How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 6.2
“Then, let’s go around to other places together, Resena. There’s still a lot I want to show you.”
“Yes, Eldis.”
Even though she thought it was dangerous, Resena had no intention of letting go of her intertwined fingers with Eldis. Her fluttering heart felt as if it had become two hearts. One side seemed to be drawn to Vernas, the other to Eldis, each looking in a different direction.
And so, Resena and Eldis walked around the festival square.
They exclaimed at the sculptures decorated between the lines where the empire’s flags were hung, and blew soap bubbles made of wood.
“Ah. This is delicious.”
“Oh, it really is.”
After tasting the pork barbecue skewers that they cooled by blowing on the hot steam, they also tried hitting targets with water-filled balloons. As if determined to use up two weeks’ worth of enjoyment, Resena happily darted around the street vendors with Eldis.
And finally, the last place they arrived at was dart throwing.
“This is my specialty.”
“I thought Eldis was only good with swords, are you good at darts too?”
Resena looked up at Eldis with an excited face.
Enjoying this moment with him, she suddenly understood well why people praised Eldis, why they wanted to be with him.
Of course, he has the title of the male protagonist of this world. But even excluding that main character buff, he possessed a radiance that showed kind consideration, undeniable confidence, and a splendid appearance.
“A knight’s education includes archery. And from the moment I learned archery, I’ve never once missed a target.”
“That’s amazing, Eldis.”
Resena admired Eldis’s face, which had bloomed as beautifully as a lily. The blue eyes located within those delicate features sparkled with purpose. And so, Eldis casually picked up a dart with his sleeves rolled up.
“Oh my. A handsome customer who seems to have skills as well. If you hit five out of ten times, there’s a prize, so give it a try.”
The merchant said, rubbing his palms together. Resena smiled at those words and waited for Eldis to throw the dart.
Eldis soon took a breath, held it, and threw the dart. Without a moment’s hesitation, the dart flew in a straight line and stuck firmly in the center of the target.
“My goodness…”
The merchant’s eyes widened as if suddenly awakened. Resena grinned, finding the sight both amusing and impressed by Eldis’s skill. Eldis looked at Resena like that, then raised one corner of his mouth before grasping another dart.
“Then, the second one.”
Eldis once again held his breath and threw the dart.
Usually, when throwing darts, it’s common for the force control to be off, causing the dart to arc, but Eldis’s dart still flew in a straight line and stuck right next to the tail of the first dart.
The merchant gaped even wider, staring blankly at Eldis.
“Are you out of darts?”
When Eldis spoke with a smile on his face, the merchant seemed to come to his senses and hurriedly placed a pile of darts in the wooden bowl in front of Eldis. As if to penalize Eldis for throwing too well, most of the darts were in poor condition.
“Hmm.”
But Eldis just picked up any dart and slipped it between his fingers. Then he threw it carelessly.
“Gasp!”
The merchant let out a pained groan. Even that hit the center of the target, causing the lone tail to quiver. Resena, watching Eldis, recalled what he had just said.
‘He said he’s never missed…’
Eldis casually grasped the dart with his fingertips. The next one had its tail feathers completely fallen off. As far as she knew, at dart competitions, such darts would never be allowed.
Thwack.
“This one’s a hit too.”
However, a soft voice tinged with laughter flowed out. Even though the wind was blowing fiercely, making his hair flutter, Eldis ignored it and demonstrated the art of hitting the center of the target. By now, the merchant was looking at him almost pleadingly, but he held 5 darts in one hand, detaching them one by one and throwing them swiftly.
“No!”
“Huh!”
“Aaargh!”
“Ugh.”
“Nooooo!”
The merchant screamed, clutching his head. Given the considerable distance between the target and the throwing spot, it seemed the merchant had tried to ensure people would spend money without actually hitting the target.
But such tricks wouldn’t work on the male lead. Moreover, Eldis seemed to find the merchant’s behavior amusing, chuckling and just flicking his hand.
“All hit. Five, and then five more. A total of ten. The prizes… Should be two?”
As Eldis spoke with a mischievous smile, the merchant replied with tears in his eyes.
“Handsome knight. Please have mercy just this once. There’s only one prize per game. If you want another prize, you’ll have to throw again.”
“Oh? Then to get one of each kind, I’d need to throw 40 more times?”
Oh my, this sounded a bit like a threat.
Resena covered her mouth and laughed quietly behind him. In contrast, the merchant’s face was terribly distorted. Judging from his earlier throws, it seemed unlikely that Eldis would fail to win any prize.
Finally, the merchant spoke with a tearful expression.
“J-just… If you give me 2 gold, I’ll give you one of each type of prize. Sob… But no matter how much you like the other prizes, you can only have one of each.”
Eldis chuckled and put his hand on his waist.
“Alright. Then I’ll take one of each. I liked the homemade mead… I’m really looking forward to how it tastes.”
He turned to Resena and spoke kindly.
“Resena. Which one do you like the most?”
Resena watched from his side and replied sweetly.
“The mead that I can drink with Eldis. Since it’s homemade, I’m curious about how it will taste.”
In the homes of the Crevasta Empire, it was common to make and store mead made with honey. Although cheap beer was available, homemade mead tasted better, so mead from some famous regions was even distributed to various taverns.
Moreover, when the female lead returned from tracking black magicians in the provinces, mead was served to console her for her failure. So Resena was well aware of this culture.
“I guarantee the taste of our mead. Of course, I can only give one prize each… Technically it’s not allowed, but since the knight threw so well.”
The merchant added.
“For an extra 50 silver, I’ll give you one more bottle of mead. It might seem a bit expensive, but once you taste it, you’ll think it was worth it. Here, two bottles.”
“Alright. I’ll take them.”
Eldis received both bottles of mead and the rest of the miscellaneous prizes. Some of the prizes were quite bulky, making Resena worry if Eldis could see properly, but as if to dispel such concerns, he walked straight to the carriage that followed them.
“Put these away. And take out one bottle of this mead. Resena will take all the rest.”
“Understood.”
The coachman neatly arranged the items. Eldis extended his hand to Resena. As the sunset was starting to fall, he spoke gently to Resena.
“Resena. Shall we go for dinner now? I’ve made a reservation at a place where the best chef cooks, which I think will suit your taste.”
“Yes. That sounds good. Let’s go there then.”
“Alright. Your legs must be getting tired by now, so let’s move by carriage.”
Resena boarded the carriage with his escort. As Eldis entered the carriage as well, Resena was once again struck by how large his frame was.
When she first rode in a carriage with Eldis, she was less aware of his relative size due to trying to calm her racing heart, but now his neat face and fantastically well-matched body were truly a sight to behold.
Shoulders broader than the average knight, a chest that looked solid, a waistline with an excellent ratio leading to thighs that appeared firm.
He was like a perfect statue that captured one’s gaze.
Because of this, Resena was momentarily lost in thought, but she soon came to her senses.
‘Come to think of it, Vernas had a similar build to His Highness.’
