Lin earned himself a reputation: Go to him if you had issues, and it would be handled discreetly and efficiently.
In retrospect, Robert felt like an idiot for not realizing earlier that Lin had probably been stationed here to make sure what happened to him would not happen again. Robert just hadn't thought anyone would go that far...
Still, even if he believed he would receive the same assistance as all the rest, he couldn't go to Lin for help when his "issue" was his own incompetence.
"You are really not cut out for this," he heard Lin say, as he sprawled on the wet grass where he had barely finished weeding, already exhausted.
"Doesn't - change anything - no matter - how many - times - you say it," he gasped out.
"Guess not," Lin agreed easily, sitting beside him as he caught his breath.
No lemonade this time. Pity.
"So," said Lin at length, "what would help change something? Because I don't think this is feasible."
Robert closed his eyes. This was it then? He would have to answer or he would be kicked out...
"I honestly don't know," he said truthfully.
"...OK then. What are your interests? Is there anything you would like to do?"
Robert, eyes still closed, shook his head. "Not really much time for interests when your family's living hand to mouth..."
"I see...And you never thought of any other field?"
Robert didn't know how to play political games, so he figured he would just be honest. If they were going to kick him out either way, he might as well clarify that he'd acted out of necessity.
"I tried a dozen other jobs before applying for this post. I need to provide for my family. And this was the most lucrative option."
He half-expected Lin to reprimand him for prioritizing money so much - as many born into the nobler classes would.
"So...you would take another post if it paid you more?"
"Sure." Though, what could he possibly do that would pay him more than this...?
"...Tell me something you were able to do then. Something that you could do for hours."
Robert was about to say "nothing". But then, he remembered something from his childhood, something he was able to do even when he was laid up in bed from chronic fatigue.
"I can't do much...but, I can do finicky things - unraveling yarn when it tangles, polishing silver or brass...only stuff like that..." Spirits. It sounded worse when he said it out loud. Was he really that useless...?
"So...tasks that don't require too much strength...ones that you can do sitting down...and ones that require a lot of patience," responded Lin.
"Yeah..." Maybe the ground could swallow him up. If his father had been here to hear this conversation, he would have been mortified of him.
"All right," said Lin abruptly, standing up and startling Robert a bit. "I'll see what I can find."
Robert nodded, but mentally prepared to be let go from the trainee post...
Four days later, he was let go from the trainee post.
And re-assigned to... polishing silver and untangling yarn!
Lin arrived after he was introduced to his new role. "A couple of departments are going to share you," he mentioned - which had already been explained to him. "Mainly the tailoring and housekeeping departments. And your pay will be slightly more since you're working in multiple departments. But that will increase as you get more experience." He smiled. "Will that suit you?"
Robert mutely nodded, too choked with gratitude and relief to speak.
Perhaps his issue was not his innate incompetence.