I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 110

Episode 110

Min-joo felt his breath, the warmth of his clasped hands, the large mass on her back.

“Tedric. Tedric will do well even without me. Princess Terisha will soon recover, and there’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

“Now I don’t know what to do. Min-joo, I failed to become emperor… What worth do I have? What should I do? What can I do?”

He had considered a life dedicated to nursing Terisha. But if Terisha decided to marry and leave, what should Tedric do alone?

What should he do after sending away his only ally?

“It’s okay, Tedric. You can take it one step at a time. You can try business, travel, pick up hobbies, or even turn the granted territory into the empire’s best.”

How could he cultivate the barren land to the extent that farming was impossible?

The granted territory was chosen to escape, to avoid the public eye.

Min-joo spoke in a quite affectionate and gentle tone.

It was calm and gentle, like telling an old story to a child.

“There are many things you can do, and if you do them all, you’ll find more things you want to do, and you don’t have to do them all. You don’t have to do anything. You’ve been running hard, you can take as much rest as you want.”

Tedric came closer.

Min-joo didn’t think this situation could be dismissed as mere pity due to their proximity.

Only up to this point. She wouldn’t take responsibility for him, nor would she stay by his side. It was time to push him away.

Then suddenly, she remembered the script she had packed in her bag.

It was probably left untouched in the reception room, but she thought it might be good to read it together for a change of mood.

Reading stories so different from reality could quickly captivate you.

She removed his arm wrapped around her waist.

Min-joo grabbed his broad shoulders and struggled to lift him, forcing him to sit.

Tedric sobbed and initially avoided Min-joo’s touch, but eventually leaned against his back.

The pillow was poorly crumpled.

“…What’s wrong?”

“Shall we work?”

“…Pardon?”

Min-joo covered Tedric with the blanket up to his waist and got up from the bed, saying to wait for a moment.

Since the reception room was nearby, they could quickly ventilate the atmosphere.

Thinking so, she opened the door, and the luggage she had brought was placed in front of it.

It seemed that the observant Chichen had moved the luggage instead.

Min-joo smiled gently and dragged the bag back to the bed.

Tedric, with a puzzled expression, cut a piece of cake and put it in his mouth.

“…What’s going on? Did Ceteran ask for something?”

“No, it’s completely unrelated.”

Min-joo opened the bag and spilled the script.

Tedric’s face turned increasingly shocked as he looked at the bunches of paper pouring out.

“…What is this, really?”

“It’s a script.”

Min-joo handed a bundle of paper to Tedric’s hand.

Feeling the weight, Tedric unconsciously unfolded the script.

The paper was worn out, perhaps from multiple revisions of lines, stage directions, and scene descriptions.

Even just looking at the paper, one could feel the sincerity of the writer.

The smeared ink and the neatly but hastily written characters evidenced the effort put into it.

Min-joo took her place beside Tedric, pulling the blanket up to her waist.

“Can you help me with something? We don’t have many scripts to consider for the theater, you know? After securing one contract, rumors spread, and now there’s a huge demand.”

“Do we have to read them all?”

“It would be preferable. But it’s not easy. We’ll have to judge whether they’re interesting, have compelling subjects, are ethically sound, and they can be adequately expressed through theater. Have you seen many plays?”

“A few.”

“That’ll do.”

Tedric was puzzled.

He came to see her after a long time, and now she was giving him tasks and talking about these things instead of comforting him. He didn’t know what to do, but there was much to be done.

He had consolidated his power, but now he needed to establish a position in a noble society for Terisha, who desired power and expand his businesses. Additionally, he needed to plan ventures that would wield influence over the nobility.

Furthermore, as Ceteran would become the emperor, he needed to solidify his foundation to ensure Ceteran couldn’t shake him or Terisha.

The mercenaries under his command from his days as the crown prince still delivered various news, but there weren’t many usable resources.

Because he had lost his power.

He heard that Vehen had been rejected by Ceteran. It wasn’t important.

Duke DeVirté held considerable power after the royal family, so if Vehen started interacting properly with the nobility, they could pressure Ceteran and make him a puppet.

There were also rumors of investments pouring in from various places for the theater business.

Investments from Ceteran’s brothers were noble investments, so they would be a significant promotion, and they would want to recoup their investment, so they would promote it.

Then it would become a trend, and the plays performed in that theater would naturally change people’s perceptions.

The only play performed at Min-joo’s theater was the love story between a slave and a noble.

The play, invested in by the remarkable Duke DeVirté, had already spread through word of mouth.

It was affordable, so even commoners could easily access it, and sympathy for slaves spread.

And to add to that, a slave rights activist intervened during protests. What a situation.

‘Using the power of culture and art, that’s it.’

Using the media and art. Remarkably, you can make waves without resorting to violence.

‘The protests ended without violence too.’

Not bad.

Tedric looked at Min-joo.

Min-joo’s face, now focused on the script, was somewhat different from usual.

Is this her true face? Even this isn’t bad.

Tedric slowly closed his eyes and then opened them again.

The subtle light of the candles and the warmth spreading from the fireplace created a cozy and stable atmosphere.

It was a leisurely time, with no need to scheme against anyone.

The taste of cooled tea and the sweetness of cream lingering on the tongue, the smell of ink and paper, all felt pleasant.

‘Min-joo, being with you makes me feel whole.’

Just like a twenty-seven-year-old man. It felt like being a greenhouse plant.

‘But it’s not the time to appeal to emotions yet.’

The sound of turning pages and rustling paper was mellifluous.

* * *

In the early morning, Neriant came.

She seemed busy preparing for a breakup, yet she was visibly angry for some reason.

Tedric had returned only after dawn, and Min-joo’s eyes were tired from reading the script all night.

Still, thanks to Tedric, they managed to narrow down the script for the contract, which was fortunate.

After breakfast, Min-joo invited Neriant into the study and asked Chichen for some tea.

Neriant muttered curses under her breath while washing her face, and at times, she clenched and released her fist.

Min-joo, unable to understand the cause of her anger, gently patted Neriant’s back.

“What’s wrong?”

“No… No, seriously, the world, what a lunatic… Is the Crown Prince insane?”

She flinched momentarily.

Even though she knew Ceteran had become the crown prince, Min-joo couldn’t help but think of Tedric.

As if trying to suppress her anger, Neriant flicked her bangs with a sigh.

“Sister, listen. I met Ceteran intending to break up because I heard he became the Crown Prince.”

Neriant talked about what happened yesterday afternoon.

Ceteran seemed to be busy, so she sent him a letter, asking him to meet with her soon.

For the busy Crown Prince, she even went to the palace herself. But what he said when they sat in the reception room.

‘Are you on my brother’s side?’

Neriant thought Ceteran was a damn bastard.

She had only exchanged private discussions with Tedric without even properly seeing his face.

But now he was suddenly asking whose side she was on.

‘We haven’t even had a proper conversation, what are you talking about? I hope you break up with me since I’m going to the army. I don’t care if I’m the Empress or the Crown Prince’s wife. I was preparing for marriage because I was imprisoned in the mansion in the first place.’

When she said she was going to the army and suggested they break up, he started opposing it with all sorts of political issues.

The image, reputation, power, and burdens that a Count should bear.

It was even funny to suspect Neriant.

In Ceteran’s eyes, Neriant was close to Min-joo, and after meeting Min-joo, Vehen banished himself, so he thought Min-joo was the problem.

He hinted that she had persuaded Neriant to enlist.

No contract could strengthen the bond between households as much as marriage.

Moreover, since Ceteran liked Neriant, he didn’t want to let her go even more.

‘I can help you enlist as an officer. I’ll assist you. I might not go to the battlefield myself, but I’ll make sure a place is made for you.’

With that, she left the room in frustration.

She was angry not only because of the abuse of power but also because he saw Neriant’s decision to enlist as just youthful impulsiveness.

Chichen, with keen perception, brought cold water and tea together.

As soon as Chichen placed them on the table, Neriant opened her mouth wide and gulped down the cold water.

Thud. Setting the glass down roughly, Neriant wrinkled her delicate and refined face.

“Is the army a joke? Soldiers are easy to handle? The flowers are blooming in your head.”

She seemed genuinely furious. At the same time, Min-joo understood Ceteran’s feelings as well.

Who would welcome the enlistment of someone they love?

If war breaks out, one must go to the battlefield, and if sent on a mission, they might not see each other for months or even years.

The empire had experienced many wars.

Ceteran must have known well what war was like. So, he probably didn’t want to send her off.

Still, even though it pained her, Min-joo wanted to support Neriant.

She had wanted to be a soldier even in her school days.

“You had every right to be angry. He’s gone too far. Who was he to say this and that?”

“That’s right. It’s not that I don’t understand, but his attitude is infuriating. That’s why I submitted my enlistment application this morning.”

What nonsense.

Out of the blue?

She came to submit her enlistment application.

Min-joo slapped her forehead with her palm in disbelief at Neriant’s initiative.

Was this reality? It felt surreal.

No matter how angry she was, who submits an enlistment application as soon as the day breaks?

Min-joo struggled to maintain her composure and took Neriant’s hand.

She could feel the calluses indicating that she had been exercising diligently.

“Did I misunderstand? You came here to submit an enlistment… application?”

“Yeah. Ah, it’s infuriating. Let’s start a revolution. If that guy becomes emperor, the country will be ruined.”

Was the female protagonist trying to put the male protagonist on the spot?

Of course, this is the real world, and the scenario should be regarded separately as part of repeated time loops.

Min-joo almost lost her grip on her sanity.

“You seem too excited, Se-yeon.”

“Please refer to me as Neriant, as it affects my self-esteem.”

Neriant clasped her fingers solemnly.

She seemed ready to overthrow Ceteran before the tea cooled down.

But it wasn’t a bad suggestion.

‘It actually sounds good.’

The Ceteran who became emperor, as told by Vehen, was a puppet. And in this life, he had rejected Vehen and disregarded Neriant’s opinions.

Furthermore, if he truly held imperial power, he probably wouldn’t leave Tedric alone.

In addition to that, there’s the horrendous slave system and the burdensome lives of commoners each day. The gap between the rich and the poor felt on the skin. 

Could they perhaps, just a little bit before returning, stir things up?

“A revolution… shall we start one?”

It felt like her heart was racing.

Was it due to anxiety, or was it trembling from anticipation? It was hard to distinguish.