How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 4.1
‘But she danced the first dance with that foolish Eldis. With the empty-headed crown prince who’s nothing more than a pretty face, who might not even realize if there’s a traitor right under his nose in the imperial palace.’
His teeth gritted slightly. Zergard let out a deep sigh and walked down the corridor, climbing the stairs.
Since his room was at the top of the building, Eum occasionally suggested installing an elevator. But he liked the classic style. And he didn’t feel the urge to make this building particularly sophisticated.
For him, who had lived for many years, a temporary hideout was just a place to pass through.
“Oh my. Baron Aldana. You’re here. I was just about to tell you something.”
It was Mary, the maid who always cleaned the building and prepared his meals. Zergard opened his mouth with a faint smile.
“What is it, Mary?”
“Well, the harvest festival is coming up soon. I wanted to let you know that I won’t be able to come then, so I’ll prepare the food the day before.”
“Ah. Are you going to enjoy the festival with that fiancé of yours?”
Mary blushed.
“Yes, that’s right. I think he might propose to me at that festival. Oh! Of course, I’ll still work here afterwards, so don’t worry.”
“I see… You must be happy. Congratulations in advance.”
“Hehe, thank you!”
Mary, immersed in happiness, seemed unaware as always that this was a dark wizard’s hideout. Zergard, paying tribute to her dullness, spoke calmly.
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with your work, you can get married, go on a honeymoon, do whatever you want. Just let me know the dates when you go on your honeymoon.”
“I understand.”
“Then, I’ll be going in now.”
Even as he heard “Thank you! Baron!” from behind, Zergard only twisted his lips upward. After closing the door, he looked at his sparsely furnished bedroom.
With money overflowing, he could have furnished it more lavishly. But Zergard hated complexity so much that he disliked having furniture fill his room.
‘But I didn’t dislike Resena’s room…’
And he didn’t want to see Resena falling into the arms of the stupid Eldis.
Imagining Resena finding ordinary happiness with a fiancé like Mary, somehow made his chest feel like it was boiling inside.
But why on earth was he concerned about such things?
Zergard sat down on the bed placed on one side of the room.
“…Resena.”
As he stroked his attached arm, Zergard suddenly thought he wanted to see Resena. He didn’t have a proper answer to the question he had pondered earlier. He just felt that she was extremely lovable, burning herself in a love that shouldn’t be while being jealous of Lorona.
‘We dark wizards are drawn to negative emotions like jealousy or contempt. I’m the same. Is that why?’
But strangely, when it came to Resena, he felt it would be fine even if she didn’t envy Lorona. He just didn’t want to see her sacrificing herself like a saint with that strong spirit of sacrifice.
Zergard lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.
He had thought that emotions like human love, joy, and happiness were things only fools had. But now that he himself was immersed in longing for Resena, he began to think that perhaps the idea that all those emotions were useless might be wrong.
It was unlike himself, who had only pursued power.
However, now that he was attracted to Resena, there was no helping that his thoughts changed day by day.
“…Hah.”
Zergard closed his eyes.
The sharp sunset light seeped in through the window.
He imagined.
Walking through the chaotic empire arm in arm with Resena.
A smile involuntarily formed on his lips.
It was an imagination that didn’t suit him, who had only pursued a world dominated by dark magic until now… but just by adding Resena, it seemed to be tinged with a different color.
“Not bad… at all.”
So he slowly stroked his chest.
His heart, filled with black mana, was beating faster than usual.
Yes, as if announcing that he had fallen for Resena…
***
“Resena. Do you have time today?”
“Ah. Mother.”
The Duchess spoke up while enjoying lunch.
“Yes. I have time.”
For now, that is.
Once the harvest festival starts, it’ll be unbelievably busy again. With the increasing paperwork and… planning to use the knights of the Duke’s household as a separate vigilante group to prevent villains from causing trouble at the harvest festival.
‘Moreover, since the serial killer Tom Baker starts his activities for the first time at the harvest festival…’
“The landscape painting we bought last time was quite nice. I’d like you to take Renard and visit the auction house again.”
“Should I? By the way, Mother, aren’t you busy with paperwork?”
The Duchess frowned and brought one hand to her cheek.
“The harvest festival is starting soon. I don’t think I’ll be able to leave the office until it’s over. Plus, with the merchant guild work to process, documents are already piling up like mountains in the office.”
“Ahaha…”
“So I’d like you to take Renard to the auction house in my place. Renard has a good eye for paintings… And if possible, try to buy Vernas’s sculpture too, regardless of the price, if you can.”
“Hmm… Alright.”
Resena looked towards the empty chair. Since then, she had to wake up the sleepyhead who couldn’t get up until lunchtime because he was sleeping due to his dedication to dawn sword training.
“Renard is excellent at swordsmanship, but he sleeps so much… I wonder how he fought on the battlefield.”
“Hehe, I guess he might have been a bit different on the battlefield? He became a Sword Master there, so he must have honed his swordsmanship through actual combat.”
Resena cut the veal steak and brought it to her mouth. The well-cooked meat aroma gently tickled her nose.
“Anyway, Renard is a unique brother in many ways. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if Renard became the heir to lead the Duke’s family instead of me. He doesn’t seem particularly interested in positions given by the imperial family, like Captain Daren Besserd of the Imperial Guard.”
“Hmm… But if Renard becomes the heir, there’s one critical problem, isn’t there?”
“What’s that?”
Mother winked.
“Paperwork. He’d have to process an enormous amount of paperwork every day, and don’t you think that lazy brother of yours would have a hard time doing that properly?”
“I guess so. Hahaha.”
“Hohohoho.”
The two laughed, covering their mouths, and resumed eating. The Duchess pierced an asparagus but put down her fork as if she had forgotten something.
