Accident (2)
Accident (2)
Peorureok.
Pion flapped the blanket to check her body.
She was naked, but fortunately, no traces remained.
So, that meant she was still a virgin.
'......Then why am I here.'
She couldn't even figure out where this place was to begin with.
A mansion? Did she have any business at a mansion? Among the people she knew, was there anyone living in a mansion?
There was.
'Dojin-nim's house?'
Come to think of it, the ceiling structure did look awfully similar to the one she'd seen at Dojin's mansion before. The ceiling from when she'd gone there for Eunha's psychological counseling—.
Of course, there was always the chance that this mansion-like architectural style was trendy, or that the same architect had built it, resulting in similar ceiling patterns by coincidence.
So ultimately, to find out where she was, she'd have to step out the door.
'Clothes.......'
But even knowing that, she couldn't bring herself to go outside.
Ever since humanity started forming groups, ever since the fruit of good and evil fell from the Garden of Eden, people and clothes had become an inseparable pair.
She couldn't just stroll out naked when she had no idea what might be waiting outside. Pion, wrapped in the blanket as she rummaged desperately for clothes, eventually came up empty and ended up kicking her feet against the bed in frustration.
Kkiiik- And right then, the door creaked open.
Pion froze stiff, gulped hard, and glared at the door. Who was coming in? The adventurer who'd carried her piggyback last night? Or some snooty noble?
"You're awake."
Against her wild thoughts, the one who opened the door and stepped in was a maid. A slave maid, no less.
The choker unique to criminals turned slaves immediately caught her eye. Pion eyed the maid cautiously.
"Uh, this place is......?"
"You don't remember?"
"Ah, yeah."
"The master carried in a guest who was blackout drunk. Then he assigned you this room."
"The master is......?"
"It's Dojin-nim."
"Ah."
What a relief. Pion let out a genuine sigh. She'd apparently been lucky enough to get piggybacked by Dojin.
She felt relieved it wasn't some creepy noble or adventurer who'd dragged her off, but at the same time, the mystery of her nakedness nagged at her.
"......Uh, my clothes."
"You vomited while sleeping soundly... They're in the wash right now."
"Ah, yeah."
Of course. As if Dojin would cop a feel.
Even his companions included elves, beauties you could count on one hand, and idols setting the city ablaze.
What would he want with a guild waitress like her, just getting long in the tooth?
"We only have a maid outfit, but if you need it, I can fetch that at least."
"......Please."
In the end, Pion changed into the maid outfit the maid brought her.
Whoever it had belonged to before, the waist was too tight while the hips and chest were baggy, which pissed her off for a hot second.
"Care for some food?"
"Yes...... please."
"This way."
Pion trailed after the maid toward the dining room. Outside, the sun was already high noon.
'......High noon?'
Pion halted mid-step behind the maid, staring up at the sun. It hung high. Suspiciously high.
"Something wrong?"
"......Uh, just to be sure. What time is it?"
"Noon."
"Ah."
Once the exchange wrapped up, Pion realized she'd blown it.
Big time. She'd gone AWOL.
'Screwed screwed screwed.'
To Otherworlders, nothing beat credit and trust.
Especially for a powerless guild drone like her—the golden rules were never be late and never lose your cool.
She'd shattered one. Realizing it, her limbs started shaking like leaves.
'If I get canned...... how do I eat?'
She had confidence in her looks, but at her age, that wouldn't last forever. Counseling, paperwork—common-as-dirt skills wouldn't land her squat.
Sure, one no-show wouldn't get her axed on the spot, but warnings piled up. And that was the killer.
Staff with warnings ate shit sandwiches. One more and you're out, so you couldn't say no to insane workloads.
Woman with a warning? Start job-hunting yesterday.
'I'm already late anyway...... what's another hour?'
With that, she reached the dining room, clutched her quivering frame, and slurped at the soup the maid served.
The soup was ridiculously good. Warm enough to melt her chest into a puddle, hearty enough to jolt life through her veins.
'Makes sense, with chef pay around here.'
Pion flashed a wry smile, remembering when she'd helped scout the mansion's cook. Dude pulled one Gold Coin a month.
Ten times her pay.
Handpicking someone who banked ten times her salary? Ironic as hell, laced with some indescribable feels.
"Sniff, sob......."
"......That good, huh?"
"Sniff, it's amazing...!"
In the end, Pion shoveled soup while bawling her eyes out.
Stomach full, tear ducts drained—the gloom choking her chest? Poof, gone.
Nice weather helped; her laundry had dried all fluffy in the sun.
Fluffy sun-kissed clothes on, body fluffy, mind...... less fluffy, but she dragged her ass to the guild anyway.
2 PM.
Start at 7 AM, quit at 5 PM? Yeah, basically clocking in for the last five minutes.
Sure enough, stepping inside had the staff jumping like startled cats, eyes locked on her.
Dodging stares, Pion dumped her coat and bag at her desk and bee-lined for the Guild Master's office.
Hoo, light breath out, deep one in, then a cautious knock.
Ttok ttok, two soft raps, then a voice from within.
—Who is it?
"...Pion here. Coming in."
—Enter.
Permission granted, she opened up—and the Guild Master, buried in work, did a double-take at her face.
"Late today—."
"The hell? Why're you here?"
"......Huh?"
No way—one tardy and they'd already fired her in the five minutes she'd been gone? As she gawked in terror, he cocked his head.
"Why're you working?"
"W-Wait, am I fired already? But I haven't even gotten a single warning...!"
"—Oh, that's it?"
Guild Master chomped a cigar for the random therapy sesh, lighting up. Harsh smoke flooded the room, wafting her way.
Spotting her wince, he fanned it off to kingdom come and stubbed it out.
"Ah, sorry. Rude of me."
"......Huh?"
"He say nothing?"
"He who...... who're you talking about."
"Who else? Our guild ace."
Only one guy got "guild ace." Dojin. What'd he pull to make the boss kill his smoke in front of peon staff?
Guild Master spilled the beans quick.
"You got summoned by him last night, yeah?"
"Yes? Y-Yeah......."
Slacked off work, cracked beers from afternoon, partied balls-out.
Months of burnout? Vanished in one go.
Guild Master nodded along, then eyed her up and down like merchandise.
"Worth the hype."
"Outta nowhere what...."
"He swung by the guild this morning. Said you got wrecked by him all day yesterday, might not make shift."
"......Huh? E-Eh? W-What was that?"
"Deaf? Once more."
Guild Master jabbed a finger her way, face screaming what the actual fuck.
"Word's out you're his girl. Whole guild's buzzing."
Here's the scoop.
Dojin swung by the guild to give 'em a heads-up, being all thoughtful about her drunken puke-out cold self.
Dojin's fumble? Zero clue how the guild worshipped him. That was it.
"Pion, hit the jackpot as some rich bride? Don't ghost us, 'kay?"
"Yeah, after all we've done for ya."
The catty bitches who nitpicked her daily now sidled up all buddy-buddy.
"Ayy, head home early today......."
Team lead who'd hoarded her tasks like a dragon? Now fidgeting, peeking at her mood.
Even power-player Guild Master started kissing her ass.
Out for a breath of air, Pion tasted power. And clocked why staff were banned from hitting on high-level adventurers first.
'Guild staff with pull? Who saw that coming.......'
Guilds leeched off high-level adventurers, so yeah, mood-watching was mandatory.
But a staffer in a high-level adventurer's good graces? Beyond work shit, full-on personal lovin'? Boom—power rivaling said adventurer.
'Electric. Way too good.'
Power's flavor? Sweet as sin, flipping even some chick's "adventurers? Meh" stance.
Power-pilled, Pion ducked back inside, Dojin-watch on.
Light paperwork later, Dojin hit the second floor.
Spotting him, she yeeted her docs and waited.
Dojin, zero expectation she'd show? Blinked in shock, sauntered up gawking.
"You're working?"
"Duh! My job!"
"Coulda chilled. You were hustling yesterday."
"Who handles Dojin-nim's stuff without me?"
Giggling, she took the Magic Stone from him.
Today's gig? Cakewalk. Weigh the stones inside, grab the Gold Coin payout, done.
Thud.
Stone hits scale—measurer dude sweats bullets, mumbling.
"Easy now... wait, what Magic Stone's this huge?"
"Dunno. Value?"
"This big? Two-three Large Silver Coins a pop."
Dozens, hundreds like it stacked up. Magic Stone demand? Eternal. Adventurers flipping 'em for cash? Immortal.
Guilds peddling worldwide, skimming fees? Same deal.
Calc guy cranks abacus, Pion bags Platinum Coins as per usual, beams at Dojin.
"Dojin-nim. Today's payout."
"Ah, thanks...."
"And."
She clamped his hand, whispered hot in his ear.
"Dojin-nim, you told 'em I was too wrecked to work...... and bounced?"
"Ah, yeah. Pretty much."
"Thanks to you, rumor flew guild-wide?"
"......Rumor?"
"Me, boned-out from banging at Dojin-nim's mansion."
"Ah......."
Dojin cringed guilty. Pion clocked it. Push.
So she did.
"You'll take responsibility, right?"