The Story of How I Pretended To Be A Boy and Ended Up Being Loved By A Mafia Boss - Chapter 1

I was watching some elegant ladies laughing and talking inside a café while I stood in the cold.

They wore beautiful dresses and happily ate delicious-looking cake.

“They live in a different world,” I thought, looking down at my dirty hands.

The sun was setting. I should go home soon.

Just as I was thinking that, a chubby man suddenly sat down in front of me with a loud thump.

“Hey, kid. I’m in a hurry, so shine them up in one minute.”

He handed me 200 Regin.

“Y-Yes, thank you.”

I took the money and pulled my cap lower over my face.

Then I took a horsehair brush out of my wooden box and quickly brushed the dirt off his shoes. After that, I used a cloth with cream to shine his brown leather shoes.

“It’s done.”

“Ah, thanks.”

The man looked at his shiny shoes, nodded in satisfaction, and walked away.

This place is Nailden, the second biggest city in the country of Ashfale.

I’ve lived in the West District, called the “slums,” since I was little.

Right now, I’m in the North District, where the nobles live. I come here every day early in the morning to earn money by polishing shoes.

As I packed up my tools with my frozen hands, I noticed a pair of shiny black leather shoes near me.

When I looked up, a handsome man with golden eyes like a predator was looking down at me.

“Mr. Ryu! Hello!”

“You’re still here? It’s really cold today.”

He sat down and gave me 200 Regin.

Mr. Ryu has been coming to me for about five years. His shoes are always clean, but he still gets them shined. I think he must really like keeping things neat.

He only comes once or twice a month, but over time, we got used to each other and started chatting.

“Did you finish paying off your debt?”

“No… I still have about half left.”

“You polish shoes all day just to pay it back. Your life could be a movie.”

“Haha, people in the West District all live like this. It’s just that people in the North District are lucky.”

“Yeah… I guess that’s true.”

Mr. Ryu never looks down on me or pities me. He treats me like a normal person. That makes me feel safe and thankful.

****

When I got home, Mom was waiting with some vegetable soup.

“Welcome back, Anis. You’re late today.”

She rubbed my cold arms and looked worried.

I live in this small hut with my mom. My dad died just after I was born. My mom didn’t have any skills for work, so she moved to the West District with me.

She has chestnut-colored hair and beautiful green eyes. She’s so pretty; I think she must have lived a good life before.

My eyes look like hers, and my hair is a little pinker.

She’s always been overprotective. She used to say, “Anis, you’re too cute, so pretend to be a boy,” and made me wear a cap.

I always thought, “That’s just Mom’s opinion,” but I followed her rule anyway.

The West District is dangerous, so acting like a boy is probably safer.

But I turned 18 this year, and it’s getting harder to keep pretending.

My chest isn’t big, so I can hide it by wrapping it with cloth, but my body still looks too small and thin.

Maybe if I eat more, I’ll look more like a boy? I played with my short hair and imagined myself a bit chubbier.

The next morning, loud banging woke me up.

What’s going on this early?

I sat up in my creaky bed and saw Mom rush from the kitchen to the door, wearing a cardigan.

“Count…!”

Her voice was stiff as she opened the door.

“So this is where you’ve been living, Linne.”

“Why are you here…?”

Count? That must be Count Royden—the man we owe money to.

Mom borrowed money from him when I was little and she couldn’t earn enough.

We’ve been working hard to repay it, but there’s still a big balance left.

“You should just become my mistress instead of living in this poor place.”

What?! What did he just say?

So he wants Mom to be his mistress?

Mom never told me that…

“You can’t pay back the debt, can you? Stop being stubborn and come live with me.”

“Please stop. I have a son here. This isn’t the place for that talk.”

Mom looked quickly in my direction.

That meant “Hide.”

I jumped out of bed and ran to the shower room. I wrapped cloth around my chest, then put on a shirt and pants.

“You can’t come here. I promise we’ll repay you.”

“How long do you plan to act so proud? You’re not young anymore. It’s time to know your place.”

How dare he talk to my mom like that!

I glared at the Count through the crack in the door.

“If you don’t pay everything by the next due date, you’ll have to come to my mansion. Got it?”

He looked at her up and down before leaving.

Mom came back to the kitchen, pale and shaken, and let out a deep sigh.

“Mom, what was that? Has he always liked you like that?”

“Yes… I noticed it long ago. But we had no one else to borrow money from…”

“Then… are you going to be his mistress?”

“No, don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get the money. You don’t need to worry, Anis.”

“Mom…”

The next payment is at the end of the month. That’s only 10 days away.

It’s impossible to earn two million Regin in that short time…

“Alright! Let’s eat breakfast. You don’t want to be late for work.”

Mom pretended to be cheerful so I wouldn’t worry.

She’s been working for a laundry company that cleans noble clothes, but even with an advance, she can’t earn that much.

After breakfast, I put on my coat, pulled my hat low over my eyes, and carried my big bag full of tools on my back.

I’ll find a way to get the money. I have to.

****

“I’m going out.”

I stepped out the front door and walked through the muddy road toward the sun.