~Chapter 6~
“….”
“If you’d shown a little more kindness, I probably wouldn’t have hired you in the first place.”
Jin honestly wanted to cry right then and there.
“It’s karma.
Just accept it.”
“No, seriously—Red Scorpions are the last people you want to mess with—”
“Shh.”
In the end, betting my entire fortune on a mercenary named Jin to protect my life might’ve actually been the right call.
I didn’t want to admit it, but I had to.
Even with a second shot at life, I was still clueless—just a frog stuck in a well.
I had seriously underestimated how dangerous this world was.
If I hadn’t hired him quickly, who knows what else could’ve happened?
“I don’t know what those Red Scorpion guys are thinking, but to be honest, Lady, if you keep walking around like that, you’d be a target no matter who’s after you.”
Jin said this casually as he kicked at pebbles on the road.
“You do know what kind of group the Red Scorpions are, right?”
Jin turned his head toward me.
He was easily 190cm tall, so he was clearly looking down at me.
It was kind of arrogant, but I decided to let that much slide.
“Didn’t you say earlier they’re an infamous dark guild? Known for their dirty work?”
Jin’s face twisted immediately.
Okay, maybe that one was on me.
From his reaction, I realized: oh wow—finding the male lead really is a massive deal.
Even for regular folks, this is a huge problem.
But whatever.
He should’ve run when he had the chance.
—
We walked for a long time after that.
But unlike Jin, I wasn’t exactly built for endurance.
I couldn’t keep going for too long.
Eventually, we stopped at an inn near a village, and I got serious about planning our search.
“First, we need to check where Raniel was staying.”
Honestly, finding the male lead was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I didn’t have many clues to go off.
Do you know how many orphanages there are in the Empire?
Yeah, I don’t either.
So how the hell was I supposed to find a kid?
“The child’s name is Damian Estella.
My father said Raniel’s body was only recently found, but she likely died about a year ago, so the kid should be around seven by now.”
Jin looked skeptical as he asked,“So… you’ve been in regular contact with your sister all this time?”
I was caught off guard by the sharp question.
Honestly, even with this master-servant contract between us, I wasn’t sure how much I should be telling him.
I mean, telling someone to “just trust me” doesn’t mean anything if they have no reason to.
“Lady?”
“Ahem… Not often.
But we exchanged at least a bit of information.
I’m not going into this totally blind.”
I frowned hard and continued,
“As far as anyone else knows, I’m out here looking for a stolen heirloom from the Estella family.
The only person who knows the real reason I left is one of my personal maids.”
“Excuse me?”
Jin’s face twisted again.
Like he was asking, what kind of nonsense is that now?
“So… are you saying the heirloom actually was stolen?”
Jin’s lips twitched like he was trying—and failing—not to react.
“Yup.
Pretty sure my nephew has it.”
“…”
“Raniel ran off with it.
Unless something weird happened, my nephew probably still has it.
I’m about 80% sure.”
Jin’s mouth shut into a tight line.
His eyes were literally shaking.
So I gave him a few friendly pats on the back to reassure him.
“Don’t worry.
I’m really grateful you accepted me.
You won’t regret it.”
Jin froze.
Then, clearly remembering he was under contract to me, forced a smile and said,
“Ha! Ha! Just hearing that! I’m so moved, Lady!”
His eyes were getting a little watery.
Yeah, I could understand that.
But I wasn’t just saying he wouldn’t regret it—I meant it.
Whatever happens, whether it’s a success or a mess, my nephew is going to become emperor, after all.
In any world, knowing how to pick the right side is important.
And I’d just handed this mercenary a golden ticket to the winning team.
Yep.
That’s right.
Anyway, I needed to head to the capital ASAP.
Thanks to that jerk who attacked me, I’d bet my entire fortune and was now completely broke.
—
When Jin came downstairs the next morning, he looked like a whole different person.
Beaming, he waved at me energetically.
“Good morning, Lady!”
I stared at him with half-open eyes.
Just yesterday he looked like he wanted to murder the world, and now he was all sunshine and cheer?
His face was glowing too—like he’d washed and polished himself overnight.
He was almost 190cm tall, with a solid build, sharp features, and piercing icy-blue eyes.
Seriously, why did a mercenary have to look that good?
Even though he showed me his actual mercenary badge, I still had doubts.
I hadn’t exactly hired him through normal, reputable means, after all.
“Last night, I found us a carriage heading to the capital.
I’ll make sure we get there safe and sound, nice and comfy! Let’s go.”
I must’ve given him a seriously skeptical look because his cheerful energy suddenly dropped.
Laughing awkwardly, he leaned in and whispered in my ear,
“Um, Lady? If you look at me like that, I get a little self-conscious.”
Then he straightened back up and smiled again.
“You didn’t seem too happy about my offer yesterday.
What changed?”
He dramatically put a hand over his chest and pulled a pouty face.
“Even if I don’t look it, I’m the ace of the capital’s top adventurer guild.
That means I take my work very seriously.
I would never betray a client, Lady.”
I was stunned.
His speech could be summed up in just one sentence:
“#1 in customer satisfaction! Most re-hired! Most charming mercenary in the capital! All thanks to the trust I build with my clients.
A true pro sees every job through, no matter what! Hahaha!”
…It was 100% self-promotion.
I stared at him with a slightly disgusted expression, but Jin cheerfully opened the door and led me to the carriage like a true gentleman.
“Lady, how many orphanages do you think exist in the Empire?”
As soon as I got in, the carriage took off, bumping along the unpaved road.
Jin didn’t even blink at the reckless driver.
He just slammed the door shut and kept talking.
“There are exactly 78 across the Empire.
The Empire and the Leton Church only started using orphans for national programs five years ago, and already we’re near 100 institutions.
That’s a lot.”
I kept my eyes on the shaky door but listened carefully.
He was spewing detailed info that sounded legit—not like he was just bluffing.
“Oh, don’t be surprised.
These days, versatility is attractive.
You’ve only seen my combat skills, Lady, but I’m also better at intel gathering and infiltration than most thieves, assassins, or spies.
Stuff like this is basic knowledge for me.”
He winked smugly.
And I just stared blankly at him for a while.
This guy… why is he like this?
He looks all cool and serious, but he talks so much.
“Anyway, Lady.
Mind if I ask you something?”
His grin faded and his face turned surprisingly serious.
“What is it?”
I tensed up a little.
The sudden silence in the carriage, the loud rumble of wheels—it all felt weirdly intense.
“Were you… close with your sister?”
“…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say yes.
Honestly, before she left home, I did feel sorry for her.
But after she left?
I just… didn’t really care anymore.
I mean, in this harsh world, survival starts with looking out for yourself.
