I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 40
Episode 40
Come to think of it, Min-joo knew very little about Permette.
While she was familiar with the main characters, Ceteran, Neriant, and Vehen, the character she was tasked with supplementing, Permette, did not have any remarkable features. He killed his family, became the head, had a bad personality, and was good-looking – just about that much.
Min-joo looked at Permette while leaning on the sofa. When their eyes met, the face that softly smiled was surprisingly beautiful.
Enchanted by the beauty, Min-joo felt that he could reveal undisclosed national secrets.
There’s nothing wrong with appreciating good looks. What’s wrong with pursuing beauty? Yet, despite appreciating beauty, Min-joo wasn’t someone who judged people solely based on appearance.
Just a few days ago, she wasn’t on good terms with Permette, and she didn’t turn a blind eye to Neriant’s crossing-the-line remarks just because of his looks.
Min-joo sighed and looked at the ceiling. The luxurious space made of marble felt excessive.
“When you become family, can you protect me? How can I trust that?”
“There’s no reason not to trust, is there?”
Permette replied, sipping the cold tea. He ran his tongue over moist lips and lightly chewed on them. It seemed to be a habit of Permette.
“You killed your family. How can I not think you might kill me too?”
“Even if I say this, you might not believe it, but I’ve been hurt.”
“I see.”
There was no genuine feeling of being hurt. He wasn’t someone she would get hurt by. Permette casually put down the tea cup and turned towards Min-joo.
His relatively calm ash-colored hair, which had been moist, started to become slightly tousled.
“I won’t kill without reason.”
It seemed like Permette had his standards. He leaned against the sofa armrest, chin in hand.
It emitted an aristocratic feeling, but Min-joo didn’t find it strange. The tight chest muscles visible through the shirt, the relaxed yet dangerous atmosphere, the chin in hand, and crossed legs – it all seemed convincingly plausible.
He wouldn’t kill without reason. That was the case unless he received an order or became an obstacle to his goal.
Even if Permette had a problematic personality, he wasn’t a crazy person who killed for the thrill. Min-joo nodded her head casually and, following Permette’s lead, leaned on the sofa armrest, chin in hand.
Permette noticed her mimicking his posture and let out a small laugh.
His genuine laughter was quite refreshing.
“Permette, you don’t have to go that far. Anyway, I’ll go back home, and then you’ll lose your family again.”
The man had never thought about it that way. He had already killed his family with his own hands, and he had never truly felt what the fence of family meant. This time, the family Permette had created for him was just a means—a means to protect Min-joo, to keep her close.
Nothing more, nothing less than chains.
Min-joo handed a financier to Permette, placing it in his mouth without any hesitation. The man opened his mouth without any resistance.
“It was tough, what I did. It was just a tantrum. It’s okay if nothing changes. I just have to endure.”
Min-joo said playfully, still holding the financier with her index finger.
Already cut once, the financier easily went all the way into Permette’s mouth. Min-joo mimicked shooting a gun with her fingers toward Permette.
“Since I might not be able to come here for a few more days, should you teach me how to shoot? Interested?”
Min-joo playfully pretended to shoot Permette, and it felt as if non-existent bullets were piercing and stirring up his chest. Permette gripped his chest as if he were possessed.
Oh, he’s going to die. Why does playing with an imaginary gun feel so realistic? Permette bit his lips tightly and struggled to chew and swallow the financier.
“Tomorrow, I’ll teach you.”
“Okay. Tell me where the room is.”
He stood up from his seat. Thanks to the wide shirt that hung over his jeans, Permette’s waist looked quite slim. Despite not being extremely thin, he was still a man.
Undoing a button, closing his mouth, and sitting still, he looked like a delicate person, making it hard to determine whether he was a woman or a man.
Min-joo looked at the strong and rough hand he offered in front of her.
“Shall I guide you?”
“Guide a lowly maid with no status, money, or skills like me?”
Min-joo laughed playfully.
Permette gently narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Aren’t you my guest?”
Min-joo took Permette’s hand. His fingers were calloused and scarred, and his hands were large and sturdy. Holding Min-joo’s hand, Permette led her upstairs.
It was a place entirely different from Permette’s bedroom, and near the guest room, there was a gallery and a study. It seemed to be a display of wealth.
Min-joo thought it might be nice to explore it if she had the time.
“Here it is.”
The maid opened the door, and Permette gently pulled Min-joo into the room. Permette didn’t step into the room himself, as if it were a forbidden area.
The room was subtly lit, perhaps due to the candles already set up for tidiness. Through the wide-open window, the night view of the capital unfolded at a glance.
Although not as luxurious as Min-joo’s room at Vehen’s mansion, it was quite upscale. As Min-joo silently scanned the room, Permette cautiously released her hand. Feeling the gap, Min-joo turned back.
“I’ve already moved your belongings. I received a report that you didn’t bring anything except your dress, but if you need anything, I’d like to ask if you’d like to go shopping tomorrow.”
If they had organized her belongings, they would have surely discovered magical books. Even if there was a report, seeing that it was left unchecked, they probably decided to let it be. Or perhaps, tomorrow was an excuse to go outside and buy what was needed or search for the sorcerer.
Either way, it was no problem for Min-joo. She smiled gently and nodded.
“Sure, you’ll be busy tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. Rest well. If you need anything, just ring the bell.”
The bell. The one that was ringing so much to call Min-joo when Vehen was nearby.
Min-joo replied with a soft acknowledgment and walked away. As she entered the room completely, Permette smiled warmly.
“Have a good night.”
“You too, Permette. See you tomorrow.”
Good night, see you tomorrow. Even though they were just simple sentences, Permette’s yellow eyes widened in surprise, and he bit his lip.
He seemed embarrassed or awkward as if he were ashamed.
Min-joo casually waved her hands and closed the door. The footsteps gradually faded beyond the closed door.
Turning slowly, Min-joo looked out the window. The city, as if a bright star had landed on the ground at the edge of the capital, sparkled.
The night sky above the city was filled with stars. It seemed like they would shower down at any moment.
“Beautiful…”
The scenery was so different from where Min-joo used to live, and it was so beautiful that she thought she should leave here before her eyes were blinded.
* * *
Handling things alone was familiar to Min-joo.
Washing, dressing, and tasks that nobles would usually have maids attend to were incredibly simple for her.
Six in the morning. The wake-up time that had become second nature to Min-joo.
Like a habit, she got up at six and hastily searched for her maid uniform. It wasn’t long before she realized that the place she was in was not where she usually stood.
“Oh.”
A sigh escaped her like a fool. There had been a lot going on yesterday, and even tears that didn’t seem to come easily were shed. Despite all that, Min-joo anxiously played the role of a maid, only to realize that the space around her wasn’t familiar.
‘Since Permette is the one who will send me back home anyway, do I need to continue doing the maid work under Vehen?’
Min-joo wondered, standing in the middle of the room, staring blankly out the window.
Suddenly, that thought occurred to her. With the realization that being under the Duke’s mansion might be safer than being under the Viscount’s mansion, Min-joo couldn’t stand the sight of her mundane thoughts.
Both Vehen and Permette liked Min-joo. Min-joo wasn’t naive.
Hatred and affection were emotions easily revealed. Min-joo was very sensitive in recognizing these two emotions. So, Min-joo despised herself for ignoring both their kindness and affection, even using them when needed.
If it weren’t for them, Min-joo would be fated to fall to the bottom of the social hierarchy.
“Can’t do anything… powerless.”
The predetermined scenario had rendered Min-joo’s knowledge useless. The intelligence she possessed about informants, bills, and everything was different from Min-joo’s scenario. Even Prince Tedric, being the Crown Prince, wasn’t as adept at handling the situation.
Was there something Min-joo missed? Or was the mere fact that Min-joo came here creating such a significant distortion, like a butterfly effect?
She returned to the bed, feeling helpless. The only fortunate thing was that she could glimpse a piece of the future in her dreams.
As Min-joo washed her face, she recalled the contents of the dream from today.
[Mirtese: You don’t necessarily have to go out. It might provoke anger instead.
Tedric: The Count still sees me as a puppet. Does it look like I’m an incompetent fool who can’t grasp the hearts of the people? (Casually swirling his glass)
Mirtese: Please, Your Highness, refrain from such remarks. (Shows discomfort)
Tedric: Today, I’ll go out to gauge public opinion. Keep that in mind.
As Tedric briefly ponders, a protest occurs outside. A demonstration for the rights of slaves. The noisy demonstration illuminates the city outskirts, then returns to Tedric’s perspective.
Tedric: (Looking out the window as if thinking) Come to think of it, that commoner… He’s being investigated after setting a fire, isn’t he? I received reports that he wasn’t silenced. Quite unsettling. Can I make it so that I’m not uneasy?]
The Tedric in Min-joo’s written scenario easily loses to Ceteran, appearing sloppy and easily defeated.
In Min-joo’s scenario, Tedric is a warm prince to the people, but at the same time, he is a villain. He appears as a benevolent prince who frequently engages with the people, supports necessary items for life, and conducts inspections regularly.
Simultaneously, he turns a blind eye to the suffering slaves trampled underfoot, abandoning the starving commoners on the streets. He declares war on other countries, turning them into colonies. He spreads drugs in various colonies to prevent the people there from regaining their sanity.
He even goes as far as assassinating Ceteran’s mother, the current Empress. He tolerates kidnapping commoners to turn them into slaves. The deteriorated state of the Emperor’s rule, due to mental illness, is largely attributed to Tedric’s influence.
As a result, Tedric’s political standing and the trust of the people are strong.
The people believe Tedric, who often shows his face, is a righteous prince.
In reality, there were no improving policies or bills. Tedric merely left the festering core untouched and adorned his exterior. It wasn’t until Ceteran and the just Neriant joined forces that Tedric’s true self was exposed.
They uncovered Tedric’s reality, exposed him, and turned the nobles who supported him away. Tedric, seemingly so easily crumbling and labeled as a deceiver, met his end.
‘But Tedric isn’t such a foolish and incompetent character.’
Based on her encounters with various characters, the characters in her written scenario aligned with their established settings. There had been no examples of predetermined settings changing.
Therefore, she had to be suspicious. Tedric hadn’t truly lost; he had willingly stepped back. The character, known for his cruelty and strategic thinking, who had even ordered the current events, shouldn’t have been so easily defeated and vanished into the morning dew of the execution ground.
Min-joo clenched her fist. She questioned why Tedric, a character capable of ruthlessness and intelligent enough to orchestrate current events, would be so easily defeated in the struggle for the throne.
She knew Tedric could create unforeseen variables. If Tedric employed tactics to create incidents, it would slow down Permette’s search for the sorcerer. With Vehen and Ceteran busy with Permette’s tasks, the pace would undoubtedly be affected.
‘I should plant a spy on Tedric, or find a way to bring him down as quickly as possible.’
She had long abandoned the idea of finding the sorcerer herself. Traveling around, attracting attention, and getting killed by a knife wouldn’t lead to anything good.
Therefore, eliminating the enemies and achieving the goal as quickly as possible seemed to be the only option.