Chapter 11 Ashley’s Memory — Part ② — Jealousy
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was a miracle Ashley could keep up her calm facade until she closed the door to her room. Even within the royal castle, servants assigned to the royal family received private rooms. Maids, in particular, were often noble ladies undergoing training to become wives, so their privacy was highly valued. Though much smaller than her room at her family home, it was a precious space where she didn’t have to worry about prying eyes.
Without setting down the bag on her shoulder, Ashley slumped to the floor.
”…You idiot, Yuuri.”
Looking back, she felt like a fool for getting so worked up. She had pushed Roeni-san to call Yuuri for a business meeting, even though he was tired from returning from the labyrinth. The Yuuri she met again, while retaining some of his youthful charm from ten years ago, had matured into a more ruggedly handsome man. He seemed to be training diligently to be a viable dungeon guide without skills, and his physique had become remarkably robust. He chatted casually with the party he had just explored the labyrinth with, and his report to Roeni-san was smooth and flawless.
Honestly, he looked several times better—no, several times more handsome than the Yuuri she had imagined. That was why she had gotten so carried away.
She would admit it was presumptuous, but Ashley was confident that she, too, had become exceptionally beautiful over those ten years. She performed her duties as one of the Princess’s attendants flawlessly, and thanks to the benefits of her magic-boosting skill, she was highly regarded as a guard who could use magic.
She had hoped that after meeting again after ten years, they could praise each other’s growth and efforts. But that wasn’t what happened. Yuuri showed a slight reaction of surprise at first, but overall, he remained strictly business-like. To make matters worse, after he momentarily lost consciousness, she felt he had even begun to reject her.
In the end, she couldn’t discuss anything personal. He offered a handshake, signaling the end of their business, so she couldn’t press the matter further.
But she understood, too. From Yuuri’s perspective, the Princess’s proxy was not someone he should be casually chatting with. His priority was to confirm the necessary conditions and conclude a contract without any issues, and that was all he did.
Even so, he didn’t have to send her away so curtly.
”As a business partner, you could at least offer some pleasantries.”
Her heart ached as if her agonizing feelings were being dismissed as worthless.
Maybe she should just have a good cry.
If she buried her head in the bed and pressed the comforter to her face, no one in the next room or the hallway would hear. As she stood up unsteadily with that thought, a knock sounded on the door behind her.
”Ashley, are you in there?”
A woman’s voice called through the single wooden panel. Fortunately, the surprise made her tears recede. She tidied her appearance in the mirror by the room’s entrance. Convinced she looked presentable, she responded and opened the door to find a fellow maid standing there.
”Hmm? Ashley, did something happen?”
Ashley regretted her carelessness. Even though she had fixed her appearance, she hadn’t put away her bag by the entrance. Those entrusted with attending the Princess were not lacking in perceptiveness. They were all skilled at discerning another person’s mood from even the slightest change.
”S-sorry. It’s personal…”
”Really? My gut feeling is that some jerk made you cry, and I was worried. Oh well. You can talk to me anytime, okay?”
She couldn’t possibly admit that she had expected too much and ended up disappointed, so she remained silent. The words that followed felt inappropriate for a Princess’s attendant, but she chose to ignore them.
”…So, about what I need from you, Ashley. The Princess wants the usual thing.”
”Oh my… Dinner might go to waste.”
The usual thing meant sneaking out to walk around the city. Princess Marina was an excellent person, but she wasn’t immune to the pressures of her position. She often relieved her pent-up stress by going out incognito. As her attendants, they wished she would at least take a guard. They had made the suggestion, of course, and someone would naturally accompany her if they noticed. But she found it bothersome, and if they looked away for even a moment, she would escape from the balcony and climb down the outer wall. Consequently, they ended up letting her go alone. Even if they tried to confine her, she broke through with her skills, so everyone struggled with it.
And when she went out incognito, she usually indulged in the treats from the street stalls, which made the kitchen staff despair.
”So, Ashley, you should eat something now while you have the chance. It’ll get busy again once she returns.”
”Yes. I need to compile my report as well. I’ll eat in my room.”
Ashley ushered out her colleague, who jokingly offered her shoulder to cry on, and returned to her room. Once the Princess returned from her clandestine outing, she would have to report on the arrangements with the Guild. It was a tough job where she couldn’t slack off just because her heart was broken. The matter with Yuuri would surely be brought up, so she had decided to make Yuuri the scapegoat then.
First, she would organize her belongings and head to the dining hall. There should still be some time before the Princess returned, but it wouldn’t be long enough to truly relax.
………
……
…
Word came that the Princess had returned to the castle. It was decreed that only important matters would be reported, and for some reason, Ashley was chosen to report first. Hurriedly heading to the study, she mentally reviewed the strategy she had prepared to avoid teasing. However, that plan was rendered moot the moment she entered the study.
”Yuuri was incredibly cool! I can totally understand why Ashley fell for him!”
Princess Marina’s sudden revelation. While maintaining a calm expression, a strangled scream escaped Ashley’s throat.
”P-Princess…! Please lower your voice…!”
Princess Marina was well-loved by her close attendants, so there shouldn’t be any ill-intentioned eavesdroppers… hopefully. Still, if she shouted, even with the study’s soundproofing, the other colleagues waiting for their turn might hear. Ashley tried to placate her, but the Princess, still brimming with excitement, continued her tirade.
”No, it was the Goddess’s arrangement, we met by chance. He appeared right in front of me, so I instinctively used my thrust attack.”
”Eh, was Yuuri alright…?”
While she was curious about the circumstances of their meeting, she was more concerned about Yuuri’s condition after receiving Marina’s attack. The Princess’s powerful arms, mistaking the castle wall for a city gate. Without skills, the part he was struck on would likely have been blown away.
”Actually, he dodged it perfectly. He would have missed it without protection like Ashley’s, but he understood from the preparatory movement of my legs. It’s frustrating as a skill user when someone dodges that cleanly. I truly rely too much on my blessings, and I’m overcome with self-reproach.”
The Princess spoke with apparent amusement, but Ashley couldn’t bring herself to praise him along with her, considering it was a situation where Yuuri could have potentially died.
Trying to compose herself and report on the Guild arrangements, the Princess’s bombshells continued to fall.
”And then, I was invited to Yuuri’s home for a meal. It’s nice to share a meal with someone, isn’t it? You know, I usually eat alone. My family is… in that state with my elder brother, and everyone, including Ashley, refuses… I said ‘Itadakimasu’ around a warm meal after so long. I almost cried.”
”Shared meal…!? To his house…!? Calling him by his name…!? What is ‘Itadakimasu’…!?”
She didn’t understand. She didn’t understand, but something bad was happening. While she couldn’t break through Yuuri’s defenses at all and was weeping alone, Princess Marina, who had only entered the race today, was already about five laps ahead and running solo.
”Yes, the Goddess is truly wonderful. She gave me this sturdy body and allowed me to reunite with a kindred spirit… Ah, of course, I’m grateful to Ashley too. Even if it’s my duty, exploring the shallow layers of the labyrinth felt a bit troublesome. Thanks to you choosing Yuuri, it looks like it will be a fun half-month.”
Princess Marina’s evaluation of Yuuri’s involvement had been re-evaluated.
This should normally be a cause for joy, but Ashley felt a suffocating pain in her chest.
It must be jealousy. Jealous of Princess Marina, who could easily delve deep into Yuuri’s heart while Ashley herself could not get close.
Unable to bear hearing more about Yuuri, she tried to move on to the work report, but the Princess interrupted her again.
”Speaking of which, Ashley. There’s something that’s been bothering me. Yuuri… well, like me, he should be someone ‘favored by the Goddess.’ My two skills are proof of that, but if that’s the case, Yuuri should have some skill too. It’s strange if he doesn’t.”
”Eh…?”
It was news to her. Some skills had drawbacks, such as making one’s senses overly acute, and there were even those who made a living by sealing such skills. If Yuuri possessed powerful skills like Marina, wouldn’t the drawbacks be significant as well? Many skills, like ‘Seal’ (Fūin), which was used to seal skills, worked more effectively with the consent of both the caster and the recipient. It should be possible to permanently seal a skill and pretend to be ‘skill-less.’
What if Yuuri actually had a skill…
Wouldn’t it be possible to enrich the bloodline of the Count’s family!
The moment she imagined that, a ray of light pierced the darkness in her heart, and she realized how opportunistic she was.
However, she didn’t want to get her hopes up prematurely. This was merely the Princess’s intuitive judgment. Therefore, first, she must investigate whether Yuuri was truly ‘skill-less’—
”Ashley, you’re making a wicked face. They say love is blind, so let me state this upfront: I might be mistaken, and he might truly be ‘skill-less,’ or he might be sealing them for a reason.”
”Yes, I understand. It might not be immediate, but I will discreetly make arrangements through my family’s connections.”
”Be gentle about it,” she cautioned, but without knowing the truth, it would be meaningless.
First, she should find out who Yuuri commissioned to perform the ‘Seal.’ Fortunately, there weren’t many individuals with ‘Seal’ skills. Based on their activities and whereabouts, it should be relatively easy to narrow down the possibilities. Additionally, she could try to probe Yuuri herself. Perhaps she could coax him into confessing that he actually possessed a skill.
Whether it was her family’s influence or her own charm, she would use whatever she could.
Yuuri would not belong to anyone else—she vowed to herself.
Afterward, she completed the delayed report to Princess Marina and left the study.
As she had been removed from assisting the Princess, she returned directly to her room. Tomorrow, she needed to retrieve documents from the Guild. After preparing for that, she went to bed early. She thought her jumbled emotions might keep her awake, but filling her head solely with thoughts of Yuuri allowed her to fall asleep surprisingly easily.
………
……
…
Early morning. Ashley awoke, sensing something unusual in her futon. The private rooms for the Princess’s maids, even with the built-in beds, were spacious enough to allow for turning over. However, if someone else were in the futon, it would be strange not to notice.
Startled, she threw off the covers, and golden hair emerged.
”P-Princess…?”
It was indeed Princess Marina. Golden hair, golden eyes, clad in the same negligee she wore for sleeping, she gazed at Ashley. Why she was here was a question, but more pressingly—had she walked all the way to this section of the maids’ quarters dressed like this? As Ashley pondered how to get her back to her room discreetly, she noticed something amiss.
No.
This was not the Princess. She never wore that kind of condescending smile.
Then who was this—
”Who are you…?”
”…Heh, I’m a god. For the faithless Ashley-chan.”
The moment she heard that voice, all strength left her body.
She couldn’t move a single finger.
She tried to call for help, but no sound came out.
Something wearing the guise of Princess Marina sat up and looked down at Ashley, whose every resistance was now sealed.
Notes:
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Roeni – Guild receptionist, former adventurer, now a baroness—mentor to Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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