Jake looked at the woman in silence after hearing her answer.
Right now, Grace looked overwhelmed with guilt.
And Jake, who had always been observant, noticed it immediately.
Plus her response also told him something important.
'Could it be that the "Trash Class" is something people look down on in this world?'
Jake couldn't help but think so.
Otherwise, with how desperate and straightforward Grace usually was, she wouldn't need to lied.
'It seems there are many things I still need to learn about this new world...'
That was also exactly why he needed to recruit his first crew member quickly so he could learn faster.
But for now, he opened his mouth and spoke plainly.
"You're lying."
Grace froze at his words, panicking as she frantically waved her hands.
"I-I didn't lie! I swear!"
... And yet each of her words dripped with self-loathing.
Jake didn't want to see her suffering like this any longer, so he gently interrupted her.
"I have a skill called [Class Appraisal]."
It wasn't that he wanted to keep it a secret from his crew, but he felt that mentioning the straightforward name "Appraisal" was better than trying to explain the full details of his unique class abilities at the moment.
And Grace's face turned deathly pale the moment she heard those words.
Thud.
She collapsed onto her knees, despair washing over her face.
"I... I... didn't mean to—"
Grace fell as if the entire world had suddenly become heavier.
After facing ridicule from her own family and countless rejections, this final blow seemed to crack the small woman's heart completely.
The world truly felt like a cruel, unforgiving place for her now.
'Was Mother right...? Should I never have been born...?'
But then Jake knelt down in front of her and gently cupped her face with both hands.
Seeing the deep despair in Grace's eyes, Jake felt a pang of guilt.
He hadn't realized just how severe the situation was for her.
He lifted her face and looked at her seriously.
"There's no need to be dejected! I accept you as my first crew member."
"Eh?"
Grace blinked, utterly confused.
"Y-You know my class... Why?"
Could it be... that he was just eyeing her body like all the others?
Many had offered to take her in as their "night attendant," but that was never what she wanted, so she had always refused no matter how desperate she was.
... Now, faced with that same degrading choice again, her resolve began to waver.
'Maybe… I should just use my body… At least it's the only thing I have left—'
Suddenly, Jake squeezed her cheeks a little harder.
He could see it in her eyes... her thoughts were spiraling into something darker and darker.
Jake didn't want a crew like this.
What he wanted was someone who would stand by his side and journey with him through hardship and joy in this strange new world.
"…Stop." he said quietly.
Grace froze as her unfocused gaze slowly returned to him.
Jake met her eyes directly.
"Whatever you were thinking just now… don't," he said softly, his tone firm but not harsh.
She blinked.
"…Huh?"
"I don't know what your past is..." Jake continued, his voice steady and calm. "...And I don't need to."
His grip on her face loosened slightly, but he didn't pull away.
"But I do know one thing."
Grace's breathing was uneven as her eyes trembled faintly.
"…What?" she whispered.
Jake's expression remained calm and sincere.
"You're already here... and you're already part of my crew."
Grace's lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Jake finally released her face and gently placed a hand on top of her head.
"Your class?" he said. "Trash."
Grace flinched.
"Your skills?" he added. "A mess."
Her shoulders tensed.
"But that's all they are."
Grace stared at him, confusion and disbelief written across her face.
"...You... don't care? But why?"
Jake exhaled softly as a small, warm smile forming on his lips.
"I don't care about your class. What I care about more… is you as a person."
"!"
Grace's heart pounded at those words... the ones she had spent her entire life waiting to hear.
For a moment, everything else faded.
The weight on her shoulders... the whispers... the expectations she could never seem to meet... it all seemed to quiet down, just enough for his words to reach something deep inside her.
Jake, who hadn't noticed her teary eye yet, continued gently.
His hand, still resting on her head, gave a small steadying pat.
"You don't have to prove anything to me, Grace. Not your worth... not your value."
Grace's fingers curled slightly at her sides.
Her eyes lowered, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"…Even if I'm weak?"
Jake's expression didn't change as he said firmly.
"If you're weak then I will help you grow stronger."
Grace's breath hitched.
Slowly, hesitantly… she lifted her gaze to meet his again.
There was something different in her eyes now.
Not just emptiness... not just desperation.
…but a fragile, flickering something else.
Hope.
"...Then," she whispered, her voice trembling but sincere, "can I... really stay?"
Jake met her eyes, steady as ever.
"Yeah," he said.
A small smile returned to his face.
"You're already part of the crew. And as crew members, we should be honest with each other. I hope that was the last time you lie to me."
Grace's eyes welled up with tears.
She began wiping them away frantically, her voice trembling as she tried to hold herself together.
"Hic… hic… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to lie… I was… afraid of being rejected again… hic…"
Jake looked at his first crew member with a wry smile, wondering what kind of harsh life this small, fragile woman had endured all this time.
He pulled her into a gentle hug and patted her back softly.
"Don't worry. As your captain, let it all out. I'll help you bear the burden."
Those words finally broke her.
Grace hugged him back tightly and burst into tears.
All the loneliness she had carried.
The days of enduring ridicule.
The nights of running and living in fear and her terror of an uncertain future.
She released everything.
Some might call her dumb or naive for trusting a man she had just met, but right now, she felt as though she would be consumed by her negative emotions if she held them in any longer.
So she was willing to take this chance… to entrust everything to this man—no, to her captain.
"Waaa… Waaa… It… hic… was so hard… hic…"
"There, there…"
Jake continued to soothe her, his shirt already soaked with her tears.
He could feel the depth of her emotions as her small hands gripped his shirt desperately, as if he were the last hope left in this world.
Jake let out a soft sigh, but he blinked in surprise as a notification suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Ding!]
[Grace Lightborn's Bond Level has increased!]
[Bond: 1 Star]
[Ding!]
[Upgrade Points +1000!]
[Ding!]
[Please select one skill:]
Basic Combat Mastery (Passive – Lv.0)
Shaky Aim (Passive)
Delayed Trigger (Passive)
Wild Shot (Lv.0)
Faulty Maintenance (Passive)
Light Manifestation (Lv.0)