How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 1.13
‘But how do we catch Zergard? Zergard is cunning, so he won’t be easily caught by ordinary means. And since his whereabouts aren’t described in the novel after the ending, we need to catch him before the ending.’
Resena clenched her fist.
“In that case… Alright. I’ll scrap all the plans the previous Resena made and focus on catching the dark mage Zergard. That’s how I’ll prevent the male lead from destroying the world!”
***
‘This wasn’t what I intended.’
Resena looked down helplessly at the female lead’s body growing cold. Somehow, they had managed to catch the dark mage Zergard, but failed to catch the serial killer Tom Baker, and couldn’t prevent the female lead from sacrificing herself instead of the male lead.
“Lorona. Ugh. Lorona…!”
Next to the male lead Eldis, who was wailing and clutching the female lead’s body, stood the deputy commander of the guards, Alken, and the commander of the guards, Daren, in silence. Behind them, the guard knights stood, their armor making clanking sounds as it was hit by the occasional drizzle.
“Tom Baker, I will never let you off. I swear by the Light God Sernaus, as long as I live, I will do whatever it takes to catch and kill you.”
Resena flinched as she heard the male lead’s words, shouted through gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes.
It was truly regrettable that Lorona, who was a saint, had thrown herself to protect the male lead from the serial killer Tom’s blade.
After all, according to what Alken had said before, the male lead usually had an aura around his body, so a shabby blade like that wouldn’t have even penetrated.
‘This is truly maddening.’
Resena covered her face with both hands. Seeing this, those around her thought she was crying and didn’t say anything more to her. But the male lead was different.
“Lady Arnasus.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
As she lowered her hands and responded politely, his blazing blue eyes reflected in hers. Somehow not wanting to face him like this, she reflexively took a step back.
“Do you know where Tom Baker went?”
“He hid in the slums. We’ll search thoroughly, of course.”
As Alken interjected from the side, Eldis raised his hand to stop his interruption.
“I asked Lady Arnasus. I didn’t ask you.”
“…I apologize, Your Highness.”
Resena watched Alken bow his head, then turned her gaze back to the male lead. Eldis, who had been holding the female lead, slowly laid her head on the cold ground.
“Answer, Lady. Where did Tom Baker hide?”
“…He hid in the slums. As you can see, he’s already jumped over the wall in front of us, so he’s probably taken slum dwellers as hostages by now.”
At her calm words, anger clouded Eldis’s blue eyes. Rising from his place, Eldis drew the sword at his side. Then, without a word, he pointed the tip of that sword towards the area where the slums began.
“Please wait a moment, Your Highness!”
Alken panicked and blocked his way. But the white orb forming at the tip of Eldis’s sword didn’t dissipate.
Seeing this, Resena also felt a chill run down her spine.
‘He’s gone mad. Really…’
Even if his lover had crossed the river of no return, it was too extreme to blow up the entire slum area where Tom might be hiding, holding slum dwellers as hostages.
“A search will suffice. Your Highness doesn’t need to use ‘Sernaus’s Light’. Besides, if you use Sernaus’s Light, won’t the entire slum area be blown away?”
“Step aside, Alken. I must crush Tom right now.”
“Your Highness!”
Resena watched as not only Alken but others also stepped forward to stop him.
“You mustn’t, Your Highness. Please calm down. This slum area is where Saint Lorona and I did volunteer work. Are you going to nullify her intentions?”
“….”
“It’s certainly a tragic thing that Saint Lorona has passed on like this, but she wouldn’t want the culprit who killed her to be punished at the cost of sacrificing others.”
‘He seems to understand when persuaded with words…?’
Resena was slightly surprised. She saw Eldis’s blue eyes waver for a moment at Daren’s words.
But at that moment.
“How long… do I have to endure this…?”
Eldis bit his lip and spat out words mixed with despair as if he were vomiting blood. At his low cry filled with raw emotion, those around him fell silent.
“Countless people around me have died because of that bastard! And yet, even at this moment when I know where he’s hiding, you’re stopping me from destroying it? Jiken, Alohim, Dersema, even Lorona fell to his blade. And yet you tell me to endure even at this moment!? Just… just how long do I have to endure?! Without even being able to take revenge, without even being able to use my power!”
Eldis’s cry revealed the emotions he had been suppressing all along. That voice filled with resentment had something that shook people’s hearts.
Resena swallowed hard.
Resena took a breath.
She felt she might unconsciously sympathize with Eldis’s feelings. It seemed the same for others, as they could only move their lips without saying anything to him.
He had lost his cherished acquaintances and knights to the hands of a murderer. And now he had lost his lover as well.
However, he possessed power. If he used that power, he could blow away the culprit. But that power couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe, so it shouldn’t be used.
…Even though using it would certainly allow him to take revenge.
So how painful must this moment be for him?
