The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary - 87 - Preparing for the Festival...Early in the Morning.

After Velorria left…I was finally able to retain my composure. And it wasn’t just me…But everyone else was also relieved that this entire debacle was settled peacefully without any sort of issue.

Normally, when a royal family member is involved in any issue at all, it always leads to some kind of problem with how they always rival each other to claim the throne. But seeing as how things settled peacefully, I was relieved.

Although I was cautious of her role and her capabilities, I didn’t let it blur my instincts.

“So Thill, how did it feel talking to a royalty?” asked Reginald as he turned to me with a nervous smile.

“…Well, it was quite overwhelming. But I was too busy focused on the fact that the moment she stepped into the mansion, the house was already surrounded by over 20 assassins hiding in the shadows both outside and inside of the house.”

“R-Really?! I never noticed.” said Reginald.

“Well, its most likely that they were only acting as guards. If they wanted to attack, they would have shown even a small scent of bloodlust. Thankfully they didn’t.” I said

My only priority was protecting the family…so I should play it partly so.

“Hmm, your senses really do amaze me sometimes. But I was a bit worried since…you somewhat felt oddly nervous. What were your first impressions of the princess?”

“My first impressions? Well, if I’m being honest…she’s not what I expected her to be.” I said plainly.

“Oh? And what do you mean by that?” asked Evelyn as she looked at me curiously.

“The Goldensun Family; for all that I know about them, they always invoked this certain image around them as the elite of the elite. I wouldn’t expect that even a single member of their sons or daughters to lack anything…and truly enough, Princess Velorria was such that person…but do you really think such a perfect family exist?” I asked back.

“I’m not sure how to answer that. For all the years I’ve lived, the royal family has never shown once their weakness..although at some points of their history is not perfect, they do live in a certain domain of greatness that no normal person can simply walk in. But even still, what’s your point?” he asked.

“…I don’t know if my opinion matters, but this entire succession trouble will most likely spark a war between them. If such a family does take matters to this amount, then I couldn’t care less about their troubles. Its best for me to avoid them as much as possible.” I said truthfully.

“And why is that?” he asked.

“Because nothing else matters to me except my family. For the Goldensun siblings to fight one another like so…I just can’t understand it.” I said.

“I see, I guess I know now where you stand in all this. But honestly Thill…when working with a family this big, you will get hurt whether you like or not.” he said as he smiled.

“…”

“There are risk to successes…and choosing the winner in the end of all of this, well…that’s the biggest payback we can ever gain. We just have to be smart about how we move from here on out.” he said confidently.

And I know…for someone like him who spoke with experience, things will most likely move ahead to a somewhat right decision. I couldn’t help but smile at how confident he was when he was smiling at me. From the very beginning, this man had already chosen someone…

He already had a plan.

Whoever it was…I’m sure they’ll have a chance in winning the race to the throne.

***

That night, after the long day ended, I returned to my room to rest.

The quiet hum of the mansion was oddly comforting. Everything was in order—my armor polished, the weapons cleaned, the bath already prepared. I let the steam ease my body as I sank into the tub, my mind replaying everything that had happened.

Tomorrow marked the start of the festival. From what I remembered—at least from the stories I heard in my past life—it would be the loudest, most extravagant celebration of the year. The streets would overflow with people, floats, and banners. Nobles and royals would march side by side.

Meaning… security would be at its peak.

And yet, it was during events like this that chaos always found its chance.

‘Let’s just hope tomorrow stays peaceful,’ I thought, closing my eyes.

But before I could sink any deeper into thought, the bathroom door creaked open.

I turned—and froze.

Evelyn stepped inside, her cheeks flushed from the warm air, a towel loosely wrapped around her hourglass of a figure.

“I’m joining you.” she said with a teasing smile.

“Oh… uh, sure.” I replied, trying not to look too surprised.

“What, are you nervous?” she chuckled. “This isn’t the first time we’ve bathed together, you know.”

“It’s not that,” I said quickly. “It’s just… this is your parents’ house. Should we really be doing this?”

She giggled softly. “Relax. If you’re worried about Father, Mother has him completely occupied—probably giving him a massage right about now.”

“O-Oh… I see.”

Without another word, she stepped into the bath and settled in front of me, leaning her back against my chest. Her warmth seeped into me instantly, and before long, I found myself wrapping my arms around her.

“…Socializing with nobles must’ve been tough,” I murmured.

“It was,” she admitted, “but it’s important. Building connections—no matter how unpleasant—it is part of strengthening our name.”

“If it were me, I would’ve gone home halfway through,” I said.

“Hehe… me too,” she laughed. “But it wasn’t all bad, right?”

“What do you mean?”

She turned to face me, eyes soft. “We finally got to announce our relationship—little by little. To the public.”

“Yeah… though most of them looked pretty shocked.”

She smiled, brushing a hand against my cheek. “Let them be. What matters is that we don’t have to hide anymore.”

She leaned in, pressing her lips to mine.

When she pulled away, her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Finally… we don’t have to be careful anymore. Not that I cared for their opinions, my image still matters. It was important that I set my relationship with you in stone.”

“…You’re right,” I said softly.

And for that moment, the world outside didn’t matter.

***

*A certain Princess’s Perspective*

One can only dream of a day when everything is finally settled…when problems no longer approach my everyday life…Where I get to spend each moment with the love of my life…

I didn’t get to this in my first life…hell, I might never get to attain it in this second life…

But I’m glad…after all my efforts, I was finally able to see him again.

So much has happened…and so much more will happen in the future…

But I’m tired…I’m tired and for some awful reason, I’m not getting paid for what I’m owed.

For all the things I did…I just wish that the world was…for once in its awful construct, I wish that it was fair for me.

But I know that that’s not the case.

Everything I do will be received unfairly.

Even to this day, I alone ride my carriage…and without him, my heart stays alone even more.

‘I’m so lonely…and I miss him so much.’

But what else can I do?

As I wandered in my own deep thoughts, all of a sudden, I heard the voice of my guard.

“Princess, We’re slowly approaching the castle.” he said.

And when I looked outside my carriage, it was there that I saw that cold gaze of my own brother. As he stood by the side of a window, I could feel his remorse and hatred of me for opposing him and his authority…

But what can you do?

In a world that cannot be changed if one does not move, I had to move…

If not, everything will most likely fall back to its original place.

I need to change things…to make things better than it was in the original world.

Because if I don’t, what was the point of all of this?

But deep inside…I wish I could just run away from everything and go to him.

Again, what awaits me today is nothing but the tired life of nobility.

Be strong me…be strong Velorria…in time, everything will work out. All this pain that I am enduring will be satisfied…soon, I will finally be free.

***

The next morning, I woke to find Evelyn sleeping beside me, her expression soft and peaceful. From the looks of it, we’d both had a good night’s rest.

For a moment, I just watched her breathe—her chest rising and falling gently, her hair brushing against the pillow. Then, unable to resist, I reached out and poked her cheek with my finger.

“…When did I get so lucky to meet someone like her,” I murmured under my breath.

It felt like every hardship from my first life—the loneliness, the struggle, the pain—was slowly being repaid in this one. And as I watched her sleep, I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

Before long, her eyes fluttered open, catching the morning light. We stared at each other for a quiet second, the warmth of the sun slipping into the room.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Hmm…Good morning.” she replied, yawning softly.

Even her yawn was adorable. I chuckled and gently patted her head. She blinked, then smiled with that mischievous little grin of hers.

“Oh, good morning,” said an intruding voice. One that carried the tone of death.

“Eh?”

“…”

When I turned my head, I came face-to-face with the murderous gaze of her father, looking down at me like an executioner.

“…”

“Did you have a good time sleeping in the same bed?” came another calm but dangerous voice — Evelyn’s mother, sipping tea by the window as if this was the morning’s entertainment.

I froze. Then instinct kicked in. I leapt out of bed and dropped to the floor in a panic.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Without hesitation, her father stomped forward and pressed his boot down on my head.

“You’ve got some goddamn nerve doing this under my roof, you bastard!!”

“Now now, dear,” his wife said, still sipping her tea. “It’s fine. It’s not like anything happened last night.”

“Hmph! Just because we approved of you as her partner doesn’t give you the right to sleep in the same bed as my daughter!!”

‘It doesn’t?!’

I was shocked.

As I bowed my head, trembling under his glare, Evelyn suddenly got out of bed, walked up to her father, and — without hesitation — pushed him back a step.

“Father! That’s enough!” she snapped, glaring up at him. “Stop intimidating him! I was the one who snuck up into his bed!” she said…but although that was not the truth. In truth, she sneaked into the bath last night and we made out a little…

He blinked in disbelief. “You— what?!”

“Yes!” she declared proudly, crossing her arms. “And nothing happened! We just… slept. Together. Comfortably.”

“Comfortably?! Under my roof?!”

Her father turned to me again, fury reigniting in his eyes.

“I—It’s not what it sounds like!” I pleaded.

“Oh, but it is exactly what it sounds like,” her mother said with a smile, clearly enjoying the show. “My, you two look so cute together.”

“Mother, please!” Evelyn shouted, her face now as red as her hair.

As the chaos unfolded, I remained on my knees, mentally praying for the floor to swallow me whole.

‘Maybe next time… I should just sleep in the stables.’

Although her father already talked to me about this sort of thing happening and how we should take it slow…I promise, nothing really happened.

We just cuddled and kissed for a bit, anything else than that was non existent last night.

To think that he would be this angry…

***

After barely surviving the Battle of the Bedroom, I somehow found myself sitting at the long breakfast table, back straight, posture perfect — like I was attending an execution rather than a meal.

Across from me sat Evelyn’s father, arms crossed, eyes half-closed, radiating murderous intent with every bite of his toast.

‘Why does every crunch sound like judgment?’ I thought, swallowing nervously.

Meanwhile, her mother sat beside him, all smiles, humming softly as she poured tea into delicate porcelain cups. Her expression was that of a queen enjoying her morning drama.

Evelyn, of course, looked perfectly relaxed beside me, happily spreading butter on her bread as if nothing had happened.

“This bread is really soft today. The baker must’ve used new flour,” she said casually, taking a bite.

“…”

Her father grunted. The air around him felt heavier.

I tried not to breathe too loudly.

“Thill, would you like some jam?” Evelyn asked, turning to me with a bright smile.

“Ah, yes, please—”

Before I could finish, her father’s spoon hit the table with a clang.

“Jam, huh?” he muttered. “Didn’t get enough sweetness from last night?”

“F-Father!” Evelyn slammed her fork down, face completely red. “Stop saying things like that in front of him!”

Her mother chuckled, taking a slow sip of her tea. “My, my… it’s nice to see you two getting along so naturally. You remind me of when your father and I were young.”

“Don’t compare us to that!” Evelyn protested.

“Relax,” her mother said, giving her husband a sly look. “You were even worse, dear. Remember the first time you snuck into my room?”

The man froze, choking slightly on his coffee. “T-That’s— irrelevant!”

“Oh, really?” she teased, smiling triumphantly.

Evelyn smirked. “Oh? So you were the shameless one first, Father?”

“D-Don’t twist my words!” he snapped, face red.

Watching them bicker back and forth, I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. The tension from earlier had finally started to fade, replaced by laughter — and a few too many embarrassing stories about Evelyn’s parents’ youth.

For a moment, it felt peaceful. Normal.

And as I sat there, surrounded by warmth and noise, I realized something:

This family — chaotic as they were — was the kind of normalcy I never thought I’d experience again.

After all the blood, betrayal, and pain of my past life… mornings like this felt like a blessing I didn’t deserve.

“Thill,” Evelyn said suddenly, breaking my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“After breakfast…the festival will quickly be underway. Around noon, the parade will start so we have to be prepared.” she said as she looked at me seriously.

“Of course, I’ve already polished my armor and made preparations for bodyguarding you today. So rest assured. If anything will happen, I’m confident that I can protect you.” I said.

She smiled at me and held me hand in confidence. But as she did, her father quickly noticed and accused me of harassment.

“Oy!”

Sigh….this family is a bit odd sometimes.