I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 151

Episode 151

Seeing Vehen without his stiff suit made her feel unnecessarily cheerful.

Min-joo leaned her face against Vehen’s chest and playfully laughed. 

“I’m with you every day, but I can be distracted.”

In Min-joo’s room, she had been sitting on the bed next to the fireplace for hours. Several letters were laid out on the bedside drawer, accompanied by snacks and warm tea.

Letters from Andy, letters from Tedric, letters from Permette—they all took a long time to read due to their lengthy contents. 

The letter from Andy explained that while everyone had paused at the news of the Empress’ return, their anger had not abated, and they were trying to convince more people to join the revolution.

Tedric’s letter mentioned his younger sister’s departure to Vernige, and the nobles angered by Nelsie’s behavior were favorable towards the revolution.

And Permette’s… the content wasn’t much different from the letter Andy sent.

‘Permette and Tedric haven’t been visiting often.’

Min-joo thought to herself. Since Min-joo returned here, they hadn’t arranged to meet separately. It felt disappointing; even if they were busy, it would be nice to see their faces.

Vehen pulled Min-joo closer, his voice barely audible. 

“The second trial is about to begin, are you going?”

“If I can, why not?”

“Marquess Trimidri will probably lose.”

Vehen spoke as if he knew everything. Min-joo seemed to know too. 

Marquess Trimidri’s crime was treason, and even if she won this trial, she would face another trial for the Empress’ execution charges.

The reformists turned away, and now that Nelsie had returned, Ceteran wouldn’t support Marquess Trimidri either. Whichever way you looked at it, it was a cliffhanger.

‘Why did Marquess Trimidri do that? What was she thinking?’

There must have been a reason of her own.

Min-joo breathed out in Vehen’s embrace. Vehen’s scent lingered around her nose, making her feel comfortable just by that alone.

“You didn’t take revenge on Robert?” 

Min-joo grabbed the padding hanging off Vehen’s shoulder and covered her arm with it. Vehen pulled Min-joo closer, covering her with the padding.

“I wanted to.”

“But you didn’t?”

“It felt meaningless.”

Vehen’s face, despite smiling, didn’t seem awkward at all. It seemed like he was covering up all his anger, sadness, resentment, and various emotions, pretending not to notice them.

Min-joo thought it was better to let him be like that rather than poking at his appearance of indifference.

“Above all, I missed you.” 

As if trying to change the atmosphere that seemed to be getting heavier, Vehen lightly kissed Min-joo’s forehead.

Even though they were alone, Min-joo wasn’t used to Vehen being so affectionate without hesitation. Min-joo, whose face turned red, bumped her head against Vehen’s chest.

“…You’re ridiculous.”

“Try to love a day like this.”

“Really ticklish.”

“Ticklish?”

Vehen asked, poking Min-joo’s side.

Unable to withstand the sudden tickle attack, Min-joo pushed Vehen away, but Vehen didn’t easily back off.

“Eek, it tickles! Stop, it tickles!”

“Ticklish? You’re ticklish with me?”

Vehen gently tickled Min-joo’s side, leaning closer to her. As a result, Min-joo squirmed on the bed.

Whenever she tried to push him away and get off the bed, he would pull her back, and when she tried to push him away, he used his strength to restrain her and continued tickling.

It felt like she was going to die. She was laughing so hard, it felt like her throat would tear.

“Surrender! I surrender for real!”

“You’re so ticklish, there’s nothing you can’t say to your lover.”

Vehen removed his hand from Min-joo’s body, smiling with a victorious grin.

It was annoying, but there was nothing she could do about it, except grabbing her stomach, feeling like she was about to die laughing.

After catching her breath, Min-joo pouted. 

“You…!”

“What?”

As Vehen raised his hand again, Min-joo recoiled in horror.

“Sorry, slip of the tongue! Slip of the tongue! Stop it, you rascal!”

Vehen’s hand moved up to Min-joo’s waist.

Min-joo closed her eyes tightly and curled up in fear of the tickle attack, but his hand didn’t move.

It was her lips that touched something.

She opened her eyes wide in surprise as her lips parted from Vehen’s.

Vehen, whose face had subtly reddened, was smiling. It was a playful and mischievous smile.

“Are you enjoying teasing me?”

“It seems like fun.”

“I’m annoyed with you, you know!”

“You were calling me a potato a while ago.”

Vehen casually retorted, nodding slowly.

Their lips met again.

Such a kiss on the bed. Naturally, very naturally thereafter.

“Min-joo!”

The door burst open with the voice of a young child who hadn’t reached puberty yet.

With a thud, something fell over, and Min-joo was lying on the bed while Vehen was sprawled on the floor.

“What’s wrong? Duke, isn’t the floor cold?”

Hin, who didn’t know anything, tilted her head in concern, seeing Vehen lying on the floor in the middle of winter.

Vehen nodded, thinking the Duke’s dignity was quite intact.

Min-joo, who was panting roughly, sat up straight and laughed.

“B-But why did Hin suddenly…?”

“Ah!”

Hin, who belatedly remembered her purpose, chuckled softly. There was cream melting down from the corner of her mouth.

“I brought a cake, so I came to tell you to eat it!”

“…Oh, I see…”

So that’s why she opened the door so abruptly…

Min-joo was too bewildered and taken aback to find words.

Vehen, who had become one with the floor, awkwardly got up from his seat and brushed off the dust on his body.

“It’s a good intention, but when entering someone else’s room, it’s polite to knock on the door first.”

“Why?”

“It’s called manners.”

As Vehen muttered softly, Hin nodded her head. 

“So, should I knock on the bathroom door, my room door, and the front door too?”

“…Sure.”

Knowing that the explanation would be endless, Vehen simply nodded and ended the conversation.

“I’ll be down slowly, so don’t wait for me, and go ahead and eat.”

Since their kiss wasn’t properly finished, Min-joo quickly sent her away.

Hin, feeling excited, slammed the door shut and left, while Vehen let out a sigh.

His slumped shoulders, tousled hair, and wrinkled hoodie looked incredibly endearing.

Min-joo hugged Vehen’s waist playfully and buried her face in his back.

“…What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

Although the follow-up to why he found it cute wasn’t there, it seemed to echo in her ears.

His voice sounded very affectionate.

“It’s not all of a sudden.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s revenge?”

Before he could finish saying “What?”, Min-joo gently tickled Vehen’s side, but Vehen remained silent.

Was he not ticklish? Min-joo, with a serious expression, tickled Vehen’s side, armpits, knees, and elbows, but nothing changed except for his gradually relaxing expression.

Min-joo looked up at Vehen with a serious face.

“You’re not ticklish?!”

“I’m not.”

“Why?!”

“How should I know? Ask my parents.”

Vehen, who replied lightheartedly, burst into laughter, finding it amusing even to himself.

His laughter was so lively and innocent that she wished he would always laugh like that.

With neatly folded eyes and clear teeth visible in his mouth, his slightly raised eyebrows made him look like a twenty-five-year-old.

Vehen held Min-joo’s waist and lay down on the bed together.

The bed rocked, and the blanket fluttered. Min-joo swallowed hard, meeting his intense gaze.

“Shall we finish what we started…?”

“It’s a welcome sound I’ve been hearing.”

Vehen lowered his head first and kissed her.

The padding had long rolled under the bed.

* * *

The second trial ended with Marquess Trimidri’s victory.

The lawyer’s mission was to steer the trial in favor of Marquess Trimidri, who abused power beyond authority and oppressed the people.

Although she ultimately won, she refused to defend further regarding the subsequent charges of the Empress’ execution.

Nelsie was not thought to be a good empress. But the people were outraged that anyone would try to murder her.

Defending Marquess Trimidri would have almost resulted in being stoned to death on the way.

A few weeks later, there would be another trial regarding the Empress’ execution charges against Marquess Trimidri.

In the meantime, Marquess Trimidri had been remanded to a prison, awaiting trial.

Min-joo and Vehen left the courtroom, leaving the trial behind faster than expected.

“That’s her, isn’t it?”

“She said she’s meeting with Viscount Rolfreme.”

“She’s pretty capable. Isn’t the Hiltate Theater building hers?”

“Does she have so much money that she can turn men into trinkets?”

The rumbling sound pierced Min-joo and Vehen’s ears precisely.

“Maybe she got the building because of her skills?”

“I want to see her skills too.”

Her stomach churned.

It was nauseating how rumors followed her everywhere. After quitting her maid job, she lived quietly. Even when she was at the mansion, she only worked hard, and there wasn’t a single occasion where she acted as rumored.

Yet, they kept poking at her like waves. Gently scratching and then roughly stirring.

‘Do I have to endure this?’

She avoided it just because she didn’t want to get involved unnecessarily, and didn’t want to make a fuss.

And that was the easiest and most comfortable way.

She kept avoiding, keeping silent, ignoring.

But now she knew. Avoiding it wouldn’t make it better; it would only make the rumors swell larger.

When she was briefly back in Korea, she realized it when she saw the rumors from her school contacts.

‘I can’t stay silent.’

She couldn’t. Since then, she had been torn to shreds.

It was unfair, and she should have been confident since she had done nothing wrong.

As Vehen tried to turn toward the source of the noise, Min-joo grabbed his arm.

“Don’t.”

“I will.”

“Can’t you endure it?”

Vehen looked irritated. He seemed angry at the insulting words.

Min-joo was also angry.

But on the other hand, she was amazed at how she, who hadn’t entered a noble society, became so famous.

She must have attracted attention after expressing a different opinion in court alone, being the owner of Hiltate, and participating in parties as Viscount Rolfreme’s lover, only to engage in passionate activities with the Duke shortly after.

She couldn’t help but draw attention.

“I won’t endure it either.”

Min-joo pushed Vehen back and approached the people.

As she approached the group, they hastily closed their mouths and looked at Min-joo.

She hated it. Being whispered about and torn apart from behind. Especially when she was the target herself.

She always ran away, avoided, hid.

“Why stop? Keep going.”

Min-joo tilted her head and looked at them with an indifferent expression.

“You seem to be having fun. Let me listen too.”

Her expressionless face was incredibly cold and stern.