Chapter 63: How a Mercenary Avoids Rain with Her Husband (3)
“Since all their goods burned, they must be hiding to avoid blame and revenge. The problem is finding them.”
They were like moles, digging underground to hide. Regina would have to search in many places.
She sighed and checked Persona’s request list and ledgers. No matter how much her waist hurt, she had to finish what she came for—making sure the guild was running well in her absence.
“Hmm… Persona’s system is holding up. Some small issues, but nothing serious. That’s a relief.”
Regina stayed in the records room, organizing papers. Focusing on work made her forget even the pounding rain.
“Ahhh! The tree snapped!”
“Reginaaa! The window broke!”
“Kyahhh! Squeaaak!”
…Her overly noisy mercenaries, of course, found ways to cause new trouble.
“…I should break their heads.”
Slamming the papers down, Regina left the room.
Usually, swordsmen with sharp senses disliked rainy days. To them, heavy rain was like fog—it dulled their ability to detect presence.
“Damn demon duke! There’s thunder and lightning outside too!”
“Then you should’ve won the card game.”
“Ughhh! Damn it!”
Shanro’s roar echoed down the hallway. But since his voice was always loud, no one rushed over.
He had already forgotten the man before him was a royal. He just kept grumbling about trudging through the storm to buy pudding.
“Kyahhh! Reginaaa!”
But louder than Shanro came another scream. Both men turned their heads toward the sound.
“What now? Did they cause more trouble?”
“My order was to bring the pudding to her room.”
Smiling faintly, Valentin started walking. Shanro narrowed his eyes. He was obviously heading to Regina. Shanro let out a bitter laugh.
“So this duke has feelings for her.”
Why else would a man buy her favorite food in the pouring rain? Even if he didn’t fetch it himself, the intent was clear.
Shanro’s gaze slid down to the duke’s cane.
“Do you wonder if my leg is truly crippled?”
The calm smile on Valentin’s lips clashed with the chill in his voice. Shanro flinched hard, shoulders jerking.
Like a ghost—his presence was so faint it was eerie.
“Haha, of course not, never.”
Shanro quickly averted his eyes.
“Too bad. I was going to prove it.”
Whatever he meant, Shanro didn’t want to know. He shook his head firmly. This royal felt stronger than any common fighter he’d met.
“Reginaaa!”
Another shriek came from afar. Valentin turned back, and Shanro finally looked away too.
“Is he really a royal? He feels more dangerous than most mercenaries.”
“Then put that pudding in her room properly.”
Valentin didn’t forget to remind him. Shanro muttered bitterly, “Regina, what kind of beast did you bring here?”
Regina left the records room, sighing.
What was the point of systems if her men still acted like children?
She clicked her tongue at the huge mercenaries stomping around a shattered window. Men strong enough to rip trees from the ground are now screaming at broken glass.
“Clear the tree. Board up the window.”
“But it’s scary! What if lightning hits us outside?”
“Ahhh! Reginaa, the rain’s pouring in!”
They all rushed at her at once. Surrounded by their giant frames, she could hardly breathe. So she kicked their butts to shove them back.
“Stop yelling and move!”
“Regina, they’re faking it. They just missed your nagging.”
She turned at Gyle’s voice, baffled. Missed her nagging?
“…They’re insane.”
Then she saw Valentin walking nearby, a little behind Gyle.
“Why are you two together?”
“We didn’t come together.”
“We didn’t.”
They answered at the same time. Their faces made it clear—they were not on good terms, just walking from the same direction.
Crash!
“Kyahhh! Regina, the window’s breaking more!”
The heavy tree was forcing its way inside.
Regina stepped forward, but Valentin caught her shoulder and pulled her back—like an embrace from behind.
“It’s dangerous. Stay here.”
“But they’re—”
He gently pressed her shoulder down and faced the mercenaries. Like wild dogs guarding their master, they glared at the arrogant intruder near her.
“…Hey! Grab an axe and get outside!”
“Hurry up and deal with it!”
“What’s with everyone?”
But to Regina’s surprise, the men moved quickly. They didn’t dare strike a royal, so the fastest way to get rid of him was to finish the job and make him let go of her.
“Gyle!”
She called, and Valentin looked at him—his eyes sharp, as if demanding why he hadn’t already gone. Annoyed, Gyle ran a hand through his hair, then walked to her.
“I’ll take care of it.”
He grabbed her wrist, pulling her free from Valentin’s hand. Only then did he look satisfied, leaping out the window himself. They were on the third floor.
“Move aside. I’ll cut it down.”
Outside, Gyle swung his sword among the mercenaries as if nothing was wrong. Regina shrugged. If he was going to handle it that easily, why make such a fuss before?
“Regina, they’ve got it handled. Shall we go now?”
“Go where?”
Without hesitation, Valentin guided her away from the window.
“To the room.”
His short reply left no room for questions. He opened the creaky guest room door and led her inside.
It was smaller than her own but tidy and well-kept. Only the bed looked used—the rest of the room was cold and untouched.
He pointed to a box on the table. The label was from a familiar shop.
“When did you get this?”
If he said he used mercenaries, she wouldn’t like it. So he only smiled faintly. He had won it fairly in a card game, but there was no need to explain.
“Eat.”
“There’s too much. I can’t eat it all.”
Each box held three puddings. There were more than ten boxes stacked.
Even if it was her favorite, she couldn’t finish that much.
“Then eat one, and take the rest with you.”
It seemed she had no choice but to eat here before leaving. And since he had gone through the trouble in the rain, she couldn’t refuse. She sat down.
“Eat together.”
“Not for me.”
“They’re really good. Of all I’ve tried across the continent, this is the best.”
She hadn’t expected pudding to be praised like that. Valentin chuckled and sat across from her, watching her.
Her expression changed when she ate something she liked. Subtle, hard to notice, but he caught it. He found himself watching her face more than the pudding.
“What else do you like, besides this?”
“Hmm… I like sweets, but I get tired of them quickly. That’s the problem.”
Her short appetite was her flaw. To grow stronger, she needed to eat more, but she often left food unfinished—Gyle usually ate the rest.
“What about you, Valentin? What do you like best?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll respect even strange tastes. Tell me.”
Regina thought he was joking. Surely a man with such an appetite had favorite foods. Maybe it was something odd, like Shanro eating cherries with cream soup.
“No, really. I don’t know.”
