Snatching the Villain’s Precious Princess - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“From the way you’ve been acting all prim and snapping at me all day, I can tell you really hate the thought of me looking at another woman. In that case, you should be the one to fix it.”

The hand that had poked her collarbone slid out past her shoulder. Morae froze, caught in Pado’s languid, teasing voice.

She never imagined Pado could say something so shameless. Ever since she had scouted him, he had been distant toward the women in the corps. This unexpected side of him shook her composure.

Morae, who never cowered anywhere, couldn’t say a word. Pado didn’t miss the chance and wrapped her up. When he lifted her like a bundle, cheers erupted.

“Whoa!”
“Ohhh!”

Eun Morae was the cherished only daughter of the 〈West Sea Corps〉, which had thousands of members. Yoo Pado was the newcomer she had personally recruited from outside.

The princess of the corps and the most talked-about rookie — gossip about the two of them set the surroundings ablaze.

“W-What…”

“There are too many eyes in the cafeteria. Let’s go to my room.”

Morae kicked and flailed her hands in a silent outcry. Words she couldn’t bring herself to utter spun on the tip of her tongue before dissolving into silence.

“His audacity is insane!”

“Is the wedding tomorrow or something? Wow, I always wondered who would take Eun Morae, but some guy from outside just snatched her right up.”

“Look at her face—she’s blushing.”

Anyone with a proper sense of law and order might have stepped in, even as a joke. But this was Baekdo, a floating city inhabited by freemen abandoned by the government — and the headquarters of the 〈West Sea Corps〉, which ruled it.

In a haven for outlaws who had turned their backs on nation and society, no one would interfere in an entertaining lovers’ quarrel.

“Who–?!”

Clinging tightly to Pado’s back, Morae turned her head to look at the other members.

Even though the senior members of the corps adored her, no one stepped in to help, despite her furious expression.

After all, if she wanted to get down, Morae was strong enough to break free, and her pale face was already flushed red.

***

The central hall was some distance from Pado’s room.

Not far, exactly — just across a building and up an elevator — but still, not right next door. Carrying a dangling person across that distance was bound to draw some eyes.

Yet to Morae, perched on Pado’s shoulder, that long walk passed in a flash. She blinked a few times, and his room was already in front of her.

When she came to her senses, she was on Pado’s bed. She vaguely recalled members they passed in the hallway saying something, but couldn’t remember a word.

Thrown onto the bed, she curled her legs and looked up. Pado gazed down at her intently, his eyes traveling over her.

Even now, not a single word left her lips. She was too tense at the fact that Pado had dragged her into his room.

‘Pado… with me?’

To say such suggestive things in front of others, sling her over his shoulder, and bring her here — was that reckless or just incredibly bold? Either way, she was flustered to the point her whole body tingled.

‘Me? Really?’

When her aunt in the lab had told her that morning about ‘rumors of Pado’s transfer’, she had never imagined it would come to this.

Morae was a member of the 〈West Sea Corps〉 and the only daughter of its founder. Since birth, she had been loved by the corps’ elders, and her sense of belonging was stronger than anyone’s.

But despite its name, the West Sea Corps was a peaceful place.

Like a company, they took in newcomers as interns, trained them, and opened opportunities for them to be scouted by various groups inside and outside the island. Even if they weren’t interns, anyone who wanted to leave could do so at any time, and they accepted a fair number of relocations to the city.

It was something they could do because they had the pride of being the unrivaled rulers of the floating city — and because they understood the reality that they couldn’t hold on to someone whose heart had already turned elsewhere.

That relaxed, tolerant approach was part of what had kept them alive so long in the underground hunter world, which swung constantly between glory and decline. But for Morae, it wasn’t something she could easily accept.

Especially when the one at stake was Pado — the top talent of her generation, whom she had personally scouted. Losing him would be enough to drive her up the wall.

Not being some fool who’d let her jewel be stolen in broad daylight, Morae had summoned him the moment she heard the news, even though he was far away, to confront him.

Her pride made her words sharp, but she would have done anything to keep him from leaving. Not that she’d imagined it would turn out like this.

Here’s your translation with all original single quotes and double quotes preserved:

‘No, it’s not like I haven’t thought about it.’

To be honest, she had thought about it.

It wasn’t that she had decided to have sex with him just to keep him, but she had, at the very least, imagined that Pado might be interested in her.

After all, she was pretty and cute. Even half a year ago, when Yoo Pado had still been living legally in a city outside, she had to have played a part in his decision to choose the path of a villain.

If he was human—if he was a man—it was only natural that he’d be attracted to her. Perhaps it was confidence, or perhaps it was a faint hope, but she had even spent a few sleepless nights thinking about it.

Still, when the moment finally came, she grew nervous. Her breath caught, and the sound of her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

“Eun Morae.”

As Pado’s face drew closer, her heartbeat grew even faster. Morae opened her mouth soundlessly, then was pushed back onto the bed by him.

“I… really…”

His nose was right there. Which meant—his face. In other words—his lips were less than a hand’s span away.

If she leaned forward just a little, they would kiss. Startled and uncertain, Morae hunched her shoulders and tilted her head back.

She wasn’t ready for a kiss at this moment.

Then Pado’s head retreated sharply as well. Instead of pressing forward or showing disappointment, he smirked, the corner of his lips curling.

“Got scared? I knew it.”

With ridicule lacing his voice, Pado dusted off his hands and turned away. Folding his arms, he looked down at Morae sprawled across the bed.

“A princess like you, who gets all flustered just talking to a guy, couldn’t possibly be experienced. I thought you came along willingly, but turns out you just got scared. What a kid.”

“What?”

“Then don’t go running your mouth about how I’m horny or chasing after women. The girls at Sinhae Workshop flirt with me because they want to, but you? What’s your excuse?”

“W-What? You dragged me here! You carried me on your shoulder!”

Flaring up, Morae got to her feet from the bed, clenching her fists. Pado easily subdued her by pressing his finger to her forehead.

Prodded by his index finger, Morae collapsed like a sandcastle. The aftershocks of her tension had even drained the strength from her legs.

“Do you even have a conscience? This is your own room. If you’d made up your mind and shouted once, your parents, your relatives, and the whole neighborhood would’ve come running—do you expect me to believe I dragged you here by force? Since when were you such a timid, helpless girl?”

Technically, Pado had carried her here, so she hadn’t come of her own free will. But it wasn’t quite the same as being dragged by force, either.

This was practically her own room—if she’d kicked up even a single fuss, people would have rushed in and rolled Pado up in a mat to beat him.

But she stayed still, keeping her head down. So Pado had confidently tossed her onto his bed.

“A man says he’s interested in you, and you get dragged here in a daze, only to chicken out when it comes to the point.”

Pado was right. He was so right that she had nothing to say in reply.

Clicking his tongue smugly and giving a derisive snort, he headed into the bathroom without a backward glance. Just as he was about to close the door, Pado cast a glance over his shoulder at Morae.

“I’m going to shower, so go back.”

And that was the end of it.

The sound of the faucet turning was followed by a rush of water—clear proof he had started showering.

That really was… the end.

Left alone in the stark room, Morae slowly replayed the situation in her mind. As if the daze she’d been in while walking down the hall had been a lie, she understood everything in the span of five blinks.

Pado had played with her. He’d pretended to be interested just to mock her in front of others and then toss her aside.

Watching her flounder over the subject of love must have been amusing to him.

After toying with her small, pure feelings, Pado had thrown her away the moment they entered his room.

She had been the only fool, stiff as a board because she thought he was genuinely interested.

What made it worse was his attitude, as if he didn’t care about her in the slightest.

Ignoring a cute young woman at her prime in his room? And not just any pretty, cute woman—her, Eun Morae? He had the nerve to turn away, acting uninterested?

How dare Yoo Pado. How dare he. She’d been good to him, paid him attention, and he dared—!

The more the water poured, the more her irritation piled up. Realizing she had fallen neatly into his trap thoroughly bruised her pride.

Instead of leaving the bleak room, Morae sat on the bed and crossed her legs. Leaning back slightly, she braced her hands on the mattress.

As her toes tapped idly, Pado emerged from the bathroom. Wearing only a loosely tied gown, he flinched slightly at the sight of her.

“You’re still here? If you’ve got nothing to do, go to your room.”

It sounded like grumbling, but he didn’t seem particularly displeased.

Pado tugged at his gown to hide the chest she’d been staring at. What had been loosely draped enough to be revealing was now properly adjusted.

Fresh from the shower, water still clung to him. Dripping, he approached Morae and lightly gripped her chin.

“Or… do you actually want me to?”

Even though her blood rushed again as his face came close, she wasn’t about to fall for it this time. This was just provocation, meant to enjoy her discomfort.

One slip, and he wouldn’t stop. Morae smiled arrogantly, reaching out to stroke the back of Pado’s neck.

“You’re the one who wants to. Beg for it. I stayed because it seemed like you needed a woman.”

Pado’s eyebrow twitched, as if about to say ‘What?’ Morae pushed his neck away, putting distance between them.

“You went so far as to scheme just to seduce me. You should be grateful I’m even humoring you.”

Morae smiled provocatively. As she switched the cross of her legs, her short skirt fluttered, revealing the soft, well-shaped pale thighs beneath.