I took pictures of her while she looked like she wanted to confess to .
It wasn’t sothing dramatic or exaggerated. It was subtle—quiet, almost fragile. The way her shoulders were slightly stiff, the way her fingers fidgeted when she thought I wasn’t looking, and most of all, the way her eyes kept eting mine and then darting away again. That shy mannerism of hers wasn’t forced. It ca naturally, like she didn’t even realize she was doing it.
She looked at with those timid, hesitant eyes, her expression soft and unsure, like she was standing right on the edge of saying sothing important but didn’t quite have the courage to push herself over that line. And honestly? It was kind of cute. No, scratch that—it was very cute.
If I were a guy, it would’ve absolutely made my heart skip. I could picture it clearly—soone freezing in place, breath caught in their throat, wondering how soone could look at them like that without even trying. I an, how could she be this cute just by acting like she was looking at Leon?
It was ridiculous how effective it was.
For a mont, even I forgot that this was supposed to be a photoshoot. She wasn’t just posing anymore. She was selling a feeling. The kind that made people stop scrolling. The kind that made them stare just a little longer than they intended to.
She was literally so kind of angel. That was the only word that fit. Soft lighting caught on her features just right, her expression gentle and earnest, like she didn’t belong in the ssiness of the world. Even I had to admit it, and I wasn’t exactly soone who handed out complints lightly.
And honestly, looking at her like this, I knew I’d made the right decision giving her this role.
I didn’t even have to coach her that much. She was locking into it naturally, as if this role had been waiting for her all along. Every shot ca out better than the last, and with each click of the cara, I felt more confident that this gamble was paying off. I’d really lucked out. No—this was more than luck.
"This is it! Yes, just look at like that," I said, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. "Make your eyes a little wider. Yeah, just like that. Don’t overthink it. Perfect. Yes—yes, that’s right."
The cara of my phone shutter clicked again and again, the sound almost rhythmic. Every pose she made carried that sa shy charm, that sa gentle vulnerability. The photos were turning out so well that I could already imagine them posted, drawing attention, pulling people in before they even realized what they were reacting to.
It felt like it was going to work. No—it was going to work.
By the ti we finished, Ella looked completely spent. She slumped slightly, breathing heavier than before as she reached up to put her glasses back on. Her fingers trembled just a little as she retied her hair into a twintail, a clear sign that she’d pushed herself harder than she usually did. She was panting, not dramatically, but enough to make it obvious how exhausted she was.
I told her that she might want to leave her hair down. And maybe take the glasses off since that would accentuated her beauty more.
She hesitated imdiately when I told her that. I could see it on her face. I an, this wasn’t how she usually presented herself, and asking her to stay like that felt like stepping outside her comfort zone. Still, after a brief pause, she nodded and did it anyway.
And she did it so well.
Her hair fell naturally around her shoulders, framing her face in a way that made her look completely different from her usual self. Without the glasses, her eyes stood out even more, clear and expressive. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Not because it was flashy or seductive, but because it felt... right.
If she styled herself like that more often, I was sure she’d be even more popular than she already was. It wasn’t about looks alone—it was the presence she carried when she allowed herself to be seen.
"Now then..." she said, a little hesitant, catching her breath. "Are those good enough?"
I leaned back slightly, pretending to think it over. "Well, I could’ve used a cleavage shot, but—"
"That’s out of the question," she said imdiately, cutting off without hesitation.
I laughed softly and raised my hands. "Don’t worry, I know. I wasn’t serious. These are more than enough." I glanced at the screen one more ti, then nodded. "I’ll post them online now... and—there! All done!"
She blinked. "That was fast."
"Now we just wait," I said. "Soone’s bound to show up."
***
After I posted the pictures and advertised the rcenary group recruitnt online, I finally understood just how terrifying Ella’s beauty could be when it was put to proper use.
Not even a full minute passed.
My phone started vibrating almost imdiately. Notifications piled up so fast that the screen barely had ti to light up before another alert replaced the last. Comnts. Reactions. Shares. ssages. It just kept going.
There wasn’t even a contest. The reception was overwhelmingly positive. I stared at the screen, scrolling through the responses, barely able to process how fast it was all happening. I knew it would work—but not like this.
It was so surprising that my mind went a little numb.
I hadn’t realized the full impact at first, but word spread quickly. Apparently, people imdiately went out to grab the recruitnt papers that had been posted earlier that day. So didn’t even hesitate—they took one look at the post and ran straight toward our base of operations.
Less than an hour later, the cabin was sward.
It was small, never ant to handle this many people, and yet applicants packed the area inside and out. There were people I didn’t recognize at all—faces from outside the region, so clearly more experienced than the average applicant. Veterans, by the look of them.
We had results. Real ones.
From there, everything escalated into a full-blown operation.
The rcenary group didn’t waste ti easing into it. Almost imdiately, it was rebranded as Leonamon’s rcenary Group, officially placing it under the Leonamon Company. That alone gave it legitimacy, but making it a subsidiary of the largest company in the world turned it into sothing undeniable.
Publicity followed naturally.
Leon approved everything without much resistance, which smoothed the process even further. With his backing, our credibility skyrocketed. Within no ti at all, we reached one hundred official mbers and secured affiliations with seven major adventurer parties across the Milham Kingdom.
Profit started coming in almost imdiately.
And every single part of it traced back to Ella.
She beca the official ambassador of the rcenary group, the face people associated with it. The symbol of its rise.
Things were finally moving forward, and for the first ti in a while, it felt like we were on a genuinely good path. A future worth looking forward to was waiting ahead.
***
Leon’s POV
To think that Charlotte actually pulled it off—building her own rcenary group from the ground up—was genuinely surprising. The speed alone was impressive. More than that, she did it entirely on her own, without relying on even once.
She even spent all the money she’d carefully saved just to make it happen.
That kind of resolve wasn’t sothing I’d expected.
I’d never felt this impressed by her before. This wasn’t a small achievent, and she didn’t stumble her way into it either. Both she and Ella did exceptional work, and the results spoke for themselves.
Unexpected as it was, this developnt was necessary. A large rcenary force could be invaluable if war ever broke out in the capital. rcenaries were practical like that. As long as I continued funding them, they’d fight for the money without question.
Now then... onto the next report.
"Hmmm..." I muttered while reading through it.
It seed the heroes from another world were about to embark on their first real expedition.
I was curious about who they really were, but right now, I didn’t have the ti to look into them properly. Still, once I finished the work I had planned, I’d definitely go see them for myself.
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