Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 43

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“Hey, Heewon, come sit down for a minute.”

My uncle’s words made me flinch. Even if I hadn’t done anything wrong, a guardian telling me to sit down always made me reflect on my life.

“Why?”

“I heard you met with Kwon Sahyeok.”

I instinctively glanced at Baek Gunho.

So that’s why he was so quiet—he went and tattled to my uncle?

Receiving my gaze, Baek Gunho shrugged as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”

It was a little irritating.

“Yes, we had dinner together.”

“Did Kwon Sahyeok say anything strange to you?”

“Strange?”

“Did he say something unnecessary, or make any demands…?”

“No, nothing like that.”

I played innocent. There was no way I could come clean and say, ‘Kwon Sahyeok and I agreed to take down the Baekmyeon Sect together.’

If I did, I’d get scolded, Baek Gunho would rush off to grab Kwon Sahyeok by the collar again, Baek Gunho would get in trouble again, and my uncle would end up with a headache…

Keeping quiet was the best way for everyone to stay peaceful.

“We just ate and chatted a bit. We actually got along better than I expected. It was fun.”

“Really?”

As expected, my uncle’s face brightened up at my explanation.

He’s always been concerned about me losing friends. His reaction made me feel a bit guilty.

Baek Gunho, who had been watching our conversation, jabbed my uncle in the side.

“Uncle, we’re talking about Kwon Sahyeok here. Kwon Sahyeok.”

“Oh.”

“We’re talking about ‘Kwon Sahyeok’.”

The way Baek Gunho was hissing in my uncle’s ear like some conniving advisor whispering evil ideas into the king’s ear was infuriating.

As if influenced by the schemer, my uncle’s face turned serious again.

“Right, Kwon Sahyeok…”

“What’s wrong with Kwon Sahyeok? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that all the S-ranks I know have some really bad tempers…”

My uncle trailed off, glancing over at Baek Gunho sitting next to him.

“Of course, Gunho and you are exceptions, but they all have their quirks.”

“Baek Gunho is probably the quirkiest of them all.”

“What did I do?”

“Your nasty temper when you don’t get your way…”

“And who do you think is the cause of that?”

“Now, don’t start fighting.”

We weren’t even properly fighting, but my uncle still stepped in.

“Kwon Sahyeok isn’t the type to be nice to anyone without a reason, so I’m a bit worried.”

“He did ask a bit about the Baekmyeon Sect, but he seemed like a nice guy. He even walked me home today.”

“Did he?”

“Yes.”

Seeing how readily I responded, my uncle’s expression softened a little.

Unintentionally, I ended up defending Kwon Sahyeok.

If he heard this, he’d probably laugh. Just imagining it made me feel a bit uneasy.

Well, he’s not exactly a difficult person to deal with. In fact, he seemed pretty easygoing, even when I was being unpleasant.

Besides, before jumping to any wild conclusions, Baek Gunho used to tell me to get along with Kwon Sahyeok.

That alone shows he’s a trustworthy person.

There’s no reason to be overly cautious like Baek Gunho, who’s glaring daggers at me from my uncle’s side.

“Then that’s fine. Just be careful what you say.”

“I will.”

I answered obediently.

Baek Gunho, sitting next to me, seemed to have more to say, but he glanced at my uncle and kept quiet.

I spent the evening watching TV with my uncle, planning to spend some time with him.

Later, as I was getting ready for bed, Baek Gunho entered the room.

He’d been expressionless while watching TV, and now his eyes were full of concern as he looked at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…”

I expected him to start lecturing me about Kwon Sahyeok, but he stayed silent.

Seeing his serious face, I couldn’t help but sit up straight, suddenly feeling the need to be just as serious.

“What’s wrong? Why are you acting like this?”

“……”

“Should I not meet with Kwon Sahyeok? Is there something you’re uncomfortable with?”

Finally, I cautiously asked.

The words Kwon Sahyeok had said earlier about not accepting everything flashed through my mind.

But no, this guy doesn’t control me without reason.

He always has his reasons, and since he’s being serious, I figured there must be something going on, so I decided to listen.

“Hey, Baek Gunho, say something.”

“What did you talk about with Kwon Sahyeok?”

“Not much… Why does that bother you so much?”

“No.”

What does he mean, ‘no’? I thought he was suspicious like last time, asking what Kwon Sahyeok had said.

Baek Gunho frowned and stared at me intently. His gaze was so intense that it made me uncomfortable.

I couldn’t meet his eyes and looked away awkwardly. Then Baek Gunho grabbed my arms.

“You’re hiding something.”

“What?”

“Why are you avoiding my eyes?”

“Because it’s uncomfortable. Why are you looking at me like that? If you have something to say, just say it.”

At my words, Baek Gunho clamped his mouth shut again. Now, I was the one getting frustrated.

“If you’re not going to say anything, then don’t bring it up in the first place.”

“Sigh…”

Baek Gunho sighed instead of speaking, ruffling his hair roughly. He looked quite troubled.

After a moment of contemplation, Baek Gunho shook his head.

“No, if you like him, you should see him.”

There was something odd about his tone, so I shook my head.

“It’s not because I like him…”

“So you’re meeting him even though you don’t want to?”

Before I could finish speaking, Baek Gunho’s expression hardened. I hurriedly corrected myself.

“…No, it’s not like that. I’m not meeting him with any intention of dating.”

“That’s not what Kwon Sahyeok thinks.”

“No, he’s just casual about it too…”

“Then why do you keep meeting Kwon Sahyeok?”

Baek Gunho was relentless.

What’s his deal?

Why is he being so persistent?

Does he want to hear me say I like Kwon Sahyeok, or is he suspecting something else?

“Hey, Kwon Sahyeok said you act like you have jealousy issues.”

Baek Gunho’s expression darkened at my blunt words. Yeah, that word doesn’t fit with us at all. But it shows how obsessive you’re being.

“I understand if you don’t trust me, but at least don’t be suspicious.”

“What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I trust you?”

Baek Gunho asked back, surprised by my sudden statement.

“You said you didn’t trust me. You said it yourself.”

“When did I say that?”

“On the way back from the hospital the other day.”

“…Ah.”

It took Baek Gunho a moment to recall the event, and he let out a low groan.

“That’s different.”

“But the fact that you’re questioning everything I do and getting in the way is the same.”

“I’m just worried about you…”

“I know. Of course, you are.”

I cut him off sharply, and Baek Gunho stopped what he was about to say and closed his mouth. He looked at me carefully.

“You always do what you want anyway. It’s not like I’m planning to do anything dangerous, so stop interfering and mind your own business.”

With that, I turned my back to him. I ignored the sensation of Baek Gunho’s gaze lingering on me.

Slowly, Baek Gunho left the room. Only after I was alone did I let out a sigh.

Regret flooded in.

‘I shouldn’t have snapped at him.’

There was no need to bring up the past. Baek Gunho’s suspicions weren’t entirely unfounded.

After all, I did mention the Baekmyeon Sect, something Baek Gunho dislikes.

‘I messed up, it’s my fault.’

As I sighed deeply, the blanket suddenly bulged upward. It was dust that had slipped out of the shadows.

Startled, I dove under the blanket and pressed down on the dust’s head.

“Hey, get back in.”

The dust didn’t seem to understand what I was saying as I mumbled.

Instead of quietly going back in, it rubbed its head against the hand I was pressing down with.

“…Are you trying to comfort me?”

This time, the dust nodded, as if it understood. It licked my hand gently and then retreated back into the shadows.

My dreams were restless that night.

Just in case, I checked my horoscope as soon as I woke up, and it wasn’t great either. It said something bad might happen, so I kept that in mind as I got out of bed.

“Did you sleep well?”

Baek Gunho, who was cooking in the kitchen, seemed the same as usual, which was a relief. But that didn’t mean I was entirely at ease.

“Hey, do you want to sleep at Gunho’s place today?”

“What?”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to come home tonight.”

As I picked up my chopsticks and spoon, the old man spoke. After a moment of thought, I nodded.

“Okay.”

There must be a reason why they want me to stay with Baek Gunho, even though I could handle being alone.

They didn’t tell me why, but… there must be some reason, like the Baekmyeon Sect or the Black Sea Guild making a move.

Baek Gunho glanced at me with an unreadable expression before looking away.

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