The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 266

The evening of the day Shuen had a fateful encounter with Ricardo.

Shuen sat alone in the Misamo conference room, clenching her fists and lost in deep thought.

-Are you alright?

-Huh…?

-That was a close call. Your pretty face almost got hurt.

-Yes…

-Watch where you’re walking next time.

-Blush.

As Ricardo’s face kept replaying in her mind, Shuen stomped her feet and let out a frustrated scream.

“Aaaaaah!!! This is so annoying!”

“Why did I just stand there! I should’ve pushed him away!”

“Shuen, you idiot, you fool, you mutt.”

Shuen vented her frustration, blaming her past self for not firmly rejecting him. It would’ve been one thing if he were a stranger, but she had accepted help from a man with a terrible reputation.

“Ugh…!”

She was irritated.

‘That must be him, right?’

Red hair and a fierce expression.

A man rumored to eat people alive. ‘Ricardo.’

He was a man she had only heard of through rumors.

The man the Misamo president never stopped cursing, who bullied others without a shred of justice, and was connected to every incident at the Academy, like a storm.

Hearing from a senior in Misamo that Ricardo had beaten them up in an alleyway, Shuen trusted the rumors about him. She was convinced he was a devil in human form.

“He’s clearly done this more than once… That voice that tugs at a woman’s heartstrings. Those gestures that seem genuinely concerned… He’s dangerous.”

Shuen shivered as she steeled herself to protect her innocence.

“I can see why Histania Hanna fell for him. I don’t know how he broke through her defenses, but it’s clear it was all calculated.”

Unintentionally acknowledging Ricardo, Shuen found herself deep in thought about him.

Wolf-like eyes.

A fierce jawline.

A seductive voice.

Yes, this man is…

‘An incubus…!’

Shuen loved fantasy stories.

But she knew nothing about Ricardo.

All she knew was that he was the man Hanna liked and the subject of the rumors her seniors had shared. Even at the banquet where she might have met him, she had been stuck in the bathroom, so she had no direct interaction with him.

Shuen shivered as she nodded to herself.

“He’s definitely a devil.”

Shuen resolved that she didn’t want to get involved with Ricardo.

He was a man everyone in Misamo despised. And getting entangled with a man that even the virtuous Senior Mikhail disliked could bring nothing good.

She didn’t want to lose her life out of curiosity.

“I’m really such an idiot.”

But.

“But I can’t just stand by and watch my friend get ruined.”

‘Clench.’

Friendless Shuen clenched her fists and resolved to rescue Hanna from the incubus’s grasp. As Misamo’s vice president, protecting members was her duty.

“I, Shuen, won’t forget today’s disgrace.”

Shuen clenched her fists tightly as she thought about Ricardo.

‘First, I need to let the members know. He’s back.’

***

Three days later.

[Convenience Store] newly opened at the Academy.

Inside the convenience store, which was impressively well-prepared for such a sudden opening, I was manning the counter, drawing on my past-life experience.

“Hmm… Miss Hanna.”

“Yes.”

“There aren’t any customers.”

Wearing a blue uniform and organizing inventory, Hanna responded to my weary voice with a bright smile.

“That’s actually a good thing…”

“What?”

“Ah… It’s nothing.”

Hanna glanced at me and shyly smiled, muttering under her breath, “I wish it could always be like this.”

I returned her smile faintly and stretched.

“If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve brought a book. I thought it’d be super busy on opening day, but I didn’t expect no one to show up.”

“Still, thirty people came. Let me massage your shoulders to cheer you up!”

“Haha… Thank you.”

Hanna approached me and murmured softly.

“But it’s strange. This is the first time one of my brother’s stores has had so few customers.”

“Exactly. Even with me at the counter, it shouldn’t have gone unnoticed.”

“Ah… Could it be?”

Hanna bit her lip and wore a cold expression.

“Is it because of those foxes?”

“Foxes?”

“Yes, you wouldn’t know, but there’s this group called Misamo.”

“Ah… I know about them.”

“What? How do you know…?”

Before Hanna could finish her sentence, the chatter of female students echoed from the corridor.

-Kyaaa…! So, I said, you know… Huh? What’s this place?

-Hey… Let’s just go.

-Why? It looks like a new store. Let’s check it out.

-No, let’s just leave.

-Aw, come on, let’s go~

-No! I said let’s go. They say that devil is in there.

Listening to the students, I gave a bitter smile.

“Ah… Seems the rumors have already spread.”

Hanna rolled up her sleeves and headed for the door.

“I’ll drag them in.”

“Haha… Please hold back.”

“But those girls insulted you!”

“It’s fine. It’s not like they said anything I didn’t expect. Think of it as hearing it early.”

Hanna clicked her tongue and resumed massaging my shoulders.

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“What?”

“All the strange rumors about you.”

I gave a small laugh and shook my head.

“They’re not made-up rumors, so why should I care…”

“I know they’re all lies! They just twist everything to suit themselves…”

“No, Miss Hanna. You might not know, but back when I was at the Academy, I really was a bad person.”

“There you go lying again.”

“Haha…”

Hanna’s words made me chuckle as I let her continue massaging my shoulders. Even with poor business, this kind of daily life didn’t seem so bad.

“Thank you, Miss Hanna.”

“It’s nothing.”

‘But still, Misamo, huh…’

In the novel, they were portrayed as a somewhat amusing group.

Occasionally, their absurd actions brought laughter, and when Mikhail was in trouble, they would band together to help him, making them a fairly decent group.

‘But experiencing it firsthand… it’s a bit different.’

I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.

“Looks like getting that opening-day boost isn’t going to happen.”

I had planned to draw in customers early on to suppress the rumors, but seeing as bad rumors were already spreading, it seemed I had to give up on taking the easy route.

“Hmm…”

-Ding-dong-ding-dong.

“Looks like it’s time for you to go.”

“It’s fine. Even if I skip one class, the professor won’t say anything.”

“But it bothers me.”

“Ugh… Do I really have to go?”

“Yes, you do.”

I sent Hanna off, who looked at me with pitiful eyes like a cat caught in the rain, and walked toward the display shelves. Then, I began restocking items from the storage room. At least a few customers had come and gone.

“This goes here, toothpaste.”

“And here, cosmetics.”

“Over here, beverages.”

I let out a hollow laugh as I looked at the items that hadn’t sold at all.

“The triangular gimbap didn’t sell.”

The triangular gimbap, which I thought would sell the best when planning the convenience store, remained untouched, defying my expectations.

Thinking it was a convenient meal that balanced portability and taste, I had expected it to generate decent profits, but its unexpectedly poor performance left me with a bitter smile and a sigh.

“Well, you can’t expect to be full from the first bite.”

There was no need to rush.

There was plenty of time.

After organizing all the inventory, I sat down on a chair and idly passed the time. Personally, I wanted to bring the Young Lady here to man the counter, but since this was the Academy, that wasn’t possible.

-Excuse me… This is past its expiration date.

-Tch! I’ll eat it, so pick something else!

-There’s no other gimbap at the same price.

-Ugh! Just take whatever!

‘…’

Even if it wasn’t the Academy, it seemed like having the Young Lady at the counter wouldn’t be a good idea.

Feeling bored in various ways, I let out a sigh as time passed.

-Ding-a-ling.

The moment the bell above the door rang, I greeted the entering customer with a bright smile.

“Welcome. This is SU.”

“Ah…”

“Oh?”

I gave an awkward smile as I looked at the customer who had just walked in.

‘I didn’t think you’d come.’

I knew him.

And he knew me—a familiar face.

I awkwardly smiled at him as he looked at me with trembling eyes.

“It’s been a while, Mikhail.”

Mikhail looked at me with trembling eyes and spoke.

“Why are you here…?”

“Ah…”

I showed him the name tag pinned to my chest and gave a small smile. That’s how it happened.

“I’ll be working here for a while.”

“Working…?”

Mikhail looked around the store and asked me.

“What kind of place is this?”

“Ah… This place is…”

“Ah…”

As he listened, Mikhail nodded while avoiding my gaze. Still uncomfortable with me, Mikhail avoided making eye contact and wandered around the convenience store, unable to stay still.

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

Standing next to Mikhail, who wore an uneasy expression, I reached for the display shelf. Standing in front of the section with chocolates and snacks, I smiled kindly at Mikhail, who stopped in his tracks and stared at me for a long moment.

“…”

“Mikhail?”

“Oh… Oh?”

“This one’s pretty good. Would you like to try it? It’s a snack made by Friends of Forest. It’s bittersweet yet sweet, which helps with focus while studying.”

“Candy…?”

“Yes, we also have jelly. I can give it to you for free if you’d like to try it.”

“For free?”

“Yes.”

I gave Mikhail, who looked flustered, a bright smile. After all, who dislikes free stuff?

It was also a good opportunity to keep Misamo in check.

Mikhail accepted the candy I handed him and looked at me with trembling eyes.

“Why…?”

“I just wanted to give it to you. Midterms are coming up soon, right? You’ll need some sugar, so think of it as a bribe and take it. It’d be great if you could promote it for me too.”

“…”

“Ah… Do you dislike receiving things from me? If so, I can send someone else. Just let me know your dormitory number…”

“No…! It’s fine. I’ll just take it.”

Mikhail stood still for a long time, staring at the candy in his hand. Whether he didn’t like the Mandrake flavor or was just unsure, his ambiguous reaction made me smile awkwardly as I spoke to him.

“If you come by often, I’ll sneak you some on the house.”

“Oh… Thanks.”

“And please make sure to promote it.”

I grabbed Mikhail’s hand and earnestly pleaded. Though I was uncomfortable with him, I needed his help to keep Misamo in check.

With a complicated feeling in my heart, I held Mikhail’s hand tightly.

About an hour passed like that.

-Ding-a-ling.

“Welcome…? Oh.”

“Ohoho…”

A purple drill hairstyle entered the convenience store as the door opened.