Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 35

As soon as Lee Jaehee vanished, I reported the man to the Bureau.

I said a man disguised as a delivery guy tried to break into my house illegally, but he seemed a bit off.

The Bureau came and took the man away.

Left alone, I pondered over the words Lee Jaehee left behind.

To think that I was the target they were looking for.

It was as if they hadn’t had enough of toying with me in my helpless childhood and were now determined to mess with my future life as well.

I shouldn’t have let him off so easily.

Even if he wasn’t here in person, I should have at least given him a piece of my mind with some colorful language.

As I was lost in thought for a while, I heard the sound of the door opening.

It was Uncle.

He looked worried, perhaps having heard about the report I filed.

“Heewon, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“What’s wrong? What happened, huh?”

Judging by Uncle’s reaction, my face didn’t seem all that okay.

After hesitating, I decided to tell him everything about my conversation with Lee Jaehee.

“That guy who came earlier… he introduced himself as Lee Jaehee. Do you know him?”

“Lee Jaehee? Did he actually call himself that?”

Uncle’s face turned serious immediately.

It seemed like Lee Jaehee had expected me to inquire about him.

He must be a well-known figure in the industry. I nodded.

“Yes, that jerk claimed their goal was me… trying to entice me to join them.”

Even thinking about it again, it was ridiculous.

Did they really think I would just run over to the Black Sea Guild because of that?

Uncle seemed to share my sentiment, gritting his teeth in anger.

“That’s nonsense.”

“Right?”

“You’ve had it rough, listening to that crazy talk.”

Uncle, visibly disgusted, took my side.

It felt good to have his support, but at the same time, I felt uneasy about who this guy really was to evoke such a reaction.

“Who exactly is Lee Jaehee?”

“He’s the head of the Black Sea Guild.”

The Black Sea Guild was supposed to be disbanded.

At least officially, they were, but internally, they were still sticking together, which meant there had to be a central figure.

And I had met that central figure today.

I knew he was affiliated with the Black Sea, but I didn’t expect someone spouting such nonsense to be such a big shot…

“I have something to show you.”

Uncle took out a pad and scrolled through something for a while before showing me the screen.

It was a photo of a pretty handsome man.

“This guy is Lee Jaehee. Unofficially, he’s achieved the highest bounty ever from the Bureau.”

“…Unofficially?”

Isn’t a wanted bounty supposed to be widely publicized?

“He’s not someone a regular person could catch anyway. Only those with an A-rank or higher bounty hunter license have the right to access the information.”

I was getting a free pass to that information.

As I read through Lee Jaehee’s details, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Three billion!?”

His bounty was a staggering 3 billion won. (Around 2.2 Million USD)

The scale was different from the bounties I’d usually seen.

Even though the bounties for awakened ones are typically higher than those for ordinary criminals…

“That just shows how dangerous he is.”

“Right…”

For a moment, Lee Jaehee seemed like a golden lottery ticket, but I quickly snapped back to reality.

If he were easy to catch, there wouldn’t be a 3 billion bounty on him.

Plus, the fact that he hasn’t been caught yet means…

“Even Gunho hasn’t managed to catch him.”

That’s right, Baek Gunho, who has been hunting the Black Sea Guild like a cat catching mice, hasn’t caught Lee Jaehee.

“He’s such a ghostly character. I’ve encountered him a few times but lost him every single time.”

“What’s his ability?”

“It’s not fully known yet, but the skill he uses to escape is probably stealth.”

“Probably?”

“Most awakened ones describe it as if he disappears right in front of their eyes. The Bureau speculates that it might be teleportation, but Gunho strongly argues it’s stealth… so for now, we’re calling it stealth. Gunho’s instincts are quite reliable, after all.”

I nodded in agreement. If Baek Gunho says so, it’s probably true.

He’s never been wrong about things like this.

“And that guy said you’re the one they’re looking for.”

“…Yes.”

“It’s better to keep this a secret from the Bureau for now.”

“Is that okay?”

“It’s for the best.”

I felt uneasy about Uncle creating yet another secret with the Bureau, but I eventually agreed.

If it were revealed that a 3 billion-won wanted criminal was after me, it would cause a lot of trouble.

There would be an investigation into why they’re targeting me, and my secrets would be exposed one by one.

“Are you going to tell Gunho?”

“…I should probably tell him that they’re targeting me, right?”

I wanted to keep quiet because I feared he would become overprotective, but I couldn’t keep everything a secret from Baek Gunho, who had helped me so much.

“Yeah, Gunho should know. He knows everything else anyway.”

After some contemplation, Uncle agreed with my words.

“I don’t know what Lee Jaehee is planning, but I’ll make sure to protect you, so don’t worry.”

Uncle spoke kindly to me, seeing how serious I had become.

When I looked at him, he seemed quite reliable, like a hero, as he pounded his chest with confidence.

“You trust me, right?”

“You’re getting older, so don’t overdo it, Uncle.”

“Older? I’m in my prime.”

Uncle playfully poked me in the side, and I collapsed, giggling from the sudden attack.

“It tickles!”

“Do you want me to keep teasing you?”

I shook my head at Uncle, who playfully raised his finger at me.

“No… Uncle, you’re still active.”

“Good, that’s settled then.”

With a lighter mood, Uncle stepped back.

“I’m going to make some ramen. Want some?”

Even though I had dinner, I didn’t want Uncle to eat alone, so I nodded.

“How many?”

“One.”

“You should have two. Gunho is so robust, and you’re so skinny… You hardly eat.”

As soon as we finished talking about business, Uncle transformed into an overly protective guardian.

It’s not that I’m that skinny; it’s just that Baek Gunho is overly strong.

But by Uncle’s standards, I must have looked like a twig.

Well, even if I were as thin as a twig, I’m still S-rank, so I should be stronger than most people.

Understanding Uncle’s concern for me, I eventually agreed. In the end, based on the amount we ate, it felt like Uncle ate three portions, and I ate one.

After eating the ramen and cleaning up, it was already approaching midnight.

I bid farewell to Uncle, who had changed into comfortable clothes.

“Good night.”

“Alright, I’ll be here at home, so rest easy and get a good night’s sleep.”

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the man talking like he did when I was a child.

Even though I’m no longer so young or weak that he needs to come to my rescue, his demeanor remained unchanged.

That night, I slept deeply without being tormented by strange thoughts or dreams.

✧✧✧

In the deep night, in the pitch-dark mountains where you could barely see your own nose, a man was running with all his might through the heart of a pathless mountain.

“Huff, huff…”

Sweat poured down like rain, but he couldn’t stop.

As the rumors said, the pursuer was a master at capturing people.

Knowing that being caught here would be the end of his life, he couldn’t afford to slow down despite the exhaustion.

But no matter how much effort he put in, the body has its limits.

“Huff!”

As the man stumbled for a moment, a thin line of red light descended from above.

It was the tracking skill of Choi Yuhan, an A-rank hunter and the so-called hound of the Somang Guild.

The man’s face turned pale. He tried to flee in haste, but there was nowhere to run now that the hound had caught him by the ankle.

And like the descent of a grim reaper, the pursuer approached the man.

The man dressed in black, with a sword that blended with the darkness in one hand, was Baek Gunho.

Baek Gunho’s other side, unknown to the public, was that of a hunter.

What he hunted outside the dungeons were people.

“S-save me! I’ll tell you anything…”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything!”

Baek Gunho quietly stared at the man.

The man’s hope, born of that gaze, was fleeting.

His face, marked by cowardice, separated from his body and flew into the air.

After confirming the fallen man on the ground, Baek Gunho lightly shook off the blood from his sword.

His demeanor was devoid of any emotional response to the recent killing, as if he had merely completed a task.

Soon, Baek Gunho’s secretary, Ahn Sangwook, who arrived afterward, checked the fallen corpse.

“Couldn’t we have captured him alive?”

Ahn Sangwook, who had heard the conversation from a distance, asked cautiously.

The dead man was on the wanted list of the Hunter Management Bureau and could be disposed of if capture was impossible.

However, the criminal earlier had completely lost the will to fight.

“No, he had to be killed here.”

Yet Baek Gunho’s attitude was firm.

No one knew the basis for his certainty, but Baek Gunho was rarely wrong.
Until now, Baek Gunho’s choices had never been incorrect.

Indeed, Baek Gunho had never been wrong.

Even in perilous decisions that seemed arrogant, Baek Gunho always made the best choice.

This is why those around him consistently supported him.

Despite their support, it was inevitable that a chill occasionally ran down their spines. His decisiveness and ruthlessness showed no discrimination.

Sheathing his sword, Baek Gunho checked his phone.

His expression crumpled upon reading a message.

“What is it?”

“Someone’s intruded at Seo Heewon’s house.”

“What? Who could it possibly be…”

“It must be the Black Sea Guild.”

Baek Gunho muttered under his breath.

Baek Gunho was especially ruthless regarding the Black Sea Guild.

He seemed like a person whose life’s goal was to eliminate everything connected to the Black Sea Guild.

And Seo Heewon was the person Baek Gunho cared about the most.

It seemed he couldn’t be more devoted, even to his parents, but his dedication to Seo Heewon was unparalleled.

Recently, the two things that held the greatest significance in Baek Gunho’s life had become intertwined.

And faced with this situation, Baek Gunho was surprisingly calm, as if he had anticipated it.

Baek Gunho silently gazed at the face captured on the blurry CCTV footage attached to the message. Even in the poor quality, the pretty face looked distinctly flustered.

“…Seo Heewon.”

His voice was heavy as he murmured the name, reflecting the myriad of thoughts regarding the person.