MPAWD 55

Chapter 55

After arriving in the capital, the Pablo Trading Company decided to spend the night at a decent inn.

Once again, Lucy ended up sharing a room with Ringo, the female mercenary.

Other people have to share their rooms with several people… I feel a little guilty.

Even though she was the company master’s niece, Lucy was still just a low-ranking employee, so she felt conscience-stricken for having a two-person room to herself.

After quickly unpacking, she headed downstairs—only to see Shan coming out of a room.

Wait, didn’t the Pablo Company reserve rooms on the fourth floor?

Lucy froze on the staircase and glanced around the corridor. Shan had exited from a room on the third floor and was walking downstairs.

So he wasn’t put into a shared room like the other mercenaries.

At dinner, Lucy casually asked Michael, the company officer in charge, if anyone among them had gotten a private room.

“There’s one mercenary who’s especially fussy. Even on the first night, he insisted on paying out of pocket to have a separate room. Well, the contract with him ends tomorrow morning anyway…”

Lucy became certain that person was Shan.

Wait… his contract ends tomorrow?

That meant Shan would disappear again, wandering off to who-knew-where.

Today was her last chance.

Lucy immediately went to the kitchen and bought the strongest liquor they had.

Since she knew nothing about the drinks here, she simply asked for the one with the highest alcohol content.

And when she asked for the biggest bottle available, they handed her one so large it looked over twenty centimeters tall—far too heavy for her small arms.

Clutching the cumbersome bottle to her chest like a treasure, Lucy struggled up to the third floor.

After catching her breath at the stairwell for a long while, she finally stopped in front of the door Shan had exited earlier.

Tonight, I’m going to make a contract with Shan no matter what!

With a determined face, Lucy clenched her fists.

“I heard your contract is ending.”

He stood there with his arms crossed, silent. Lucy’s glass was already half empty.

She had knocked on his door, offering to share the liquor, but he had refused flatly.

Still, she didn’t back down. She barged into his room, sat herself at the table, and poured herself a drink.

Though he didn’t drag her out, his expression showed clear annoyance.

Her plan had been to loosen him up with strong liquor, but it looked like the idea had failed.

The drink was expensive but unbearably harsh and bitter. Lucy grimaced as she forced down another sip.

“Shan, I want to hire you. I’ll pay you well!”

Again, no response.

Frustrated, Lucy gulped down another mouthful. Since it was expensive, she figured she might as well drink it.

Then she pulled out the coin pouch she’d hidden in her clothes.

“Think of this as an advance payment.”

The pouch contained practically all the money she had brought.

Shan silently accepted it, weighing it in his hand and checking the contents.

Lucy held her breath, waiting for his reply.

“Why do you want to hire me, specifically?”

“Well, because among all the mercenaries, your contract with the company ends first! And… you’re the only mercenary I really know.”

She wondered what to say if he refused again. But just then, Shan set the pouch back on the table.

“Making a contract isn’t difficult. But once this one ends tomorrow, I’ll need to stay here about a week to finish some business.”

“That’s fine! I’ll wait as long as it takes. Just promise to take my contract!”

The relief of hearing it “wasn’t difficult” made all her earlier worries vanish in an instant.

But when Shan slid the pouch back toward her, her heart sank.

“You’re… refusing…?”

Her hands shook as she picked it back up.

“I’ll take the advance when we draw up the official contract. Let’s write it up in a week.”

Overjoyed at his acceptance, Lucy clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from crying.

“Thank you! Really, thank you so much!”

She kept bowing and repeating her gratitude.

With a sigh, Shan guided her back into her seat.

All this time, I’ve been scheming about making him fall for me like in the novel… but it was actually this simple?

“Do you dislike alcohol, Shan? I bought this on purpose, thinking you might refuse me otherwise…”

Truthfully, it wasn’t fine liquor, just something strong—and expensive enough to trick her.

Blushing, Lucy admitted the bottle had basically been meant as a bribe.

“I don’t drink while on duty.”

What a rigid man, Lucy thought, chuckling softly.

Her nerves melted away, and feeling lighter, she ended up finishing every glass she poured.

The harsh liquor went down, and soon she was flushed and tipsy.

“This stuff was expensive… If you won’t drink it, Shan, I’ll have to finish it myself.”

The warm buzz filled her with giddy cheer. It was a wonderful night for Lucy.

Watching her babble drunkenly, Shan sighed.

“So what are you afraid of, Shan? Huh? Bugs? It’s not ladybugs, crickets, spiders, mantises… what else was there? Hic! Dragonflies? Moths? Grasshoppers? Hic!”

Her rambling turned pitiful, and suddenly she burst into tears.

“You don’t even know how much I’ve suffered since coming here… I was tricked by a scammer and almost sold to a tavern…”

Her drunken confessions grew darker. Shan had been about to escort her out, but when she started crying, he simply let her talk.

“Uwaah! So I jumped out of a moving carriage! I was good at swimming in my past life, but the current was so strong I almost died… sniff…”

Collapsing onto the table in tears, Lucy suddenly sat up, wiping her face.

“But it’s all okay now, because I’m going to have a contract with Shan! Finally, I’ll get my chance to strike back at those wretched people!”

She beamed at him through tear-streaked cheeks.

Shan guessed she must have her own complicated circumstances. But he had no desire to pry further.

After all, who doesn’t have a story?

All he needed was proper payment, and to complete the job.

When she tried to pour herself another drink, Shan stopped her.

“It’s late. You should return to your room now.”

Ignoring her protests for just “one more glass,” he helped her out the door.

But as soon as they stepped into the hall, Shan felt a strange presence.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

He pushed Lucy behind him and reached for the sword at his waist.

“What did you just do?”

A man’s chilling voice cut through the corridor.

I knew it was right to follow her.

Lucas had been tailing Lucy since she left the dining hall.

Seeing her troubled face while carrying that enormous liquor bottle, he’d followed without realizing it.

Hearing a man’s voice inside, he realized this was the mercenary’s room.

Pathetic. What exactly am I hoping to accomplish, skulking around like this?

Ashamed at himself, he had almost turned away with a bitter laugh—

When he heard Lucy’s voice from inside.

“That’s fine! I’ll wait as long as it takes…”

Wait?

He couldn’t hear everything clearly, but her pleading tone made it obvious she was desperately clinging to the man.

Then came another line—

“You’re… refusing…?”

Her pitiful voice pierced him.

So that’s how it is…

All this time, Lucy had been secretly harboring feelings for that mercenary alone.

Staggering back in shock, Lucas’s world tilted.