After fully experiencing Gotham's local customs and atmosphere, Gwen gave up on the idea of buying a bicycle.
The hospitable people of Gotham would never allow such a valuable item to be left abandoned on the streets.
The city's rail network was more developed than she had imagined. She could take the small train toward the suburbs, get off halfway, climb over one farm, and reach Wayne Manor. The tickets were cheap, the ride was fast, it wouldn't attract attention, and she could even get some running exercise. It was a perfect plan.
When Gwen returned, the old butler was preparing dinner for the young master. Today had been especially long and difficult for Master Bruce. His face looked a little pale and he seemed utterly exhausted.
Only when Gwen came back did he perk up a little.
"I'm very glad to see you return, Miss Gwen."
The old butler was in a bad mood too, but he still tried to joke, "Although I know I should help you get back to your own family as soon as possible, deep down I sincerely hope you can stay a few more days."
"Really? I can stay a few more days?"
Gwen blinked and stabbed a piece of bread with her fork.
"Don't worry about me, Mr. Alfred. I can take care of myself. Even though it's my first time in Gotham, it's fine. I believe I can find a place to live and a job."
"No, no, no!" The young master quickly interrupted. "Listen, Gwen, you don't have to move out. If you want, you can stay here forever… I mean, Alfred, it's just the two of us now."
The old butler nodded. "The young master is right, Miss Gwen. It's not safe outside, especially for a young girl like you. If you have nowhere to go, please do stay. Also, if I may ask, you mentioned you're looking for work?"
Shouldn't a child your age be in school? The old-fashioned butler's face clearly said.
Gwen chewed the broccoli in her mouth. A polite good girl doesn't talk while eating.
"I have friends in the city."
She had just met them today.
"I was planning to ask her to introduce me to a tutoring job."
It sounded much more respectable than "rock singer." Old people usually liked that kind of thing.
"Private tutor?!"
The old butler was shocked on the spot. He had thought the girl was going to work as a rock singer in some bar. He had heard kids these days loved that edgy stuff. The cultured term "private tutor" made his scalp tingle.
"Teach what? Art or music?"
Gwen shrugged. "Anything is fine. I used to study at Cambridge."
New York Empire State University undergraduate degree, Cambridge University master's degree, and an offer from Oscorp Industries—had she ever bragged about those? Anyway, they wouldn't believe her. They only wanted to stare at her chest and ass.
The word "Cambridge" completely floored the old butler.
He was British, a retired soldier with almost no formal education. To him, Cambridge University was like a laid-off worker from the ancient East suddenly hearing that someone else's child had gotten into Tsinghua University.
"You're a British college student?"
"Although I look very young… and I am very young, because my grades were good, my dad sent me to study in England…"
She wasn't lying. She just wasn't on the same timeline.
The old butler was so excited his eyes almost teared up. Meeting a compatriot in a foreign land—closer than family!
"You don't need to ask your friend. When the master and madam were still alive, they wanted to find a private tutor for Master Bruce, but they never found the right person."
The young master nodded repeatedly, barely holding back his surprise and delight. "Yes, yes, yes!"
Yes, your ass!
If your dad could crawl out of the coffin right now, he'd definitely beat you to death with the coffin lid!
Horny little brat…
"Hey! Hey! Gentlemen, calm down!" Gwen raised her hand. "I only said I had the idea. And even if it's a tutoring job, a girl is more suitable. Master Bruce, I'm not discriminating against males, but are you sure you can focus on studying when you're with me?"
The young master puffed out his chest and declared loudly, "Of course I can."
Gwen didn't say anything. She put down her knife and fork, leaned close to the young master, brushed her hair aside, widened her eyes, and quietly stared at him. After five seconds of eye contact, the young master blushed and turned his head away.
Gwen turned to the old butler and spread her hands. "Clearly not."
The young master said angrily and embarrassedly, "You cheated! That doesn't count!"
The old butler helped, "Miss Gwen, if you want to apply for the tutor position, you should at least try to look more serious and professional."
Gwen spread her hands again. "Fine, let's try again. Master Bruce, I'll give you one more chance. How will you convince me to stay and be your tutor?"
The young master thought for a moment and said, "I'll pay you double the salary."
"But you don't even know how much commission I'm going to ask for!"
"No matter how much you ask, I'll double it!"
The old butler added, "Room and board are free, and we can hire a maid to take care of you."
Damn rich bastards!
Damn money power!
Gwen clutched her chest and sighed silently, then looked up with a smile. "Alright, it's a deal!"
......
As a lady, her appetite exceeded that of two grown men—what could she do? Having superpowers was like that. Otherwise, how was she supposed to generate energy with love? Even Jessica could eat sixteen pineapple buns in one go when she was pregnant.
Eating junk food outside was fine, but staying at someone else's house made it awkward. Only when the old butler was washing the dishes did Gwen finally feel about eighty percent full.
When the old butler walked over with the plates, Gwen felt extremely embarrassed.
"It's fine. Next time I'll make more. But what I really want to say is… thank you, Miss Gwen."
Only now did the old butler show the same exhausted expression as the young master.
"You already said that yesterday."
"No, this time it's thanks for staying." The old butler said sincerely, "To be honest, Bruce and I still can't accept the reality of this tragedy. I don't even know how to comfort him. I can only keep telling him to be strong, to stay strong… Even I can't convince myself with those words, because he's still just a child. Luckily you're here. It's like… a pillar, holding up his last line of psychological defense."
A spider pillar? Weird unit of measurement.
Gwen said noncommittally, "Have you ever thought that maybe if I weren't here, after experiencing such painful trauma, Bruce might suddenly see the light, rise from the ashes, grow into a towering man, and become a great… um, hero who upholds justice?"
The old butler snapped the plate in his hands with a crack.
"To hell with heroes!"