The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Soldiers were stationed all over the mansion, leaving no gaps, as if to make it clear that escaping wasn’t even an option.

Belinda, glancing around nervously, tugged at Ghislain’s sleeve and whispered.

“Young Lord! What on earth are you thinking? How did things escalate like this?”

He had suddenly shown up, offering to treat the Marquis’s daughter’s condition and asking for something in return.

It was an absurd proposal, no matter who you asked.

‘Well, he’s always been like this. But this time, the opponent is too formidable. Strong-arming the kingdom’s most powerful noble!’

There were some nobles who would execute their servants over the slightest mistake.

The more powerful a noble was, the more cruelly they tended to act.

‘You can’t think of this like dealing with the Magic Tower. At least wizards don’t randomly try to kill nobles…’

And, most importantly, the Marquis of Branford wasn’t in a position where he needed Ghislain’s help, unlike the Magic Tower.

‘Ugh, I’ve been too complacent because nothing big has happened lately.’

Recently, everything Ghislain did had gone smoothly, and he’d been on a winning streak, which made her let her guard down. That was the problem.

‘I should’ve asked him what was going on before we came to the Marquis’s estate and stopped him!’

Belinda bit her nails anxiously, glaring at Ghislain.

Gillian kept his head down, hiding his gaze as he checked their possible escape routes.

“If things seem to go south, please inform me in advance. I will lead the way,” he said.

Despite everyone’s concerns, Ghislain just smiled.

Seeing Ghislain’s confident smile, they all let out a sigh.

As always, there was nothing left but to hope he would succeed somehow.

Claude began devising a plan to take the Marquis’s daughter hostage if things went wrong.

‘Judging by the Marquis’s personality, it probably won’t work… But you never know.’

The basics of kidnapping were to gather information about the target.

The Marquis of Branford was so famous that even Claude, who was from another kingdom, knew of him.

But he didn’t know much about the Marquis’s daughter, Rosalyn.

Claude carefully asked the butler walking beside them.

“Excuse me… What kind of person is the young lady?”

“Ah, you might not be familiar with her, coming from the North. She used to be quite famous here in the capital.”

“For what?”

Claude pressed his lips together, trying not to show his unease. Please don’t let it be something like swordsmanship or magic. That would make taking her hostage much harder.

The butler continued, his expression tinged with sadness.

“She has been exceptionally bright since she was young. Ever since the late Marchioness returned to her family home, the young lady has personally managed all the household affairs.”

“Other than household affairs, she didn’t do anything else?”

The butler frowned and scolded him sharply.

“How dare you dismiss the Marquis household’s responsibilities as mere household chores! For someone who is the Chief Overseer of an estate, do you not understand how difficult it is to manage a noble family?”

“Ah… I’m sorry…”

Claude mumbled as he scratched his head. The butler glared at him for a moment before continuing his explanation.

“Ahem, well, in addition to that, she also sponsors several organizations.”

Proudly, the butler began to list just how remarkable Rosalyn was.

“If I were to speak about our young lady…”

Ghislain’s associates couldn’t hide their surprise as they listened to the butler’s explanations.

The number of titles she held was astounding, almost unbelievable for a single individual.

‘Patron of the Cardenia Textile Guild.’

‘Patron of the Cardenia Stonemasons Guild.’

‘Patron of the Cardenia Carpentry Guild.’

‘Patron of the Cardenia Sculptors Guild.’

‘Patron of the Cardenia Glass Crafts Guild.’

‘Patron of the Cardenia Natural Philosophy Association.’

‘Patron of the Cardenia Astronomy Association.’

‘Former Vice President of the Gentlewomen’s Reading Society.’

‘Former Vice President of the Gentlewomen’s Tea Tasting Society.’

… and so on.

From the natural sciences to literature, arts, and philosophy, her influence extended across numerous fields. Even after falling ill, she continued to fund and manage these organizations.

Claude kept his mouth tightly shut, his eyes darting around.

‘So, the person we’re about to treat is someone like that. If things go wrong, we’re all really dead.’

The butler, as if there was more to say, continued with a tone full of enthusiasm.

“And what about her personality? She’s always calm, gentle to everyone, and has a kind and delicate heart. She’s never once spoken a harsh word.”

“A kind heart, you say? Well, that’s reassuring to hear.”

Claude’s eyes lit up. With such a personality, there was a chance she might spare them even if they made a mistake.

“Of course. She regularly provides necessities to the underprivileged in the capital. If not for her illness, she would have been doing even more by now.”

Ghislain’s associates, by this point, were completely mesmerized by the butler’s words, expressing only admiration.

The more they heard, the more remarkable she seemed. She wielded power no less than her father, the Marquis of Branford.

But Ghislain’s expression remained indifferent, as if he already knew all of this.

No, it was more like he didn’t care at all. He didn’t even seem to be listening to the butler’s words.

Claude glanced at him and let out a sigh.

‘Where on earth does he get that confidence from?’

He could never understand that occasional display of arrogance.

Still, it was a small relief that the young lady had a good personality.

Belinda, feeling slightly more at ease, asked in a somewhat relaxed voice.

“By the way… I heard she’s getting married soon. Is that true? Even though she’s unwell, was the wedding still planned?”

Countless people were closely watching every move of the Marquis of Branford’s household. The rumor that the Marquis’s daughter was soon to be married had already spread widely throughout the capital. Even Ghislain’s group, who hadn’t been in the capital for long, had heard of it.

In response to Belinda’s question, the butler replied with a hint of displeasure.

“To be honest, if it weren’t for her health issues, a marriage with that family wouldn’t have been considered. The young lord she’s engaged to is notorious for being a wastrel in the capital… Ahem, I shouldn’t be saying this.”

“Oh, so because of her illness, she’s being forced to marry someone she doesn’t like?”

“Well, it’s not just because of that…”

The butler trailed off, hesitating.

Claude clicked his tongue inwardly and tried to shift the conversation.

“Still, she seems like such a kind person. I’m sure she’ll get along well with her husband. Having someone like her is a great blessing for the Marquis’s household. Hahaha.”

The butler, who had been endlessly praising Rosalyn, suddenly darkened at those words.

“…She used to be.”

“…?”

Before Claude could ask what he meant, the group arrived in front of Rosalyn’s room.

Knock, knock.

The butler carefully knocked on the door. A soft voice could be heard from inside.

“…What is it? It’s still early for a meal.”

Claude immediately sensed something was off when he heard the voice.

The low, subdued tone, as if suppressing her emotions, carried a hint of inexplicable resentment and hostility.

‘Something’s wrong. Why does her voice sound like that?’

Claude wasn’t the only one who noticed something strange. Ghislain also frowned, tilting his head to the side.

The butler, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere, cleared his throat and spoke loudly.

“There are guests here to see you.”

“…Guests?”

“The Marquis has ordered someone to check on your skin. It’s Baron Fenris.”

“…Send them away.”

She spoke irritably.

But the butler couldn’t simply turn them away.

The Marquis had already ordered Ghislain to begin the treatment. No one in the mansion could disobey that command, not even Rosalyn herself.

The butler let out a heavy sigh and spoke again.

“It is the Marquis’s command.”

“…I said, send them away.”

“I apologize. I’m going to open the door now. Everyone, be cautious.”

“Huh? Cautious of what, exactly…?”

The butler shut his eyes tightly and suddenly flung the door open. He then immediately threw himself behind the door, taking cover.

The servants who had followed quickly huddled behind the butler.

Whirr!

As soon as the door opened, something flew out from the dark room at high speed.

“Huh?”

Ghislain tilted his head slightly, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.

The object that had flown straight at him brushed past his face and headed directly for Claude, who was standing right behind him.

“Ugh!”

Claude squeezed his eyes shut in surprise. Fortunately, Wendy swiftly snatched the flying object out of the air.

“A candlestick?”

Wendy was holding an ornate candlestick decorated with intricate patterns.

If it had hit Claude’s face directly, he would have been seriously injured. He let out a dry laugh, completely taken aback.

‘What the hell? I thought she was supposed to be gentle and kind?’

Far from having a sweet disposition, this was a violent greeting that made one question her very character.

Noble young ladies would never act like this in front of others.

Such behavior would not only disgrace themselves but also bring shame upon their entire family.

Yet, the Marquis’s daughter was doing such a thing without a care!

The butler, looking embarrassed, coughed repeatedly, trying to offer an explanation.

“Ahem, she’s not usually like this… She’s been a bit on edge lately…”

‘From the way he opened the door and dodged so naturally, it doesn’t seem like this is the first time,’ Claude thought.

The servants were huddled close behind the butler, trembling.

As Claude narrowed his eyes at the butler, the man subtly averted his gaze, lowering his head. Just as Claude was about to demand an explanation, a sharp voice rang out from within the room.

“I told you to go away! What treatment now? Just leave me alone!”

Whoosh!

Objects kept flying out from the dark room—candlesticks, books, cups, bowls, picture frames, porcelain, incense burners, and anything else that was heavy enough to cause damage.

The butler and the servants remained huddled by the door, out of the line of fire, while all the objects were aimed squarely at Ghislain’s group.

But they weren’t ordinary people; they dodged or deflected every single item that came their way.

Soon, a voice filled with a mix of panic and frustration came from inside the room.

“Who are you people? What do you want? Do you want to die? Get out of here before I tear you to pieces! Butler, what are you doing? Call the soldiers!”

From the mouth of someone who was supposedly gentle and never spoke harshly, came a threat to tear people apart.

It was clear she wasn’t a novice when it came to cursing.

“Hmm…”

Ghislain was genuinely taken aback by the unexpected situation.

In the records he had seen in his past life, there was no mention of Rosalyn Branford having such a foul temper.

Although the reasons varied, the others were just as stunned as Ghislain, staring at the butler with dumbfounded expressions.

Click.

The butler discreetly closed the door again, clearing his throat.

“Ahem, let’s give the young lady a moment to cool down.”

Claude, unable to hold back any longer, protested.

“Wait a minute, didn’t you say she was kind and gentle? And that she doesn’t use harsh words?”

“…She was, in the past.”

“What?”

“Before she fell ill, she was truly like an angel. I assure you.”

“Wow… This is unbelievable.”

The butler’s calm, matter-of-fact tone made him seem all the more shameless. Claude was at a loss for words, struck by the absurdity of the situation.

Despite her terrible temper, the butler blindly took her side just because she was the lady he served.

After a while, the commotion inside the room died down. The butler gave an awkward smile.

“She must be calmer now.”

Creak…

The butler very cautiously opened the door. This time, nothing flew out.

Ghislain’s group finally felt safe enough to cautiously observe the situation inside the room.

There was a woman standing in the shadows, her back turned to the light.

She wore simple, plain clothes that didn’t match the status of the Marquis’s daughter.

Her face was hidden behind a mask, and she wore gloves on her hands.

The light from the hallway illuminated the mask through the open door, revealing a pair of sharp, piercing eyes glaring out from behind it.

Gulp.

Everyone swallowed nervously, unable to muster the courage to step inside.

Rosalyn slowly spoke, her voice heavy with suppressed emotion, filling the dark room.

“Leave. Before I kill you all.”