Part 2 Chapter 98
“He was such a mischievous boy that scolding him never worked, so one day I even asked Emma to kick Fred out.”
“Hoho, yes! I remember that!”
Emma, who had just taken off her apron and sat down, joined in.
“But when I tried to chase him away, young Lady Bania cried her eyes out, begging me not to. It wasn’t the first time, either! Every time that boy got scolded, she would come running to protect him. Because, well…”
“Because that little brat was very handsome. Totally Bania’s type.”
“Kyaaaah!!”
Krista’s words drove the nail straight in, and I shrieked in horror.
“Wait, what? You let a kid off the hook for pinching, pulling hair, and flipping skirts?”
Ryan looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“N-no! That’s not it! It wasn’t because Fred was handsome, it’s just… he was still a child. I thought kicking him out would be too cruel, that’s all.”
As I fumbled for an excuse, Krista and Richard gave me squinty, knowing looks — the kind that said, ‘Sure it wasn’t because he was handsome?’
And at that moment—why, I don’t know—
memories of Windsor Castle I had long buried suddenly resurfaced.
“Bania, so if a man’s handsome, that’s all that matters? Even if he’s mean and scary? Even if he bullies you?”
“Yep.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“If his personality’s bad, I’ll fix it. And why would a handsome guy be scary? And if he teases me a little… I can handle that.”
…No words.
Childhood me, I sincerely hope you’ve grown since then.
When I turned my head, Nike was staring at me silently.
Ryan, watching the tense air between us, smirked.
“His Highness’s face really did the heavy lifting, huh? If the prince had been ugly, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here together right now.”
“That’s not true!”
Why so extreme?!
“Huh, but he’s got a point,” Alex chimed in cheekily.
“If the two of you hadn’t met, we’d all be doomed, right? But if His Highness were ugly, Sis never would’ve gone to see flowers with him in the first place!”
“So, cheer up, Brother.” Krista grinned at Ryan.
“There’s probably at least one woman out there like Bania — someone who doesn’t care about anything else as long as the guy’s her type.”
While Ryan seemed somewhat comforted, I turned quickly to Nike.
“Honey, that was all just a joke, okay? You’re not upset, right? I’d have loved you no matter what you looked like.”
“……”
Nike said nothing.
He clearly didn’t believe a word of it.
“Ugh, seriously!”
I jumped up, flustered.
Then glared at my dear but currently infuriating little sister, Krista — the one who had started this whole mess.
“You’re too much!”
“Huh? What did I do?”
“You’re one to talk! You’re just as shallow!”
“Me? Not really.”
Krista shrugged.
“I haven’t dated anyone, so I can’t say for sure, but looks aren’t that important to me.”
“Wow!”
“Really, I don’t care about a guy’s face. As long as he’s kind and gentle, that’s enough.”
“You—you liar…!”
Unbelievable!
She says looks don’t matter? I know better!
I can’t say it right now, but I know!
***
The Next Day – At the Employment Guild
The Empire’s largest guild — where you could hire anyone from coachmen to mercenaries for short-term work.
I came here today to hire a new bodyguard.
“Why do you need another guard?!”
Ryan grumbled as I tried to explain, so I gave up and just dragged him along.
“Oh, come on! Hire one more! You’re a future duchess, you’ve got money to spare!”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Still, Ryan, as always, grumbled but followed obediently.
“But seriously, why do we have to be wrapped up like this?”
We both wore cloaked robes with hoods covering our faces.
“Dad, I’m royalty now. Everything I do affects the royal family’s image, so I have to be careful. And you too — you’re my family and a national hero. We can’t risk rumors.”
In truth, I didn’t want to reveal my identity to the mercenary I was about to meet.
I wanted to give him the freedom to choose, not pressure him into working for royalty.
“We’re not doing something shady, are we…?” Ryan asked suspiciously.
Shady? No way.
I was simply trying to fix a tangled fate — the duty of a woman who had lived this life once before.
We entered the guild, bustling with workers waiting for hire.
“Ah!”
The guildmaster recognized my face and rushed over, bowing so low his head nearly touched the floor.
I whispered quickly, since I’d notified him in advance.
“Your Highness, had you called, I would’ve come to escort you myself.”
I’d met him before when I came to inquire about the mercenary’s background.
“You didn’t have to trouble yourself.”
“Not at all! Are you here to meet Sir Daniel?”
“Exactly. Is he available today?”
“He arrived early this morning, but, ah… he brought a sick family member with him.”
“Oh my, really? That’s perfect!”
“…Pardon?”
“Please, lead the way!”
“R-right away!”
After a quick introduction with Ryan, the guildmaster guided us down the corridor.
Ryan whispered under his breath,
“You know, saying ‘that’s perfect’ about someone’s sick family isn’t a great look. Weren’t you worried about rumors?”
Okay, maybe that sounded bad —
but it was a good thing. Because I planned to heal them.
***
“Daniel.”
The guildmaster opened the door labeled [3].
Inside were two people — a young man and an elderly man, frail and pale.
The young man was feeding him carefully with a spoon.
Daniel quickly stood up.
“Remember when a noble lady came looking for you last time? You couldn’t meet her because you were guarding Count Pellen’s estate.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Well, here she is.”
The guildmaster bowed politely and left the room.
I looked at Daniel.
Daniel Bashke — black hair like the night sky, dark eyes, and ridiculously handsome (← important!).
Age: 18.
A kind son working tirelessly to pay for his ailing father’s medicine.
He was also a former Imperial Sword Tournament finalist, later scouted by the Bassenberg family.
He’d joined the Second Battalion — basically the house’s errand unit — with hopes of promotion.
But after being ordered to do something vile, he’d refused and gotten beaten by his peers.
He would’ve been killed if not discovered by Krista.
‘Kyaah! What are you doing?!’
Something like that — that’s how Krista saved him.
And once she did, she fell for him instantly.
He became her personal knight.
“Looks don’t matter to me. I just want someone kind and gentle.”
Ha! Sure, Krista.
I know better!
You fell for a handsome face just like I did!
Anyway, this incredibly handsome man before me —
he was Krista’s lover before my regression.
And that’s why I couldn’t tell Ryan the truth:
that I was here to reunite Krista with her destined man.
Originally, Daniel should’ve met Krista back then —
but because she’d been so careful about her reputation, she hadn’t saved him this time.
I’d worried he might’ve died when we stormed Bassenberg’s estate,
but luckily he’d already quit long before.
Now he was working as a mercenary to support his father.
***
“Daniel Bashke!”
I strode up to him.
“I came to hire you as a personal guard for my household.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Daniel, his handsome face filled with confusion, asked cautiously,
“But how do you know about me?”
“I heard about your swordsmanship — an Imperial Sword Tournament finalist, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Before I hire you, though, I have a question. Please answer honestly.”
“Of course.”
My heart thudded nervously.
There was one thing I had to make sure of — whether Daniel was in a relationship.
Because if he already had someone, I couldn’t just drag him to meet Krista.
“Do you… currently have someone you’re seeing?”
“…What?”
Please, please say no!
I couldn’t force him to leave someone behind for my sister’s sake.
“Are you dating anyone?”
Daniel blinked, lips parting wordlessly — completely baffled by the question.
I couldn’t explain the reason yet.
“Is that… relevant to my employment, Your Highness?”
“Yes. I’ll explain later, but it’s important. So please answer honestly. Do you currently have—oh my!”
Ryan suddenly grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, startled.
He scowled, whispering sharply into my ear.
“What are you doing? Why does his love life matter to you?”
He looked both furious and disgusted.
“The Kingdom of Pretty Faces is all well and good, but you’re a married woman. Get a grip. His Highness would love to hear about this, wouldn’t he?”
“……?!?”
What?!
Was he seriously accusing me of flirting?
My pure, loyal heart — the same one that’s been faithful to Nike across two lifetimes — being doubted because of one handsome mercenary?!
Okay, fine, maybe the whole “Fred incident” yesterday didn’t help my case…
Flustered, I turned back toward Daniel.
He, too, looked awkward, as if he’d misunderstood everything.
Understandable — someone like him probably got indecent offers from noblewomen all the time.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m married. I have a husband.”
“……!”
Daniel’s eyes widened in shock, trembling as if the world had just shifted.
No, no, no! It’s not what it looks like!!
