CH 34

The first traditional mercenary I saw was a large man with a fairly rough impression – like that of a beast.

He asked, stammering his words, “Th-that Perdia……? Are you……?”

It looked like he was getting stabbed when he was caught swearing about me.

By the way, he had a really grim image.

The only other mercenary I had met was Raeyan, so there was a lack of comparators, but after seeing another mercenary like this, I could see how unusual Raeyan was.

‘That side looks more like a typical mercenary.’

On the other hand, I would easily believe that Raeyan was an aristocrat. 

Raeyan asked calmly as he interpreted my gaze, “Shall I take care of him?”

Then the unknown mercenary stiffened his body and shouted “Heuk!” 

Now he was so frightened that his face was blue.

“No, I don’t think so.”

When I firmly stopped him this time, Raeyan lowered his eyes and asked.

“Then why do you look at me like that?”

“Because you’re handsome.”

“Gasp!”

The unknown mercenary let out another scream. Raeyan apparently looked so very scary.

‘Are you afraid?’

To lead a mercenary group, he must have leadership and dignity, so he may have treated the beast-like man rather harshly.

Though I’d never seen him like that before.

As I guessed, Raeyan’s cold gaze scanned the mercenary on the other side.

“Mark.”

“Yes!”

“Head.”

“I’ll hit it myself!”

A mercenary called Mark banged his head on the floor and performed a stretch with his forehead still firmly planted.

I was concerned about how hard he had been hit and whether his head was cracked or not.

But Raeyan kept giving orders without worrying.

“Until we come out.”

“I won’t move!”

“It’s a punishment.”

“Thank you, sir!”

I was deeply impressed by the scene of punishment where they worked hand in hand.

‘That’s cool.’

Being the leader of a mercenary group, Raeyan looked like someone new.

Raeyan guided me again, leaving the punished mercenary at the spot. Unlike before, Raeyan said nothing this time.

I just followed him in silence.

On the way up the stairs, Raeyan’s pace slowed down and he suddenly stopped.

Raeyan was looking down at me obliquely.

“….I have disciplined him for now, but please let me know if you want to deal with it later.”

Ah.

‘Had he been caring about that all along?’

I wasn’t thinking about anything.

I smiled and passed Raeyan and went up the stairs. I climbed a few more steps and looked down at him who was still standing there.

“You don’t have to worry about it. I’m used to hearing things behind my back.”

From the time I can remember, I grew up in the hands of people who felt uncomfortable with me.

Except for my nanny and Martha, the nanny’s daughter, no one really thought of me as a young lady to serve.

They talked behind my back all the time. I wondered if they thought I wouldn’t know anything because I was young.

But a child eventually grows up.

Into an adult who can clearly understand the meaning of the words that were heard, even if they didn’t know what they meant before.

As I grew up, they whispered somewhere out of sight, but since I didn’t have a presence, I often listened to my backstory as I wandered around the mansion like a ghost.

When I pretended not to hear anything, they ignored me openly, and when I heard it, they immediately got angry and punished me.

As a result, I realized that it was better to go wild than to endure it, and I became an angry soul with this dirty personality after listening to countless hours of gossip.

I ended up becoming a “princess who curses innocent maids when she’s bored”. It was unfair because it was a rumor entirely from the perspective of the servants; no one knew about my circumstances.

‘It’s all familiar, anyway.’

To the point where I was able to pass by it with a short laugh like this.

I thought the story was over, but I was the only one who thought so.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Huh?”

“I will take care of it, so that no one can speak ill of Elodie.”

In Raeyan’s red eyes, I could see my own confused expression.

It was the first time anyone had said this except for the nanny and Martha, so I didn’t know how to react.

The words I uttered as I pursed my lips were a  genuine question. 

“Because you’re an escort?”

Of course, you have to protect me, right?

But Raeyan emphatically replied, “No.”

Then before I could ask why, Raeyan passed me and went up the stairs.

Soon, Raeyan, who stood in front of a door, opened the door and went inside, adding an explanation.

“This room. You can use it however you want. No one comes to this hallway, but just in case, I’ll order a ban on entry.”

“Thank you.”

I didn’t want to change the subject again, so I gave up asking what it meant and looked around the room. It was a simple guest bedroom with a bed and desk.

“There’s even a bed, so it’s perfect to drink poison and lie down.’

It’s a little bit dusty, probably because it wasn’t maintained well, but that’s just something to clean up.

“You can use it comfortably,” Raeyan said, not stepping inside the door as if it was no longer his space.

I looked at him all over again.

‘Clear goodwill.’

Since our first meeting, Raeyan had never shown hostility toward me. He only unilaterally saved me from danger and volunteered to stay by my side without hesitation.

Why do you do me all these favors? Just because you saw my previous life?

‘That’s something I need to find out from now on.’

What you’re hiding, and what you want from me.

***

The earth hawk mercenaries became abuzz with an unexpected scandal.

The target was a certain lady who came with the leader. Unfortunately, there was only one person who saw the lady properly and even talked to her.

It was Mark.

The three aces of the earth hawks mercenaries and the protagonists of the accident immediately went to Mark and surrounded him as if besieging him.

Around Mark, who was still banging his head on the floor at the leader’s command, they began chattering.

“So, who is she? How could you make fun of her so that the leader wants you to bang your head?”

“I don’t have any intention of saying it, so will you please get lost? Don’t talk to me because my head is bleeding! Don’t you have any jobs to do? Go away!!”

In response to Mark’s outburst, the trio flipped their clothes, saying one word at a time.

“I’ve already finished everything.”

Urania, a genius in archery who laughed with a confident voice.

“I’m on vacation.”

Stephen, who handled daggers, shrugged his shoulders calmly.

“…..It’s annoying; I don’t want to go on a mission today.”

Milo, who used a greatsword as his main weapon, confessed that he would skip the missions today. 

Mark, who was disciplined for making a mistake with his mouth, remained silent about the guest brought by the leader despite their harassment.

“You wont open your mouth until the end? Let’s tickle him!”

“Then Urania, you tickle over there.”

“Good!”

“Can’t you see I’m banging my head right now?! Go away!”

It was the moment when Urania and Stephen rolled up their sleeves to torture Mark.

A heavy footstep.

Everyone’s eyes were directed there to the sound of movement felt from the top of the stairs except for Mark, who was still hitting his head on the ground.

Soon after there was a sound of coming down the stairs, and Raeyan and the rumored Lady appeared.

Keugh! Gasp! Heeuk!

The three stopped breathing at the same time.

Behind the leader was a lovely girl with fluffy light blonde hair and bright pink eyes, like spring flowers.

It was the moment when it was revealed that it was not an exaggeration that one of the mercenary members was making a fuss about her being very pretty.

“What? Leader! You have high standards!”

“Leader, did you save a country in your previous life?”

“…….pretty.”

In the midst of the pouring praises, the unknown lady was not embarrassed, she just smiled calmly.

She was past being embarrassed, having heard so much admiration for her appearance at all sorts of social banquets.

“Hello.”

Urania and Stephen were taken aback by Elodie’s greeting.

“Hey, the angel speaks!”

“Hello, my name is Stephen.”

Mark, whose face turned red because he kept hitting his head, snorted inwardly.

‘What kind of devil is an angel.’

That’s also the devil of Perdia. Or was it madman?

Mark had forgotten.

The eyes of that angel passed him with an insensitive glance, as he continued hitting his head!

Raeyan gave the order with an indifferent face as usual, commanding, “From now on, the hallway over there is off limits. Let the others know.”

“Yes!”

“And Mark, return to your duties.”

“Yes!”

When Raeyan, who finally lifted Mark’s punishment, left with Elodie, the trio huddled together and began questioning him again.

“So, who the hell is the leader’s lover?”

At Stephen’s question, Mark took a deep breath before answering.

“Elodie Perdia.”

“………?”

“Her name is Elodie Perdia. Perdia’s ‘Lady’.”

“…………what?!”

The rumored dog-like girl greeted them that kindly?

The mercenaries couldn’t keep their mouths shut in shock.

***

A few days after that.

Returning to the mansion after visiting the imperial castle on the orders of Duke Perdia, Jansi witnessed a strange sight as soon as he entered his office.

Carlot was doing push-ups on the carpet.

Jansi, who was watching the scene quietly, asked calmly, “Carl. What are you doing?”

“Treatment of withdrawal symptoms.”

“….what?”

Carlot, who raised his body without much effort, answered briefly.

“Sister Lili withdrawal phenomenon.”

“…….I see.”

Jansi thought he’d gotten used to seeing Carlot fawning over Elodie after the attack, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

Because every time Carlot did something new and outrageous, he was still at a loss for words.

“Carl. It’s good to work out hard, but why are you doing it in my office?”

“The only person who can play with me is my brother.”

“Your brother has to work now.”

At the euphemistic order to leave the office, Carlot slumped on the carpet and grumbled, “I don’t want to be alone.”

“…….”

He was honest, immature, and rude, but he wasn’t this childish. It seemed that Elodie’s existence had touched some part of Carlot that had been suppressed.

As it turned out, it was a nuisance to Jansi.

Either way, Carlot, who was overtaxing his body with all sorts of body-weight exercises, suddenly called to Jansi.

“Brother.”

“What, Carl?”

“Is our sister not staying at home these days? She keeps going out with that mercenary emperor or mercenary king. And she comes back late at night.”

“Now that her probation is over, it doesn’t matter if she roams freely.”

“But! The escort should have been me! I’m upset! I don’t like it!” Carlot, who had been furious and angry, soon remembered something and slumped down, mumbling, “And sister, she looks a little sick these days.”

“……..”

It was just as Carlot said.

Early on, Jansi put Elodie under surveillance.

Elodie’s routine was simple. She got up around 9 o’clock, got ready, and went out right away. After shopping on Toinette Street, she headed straight to somewhere.

To the earth hawk mercenary corps headquarters.

Every single day.

‘What the hell are you doing there?’

Even if Jansi wanted to plant people and wanted to find out what was going on, Ian was with her. He was a talented person, so if you came within a certain distance, Ian would pressure you with his energy and warn you not to approach.

And late at night, there was a report that Elodie’s complexion was pale after leaving the mercenary headquarters.

‘Sooner or later, I should do a raid.’

No matter how much Ian was the mercenary leader, he would not be able to stop him from seeing his younger sister.

He couldn’t help but think that if Elodie knew, she would have been frightened.

It was just then.

“Brother, brother, brother.”

Carlot, who was doing planks, jumped up while calling Jansi.