Please Don’t Come To The Villainess’ Stationery Store! - Chapter 19

“It’s them!”

Speak of the devil. It seemed to be the Red Diocese Pirates Lessa talked about.

I turned and looked at the tavern’s wooden door.

The door was about to break apart. Even the chains that had been tightly hung began to creak.

“Miss, hurry and get up!”

Lessa got me up in a hurry.

Spurred by her urgent-looking face and tone, alongside her unexpected power, I had no choice but to go as Lessa wanted me to.

“I’m going to close my business now, so it’s okay. Stay in here, okay? You cannot come out.”

“Yes, yes?”

“I’ll help you.”

Lessa shook her head quickly despite Dominique’s words.

“Why would such a young man do that! I have a plan, so hurry up and hide inside. I’m going to get really angry if you come out.”

Lessa roughly pushed Dominique and I into the inn’s inner room and locked the door.

We were pushed inside without having time to grasp the situation.

“Mel, what’s going on?”

I looked at the very confused looking Dominique.

Then he mumbled, folding his arms tightly.

“I think they’re the Red Diocese Pirates.”

“Let’s make sure.’

Dominique looked around sharply and easily undid the lock.

Lessa locked the door, but it was useless against the jack of all trades, Dominique.

After a while, the door opened quietly.

“Leave the door open for now. She said she has a plan, so let’s wait and see.”

“Okay, if there’s a problem, we can…no, you can solve it.”

“I will.”

Dominique smiled contentedly at the fact that he had a chance to show off his skills.

“I think we should go out right away…”

“The owner said she had a plan, so let’s wait in here for now.”

I nodded my head.

I could see the backs of the two women shivering in my sight, and the doors of the tavern opened.

“It’s still dull.”

A gang of thugs rushed into the tavern.

About eight people?

Their bodies were so huge that the women were suffocated by the pressure.

A red-haired, muscular man who appeared to be the head of the group spoke while swinging a club around his shoulder.

“Look here. You’re trying to do business without even paying the rent, aren’t you?”

“…I-I’m sorry.”

A sparse gray-haired Lessa, who looked sixty years old, bowed her head and apologized.

‘What, why is Lessa apologizing?”

It felt bad to see Lessa shaking and apologizing.

Lessa didn’t do anything wrong.

‘Those thugs who are telling you to pay rent are wrong.’

So why should Lessa keep her head down.

“Only in words?”

“You’re only sorry with your words, huh?”

“Why don’t you get on your knees and apologize to hyung-nim?”

“Oh, then we’ll give you a reduction of about a hundred thousand bekrels.”

Each one of them giggled quietly.

I clenched my fists.

Until then, I had believed her like a rock. In the words ‘I have a plan,’ that Lessa said earlier.

So I waited inside holding my breath. That’s definitely what I did…

“Aunty, what are you doing?”

“…I’m sorry, but you must go now. I really don’t have money.”

Lessa lowered her eyes and flopped onto her knees.

“No…”

‘How could those cold-blooded men make a woman who’s as old as their mother kneel?’

I clasped the door handle.

Maybe it was because I put too much strength into it, but the back of my hand went white.

‘Are they crazy?’

Lessa told me not to come out. But I wanted to disobey her at the ridiculous sight in front of my eyes.

The gangsters outside who didn’t know my thoughts became even more confident.

“What do you believe in, selling yourself in this good place, huh?”

Slam!

At the same time, the man on the left hit the floor with a big wooden club on his shoulder.

‘Aren’t they crazy bastards?”

Surprised, I looked up at Dominique.

I was stomping my feet quietly.

Unlike me, who was restless, Dominique had a sharp look.

‘Oh, Dominique. He usually has a different look in his eye…’

Until now, he had always felt like a petty younger brother, but now his eyes looked as sharp as knives.

“What should I do?”

“Huh?”

“I’d better step forward now.”

Dominique’s words dropped cold.

His voice sounded like that of a boy knight sacrificing himself for a great cause. Only then, did Dominique really feel like the hero from the legend.

“…yeah, let’s go out now.”

I answered quietly and opened the door.

It seemed like the Red Diocese Pirates didn’t notice our presence yet, perhaps because their backs were facing us.

“Hurry and give us the money, while we’re still being nice.”

Lessa wasn’t shaking.

She spoke softly and calmly, tightening her eyes.

“I can’t give you the rent. Even if we eat and die for it. I’m quitting, everything.”

Then, a man with a tattoo on his face swung his club and smashed the wooden table in half.

Crash!

The two women covered their ears at the loud roar of the glass on the table shattering on the floor.

The red-haired man grabbed Lily by the hair and began to slowly shake her.

“Who wants to quit, huh? You have to give it to me when I ask!”

…wow, I can’t endure it.

I’m going to be the one to punish those crazy bastards.

It was when I was about to step up. Lily, looking over at us, stiffened and mouthed ‘Stay inside. It’s dangerous.’

You’re worried about me in the midst of all this?

I shook my head and Lily hurriedly shouted, as if to block my gaze.

“Please leave! We won’t be enslaved anymore!”

Slap!

Then there was the sound of a strong slap on the cheek. Seeing that there were already bruises on her cheeks, I opened my mouth wide.

‘You bastards are hitting a woman?’

‘It’s really past the limit now. I can’t stand it!’

There was no time to keep an eye on Dominique.

I ran out like a bullet. I was upset like an angry bull right now.

‘He used violence against a vulnerable woman.’

I shouted loud with great anger from the depths of my heart.

“Hey, you crazy bastards!”

Bam!

I ran out quickly and lashed out on the head of the captain, who was showing his back to me.

“Ugh!”

The captain’s face twisted forward with a loud noise.

‘Is his head made of stone or what?’

My hand hurt more.

The captain turned around.

I shook my hand a few times and solemnly declared, “Go back to where you came from. Then I’ll let you go.”

I was flustered at myself for running out like a fighting dog. The pirates, including the captain, surrounded me.

“Hahaha..you made up your mind. How dare you hit me when you can’t understand the situation?”

“I’ll set an example, starting with this b*tch, hyung-nim.”

“Even if you don’t, there are a lot who challenged our authority.”

I was too busy talking to Dominique to listen to them.

‘You’re going to get rid of them right away, right?’

Dominique made a powerful sound.

I grinned and let out a breath.

‘Yeah. I want to kill them all.’

‘Calm down and take a deep breath first.’

Facing the pirates, I took a couple of breaths.

I was a little scared, but I was confident that the worst would be avoided because there was Dominique who assured my safety.

‘I’ll give you my power.’

Dominique spoke in a low voice.

‘You’re giving me the power?’

While tilting my head, I felt as if something had entered my body.

I felt so lively that it felt like my eyes sparkled. It felt like I’d become a very strong gangster.

Dominique chimed in seriously.

‘Now they’re going to look so weak. Your skin will be as hard as steel. It won’t hurt if you get hit.’

Aha. This is how you’re going to help me?

I stood in the doorway with my arms on my hips and nodded towards Dominique who was looking my way with a sharp look.

Perfect. I commend you.

“Where are you looking?”

The captain came and grabbed my chin.

“I can twist your shoulder if I make up my mind.”

How much power did Dominique have? That guy definitely grabbed my chin, but it felt like a cat slapping me with a cotton swab.

I grinned and pushed his hand lightly.

“Then try twisting it.”

Crash!

“What, what’s this?”

It was only a slight push, but he took more than three steps backwards.

Even the beer bottle at his foot broke with a harsh sound.

‘From now on, we will start the escorting.’

I grinned at them, rolling up the lace wrapped around my wrist.

“Yeah. You guys are the Red Diocese Pirates?”