<CHAPTER 6>
There’s No Way a Man This Frail Is a Hidden Powerhouse
“…What?”
“Do you prefer strong men who can slice through dragons with ease?”
What was he even talking about?
Ehilie could only open and close her lips repeatedly.
She was already confused enough, and now she was being asked something completely unexpected, so her thoughts refused to line up properly.
“Please answer me, Ehilie.”
Rek lowered himself to her level, gently cupping her cheek with his hand.
The look in his eyes as he pressed for an answer was unusually sharp.
His voice was endlessly gentle, yet there was a strange sense of pressure beneath it.
It was the demeanor of someone accustomed to interrogating others and extracting answers.
Overwhelmed by his intense presence, Ehilie let her unfiltered thoughts spill out.
“No. I don’t like that.”
The faint crease between his brows smoothed out once more.
“Then what kind of person do you like, Ehilie?”
“What?”
“Your taste in men.”
In her previous life, she liked reading romance novels.
But that enjoyment was limited to watching other people’s love stories unfold.
She had no interest in her own romance.
After all, novels and reality were different.
Ehilie gave a suitably vague answer.
“A kind person.”
“A kind person?”
Honestly, as long as she did not get involved with those lunatics from the original story, anyone would do.
“Yes. Someone who respects me and treats me as precious. I really hate things like kidnapping someone in the name of love, spying on them, or acting coercively.”
Of course, most male leads in the romance novels she enjoyed in her past life carried exactly those traits.
But that was only fun from a reader’s perspective.
In reality, it was all criminal behavior.
“If I think about getting married someday, I’d like someone family oriented and gentle. Someone who smiles warmly whenever they see me…”
Ahem. Cough.
Midway through her enthusiastic rambling, Ehilie suddenly felt embarrassed and shut her mouth.
What was she even saying in front of a man she had not known for long?
She felt ashamed for being so careless with her words.
“That’s a relief.”
“Huh? What is?”
“Because it seems I do not stray too far from your preferences.”
His eyes, which had been hardened with intensity, curved into a beautiful smile.
His red lips traced a graceful arc.
Ehilie found herself staring blankly at Rek’s face.
He’s right.
At the very least, one thing was certain.
His smiling face was genuinely beautiful.
A cold hearted northern grand duke melting instantly at a single smile from a sunshine like heroine.
An assassin unfazed by countless femme fatales falling head over heels for an ordinary woman.
In her past life, Ehilie had always wondered if romances built on such extreme setups were truly plausible, dismissing it all as “looks are the plot.”
But now, she understood.
So looks really can be the plot.
Smiling with a face like that was unfair.
If this world were not based on a grim R-rated novel, or if Ehilie were just a little less cautious, she would have fallen for Rek right then and there.
Get a grip. You can’t fall for cheap charm like that.
Ehilie forced her wildly pounding heart to calm down.
“Rek, I’m going to go tidy up what’s outside.”
“The dragon?”
“Yes.”
“Leave it as it is. I will take care of it later.”
There was no way Rek could handle that massive dragon alone.
He probably planned to call in workers.
Ehilie shouted in alarm.
“Why would you get rid of something so valuable?”
“What?”
“That’s a black dragon. Do you have any idea how useful black dragons are? Their horns and claws are packed with mana, perfect for making magic amplifiers, and the body should be finely ground into stamina recovery potions.”
“I thought you disliked dragons.”
Rek looked puzzled.
“If we’re talking about like or dislike… I like them. They’re precious potion ingredients with nothing that goes to waste.”
Ehilie made her living by crafting and selling potions.
In truth, she could create a fairly decent potion just by infusing water with her holy power.
After all, the holy power possessed by Ehilie, the original protagonist, was purer and stronger than that of the empire’s current High Priest.
If anyone finds out about my power, I’ll be dragged to the temple just like in the original story.
There was someone even more unhinged than the hero waiting in the temple.
To avoid meeting that madman, Ehilie could never let her holy power be discovered.
That was why she never infused holy power into her potions.
Instead, she spared no expense when it came to quality ingredients.
That alone was enough to make excellent potions.
Even at that level, she could make a living without any problems.
Let’s see. An axe, a saw, and…
As Ehilie gathered the tools needed to dismantle the dragon, Rek naturally followed her.
“I will help.”
“No, Rek. You should rest inside.”
“I do not want to be alone in a house without you.”
What was that supposed to mean?
It was not like he was a puppy with separation anxiety.
Still, leaving a guest alone in her house did feel a bit rude.
“All right.”
Once everything was ready, Ehilie headed to the dragon’s carcass together with Rek.
“Wow…”
She had thought it was enormous even from afar.
Up close, it was absurdly massive.
To think someone had sliced through this gigantic dragon so casually.
Once again, she was reminded that a male lead was not just anyone.
After spacing out briefly, Ehilie picked up the axe.
I’ll start with the horns.
She fixed her gaze on the target and swung the axe with all her strength.
Thud!
A heavy sound rang out.
But the dragon’s solid horn did not even get scratched.
After just one strike, her arm went numb from the intense rebound, as if she had slammed into a massive iron pillar.
“Ehilie.”
Rek approached quietly and held out his hand.
“You’ll hurt your arm like that. I will do it, so please give it to me.”
“You?”
Ehilie hesitated for a moment.
He’s a man, so he’s probably stronger than me…
Rek did have an impressive physique.
His body was covered in firm muscles, so naturally he should have decent strength.
But she was not fully convinced.
She had realized during their first meeting that Rek was far more frail than he appeared.
What if he swings it once and collapses from exhaustion?
With concern, she handed him the axe.
“Rek, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“All right.”
He lifted the axe high with one hand.
His stance was already wrong.
Swinging like that would not put any proper force behind it.
Should I just call for workers?
As she watched him with worried eyes, Rek swung the axe.
Whoosh—
The moment the blade struck the dragon’s horn.
Clang!
The axe bounced straight off.
It flew high into the air, spun a few times, and landed on the ground with a dull thud.
He’s even weaker than he looks.
Ehilie assumed Rek had lost his grip due to the recoil.
“It’s okay, Rek.”
She went to pick up the axe while trying not to embarrass him, then froze in surprise.
Rek was already standing there, holding neatly split pieces of wood in his hand.
“I’m sorry, Ehilie. I broke the axe handle.”
“What? Why did it break?”
“It seems the handle was a bit old.”
“I bought it just a week ago. The blacksmith said it was sturdy enough to cut through a thousand logs…”
“Then you were scammed.”
“No way. He’s a true craftsman who never sells defective goods.”
There was only one reason a perfectly fine axe handle would snap in half.
Rek’s grip strength was so overwhelming that the handle could not withstand it.
“…Just how strong are you?”
“I am fairly average.”
“Average people don’t break axe handles in half with one swing.”
Could he be one of those hidden powerhouses?
Someone absurdly strong pretending to be weak?
Just as Ehilie looked at him suspiciously, Rek suddenly collapsed onto the ground.
“Rek? What’s wrong?”
Clutching his wrist, Rek frowned in pain.
“I believe my wrist is broken.”
“What?! Let me see.”
Ehilie carefully examined his wrist.
“Oh my. It’s really swollen.”
Seeing how rapidly it had swollen, it seemed more than a simple sprain.
Breaking his wrist just from swinging an axe once. How fragile can he be?
She felt guilty for doubting him even for a moment.
There was no way a man this frail could be a hidden powerhouse.
Ehilie thought to herself.
Rek must be right. The axe handle must have been old. The blacksmith probably made a mistake.
