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Chapter – 07
How a Mercenary Takes on a New Request (3)
At some point, Regina’s hand had already moved to the hilt of her sword.
Pinet wanted to threaten her back, to sneer and tell her to draw it if she dared—but their gazes had already locked together too deeply.
Dangerously enough to make her body tense.
“T-That’s not what I meant…”
At the very least, that filthy look should never have been directed at Rosy, who wasn’t even an adult yet.
At this point, Regina truly felt capable of drawing her sword.
“The Duke is this way.”
A calming voice cut through the tension.
It was Allen.
He gently placed a hand on Pinet’s shoulder and carefully moved her away.
“Lady Beimon, I’ll escort these two to the Duke myself. Since I, his attending physician, will accompany them, there should be nothing to worry about.”
“Y-Yes, of course. Just keep a close eye on those suspicious women!”
Unable to even lift her gaze properly, Pinet only managed to glance at Regina’s legs—still radiating anger—before hurriedly fleeing the scene.
Rosy stuck out her tongue at the retreating head maid’s back.
“We’ll just collect the remaining payment and leave.”
Still irritated, Regina let out a long breath and pulled her robe hood back over herself.
“Haha. Please come this way.”
The smile on Allen’s lips deepened.
He continued smiling all the way as he led the two women to Valentin’s room.
In truth, he had been watching ever since Pinet started speaking to Regina.
‘She’s more impressive than I expected.’
Earlier, Regina had stopped Rosy from openly criticizing the Duke’s castle for looking worse than an average viscount’s manor.
But honestly, she agreed to some extent.
Valentin’s room didn’t even have a single proper decoration.
The wallpaper looked torn and neglected.
“I came here to collect the remaining payment and compensation for making me travel all the way here. So why does my companion have to wait outside?”
Regina stared at Valentin, who sat on the sofa.
Rosy had been prevented from entering by Allen standing guard at the door.
“Compensation for coming all this way?”
“You made someone come in person to receive payment. I deserve extra for that. Otherwise it feels unfair.”
Valentin tilted his head slightly.
Somehow, her tone had become rather impudent compared to before.
“Are you only kind to your clients, perhaps?”
“Yes, exactly. You’re no longer under my protection.”
And her mood was still terrible.
“Pfft. Hahah…”
Regina wondered whether she possessed some hidden talent for humor she herself didn’t know about.
The mighty Duke was laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
‘And he clearly can communicate just fine.’
Looking into those vivid purple eyes, Regina confirmed that the maid’s earlier claims had indeed been nonsense.
A brief wave of bitterness rose inside her—the thought that she wouldn’t have been treated like that if she weren’t a mercenary.
Then it faded.
“You really are unmistakably a mercenary. The more I look at you.”
“So… when am I getting paid? I need to return to my guild.”
She had once thrown herself in front of a flying dagger for him without hesitation, selfless and devoted.
Yet now she looked utterly indifferent, as though dealing with him was a complete nuisance.
Valentin found the contrast fascinating.
“Would you consider accepting a new request?”
A new request?
Regina’s eyes sparkled slightly.
Valmen may have been a dying territory, but before that, he was still royalty.
The amount he could afford to pay would be enormous.
“3,500 rel in advance. And 45,000 rel upon completion.”
The amount he proposed stunned her speechless.
An advance of 3,500 rel was the kind of money only a major merchant company could earn from securing a long-term contract across the continent.
It was enough to cover the absence left by the injured guild members still bedridden.
But instead of greedily drooling over the money, Regina grew suspicious.
In this line of work, large payments always came with equally dangerous conditions.
“What exactly is the job?”
“The head maid escorted you here, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t she seem extremely prickly and ill-tempered? Desperate to figure out why you came here?”
Unable to deny it, Regina silently signaled agreement with her eyes.
“I left the imperial palace in order to survive. The palace is a mad place that even schemes against a mad prince. But it seems surviving here won’t be easy either.”
“So you need guards to protect you in this castle? Especially with that arrogant head maid and the rats hiding in the shadows?”
As expected, she understood quickly.
Valentin slowly examined her from head to toe, almost as if biting into the thought.
Thomas’s earlier question suddenly crossed his mind.
Do you truly trust her?
Of course not.
He didn’t trust the woman before him completely.
But he liked the way she handled requests.
He liked her pride.
And above all, he liked that she could be conveniently used only when necessary.
Valentin slowly shook his head.
“More than guards… I need a wife. Someone who can protect me while my mind is unstable, and clean out the rats gnawing away at this castle in my place.”
“Don’t tell me… you’re asking me…”
“The request is for you to become my wife. For about one year.”
“……”
Regina had heard countless strange stories and bizarre requests in her life as a mercenary.
But this one completely short-circuited her brain.
The absurdity was simply too overwhelming.
“Are you joking?”
“Does this look like the face of someone joking?”
The smile had vanished entirely from Valentin’s face, leaving behind a cold, sculpted expression.
She hadn’t realized it while he was laughing, but his serious face was frighteningly icy.
“I’m serious.”
“…I’ve never received a request like this before. I refuse.”
Though she hesitated briefly, Regina’s rejection was firm.
Even if her eyes still wavered slightly.
“Hm. Don’t reject it immediately. Think about it carefully.”
“……”
Perhaps he had expected the refusal.
Valentin did not press further.
Only then did he finally move to hand over the remaining payment, opening a wooden box.
Watching him, Regina desperately wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
Marriage for a mercenary.
It was truly a mad request from a mad prince.
Since Rosy had been denied entry, Allen took care of her instead.
He even served sweet cake and black tea, hoping to ease the hurt caused by Pinet earlier.
The sweetness naturally made Rosy’s feet tap happily under the table.
A broad smile already spread across her face.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“Yes, thank you. Riding for nearly half a day made me crave something sweet.”
Allen chuckled softly and observed her carefully.
She still had a youthful face, dotted with freckles in an adorably innocent way.
Even now, it was hard to believe she was a rough mercenary.
Then again, the same could be said of Regina Ropeman.
If she ever laid down her sword and dressed herself properly, her catlike face would surely attract considerable attention in noble society.
“You’re still quite young, yet already a proper mercenary. That’s impressive.”
Rosy smiled shyly at the flattering compliment.
“Honestly, I still lack experience, so I can’t really take personal or dangerous jobs yet. I practically begged before they assigned me to that escort mission. Miss Regina, though, started handling dangerous requests from the age of thirteen.”
“Hm. Is she really that strong?”
“Yes, she is. At fifteen, she beat down three knights who picked a fight with her. That’s our miss for you. Everyone praises her like they’re worshipping her…”
Rosy’s fork froze midway through cutting her cake.
Her previously lively hands suddenly stiffened.
Allen studied her expression.
Had the cream gone bad somehow?
“Did it stop tasting good?”
“No! It’s fine.”
“So… what kind of person is Regina Ropeman?”
Why was he asking that?
Rosy looked at Allen, who smiled kindly.
But she couldn’t be rude to someone who had even served her cake.
“Hmm… she takes care of me like a real younger sister. She treats all the guild members like family.”
“Then she must be both strong and compassionate.”
“…Haha, yes. Though your conversation seems to be lasting quite a while.”
Rosy had already finished two slices of cake, yet Regina still hadn’t returned.
She was starting to worry and had just decided to head toward the door when Regina finally appeared in the distance.
Valentin walked beside her, leaning on a black cane.
“Miss.”
“Thank you for taking care of Rosy.”
Spotting the cake on the table, Regina gave Allen a slight bow of gratitude.
Her polite thanks confirmed exactly what Rosy had said earlier—she genuinely cared for her guild members.
Meanwhile, the very person who had said that was staring fixedly at Valentin.
When the wind brushed aside his messy bangs earlier, she had clearly seen his face.
“Well then, we’ll be leaving. Rosy, let’s go.”
“Huh? But the horses haven’t rested enough yet.”
“There’s a small village on the way. We’ll stop there.”
Rosy hurried after Regina as she abruptly left.
The moment Regina mounted her horse, she immediately started riding off at an unusual speed.
Rosy quickly caught up and asked:
“What did you talk about with the Duke?”
“Something ridiculous. He asked me to marry him temporarily. Said he needed a lady of the house to protect him.”
“What?! He’s unbelievably handsome though—seriously beautiful like some kind of jewel. I guess he really is a crazy prince.”
Turning around, Rosy muttered while staring at the distant castle.
“What a waste of looks. Though he does limp.”
“You really never change, Rosy.”
Regina rode closer beside her and patted her head.
She knew Rosy had always been weak against beautiful people.
After all, when the girl first drifted into the guild at age nine after losing her parents, the first person who ever made her smile and blush had been Gaile—the handsome man constantly receiving confessions from women.
“So you’re rushing like this because you turned down the request, right?”
“Of course I rejected it. It was complete nonsense.”
“It is nonsense… but it’s a little disappointing.”
“What is?”
“How could lowly mercenaries like us—especially female mercenaries—ever become noble ladies, even temporarily? Honestly, I’m not pretty either, so I’ll probably struggle just to marry a decent capable man someday.”
