How to Tame That Gentle Male Lead - Chapter 6.9
Zergard found this extremely regrettable, but he removed his hand and clicked his tongue.
“I heard that you leaked to that annoying Crown Prince that the background of dark mages is corrupt priests.”
“That……”
“Don’t think about making excuses. It’s already a rumor spreading through social circles. That loose-lipped Emperor has been blabbing so much, it was even a struggle to pretend not to know.”
“……”
Resena’s trembling lips moved, but she couldn’t form words and lowered her gaze.
Her life was in the hands of this evil dark mage.
So for now, she had to humor him. Although she hated and was disgusted by Zergard, who had caused the world’s destruction, she absolutely couldn’t show it.
“So… Have you come to vent your anger on me…?”
“Vent my anger? Ha. Hahaha. Hahahaha!”
Zergard laughed refreshingly. Resena, who had hoped that laughter might spread outside, was puzzled to see him so calmly wiping away tears from his eyes. But seeing this, Zergard smirked with a mischievous face.
“Really… I can see right through your thoughts. Your face is so honest. You weren’t like this before.”
“……”
“Resena. Who do you think is responsible for me being able to be here? Of course, don’t you think I would have set up a barrier to prevent sound from escaping before greeting you?”
Resena’s expression worsened. Her face, pale with fear as she looked up at him, moving her lips without sound, was both pitiful and lovely to him.
Zergard was suddenly overcome with the desire to taxidermy her and hang her in his hideout. The contrast between her pretty face and her hair, the color of the night sky, made her seem pure yet somehow sensual.
He wanted to put her in a transparent sphere processed in a vacuum, to appreciate her all by himself.
“Resena.”
“Yes……”
“I didn’t come to vent my anger.”
Zergard decided to honestly give the correct answer.
If she showed an undesirable pattern, he could choose to kill her on the spot and taxidermy her.
“Then…?”
But Resena, not fully understanding his intentions, could only be swayed by his every word. Just in case, Resena fingered and grasped the pin in her hair, ready to stab Zergard if necessary.
So Zergard, seeming to both know and not know about Resena’s actions, narrowed his eyes into half-moons and gave an honest answer.
“I just came to scare you a little.”
If I scare her twice, she’ll run away barefoot.
Zergard watched as Resena’s eyes widened and her pupils trembled. Feeling the urge to open up this small animal-like woman’s head and see what she was thinking, he smiled slightly.
“Well, seeing how scared you are now, you probably won’t pass on any unnecessary information to the Emperor next time, right?”
“……”
“Until now, I’ve overlooked whatever you’ve said to the Emperor and Crown Prince. There were times when it was fatal, but that much I could forgive as a cute quirk. But……”
Zergard grabbed Resena’s hair and buried his nose in it. The sweet scent of roses intertwined with white musk tickled his nostrils.
“Hmm… Well, what should I do?”
“…Please spare me, Zergard……”
At this, he chuckled while playing with her hair.
“If you want to live, show me your sincerity.”
“What kind…?”
“You’re already kneeling before me, so now it’s time to melt my heart with words, isn’t it? Promise that you will never, ever leak unnecessary information to the Crown Prince again. Just a promise isn’t enough, so swear in the name of Sernaus, the main god of light who governs this world.”
Gulp. Resena swallowed.
An oath sworn in the name of the main god Sernaus was a vow that had to be kept, even if it was made under threat.
‘If not kept…’
An unbearable force of light would surge into the heart of the oath-taker, causing it to burst with a bang. Because of this, drunkards who carelessly made oaths while intoxicated often died, a scenario that was sometimes depicted in novels.
‘I have to… make… such an oath?’
‘Moreover, if I make this oath, I won’t be able to advise the Crown Prince.’ Resena looked up at Zergard with tears in her eyes, but he just curled up the corners of his mouth in amusement, waiting for Resena’s words.
‘It’s an oath I can’t make. But… if I don’t…’
It was clear that Zergard would cut off her neck. Even if he had an interest in her, he was still the leader of the dark mages.
So Resena, clutching the carpet with her fingers, struggled to open her mouth.
“In the name of Sernaus of Light, I swear… I, Resena Arnasus…”
“……”
Zergard’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. Beyond his pitch-black mask, his blue eyes gleamed like the insensitive glass eyes of a doll, looking down at her intently.
“…will not give any advice or counsel to Crown Prince Eldis Jude Crevasta…”
“Good.”
Zergard raised a satisfied smile.
Although she couldn’t see his whole face beyond the mask, she would surely understand what he was thinking. His thin lips drew a twisted arc.
Resena, overwhelmed with guilt for making an oath she shouldn’t have, slowly bowed her head in a daze. But as Zergard lifted her bowed head, fear surged through her once again.
“Now then, shall we indulge in our time alone?”
“W-What…”
“Don’t show such dislike. You’re not foolish enough to not know that I have feelings for you.”
“……”
Zergard chuckled as he stroked Resena’s cheek. Then he pulled her chin towards him and lowered his head. Cold lips, unlike human body temperature, were about to cover her lips.
“Sister!”
But at the sudden voice, both of them stiffened. Zergard hurriedly let go of Resena’s chin and quickly stepped back.
“Kugh…”
Whoosh.
An aura flew with a sharp sound, leaving a scratch on the wall of the room. It was exactly where Zergard’s neck had been. Thinking that the skill was quite impressive, Zergard gritted his teeth.
“How did you break through this barrier?”
Renard said coldly, swinging his aura around.
“Is that what you’re curious about now? If you offer your neck, I’ll tell you as your eulogy.”
“Kugh…!”
Zergard started to raise black mana but judged that fighting a Sword Master in such a narrow room would be disadvantageous. So he instantly transformed the black mana into a giant awl, smashed the terrace window, and leaped out.
“You escape well. But next time will be your grave.”
Renard gritted his teeth and jumped towards the window, but Zergard’s figure had already disappeared from the garden. Resena was staring blankly at Renard until she came to her senses when he embraced her.
“Sister. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“Renard… Renard…”
Only then did the tears burst forth. Resena sobbed and leaned her body against Renard. Renard patted Resena’s back, comforting her with words like “It’s okay, sister. It’s fine as long as you’re not hurt.” But Resena’s tears showed no signs of stopping.
“I… I… What should I do? I made an oath to Sernaus. Huk. Because that dark mage said he would kill me if I didn’t…”
“…Sister.”
Renard looked at Resena with a troubled face.
“What kind of oath did you make?”
“Sob… It’s… I swore not to give any advice or counsel to His Highness the Crown Prince at all.”
“……”
Renard stared at Resena quietly for a while, then spoke firmly as if he had made a decision.
“Let’s go find Saint Lorona as soon as morning comes. She’s also the saint of the main god, so she’ll know how to deal with this situation.”
