DISCLAIMER

The following is a fan-based

FICTION

Re:Zero and other products related to the this series are all owned by Tappei Nagatsuki.

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Chapter 17: A Priceless Deal

Subaru had never been invited to a sleepover until today. Or rather, he never went to one, invited or not.

While the notion of sharing the night with a few friends sounded like a good idea, his mother had many times told him that if there were girls, then things would have gotten really unpleasant for someone like him. At first, he didn't understand what she meant with that, and the young man had good reasons to feel legitimately offended for that point.

But when Emilia explained to him how Lady Hoshin was going to stay the night at the manor and be their guest in a sleepover, he knew that there was a lot to unpack and worry about. Even as he was told that Mimi and her siblings were going to be there, he knew that this was bad. Especially when he was the only male adult in the room. He argued how Julius should have been there too, but the knight refused on the basis that 'a knight should not intrude a room where ladies slept without a proper reason'. And Subaru was no knight, so he had no reason to 'slight' his lady by trying to dodge that 'duty'.

Even he could tell this was a dreadful idea, but he couldn't determine if his worry was towards his lady or, maybe, towards Barusu himself. It was an odd development for sure, but he knew he didn't get much of a choice about it. So, here he was, sitting in Emilia's room by the floor near the bed as both royal candidates... talked.

Anastasia was the one doing most of the talk, something that was clearly an effort to gain dominance in that room. Emilia just restrained her interactions to brief quips and nods, doing her best to not be overwhelmed by Anastasia's charming skill in dialogue. As a successful merchant, this was expected and yet it was most unpleasant to deal with on the receiving end.

Subaru's only saving grace was his current interaction with the triplets he was tending to, with a certain 'big girl' getting her hair fixed with a brooch. Mimi was a little delight within the current situation. She had turned into a 'mini-Petra' once she got close enough to test his swifty hands, but she didn't seem to have inherited the normal girl's obsession with this. She was quite submissive yes, but seemed quite chill in allowing others to partake into this activity or even back off if she saw Subaru being too tired for it.

The boys themselves were patiently waiting for their turn, their gazes alternating between him and their sister, to the twins waiting at the edge of the beds. Rem in particular was subjected to some 'begging looks' at times since she had already shown she was capable in handling them with similar care, but, despite the brief moments of want in her expression, the blue-haired maid stuck by her sibling's side. And Ram hardly looked interested in 'risking' herself or her sister by dabbling with her potential foes.

She was stunned Subaru could have gone out of his way to deal with this, but the older maid could see it working in their favor due to how the triplets were reacting to his touch. It was an odd sight to behold, but at least he seemed to know what he was doing. But where the situation looked quite simple in nature as the group of six 'enjoyed' the sleepover, the truth was that a certain purple-haired girl had already gotten a few details down to make things even more exciting.

In fact, it was time for her to spice things up some more. "And now I would need to seek the bathroom. If I may-"

"You can take your leave," Emilia happily interjected, but Anastasia smiled a bigger one than the one appearing on her face.

"Then you will not mind if I take Subaru as my guide for it," The young woman cleverly rebuked, this time striking into Emilia's own insecurity for good.

And the half-elf reacted to this, an annoyed look easily replacing the serene one she just adopted. "You could ask Rem or Ram."

"But I would like someone that hasn't been staring at me as if I was some sort of pest~."

Subaru was screwed. Or he thought that was the situation unless he found a way to out-trick the girl he was accompanying to the toilet. It just felt so... terrifying. All candidates had means to defend themselves from potential issues, all but... Anastasia herself. At first he was shocked when Rem brought this up during their time at the capital, back in the previous loop, yet he could see why that justified her recruitment of so many more 'quality people' for military/security's sake compared to the others.

Right now, even as he knew he could overpower her, the young man felt nervous around the girl. It was the way she acted around, the way she carried herself. That wasn't the same arrogance displayed by Priscilla- it was legitimate confidence. And it came from someone that was physically and magically weaker than him. And the woman knew this quite well from the way she behaved around him now that they were alone.

"Julius is probably staying in his room. Not resting just yet, but waiting for a few hours before allowing the bed to claim him," Anastasia commented as they wandered the halls of the manor. The girl walked closer to him, an arm wrapping around his own. "This place is quite creepy at night."

"Just like any other at night."

Her lips twitched. "But you are here. My 'knight' in shining armor. Or do you prefer 'advisor' for the occasion?"

"I prefer to not be alone with you."

The bluntness was warranted, and yet Anastasia smirked at it. "I know, right? I can be quite pushy when I want to."

It was almost as if she prided herself about it, which weirded him out because of how quick on her feet she was. This was not just a simple sweet girl trying to make the difference just like Emilia- this one was a good player, and one that was effective in securing victories through diplomatic means through her pragmatic views on rules and powers.

"Tell me, Subaru," The girl hummed quietly, and yet quite amused by the disposition both were in. "How did a young man with your mind end up joining someone like Lady Emilia?"

"We just... met at the capital's market."

"You two met... without this being planned? That's quite a surprise," She wondered with a hint of mirth. "Nonetheless, you joined her by talking to her. Did she promise you anything? Something which could attest to your value?"

And now the purpose of this situation was clear to him. And Subaru didn't like it at all.

"She is my friend."

"So, what you are saying is that she got you by being your friend... that's interesting," The young woman hummed, and yet didn't persist through the rest of the walk, going suddenly silent.

That was the case until they got to the bathroom.

"Can you keep inside? I would like to not be ambushed by some assassin coming from the window."

His eyes narrowed at the woman. "Seriously?"

"Yep. And if you peek, I will not mind~."

The comment left him blushing, but he complied with the situation as he knew there was some truth in that. Having experienced a close-to-successful assassination attempt plus a successful one... yeah, Subaru was not shy from seeing how this was a possibility. Anastasia finally sported some surprise as he nodded, and yet some disappointment when he just gave her back as she fixed herself to sit down on the toilet.

Initially, there was quiet, then, Subaru decided to be the one to speak first for once. He had been controlled in these conversations for a while now, and he didn't like it. So, he felt righteous in returning fire with some of his own.

"...Why do you put a price tag on everything and everyone?"

The question, albeit simple in nature and in a sense quite offensive, spurred in Anastasia a different reaction than anything she had displayed before. Was it a surprise?

"Well, people are objects if paid the right amount."

"Are they?" Subaru inquired.

"Of course," Anastasia argued flatly. "People would do anything for money."

"...Anything?"

"Yep. Are you deaf?"

"I am not," Barusu replied calmly. "However, I think you are wrong."

She snorted, almost derisively. "How so?"

"People will not do some things for money."

"That's ridiculous."

"What's the price for you to drop the company?"

"Roughly a thousand pieces of gold."

The young man merely nodded. "What about lay off Mimi and his sibling?"

That's where Anastasia felt her eagerness falter once again. "That... without notice, it would be twenty pieces of gold each. If with notice, then it would be ten."

A small smile appeared, with Anastasia forgetting where she was sitting and what she was doing as her bladder relaxed during a moment of unease, further leaving her 'in the open' while the young man continued to give her his back.

"And how much would it take for you to be a slave?"

The question lacked malicious intent, yet Anastasia felt like an old wound had been opened with those few words. Memories, blurs of the past, from her time as a little orphan flashed. The many things she did, the many times she had to give up her pride and her morals to get the coins she needed- how much she had to do to kill off her debt and save Ricardo from slavery... and it finally clicked to her.

"None."

Subaru blinked. "None?"

"Yes, none. I would not accept any money to sell my body or my soul to anyone." Not again, no more.

"Then people would not do everything for money."

"Yes, they wouldn't. I was wrong. But they would do most things."

"Then that's a different thing altogether. Who wouldn't do some things for money?"

Her lips twitched, knowing she got caught in a fairly-good knot in her own logic.

"Then, what would you do for money?" Anastasia took charge again, knowing she had to go back to the offensive. "Say, what if I was in the mood to be treated like a capricious queen and wanted someone to lick me clean after I am done peeing. How much would you want to do that for me~?"

A crass comeback, but one that wasn't driven just by lust. Yes, she was slightly excited about being treated like this. To be rebuked so earnestly, so pridefully and for him to be so- so interesting. He was good-looking, not as Julius, but definitely in her top twenty favorite guys, and he was... making her giddy for the challenge he was throwing at her. Who would have known that, during a bathroom-break around midnight, she would have ended up having a philosophical talk about her own views of the world.

It would have been more probable to end up losing my virginity than that, so... I guess that's a bit of a loss.

He snorted. "Nope, I ain't doing it."

"What if I pledge my first time and a morning oral session once this sleepover is over?"

Subaru, surprisingly enough, held his ground, with his cheeks barely reddening at the lustful offers. "Once again, no."

Anastasia pouted. "Why not?"

"Because you are trying to claim me from Emilia by using intimacy as 'something of higher value' than friendship."

...Anastasia's jaw dropped. "How-"

"It's the way you weave into the conversation. My mother had once told me that people trying to sell something try to go around some potential offers and pricings for the sake of enticing a client to buy. Right now, you are trying to sell yourself as a lustful but kind individual which would be 'better' than Emilia with the benefits you offer," Subaru interjected, delivering a speech which Anastasia was not prepared for. "Which is also why I can tell you are disingenuous with this offer because you preferred to make such a 'high offer' compared to a 'lower one'. You value your friendship and your personal feelings more than your physical achievements."

...

Anastasia was tempted to applaude the man's truth bomb. It had struck her out of the blue, floored her and... she was so madly excited. Still, she admitted he was right. The merchant had willingly put her libido as a product for him to test out with his own in the effort to kill two birds with a stone: get herself a smart stud, and one-up the silly half-elf which she planned to seduce for later.

"How about a friendship? My friendship at that," The young man inquired, confusing the girl with the proposition. "I will be your friend."

Now, that was a bit of an insult.

"I have friends-"

"Do you?"

Her mouth opened and then... it closed. The young man had caught her in a very peculiar issue: how many friends did Anastasia really have?

Ricardo was indebted to her, the triplets were also following her after she got them from a miserable life and gave them a better chance at life- most of her forces were driven to her either by money or moral indebtment. Julius? He was her knight by commission and with a paid contract. Echidna? Yes, they spoke a lot and were quite close- but the spirit's situation was unique as she needed Anastasia. She needed someone like her to sustain her existence. It was a symbiotic deal, and not one that favored Anastasia as much as it favored Echidna.

What about... Subaru?

He owed her nothing, he didn't want her money, and his request was made without an expected payment in return for this. Unless he was lying, and she was going to find out.

"What do I have to do now? I mean, you gave me something important. A friendship is more than a mere alliance."

"...Nothing."

Her blue eyes narrowed. "Sex?"

"No."

"Do you wish for me to be a slave to your mistress?"

He blushed a bit at the 'mistress' bit. "N-No!"

Okay, that is quite adorable.

"What about... I don't know."

"I don't want anything. I want to be your friend for the sake of it," He huffed and she... allowed it.

Once she was done with the toilet, she walked up to Subaru, the young man noticing her approach and turning to stare at her. A determined look on Anastasia's face as if she had something cunning in mind.

"Then, if you are my friend, I want a hug."

And she was suddenly engulfed in an embrace. There was no groping, no wandering hands and- he smells quite nice.

She slowly returned the gesture and she felt slightly overwhelmed by it. No, she thought, she couldn't stop and cry. Not for this little, not like this.

"E-enough," She muttered nervously, feeling so shy and stupid so suddenly. "I want you to hold my hand during our walk back to Emilia's room."

He complied to that too, so flawlessly and readily. It was almost annoying how good he was at it and how it was making her feel so bubbly inside. She was an ambitious merchant that wouldn't bother leaving people to die if it made her a profit. But she was struggling with a guy younger than her and quite clueless of local politics and interactions. Yes, Anastasia was now sure of it.

She was hopelessly in love with a dolt. At least, he was adorable.

AN

Anastasia went doki-doki and it took 'so little' for it to happen. I wouldn't say she is outright smitten, but she is seeing Subaru as a potential suitor due to how easily they both got under each other's skins with their words.

P.S. I now have a discord server! Discord .gg/ceBMM2Zz6c