Episode 57: How a Mercenary Brings Her Husband Home (6)
Regina let out a deep sigh and walked toward Rosie. She didn’t want to truly get angry at a drunk child. And scolding her in front of the mercenaries would only hurt her pride.
She decided it was better to make her quiet for now and scold her properly later.
But Gyle spoke up first, scolding Rosie.
“You’re drunk. Just listening to your nonsense makes that obvious.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Then it’s even worse. What do you think you’re doing right now?”
“Because it’s unfair! And everyone acting so happy just because Lady Regina came is childish.”
“Enough. Before I really lose my temper.”
Gyle roughly took the glass from Rosie’s hand. He only took the cup, but her hand stung like she’d been hit. And his cold gaze made her big eyes well up with tears.
“…I’ll go up first.”
Rosie turned around unsteadily and left the dining hall. No one stopped her—except Regina.
Gyle, annoyed at having made his young sister cry, ran a hand through his hair.
“Regina, don’t give in to that kind of whining. Let her deal with it on her own.”
Maut, standing in front of the dining hall door, added in a stern voice. When Maut spoke like an adult, Regina usually listened quietly. The other mercenaries also chimed in, telling her to leave Rosie be.
“…Alright. I won’t follow her this time.”
Valentin, meanwhile, quietly observed the scene.
‘I thought this guild was all harmony…’
But of course, where people gathered, there would always be some discord, even in a place that seemed like paradise. What caught his attention most was how much Regina seemed to care about Rosie.
“Regina.”
“I ended up showing an embarrassing scene. Were you surprised?”
“I think you were the one more surprised.”
Regina hesitated for a moment, then forgot she had left her glass with Gyle and picked up a new one.
“She’s not usually like that. She must’ve had too much to drink.”
She stared down at her empty glass. Valentin tilted the bottle he was holding—one he’d already drunk from—and poured until the last drop was gone, then handed the glass back to her.
“So, what brings you here tonight, Your Grace?”
Gyle slipped into the space between them and asked Valentin in a low, displeased voice. Valentin treated his annoyance like a pebble in the road, casually picking up a new bottle.
He still felt irritated, so he wanted to drink more than the red-haired mercenary beside him. Gyle clearly felt the same.
“…To say hello?”
Hello? What kind of greeting came with a contract relationship? Gyle picked up a new bottle himself and smirked.
“I didn’t know royals went around greeting commoners. If you had that much generosity, the empire wouldn’t have starving citizens.”
“Well, Regina is my wife, and this is her home.”
Every word from Valentin made Gyle burn inside. He downed the strong liquor in one gulp, like it was life-giving water.
“You seem awfully attached for a marriage that’s only on paper.”
Valentin raised the bottle to his lips and drank deeply in return.
“I could be attached to more than just her neck.”
This war of words wouldn’t end until they’d emptied an entire crate of liquor.
They were already past the point of return. Both men clearly wanted to shove the other out of sight.
Gyle couldn’t shake the feeling that this man could easily unsettle the always-steadfast Regina. But he swallowed down his unease—admitting it would be like admitting that his connection to her, born from a single contract, was something real.
“How much have you two had to drink…?”
Regina, returning from chatting with Maut, stared at the bottles in their hands in shock. They were already near empty—and it was the strongest liquor they had.
She knew Gyle could handle his drink, so her worried gaze naturally went to Valentin.
‘He seems fine… but he’ll suffer tomorrow.’
His face looked perfectly normal. Unlike her, his eyes didn’t get glassy or red when he drank.
“Do you feel dizzy at all?”
Regina reached out to grab his shoulder, planning to drag him to his room if he stumbled. But Valentin caught her hand and rubbed his cheek against it.
“…You’re drunk.”
Seeing them so close, Gyle’s fingers twitched. He quickly pulled Regina away from Valentin.
“Regina, you should stop drinking too. You seem tipsy.”
“…Is it obvious?”
“To me, it is.”
His tone was gentle for her, but his sharp eyes were fixed on Valentin. Regina, feeling her head grow foggy, didn’t notice.
“I should drink some water.”
She picked up a glass without a second thought. But Shanro, in one of his pranks, had poured clear liquor into the water cups, promising to punish anyone who avoided drinking tonight.
“Pffft! Who put alcohol in this?!”
It was so vicious—clear as water, but strong enough to burn. She had already swallowed several mouthfuls before realizing it.
Shanro had fled the moment he saw her lift the glass.
“Ugh…”
Those last gulps pushed her intoxication to its limit. She stumbled, and both Valentin and Gyle grabbed an arm to steady her.
“I’ll take her to her room.”
“I’ll take her.”
Their cold glares clashed in the air.
“I’ve always done it.”
Gyle was the one who most often looked after Regina in the guild. As her childhood friend, he had followed her for years, content just to be by her side.
He had no intention of letting Valentin take that role from him.
“Then find another task. As long as this contract lasts, this is my job.”
A clear provocation. If Regina weren’t between them, they’d already be brawling.
“Gyle, you should relax. You’ve worked hard.”
Regina, wanting to get away from the reeking dining hall, quickly took charge.
She pulled her hand free from Gyle’s grip, hoping her friend could rest after returning from Garber.
“Valentin, let’s go.”
“Of course.”
Valentin followed without hesitation, a satisfied smile like a well-fed predator on his face.
“Ah—”
The moment they left the dining hall, Valentin scooped her up in his arms. It was only the second time he’d carried her like this.
“You said you’re drunk.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t walk. You’re drunk too, aren’t you?”
“Not really.”
Just like before, he didn’t put her down. She knew she couldn’t get away from this position easily—and since his legs were clearly fine, she gave up quickly.
Honestly, walking on the unsteady ground was annoying, and the alcohol made being carried feel oddly comfortable.
“After seeing this place tonight, I think I understand why you’re so strong.”
“…What?”
“They all rely on you, Regina.”
Her eyes softened. And the alcohol loosened her tongue.
“They’re just happy. This is the first time we’ve built our own base. Before this, we were always on the move, going wherever the jobs took us.”
Valentin listened closely, enjoying the warm laughter in her voice.
“Then why the Manemo Empire?”
“It’s my mother’s homeland. She died after giving birth to me.”
Drunk, Regina began sharing personal things she normally wouldn’t. This was her version of drunk talk—moments when she opened up.
Valentin held her more securely, letting her words flow without interruption.
The topic of “mother” wasn’t easy for him to answer, but simply listening felt fine.
“The real reason’s small—Manemo is in the center of the continent, so it’s good for taking jobs from other countries.”
“Small reasons often move people the most.”
“Valentin, you—… never mind.”
Everyone in the empire knew that aside from the current emperor, none of the princes were born of the empress.
Regina wanted to ask about his past, but stopped herself. The imperial palace was said to be a lonely place.
Valentin could guess what she wanted to know, but didn’t press her.
He had never known warmth from his mother. His only memories were of her shouting and throwing things.
The first and last time she had been gentle was when they held hands walking into a warehouse. It was also the first time he had ever held her hand—and he’d learned that her skin was as soft as silk and warmer than the inside of a blanket.
Before they knew it, they had reached her room. Valentin carefully sat her on the bed.
“I happened to overhear something about a penalty fee.”
Regina blinked slowly.
“Is that why you’re taking dangerous jobs, as well as my request?”
In the noisy dining hall earlier, Valentin had distracted Maut and Shanro with other drinks while slipping over to hear her conversation. He had caught every word.
He had pretended not to, but he had definitely been eavesdropping.
“…Because of that damned bastard.”
“…That damned bastard?”
