been a tiring day.

This time, we have gone beyond the usual questions and dug deeper. The legacy has become big. We have to hire every person carefully.

That is why we have done our own background checks and will monitor them after hiring them.

We can not afford to be careless.

These girls will become pillars of the Velvet Garden and the dominion of House Silver in the future, and if we choose the wrong people, it might shake the institutions, which is a mistake we can’t afford to make.

“What about her?” I asked as I did after the interviewee left the room.

“Yes,” affirmed the old woman. “Yes,” seconded Caena. I nodded as well and added her name to the list.

“Now, the undecided,” I said as I picked up the list of eighteen names.

We have selected some girls and rejected others, but there are some we haven’t made up our minds about. We will discuss them before making a final selection list.

“The first is k….”

…

Adul Karos

Over an hour had passed since the last girl returned when the three came in.

Immediately, all the girls fell silent.

Beka and the other two got up and greeted the three. The three nodded before handing Beka the notepad.

She looked at it before turning to us with her face serious.

“The velvet garden has its decision. We have selected the forty-three among you. I will state the names of those selected,” she informed.

My heart started to beat wildly, and I began to pray to every god I knew.

“Heriz Maz, Tamsin Reylin, Vel…”

I turned to Tamsin as her name was called out and saw her shocked before a big smile appeared, and tears started streaming down from her eyes.

“Congratulations,” I said. Feeling happy for my friend but also envious.

“Thank you,” she said sobbingly.

I smiled and focused on the names. She is calling one name after another.

Already, she has spoken out twenty names. She was bringing reactions from shouting to crying from the girls.

More names were being called out, and soon, the names reached thirty, but my name didn’t ring out.

It started to make me really nervous, especially seeing how the interview went.

My feelings begin to sink.

‘There are still over ten names,’ I said to myself. As I heard, the names kept coming out of her mouth.

Soon, the fortieth name came out, and it wasn’t mine. My whole body shook, and tears started to stream down my face.

I want to be selected, but now only three names remain. There is barely any hope; it is non-existent.

The forty-first name called out, and my hope sank even further, and the forty-second took out all the hope I had in my heart.

“Adul Karos,”

I was deep in sadness when I heard my name like a lightning bolt. I didn’t dare to believe it, thinking it was a hallucination.

“Adul, you are in!” Tamsin said loudly. I believed it only then, and tears started streaming down from my face even harder.

I calmed down and looked around. The girls’ faces showed different emotions, from bursting joy to deep sadness.

I feel bad for those who weren’t selected, but there is nothing I can do about them.

“For those who hadn’t been selected, we will grant you freedom and jobs if you wish to have them,” Beka informed the girls, to the shock of the girls listening.

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