How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 2.8
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“Huh…”
As she raised her upper body unsteadily from the bed, she saw the four-poster bed with tapestries hanging. On the ceiling was a painting of Sernaus, the God of Light, defeating monsters. After staring at it for a while, Resena got up.
“Today is finally the birthday ball.”
Although I’ve canceled everything, I shouldn’t let my guard down until it’s over.
Resena rang the bell placed on the bedside table.
“Yes, Miss. Did you call?”
“Yes. I want to wash up and change.”
“Understood.”
With the help of Luna, the head maid, she finished bathing. After putting on a dress in a fresh color, drying her hair, and finishing her makeup brightly, the reflection in the mirror was truly a peerless beauty.
Black hair cascaded in waves down to her waist, and under her elegant forehead, deep-set eye sockets housed vivid purple irises. Her alluring red lips seemed capable of attracting people no matter what she said.
With a satisfied smile, she put on a ruby necklace, followed by earrings of the same color. They matched her eye color perfectly.
“Sigh… How about the guests? Have many arrived?”
“The carriages are crowding at the main gate right now. There were many last year, but this year there are even more, if not the same.”
Resena smiled brightly as she watched Luna. Luna braided one side of Resena’s hair and then beautifully wrapped it around the back of her head. The rest was well-combed and let down over her exposed back, accentuating her elegant innocence even more.
“Crown Prince Eldis will arrive soon, so make sure there’s no negligence in the reception. Assign a dedicated attendant to him. Ah, of course, also assign a dedicated attendant who won’t take their eyes off Lady Lorona Weiz.”
“Understood, Miss.”
Resena rose from her seat, looked in the mirror once more, and then twirled in place. Her dress flared out a moment later, gracefully revealing her ankles. Satisfied with the effect, she addressed the maids.
“You’ve all done well. Luna, when the ball is over, give everyone three gold coins each. You can deduct it from my dignity maintenance fund.”
“Thank you so much, Miss.”
“Hehe. It’s a reward for your good work.”
Resena left the room. The maids, who would normally look at her with fearful eyes, were all bustling about, too busy to notice as they prepared for the birthday ball.
It was a fresh feeling.
As she descended the stairs and stood on the second-floor landing of the hall, she saw the crowd of guests below. The fresh flowers beautifully arranged, spreading a sweet fragrance throughout the hall, were just to her liking.
‘Well, this makes it the fourth time I’m hosting this birthday ball.’
There was no nervousness. Resena recalled the first time when she didn’t know any of the guests’ faces or names. But now she knew who they were and what purpose they had in attending the birthday ball.
“Yes. This is the fourth time… I should be able to do better. Let’s do this, Resena.”
“Sis? What’s the fourth time?”
Her younger brother had approached without making a sound, startling Resena slightly. But she quickly regained her composure and replied.
“Well, I meant this is the fourth time the ball has been this magnificent. We’ve held birthday balls before, but ones as splendid as this are rare.”
“Ah. That’s certainly true.”
Renard swirled the wine in his glass.
“Previous birthday balls had fewer guests because Crown Prince Eldis himself had declared he wouldn’t attend. This time, since you personally wrote an apology letter to His Highness and he said he’d attend, naturally more guests are coming to see him…”
It was bound to be larger in scale.
“That’s right. I think that was a good move on my part. Except for the fact that I had foolishly planned that scheme due to my resentment towards the Crown Prince, it would have been a truly wonderful birthday ball.”
“Haha.”
Renard laughed as he drank his wine. Even without tasting it, it was obvious which wine it was. It must be the 20-year-old Dessant Platy they drank yesterday.
Resena briefly stepped out to the second-floor balcony and spoke to a busy servant.
“Give me a glass of the 20-year-old Dessant Platy too.”
“Yes, Miss.”
There was a separate person serving that wine. As she began to drink from the glass she received from the servant with the tray, a sweet and subtle chocolate aroma filled her mouth.
As she savored the wine, enjoying the sweet chocolate aroma, the hall was already filling up with people. Returning to the second floor of the hall, she saw a servant loudly announcing each guest as they entered.
“Lady Lorona Weiz, Baroness, and Young Viscount Aheim Selon are entering!”
‘Finally, the female lead has arrived. Now only the male lead is left.’
Having almost memorized the entire guest list, Resena calmly observed the hall. Although the order of entry varied, the ball was proceeding exactly as it had in her past life.
“It’s about time for you to go down too, sis. You’ll be surrounded by people as soon as you do.”
“Hehe. I’m looking forward to seeing what gifts they’ve brought. I wonder what Lady Lorona Weiz has brought, given that we don’t get along well.”
True to her name as a saint, Lorona was always kind and friendly. That’s why she was praised throughout high society, but her excessive self-sacrifice was truly uncomfortable. It had led some families to bankruptcy after being influenced by her. Moreover, Resena disliked the atmosphere that formed around Lorona, where one felt compelled to give away their valuable possessions.
‘Even if Lorona gives her best because she doesn’t have much, it’s still far less than what I give.’
Given that, Lorona would probably prepare homemade jam and a potted plant as birthday gifts, citing sincerity. And even that plant wouldn’t be a rare species, leaving the recipient wondering how to deal with such a gift.
In her past life, she had ended up planting it in the garden.
She planned to plant it in a corner of the garden in this life too. Resena finished her wine and handed the glass to a servant. Then she slowly began to descend the second-floor stairs.
“His Highness Crown Prince Eldis is entering!”
The crowd immediately began to stir. People eager to see Crown Prince Eldis’s face flocked towards the entrance. Moreover, the Crown Prince was kind to everyone regardless of who they were, making him something of a universal sweetheart.
The young ladies gazed at him with infatuated looks, while the young men looked on with admiration. Even from afar, the Crown Prince’s appearance was impressive enough to draw gasps, with his lustrous silver hair half-swept back and his sturdy frame wrapped in a uniform.
‘As expected of the male lead.’
Although her younger brother Renard was quite handsome, he unfortunately couldn’t match up to Eldis. Deep-set eyes that matched his blue irises, a smooth nose bridge like a blade, and slightly plump lips that made him look sensual with every line he drew.
Just as Resena reached the bottom of the stairs in the hall, her eyes met with Crown Prince Eldis. As if to show she was different from the Resena who used to cause incidents in the past, she flashed a bright smile, to which the Crown Prince responded with a gentle smile as he gazed at her.
