Chapter 24
Please Hire Me
‘Ah.’
Elodie turned in surprise toward Reyian. Without realizing it, she had called him by his real name—“Reyian”—instead of “Ian.”
It seemed his publicly known name was Ian. Would this cause a problem?
Meanwhile, the Duke, who had briefly felt a strange discomfort at his daughter calling another man so familiarly, suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
‘Reyian… I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.’
But he couldn’t remember exactly where. It was only a vague impression.
While the Duke was lost in thought for that brief moment, Elodie tried to communicate with Reyian through her eyes.
She looked at him as if asking if he was okay—but Reyian simply looked back at her without any reaction.
‘Doesn’t seem like it’s a big issue.’
Relieved that he didn’t seem bothered, Elodie shifted her attention back to the situation at hand.
‘He really came. If Marta hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have even known.’
According to Marta, a breathtakingly handsome man with black hair and red eyes had arrived at the mansion—otherwise she wouldn’t have known Reyian was here at all.
“Why didn’t you call me? Ian is my savior…”
At Elodie’s question, the Duke replied calmly.
“I intended to.”
“……”
The Duke ignored Reyian’s gaze directed at him.
Elodie, unaware of the subtle tension between the two men, walked toward the sofa to sit down.
Just as she was about to take a seat—
“Elodie.”
“Yes?”
She looked up in surprise.
“Sit here.”
The Duke pointed to the seat beside him.
For Elodie, who had never once sat next to the Duke before, it felt like an unfamiliar command.
Hesitantly, she sat beside him and looked across the room. Her eyes met Reyian’s again.
“Long time no see, Ian.”
“Yes. I hope you’ve been well.”
“Thanks to you. I still appreciate what you did last time.”
“It was nothing I didn’t deserve to do.”
This was their third meeting.
The first had been so brief it barely counted, and the second had been when he saved her life. And now.
She now knew the name and identity of the man she once didn’t even know existed—but he was still a variable she couldn’t fully trust.
‘If I’m not the only one with memories of my past life, that would be troublesome.’
Reyian had said he saw “Yun Gaeul” in a dream—but he never mentioned seeing himself in that scene.
Elodie had recovered all her memories of her past life the moment her mother’s keepsake shattered.
So she theorized that Reyian, too, might recover his memories if some trigger occurred.
In any case, he was a variable worth observing.
Elodie noticed the Duke’s displeased expression and asked,
“By the way, Father, what were you discussing?”
“We were talking about the price of saving you.”
“That’s true. If Ian hadn’t saved me, I might not be alive right now.”
At that, the Duke’s mood darkened further.
“…I will consider the matter of compensation closed, as previously stated.”
“I refuse.”
Caught between the Duke and Reyian, Elodie blinked in confusion.
‘What exactly is this compensation?’
The Duke—who casually ordered his daughter to spend 100,000 Rarits a month because she didn’t use enough money—would not offer something trivial.
So it likely wasn’t money.
Reyian turned his gaze to Elodie.
“The person I saved was Lady Elodie, so I would like to receive my reward from her.”
“From me? What kind of reward do you want?”
Without hesitation, Reyian replied:
“Please hire me.”
“…Huh?”
Hire him?
Reyian was the leader of the Sky Falcon Mercenary Corps, a man even called the “Mercenary King.”
For someone like him to personally request employment—
“Is… your mercenary corps in financial trouble…?”
Elodie asked carefully, sincerely.
The two men went silent at once.
“……”
“……”
Elodie quickly realized from their stares that she had misunderstood.
Ahem. She cleared her throat awkwardly.
“So… you’re saying I should hire Ian as my personal escort?”
“Yes.”
“Why? If it’s not about money, then I don’t understand why.”
Reyian briefly glanced at the Duke before looking back at Elodie.
“Because the Second Prince is trying to recruit me.”
“The Second Prince?”
“Yes. I am the only mercenary group officially acknowledged by the Emperor, so he is trying to bring me under his command.”
Elodie understood immediately.
If the Second Prince intended to recruit him, Reyian could not remain neutral in the struggle for succession.
In that case, aligning with the First Prince’s side would help block the Second Prince’s approach.
‘Not a bad deal for me either.’
Elodie weighed it in her mind.
The Sky Falcon Mercenary Corps had earned great merit in the war against the Kingdom of Nelter two years ago.
Because of that, they had been granted imperial recognition, and Reyian had earned the title “Mercenary King”—a commoner who could not be easily ignored even by nobles.
If he became her hired escort, the biggest benefit would be that Carlo wouldn’t need to guard her anymore when going outside.
Even the Second Prince would not dare touch someone protected by Reyian.
And since Reyian already knew her past life identity, he would likely not question whatever she did to earn independence.
There was no downside.
Elodie nodded readily—
“Alright!”
“Rejected.”
The Duke and Elodie spoke at the same time.
“…!”
Their eyes met.
The Duke looked at her with clear displeasure.
“Do you trust him?”
“He saved my life.”
“He may have done so with intent. Or he may be connected to those who attacked you and Carlo.”
To say that in front of the person involved—Elodie glanced at Reyian nervously, but he didn’t look offended.
Rather, he seemed to accept it as natural.
‘Seriously, I can’t read him at all.’
Still, she needed Reyian if she wanted to earn independence funds freely.
And she also needed a reason to keep him nearby and observe him.
It was a win-win.
“I think this is actually beneficial for the Duke’s family as well. If the Sky Falcon Mercenary Corps is seen as closely aligned with us, the First Prince’s influence will increase.”
“……”
“Am I wrong?”
Hah.
The Duke sighed and rubbed his face.
‘She’s not wrong.’
The fact she was attacked, that a stranger saved her, and that the man was Ian—all of it was unsettling.
Even the familiarity between them after only a few meetings irritated him.
But if what the mercenary said was true, they couldn’t simply send him away.
They needed to bring him under their influence.
After a brief silence, the Duke concluded:
“Then we will draw up a contract.”
A contract.
It was a magical contract that inflicted a curse upon anyone who broke its terms.
It was created by a branch member of the Duke’s family who possessed the “curse” ability.
Reyian, aware of this, agreed without hesitation.
Whatever absurd curse was attached, he had no choice but to accept.
‘This life… I must protect it no matter what. …Yun Gaeul.’
At the end of his gaze was Elodie.
“Today, I will definitely finish making the antidote.”
—And as soon as she said that, Carlo burst into her room.
“Unni…!”
Sigh…
Elodie resignedly pushed the poison bottle deep into her drawer.
Weeks had passed since she promised the Duchess she would deliver the antidote.
‘I’m going to be seen as lazy at this rate.’
She felt too ashamed to face the Duchess.
Carlo, unaware of her situation, rushed toward her excitedly.
“So it’s true? That Ian mercenary is your escort?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Is it because I failed to protect you? Is that it?”
Carlo knelt in front of her, his face twisted with emotion.
“I was just careless back then! I won’t let it happen again! Let me keep protecting you!”
Elodie found his attitude increasingly burdensome.
Even though he had apologized, it didn’t erase everything that had happened between them.
And if one day her identity as the Duke’s real daughter was revealed, he might change his attitude again.
This strange closeness made her uncomfortable.
‘A distant older-sister–younger-brother relationship is enough.’
She needed to calm him down.
“It was Father’s order.”
“That was also Father’s order!”
Unbelievable. Even the Duke excuse wasn’t working anymore.
Carlo, who used to be so reluctant, was now insisting on staying her escort.
“Carlo, it can’t be helped.”
“……”
His expression crumpled like he was about to cry again.
Lately, she had seen that face too often.
She patted his shoulder gently.
“It’s a contract for cooperation with the Sky Falcon Mercenary Corps. You only escort me when I go outside.”
“Then I’m still your escort?”
“Yes.”
There was no reason for an escort inside the mansion anyway.
Carlo seemed to brighten a little.
But then he hesitated again.
“Unni… for the Imperial banquet…”
“Yes?”
“Who are you going with—no, I mean—”
She already knew what he wanted to ask.
“Are you asking who I’m going to the Imperial banquet with?”
“Y-yeah. If you don’t have anyone—”
“I’m going with Ian.”
“Why…?”
Carlo stared at her like the world had ended.
“Why is it him again?”
“He’s my escort now. It makes sense to attend with him.”
And it was also a political move—to show the Second Prince the connection between the Sky Falcon Mercenary Corps and House Perdia.
Carlo’s expression darkened further.
“No. I don’t accept that. I really hate him. I hate him!”
“Calm down, Carlo.”
“If I beat him myself, would that be enough? If I prove I’m stronger?!”
His golden eyes began to lose focus.
Elodie leaned back in alarm.
“This isn’t about strength—”
“I am your escort! Your partner! It should be me, not some guy who crawled out of nowhere!”
Carlo began throwing a tantrum…?
And with completely deranged eyes at that.
