I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 157

Episode 157

No matter how you look at it, the thing that fell into Vehen’s hands was a person, and even though they covered their figure with a blanket, it was Min-joo.

Quick-witted Chichen hastily smiled innocently, pretending not to know anything.

“Get ready and come down. I’ve prepared a simple meal for today.”

Before hearing the response, she closed the door and disappeared.

Min-joo, after removing the blanket that covered her face and revealing her mouth, exclaimed.

“Are you crazy?! Seriously! How am I supposed to face Chichen now?!”

It was a situation even someone not quick-witted could understand.

Even just looking at the clothes scattered on the floor around the bed made it clear.

With a face flushed red, Min-joo wiggled her legs nervously. Vehen, watching her, sighed and placed Min-joo in the bathtub.

“Since she pretended not to know, you should also pretend not to know.”

“Aren’t you embarrassed, Vehen?! Do you have a steel plate on your face?”

“Why would I put that on my face?”

“Just forget I said anything.”

Feeling incredulous, Min-joo’s embarrassment vanished. She sank into the bathtub filled with warm water.

Thanks to the appropriate temperature and bath salts dissolved in the water, it felt as if her body was melting away.

When Min-joo made sounds like a middle-aged person suffering in hot water, Vehen’s brow subtly furrowed.

“Did you perhaps lie about your age?”

“Why?”

“You don’t look like you’re in your twenties from your mannerisms.”

Seeing her weak physical condition made him even more suspicious, so Vehen brought a chair next to Min-joo’s head and sat down.

It seemed to be a conversation about last night, and if she persisted in that, it meant the person wasn’t human, but a supernatural being.

Min-joo scoffed at Vehen and slowly closed her eyes, pretending to be unaware.

Feeling the touch of her hair outside the bathtub, Min-joo turned her head back.

“Would you like me to wash your hair too?”

“I was thinking about it.”

In a subdued tone, Vehen gathered Min-joo’s hair and massaged her scalp.

Perhaps because of his strength, his touch on her hair felt refreshing.

Vehen didn’t seem like a duke in any way, but rather a servant. A strong and efficient servant who carried out tasks promptly.

‘Then am I the lady?’

Min-joo imagined herself as the lady and Vehen as the diligent servant sweeping and polishing the courtyard beneath her feet.

It oddly suited them, making her feel bewildered.

A duke who suited a servant so well. Wasn’t that a setting more fitting for a third-rate comedy novel?

With the warm bathwater and skillful massage, and the faint fragrance of flowers making her drowsy, Min-joo naturally relaxed.

“Wake me up if I fall asleep……”

Min-joo murmured. Vehen chuckled and gently brushed behind Min-joo’s ear.

“Yes, I will.”

Despite wanting to retort to his unexpected answer, she felt her eyelids heavy from lack of sleep.

There’s so much to think about in preparation for the revolution, and Vehen won’t let her focus on her work. It was all Vehen’s fault. He did something wrong.

Unable to resist the heavy eyelids that felt like weights, she closed her eyes.

Min-joo vaguely thought that even if she lived a lifetime like this with Vehen, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Unaware that she had fallen asleep, she opened her eyes to the feeling of her head being gently dried by Vehen.

With careful strokes, using the towel to gently pat Min-joo’s head, Vehen tried not to wake her up. He wasn’t used to drying someone else’s hair, so his movements were awkward.

Thanks to him, she woke up. Despite his efforts to be gentle, his patting was still enough to wake her.

“Are you drying my hair too…?”

Her voice sounded hoarse, probably from having slept deeply for a short time.

Min-joo cleared her throat, and Vehen continued to pat her hair with the towel.

“Go back to sleep. Why did you wake up?”

“How could I not wake up when you’re shaking my head like that?”

“It’s all my fault, then.”

“I know, right.”

Unable to find anything to say, Vehen gave a slight rebuke. Min-joo felt good in her fluffy robe and curled her body.

“How long did I sleep?”

“About 30 minutes? It wasn’t long.”

“I need to eat…”

She remembered that Chichen had prepared a meal.

Although it was a meal prepared with effort, it was already 30 minutes late. Perhaps they had already cleared it away? She felt guilty.

After closing her drowsy eyes and then opening them again, she got up from her spot.

Vehen tried to sit her down, saying her hair wasn’t completely dry yet, but Min-joo slipped away from Vehen’s hand like an eel.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Not really, but we should eat.”

Though they often skipped meals, Min-joo believed it was important to eat when they could.

She got dressed and pulled Vehen along.

Vehen had already changed into a shirt and pants.

When they came downstairs, the table was clean. They hadn’t come downstairs, so it must have been cleared.

“…They’ve cleared the food.”

“We can eat out then.”

He nodded at her suggestion of a makeshift date.

“Oh? When did you arrive? Shall I prepare the meal right away?”

Chichen, who had just come back from hanging laundry, was surprised and put down the laundry basket.

Although they had already cleared away the food, Min-joo felt sorry for making them cook again, so she shook her head.

“No, it’s our fault for being late. We’ll eat out. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Oh, is that so? I’ll make sure to prepare on time next time!”

Chichen smiled as if saying she had waited. It would be quite bothersome to do the work twice.

After finishing the conversation with Chichen, Min-joo led Vehen away.

Watching their backs, Chichen exclaimed belatedly.

“Oh, I forgot to give them the latest news.”

Since they would find out once they went outside, there was no need to say it. Chichen hummed a tune and went back with the laundry basket.

As the end of the year approached, it was unusually cold outside.

But it wasn’t as cold as Korean winters, so Min-joo shrugged into her coat and got out of the carriage.

The area near the Hiltate building was full of restaurants known for their good food.

As they rode in the carriage, Min-joo recalled the conversation she and Vehen had about what to eat.

“We decided on pasta, right?”

“Yeah, we did.”

Vehen had a reluctant expression. He would have made that expression no matter what they were going to eat. He didn’t find joy in eating.

Despite Vehen being okay with anything, Min-joo wanted pasta today, so she walked towards the restaurant.

Although it was usually crowded, the streets felt unusually desolate today.

Min-joo felt puzzled and looked around. The trash cans were overflowing with newspapers, and newspaper boys were running around with newspapers in hand.

Store owners looked busy stocking items, and they seemed frantic as if preparing for a festival.

“…This is strange.” 

Min-joo remarked.

Vehen nodded in agreement. He could also feel the change in the atmosphere as soon as they got off the carriage.

Vehen stopped a passing newspaper boy and bought a newspaper. Min-joo stayed close and read the paper with him.

“…Huh?”

Min-joo gasped softly, her face turning pale as she read silently.

[His Majesty the Emperor has passed away. Is it due to ill health?]

[Who Will Be the Next Emperor?]

The Emperor had passed away.

They had heard rumors that it might happen today or tomorrow, but they didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

“Why, why?” 

Min-joo couldn’t articulate her thoughts, feeling too bewildered. She crumpled the newspaper in her hands, but the words remained unchanged.

Vehen, after confirming the rest of the news, folded the newspaper and threw it in the trash.

“It says his health deteriorated. Thankfully, it seems he passed away peacefully while asleep.”

“What happens now?”

Min-joo anxiously tapped her fingers. Vehen also tapped his chin with his fingers.

Several people still wanted to crown Tedric as the new Emperor, while Nelsie and Ceteran were trying to consolidate their power in the palace.

“There’ll probably be power struggles. Perhaps… His Highness Ceteran will emerge victorious.”

If Tedric tried to become Emperor through deceitful means from behind, it might be a different story, but currently, it was highly likely that Ceteran would become Emperor.

Nelsie was a formidable opponent and wouldn’t let Tedric become Emperor easily.

And that was what caused their unease.

“Will the Empress Dowager leave Tedric alone?”

With the throne at stake, she might intervene to eliminate contenders like Tedric.

She had already threatened Tedric several times.

“I’ll go see Tedric after this meal.”

“What about me?”

“You’ll go to His Highness Ceteran. Since his Father has passed away, you should stay by his side.”

Vehen knew that Tedric had a liking for Min-joo. He didn’t want to leave them alone, but Ceteran’s situation was urgent, so they needed to check on him.

Besides, he was worried. Ceteran had lost his family too quickly.

So Vehen nodded. It was best to quickly fill their stomachs and go their separate ways.

And so, after finishing the somewhat melancholic pasta, Min-joo rolled her head to meet Tedric.

Min-joo thought it was a good idea to know his address for exchanging letters.

‘His house is quite modest, isn’t it?’

Min-joo remarked as she faced Tedric’s house. It was smaller than she had imagined. It was larger than where she lived, but for a prince’s residence, it was rather humble. Despite its neat exterior, it seemed a bit aged and smaller than the Permette’s mansion. 

It was doubtful that Tedric had truly abandoned his position to live a life of no possessions.

As Min-joo cautiously knocked on the door, a maid welcomed her.

“The master is out, but he’ll be back soon. Shall I prepare some tea for you?”

“Oh, thank you.”

The maid efficiently served tea with skillful hands. Even her minimal movements looked graceful.

“Would you like milk tea, or would you prefer it without milk?” 

“Milk tea, please. Thank you.” 

Min-joo replied with a nod of gratitude, and the maid bowed in return.

Chichen and Genshtar were excellent, but it seemed that the servants working in the former prince’s mansion were on a different level.

As Min-joo savored the milk tea, reminiscent of Chichen’s, she became lost in thought.

Is Ceteran okay? He hasn’t even married Neriant yet. What if other nobles take advantage of this opportunity to push their daughters onto him? What kind of politics will Ceteran engage in as the Emperor? What if he becomes a tyrant and deals with the revolution violently, harming many people?

‘I need to persuade Vehen to convince Ceteran.’

As her thoughts wandered, her head began to throb. She had tried not to dwell on complex thoughts, but somehow, she found herself in this situation.

This was all because of her growing ambition. What was the point of starting something on her own and then regretting it?

As she sighed, the maid knocked on the door and politely ushered Tedric into the parlor.

Tedric’s appearance as he entered the parlor seemed remarkably gentle. He looked like a warm person, radiating affection as if made of sunshine.

“Min-joo, it’s been a while. How have you been?” 

Tedric asked with a smile that seemed like it could melt away.

Despite having lost his father, he appeared remarkably serene.