Mesmerized by the dramatic entrance of the man in black armor, I snapped back to reality a moment too late.

‘Why is he here of all people!’

The second sub-male lead from “Searching for a Husband”, a man who’d spread his enemies’ blood across countless battlefields, earning himself the grand title of ‘The Mercenary King’.

He was Eugen Mont, the leader of the Hess Mercenaries, whom the most powerful nobles were desperate to have under their command.

‘Why is Eugen here…?’

While mercenaries aren’t always on the battlefield, it was out of place to see Eugen on a street typically frequented by nobles.

“Isn’t this yours?”

Eugen waved the hand holding the silk pouch.

“It is mine!”

Snatching the pouch quickly, just in case he might take it back, I clutched it to me.

“Thank you for finding it. And was it you who caught the pickpocket?”

Eugen gave a slight nod.

Catching a thief by simply grabbing and hurling them away, how utterly brutish. Yet so like him.

“Lady, this man is suspicious! Step away from him!”

I stepped forward and raised my arm to stop George who was making a fuss.

“Put away your sword, unless you’re keen on dying today.”

“My lady!”

“That’s Lord Mont, the Mont of the Hess Mercenaries.”

“You mean that Mont…?”

“Yes, the very leader of the mercenaries, the Mercenary King himself!”

“M-Mercenary king.”

George went pale, gasping out loud.

Any swordsman would be sick of hearing it – tales of the man so monstrously powerful that even the Emperor coveted his strength, bestowing upon him the title of Margrave.

‘And the rumors are even more inflated.’

Terrifying gossip about his origins from a tribe the Empire deemed barbaric and always hiding his face behind a helmet – were all things that only escalated the fear surrounding Eugen.

It’s no wonder that parents frighten their crying children with tales of the Mercenary King coming to get them. Although the real Eugen was far from a violent man unless circumstances demanded it…

George with his hands shaking, sheathed his sword.

“Oh, it’s Lord Mont. I’ve heard the rumors, but I never expected to find you here. Forgive my rudeness.”

Feigning bravado while actually tucking his tail between his legs because he’s facing a noble – how pretentious.

“Anyway, I appreciate the help. Let’s call the city guards now and hand over this thief.”

“Wait a second.”

“Why is that, My Lady?”

“There’s something I need to check before we turn him in.”

“It’s not exactly a pleasant scene, so perhaps it would be better to deal with this before the young master arrives…”

“Do you outrank me?”

My voice dropped for the first time, prompting George to harden his face, a crack forming between his brows. 

A commoner girl daring to assert authority over a knight like you – it’s irritating, isn’t it? Well, anyway, you’re still under me.

With clenched teeth and a sense of inevitability, George bowed his head.

“…Do as you wish.”

“I was going to, even without your permission.”

I approached the pickpocket who was still sprawled on the ground, seemingly stunned by the shock, and spoke softly.

“Who’s your accomplice?”

The man, half out of his wits was visibly startled.

“Wh-What do you mean, accomplice?”

“How did you know I was carrying gold coins?”

“Well, you look like a noble, so…”

“There are plenty of nobles who walk around without cash, relying on credit. And even those who do carry it tend to find it too cumbersome, so they usually entrust it to a servant.”

Moreover, ever since I left the store, my pouch was tightly tucked inside my coat, out of sight. How could he have known it contained money?

“I just had a hunch there was something there!”

“You’re going to stick to that story?”

“I’m telling you, that’s how it was!”

“Then why are you trembling? Is it because George here scares you?”

The pickpocket’s face turned pale with horror. I guessed George standing behind me would have a similar expression.

“Lady, what are you implying?!”

“George, you’ve been with me this whole time. You obviously knew I had money on me.”

“Are you accusing me of being a thief just because of that?”

“Then answer me this. Where did you go when you were supposed to be guarding the front of the shop while I was looking around in the shop?”

“I… I just…”

George stuttered, probably thinking I hadn’t noticed because I was so engrossed in my shopping. It was only for about ten minutes, after all.

“I’m sorry for leaving my post, but I just had to use the restroom urgently. It’s unfair to suspect me.”

“That’s not the only thing. As a guard, you should’ve prevented me from bumping into people. Why did you leave me unattended?”

I fired the questions rapidly.

“Why were your legs slower than those of a petty thief, even after being a knight and all? Do you have a convincing reason why guarding me which was so insignificant earlier suddenly became so important when it was time to chase the thief? You left me without a word to go to the restroom just a while ago, didn’t you?”

“Uh… You are being too much!”

Instead of logically countering each point, George chose to appeal emotionally.

“How long have I served the Marquis’s house, and you accuse me of being a thief without solid evidence? Is it right to tarnish a knight’s honor like this? What are you trying to do?”

“Ok don’t answer.”

“W-What did you say?”

“It’s fine. We’ll interrogate this thief and the truth will come out.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Ah, so you’re sure that this pickpocket will keep his lips sealed? Just look at him, he seems timid enough. A little scare should do the trick…

“It’s true. George told me to do it!”

Already singing like a canary?

“That guy used to live next door to me when we were kids, always acting like the boss because he was a bit strong. I ran into him by chance today and he told me there’s an easy target…”

“Shut up, you bastard!”

George snapped, panic edging his voice, but the pickpocket was now facing a terror far greater than an angry former neighbor: the cold blade of a sword, its dark steel inches away from his chin.

‘Yeah, a mercenary king’s blade is a hundred times scarier than some low-level knight from the Marquis’s guard.’

The pickpocket glared at George.

“I clearly told you I didn’t want to do it, but you forced me, saying it’d be fine!”

“How could the one demanding more than half the take now talk about force-“

Realizing his slip, George clamped his mouth shut, but it was too late. The surrounding crowd, including me and Eugen, had heard everything.

“No, that’s not it. He’s lying to frame me…!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, My Lady! Please believe me!”

George looked at me with eyes that begged me to be his salvation, and I couldn’t help but offer a sly smile.

“We can sort it out with an official investigation. We’ll see if there was any old friendship between the thief and you.”

“My Lady…!”

“Surely such an unbelievable coincidence couldn’t be true, could it?”

George’s face twisted mercilessly.

……………..

“Ah, what a noisy day it’s been.”

In the evening, I had finished my bedtime preparations and sprawled out in a starfish position on my bed.

In the end, George was handed over to the guards. He maintained his innocence to the last, but a quick investigation revealed he had been both a childhood neighbor and a recent associate of the thief.

The Marquis Lindsay was fuming about the family’s honor being tarnished and declared a strict reformation of his household’s discipline.

The Marchioness, irritated by the ruined shopping trip because of George, gave me a hefty sum of extra pocket money to enjoy later. The bonus cash went straight into my emergency fund box, alongside the gold coins in my silk pouch.

Just then, a maid inquired from beyond the door.

“My Lady, is there anything else you need?”

“That’ll be all. You can go.”

“Yes, My Lady. Rest well, and if you need anything in the night, just ring the bell.”

Their attitudes had become noticeably more proper. The Marquis’s warning of a thorough staff overhaul had everyone walking on eggshells.

‘George underestimated me, and look where that got him.’

Normally, George would not have escaped reprimand for failing to prevent a petty theft, but the situation changes when the one he was escorting is Charlotte.

If I were the real Charlotte, I’d be livid about being robbed and likely have lashed out at George right beside me. Then, before anyone could weigh the rights and wrongs, George would just garner sympathy.

Both the Marquis and the Marchioness were known for treating servants burdened by Charlotte’s behavior generously.

“Just the thought irritates me. If I hadn’t realized there was an accomplice, that scoundrel would have been off without any punishment”

George’s suspicious behavior during the day had triggered memories from my past life. In my previous life, when I was pickpocketed, there had been two thieves involved.

One distracted me by asking for directions while the other slipped away with my wallet. Later, the local police said that it’s quite common for pickpockets to work in pairs.

Once the thought ‘what if?’ crossed my mind, George became the prime suspect. The conviction was sealed when he oddly tried to deter me from questioning the pickpocket.

“What if he wasn’t an accomplice?”

If not, then it’s not. It’s not like Charlotte’s reputation could get any lower anyway…

“Huh?”

I was sure I was alone in the room. But as an unsettling chill crept up my spine, I slowly cranked my head around, and there…

“We met… earlier today, didn’t we?”

Through the terrace door I’d left open for some fresh air, a man was casually perched on the railing.

He was the one who had caught the pickpocket. After the guards arrived, I’d wanted to thank him again but he’d vanished without a trace.

“Hello.”

Eugen Mont, the famed mercenary king, greeted me.