I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 134

Episode 134

Terrified people fleeing, subdued people sprawled on the ground, people shouting until the end and then being struck down by the suppression baton.

It was unbelievable that such violent measures were taken at a party where nobles of the empire and ambassadors from other countries gathered.

“How fortunate to be subdued quickly.”

“They came here without knowing their place. How vulgar.”

The nobles, watching the scene of suppression, breathed a sigh of relief and chattered away.

Draped in thick coats and adorned with dazzling jewels that could blind the eyes, they sneered at the commoners being ruthlessly trampled.

“So this is the level of the Crown Prince. To think commoners would dare protest in front of the palace…”

The laughter pierced like thorns into the ears.

Min-joo opened her eyes wide and stared at them.

What’s so impressive about them? How precious must their lives be?

‘I’ve been too naive.’

She sincerely lamented.

They never regarded commoners as human beings to begin with.

She believed in the righteousness of people. She didn’t doubt that people wouldn’t be cruel to each other.

If they took peaceful measures, she thought they would also preserve peace.

Moreover, wasn’t the place and situation conducive to that? Naturally, she thought they would resolve it peacefully and didn’t doubt it.

‘I’ve been careless.’

If she had heard from afar, she might have thought carelessly again.

If she hadn’t followed Vehen to the party, heard about the situation, and still prioritized peace, she might have thought.

But hearing the screams of people being trampled right in front of her was a feeling that made her head spin.

She didn’t know violence was necessary to survive, not to get hurt, not to be safe.

Maybe Robert was right.

The world doesn’t treat humans like humans enough to accomplish something human-like.

“We need to stop this. We have to stop.”

Min-joo, as if possessed, let go of Vehen and stepped towards the huge iron gate.

Before she could step forward, Vehen quickly grabbed Min-joo’s arm and stood her up. It was a desperate move.

“Don’t go.”

“People will die if they keep going!”

Min-joo twisted her shoulder to push away Vehen’s desperate arm.

Then Vehen hugged Min-joo and stepped back. With his massive embrace, there was no way she could escape no matter how much she struggled.

“You think you’re safe? I’ll handle it. I’ll take care of it, so stay here.”

Surely it would be better for a duke to step forward and resolve it than a commoner with no lineage.

The situation was too urgent to harbor discontent with the caste system. The priority was resolution.

Min-joo grabbed Vehen’s forearm and stared him down.

“Then please go quickly now. We don’t have time.”

Vehen nodded and let go of Min-joo, then ran towards the door.

Min-joo leaned against the wall and watched Vehen’s actions, panting heavily.

The door was far away, but Vehen ran without taking a breath. The cold air pierced through his shirt and skimmed his skin.

Ignoring the fact that his head was getting messed up and his shoes were getting dirty, Vehen arrived by running.

Standing behind those who were preparing to strike and shoot, Vehen shouted in a hoarse voice, mixed with rough breaths.

“What’s the commotion?”

Not many turned around. However, after recognizing Vehen, the leader of the platoon politely greeted him and explained the situation.

“Your Grace, we are dealing with individuals who pose a threat to the safety of the royal family. We apologize for the disturbance.”

Individuals posing a threat. Just people holding candles?

Vehen glanced at the gruesome scene with a fierce expression.

“Although they are deemed dangerous, they don’t seem to be armed.”

“We received orders from above, and we have no choice.”

The platoon leader awkwardly requested Vehen’s understanding while glancing at him.

He promised to finish as quickly as possible.

Vehen tried to deduce who ‘above’ could be but stopped himself.

Then he grabbed the back of one soldier aiming a gun and dragged him down to the ground with a thud.

With a heavy sound, the soldier on the ground blinked in bewilderment.

The platoon leader, not understanding Vehen’s sudden action, stiffened his expression.

“What does your action mean?”

Vehen grabbed the gun of the soldier next to him. Some soldiers turned their backs and surrounded Vehen.

Despite several gun barrels pointed at him, Vehen stood tall without flinching.

“It’s noisy. They haven’t armed themselves, so don’t unnecessarily escalate. Resolve it quietly.”

Vehen tossed the empty gun, minus the bullets, to a soldier.

The platoon leader didn’t understand Vehen’s intention and clenched his fist in the air.

Bright green eyes sparkled, and tousled brown hair covered his forehead.

Muscular, elongated arms stretched toward the platoon leader.

The platoon leader followed his arm’s direction, then looked at the spectators and swallowed hard.

In a low voice, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

“This is the coronation party of His Royal Highness. If you thought it was a disturbance, you should have behaved quietly. If the country’s dignity is tarnished, will you take responsibility? What affiliation do you have? Please also disclose the status of the commanding officer.”

It was the duke’s arrogance.

No, to call it arrogance would be inadequate. The reasoning laid out was sound. It was a grand event where ambassadors from other countries and nobles gathered.

It was even a celebration to congratulate the person who would become the new ruler of the country. Yet, violence erupted at such an event.

While the platoon leader struggled to find words to justify himself, Vehen quickly took control of the situation.

“Stop! Return to your positions. I will take responsibility.”

At Vehen’s thunderous command, the soldiers stopped moving and glanced at the platoon leader.

No matter the orders they received, they couldn’t ignore the duke’s command.

Vehen, seeing that these individuals wouldn’t easily back down, gritted his teeth and roared toward the protesters like a wild beast.

“Get lost! I’ll have you all caught and punished before long!”

People started hesitantly getting up from their seats.

As the soldiers tried to subdue them, Vehen reiterated with determination.

“If you move again, I will discuss the consequences as a duke.”

His stern yet dignified figure standing alone atop the mountain resembled a beast ready to ruthlessly tear and pounce on its prey.

Shaken by his authoritative presence, the soldiers retreated.

Without even having the chance to grab the candles lying on the ground, people started fleeing. There were no soldiers to stop them.

The platoon leader, panicking, confronted Vehen.

“What are you doing, Your Grace?”

“Can’t you see the situation? Hasn’t the ceremony for His Highness turned into a mess? It’s better if you discuss your incompetence with your superiors.”

Vehen tapped the platoon leader’s pale shoulder and twisted his mouth into a villainous smile.

“To prove that I was wrong in my judgment, please resolve this chaotic situation.”

Passing by the bewildered platoon leader, Vehen glanced at Min-joo, who was watching from the corner of the building, and nodded as if to say, ‘You see? I’ve handled it.’

Min-joo, relieved to see Vehen return safely, sank into her seat.

The party continued.

20. Home

Marquess Trimidri, who had been observing the situation from the second floor, chewed on her lips.

It was Marquess Trimidri who had given the orders.

If the fact that the culprit had been framed came to light, there would be a reinvestigation, and there was a chance Nelsie would be found alive.

It was an unexpected protest. They had used money, power, and connections to blind the eyes and ears of the world, so how could such a protest happen?

‘As expected, DeVirté is annoying. Should I get rid of him?’

Watching Vehen, who had subdued the situation, Marquess Trimidri decided that he was going to interfere with everything.

From the start until now.

‘Why does everything keep going wrong?’

Vehen was the problem.

It was when Marquess Trimidri was scratching the window with her fingers. With a creak, Ceteran entered through the open door.

“I heard the Marquess called for the troops.”

He must have found this problematic immediately. Marquess Trimidri casually smiled and welcomed Ceteran.

“You’re here. There was a disturbance, but thankfully it’s over. Are you going to cancel the party?”

“There’s a limit to how much you can mock me.”

Ceteran sharply criticized.

Despite the opposition, they held the coronation ceremony, which turned into a disaster in an instant. Moreover, the culprit they barely caught was framed and killed by police brutality. That led to the protest.

Even Marquess Trimidri, whom he trusted, was now doubtful because of the conversation with Vehen.

Why were there only difficult problems since he became the Crown Prince?

What on earth was the problem?

“Marquess Trimidri, why did you resort to excessive suppression when it could have been handled quietly?”

Marquess Trimidri scratched her neck as he asked. Although everyone was distracted by the commotion and couldn’t fully focus on the event, the party continued. It was fortunate that no nobles left their seats.

Marquess Trimidri chuckled softly and wiped her hands with damp linen. 

“It’s all for show, you see. Did you witness the tantrums of the conservative nobles today? Even the ambassadors threw quite a tantrum.”

He saw it. And that’s why he was boiling inside. It was the moment when he became undeniably the new Crown Prince who even despised a defeated country.

Ceteran took a step closer to Marquess Trimidri. The sound of his shoe heels meeting the marble floor echoed. 

“So, what’s your point?”

“I showed that you’re not to be trifled with. The army is under His Highness’ control. And you displayed the dignity befitting a Crown Prince.”

Was that necessary?

‘You must become a saint.’

‘Don’t waver. He represents justice.’

But he was wavering. He felt like he was being tossed about in a storm, unable to find his footing. What action could he take to maintain justice? What did justice even mean to him in the first place? What did a saint look like, the one he hoped for? And what about the despised image of a tyrant?

He was trapped. There was no other way to explain it.

Ceteran clenched his teeth and balled his fist. 

“…Please take care of what happened today.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It’s natural to need strength to avoid being trampled. But what could he do when he had nothing? If he trusted and relied on someone, he might end up losing everything.

The need for strength to protect something was simply fate.

* * *

Once the situation was resolved, Min-joo and Vehen immediately left the palace in a carriage. As the carriage jolted, Min-joo’s body swayed uncontrollably.

Vehen wrapped his arm around Min-joo’s shoulder and leaned in carefully. 

“You must be tired today. Rest well. Don’t worry.”

Min-joo didn’t respond. She just stared blankly out the window, trying hard to clear her mind.

“It’s not your fault.” 

Min-joo lifted her head and turned to face Vehen.

His deeply sunken chartreuse eyes were clear. Concern was evident in them.

“No, I was too naive. It’s my fault that things turned hostile with Ceteran.”

She had tried her best to resolve things peacefully, but there were inevitably people who got hurt. The people who believed in Min-joo and joined the protests, and Ceteran, who was left alone and wandering.

“There’s no such thing as perfect peace. If there were, this place would already be heaven. If it weren’t for you, there would have been bloodshed. You did your best.”

Could it be like that? Can she just pass it off as an excuse for trying hard?

No. Regardless of effort, it had to be perfect. It shouldn’t be imperfect on a subject that exploits others.

She still felt their screams and horrific scenes flashing before her eyes.

What can she do? What is the best plan she can make?

Vehen embraced and comforted Min-joo.

Will Ceteran end up wielding tyranny in the end?

She was afraid.