I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 35

Episode 35

How can one eliminate a sense of intimidation and an authoritative aspect? 

With a big grin, Vehen swallowed a fake cough. As he looked around, it was evident that he was openly mocking himself, so Min-joo rolled her eyes without hesitation. 

Vehen, like a tormented puppy, was not threatening at all.

Vehen forced a neutral expression and gripped the doorknob. Laughter escaped continuously due to the ridiculous woman in front of him.

“Scary, huh? Fine. I’ll go wash up, so prepare a gown.”

Trying to conclude the conversation, Min-joo picked up the wet gown scattered on the floor and replied.

“Vehen, I’ve been thinking.”

“Stop it. What can you think with that tiny head of yours?”

“Am I being scolded for thinking useless thoughts while I’m stupid right now?”

“Pretty much the same.”

“You’re really unlucky.”

When was he ever lucky? Vehen shrugged off Min-joo’s remarks casually. Min-joo’s sarcasm and criticism were now as commonplace as daily life.

Due to unexpected events that followed the trial, he was exhausted from trying to recover. Vehen used to enjoy conversations with Min-joo, but now he had no energy left to play along.

Coming to find Min-joo immediately upon returning home was just to inform her that the plan had gone awry. Now that the goal was achieved, he only wanted to rest deeply.

Vehen pinched his nose, lifting his tired head. 

“I’m tired, so let’s talk later. Tomorrow.”

Min-joo looked at Vehen without any response. Her double eyelids slowly closed and then opened again.

Vehen would have asked another servant about Min-joo’s whereabouts to come here. Being alone in a dressing room where no one usually entered, rumors would undoubtedly spread quickly.

If they stayed alone for a long time, people would surely find out. 

If that happened, rumors would spread once again.

‘She’s not even that pretty. Why do people like her? I don’t get it.’

‘I don’t even know if she’s good at acting. She just relies on her face too much.’

‘With that face, I’d get accepted anywhere. Let’s do something together.’

‘Professors must be fond of her. In various ways~’

Dizziness. Dizziness. It was unclear whether it was the stomach or the head that was turning nauseatingly. The wind coming through the window made the candle flicker, and the coals in the fire clashed, creating noise.

Every sound seemed to be amplified, sounding like the scratching of a chalkboard. The air felt stifling. 

Clank! The window shook.

At that moment, Min-joo, without hesitation, spoke to Vehen, who was about to turn the doorknob.

“Do you know about that, Vehen?”

To Min-joo’s question, Vehen only turned his head in response. Min-joo continued speaking with a listless attitude.

“In your grand and busy house, do you know what rumors are circulating?”

“What’s it to you?”

“People say I’m the woman entertained by you. Didn’t know? Probably too busy to notice.”

“…What?”

Vehen, who was about to open the door, let go of the handle. Shock, anger, and disdain flickered on his face as he turned to look at Min-joo.

It wasn’t directed at Min-joo, but the complex emotions on his face were palpable. Min-joo didn’t cower or show fear in the face of his expression. She had done nothing wrong.

Min-joo nonchalantly hung the gown she had been holding on the edge of the table.

“My room close to your bedroom, not touching the food prepared by the chef, enjoying the shabby sandwich I made while ignoring the clothes gifted by a mere maid, spending a month wandering outside only to bring back a maid and carry her around all day.”

He felt anger, sorrow, and injustice, but he knew his emotions could only go so far and would eventually fade away. He didn’t feel the urge to run wildly in anger, nor did he feel like turning the blanket upside down and crying all night about the unfairness.

Min-joo continued calmly. Her voice was as usual, and her eyes, looking into the void, remained composed.

The only one boiling with anger was Vehen.

“Who would think of us as an ordinary employer and employee?”

“Where did you hear such talk?”

Vehen barely contained his anger in a low boiling voice, each word carrying irritation, making the sentence rough. 

Min-joo, who was standing still, took out one of Vehen’s gowns from the closet and placed it on the table. The black gown was so soft that it clung to her fingers and flowed down.

Min-joo casually responded while sweeping her bangs covering her forehead.

“What will you do if I speak? Fire me? Or maybe as a grand noble, are you going to have my head chopped off?”

“What does that mean?”

“When people get fired, they rush to tell you about it, and if their heads are cut off, their families will resent you. I can’t handle that.”

She didn’t want to receive resentment and hatred from anyone. Accepting negative emotions was something she disliked at any time. Min-joo grasped the table, looking at Vehen.

Her black hair, loosely tied, covered her neck, and her pale face with a faint smile was revealed above her slender neck. Min-joo, backlit by the night sky, was in darkness, and the candlelight barely illuminated the room.

For a moment, Vehen thought Min-joo resembled a candle. Fragile, easily extinguishable, and potentially dangerous, like a precarious candle that might spread fire and burn even him.

Approaching Min-joo with a step, Vehen spoke.

“So, what do you want to say?”

“Let’s maintain our boundaries.”

Min-joo replied without hesitation. Her gaze fell under Vehen’s feet. As if telling him not to come any closer, to keep a distance.

Vehen felt as if his breath was stuck in his throat. Just now, they had a good conversation and even played with words. The night sky drawn at Min-joo’s feet seemed like the line she had drawn. It couldn’t be stepped on or crossed.

“I admit I also behaved wrongly, so I have no intention of blaming others. When people gather, discussions about them naturally arise. Maintaining boundaries is not that remarkable. It means avoiding situations where we are alone in strange places like now.”

Vehen swallowed his breath. The air, accompanied by dry saliva, didn’t come out for a while.

“Would you like me to move the bedroom? The place I was initially assigned is too shabby. It would be better to move to the servant’s quarters.”

Finishing her words, Min-joo picked up the tongs. The iron tongs made a sound like metal clashing every time Min-joo exerted force.

“Are you hurt?”

Vehen cautiously lifted one heel, then put it back down. He wanted to approach, but he couldn’t bring himself to take a step. The heel of the shoe made a solid sound as it touched the marble.

Min-joo, who was searching through the coal with the tongs, stopped her movements. Exactly three seconds, without any action, she stood there with the tongs inserted between the coals. Then, she slowly nodded.

“Is what you really want, to maintain the boundaries?”

He’d rather her express her frustration, saying it’s unfair and getting angry. Or maybe, he wishes she would hope for people not to give them a hard time, saying they are going too far, or even cry. He can’t figure out how to comfort Min-joo, who swallows her frustration alone after being hurt. 

Min-joo, who endures it all alone, leaves him at a loss on how to console her.

Min-joo nodded her head again. Is what she wants just to maintain the boundaries? No. 

Vehen wished they would scold those who made noise about a pitiful person, laugh, and chat pleasantly as if nothing happened. He wished they would face misfortune, like accidentally swallowing a spider while sleeping, or painfully stubbing a toe while walking barefoot on gravel or a doorstep.

But the reason it all ends with maintaining boundaries is that Min-joo lacks the strength. She can only do things on her own. It’s something she’s used to, resolving issues without borrowing anyone’s help. 

So, if she just continued like this, he wondered if the misunderstandings would eventually be forgotten.

Receiving attention is unpleasant, and so is being the focus of everyone’s gaze. Even their chattering among themselves is annoying. He hoped Min-joo could be an appropriate figure, not standing out in the crowd. 

Hide, run away, as always. That was the only way he knew how to protect himself.

Min-joo bit her lower lip. The bitten lip turned pale.

“…Better to cry.”

Vehen mumbled quietly. Min-joo did not look at Vehen and transferred the coal to the iron with the tongs.

“Ask for help.”

“I told you. Let’s maintain the boundaries.”

She moved the coal and filled the sprayer with water. She shook the sprayer for no reason and sprayed water into the air. Water droplets spread nicely.

Feeling frustrated with the repetitive conversation, Vehen unbuttoned his shirt. His collarbone was exposed deeply.

“Do you think it will be resolved by doing that? As long as we work together with the same goal, we have to stick together. Do you plan to endure every time people curse at us, saying we can’t handle ourselves? Will you keep blaming yourself for not handling it well?”

“Then what should I do? Should I go and grab their hair and curse them? Should I throw things and cause a scene?”

Min-joo, sprinkling water on the gown, turned around. A wrinkled forehead, downturned corners of the mouth, and damp eyes were visible. Suppressing the urge to cry, she restrained herself.

Whenever Vehen saw Min-joo like that, it made his heart ache. Min-joo, who shrinks over trivial matters every time, and runs away.

Min-joo gripped the sprayer tightly and shook it slightly. It was an effort to suppress anger and tears as much as possible.

“I don’t like taking a stand. I don’t like getting attention from people. Even if I try to explain, it will only lead to more rumors. I can’t handle that. Just maintaining the boundaries until the misunderstandings are cleared is enough. What’s wrong with that?”

It was the easiest and simplest solution. What could be more effective than removing the cause of misunderstanding?

As she spoke, her frustration increased. Every time she blinked, water droplets formed precariously. Min-joo struggled to hold back tears.

Vehen eventually stepped on the light beyond the window that lay on the floor. His long legs extended, and he approached Min-joo, bringing the moonlight into the darkness that surrounded him. The moonlight spilled over Vehen’s hidden-in-the-darkness figure.

His brown hair, mixed with blue hues, sparkled here and there as Vehen breathed. 

“It’s always like this. Endure alone, hide, run away. Yet when you should hide and run away, you don’t.”

Liked what?

Vehen swallowed the last sentence. His tongue felt bitter, and it sounded strangely sweet.

Min-joo couldn’t understand what Vehen was saying. She barely knew anything about him. It had been only a month.

Vehen spoke as if he already knew Min-joo well. Maybe it was arrogance.

“How does it feel to endure, hide, and run away? The great Duke, who talks so well, does he have any profound opinions?”

“Vehen.”

“Does the title matter in the current situation?”

Vehen seemed to have something to say, but he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. The more he hesitated, the higher Min-joo’s sorrow and irritation grew. Min-joo turned her body with the gown.

“If you don’t have a solution, don’t boast about being so great and having all the answers. Ultimately, I’m the one who has to deal with those rumors.”

“There is a solution.”

“Tell me then.”

Vehen took another step forward, positioning himself entirely under the night sky. He tilted his head slightly, revealing a mix of tension, slight anticipation, fear, and weariness. Incompatible emotions intertwined, creating a murky atmosphere.

His sharp emerald eyes sparkled determinedly. 

“Just be my lover.”

Min-joo put down the sprayer and turned around to face Vehen. The hastily placed sprayer slipped and thudded onto the floor, breaking the glass bottle with a sharp noise. Broken glass shards are scattered below.

Min-joo faced Vehen without offering a single glance at the fallen sprayer. There was no trace of expectation left on her bewildered face; instead, a hint of strange resentment lingered.

She drew a line, telling him not to cross it.

“You said it’s not that you like me.”

“Yeah, I don’t like you.”

“How am I supposed to take that?”

“I told you I don’t have feelings for you.”

Upon hearing the suggestion to become lovers, Min-joo quickly reviewed the time spent with Vehen. There were moments when her heart fluttered, and her face heated up. She thought those were signs of affection for him—fragile and unimpressive, but she believed she harbored some emotions.

However, upon hearing Vehen’s words, she realized it was merely impulsive excitement. Merely a stir caused by stimulation. Min-joo didn’t like Vehen. While there might be mutual fondness between people, it wasn’t romantic affection.

Min-joo now understood that the emotions she thought were developing into sincere affection were just impulsive reactions. Vehen, seeing her resolute expression, concealed his emotions behind a calm and composed demeanor.

“If I play the part of a real lover, no one will easily interfere with you.”

“You’re asking me to lean on your power. Did you think I’d want that?”

“No. However, there is nothing simpler and easier than this. With no status, wealth, abilities, or even connections, what can you accomplish alone? Being my lover will be your shield.”

Min-joo felt her body freezing from head to toe, her anger stemming not from the falsehood of his words, but from the fact that she, in the end, had to depend on him, feeling powerless. Vehen might have added a touch of personal interest, but even without it, the conclusion would have been drawn strictly based on efficiency.

Min-joo knew she had put in effort to explain herself to them, drawn lines, but there was no more effective way to silence them than this. So she laughed bitterly, leaning on the desk. Could she become this pitiful? She even felt a sense of shame.

The heated iron spat out the warmth as Min-joo’s legs began to grow cold. Vehen had effectively shut her down, leaving her with no other choice. She wanted to finish the work and continue her tasks, but she felt exhausted and wanted to hide away.

With droplets forming in her eyes, Min-joo chuckled, facing Vehen. 

“I want a vacation. Please give me a vacation.” 

Hiding again, running away. As always.