How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 3.1
“……”
The man became silent as if he had swallowed his tongue. Resena continued slowly.
“Don’t take what belongs to the child and be diligent instead. For you, it might be a sculpture that could be sold for money, but for the child, it’s a precious toy that revives memories with that sculptor. As a father, how can you try to take away such memories from the child when you can’t even provide them yourself?”
“…Well…”
“Moreover, you never know what good Vernas might do for your family, but if he finds out that you forcibly took and sold the child’s toy, who knows how he might react?”
The man couldn’t say anything as every word was true. Seeing him hang his head low, Resena got back into the carriage.
“Instead of being drunk from early in the day, work diligently. Then your children will understand your heart too. It would be better for both you and the child if you don’t show this kind of behavior anymore. Well then, I’ll be going now.”
Let’s go. After saying that to the coachman, Resena nodded to the knight. The carriage door closed, and the knights mounted their horses.
The man remained silent until the carriage was far away. But the way he slumped his shoulders and went back into the bar showed that he had no intention of working even if it killed him.
“Sigh… Many things different from the past have happened today.”
Resena leaned back against the carriage wall. She planned to stop at a restaurant under the company’s control nearby for lunch. After that, she intended to visit two direct stores to check if there were any operational issues.
‘Other places don’t buy from the Tebas Guild, so they probably won’t be much different from before. But it’s better to check just in case.’
And then…
‘With Vernas’s sculptures being all the rage, why hasn’t Mother brought any into the Arnasus house? I only remember seeing it in the novel, so I can’t say much. I’d like to see more of Vernas’s sculptures too.’
That train sculpture was incredibly detailed and intricate.
“Hmm…”
After getting off at the restaurant and having a light lunch of coq au vin and clear soup, Resena visited the direct stores. As she expected, there were no particular problems elsewhere.
However, as it was before the regression, some clerks were causing trouble. Resena pointed out their behavior and instructed to hire new clerks.
And then, on her way back, she saw the child wandering around with the toy through the carriage window again, but soon dismissed it from her mind.
‘If I want to see Vernas’s sculptures, I can just buy them.’
It was an added surprise when she returned home comfortably and learned from her mother that Vernas’s sculptures couldn’t be bought with money.
***
It had already been two weeks since Resena’s regression.
In the meantime, she had successfully completed finding a new store location for Mina as promised and opening up more distribution channels. Mina was so grateful for securing a store location in an area where wealthy artists mainly lived, a bit far from the Tebas Guild.
‘Work is indeed fulfilling once it’s done. Nothing hones a person like work.’
Resena stood up from her seat. As someone who had already processed the same documents for the fourth time, with little difference from before the regression, she had finished her work long ago but stayed at her desk for a long time on purpose, fearing that her increased speed might be noticed.
Enjoying the coffee prepared by the maid, Resena looked out the window. True to mid-June, roses were in full bloom, and whenever the wind blew, petals danced and fluttered in.
“It’s really fragrant. How nice it would be if such peaceful days could continue forever…”
But Resena knew that something was about to happen again soon. Although she had canceled the Tebas Guild and assassination guild matters, she still had to check personally whether the Tebas Guild had properly canceled it, as they weren’t known for their quick handling of affairs.
‘Moreover, the summer ball will be held soon. That’s where Zergard appears and taints people with black mana…’
Those tainted by black mana experience symptoms of their skin turning pitch black and their internal organs rotting. The only cure is treatment by a priest, but by the time they feel pain, 3/4 of their organs are already tainted by black mana, leaving significant after-effects even after treatment.
‘Saint Lorona plays an active role at this time, but… There are so many contaminated people that she can’t save them all, and more than half of those infected end up dying. In the process, Eldis does take notice of Lorona’s activities, but…’
Since she had returned through regression, she couldn’t let people die. Although she couldn’t remember the names of all those contaminated by black mana, if she told them to go to the temple for a check-up, they would know if they were infected. Resena planned to put on a performance to save them.
“But why did Zergard say he wanted to congratulate me on my birthday? Did he like the previous Resena that much? Why would a psychopath who doesn’t hesitate to kill someone he dislikes even slightly show interest in me?”
Resena recalled the black pearl earrings she received from him. The color and shape were perfect, but it was best not to wear them as he might have done something to them.
‘But if I ignore them completely, Zergard might come looking for me again…’
Resena swallowed hard. The black magician Zergard was truly a terrifying existence. Many people died because of him when he clashed with all his might using black mana to kill the male protagonist in the finale. And through those sacrifices, Zergard’s power was amplified even more.
‘Of course, even then, Eldis doesn’t get hurt even a bit, and the female lead dies taking the hit instead.’
Recalling what Alken had said in her previous life, Resena became cold.
“I’m sure he said that even if Eldis got hit, he would hardly be injured.”
It’s mentioned in the novel too. Even black magic can’t kill a Sword Master enveloped in aura in one blow. Didn’t Alken say it would only cause a scratch at most?
‘The problem is Lorona. I need to prevent the female lead from jumping into that dangerous situation for the male lead…’
Resena finished her coffee and poured more from the teapot herself. Adding milk and three sugar cubes made it a perfectly sweet café latte, which she enjoyed with a broad smile.
“Mmm, it’s so delicious!”
The taste of a café latte after finishing work was special. Resena sat on the sofa like that, looking out the window. The sound of birds harmonizing with the clear sky stimulated her ears.
“How can I prevent Lorona from sacrificing herself for Eldis…”
It was a problem she had thought about many times. But the answer always came out the same.
Making the female lead not fall in love with the male lead. And the male lead protecting such a female lead but being unable to achieve love seemed to be the only complete solution.
“That’s the only way to break this repeating regression…”
Resena swirled the coffee in her cup. One of the things Resena regretted most after the empire’s destruction was not being able to drink coffee with such a rich chocolate aroma like this.
The empire’s level of development was close to modern times, except for swords and magic. So there were instant coffees like tea bags, but they weren’t as good as coffee extracted with hot water and pressure.
“I will never let the world end. I will definitely prevent it.”
Resena reaffirmed her determination as she drank her latte.
