The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 20

The Eldest Son of Histania.

Histania Malik is a perfectionist.

The child who resembles his father the most.

The son who carries all of his father’s expectations.

And he was someone who wanted to resemble his father.

Malik never missed being the top ranker at the Academy, and after graduating, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Imperial Knights’ Order.

Everyone acknowledged him, and he lived a life he was satisfied with. But now, he was stuck at a point right before attaining Aura.

This was the most critical time for Malik. He had to master Aura quickly before losing his touch.

27 years old and mastering Aura.

The youngest Aura User in the Empire was 25 years old, so it wasn’t late. In fact, it was quite early.

The average age of Aura Users in the Empire is in their early 30s. He thought he had entered the realm of the vanguard, but now it no longer held meaning.

Because the youngest Aura User in Histania had been born.

The younger sibling he had so disregarded suddenly appeared as a supernova, which was a huge shock to Malik.

On top of that, the escort mission of the Adventurer Hunter “Pascal,” which he had undertaken in his name, ended in a spectacular failure, putting all the achievements he had built up until now at risk of crumbling.

“Damn it. Damn it… Damn it…!”

“Patron, why are you so angry? Shall I massage your shoulders?”

“…Shut up.”

Malik raised his head.

The man with red hair who was smiling brightly at him. With a reverent gesture, as if welcoming a deity, the man looked at him. He was the mercenary Malik had no choice but to hire to clean up this mess.

He had been tempted by the promise of a solid track record and guaranteed anonymity, but now that he was facing him again, he felt quite annoyed.

“If it’s your order, Patron, I’ll even play dead.”

At Ricardo’s words, Malik pressed his lips tightly together.

***

The inside of the carriage was quiet.

A carriage that seemed capable of easily carrying 500,000 Gold.

Soft carriage seats.

A world apart from the 1-Shilling Carriage that felt like your spine might escape after just an hour of riding.

The reason I came here was for one thing only.

To meet the client.

●Request to track down the criminal who escaped during the escort.

└Thank you, dear customer. Please leave the meeting location and date. ^.^

└Tomorrow. 11:30 PM. In front of the fountain, black carriage.

└Thank you for your request. 🙂

When I got into the carriage, Malik, who had the same hair color as Hanna, was sitting there.

He crossed his legs and didn’t even pretend to look at me. Seeing him, I immediately bowed my head.

“Greetings!”

Malik frowned. His expression was not good.

After all, I was the one who had embarrassed his father and the person involved in a heated argument with him.

Malik wore a complicated expression, clearly displeased with the situation of having to request something from someone like me.

“Let me formally introduce myself.”

I pulled out a neat business card from inside my chest.

[Name: Ricardo]

[Leave household chores, cooking, and odd jobs to me! The butler of the world’s most beautiful Desmond Olivia is at your service.]

A neatly written business card.

And an introduction section with a strange title.

I gave chocolate to the Young Lady and had this custom-made business card created.

It was a handmade business card that I barely managed to make after persuading the Young Lady, who screamed that she didn’t want such writing on it. The phrase “world’s most beautiful” was something she insisted on as her artistic value.

Malik, who received the business card, looked me up and down with displeased eyes.

He was probably envious of the title “butler of the world’s most beautiful villainess.”

I know too.

Her personality is a bit eccentric and she doesn’t listen to others, but her beauty is such that even the heroine would have to bow down.

“A commoner?”

But it didn’t seem like this was the part Malik was upset about.

“A commoner without even a family name… Desmond Olivia?”

“Yes, that’s right. I am Ricardo, the personal butler of Noble Lady Desmond Olivia.”

I cautiously extended my hand for a handshake.

But Malik didn’t take it.

Left awkward, I scratched the back of my head with the hand that remained in the air.

“Haha…”

‘This is awkward.’

“Now I understand why you didn’t disclose your affiliation to Father.”

“It’s such a proud name that I was hesitant to introduce it.”

“No, it’s because the family is ruined, isn’t it?”

Why does both Ruin and Malik think our family is ruined?

We’re still thriving.

“We’re not ruined. To be precise, it’s Young Lady Olivia who’s in decline. Our Desmond Family is still as strong as ever, comparable to the Magic Tower.”

“If you think about it, you’re the one who’s ruined, aren’t you?”

“If you put it that way, then yes.”

I wanted to argue with him, but I didn’t have the courage to talk back to the Patron who saved us from being kicked to the streets.

He’s letting us earn 700 million just like that. Who in the world would dare defy someone like that? It’s already a relief he didn’t ask me to lick his shoes.

A rich guy is like an older brother.

Or an older sister, for that matter.

“Did you need emergency funds?”

Malik sneered at me.

“Was it money you needed?”

“Yes, I needed some.”

“Hmm….”

Malik stroked his chin.

A black uniform and a sharp jawline.

As described in the novel, he was indeed handsome.

And as described, his personality was terrible too.

Malik asked me again.

“It’s because of the fine, isn’t it?”

“…Sorry?”

“I’m asking if your work is because of the fine.”

I didn’t answer.

Because I didn’t want to get swept up in his provocation.

In the novel, Malik appears as a supporting character who has an unrequited love for Yuria.

Mikhail, who steals their father’s attention, and his own diminishing self-worth. Malik ends up falling for Yuria, who consoles his wounded heart.

It was a love triangle.

The love rivalry over Yuria was quite entertaining to watch.

Malik was a fairly significant supporting character.

Perhaps because he was the Sub Male Lead, he was also kind.

Although he was arrogant and prideful, he showed an unexpected side of taking care of his people to the end.

He had a terrible personality, but he did his best to look after his own people.

Right now, he’s acting like this because he finds me unpleasant, but if I were one of his people, his treatment of me might have been different.

What’s certain is that he knows how to take care of his own.

That’s why he entrusted me with the request.

The request is probably to capture Pascal alive. There doesn’t seem to be any other task.

If Malik is asking me, Pascal is probably the perfect level for the job.

In the novel, Pascal was an Escape Mastermind. Whenever he was captured, he would break out at some point and appear before the Protagonist with a “Ta-da.”

Seeing the Knights guarding the carriage door with wounds on their faces, it seemed there had been some friction during the escort process.

Normally, one would fire the Knights’ Order and hold them accountable, but considering they entrusted me with the task, it seemed they wanted to resolve this quietly.

In matters like this, their loyalty overflowed, but their way of speaking was utterly hopeless.

Suppressing my Provocation, I spoke to Malik, intending to resolve the matter quickly.

“This is a slightly sensitive question, haha. How about we discuss the request right away?”

“You still have your Pride, huh.”

“Haha… I have my own Pride to uphold, so please forgive the rudeness.”

“Hmm.”

Malik pondered deeply.

Was he judging me as trustworthy because I didn’t give in, or was he just upset?

He began to deliberate, snapping his fingers.

“How much is it?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking how much the fine is. Since the Empire severely punishes Dark Magic use, I can roughly guess it’s an amount you can’t afford.”

Why was he asking that?

He wasn’t even going to pay it himself.

Thinking he might get angry if I ignored him, I answered.

“1 Million Gold.”

“1 Million Gold, huh…”

Malik pondered deeply.

I wish he’d let me know what he was thinking.

Keeping it to himself felt unfair.

Was he trying to mess with me?

Was he planning to cancel the request altogether?

But one thing was certain—I wasn’t the subordinate in this deal.

Only I could nullify the Dark Magic.

And I was the only one who could capture Pascal without anyone knowing.

If he asked other Aura Users, Histania’s reputation would suffer. If he went to the Information Guild, the cost could exceed what he offered me, and the details of this issue might leak.

Even if it was a bit expensive, hiring me was more beneficial for Malik.

“One week.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve probably guessed what the request is about. Pascal—can you capture him within a week?”

“The Mantis. Are you referring to the Adventurer Hunter?”

Malik nodded.

I couldn’t give a definite answer to his question. Capturing him was easy, but I didn’t know where he was.

“I’ll try, but his location is unclear…”

“What if you knew his exact location?”

“It wouldn’t even take 30 minutes.”

After a brief moment of deliberation, Malik spoke.

“You know, I still don’t know the extent of your abilities. I doubt you’re skilled enough to capture Pascal.”

He wasn’t wrong.

When he arrived, everything was already over.

“That doesn’t mean I can move personally. I could capture him, but…”

“No. If you go, you’ll die for sure.”

Malik glared at me.

He seemed displeased with how I dismissed him, but what could I do if my words were the Correct Answer?

If Malik, who hadn’t even awakened Aura, fought Pascal, it wouldn’t just be a performance art disaster—his body might not even be found.

“Don’t overstep your bounds.”

“Then go alone. I can just wash my hands of this matter.”

“Is there any other job as profitable as this?”

“If you fail, I can capture him afterward. The bounty is quite lucrative, you know.”

“So it really was you.”

Malik conceded.

“Fine, I admit it. It’s impossible for me right now.”

At least he had some self-awareness.

He had gained real combat experience in the Imperial Knights’ Order.

And he possessed exceptional Talent in Swordsmanship.

In terms of level, he’d probably be around Lv. 5.

In Swordsmanship alone, Malik surpassed Hanna. He just hadn’t awakened Aura yet. Even so, as one of the elite, he must have known his own limits.

“Three Knights suffered critical injuries during the operation to escort Pascal, and two were severely wounded. They were all outstanding Knights.”

Malik looked at me directly and spoke.

“The fact that they failed means I couldn’t have succeeded either, and it’s even less likely for Hanna. That means you, who were there, subdued Pascal alone.”

“That’s correct. I did it.”

I revealed it without hesitation.

If I showed humility at this moment, it would cause even bigger problems.

Now was the perfect time to showcase the weapon I possessed.

As if he had been waiting for my words, Malik spoke.

“Let’s add one condition to the request.”

“A condition?”

“Yes, a condition. When you go to capture Pascal, take me with you.”

“I refuse.”

“I’ll pay the full 1 Million Gold.”

Malik gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and said,

“Shouldn’t the Master avenge the death of their own dog?”

Seeing Malik’s confident smile, I had a hunch.

‘He’s going to get utterly crushed by Pascal.’

That was my certainty.

Still, I didn’t want to trample on the courage of a punching bag willing to pay to learn the Wisdom of Life.

He deserved to be punished for speaking rudely, after all.

“Fine. But you must keep everything about me a Secret.”

“Alright.”

After drafting a simple contract,

Malik and I arrived at an Abandoned Cathedral on the outskirts of the village.