The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 24

Mr. Ruin, standing with one leg crossed.

He looked at me with a dissatisfied expression, and I couldn’t figure out why.

“Nice to see you here. Mr. Ruin, it’s a pleasure.”

“Pleasure?”

Ruin let out an empty laugh. What’s with him? Last time, we shared life lessons and had a good time with Miss Hanna, so why is he looking at me like that?

I felt disappointed that Ruin had forgotten the pleasant memories.

Still, meeting here must be some kind of fate.

If we talk it out, things might be fine, since we’re Academy Mates.

I spoke to Ruin, filled with the joy of reunion.

“Isn’t this the first time we’ve met again since the estate? It seemed like you left without seeing the Young Lady back then.”

“What? Who?”

“Desmond Olivia, the Noble Lady.”

Ruin let out a small scoff.

Desmond Olivia.

His rival and the woman who brought him unbearable humiliation.

Her name, which he could never forgive, sweetly rolled off the tongue of someone he couldn’t stand.

Ruin had taken the bait.

Calling Ricardo here had only one purpose. He found it amusing that penniless Ricardo had come to Friends of Forest.

He wanted to humiliate him in front of many people and force him to apologize for the last incident.

There was a white-haired woman on his back, but Ruin didn’t care.

Anyone who hung around Ricardo was probably on the same level as him. Judging by her outdated dress, he assumed she was a fallen noble living on the outskirts.

And Olivia had black hair.

Confident that Olivia wouldn’t be here, Ruin spoke.

“So, where’s your master? If you’re coming to a place like this, you should be with your master.”

“Pardon?”

“And what kind of butler comes here with another woman? Pretending to go on a date, huh. Do you even have money?”

“Another woman? The Young Lady is right here.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Ruin flinched, his shoulders trembling.

Having only heard rumors about Olivia, Ruin didn’t know much.

He didn’t know that Olivia’s hair had turned white or that she could take short strolls while being carried on someone’s back.

All Ruin knew about Olivia came from the rumors his friends had shared. They neither wanted to bring back the girl they had expelled nor cared to know about her, so the occasional gossip was all Ruin had.

-Did you hear? Olivia can’t use her legs anymore and became disabled!

A rumor that started from the truth.

-I heard Olivia’s life is in danger.

Through a process of exaggeration, the rumor had morphed into something extreme, and Ruin had concluded that Olivia must be wasting away at home.

That’s why Ruin failed to recognize the Young Lady on Ricardo’s back and made the mistake of confessing that he wanted to see her right in front of her.

I whispered softly to the Young Lady, who was counting the tiles on the floor.

“Young Lady, it’s Ruin.”

“Ruin?”

The Young Lady raised her head with a curious expression.

In that moment, Ruin’s shoulders trembled.

Ruin couldn’t meet the Young Lady’s gaze and kept staring at the floor.

What’s wrong with him?

The Young Lady tilted her head in confusion.

“Who is he?”

With a genuinely puzzled expression, the Young Lady looked at Ruin.

“You know, the one who used to call himself your rival at the Academy.”

“My only rival is Yuria.”

“But he claims he is.”

“Him?”

The Young Lady looked back at Ruin.

Flinch.

Ruin’s shoulders trembled again.

The furious Ruin, who had demanded to see Olivia’s face when he came to the estate, was now reduced to a cat with its fur standing on end.

He wanted to lash out, but he seemed afraid of retaliation, so he was stuck, unable to do anything. I felt sorry for him.

“Tsk.”

“So, do you remember him?”

“Hmm…”

The Young Lady furrowed her brows, scrutinizing Ruin. Having witnessed the Young Lady’s excellent memory over the past 13 years, I could tell instantly. It seemed unlikely she’d remember him today.

“Is he the son of a barbecue restaurant owner?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“The Village Chief of Green Algae Village.”

“Ah!”

Fuming at the accurate introduction, Ruin shouted loudly.

“I’m not that!”

“Then who are you?”

“I… I’m…”

Ruin, trembling before Olivia.

Though he was a character who always spoke his mind in the novel, standing before true madness rendered him powerless.

He was like this even at the Academy.

He would gossip about the Young Lady behind her back, but the moment she told him to shut up, he’d scurry out of the classroom like a bird.

I didn’t know why he acted like this only in front of the Young Lady.

One thing was certain: Ruin feared her.

Olivia wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.

The ample sensation of her chest against my back threatened my dignity as a man, but I barely held on by reciting the national anthem in my head.

“Ricardo, let’s go. I’m hungry.”

“Wait a moment. Shouldn’t we at least figure out who he is before leaving?”

Moving now would be inconvenient for many reasons.

“Hmm.”

Olivia spoke to Ruin.

“Who are you?”

“I… I-I-I’m…”

“Stop stuttering and speak clearly.”

Under the Young Lady’s stern command, Ruin finally opened his mouth.

“I’m the Disciple of the Tower Master.”

“Oh, I see.”

Olivia gave him a thumbs-up.

“Then enjoy your meal.”

Right now, Olivia didn’t care whether he was the Green-haired Head or the Supporting Male Lead. The meat in front of her was all that mattered.

“Wait!”

“Why? I’m busy.”

“Don’t you really remember me? Ruin, the Scorching Flame Mage. I was second in the Academy rankings!”

His desperate attempt to be remembered.

I felt sorry for him as I watched.

I should’ve made an effort to remember names in the first place.

In many ways, I felt bad for Ruin.

“Remember when I burned your dress with a Fireball, and you scolded me endlessly?”

Stop it, Supporting Male Lead.

Don’t try to revive the Young Lady’s memories with your embarrassing past.

“I don’t remember.”

“What? You should remember! Back then, you burned that super expensive dress and tortured me with ice magic for 30 minutes. I seriously thought I was going to freeze to death!”

“Hmm.”

The Young Lady spoke.

“I don’t remember.”

To protect Ruin’s Mental State, I called over a nearby clerk.

“Excuse me, could you prepare a table for two?”

“I’m sorry, but we operate on a reservation system. Could you give me your name?”

“Ah… Show them, Young Lady.”

The Young Lady stuck two Meal Vouchers onto her forehead. I had told her to hold onto them carefully and not lose them, but she must have clutched them with all her strength because the vouchers were full of wrinkles.

“Hehe.”

The Young Lady smiled.

The clerk, eyes wide, guided us.

“I’ll take you to the Special Room.”

Ruin watched our departing figures and mumbled softly.

“Sp… Special Room?”

As we disappeared from Ruin’s view, a girl with Pink Hair tugged at Ruin’s Collar.

“Ruin, what are you doing?”

Ruin, barely regaining his composure, spoke hesitantly.

“It’s nothing, Yuria.”

***

The Young Lady and I sat in the restaurant.

A joyful atmosphere filled the air.

The table was laden with side dishes.

An array of dishes that could rival the King’s Royal Banquet unfolded before our eyes.

“Oh…!”

“You’re drooling, Young Lady.”

“It’s mine, so I’m marking it.”

I wiped the drool from the Young Lady’s chin with a tissue. Even if it was food meant to be eaten, it was unbecoming for a noble to act so carelessly.

The side dishes kept coming to the dining table.

Even with a rough count, there were over 30 dishes, far more than I remembered ordering.

Thinking there might have been a mistake with the order, I cautiously raised my hand and leaned toward the clerk.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, Guest?”

“We ordered the Steak Set, but I think there’s been a mistake.”

“Ah~ It’s fine. Since you brought the Meal Voucher directly from the Boss, this much is the least we could do.”

“The Boss? I received it from Mr. Malik.”

“Yes, Mr. Malik.”

“What?”

“He’s our Boss.”

I clasped my hands together.

Thinking of Malik, who was probably swinging his sword somewhere, I offered a prayer.

Hoping to see him again.

The one who cleared my debt and gave me a precious Meal Voucher—I missed him so much today.

We picked up our forks and knives.

Slice. The Steak oozed Meat Juices.

“Wow… Young Lady, look at the Meat Juices… Oh, you’re already eating.”

With her mouth stuffed full of meat, the Young Lady made a noisy sound.

“Ohhh!”

Her Bright, Shining Eyes sparkled at me so intensely that it was almost as if Shim Bong-Sa had regained his sight.

“It’s delicious…!”

I felt happy.

This is why all the effort is worth it.

The Young Lady chewed the meat so vigorously it seemed her jaw might dislocate.

After a moment’s pause, she cut a piece of Steak smaller than her pinky finger and held it out to me.

“Ah.”

“Are you giving this to me?”

Nod.

“Then couldn’t you have cut a bigger piece? Isn’t this too small?”

Zap. The Young Lady’s gaze carried a silent threat, and I opened my mouth.

Indeed.

It was incredibly delicious.

Just as the novel described, the Meat Juices seemed to come alive in my mouth, and it felt like a calf was frolicking before my eyes.

“Wow.”

“Tasty, right?”

“Yes, it’s truly delicious.”

“Hehe, eat a lot. Not that I’m paying for it.”

And so, we cleared the table completely.

***

“Ah, I’m so full.”

As we rubbed our now-bulging stomachs and enjoyed dessert, we smiled contentedly.

The Young Lady, with oil smeared around her mouth, let out a burp. She didn’t look like a noble at all.

It was about time to speak.

Evening had arrived.

The mood was just right.

The time had come to present the main course of the day.

Finally, it was time to say that all debts had been repaid and that I no longer had to worry about being kicked out.

Ahem.

Clearing my throat once, I carefully prepared to speak.

“Ahem! Ricardo.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to say.”

After finishing her meal, the Young Lady, who had been watching me intently, spoke first.

The Young Lady glanced around. Perhaps worried about being overheard.

Since we were in a Special Room, a quiet space with no one around, it seemed she was about to say something quite important. She kept scanning her surroundings.

“Hmm. No one’s here.”

The Young Lady nodded.

She was extremely adorable.

Sip. She took a sip of tea.

The Young Lady began to pull out A Sheet of Paper from between her chest.

“Wait! What are you doing?”

“Huh? I’m looking through my pocket.”

“Why are you calling that a pocket!”

Covering my eyes with my fingers.

I could still see everything.

Though it was wrong to look at the Young Lady’s body, failing to act as a gentleman seemed even worse.

Slowly emerging from between her chest was a piece of newspaper.

I wanted to keep it as a family heirloom forever.

The Young Lady confidently puffed out her chest and spoke.

“This pocket is the biggest.”

“No…”

Now that I think about it, she’s right.

The Young Lady’s chest is always correct.

I could never be the correct answer.

Tap. The Young Lady unfolded a newspaper on the dining table.

A warm newspaper pulled out from her chest pocket. I covered my nose with a handkerchief once again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just have a runny nose.”

“Take care of yourself. You ate meat, so you need to stay healthy.”

The Young Lady, concerned about me, pointed to a line in the newspaper and spoke brightly.

“You know, I want to work.”

“Pardon?”

“Look at this.”

[Part-time Job: Attaching Eyes to Dolls.]

-One Donghwa Coin per Doll.

“What do you think?”

The Young Lady looked at me as if seeking permission. Although it was admirable, I didn’t feel entirely comfortable.

What should I call this feeling?

Should I say it feels like a child, who has never lifted a finger, asking for permission to work to buy a computer?

It was strangely bittersweet.

Yet, it felt good to see her growing up.

“Why?”

The Young Lady looked up at me again.

With Bright, Shining Eyes, she sought my approval, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

I wanted to tell her she was commendable.

Yet, I only felt inadequate.

The Young Lady continued to speak.

As if trying to persuade me, she explained how great the part-time job in the newspaper was.

“I thought about it carefully. We’re having a hard time right now. I figured I couldn’t just sit still, so I looked into it.”

“…”

“What do you think? Isn’t it a good idea?”

“Well…”

“I even thought about selling the estate.”

The Young Lady gave an awkward smile.

“The price has dropped significantly because it’s the estate I lived in. They said it’s the estate where a Villainess used to live.”

“When did you look into that?”

“I wrote a letter to the real estate office.”

While I found her admirable,

my heart ached.

I should have done better for her.

I didn’t want her to worry.

With a bitter heart, I stuffed dessert into my mouth.

“Young Lady, it’s fine.”

“Why? I can work too.”

“I know. But still, you working is not acceptable.”

“Why not!”

The Young Lady bent her arm, showing off her familiar bicep. Her bicep, smaller than a quail egg, caught my eyes.

How could she attach doll eyes with such frail arms? After attaching about ten, she’d surely start groaning.

Really.

I can’t bring myself to hate her.

“You’re truly admirable and praiseworthy, but we’re not struggling so much anymore.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve paid off all the debt. That’s what I wanted to tell you today at the restaurant.”

The Young Lady dropped her fork and shouted at me.

“You… I told you not to do anything dangerous!”

Her expression looked like she was about to cry.

She bit her lips tightly and puffed out her cheeks, giving me a Reprimanding Look.

And her eyes became moist.

Staring straight at me, the Young Lady began to scold me.

-You shouldn’t do that!

-That’s Dangerous Work!

-Damn it! Just because it pays well doesn’t mean you should do it!

Listening to the Young Lady’s nagging, I thought to myself.

Even this kind of nagging isn’t so bad.