How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 2.3
“Welcome, Resena.”
“Come, sit down quickly. Even our sleepyhead Renard is here before you.”
At that, Renard, who was sitting in the dining room, shrugged his shoulders.
“Mother, I sleep so much because I can’t help it. If I don’t get enough sleep, it’s not good for my skin, so I’m considering that when I sleep a lot.”
“My goodness…”
The Duchess covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“A prosecutor worrying about his skin. In a way, Renard, you’re really a new concept in the world of prosecutors. I think the knights who adore you would sigh in amazement if they saw you like this now.”
“Urgh…”
At those words, Resena chuckled. Mother really had a perfect sense of humor. As she entered the dining room and took her seat, the Duke looked at her with affectionate eyes.
Feeling like she had completely returned to the daily life she had taken for granted until her death, all her tension melted away.
“Resena. Your birthday ball is coming up soon. Is there any gift you’d like?”
“Hmm…”
Resena answered while cutting into a well-cooked steak.
“Yes, there is. But it might be difficult to obtain. Is that alright?”
The Duke then replied, closing his eyes gently.
“If it’s something you want, this father can get you anything. Just say the word. Whether it’s a fragment of the moon or a meteorite from a star, what couldn’t I bring you? I can do anything for my lovely daughter.”
Resena paused her hand that was moving the cutlery for a moment at those words. Then, looking at her father, she narrowed her eyes prettily.
“Father, then I’d like to reconcile with Crown Prince Eldis and Lady Lorona Weiz.”
“Reconcile.”
“I’d like Mother to mediate between me, Crown Prince Eldis, and Baroness Lorona Weiz. And one more thing. Before the birthday ball, I’d like to visit the Tebas Guild, accompanied by knights.”
“The Tebas Guild?”
The Duke’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t that a place that specializes in assassination and poisoning requests? I didn’t know you had connections with such a place. It would be best not to associate with them if possible.”
“Well, you see.”
Resena recalled how, in her previous regression, she had her father and mother help her cancel the poisoning requests for Eldis and Lorona. But this time, since she knew exactly where the requests were made, she planned to go there herself and cancel all the requests for the next six months.
‘Of course, I’ll have to pay a cancellation fee, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to my allowance.’
That’s why the previous Resena could make poisoning requests so freely and confidently…
“At one point, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I had planned to poison Crown Prince Eldis and Lady Lorona Weiz. But as the birthday ball approached, I suddenly came to my senses. I realized that such things should never be done.”
“Resena…”
The Duchess sighed, but she soon stopped moving her cutlery.
“Well, it’s fortunate that you’ve realized now that it shouldn’t be done. Cancel it quickly while you still can, and cut ties with that guild from now on. The sooner you wash your hands of dirty places, the better.”
“Yes, I was planning to do just that. Thank you for the advice, Mother.”
Phew. The Duke, watching the Duchess sigh, closed his mouth for a moment. Since his wife had already said something, there wasn’t much left for him to say. While cutting his steak, the Duke opened his mouth.
“I’m relieved to hear that you’ve reflected on your actions. Crown Prince Eldis is kind to everyone, so if he knows you’ve changed, he’ll treat you kindly too. And Lady Lorona Weiz is a saint, so it wouldn’t hurt to be on friendly terms with her. However, I hope you don’t get too caught up in her excessive spirit of self-sacrifice.”
“Ah…”
‘Father knew. That Lorona’s spirit of self-sacrifice is too extreme.’
“That’s right. You should be careful about that, sis. Lady Weiz has a bit of an extreme self-sacrificing nature, which might make her a bit uncomfortable as a friend.”
At Renard’s words, Resena snapped back to attention. Come to think of it, she thought she shouldn’t get too close to the female lead.
Lorona was self-sacrificing even in her friendships, so if they hung out together, Resena might start to think that such sacrifices were normal. But Resena believed that ideal friendships weren’t about silently sacrificing for each other, but about moving forward together on equal footing.
‘Besides, it’s because of Lorona’s spirit of self-sacrifice that the male lead ends up bringing about the end of the world. Even if I become friends with Lorona… I should prevent her from making too many sacrifices.’
The best thing would be to keep a distance from her while treating her spirit of self-sacrifice as nothing special, like the few nobles who didn’t idolize her, but somehow that felt like taking advantage of her and made Resena feel sorry.
“I’ll be careful not to get too close to Lady Lorona Weiz as well. She may be a saint, but as you said, her spirit of self-sacrifice is a bit… It doesn’t suit me.”
“Even for a saint, Lorona Weiz is excessive. The reason people in high society praise her is probably because there are so few people like her, and she dedicates herself to people regardless of their class. But I think I’d be uncomfortable if we got close. The closer you get, the more you have to give up what you have. There are already a few noble families who have gone bankrupt after recklessly pouring their assets into the poor as Lorona the Saint suggested.”
Of course, even if the Arnasus family were to follow Lorona’s suggestions, there’s no worry of bankruptcy given how wealthy they are, but…
It seems it would be better to heed her younger brother’s words.
Resena nodded.
“Alright. Don’t worry. I’ll honestly tell Crown Prince Eldis that I want to apologize for my past mistakes and build a friendship, but I’ll keep some distance from Lady Weiz. There’s no need to be close to someone who doesn’t match… Oh, by the way, Renard. Would you escort me when I go to the guild? Since you’re a Sword Master… If you and the knights escort me, I think I can cancel the deal with peace of mind.”
“Sure. I understand. I’ll go with you. I can’t just stand by while my sister and six knights go to a dangerous place. What time are we leaving?”
Resena wiped her mouth with a napkin and said,
“Since they start operating in the evening, I think we should leave around 7 PM after dinner. I’ll need to bring quite a bit of money for the cancellation fees since I’m canceling six months’ worth of deals at once.”
“Alright. Let’s do that. I’ll dress comfortably. I’ll wear a hood since they might be wary if I’m in full armor. Don’t worry, if they recognize my face, the cancellation should go smoothly without any conflicts.”
“Thank you, Renard.”
The Duke, who had been watching their conversation, spoke up.
“Are you two sure you’ll be alright, Resena? Should I step in?”
Resena shook her head.
“Renard’s company is enough. Thank you for your concern, Father.”
“I see. Alright, Resena. If it ever becomes too much, make sure to tell me. I’ll step in and help.”
Resena smiled brightly.
She was truly grateful for the Duke’s consideration in giving her a chance to make amends for her mistakes when she honestly confessed and showed remorse.
It was a kind of warmth that gently filled a corner of her heart.
‘A father’s love, I suppose. He’s such a good father, always willing to do anything for me.’
As she looked satisfied, the Duchess was actually a bit nervous. Although her daughter said she would cancel the requests… To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, she planned to assign a servant each to Eldis and Lorona, ensuring that no drinks or food would be delivered except through that servant.
