Chapter 4 Childhood Friend
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the end, I crashed at the guild that night.
Neighborhood ties matter, but there wasn’t a single detail of my situation I could laugh off over drinks. Someone must’ve asked the landlord to lock up my place. Back at the guild—where I’d fled like a coward—I bowed low to Roeni-san, who’d stayed late burning through paperwork for the next day. I spun a half-truth about rowdy neighbors turning my home into a booze hall, and she let me stay in the negotiation room for one night.
The same room where Ashley and I had talked. Naturally, there were no beds. But take it from me: compared to the slab I called a mattress at home, the long bench in there felt like a cloud. Exhaustion from the past few days dragged me under the moment my head hit the cushion.
I had to clear out at dawn. The night shift kept things ticking with skeleton staffing; once the day crew rolled in, the room would be needed again.
”Shit, what time is it?”
Word that I was crashing here meant they couldn’t use the space as-is. Even if I overslept, someone doing light cleaning or checking fixtures would come knocking. My skull throbbed like I’d slept a week. The sunlight slicing through the window felt too high, too bright.
I tried to sit up, dragging my sluggish body upright—and bounced off something heavy and springy.
”Wabuh!”
”Ahn♡”
The impact flung me flat on my back again.
”What the—?!”
I forced my bleary eyes wide. Looming over me was a pair of proud, snow-capped peaks. The back of my head rested on warm, yielding thighs. Soft palms cradled my cheeks and temples while a supple midriff pinned me down. Left, right—nowhere to turn. An elastic wall blocked my view.
I was unmistakably using someone’s lap as a pillow while they sat on the bench. If this were anyone else, they’d lack the… assets. Only one person could pull this off.
”A-Ashley…?”
My timid question earned a smothering answer. Soft, impossible weight settled over my face, burying everything but my ears. Hot breath grazed my skin. “Between us, it’s just Ashley, Yuuri.”
The sultry whisper tickled straight to my brain, sparking tingles down my spine. Pressure threatened to drag me under. Old memories surfaced—two kids shouting each other’s names without honorifics. Dying by childhood-friend suffocation would be a hell of a way to go. I thrashed until, at last, my face broke free.
”Ashley, wait—hold on! Ashley, stop—”
”Yes, Yuuri? What is it?”
Her voice dripped like honey. I fought the flush rising, twisting out of that fleshy prison. She guided my face straight into her chest on the way—deliberately—but didn’t pursue further. Relief loosened my shoulders. In a warded room where no spy outside could peek, if Ashley decided to pounce, my skill-less body wouldn’t even manage a scream.
”What… time is it?”
”Almost noon.”
The blood drained from my face. Checkout had passed hours ago.
I scrambled to fix my rumpled clothes, then froze—they were pristine, like fresh laundry. Had she cleaned me in my sleep? No, she wouldn’t stoop that low… I ran hands over my skin. Smooth as if I’d bathed.
”I reserved the room through the morning,” she said. “And how I cleaned you? That’s a secret.”
…Purification, no doubt. A rare skill—maybe a few dozen users in the whole million-strong capital. No baths, no laundry, endless job offers. A kid with it would vanish overnight. No wonder the First Princess snapped Ashley up as an aide. Even surrounded by guards, avoiding hassle was priority one.
”Still, pulling strings like that… I figured Roeni-san would scold me.”
”Big clients get leeway.”
Fair. The commission for guiding the princess through the labyrinth wasn’t cheap. Ashley handling the contract meant borrowing a room half a day was child’s play.
”You didn’t have to add to the trouble I’m already causing the guild…”
”Of course I did. You’re guarding Lady Marina’s life now. Removing your fatigue is my job—and the guild’s profit.”
Ashley flashed a dazzling smile, then slipped out to fetch lunch. Her movements were crisp, elegant; every trace of the earlier seductress gone. I watched, entranced.
To me, Ashley was still the tomboy who raced me through hills and forests, rough as any boy. Those days were long past. Now, as an adult, noble-born, and polished—she’d grown facets I’d never touched. Joy flickered at glimpsing one, yet unease gnawed: what if the girl I knew vanished beneath layers I couldn’t reach?
”Idiot,” I muttered. “Different worlds.”
I knew she favored me. Her advances were plain. But no matter how easy her presence felt, no matter if she wanted more, I lacked the power to silence the world around us. Golden Girl would laugh, but relying on borrowed strength was a last resort.
*You’ll regret it.*
Her prophecy slithered through my mind. The thought of using my “reincarnation perk” repulsed me, yet I wasn’t indifferent enough to walk away from Ashley. I felt like a fish driven into a net. Damn it all—I buried my face in my hands, helpless.
”Sorry to keep you waiting. Nothing fancy, I’m afraid…”
”No, thank you. The downstairs stall mostly feeds adventurers coming to or from the labyrinth. This is perfect.”
Ashley returned briskly. The door cracked open; the ward flickered, and outside clamor flooded in—louder than when she’d left. I glanced at her collar: slightly askew.
”…Shit. I should’ve gone.”
”It’s fine. Roeni-san smoothed things over.”
She brushed it off, but if I’d fetched the food, none of this would’ve happened. The guild was public; highborns came too. People like Ashley—well-dressed, refined—were ushered to private rooms, kept separate from the crowds earning coin in the maze. She never should’ve queued at the stall. Some thug mistaking a sheltered noble for easy prey wasn’t surprising.
Guilt gnawed as she laid out bread and cheese at a polite distance. Then she slid beside me and looped an arm through mine.
”H-hey!”
”Feel bad? Then make it up to me.” Her smile sharpened. “Run, and I won’t shield you from Roeni-san. She wants a word later.”
In my head, the clerk grinned through bared veins. Using a count’s daughter then sparking chaos—her restraint in not barging in was mercy. I’d be reamed later; Ashley’s intercession was my only hope for leniency.
Shoulders slumping in defeat, I let her feed me a piece of bread.
”Remember our trip to your village? You begged me to feed you. ‘Ahh,’ right?”
”Urk…”
During her stay in the village, I’d indulged a past-life fantasy: a thirty-something mind in a kid’s body, coaxing a sweet ten-year-old girl to share her lunch. Karma had waited patiently. Now, cornered and unable to flee, it sank its teeth in.
Ashley, meanwhile, looked utterly enchanted as she fed me bite by bite. Her face glowed with bliss. Not content with our linked arms, she layered her palm over mine, twining our fingers, humming with delight. Knowing I couldn’t escape, she even rocked those generous curves against me, slow and deliberate.
The sultry curve of her smile, the velvet warmth of her arm, the delicate brush of her fingertips—every sensation threatened to overwhelm me. I clung to the image of Roeni-san’s fury like a lifeline, praying for the ordeal to end. Still, the scene every man dreams of seared itself into my memory.
Some time after we finished eating, word came to move to another room. I shuffled out behind a staff member, exhausted from the day’s events. Ashley, radiant from our little interlude, practically skipped beside me.
”Yuuri, once the initial layers are cleared, let’s have a proper meal somewhere nice.”
”—Uh… sure.”
The invitation was tempting. Instincts screamed red flags—bad luck, no clothes fit for the venue, the chasm of status. A dozen protests lined up in my head, but my brain was still rebooting. Nodding cost the least energy.
We waited in the new room, me slumped in exhaustion. A knock, then Roeni-san strode in. I rose to greet her; she bowed crisply and waved me down.
”Yuuri. Sending a count’s daughter on errands—quite the big shot now, huh?”
Her voice could’ve frozen hell. I straightened, and there it was: the exact grin I’d pictured, veins pulsing at her temples. Laughter bubbled up; I swallowed it whole.
”Please, Roeni-san. There was an incident, but buying bread with pocket change was a unique experience.”
She sighed. “Be grateful for leniency. Personal ties with nobility are one thing; acting for royalty is another. Status matters.”
”Yes, ma’am—”
Head bowed, I apologized in spirit and word. Every scolding landed fair; I had no defense.
”We maintain appearances to keep our positions. Ignore that, and one day you’ll lose yours… Right, let’s move to the contract.”
She walked me through the paperwork, handed over the token proving my identity, and gave me an advance for preparations. The mission was in five days. Eight people total, including me. The rendezvous was at the guild’s rear annex—the fortress-like structure housing the labyrinth gate.
”That covers it. Questions?”
”None.”
”As always.”
I’d guided nobles before; royalty was new. But the prime directive—keep them alive—meant over-formality could kill. I knew the drill.
”That’s all for today. If any issues arise, come straight to the guild.”
”Thank you, Roeni-san. I appreciate the rush job. See you in five days, Yuuri.”
Ashley bowed deeply and left. No lingering glance, no hesitation—nothing like the clingy girl from earlier. Roeni-san’s eyes were on us, and the princess couldn’t be left long. Still, the ease with which she slipped in and out of my space baffled me. If this push-pull was deliberate, I’d lose that game forever.
”Hmm. Ashley seems happy. Something happen between you two?”
”Huh? Happy? Her?”
To me she’d seemed cold. Women’s hearts, I decided, were an unsolvable riddle.
”Surely you didn’t… take advantage of the warded room.”
”N-no way! If anything happened, the staff would’ve reported it.”
Roeni-san tilted her head, unconvinced. A chill crawled down my spine.
Ashley had Purification. She could erase any evidence while I slept. Yet I’d swear—exhausted or not, my instincts kept me alert. She’d never risk a fleeting fling after years of quiet longing. Time was too short anyway.
Paranoia, nothing more. The sudden shift in her behavior had rattled me. I shook off the nonsense and gathered my things. Guiding seven VIPs demanded serious supplies; every hour of prep counted.
”I’ll head out too. Thanks again.”
”Yeah. Next time something’s up, speak up. And learn to say no to parties.”
I grinned sheepishly at the reminder of my lie.
Outside, the afternoon crowd swallowed me. First, the usual shops—stock up, confirm delivery for the mission. As I tallied costs in my head, I caught myself smiling more than usual. Ashley’s little game might be working after all.
Picturing my childhood friend waiting for the mission, I melted into the crowd.
Notes:
• Roeni – Guild receptionist, former adventurer, now a baroness—mentor to Yuuri.
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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