In a daytime tavern where people sat scattered about talking, Rizel sat in a corner with her friend Romari, tilting her glass.

The sight of a graceful black-haired beauty and a vibrant red-haired beauty together caught the attention of people in the tavern.

But as soon as they noticed the platinum and gold badges on the women’s table, they discreetly turned their gazes away. They recognized the implicit message of top-tier and high-tier mercenaries warning others not to bother them.

Regardless of those around them, Romari tucked her long red hair behind her ear and smiled broadly.

“Rizel, they said the client was a merchant guild master, and he was quite generous.”

“Yes, that’s good for us. So, have you thought about your next schedule?”

“I’m thinking of going east to find a secluded place.”

“…Because of the spirit?”

Rizel’s expression stiffened slightly. The spirits in this world were pure and natural. They weren’t clearly defined as good or evil, making them extreme and capricious.

Spirit users tended to be influenced by these traits, so even though they were rare and powerful beings, people were somewhat wary of them. For spirit users to properly utilize their power, they needed to either accommodate their spirits or dominate them.

Rizel was also a spirit user, but fortunately she had been trouble-free so far. Her friend, however, had suffered considerably due to contracting with a difficult fire spirit that matched her temperament.

Romari let out a faint sigh.

“Yes. I need to refine my spirit magic.”

“That sounds troublesome. I hope it works out well. If you need help, you can call me.”

Rizel observed her friend’s occasionally fluctuating energy. Romari downed her beer in one go and smiled brightly.

“I appreciate the thought, but what about your next schedule?”

“I don’t have any plans anyway. If I have nothing to do, I’ll probably return west. It might be nice to visit my master briefly.”

Rizel responded indifferently, shrugging her shoulders. After being busy for so long, it wouldn’t be bad to take a short break if nothing urgent came up.

‘What should I do?’

As she was contemplating while sipping drinks with her friend, a strange man approached their table. Rizel sensed his presence and quickly assessed him.

Golden hair like melted honey, straight eyebrows as if drawn with a brush, a sharply defined nose, and lips forming a gentle curve.

Up to that point, he gave a gentle impression, but his defined jawline, slightly upturned eyes, and gray irises resembling cloudy skies gave him a sharp look.

He wore a hooded robe, but the glimpses of fabric underneath were luxurious. His handsome appearance and solid build added to his overall elegant yet strong presence.

In any case, he wasn’t the type of man one would expect to encounter in such a shabby, remote tavern. Her eyes narrowed.

‘Hmm, a nobleman? I don’t detect any presence of knight guards nearby.’

Rizel exchanged a brief glance with Romari before addressing the stranger gently.

“Sir, do you have business with us? As you can see, we’re resting and haven’t put up a sign on our table.”

Some mercenaries would place small wooden signs with circles drawn on them at inns or taverns, indicating they were willing to accept requests on the spot.

But since the two of them hadn’t done so, if his purpose was to make a request, there was no reason for him to approach.

‘His gaze is calm and firm. He doesn’t seem like someone with poor judgment who would bother platinum and gold badge mercenaries.’

While Rizel was inwardly assessing the man, Harzen gazed steadily at the woman who remained composed despite drinking with her companion.

With her pale, oval face, black hair tied in a ponytail, round eyes, prominent nose, and tightly closed full lips, she had a pretty and docile impression.

But her piercing blue eyes, the white shirt and black pants visible through her open cloak, her hand in brown leather gloves gripping the handle of a large glass, and the sword protruding from her waist along with a rugged wand—all marked her unmistakably as a mercenary.

“I apologize for disturbing your rest. I have business with you, Miss Rizel.”

His deep voice resonated pleasantly. His gaze fixed on her. Romari looked between the two with a mischievous smile.

“What’s this, Rizel? Do you know each other?”

“No. If I had seen such a noticeable man even once, I wouldn’t have forgotten.”

Rizel shook her head and turned her gaze to him. She tried to recall the people she had met before, but the handsome man before her was clearly a stranger. She put down her glass and asked calmly.

“What business do you have with me? Is it a request?”

“Similar, but more of a personal matter. Could you spare me a moment?”

“Hmm.”

Rizel contemplated with her hands on the table. Her spirit user’s intuition whispered that there was no particular danger, but she was reluctant to leave alone while with a companion.

Romari tapped her finger on the back of Rizel’s hand.

“I don’t get any strange feeling, so why don’t you go? I’m fine. We’ve finished our conversation anyway.”

“Alright. See you next time.”

Rizel handed her friend her share of the food and drink costs, then stood up and asked him.

“This won’t take long, will it?”

“No.”

“I’ll go then.”

“Thank you.”

Harzen took her out of the tavern. Finding herself in his carriage, Rizel cautiously asked.

“Where are we going?”

“To my town house.”

“Ah, so you are a nobleman as I thought. May I ask your name?”

“Harzen Darkus.”

At his answer, Rizel’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘What? This man is that Viscount Darkus? He’s younger than I expected.’

She searched her memory.

She vaguely remembered hearing about him when she participated in a territory war in the west on a previous request. The lord who had developed the Darkus region located at the boundary between the west and south.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the west due to the outbreak of large-scale territory wars, he had swallowed several nearby territories and, using his abilities, discovered and claimed ownership of several large manastone mines.

Rizel carefully asked for confirmation.

“Ah, are you Viscount Darkus from the south?”

“Yes.”

Harzen calmly affirmed. Rizel remained silent, unable to guess why someone with whom she had no connection had suddenly sought her out.

* * *

They soon arrived at his town house. Rizel got out of the carriage with Harzen’s escort. The sight of a large, splendid mansion unfolded before her.

He led her unhesitatingly to the reception room. The two sat facing each other.

While Rizel used her spirit energy to clear the remaining effects of alcohol and tidy her appearance, Harzen called a maid to bring tea. The maid placed teacups in front of them and withdrew.

As she slowly drank her tea, he asked without touching his own.

“Is the tea to your liking?”

“Yes.”

It seemed to be premium tea leaves as the aroma was excellent. Rizel put down her teacup and got straight to the point.

“Viscount Darkus, please tell me your business now.”

“Of course. Miss Rizel, let’s get married.”

“What?”

Her lips parted in surprise at the sudden proposal. Even for a thick-skinned mercenary, such a situation was bound to be shocking.

‘Am I still drunk? Or is this noble lord crazy?’

Unfortunately, Rizel had already cleared the effects of alcohol, and Harzen’s face was calm and serious. Momentarily speechless and blinking, she clearly heard his voice.

“You can think of it as a kind of contract marriage request. The period is two years, and the fee is 100 million monde and 100 premium-grade manastones.”

“Hmm.”

“I will cover all necessary expenses, so you just need to come and maintain the position of my wife.”

“…The period is rather long, but if I think of it as a designated request, the conditions are good.”

Rizel quickly composed her emotions and managed her expression. Even if she divorced her employer after the contract period expired, it wouldn’t be a particular stain on her reputation as someone who had risen to a high rank through skill.

‘My platinum badge isn’t going anywhere. I’ve spent a lot of money investing in my power and necessary items lately, so it would be good to earn money while working at a leisurely pace and get premium-grade manastones too.’

She was especially tempted by the prospect of obtaining a large quantity of expensive and rare premium-grade manastones that were difficult to acquire. But there was something that bothered her.

‘Nothing in this world is free. No one gives a large sum of money to others without reason. There’s a mercenary saying that if you swallow a request you can’t handle out of greed, your life will be shortened.’

The mercenary maxim taught by her master Veronica echoed in Rizel’s mind.

‘Besides, living as a noblewoman won’t be as easy as it sounds. Though it might be physically easier than other jobs.’

It was Harzen’s deep voice that pulled her out of her thoughts.

“So, do you accept?”

“No, before I make a decision, I’d like to know the purpose of this marriage and why you specifically chose me. Of course, regardless of whether I accept the request or not, the content won’t leak outside.”

Rizel indirectly asked about the employer’s intentions and the direction of the job, while promising confidentiality.

Harzen noticed that the other party was positively considering the proposal but leaving room to back out if necessary.

He had expected her to accept immediately given the conditions, but the mercenary before him seemed cautious despite her impressive and substantial career. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

“How about if I say I’ve fallen for you?”