How to Tame That Gentle Hero - Chapter 9.9

“Resena.”

“Yes. Eldis.”

He spoke kindly with a smile.

“I noticed earlier that you were picking flowers one by one. How about gathering them to make a bouquet? I think it would be quite pretty. Even if they’re rare flowers, there are at least two or three of each planted in this greenhouse, so it shouldn’t be too burdensome.”

“Shall we? Then I’ll ask for scissors so we can cut a variety.”

“Yes. That would be better.”

When she commanded the maid, the maid quickly returned with garden scissors. But the scissors were quite large, so Eldis reached out with a smile.

“Give them to me. I’ll cut them for you, just point out which ones you want.”

“……Would that be alright?”

“Yes. Rather, I can enjoy the pleasure of giving you flowers, so I’m happy to do it. Don’t hesitate and tell me which ones you want. I’ll try to fulfill your wishes.”

Resena felt his words were like a delicate courtship and blushed her cheeks brightly. Seeing her adorable expression, Eldis smiled softly and cut the flower in front of him that Resena had been about to pick.

Snip, snip.

While cutting flowers, one had to be careful of thorns. But since Eldis was a sword master, he surrounded his hands with aura so thorns wouldn’t pierce them. Resena thought she had made the right decision to entrust the scissors to Eldis and pointed to flowers one by one with her hand.

“They’re pretty. Gathered like this, they’re even more beautiful than when seen individually. If I make a round bouquet like this and place it in my bedroom, I think the fragrance will subtly surround me when I’m reading books.”

“I’m glad you can enjoy it leisurely. Whenever you want me to serve you, just tell me. Resena. No matter where I am or what situation I’m in, I’ll rush to you.”

Resena looked at Eldis’s lips, which only spoke words sweeter than honey to her. They were lips that still made her want to kiss them. Because of this, she turned her gaze and met his eyes. After looking at each other for a moment, Eldis smiled slightly and turned his gaze toward the flowers.

Resena felt her heart beating rapidly just from meeting his eyes. Feeling as if her heart was being squeezed, she placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath, while Eldis was already cutting the flower she had pointed to.

‘I can’t just stay like this. Dating Eldis is nice, but to make him change completely, I need to give imperfect advice as Lord Sernaus said.’

But could she do that well?

Resena was lost in thought. As Eldis cut only the flower buds and placed them in her hair, a subtle fragrance surrounded her nose. His fingertips gently caressed her hair. Resena felt a smile naturally blooming as she raised her hand to touch the petals.

The soft texture seemed to give her courage. But since Eldis hadn’t asked for her advice, to give him imperfect advice, she needed to make him consult her.

“Eldis.”

“Yes. Resena.”

Resena spoke kindly to him while inhaling the fragrance coming down from her head.

“By the way, do you have any worries lately, or things you want to consult about but couldn’t say? If there’s something you can’t properly confide even to your closest person, try telling me. Like the advice I gave before, I might find a good solution.”

Eldis smiled slightly and gently stroked Resena’s hair.

“For now, I don’t have any important worries that I’d want to consult about. Your advice, and your words that I heard through others…… They provide me with a certain baseline……. I’m trying not to cross that baseline.”

‘A baseline…….’

Resena suddenly recalled her confessions to Vernas about being a regressor. Had Eldis learned that she was a regressor from Vernas? To subtly probe him, she asked a question.

“When you say baseline, what do you mean exactly?”

Eldis watched her with eyes like a calm, settled sea. He placed another flower he had just cut into her braided hair and whispered.

“Sorting out people with malicious intent, and among them, identifying those who are trying to hurt me somehow. The words you told me, that I should become a person who can protect just one person, still remain strongly in my heart.”

‘Certainly, just hearing this, it doesn’t seem like what Lord Sernaus is worried about will happen……. But the deity said that Eldis hasn’t completely changed yet. That means what I said wasn’t enough.’

Then how could she completely change Eldis?

‘Instead of relying entirely on Lord Sernaus’s words, I should give advice flexibly according to the situation to change Eldis’s thinking.’

Since Eldis had already accepted her advice well, it would be good to gradually add imperfect advice within limits that wouldn’t make him feel rebellious.

“……That’s good. I’m glad that Eldis has accepted my advice like that.”

“Yes. And……. I heard about you from a senior knight I cherish.”

“Do you mean Vernas?”

At that, Eldis smiled slightly. Resena felt newly excited as he interlaced his fingers with her delicate hand and led her. Eldis wore a tender expression as she walked with him, her heart pounding.

Before long, the table set up in the center was nearby. Eldis pulled out a chair for Resena to sit down, then took a seat across from her. The teacup prepared by the maid was cool with ice, lowering her warm hands to a mild fever temperature. Resena slowly took a sip.

“That friend uses the pseudonym Vernas when outside. I just found out. But that’s a secret between him and me. If the Knight Commander knew he did sculptures, he wouldn’t be too pleased.”

Resena smiled broadly, satisfied that he had the same thought as her. At that sight reminiscent of a garden full of hydrangeas, Eldis gracefully curved his eyelids and lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Ah. Now it’s a secret with you, too, Resena. Vernas must have told you his identity. But I won’t tell you his real name for the sake of future enjoyment. Wait until he tells you himself, Resena.”

Eldis lifted his teacup with a relaxed smile. As the gentle wave went down his throat, he suddenly felt like he was taking a rest. Watching Resena extend her fork toward the quiche, Eldis could feel his heart rippling yet wrapped in subtle waves.

“Anyway, he told an unusual story. That you, like the holy knight Irkenes, are standing here after several regressions.”

“……Yes.”

“And according to him, you regress because I have destroyed the world several times. He also said your purpose is solely to stop me from destroying the world. Resena. Is all of this true?”

Resena quietly gazed at Eldis. And only then did she discover with slight surprise that Vernas’s eyes and Eldis’s eyes were similar. Of course, there might be thousands of people with the same eye color in Crevasta. But she couldn’t have imagined his would be so identical to Vernas’s distinctive summer sea-like blue eyes.

“It’s true. Eldis… Because you don’t suspect others’ malice, because you don’t doubt others, you lose all your precious people. Vernas might survive, but he can never stop you from destroying the world.”

“……”

“After Lorona sacrifices herself for you at the end, you become disappointed in all of humanity. You, Eldis, having lost your love for humanity, don’t hesitate to use Sernaus’s light to turn the imperial capital to dust. Sometimes, to eliminate Tom Baker, sometimes because the black mage Zergard is hiding in the imperial capital and you want to eliminate him.”

“……Ha.”

Resena spoke seriously, holding the teacup with both hands.

Eldis silently watched her violet eyes shining vividly.

“The reason my advice fits perfectly is because I’ve experienced all that destruction firsthand. I occasionally feel pity for you, Eldis, who loves Lorona yet loses all your precious people, but the priority is for you to distinguish and filter out people’s malice so you don’t lose your precious ones.”

“……”

“Eldis.”

“Yes. Resena.”

When Eldis, who had been silent, answered her, Resena curved her clear black eyebrows and smiled kindly. Eldis looked at her, momentarily dazzled by her presence, then replied, “Speak. I’m waiting.”

“You’ll continue to use Sernaus’s light. But to truly protect your precious ones, you need to practice using that power in the right place at the right time.”

“The right place and time…?”