How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 1.7
The door opened smoothly as she inserted the key. Resena gazed inside the entrance for a moment, unknowingly lost in memories. Tears came to her eyes as she recalled the days when she desperately tried to cancel the events she appeared in, relying on her mother, father, and Renard.
‘I wonder where they evacuated to?’
Resena entered and locked the door behind her. This was to defend against potential looters. If someone broke through a window, she’d have no choice but to hide, but she had to endure until Renard returned from his expedition, when it would become somewhat safer.
“Should I block the windows with chairs or something?”
But this mansion was too large for her to block everything by herself. It seemed better to occupy the food storage and hold out there.
Of course, it would immediately become dangerous if an intruder entered, so moving the food supplies to a place like the vault and quietly enduring there would be the best option.
‘Let’s check the vault first. I have the vault key, and it’s magically sealed so that only those of Arnasus blood can enter. It would be the best place as long as monsters don’t get in.’
Resena slowly climbed the stairs. Her stomach growled, but it was still bearable.
“…Is anyone there?”
Having reached the third floor in no time, she immediately faced the central vault.
She knocked on the door just in case, but there was no response from inside.
“I’m coming in.”
Though no one was likely to be there… her futile words disappeared into thin air. As she opened the vault door and entered, the dazzling gold and silver treasures blinded her eyes.
Ancient gold coins were piled up to the ceiling, and on one side, swords and staffs of heroes who had dominated an era were on display.
“Wow…”
As if prepared for dangerous times, there was even a bathroom and a simple bed installed inside the vault.
‘This is several times more comfortable than prison…’
The bathroom faucets were enchanted, providing both hot and cold water very well. With a system that pumped groundwater independently, it seemed possible to hold out here for several months, as long as an earthquake didn’t break the pump.
‘When Renard arrives… I just need to survive until then. It would be best if nothing happens until our evacuated parents return.’
However, intruders trying to infiltrate this intact mansion were likely to appear soon. Resena hurriedly went down to the food storage and filled a trolley to the brim.
“I should mostly choose things that don’t need cooking…”
Using the uphill path that the maids used, pushing the trolley was easy. The lightweight magic cast on the trolley made its contents lighter. Resena went back and forth several times, piling food along one wall of the vault.
She stacked dried ham, smoked salmon, sweet potatoes that hadn’t sprouted yet, and various other items, and brought ten each of clean plates, cups, and silver utensils.
But soon, fatigue from walking from the prison and going back and forth in the large mansion overtook Resena.
“I’m hungry… and sleepy.”
Resena yawned and lay down on the simple bed. Although she wanted to wash up since she hadn’t been able to bathe in prison, sleep came first. Fatigue settled on her eyelids, and Resena drifted off into a dream.
***
“Mmm…”
How long had she slept? Resena woke up to the sound of thudding. Her head ached slightly, probably from overexertion.
“What on earth is that sound…”
Since the vault had no windows, she’d have to leave the room to see what was happening outside. Resena carefully got up.
‘But going out now feels a bit uneasy.’
Monsters might be attacking the mansion from outside. She held her breath and waited for the sound to stop.
The thudding noise only ceased after nearly an hour. However, she was afraid to go out into the now silent mansion. Resena opened a book. “The History of Imperial Transitions” that Renard had brought her was as rich in content as it was thick, perfect for passing time.
Thud thud!
Resena was slightly startled by the sudden noise while reading. It seemed something was still trying to explore, not leaving. Resena waited tensely, staying still.
How many minutes had she waited, holding even her breath?
Suddenly, Resena heard the sound of something shattering from the corridor. Fear instantly rose to her throat. After gently closing the book, Resena stared at the vault door.
‘It’s okay. That door is enchanted. No matter what monster comes, it absolutely cannot pass through there.’
Not only that but the entire walls of the vault were also enchanted. To prevent theft by magicians or mercenaries, various reinforcements, and barriers were in place, so Resena watched the door while trying to calm her racing heart.
“Kuaaaah!”
Frustrated perhaps because no prey was in sight. As the monster screamed, a series of clanging sounds followed. After breaking several of the mansion’s windows like that, the monster began to move through the corridor with heavy footsteps, making a “kuuuu” sound.
‘Please go… Please go away…’
The vault was soundproofed, so her voice wouldn’t leak outside.
However, Resena spent a tense time holding her breath.
Although her mind knew it was okay, her body couldn’t accept it.
Hoo…
How many tens of minutes had passed as she repeated deep breaths?
The monster seemed to have lost interest and jumped out of the corridor with a shattering sound. In the silent vault, only the growling of Resena’s stomach could be heard.
“Haa…”
As she tried to stand up, Resena slumped back down. Her trembling legs revealed the extreme stress she had experienced.
But hunger overcame that.
She crawled over and chose dried ham and hard baguette from the stacked food. Cutting the bread with a knife, putting dried ham between the slices, and spreading orange marmalade, it looked truly delicious.
“Wow…”
The impromptu sandwich was indeed delicious. It was incomparable to that disgustingly tasteless black bread and thin soup from the prison. Resena devoured the bread in tears, gobbling it down.
“Phew… I’ve eaten, and the monster’s gone, so I should wash up now.”
Resena headed to the bathroom. She was filthy all over from not washing for days in prison. It was funny that the urge to wash came when the city was so devastated, but hygiene was essential for survival.
‘Even if I get sick… I won’t be able to receive treatment from a priest, so I must wash thoroughly.’
Under the shower, as she felt the water stream, Resena thought about what to do next. For now, she was safe since neither monsters nor people could invade the vault.
However, when going to the underground food storage, she would need to carefully check for any intruders in the mansion.
She dried off and came out.
She thought she should immediately bring towels and clothes by searching the mansion. The woolen dress she wore in prison was stained and smelled of dust when she put her nose to it.
“Haa…”
Fearing the monster might return, Resena put her ear to the door. But outside was quiet. No matter how cunning a monster might be in plotting, it couldn’t make as meticulous plans as humans, so she needed to open the door now and bring clothes before other intruders came.
‘It would be good if I could go to the laundry room… But since I might not be able to go out whenever needed, I should bring soap, face wash, and bath products too.’
Fortunately, the vault was large and spacious as it was also used as a treasure room. Looking at a marble statue carved by a master craftsman, Resena thought it looked very much like Eldis. Reading the inscription below, she learned it was a statue of the first Imperial Emperor.
‘Was Eldis born with superior genetic combinations because the founder was handsome?’
This is quite realistic. She smiled bitterly, recalling the ending of the novel. Who could have predicted that Prince Eldis, praised as a future wise ruler, would become the catalyst for the world’s destruction?
‘Perhaps only the author who wrote this novel. Everyone else was busy praising Eldis.’
Resena gently opened the door. Poking her head out and looking around, there was no one in the corridor. She walked carefully on tiptoes towards her room.
