The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

The Marquis of Branford rubbed his forehead.

‘Ha, this annoying bastard.’

Ghislain was not someone he could easily ignore, as he was more than capable of carrying out such a threat.

Rosalyn also backed up Ghislain’s statement.

“If that happens, the flag of Count Aylesbur’s family will fly across the kingdom. People will mock us for throwing away an opportunity that came right to our door. Really, what kind of embarrassment would that be? You need to think about the family’s honor.”

Sensing that the Marquis of Branford was wavering, the two of them didn’t stop.

“It’s only because Father is the guardian that the Baron approached us first. Don’t you see?”

“That’s right. I wanted to offer this opportunity to you first, Marquis. I’m glad the young lady understands my sincerity.”

“Father! Accept it quickly!”

“Marquis! There won’t be another chance like this!”

The Marquis of Branford’s face gradually reddened, and eventually, he bursted out and started shouting.

“Quiet! Why do the both of you have so much to say!”

At his roar, Ghislain and Rosalyn immediately closed their mouths.

The Marquis of Branford rarely raised his voice this much. Pushing him further at this point would only backfire.

“Haa…”

Letting out a deep sigh, the Marquis stood up and spoke to Rosalyn.

“Do as you see fit. But if anything goes wrong, I’ll arrange your marriage before you get any older. This is the last chance I’m giving you.”

“Understood!”

Rosalyn folded her fan and smiled broadly.

With her pushing forward, the outcome was practically decided.

The Marquis of Branford turned to Ghislain and emphasized sternly.

“I’m assuming you need this because you urgently need money right now. If you play any tricks or cause losses to the Marquis family, you won’t like what happens.”

“Please don’t worry. I will handle it properly.”

“I’m going to rest now, so the two of you can take care of the rest.”

The Marquis of Branford turned and walked out.

Even though he had made the decision himself, he still couldn’t shake the feeling of resentment.

‘Ah, it still feels like I got played by that brat… Ugh, my head hurts so much today. I shouldn’t think about it any longer.’

He massaged his temples and let out another sigh. It seemed like he would be feeling this sense of frustration for the next few days.

As he trudged away, Belinda and Claude silently celebrated.

Filled with joy, the two bounced on their feet, and their shoulders bumped against each other.

“What’s this? Won’t you move away? Why are you clinging?”

“Hah, I’m the one who’s more offended here.”

The two glared at each other, startled, and growled in frustration.

Gillian, who had been quietly rooting for Ghislain from the back, clicked his tongue and grabbed both of their shoulders, forcibly pulling them apart.

After the Marquis of Branford left, and they were sure he wasn’t coming back, Ghislain and Rosalyn finally let out sighs of relief.

Ghislain turned to Rosalyn with a smile on his lips.

“Thanks to you, everything went smoothly.”

Rosalyn shrugged her shoulders and replied.

“Well, I had my own reasons, you know.”

“Then, I’ll be counting on you going forward.”

“There won’t be any issues with the product supply, right?”

“Yes, I’ll increase the facilities as soon as I get back.”

“Good. I’m not sure why you suddenly needed such a large sum of money, but…”

Rosalyn suddenly stopped mid-sentence, a thought crossing her mind. She scrutinized Ghislain’s face carefully before asking, cautiously.

“You’re not sick or anything, are you? Like, receiving a terminal diagnosis and planning to blow all your money before you die or something…?”

Ghislain replied, his expression showing how absurd he found the idea.

“I’m healthy.”

“Ah, got it. I just thought I’d ask, just in case.”

Ghislain sighed. As expected from the daughter of the Marquis of Branford, her suspicions knew no bounds.

Still, once she made a decision, Rosalyn’s strength was in pushing forward without hesitation.

The two quickly drew up a contract. After signing her name under Ghislain’s, she smiled brightly.

“I’m glad I could help you like this. Let’s do well together from now on.”

“Thank you. It’s really reassuring to have you as my sponsor.”

The gratitude he had expressed before was more of a formality, but now it was genuine.

In truth, Ghislain hadn’t expected to secure the hefty sum of 300,000 gold.

He had initially planned to start with a high figure and then adjust, either by increasing the shares to be transferred or lowering the investment amount through negotiations.

But thanks to Rosalyn’s intervention, things had gone more smoothly than he anticipated.

‘This is the best outcome. It’s beyond my expectations. This should be more than enough for now.’

Now that they were tied together in business, the Marquis’ family would have no choice but to pay more attention to him.

And on top of that, 300,000 gold had landed in his lap. With this, he could accelerate his next plans significantly.

Suppressing the grin that threatened to spread across his face, Ghislain took Rosalyn’s outstretched hand and shook it.

* * *

News of the resumption of cosmetic sales quickly spread throughout the capital.

On the day sales restarted, nobles arrived with soldiers in tow, looking proud and determined.

“This time, I won’t be leaving empty-handed! I’ll be the first one inside!”

“Move out of the way! We’re going first!”

“Don’t get pushed back! Force your way through!”

The proud nobles, having learned from their previous failure, steeled themselves this time.

It was no longer just about obtaining the cosmetics; it had become a matter of pride for the nobles.

The soldiers each noble had brought with them were pushing against the main gate, shoving and grappling with one another. It was a scene reminiscent of a siege.

Crreeeak! Bang!

With so many people pressing against it, the gate of the mansion could no longer hold and finally collapsed.

“The gate’s open! Get inside!”

“Get in before that bastard! I won’t forgive you if you’re late!”

“Hurry up and push them aside!”

As they poured into the spacious garden, they began attacking one another.

As long as they didn’t touch Baron Fenris, it didn’t matter. The nobles genuinely believed there was no issue in fighting and overpowering each other to be the first to buy.

The garden quickly turned into a massive battlefield.

“Ahhh! Don’t step on me!”

“Just leave them and run! Get to the mansion first!”

“Grab those guys first!”

Ghislain and his companions watched from a distance.

There was no way they could control those prideful, crazed nobles by themselves.

If they tried to intervene, they’d end up getting dragged into the chaos, swinging their fists just as wildly.

Ghislain, with a playful grin, turned to Rosalyn beside him and said,

“Then, I’ll leave it to you, my lady.”

“Understood.”

Rosalyn lifted her chin proudly and strode toward the brawling crowd.

The people who were busy throwing punches felt an eerie chill and slowly began to stop fighting one by one.

As they came to their senses, they realized that soldiers armed with weapons had surrounded them.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“Are those Baron Fenris’ soldiers?”

“When did they bring in such a force…?”

The bewildered nobles widened their eyes when they saw the woman standing in front of the soldiers.

“No way…?”

“Ro-Rosalyn Branford?”

“Why is the daughter of the Marquis of Branford here?”

The excitement died down, replaced by confusion and unease, and the nobles noticed the emblem on the soldiers’ armor.

“Isn’t that the emblem of the Marquis of Branford?”

With puzzled expressions, the nobles stared at Rosalyn.

She spoke in a calm, expressionless tone, just like her father would.

“By the commission of Baron Fenris, the Marquis of Branford will be managing this place starting today.”

At those words, the nobles’ faces turned pale.

It was as if they had attacked the Marquis of Branford’s household by leading soldiers to this place.

Rosalyn looked at the hesitant crowd and said,

“It seems you acted out of ignorance this time, so I’ll let it slide. But it will be a problem if this happens again. Everyone, follow the order.”

The commotion quickly subsided. No matter how much the nobles acted on their whims, they couldn’t ignore Rosalyn, nor the Marquis of Branford who stood behind her.

As the atmosphere calmed down, the nobles began to steal glances at Rosalyn’s face.

Some had seen her at banquets, but more of them had only heard rumors and had never seen her up close.

Her skin was clear and radiant. It was hard to believe that she had once lived in seclusion due to a skin disease.

‘It’s true. She’s really fully recovered.’

A noble who had come up from the provinces boldly asked her a question.

He knew it was somewhat impolite, but his curiosity got the better of him.

“Um… did you really cure your illness with those cosmetics?”

Fortunately, Rosalyn didn’t take offense. Instead, she gave a gentle smile and replied.

“Yes, that’s right. While Baron Fenris helped treat me, these cosmetics played a big part. That’s why the Marquis’ family decided to manage their distribution.”

Without batting an eye, she lied.

‘It’s not exactly a lie; after all, the product’s effectiveness is proven.’

Hearing Rosalyn’s response, the nobles wore expressions filled with intent.

With visible proof in front of them and the endorsement of the Marquis of Branford, their trust in the product soared.

‘It’s expensive, but I should buy a lot while I can. I should get some for my wife too.’

‘It’s so popular that who knows when it’ll sell out. I could buy more now and sell it later for a higher price.’

‘Phew, if I use that, I’ll look even more handsome, right?’

Swoosh!

Rosalyn spread her fan wide and spoke softly.

“Well then, shouldn’t you all form a line?”

With just that one sentence, an amusing sight unfolded as the nobles quickly lined up.

It took some time, but everyone orderly waited their turn to purchase the cosmetics.

Considering the large crowd, and with Rosalyn herself stepping in, the sales on the first day were tremendous.

Rosalyn, in a cheerful mood, smiled brightly and spoke kindly.

“There’s plenty of stock, so there’s no need to fight to be the first. Please continue to line up like this in the future.”

Anyway, with the Marquis of Branford’s soldiers standing guard, there was no chance of any chaos breaking out.

As a result, the nobles didn’t have to bother coming out themselves to stand in line.

Those who didn’t want to queue began sending their servants instead, and the Crow Mansion returned to its usual calm.

“Wow, the mansion’s quiet now, but the cosmetics are selling like crazy,” Claude muttered in amazement. Ghislain nodded, looking relieved.

Although he had to give up a few shares, he managed to secure the money he needed and delegated the bothersome tasks.

Moreover, Rosalyn seemed determined, throwing herself into promoting and selling the cosmetics.

‘Whether she wants to quickly recoup her investment or win her father’s approval, either way, it also means that other businesses would be reluctant to interfere.’

Just as there were those who caused a commotion at Ghislain’s mansion despite knowing that the Marquis of Branford was his guardian, there were certainly others who were eyeing the cosmetics with greed.

If they were money-crazed, they were probably still scheming to somehow snatch it away, but as long as Rosalyn stood firm, it would be difficult for them to act recklessly.

‘Who knows how long this will last because of the Duke of Delfine, but that’s a problem for later.’

Though it had been a sudden change of plans, things had actually worked out better in many ways.

Now, the only thing left was to return home with peace of mind.

“Let’s head back. We’ll be buying materials needed for the estate on the way, so prepare a list.”

“Understood.”

While Claude and the close aides were packing up and getting ready to leave, Ghislain made the rounds to bid farewell to some of the influential nobles in the capital.

His last visit was to the Marquis of Branford’s family, where he received some good news.

“Thank you for all your help. I’ll be heading back to the estate now.”

“As promised, the initial support for Ferdium is prepared, so how about leaving together?”

“Is that so? Then I’ll join you.”

Traveling with the support troops would slow them down, but it didn’t matter.

Being able to personally oversee how the supplies were distributed meant that things would work out even better.

“They are waiting outside the city gates, so we can depart together. The royal family and various houses have sent soldiers, so there’s no need to worry about an escort.”

“Thank you very much for the consideration.”

Ghislain slightly bowed his head in appreciation.

Receiving support was certainly beneficial, but since it was an arrangement that aligned with both parties’ interests, there was no need to lower himself excessively in gratitude.

Sure enough, as they exited the city, an endless line of wagons loaded with supplies stretched before them.

The sight of countless provisions, warhorses, and military equipment filled the wagons, and Ghislain’s close aides couldn’t hold back their admiration.