I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 166

Episode 166

Epilogue: Last Chapter (1)

It had been three months since the revolution succeeded. Spring had begun unnoticed, and green leaves had sprouted. It was around the time when the social season was starting.

Min-joo had been incredibly busy. Writing reports following Vehen to establish a constitutional monarchy, filling in the gaps in the law, and various other tasks had kept her occupied. So even though they had decided to get married, they hadn’t been able to prepare for the wedding. 

Vehen seemed to have given up on the idea of arranging a wedding.

The world seemed to flow calmly as if wondering when the revolution had succeeded. The hustle and bustle quieted down before long. Everyone was busy living their lives. That’s how it was for everyone. The nobles, in particular, held all sorts of donations and charity events, looking out for the commoners unlike before.

Permette seemed preoccupied serving as Ceteran’s advisor, and Min-joo couldn’t see him as often as before. Perhaps he was tirelessly trying to avoid getting involved with her. To forget about it.

Permette didn’t accompany Min-joo on her travels for work to other regions either.

“I rode a train for the first time.”

Min-joo’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at the long black locomotive. It looked like something straight out of a history textbook. The smoke was so acrid it seemed like it would stain her clothes black, and the loud noise made her ears feel stuffy.

When they traveled to other regions, they used to ride in carriages, but on the way back, they ended up taking the train. Thanks to that, they got to experience all this.

“It was our first trip together. How was it?”

Vehen, wrapping an arm around Min-joo’s shoulders, smiled contentedly. Affection could be felt in his warm smile.

“It was nice. My whole body still feels sore from the carriage, though.”

Min-joo laughed playfully.

After the revolution, Vehen had been busy with work to establish a constitutional monarchy, and Min-joo had provided a lot of support. This trip, ostensibly for work, was also on Vehen’s schedule. Vehen didn’t want to be apart from Min-joo, so he brought her along.

Chichen and Genshtar were given vacations so they could return to their families or enjoy some rest. The person who came along with them was Vehen’s servant, whom she had seen a few times when she was working at Vehen’s mansion. She would surely spread rumors about Min-joo and Vehen when she returned to the mansion. It seemed like Vehen brought her along hoping they would all adjust and get along when Min-joo started living with Vehen in the future. Crafty like a cunning potato.

As Min-joo boarded the train, she reached out her hand towards Vehen.

“I wish we could stay a little longer. Don’t you?”

“It’s a wedding, so we have to go.”

Vehen, now accustomed to Min-joo’s escort, took Min-joo’s hand and boarded the train. Vehen must have spent some money because they could go to the best room on the train, which was divided into rooms just like a hotel. 

It was as luxurious as a hotel, with a plush sofa that was almost like a bed, and curtains covering the doors and windows connecting the corridor. There was also a table under the window with a view outside for dining comfortably, adorned with wine and flowers.

After the servant had moved the luggage and left, Min-joo sat down on the sofa and let out a sigh.

“I wonder how long we’re going to stay in such an expensive place.”

“How much does it cost?”

“It would be nice to have a lot of money, yeah.”

“Good. That’s great. It’s exciting. More money is the best.”

She couldn’t believe her bold attitude. Well, having money does seem to be the best.

Min-joo casually glanced at Vehen sitting beside her and burst into laughter.

Eventually, the train started moving. She could feel the wheels rolling with tremendous noise.

They passed the station, and the city landscape unfolded. The city looked beautifully crafted from afar, like a meticulously painted landscape. Under the cloudy sky, sunlight poured down mysteriously like spotlights, and a river flowed beside densely packed buildings.

Min-joo gazed absentmindedly out the window in admiration. Vehen leaned in next to her.

“Why?”

“It’s beautiful. Where do you think your place was? Around there?”

Min-joo’s finger pressed against the window. The area she touched was a nobleman’s mansion, surrounded by expensive buildings where wealthy people lived densely.

Well-maintained and beautiful buildings from a distance. Vehen nodded, remembering her nearby villa.

“That’s right. Our villa is over there.”

She felt puzzled by the casual comment slipping by.

If it were Vehen, he would have said it was his villa, not theirs.

When Min-joo turned her head to look at Vehen, Vehen smiled playfully.

“It’s not ours, it’s Vehen’s villa, right?”

“My house is also your house?”

“You talk like we’re already married?”

“We will be soon.”

It seemed like they were getting greedy for marriage now that they had some free time. Min-joo didn’t dislike it, so she didn’t need to criticize him.

The train soon left the city. It was quite fast.

Beyond the city, vast fields and rivers spread out. Sporadic villages were visible, and the scent of rural life permeated the air.

It was beautiful. It felt like escaping from the hectic world and flowing along with the river at ease.

“Take a break. We have a full day ahead.”

Vehen took out a stack of documents and picked up a pen. He had brought all the work for three days.

Min-joo did the same, pulling out scripts and documents related to plays along with Vehen.

They matched surprisingly well in this regard. Min-joo and Vehen focused on their work while sipping on the provided wine.

The servant had prepared herself to ignore their hot romantic escapades, but she left disappointed when she saw them dryly focusing on their work.

After staring at documents all day, Minjoo’s eyes were getting tired. She rubbed her tired eyes with her fingers.

She suddenly became curious about where they were, so she looked out the window and realized that the sun had already set. The sun hanging over the hillside was tinged with orange.

It was breathtaking. Feeling relaxed for the first time in a while, Min-joo tapped Vehen’s shoulder.

“Vehen, look outside. It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah. Beautiful.”

Vehen stopped focusing and put down the documents, wrapping her arm around Min-joo’s shoulder.

The sunset bathed Vehen’s white face in orange light. It made him look cute like a ripe peach, but also elegant like a painting.

Min-joo leaned her head against Vehen’s shoulder and chuckled softly.

“Shall we gossip a bit?”

“What about?”

“Anything. Why did Peril suddenly start working in the palace?”

While casually sharing private stories like how delicious the meals at the palace were or who had a big argument with whom, they didn’t talk about why Permette started working in the palace.

She realized how tight-lipped Permette was. Min-joo was worried about Permette, but Permette kept changing the subject.

Vehen brushed Min-joo’s hair back.

“He said he wanted to find his goal. What he really wants to do, he wants to figure it out properly.”

Permette’s decision to sedate Nelsie with drugs was arbitrary.

‘Empress Nelsie is a hindrance. She needs to be removed.’

Permette was firm and prepared to throw himself away at any moment. Perhaps it was the lack of purpose in his life that made him so unafraid.

Vehen was deeply shocked at the time, but he sensed Permette changing.

He made decisions decisively but only within the parameters he was given, and he was more like a machine following orders.

It was something Permette had decided entirely on his own. He had definitely changed.

‘You didn’t think of killing her, did you?’

‘No. Putting her to sleep. So she can’t do anything.’

 Permette had said he was developing an anesthetic using a herb with Fortis.

Vehen told him to do as he wished. However, it ended with just checking the progress to prepare for unexpected situations.

When Vehen received a report that Permette had acted to harm the emperor and gain Nelsie’s trust, he thought Permette hadn’t changed after all. But in the end, Permette confessed to Ceteran.

It would have been enough to stay silent, as always, pretending not to know.

‘If you’re a good person, you should have done that.’

That’s how Permette responded to the question of why he confessed honestly. Perhaps it was because of Min-joo’s influence.

Ceteran was shaken by betrayal but decided to use him. After going through many experiences, Ceteran didn’t talk about justice as much as before.

In a way, the expression “tainted” might be accurate.

Still, it felt ethereal, like he was finding meaning in his life.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

Vehen murmured as if speaking to himself.

He had experienced unfavorable results each time he returned.

Min-joo died, he couldn’t find the sorcerer, and the country was engulfed in bloodshed and rebellion.

What had changed? What had changed to lead to this result?

He didn’t regret or dislike it. It was a satisfying ending. Plans went awry several times, but they were corrected, there were malfunctions in situations never encountered before, but it was okay as it was.

There were times when Vehen thought he could control the world. There were times when he thought everything would go according to his will when he thought he knew everything, but it was arrogance.

It wasn’t until this life that he knew what Min-joo would be like as a lover, or what Ceteran and Permette would become.

“But that’s okay, isn’t it?”

Min-joo chuckled playfully, understanding Vehen’s meaning.

Vehen chuckled softly and nodded.

“Yeah.”

“How’s Peril doing? I only receive letters from him, don’t see him often.”

“He’s busy.”

“What does being busy have to do with being okay?”

“Busy is good for him. If he got annoyed with his temperament, he would have overturned everything.”

Min-joo agreed with Vehen’s words. If it were Permette, even if he were in the palace, he wouldn’t have put up with it.

Playing with Ceteran, who used to be just a human, what’s the difference now that he’s become emperor? Suddenly, Ceteran seemed pitiful.

Min-joo reached out and tousled Vehen’s hair. Vehen’s neatly combed hair became a mess.

“Do you know Andy? He was a commoner leading the revolution.”

“That sounds familiar.”

The timid person who was always by Marquess Trimidri’s side. That’s where Vehen’s memory ended.

Min-joo ran her fingers through Vehen’s hair, tidying up the strands covering his forehead.

“Andy teaches people after the coffee shop on the second floor closes every night. He seems talented. Everyone quickly learns to read.”

With Min-joo’s approval, Andy taught at the coffee shop. He taught everything from language to math, social studies, and history.

In his class were also Hin and Robert, and Robert held her position as an assistant teacher.

When she briefly visited, despite her annoying appearance, she seemed responsible and diligently taught her students.

Robert seemed overflowing with energy. She tied up the hair that covered one eye neatly, and her sunken cheeks were plump.

She still raised her middle finger when she saw Min-joo, but… well, she seemed to have regained some social skills.

“Robert is doing well too, and Hin, although not running, walks well. Hin taught Robert household chores.”

Hin taught household chores learned from Chichen to Robert, and Robert taught Hin to study.

“Some people in the Hiltate building left. People come and go. Oh, Vehen, did you know about the big hit in the theater this time? I feel like I’m going to be rich.”

After the revolution, there was a surge in theater. They prepared the contracted scripts and staged them. There were several plays about cliché love stories, social systems, and improving the perception of magicians.

With Robert’s magic, the spectacular stage production was possible, and thanks to contracts that provided a fixed income for actors and crew with incentives, they could afford to perform higher-quality plays without going bankrupt.