SCMBRN Chapter 6
by flowieI snapped out of my daze, having been entranced by the striking entrance of the man in black armor.
‘Why is he here?!’
The second sub male lead of “Looking for a Husband”.
A man whose monstrous strength, proven through countless blood-soaked battlefields, had earned him the grandiose title of the Mercenary King.
Yugen Mont, commander of the Hess Mercenary Corps, one whom every powerful aristocrat coveted for their own.
‘Why would Yugen be here…?’
Mercenaries didn’t always roam the battlefield, true, but still, Yugen seemed out of place in this upscale district frequented by nobles.
“That’s not yours, is it?”
Yugen waved the silk pouch in his hand.
“It is mine!”
Fearing he might take it back, I snatched the pouch quickly.
“Thank you for returning it. And… you were the one who caught the pickpocket, weren’t you?”
Yugen nodded.
He didn’t just catch the thief, he threw him. Brutal, but so very Yugen.
“Young Lady, he’s a suspicious man! Step away from him!”
George, flustered, moved to block me protectively, but I stopped him with a raised arm.
“You’d better sheathe your sword if you don’t want to die.”
“Young Lady!”
“He is Lord Mont, the Marquis of the Borderlands.”
“Lord Mont…?”
“He also leads the Hess Mercenary Corps.”
“Th-the Mercenary King!”
George turned pale as a sheet.
Any man who wielded a sword had surely heard the tales: a man so formidable that even the Emperor had bestowed upon him the title of Marquis.
‘And those tales have only grown more exaggerated.’
Horrifying rumors, barbaric lineage whispered throughout the Empire, and the fact that he always wore a helmet to obscure his face, all these only deepened the fear surrounding Yugen.
No wonder parents used his name to scare crying children into obedience. While Yugen avoided violence unless necessary, the fear he evoked was real.
Trembling, George slowly sheathed his sword.
“M-my apologies, Lord Mont. I’ve heard the rumors but never expected to encounter you in a place like this. Forgive my insolence.”
Hah. He’s terrified, but trying to act like he’s retreating out of courtesy, not fear.
“In any case, thank you for your help. We’ll call the patrol right away and hand this thief over.”
“Wait a moment.”
“What is it, Young Lady?”
“There’s something I want to check before that.”
“Wouldn’t it be best to resolve this quickly before the young master arrives and sees this unpleasant scene…”
“Are you my superior?”
I lowered my voice deliberately. George stiffened, a crease forming between his brows.
You don’t like that a lowborn girl like me is pulling rank, do you? Too bad, I am your superior.
Grinding his teeth, George lowered his head.
“…As you wish.”
“I was going to do it anyway.”
I approached the pickpocket, still slumped in shock, and spoke softly.
“Who’s your accomplice?”
The man flinched visibly.
“W-what are you talking about? Accomplice?!”
“Then how did you know I had gold coins?”
“Your clothes… You look like a noble…”
“There are plenty of nobles who travel without cash, using credit instead. And even if they do carry money, it’s usually with their attendants.”
I had kept the pouch tucked tightly under my coat the entire time. How did he know it was there?
“I just… had a feeling!”
“Still playing dumb, are you?”
“I’m telling you the truth!”
“Then why are you trembling? Afraid of George?”
The thief’s face twisted in panic. George, probably standing behind me, must have looked just as shaken.
“Young Lady! How can you suggest such a thing?!”
“George, you’ve been by my side all day. Of course you knew I was carrying gold.”
“And you’re accusing me just because of that?”
“Then tell me. You said you’d guard the shop entrance while I browsed. Where did you go?”
“I-I just had to use the restroom, that’s all! It’s not a crime!”
“Is that so? As my escort, shouldn’t you have stopped me from bumping into strangers? Why didn’t you?”
I fired off my questions in rapid succession.
“And how did a knight like you end up slower than a mere pickpocket? You’ve always looked down on guarding me, so why did you suddenly care enough to chase the thief? You left without a word, claiming you needed the restroom, remember?”
“Th-this is too much!”
Instead of answering logically, George chose emotional outrage.
“I’ve served the Marquis’ house loyally for years, and now you accuse me without proof? Do you intend to ruin a knight’s honor? What will you do if you’re wrong?!”
“Then I’m wrong.”
“W-what?!”
“Fine. We’ll just interrogate the thief. That should clear everything up.”
“Do as you please.”
Oh? You seem so confident he’ll keep quiet. But someone that meek… just a little scare and…
“It’s true! George made me do it!”
Wow. That was fast.
“He lived next door when we were kids. Always bullied me around. Today he ran into me and said there was a good mark…”
“Shut up, you bastard!”
George shouted in panic, but the thief now feared someone far more than him.
The cold blade aimed at his neck, Yugen’s sword.
‘Of course. A knight from a Marquisate is nothing compared to the Mercenary King.’
The thief glared at George.
“I told you I didn’t want to, but you forced me!”
“You asked for more than half the take, and now you…!”
Realizing his slip, George clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late. I’d heard it. Yugen had heard it. The onlookers had heard it.
“No, that’s not what I meant! He’s lying! Framing me!”
“Is that so?”
“Y-yes, Young Lady! Please, believe me!”
He looked at me like I was his last hope.
I smiled sweetly.
“Then we’ll have a formal investigation. Let’s see if the thief and the victim’s escort really were childhood friends, shall we?”
“Young Lady…!”
“Surely that would be too much of a coincidence, right?”
George’s face twisted in despair.
“Another noisy day…”
That evening, after preparing for bed, I collapsed on my bedspread.
George was handed over to the patrol. He insisted on his innocence to the end, but a simple background check revealed they had been neighbors and still kept in contact.
The Marquis of Lyndsey was furious at the disgrace and vowed to tighten discipline within the household.
The Marquis’ wife, as compensation for the ruined shopping trip, generously gave me a special allowance. That money, along with the retrieved gold coins, was safely stashed in my emergency savings box.
Then came a knock.
“Young Lady, is there anything else you need?”
“No, you may go.”
“Yes, ma’am. Please ring the bell if you need anything during the night.”
Her tone was markedly more respectful. With rumors of a major reshuffle in staffing, the servants were being extra cautious.
‘That’s what happens when you underestimate me like George did.’
In most cases, a failed guard like George would have merely been reprimanded. But guarding Charlotte changed everything.
If I had really been Charlotte, I would’ve beaten George on the spot for letting me get robbed. He’d have gained sympathy instead of scrutiny.
Both the Marquis and his wife tended to be lenient with servants suffering under Charlotte’s notorious temperament.
“Just thinking about it pisses me off. If I hadn’t realized there was an accomplice, George would’ve gotten away with it.”
George’s odd behavior had sparked a memory from my past life, when I was once pickpocketed. There had been two culprits then: one distracted me while the other stole my wallet. A local officer had later explained that many pickpockets worked in pairs.
Once I started to suspect, George became the obvious choice. I was convinced when he tried too hard to stop me from questioning the thief.
“What if he wasn’t the accomplice?”
Then he wasn’t. It’s not like my reputation as Charlotte could get any worse…
“…Huh?”
I was sure I was alone in the room. But then, a chill ran down my spine. I forced myself to turn my head.
“You saw me earlier, didn’t you?”
Perched on the terrace railing, visible through the open doors, sat a man.
The one who’d caught the pickpocket. I had wanted to thank him again after the patrol arrived, but he had vanished without a trace.
“Hello.”
Yugen Mont, the Mercenary King, greeted me.