I Don't Want To Do a Romantic Comedy With a Villain! - Chapter 52

Episode 52

Permette realized that Vehen regards Min-joo not just as a servant but as something more. 

He had known it from the beginning. Despite the absurdity of suddenly bringing in a prophet, the attitudes Vehen displayed afterward indicated more than just liking Min-joo. 

Permette, being observant, could tell, and the occasional reactions he showed explained everything.

There might have been progress in their relationship during the month Vehen left his residence empty and brought Min-joo. What he had overlooked so far was his indifference towards Min-joo, not wanting to focus on the lack of interest in Min-joo and Vehen’s relationship.

But now, the story is different. Permette liked Min-joo. It wasn’t a sensation strong enough to be called love; he considered it more like affection. 

Since he had never harbored such feelings before, Permette wanted to indulge in this newfound desire. He didn’t want to lose it. The thought of seeing someone he cares about engaging in affectionate acts with the person they should serve for their life with made him nauseous.

Min-joo, had no interest in Vehen, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing to make an effort so that Min-joo could choose him. Even if it’s considered a wrongdoing, what could he do? The concept of good and evil was ambiguous to Permette.

As Min-joo hurriedly pulled away her hand from the wrinkled glove, Permette’s hand touched it. His thick and rough fingers delicately pulled the glove’s edge. It felt eerie as if the fingers would touch the arm, but they didn’t.

“You look exceptionally beautiful today. You always do, but today, especially so.”

“What are you saying? Stop saying such creepy things.”

“I’m serious. If you scold me, I’ll be deeply hurt.”

“You have plenty of things to be hurt about. Want me to build a river with tears for you?”

“If you wish.”

“Ugh.”

Yeah, these reactions are amusing. Permette playfully laughed and lightly pushed Min-joo’s shoulder. Min-joo stepped forward. Permette walked closely beside her and asked.

Beneath the kind and affectionate smile hid sincerity.

“Haven’t you worn the shoes I gave you?”

“They’re at the palace. Tedric will bring them.”

Permette suppressed the curses rising to his mouth and just smiled. That damn prince. Someday, he’ll tie him up and beat some sense into him.

Permette opened the door and spoke quietly.

“I’ve sorted out the maids. I don’t know who the informant was, but I heard there’s one maid who was absent from her post last night.”

“Who is it?”

“A maid named Chichen.”

Min-joo made a disapproving sound, raising one eyebrow.

Permette quickly caught Min-joo’s change in expression and raised his eyebrows.

“So, it’s that maid. I’ll take care of it.”

“If she doesn’t come back, just leave her. If she comes back, and if staying means death, and leaving also means death, there’s no need to dirty our hands unnecessarily.”

Since Tedric would inevitably find and kill her if she escaped, Min-joo hoped she would run as far away as possible. Even if there were ulterior motives, Chichen was the first maid to approach Min-joo willingly, so she granted some leniency.

Permette seemed somewhat surprised by Min-joo’s strong statement but paid it no mind. If Min-joo, who could foresee events, said so, it also meant that there wouldn’t be significant harm.

Permette nodded.

Min-joo patted Permette’s shoulder and smiled.

“Take care. I’ll go check on it.”

“Yes, Min-joo. Rest well.”

Permette politely bid farewell and headed to Vehen’s study.

As Min-joo watched him walk away, she sighed, feeling the freedom she had gained for just one day. What should she do now? Should she sleep to her heart’s content?

In this place without a phone, laptop, and even a television, she pondered how to pass the time without electronic devices. She had been too busy as a maid to notice their absence. She decided to return to her room to check her belongings.

Suddenly, a face appeared in front of Min-joo, a maid whose name she couldn’t recall.

They had shared a meal, so Min-joo recognized her face, but the conversations and names didn’t stick in her memory.

“You haven’t quit yet!”

The maid greeted Min-joo unexpectedly, expressing joy.

Min-joo, not understanding the situation, awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth.

“I saw many people leaving in a hurry today. I was worried that everyone might have been fired. Are you not fired?”

“Oh, was that the case?”

It must be about sorting out the maids. Perhaps they had spent some pleasant time in the underground cellar with Permette.

Min-joo naturally smiled and continued speaking.

“I took a few days off because I wasn’t feeling well. It seems like everyone decided to quit during that time. I couldn’t even say goodbye; it’s a shame.”

“Well, that makes sense. You were probably the one who got them fired.”

“What?”

Min-joo frowned at the maid.

The maid was smiling with an attitude that revealed animosity. It was a very social smile.

“After hearing your rumors, I bet you’ve been firing people left and right. You take a break in a nice and clean place, and innocent people lose their jobs. Do you enjoy wielding power by clinging to others?”

From the perspective of someone who knows nothing, it might seem quite plausible.

Min-joo could have responded with something like, ‘What the heck are you talking about, boiling grass to make soup,’ but the maid had lost a dear colleague, and Min-joo understood the resentment. However, she thought there was no need to accept her anger and complain bitterly about it.

She had endured since coming here – ambushes, Mireille’s affairs, Neriant, the spies, and many other things. Suppressing and enduring, but if you press and press, eventually, it is bound to explode. And the time for that explosion was now.

“So, how about you make an enemy out of one hateful person? Did you enjoy it? Was it fun to label someone who knew nothing and worked hard with such a stigma? What should I have done differently?”

Min-joo felt relieved that she had dressed up well. She figured that arguing with a roughly washed face and hair with branches stuck in it would make her feel a little better if she lost. Why not, wasn’t there something like that?

Wearing intimidating clothes to get a refund and furrowing your brows to make an impression when you march into a store. It was a similar context of relief.

“You mean to tell me I should have smiled at you guys who made me look like a weirdo and said, ‘We’re not like that, please look at me pretty,’ and shivered? I was being bullied, and I could have talked to the master, and if you thought you were going to get fired for that, you should have been nice in the first place.”

“You think you can take responsibility for that now? You think I’m going to let you get away with it? Everyone’s talking about you, and if you want to keep working here, don’t make us your enemies!”

Yes, if Min-joo had intended to continue working as Vehen’s maid.

If Tedric hadn’t given her a house and status, Min-joo would have had to act amicably to those who insulted her to avoid looking resentful. Vehen couldn’t solve it either. If she had relied on Vehen, the only solution he could offer was likely firing or pretending to be a lover.

That’s why Min-joo had a resolution to quit her job and the words she wanted to say.

“No, what audacity… I’m really curious. What if I truly were the lover of the Duke, and I told you all to be fired and replaced with new people? What if I demanded punishment for insulting the Duke? What would you do, act boldly?”

The maid’s face turned bright red, and she clenched her fists, visibly trembling with anger. It was clear that confusion had led her to blame Min-joo for things that could be easily understood with a little thought. They needed someone to blame for their anxieties, and Min-joo became the target.

Min-joo laughed weakly as she breathed out slowly. 

“You also knew, right? That I’m not the Duke’s lover. That’s why you could make a fuss, why you could ostracize me. So you dared to come to me and blame me. If I were truly the Duke’s lover, I would have tried to look good and act cautiously. You wouldn’t have dared to say anything like this to me.”

People who were overly selfish and greedy were detestable to Min-joo. She was tired of encountering such individuals. Yet, despite her resentment, she still liked people. Eventually, she came to understand their selfishness. 

Understanding their circumstances and accepting them, she couldn’t help but feel both hatred and hope that they wouldn’t meet a cruel fate. It was frustrating to reconcile these conflicting emotions.

Min-joo sighed as if tired, pulling off her gloves. The fabric rubbing against her arms was irritating, and she wanted to get rid of them quickly. 

“You’re the ones who should take care of yourselves. It’s not because I’m being stupid and enduring it.”

Min-joo was relieved that she could quit her job. It was good not to have to face them again, not to feel the anxiety and irritation they caused. Min-joo nonchalantly flipped her expensive, airy skirt and rotated her back.

The maid, overwhelmed by anger, couldn’t lash out at Min-joo any further. Of course, Min-joo didn’t expect or desire any apologies or explanations. Even if they apologized, it wouldn’t make her feel better; she would only feel guilty for pushing them so hard.

Min-joo returned to her room and took off the various accessories from her hair and tossed the cumbersome gloves away. The slightly high-heeled shoes were thrown somewhere in the room. It was too exhausting to change clothes, so she decided to just lie down.

‘A nap. I haven’t slept during the day since I was a student.’

Min-joo had always been like that.

Back when she was a student, Min-joo would mediate when friends fought, but she rarely got deeply involved. If she had a conflict with a friend, she would either apologize and move on or retreat into solitude, cutting off contact. Consuming uncomfortable emotions was always a burden, and she preferred to avoid it.

However, being here required her to constantly expend emotions, use her intellect, and struggle to survive. Despite being just an ordinary college student, Min-joo found herself in a world where she had to continuously expend emotions, use her intellect, and struggle to survive.

‘Should have chosen a fantasy action genre; I could just smash everything without caring. It’s bothersome and tiring.’

If it were a fantasy action genre, she could have ignored everything and simply demolished obstacles. It was all getting too complicated for her liking.

Min-joo yawned, stretching her mouth wide open. Even when she forced herself to stay awake, the world in front of her remained blurry. The more she tried to focus, the more it seemed like everything was covered in glue.

Tired, Min-joo decided to rest her head on the pillow. There were numerous things she needed to ask Vehen: about Ziken’s work, money laundering routes, the spy, and the plans to make Ceteran an emperor.

Intermittent scenarios in her dreams were moments Min-joo had been eagerly waiting for. In her dream, she stood before a scenario where the black space transitioned into a bright one.

“What’s this? The cover color is different.”

The color of the cover had changed, becoming a bit brighter with a reddish hue. Min-joo felt puzzled and quickly flipped through the pages of the book.

She needed to read as much as possible and memorize scenes that stood out, as that was all she was allowed to remember.

[Vehen: I won’t ask how you know. If you say you saw the future, I’ll leave it at that. Yes, I’ve come back to the past just like you said. I’ve experienced more lives than you can imagine. I’ve come back to the past after living a lifetime and even after just two years of living. I… (Vehen struggles, unable to continue.)]

Hmm. It seems like the scenario book has changed. Must be from a neighboring scenario.

Min-joo enthusiastically closed the book.