Chapter 59: How a Mercenary Brings Her Husband Home (8)

Gyle quickly lifted his head from Regina’s shoulder and asked. Regina turned her eyes toward the faraway window. She knew the nagging would soon begin.

“…Don’t tell me, it’s you again.”

Gyle rubbed his forehead and sighed. He was always the first one to stop Regina’s self-punishing habits.

“Loosen me up a little.”

Regina turned her body with a playful smile. Another sigh came from behind, but she knew Gyle would listen.

A large hand pressed down on her shoulder, squeezing the tight muscles with strong fingers.

As her muscles slowly relaxed, Regina closed her eyes. The headache from her hangover also started to fade.

It was always Gyle’s job to ease her overworked body. He had chosen this role himself.

‘You don’t know I even went to a famous healer to learn this just for you.’

But he had no plan to tell her. Just helping to ease the burden on her shoulders was enough. Spending months to learn this had not been wasted.

“But… is Rosie awake? Haa… If she drank so much, she must have a bad hangover too.”

Again, Regina thought of others before herself. Gyle frowned deeply while her back was turned.

She always put her guild members first, but when it came to Rosie, it was even stronger. Regina treated the girl like family. Gyle usually kept quiet about it, but sometimes it was frustrating.

To him, Rosie was an endlessly spoiled child.

“She doesn’t even look at you, Gyle. One day, when she realizes that, I hope you’ll feel the same pain and sadness I did.”

Those were Rosie’s childish words, thrown out in emotion, but they had left a sharp wound in Gyle’s heart.

“You protect Rosie too much. She needs to be treated as a real mercenary now.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll scold her properly for what she did yesterday.”

How could he feel good when the girl he thought of as a sister had said such cruel things? He truly meant to discipline her.

“That’s not what I mean. Stop always holding her hand.”

Regina knew exactly what he was saying. He always believed people grew stronger only when pushed to the edge.

“But she’s not ready for real battle. I’m afraid she’ll get hurt.”

“You too were always protecting others, breaking bones, almost losing limbs. That’s how you became strong.”

Everyone knew Rosie wasn’t skilled enough. But Regina’s overprotection only held her back, Gyle thought. It would raise her pride without matching ability.

“Ugh.”

As he spoke firmly, Gyle accidentally pressed her shoulder too hard.

“Ah, sorry.”

“I’ll take your advice. But please don’t break my shoulder in the process.”

Regina laughed off the mistake and glanced at her bag. So he thinks she needs real training…

“But tell me. That duke… is he really crazy?”

The massage moved from her shoulders to her back. His hands were skilled, but when they reached her waist, they stiffened. Regina grabbed his rough hand and pushed it firmly onto her waist.

Gyle sighed at his endlessly oblivious friend.

“What are you trying to ask?”

“He looks normal.”

“The new medicine works well. As long as he takes it, he can live normally.”

But Regina wasn’t convinced. Valentin felt too calm, too controlled—like a man hiding his true face. He seemed more like someone skilled at covering up his cruelty than a madman.

This wasn’t jealousy. It was instinct—man to man.

“As a client, he’s not a bad person. Don’t worry.”

Like father, like son—always worrying. Regina laughed and tapped his hand, asking him to massage her shoulders again.

“…I’ll do the waist later.”

“Fine. But don’t squeeze so hard. Ow, ow—see, not so strong!”

Gyle smirked and pressed a little harder anyway. A small revenge.

‘I’m sure he overheard us.’

That man wouldn’t sit quietly for no reason. And Valentin was not the kind to wait patiently for a conversation to end.

Clearly, Regina’s guard against Valentin was falling. She was soft-hearted after all.

‘I’ll have to check into him myself.’

Gyle was also a longtime mercenary, not as famous as Regina but known enough. Gathering information wouldn’t be hard.

Meanwhile, unlike Regina, who woke up late, Valentin had left the bed at dawn. He already suffered from insomnia, and in a strange place, there was no chance he could sleep.

The alcohol that had kept him drowsy was gone, leaving his mind sharp and his head aching.

So he gave up on sleep and stepped into the fresh morning air.

“Wow, you’re up early! I thought you’d be sleeping late after all that drinking yesterday.”

It was Shanro, out for morning training. If Valentin had known, he might have stayed in bed.

The night before, Shanro and Maut had led the mercenaries in trying to get him drunk. They failed.

They had wanted to see him humiliated—after all, he had “stolen” Regina with a fake marriage request. But Valentin drank too well.

“Seems you hold liquor better than mercenaries. We were fooled by that fine body of yours.”

In the end, the mercenaries themselves couldn’t keep their training promise.

“You forced it on me, didn’t you?”

Valentin smiled, catching the sharpness in Shanro’s tone. Shanro raised an eyebrow. He was now certain: this man pretended to be polite in front of Regina, but he looked down on most people.

“Yes, that’s right! But hey, we gave you a place to sleep. You won’t take offense, will you?”

Valentin’s broad shoulders lifted lightly. Maybe shamelessness was a mercenary trait.

“Shouldn’t I be the one offended?”

At those words, Shanro’s grin faded.

“Well, mercenaries are wild beasts. Unless you beat them half-dead, they’ll get cocky sometimes.”

‘I’ve already done that.’

If they knew he was the “damned attacker,” this place would turn into a battlefield. Half of them would end up in a hospital.

Even so, Valentin’s eyes showed no fear, no discomfort. Shanro shrugged. He had the simple, reckless mindset that strength alone solved problems.

Watching him, Valentin was reminded of Gyle again.

“So… how do you break mercenaries’ pride?”

“Huh? You trying to crush us? Guess we’re bothering you.”

Shanro rolled his shoulders and wrists, bones cracking loudly. He looked at the mercenaries starting to gather nearby.

Valentin noticed too.

“Even if it’s not now, I should know a way.”

“You already have one. Regina’s favor. That’s the strongest weapon here.”

Yes—her kindness. That alone could silence mercenaries who would rather die than hold their tongues.

“But I mean something more certain.”

Shanro narrowed his eyes. Hearing that, even with mercenaries approaching noisily, this man still acted calm. It pricked his pride. Shanro straightened and stared at Valentin seriously.

“Sounds like a dangerous challenge… Then would you like to try the way I recommend?”

“Whatever it is.”

After a long massage, Regina finally moved. The damp air pressed against her skin as she went down the stairs with Gyle. She sighed at the cloudy sky.

‘I hate rain.’

She hated walking around soaked, but she had promised Eirin to get good liquor at a fair price. Better to finish before the rain fell.

“Where are you going? It’s about to rain.”

“I have business.”

She had planned to send someone else, but since Valentin wanted to see the capital, she decided to go herself. Besides, choosing liquor directly was always more satisfying.

“But first, I need to meet Shanro.”

He never skipped morning training, so he’d be at the yard. Regina turned that way.

“To scold him?”

“No, for something else.”

Of course, she’d also give him an earful for last night’s bad prank.

“Ahh! This duke is a cheater!”

“Hey, Shanro! Do you want to die!?”

But when Regina reached the training yard, Shanro was already shouting at Valentin in the middle of the field.

The training yard had turned into a gambling table, the cloudy sky forgotten.

“…What are you doing?”

Regina’s voice thundered louder than the sky.