How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 5.9
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“Yes. I’d like that, Vernas. Please take my hand.”
For a moment, Eldis wondered if he hadn’t been Vernas-like enough, but when he was in Vernas’s state, they hadn’t even exchanged more than a few words. Therefore, there were no hints that could reveal his true identity.
‘But you’re clever, Resena… Enough to deduce the identities of dark mages that hadn’t been properly revealed until now.’
So even with the smallest thing, she might realize that he was Eldis.
But she didn’t know that Eldis was thinking this. Resena was simply too happy to be spending this time with Vernas.
Having just returned from tracking and capturing dark mages with her nerves on edge, these small moments with Vernas felt even more precious.
“Well then.”
Vernas took Resena’s hand and brought it to his lips. The moment they touched, it felt as if her rapidly beating heart was gradually burning up. Resena’s cheeks turned a rosy color, and her eyes became moist.
“Where are we going, Vernas?”
Still in Vernas’s form, Eldis replied softly.
“I was thinking we could walk along the canal for a bit… Or would you like to have a meal together?”
Resena chuckled at his words.
“Vernas. Are you trying to seduce me?”
Eldis was surprised by her blunt words. But soon he smiled gently, his eyes crinkling, and replied.
“Yes. I want to seduce you.”
“…Vernas.”
They hadn’t even known each other for long. Resena couldn’t suppress her rapidly beating heart. So she took a graceful step closer to him and looked up at him.
Vernas’s neat face was still hard to remember, but his nonchalant soft voice seeped right into her ears.
“When I saw you approach me, I thought I’d like to walk and talk with you. As an extension of that, I occasionally thought about wanting to talk over a meal.”
“Vernas…”
“I want to know you. I found it interesting how you silently observed, deeply engrossed, while I was sculpting. I wanted to ask what about me you liked. Watching you stare intently at my fingers as I sculpted… I was wrapped up in such thoughts.”
It seemed like a voice she had heard somewhere before. But Resena couldn’t continue that train of thought. As Vernas’s lips pressed against her hand again, she could only look up at him, overwhelmed by the emotion that was pounding inside her chest and seeping out.
“Alright. Where shall we go first then?”
As Resena linked her arm with Vernas’s, he replied in a calm, soft voice.
“If we go down along the canal, there’s a place that makes excellent Cambaya (a traditional stew of the Crevasta Empire. A spicy dish made by boiling meat and vegetables together). How about we have a meal there?”
Resena replied, her eyes curving prettily.
“Yes. That sounds good. Let’s eat there. I was just thinking I was getting hungry.”
Resena didn’t mind the unfamiliar food Vernas was suggesting. She was simply happy to be walking arm in arm with Vernas in this moment.
Like a girl experiencing her first love, Resena walked down along the canal with him, her cheeks flushed red.
“…”
Eldis was just as nervous.
He had never felt this tense even when he went on expeditions to slay monsters. It felt as if the heat from her delicate hand resting on his firm arm was seeping into him.
“I’ve heard that you’re the young lady of the Arnasus family, Resena. Is it alright for you to spend time with me like this?”
Resena leaned her forehead against his arm at his words.
“This is time I’m spending with someone I care about. And living every day just as a young lady is tiring. Taking a breather like this from time to time is part of my routine.”
At that, Eldis looked down at her, feeling an indescribable emotion welling up.
He was surprised at his own impulse to tightly embrace this fragile body leaning against him and kiss her over and over. Because of that, Eldis instead firmly held her hand with his free hand. It felt like if she were to run away from him, he would chase her to the ends of the earth.
“Then, what does Vernas usually do after finishing sculpting like this?”
“I…”
He slowly recalled his daily routine. After dealing with a murderous amount of paperwork, he would organize the knights and participate in training. Just doing that would take up most of the day, so he deliberately set Wednesday and Thursday as rest days, finishing only the paperwork and then coming out to the canal dock in the afternoon to sculpt.
But if he told her all of this process in detail, she would realize that he was Eldis.
“I mainly participate in knight training. On days when I’m not sculpting, I have things I need to do, so it’s difficult to make time. But on days like Wednesday and Thursday, I try to deliberately make time to rest and sculpt.”
Resena’s heart fluttered so much it felt like it might jump out of her chest because of his calm, whispering tone. Without realizing it, she squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head, and Eldis’s hand lifted her face.
It was the perfect timing for a kiss.
“But instead of giving in to that desire, Eldis gently traced Resena’s lips with his fingertips while quietly observing her. As her trembling eyelids fluttered open, fully taking in his face, he curved his lips into a deep smile.
“So, is Vernas a knight?”
“You could say that. But I’m not an ordinary knight. That’s why it’s difficult for me to make time except for Wednesdays and Thursdays. I also have to handle paperwork.”
Resena was overjoyed at his soft voice. People talk about Vernas this way and that, but they don’t really know his identity. Yet Vernas is telling her what he does, even though it could be troublesome if his identity were revealed.
‘It’s only been 26 years since artistic professions like sculptors have risen to prominence.’
Artistic professions like sculptors began to emerge as career paths from the time Eldis was born. Vernas says he’s not an ordinary knight, so he must be a high-ranking knight, but the knight commander probably wouldn’t look favorably on a knight having another profession like a sculptor. Because of this, she could guess that he wasn’t telling her his exact identity.
‘Even though we’ve only met twice…’
Although she couldn’t understand why he was so willingly talking about his identity based on so little, Resena couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. Vernas also found her face so lovely that he had to suppress the constant urge to kiss her.
“I think Vernas must be diligent in his work as a knight too. Seeing how you give sculptures to children, you seem to have a lot of patience… Actually, while children are lovely, they don’t provide the best environment for concentrated sculpting, do they? It’s noisy and bustling…”
At Resena’s words, Vernas gave a faint smile. How fantastically that smile suited his fine-featured face. Resena felt her heart flutter and tightened her grip on Vernas’s arm.
Vernas slowly opened his mouth.
“That bustle is also part of the natural order. No matter how the children chatter or what commotion they cause, they only appear as little angels to me. Whatever form or sound angels descended to earth might take, it’s bound to feel sacred.”
“Ah…”
“Resena. You’ll feel the same when children who are fond of you surround you. Children are pure, and even the weakest child is inherently kind to those who bring them joy. I too am captivated by this aspect of children, which is why I constantly create sculptures to gift them.”
“Mmm.”
“Of course, sometimes I make pieces to sell to others, but that’s when I have something I want to create at times that don’t suit children. Children are the source of my inspiration, you could say.”
As Resena listened to his words, she could easily imagine how much he would adore their child if they were to marry and have one.
If he loves other people’s children this much, how tenderly would he treat his own child? Without realizing it, a soft smile spread across her face as she fully leaned her head against his arm. Though she found herself amused by thinking about marriage after meeting only a few times, her heart was full of affection for Vernas.
“Vernas, you really love children. And your perspective on children is truly…”
It’s similar to the modern approach to treating children. Even in her previous reality, by Korean standards, it hadn’t been 100 years since the emphasis on love for children began. Yet, for someone from this world to have such an advanced mindset seemed remarkable to her.
