Chapter 7: How a Mercenary Accepts a New Request (3)
Before she realized it, Regina’s hand was resting on the hilt of her sword.
Finette wanted to act like she wasn’t scared, but her eyes were already locked with Regina’s — dangerously intense, almost suffocating.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that…”
At the very least, that disgusting stare should never have been directed at young Rosie.
Regina was angry enough to draw her sword if it came to that.
“The duke is this way.”
A calm voice broke the tension. It was Allen.
He gently touched Finette’s shoulder and pulled her back from Regina.
“Madam Baymon, I’ll take them to the duke myself. As his personal physician, I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.”
“Y-Yes, of course. Keep a close eye on those suspicious girls!”
Too scared to meet Regina’s eyes, Finette only dared to glance at her feet before quickly walking away.
Rosie stuck out her tongue at the back of the rude maid’s head.
“We’ll just collect the rest of our payment and leave.”
Still annoyed, Regina pulled her hood back up and let out a deep sigh.
“Haha. Right this way.”
Allen smiled wide as he led them to Valentin’s room. He had been watching everything from the moment Finette started speaking.
‘She’s more impressive than I expected.’
Earlier, Rosie had commented that this castle looked worse than a baron’s estate.
Regina had scolded her at the time — but she silently agreed.
Valentin’s room was plain, with no decorations.
Even the wallpaper looked torn.
“I came here to collect our final payment. Why does my teammate have to wait outside?”
Regina looked calmly at the man sitting on the sofa.
Rosie had been stopped outside by Allen.
“You want extra for making the trip?”
“Yes. You told us to come here in person. That deserves a little more pay, don’t you think?”
Valentin tilted his head slightly.
His tone had gotten a bit smug since last time.
“Are you only polite to clients?”
“Yes, that’s right. And you’re no longer one.”
Her mood was still awful.
“Pfft. Hahaha…”
Regina didn’t even realize she’d made a joke, but the mighty duke was laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
‘So, he can communicate clearly after all.’
As she looked into his clear violet eyes, Regina knew for sure that the maid had been lying.
A quiet bitterness passed through her — was it only because she was a mercenary that she was treated that way?
“You really are a proper mercenary. The more I see, the more I believe it.”
“So… when do I get paid? I need to get back to the guild.”
This was the same person who had thrown herself in front of flying daggers —yet now she looked like she couldn’t care less.
Valentin found that strangely amusing.
“Would you be interested in taking another job?”
Another job? Regina’s eyes sparkled.
Sure, Balmen was a ruined estate —but he was still a prince. That meant serious money.
“3,500 rel up front. 45,000 rel when it’s done.”
That number knocked the breath out of her.
An up-front payment of 3,500 rel?
Only long-term trade missions across the continent paid that much.
And that money could help cover Persona’s expenses
while the wounded mercenaries were still recovering.
But despite the huge offer, Regina didn’t jump at it.
She got cautious — in this line of work, big money always came with big risks.
“What kind of job is it?”
“The head maid showed you in, right?”
“Yes.”
“She seemed mean and nosy, didn’t she? Like she was desperate to figure out why you were here.”
Regina gave a small nod. She couldn’t deny that.
“I left the royal palace to survive. The imperial court is full of people crazy enough to betray even a mad prince. But even here, it doesn’t seem like I’m safe.”
“So… you’re saying you need a guard? To protect you from that rude maid and the rats hiding in your house?”
Valentin stayed quiet and looked her up and down slowly, as if judging her all over again.
Thomas’s voice echoed in his mind: “Can you really trust her?”
Of course not.
But he did like her attitude toward the job — her pride, her seriousness.
And most of all, he liked that she could be used only when needed.
Valentin slowly shook his head.
“No, more than a guard… I need a wife. Someone to protect me when I’m not in my right mind, and someone to help me clean out the rats in my house.”
“…Wait, are you saying—”
“That’s the request. Become my wife. For about a year.”
“….”
Regina had heard all kinds of strange stories and requests in her time, but this one left her speechless.
Her brain just… froze.
“Is this a joke?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
His smile was gone now. And when he looked serious, his face turned cold and sharp.
“I’m completely serious.”
“…I’ve never gotten a request like this before. I’ll have to decline.”
She hesitated for a second, but her answer was firm — even if her eyes looked unsure.
“Hmm. Don’t decide right away. Think it over.”
Regina didn’t respond.
Valentin didn’t try to convince her further. He simply opened a wooden box — probably to give her the payment.
She suddenly wanted to leave this place as fast as possible.
Marriage? To a mercenary?
He really was a crazy man with a crazy request.
Allen had been keeping Rosie company.
He’d served her sweet cakes and black tea, trying to ease the frustration she’d felt from Finette earlier.
Rosie couldn’t stop smiling as she ate. The sweetness made her toes bounce.
“Is the cake to your taste?”
“Yes, thank you! We rode for nearly half a day, so I really needed something sweet.”
Allen smiled kindly and watched her quietly. She had a young face, full of freckles — very cute. It was hard to believe she was a mercenary.
Then again, Regina Lofman didn’t exactly look like a mercenary either.
If she let go of the sword and dressed up a little, she could easily stand out in any noble party with her cat-like features.
“You’re pretty young to already be a mercenary. That’s impressive.”
Rosie gave a shy smile at the compliment.
“Well, I don’t have much experience yet, so I don’t take on personal or dangerous requests.
The escort mission I got recently? I begged for it. Miss Regina started taking dangerous jobs at thirteen.”
“She’s really that strong?”
“Oh, definitely. When she was fifteen, she beat up three knights who picked a fight. She’s amazing. Everyone praises her like crazy…”
Rosie’s fork stopped halfway through the cake.
Her hand, which had been moving non-stop, froze.
Allen watched her curiously — maybe the cream had gone bad?
“Is something wrong with the taste?”
“No! It’s fine.”
“Then… what kind of person is Regina Lofman?”
Why would he ask that?
Rosie looked up at his gentle face.
Still, he’d been kind enough to treat her — she didn’t want to be rude.
“Hmm… She takes care of me like a real little sister. She treats everyone in the guild like family.”
“So she’s strong, but kind too.”
“…Haha. Yeah. But… she’s been in there for a while, hasn’t she?”
Rosie had eaten two whole plates of cake, and Regina still wasn’t back.
She was starting to get worried.
Just as she thought about checking on her, Regina finally appeared — walking alongside Valentin,
who leaned on a black cane.
“Miss!”
“Thank you for taking care of Rosie.”
Regina gave a small nod to Allen when she saw the cake on the table. As expected, she really did treat her guildmates like family.
Allen watched her with interest… but his eyes shifted to Valentin beside her.
He had seen the man’s face clearly when the wind blew his long bangs aside.
“We’ll be going now. Rosie, let’s go.”
“Huh? But the horses haven’t even rested yet—”
“There’s a small village on the way. We’ll stop there.”
Regina left in a hurry, and Rosie quickly followed. She rode fast, which was unlike her, and Rosie had to catch up.
“What did the duke say to you?”
“A ridiculous thing. He asked me to marry him — just for a little while. Said he needed a wife to protect him.”
“What?! But he’s so beautiful! Like… like a gemstone! He really is a mad prince, huh?”
Rosie looked back at the castle in the distance and mumbled.
“Such a shame… even with that limp.”
“You never change, Rosie.”
Riding up beside her, Regina patted Rosie’s head with a smile.
She knew Rosie had a soft spot for good looks. Back when Rosie was just nine, she had come to the guild after losing her parents. She never smiled… until she met Gael — a man loved by many women.
“No wonder you’re acting so rushed. You didn’t accept the request, right?”
“Of course not. That kind of thing is insane.”
“I mean… yeah, but it’s kind of a waste, don’t you think?”
“What is?”
“Someone like me — a lowly mercenary, especially a female one — when would we ever get the chance to be a noblewoman, even for a little while? Besides, I’m not even pretty. I probably won’t get to marry anyone decent —
unless he’s average and kind of handsome.”
