Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 40

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“Who is Hunter Moon Haeyoon?”

“She’s a B-rank hunter from the Pasa Guild… and she’s quite pretty.”

The Pasa Guild is a rival of Somang. And Baek Gunho is getting close to a member of that guild?

‘He’s trying to recruit her.’

It was obvious why Baek Gunho would approach a woman. It had to be for guild recruitment. Or perhaps she was someone whose close association would benefit the guild.

It was clearly one or the other.

“Hope you find beautiful love.”

I teased him, even though I knew the truth. Baek Gunho nags me daily about dating, so I was just returning the favor.

As expected, Baek Gunho frowned in disgust, just like he does whenever there’s a dating rumor.

“It’s not like that.”

Sure, it’s not.

Even though I think Baek Gunho should be in a relationship, I also feel relieved whenever he reacts negatively to the mention of dating.

How am I supposed to deal with this contradiction?

I couldn’t come up with an answer, even to myself.

“Oh, hold on. I need to take this call.”

At that moment, the uncle glanced at his phone and stood up.

As he walked into the room, Baek Gunho’s expression changed as he checked his own vibrating phone.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shin Chaeyoung is dead.”

“What? Really? How?”

“They say she suddenly had a seizure and just died. We won’t know for sure until an autopsy is done, but…”

Shin Chaeyoung had used power beyond her limits when she attacked the uncle.

Such power couldn’t have been used without some cost.

Did she know she was going to die and used that power anyway?

Or did she recklessly wield her strength, unaware of the impending future?

Either way, there was no reason to feel sorry for her.

If she hadn’t been caught, she would have continued committing crimes and harming people.

At that moment, the uncle came out of the room with a grave expression.

“Heewon, I’m sorry, but I have to go urgently.”

“Is it because of Shin Chaeyoung?”

“Did Gunho tell you? Yeah, I need to go because of that.”

I wanted to stop him, but it was such an urgent matter that I couldn’t hold him back.

“Yes, please go.”

“Right.”

The uncle hurried out of the house.

The Hunter Management Bureau had already been criticized for letting Shin Chaeyoung slip through once.

This incident would surely cause another uproar. I couldn’t help but sigh.

“She died too easily, didn’t she?”

“What?”

“Shin Chaeyoung, I mean. She died too simply.”

“Hm, did she…?”

“She should have been thrown to a monster to be torn apart alive.”

Baek Gunho muttered grimly.

Well, dead is dead, what more could be done?

I looked at him in shock, and our eyes met.

Baek Gunho suddenly smiled as if something amused him.

“You’re too soft.”

“No, I’m average…”

“You’re soft.”

I couldn’t understand why he found it so amusing that I was soft.

✧✧✧

Shin Chaeyoung’s death was reported on the news, with the truth slightly altered.

It was said that she had shown symptoms of magic addiction even before being captured, and her condition had worsened, leading to her death in a rampage.

It wasn’t a lie, as signs of magic addiction were indeed found in her body.

“They say Seo Houn got hurt because of Shin Chaeyoung?”

Amid all this, the truth that wasn’t revealed to the media was spreading as a rumor.

During lunchtime, my coworkers started gossiping about the news.

“No matter what, Seo Houn is an A-rank. How could Shin Chaeyoung hurt him?”

“Seo Houn is getting old. Retirement is just around the corner. He could get hurt.”

“Retirement is not that close. He’s still in his prime as an awakened one.”

“Come on, he’s past his prime.”

My coworkers, unaware that I was Seo Houn’s adopted son, freely gossiped about him. I could feel anger boiling inside me.

People were convinced that Seo Houn’s injury was caused by Shin Chaeyoung.

It was true, but the fact that Shin Chaeyoung had grown far stronger than before hadn’t been revealed, so it felt like Seo Houn was being unjustly criticized.

Whether he was being insulted or not, the Hunter Management Bureau would just stand by and do nothing, right?

Those worthless bastards.

After working hard all afternoon, it was suddenly six o’clock.

[Baek Gunho: Come down.]

I headed to the parking lot after receiving the message and found Baek Gunho waiting. I frowned and glared at him.

“The bodyguard duty is over.”

Baek Gunho had assigned the bodyguard duty until everything about Shin Chaeyoung was dealt with. But now that she was dead, that condition no longer applied.

“It’s not bodyguard duty; I’m here to pick you up.”

Baek Gunho made an excuse as if it was prepared in advance. I scoffed and got into the passenger seat.

“I’ll let it slide today. If you send someone else, I’m ignoring them.”

“If Lee Jooyun isn’t your type, should I introduce you to someone else?”

I was talking about bodyguards, but this guy suddenly started acting like a matchmaker again. I frowned and gave him a stern look.

“Enough.”

“Tell me your type.”

“I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know, just meet someone. You might like them after a while.”

That’s not how it works, you idiot. If I could do that, I would have met anyone by now.

I wanted to grab Baek Gunho by the collar and shake him, but since he was driving, I decided to ignore him instead of showing my violent side.

“Why don’t you try meeting Minhee again? She seemed to like you.”

Baek Gunho was persistent today.

He had been fixated on Lee Jooyun for a while, but now he suddenly brought up someone else.

I was curious about the sudden change of heart, but asking him would only lead to questions like, ‘So you do like Lee Jooyun?’ so I kept my mouth shut.

“Hah…”

When I didn’t respond, Baek Gunho sighed deeply, clearly frustrated.

Who’s the one who should be sighing?

This is ridiculous.

Just then, Baek Gunho received a call on his phone. He answered.

“Yes.”

─ Where are you now?

It was Jung Eunji’s voice. She sounded tired, likely overworked from taking on Somang Guild’s tasks again today.

“I’m driving Heewon home.”

─ You need to come to the guild for a bit.

“What’s going on?”

─ That bastard Oh Mingyu… Just come. It’s urgent.

The call abruptly ended.

Oh Mingyu, the S-rank hunter, was the guild leader of Pasa. Since Somang and Pasa were rivals, it was natural that Baek Gunho didn’t get along with Oh Mingyu.

What could have happened?

“I’m turning the car around.”

Baek Gunho notified me as he turned the car around. He didn’t seem to have any intention of dropping me off first.

“Drop me off. I can go home on my own.”

“I’ll take you home after I finish up quickly.”

“How can you say you’ll finish quickly when you don’t even know what’s going on?”

“I don’t drag things out with Oh Mingyu.”

“If it takes too long, I’m leaving.”

“What’s your definition of long?”

“One hour?”

“That’s plenty of time.”

What confidence. In the end, I headed to the Somang Guild with Baek Gunho.

“I’ll be back quickly, so just wait a bit.”

Baek Gunho walked me to the café on the first floor of the guild and reassured me.

At that moment, both our phones suddenly blared with loud alerts.

That noisy alarm was unmistakably the Gate Alert notification.

I checked the message. The estimated time until gate emergence was within five minutes.

Running far wasn’t an option; the only choice was to find shelter nearby.

I should have just gone home earlier.

“Hah…”

Baek Gunho sighed deeply as well, probably thinking the same. Then he suddenly grabbed my hand. I looked down at our hands.

“What?”

“We need to take cover.”

“I can manage on my own, so go.”

“I won’t be late even if I make sure you’re safe.”

Baek Gunho gripped my hand and led me through the chaotic guild lobby.

I tried to shake off his grip, but he was annoyingly strong and wouldn’t let go.

“Let go.”

“No.”

“Let go.”

“Just stay put.”

We continued this back-and-forth while shaking our hands when the elevator doors opened. Inside, Jung Eunji stood with a few others.

“Finally here? Oh, and Heewon’s here too?”

Jeong Eunji, acting like she knew something, gestured with her eyes to the side.

As Baek Gunho released the hand he had been gripping tightly, he turned to look in the direction Eunji indicated. Naturally, my gaze followed.

Standing there was Oh Mingyu, the guild master of Pasa.

Oh Mingyu glared fiercely at Baek Gunho.

“I have a lot to say, but let’s talk after we’re done. Don’t run away, Baek Gunho.”

“Why not just talk here and finish it? I don’t have time to listen to you bark on and on.”

“If we talk here, it won’t end well for you.”

“I don’t mind. I’ve always lived an upright life.”

Oh Mingyu let out a short laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Magic crackled with tension around the enraged Oh Mingyu, his fierce energy directed entirely at Baek Gunho.

“Guild Master, let’s go for now. We don’t have much time left.”

The woman who had followed Oh Mingyu tried to calm him down, her words managing to make Oh Mingyu click his tongue and retract his fierce aura.

“Let’s go.”

Jeong Eunji took the lead, organizing the situation.

Oh Mingyu followed her, but Baek Gunho remained standing. Baek Gunho turned to the woman and asked,

“Aren’t you going?”

“No, I just came out to see you off. I’m planning to wait here.”

“Why? The gate’s open.”

“Someone has to guard the shelter. Besides, I’m not good in real combat.”

The woman laughed playfully. It seemed like the two knew each other.

Baek Gunho glanced her over once before giving me a light tap on the back.

“Go upstairs.”

“Guild Master!”

From a distance, Jeong Eunji called out to Baek Gunho.

With no more time to delay, Baek Gunho signaled to me with his eyes and headed outside.

I watched the three of them leave the guild building and then boarded the elevator that had returned.

I headed to the break room on the middle floor.

Inside, a few guild employees were taking shelter as well. I found an empty seat by the window and sat down.

“Is it okay if I sit next to you?”

The voice belonged to the woman who had been following me from the lobby.

I had thought she was just heading in the same direction as me…

“…Sure.”

I nodded since I had no reason to refuse, and she quickly took a seat next to me.

“My name is Moon Haeyoon.”

The name sounded familiar. I think that’s the name the man mentioned yesterday—Moon Haeyoon.

‘The one who’s been getting close to Baek Gunho lately…’

Just as he said, she was a beautiful person.

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