🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter – 09
How a Mercenary Takes on a New Request (5)
Under normal circumstances, they would have somehow scraped together the money and solved the problem.
But now, with the treasury completely emptied out, even that was impossible.
And with less than a week before the payment deadline, there was no way they could quickly liquidate the treasures piled in storage.
No merchant company, no matter how large, could instantly buy off massive treasures gathered from all across the continent.
Nor could they simply bring them directly to the imperial palace.
They would certainly demand an explanation for how the items had been obtained, and they would never trust mercenaries’ pasts.
At best, they’d be treated as thieves or bandits.
And the treasures would all be confiscated anyway.
“Miss… what do we do?”
Regina looked at Rosy’s anxious face, then slowly scanned the expressions of all the guild members.
Some were even offering to hand over their personal gold jewelry.
One of them was about to become a father for the second time.
‘Right now, there’s only one way for mercenaries to make huge money quickly.’
Going to war.
But she absolutely refused to allow that.
There had to be another way.
‘Then where can I immediately get that much cash…?’
The answer came quickly.
‘Could it be Duke Julius? No… this is a special tax issued directly by the imperial palace.’
That possibility was slim.
A powerless mad prince exiled to Valmen couldn’t possibly manipulate a special tax ordered directly by the imperial family.
This was simply the worst possible stroke of bad luck.
“…I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Huh? Miss! Regina!”
Rosy couldn’t stop Regina before she dashed out like an arrow.
Gaile, who had only just come downstairs after hearing the commotion, asked:
“What’s going on?”
“She saw the tax notice and suddenly ran out.”
Gaile snatched the notice from Maut’s hand.
The absurd amount almost made him rip it apart on the spot.
Noticing this, Rosy quickly yanked it away from him.
“But where could she possibly go? Is there somewhere she can get money from?”
“Who knows.”
“Or maybe… don’t tell me…”
Gaile muttered uneasily.
“Those damned rats.”
Thomas gritted his teeth while overseeing the knights’ training.
Half the men were private soldiers and low-ranking imperial knights who had drifted in while the territory lacked a lord.
Half were knights Thomas himself had brought.
And the rest were soldiers sent by Count Renzier’s family.
In other words—they were obvious spies.
Even now, the way they lazily swung wooden swords made it painfully clear they had no interest in actual training.
They practically screamed, “I’m a rat.”
Some of the older men from the Count’s household even shamelessly demanded confidential maps of the castle and constantly volunteered to guard Valentin.
They were a thoroughly wicked group who had abandoned every knightly virtue long ago.
‘Somehow, I need to deal with them.’
He had even considered recruiting reinforcements from the territory.
But the proposal had been blocked by their opposition.
Thomas wanted them gone as soon as possible.
‘But I lack justification. Still… I hate the idea of bringing some lowly mercenary into the castle as a clever solution.’
“Commander!”
Thomas turned at the urgent shout calling him.
Seeing a knight who should have been guarding the gate running directly toward him made him frown.
“What is it?”
“That mercenary woman who visited before is insisting on entering the castle again. But I wasn’t informed of anything…”
“I’ll handle it.”
An unwanted guest in a place already overflowing with rats.
Thomas walked off with obvious displeasure.
Regina quietly observed the insufficient number of guards compared to the enormous castle gate.
It was simply habit.
“What business do you have here?”
Thomas approached from afar, speaking down to her as if it were natural.
Though he wasn’t considered especially successful among imperial knights, he was still a minor noble from the frontier.
“This isn’t some cheap tavern you can wander into whenever you like.”
Regina stared at the excessively rude knight.
His slicked-back bronze hair, rigid posture, and puffed-up chest made him the very image of an elite knight.
People like that usually hated mercenaries.
To them, mercenaries were swordsmen without honor.
“I wish to see the Duke.”
Valentin—his lord—was waiting for this female mercenary.
But Thomas loathed lowborn mercenaries so deeply that he wanted to humiliate her at least once.
“He’s not someone you can meet so casually.”
“Then please at least deliver my message. Tell him I’d like to give him my answer.”
“What answer?”
Regina pushed back the hood resting on her head.
Why was everyone in this castle so obsessed with other people’s business?
For a split second, Thomas nearly flinched under the irritation-filled stare she gave him.
Annoyingly enough.
He could swear he had never seen a woman with eyes like that in his life.
“Are you the Duke?”
“…You!”
“It concerns a proposal the Duke himself made to me first. I need to answer him personally.”
What kind of woman looked so insolent and fearless?
Clicking his tongue, Thomas turned around.
If it were up to him, he would throw her out immediately and bar the gates against her forever.
But Valentin was surely waiting for her.
“Follow me.”
Knock knock knock knock.
Rapid, forceful knocking echoed through the room.
Only Thomas knocked like that—always unable to restrain his strength.
“Your Grace. A visitor has arrived.”
See? She came.
Valentin smiled.
For a moment, he looked almost innocent, like a child greeting a guest he had eagerly awaited.
“Let her in.”
Only after receiving permission did the door open.
Regina strode confidently inside and stopped directly before the chair where the room’s owner sat.
“What brings you here so late at night? And back to Valmen after only one day?”
When Regina glanced toward Thomas, who leaned against the doorway glaring at her, Valentin gestured silently for him to leave.
Thomas clearly disliked leaving the mercenary alone in the room.
But he was also a loyal knight who obeyed his lord’s commands, so he withdrew without protest.
“Do you still want the request fulfilled?”
At last, she spoke.
Sweat glistened on the exposed forehead between strands of her wheat-colored hair.
She must have ridden to Valmen in extreme haste.
“What made you so desperate?”
“Circumstances arose. Did you expect me to come back?”
“I was searching for a reason to bring you back. But it seems you really were in urgent need of money.”
Under the gaze that seemed to see straight through her, Regina decided to answer honestly.
“Yes. That’s right. I was prepared to throw away about three years of my life working myself to death, but even that doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Then 5,000 rel in advance. 7,000 rel upon completion. Hazard pay separate.”
Regina eyed him suspiciously.
A client voluntarily increasing an already massive payment was never normal.
As she’d said before, the more troublesome the request, the higher the cost.
But right now, she had no choices left.
Her resolve had already solidified the moment she climbed onto her horse.
“Tell me exactly what you want.”
Regina pulled out a parchment tied with a red ribbon from inside her coat.
“Become my wife until I no longer need you to be. And protect me as my wife.”
“That’s rather broad. And didn’t you originally say one year?”
“I changed my mind slightly. There’s no guarantee this castle will be completely safe within a year. On the other hand, if I become fully safe before then, you may leave.”
In other words, the duration depended entirely on results.
Regina quietly observed the arrogant prince who thought like a fox.
“You could say the contract would simply be renewed with appropriate compensation if the time extends.”
A contract with no clear ending.
Yet one that still dangled tiny hopes and loopholes.
It wasn’t the type of agreement Regina liked at all.
But reality left her with little choice.
“The divorce will definitely happen?”
Valentin immediately nodded.
To begin with, he himself had no intention of accepting a lifelong partner.
That made the answer easy.
Regina stared directly into his eyes, openly trying to determine whether he was lying or sincere.
“A contract works both ways. I also have conditions.”
Valentin tilted his head with interest, silently urging her to continue.
As expected, she wasn’t the type to become meek just because she held the weaker position.
“First, due to unavoidable circumstances, I may occasionally need to leave to handle Persona Guild missions. The guild is severely understaffed right now.”
“That’s rather inconvenient.”
Valentin tapped the armrest in dissatisfaction.
He didn’t like the implication that her guild could take priority over his contract.
Sensing the client’s reaction instantly, Regina hurriedly explained further.
“But I’ll make this request my highest priority. I promise Persona’s work will never interfere.”
Her blue eyes shone unusually brightly, as if trying to prove her determination itself.
After thinking briefly, Valentin finally nodded.
At the very least, she didn’t seem like someone who lied easily when it came to contracts.
“If you can guarantee that.”
“Thank you for understanding. And…”
“And?”
“Lastly, during the duration of this contract, I hope no other feelings ever develop between us.”
For a moment, Valentin was speechless.
Regina looked slightly embarrassed making the proposal, yet she remained as confident as ever.
“So what you’re saying is… I must never fall in love with you?”
“Yes. I hope those kinds of feelings never arise. And I also won’t harbor such feelings toward you, Your Grace.”
“…Why?”
Why would this woman propose something like that?
What exactly was she thinking?
Valentin was suddenly desperate to know.
Desperate enough to pry open those moving lips and force the answer out himself.
