The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 45

Right after the Young Lady collapsed.

I began creating medical equipment to become the Young Lady’s legs.

Things like walkers to aid rehabilitation.

I crafted assistive devices that could be helpful to the Young Lady, like the blueprints spread across the dining table.

The Young Lady disliked them, saying they were embarrassing, but I kept making them, over and over.

This world was not kind to people with physical disabilities.

There were assistive devices like crutches, but inventions like walkers or wheelchairs had not yet been created.

There was an invention similar to a wheelchair, but it lacked proper brakes, leading to numerous accidents, which gave it a poor reputation in society.

A High Noble had even been injured, so among the nobility, it was branded as a useless object.

That’s why the Young Lady also disliked wheelchairs.

-It’s ugly.

-…I haven’t even unwrapped it yet.

-It just looks ugly.

Covered with a cloth for a surprise reveal, the “Venx Prototype 1” was an invention I presented to the Young Lady. Made of wood with an old-fashioned design and a manually adjustable brake, it was a groundbreaking creation that could rewrite history. But the Young Lady rejected it before even unwrapping it.

-If you sit on it, it’ll feel different.

-No. It’s ugly.

-Doesn’t it look like something you’d want to sit on?!

-Ricardo’s back is faster and more comfortable.

-…Oh.

Succumbing to the Young Lady’s sweet talk, I scrapped Prototype 1.

It wasn’t because of some impure intention like enjoying the Young Lady’s chest pressing against my back. How could I refuse when she said she liked my back?

I liked it too.

The Young Lady liked it as well.

As my first creation, it had many flaws, including the danger of having to stop the wheels manually, poor ride comfort, and a clunky design.

I admitted it was unsuitable as the Young Lady’s first car.

She was a noble, after all. Shouldn’t she ride something that exudes elegance to truly enjoy it?

There’s a reason the term “car enthusiast” exists.

To turn the Young Lady into a car enthusiast, I threw Prototype 1 into the Estate Warehouse and began working on Prototype 2.

Thus, the Venx Prototype 2 was born.

Addressing the flaws of its predecessor, Prototype 2 boasted improved design and brake safety. Painted in an elegant black and constructed with a steel frame, it was a masterpiece embodying the essence of dwarven craftsmanship, combining stability and safety.

A masterpiece forged through the sweat and hammering of a dwarf.

I could never forget the refreshing smile of the dwarf as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

-With this, you could probably kill an orc.

-Magnificent…!

Prototype 2, three times larger than the blueprint.

I hadn’t realized it while making it in excitement, but once it was completed, I saw that it had turned into a war machine.

Adding this and that in excitement had been a mistake.

-Don’t you think you should at least be able to catch an orc?

-An orc? Isn’t it enough if it just rolls…

-Ahem! In a dangerous world where you might encounter an orc on the road, you can’t afford such complacent thoughts!

-Indeed…

Fueled by an unnecessary artisan’s spirit, Prototype 2 became more monstrous than requested and ended up in the Estate Warehouse without even being tested by the Young Lady.

It would have been perfect if the Young Lady had ridden it…

I refrained from showing it to her, fearing I might be kicked out.

After many trials, errors, and financial difficulties, Prototype 3 was delayed.

I thought it would disappear into the annals of history, but thanks to Malik’s help, it began to see the light of day.

Malik looked at the blueprint with an intrigued expression, pointing specifically at the wheelchair’s handle.

His face lit up like an excited child.

“A brake made with rubber pads? I never even considered that.”

It was only natural.

In this world, magic existed as a convenient alternative to engineering.

With magic stones as an energy source and magic as an efficient method, there was no reason to adopt an inefficient and costly approach.

Malik muttered to himself as he examined the modern knowledge.

“If we do this, we could apply it to carriages too. Using orc leather for brake pads and a handle with wires for deceleration… This could make a fortune. It would reduce the cost of magic stones and increase convenience…”

Malik’s expression brightened at the thought of expanding his business.

Malik asked me.

“Are you a genius?”

“Yes, a genius and handsome…”

“Leave out the handsome part.”

“Are you jealous? You’ll have to be reborn for that.”

Malik looked at me with a face full of annoyance.

A blueprint spanning five pages.

Malik frowned.

He carefully examined the blueprint, which had been reborn through the interpreter’s hand rather than my own handwriting, marveling and repeatedly coming up with new business ideas.

Looking at him like this, he seemed like a businessman through and through. Why was he swinging a sword instead? My patron’s actions were incomprehensible.

Time passed quickly.

Malik pointed out the shortcomings of the blueprint with his pen, and I applauded his insight, marveling at his perceptiveness.

What started as a simple wheelchair…

Gradually deviated from the blueprint as the opinions of a trend-savvy noble and a possessor merged.

From “Venx” to “Poxche.”

In less than an hour, the blank spaces on the blueprint began to fill with dense writing. We had started with the intention of making something a person could actually ride.

But when two knights gathered, the original purpose began to fade.

Malik, holding a pen, spoke.

“What do you think about adding a power source operated by magic stones here?”

“A power source?”

“Yes. It’s supposed to be the chair that Lady Olivia, a Villainess in name, rides around in. Wouldn’t it be too plain otherwise?”

With a serious expression, Malik spouted absurd nonsense about creating a wheelchair powered by magic stones.

I asked Malik with a serious face.

“Is that even possible?”

“There’s nothing in this world that money can’t make possible.”

It wasn’t something you’d expect an Imperial Knight to say.

But I admired Malik for stating such a clear truth about the world.

I cautiously added to Malik’s suggestion.

“Then how about adding protection magic here? It would be disastrous if it tipped over.”

“Hmm… Indeed. In that case, couldn’t we increase the output a bit more? With protection magic ensuring safety, if we use mithril instead of steel for weight reduction, it might even be faster than a carriage.”

“Indeed… Then how about adding a Fireball to the handle, something the Young Lady likes…”

“And this as well…”

“Oh…! That’s great.”

Thus, the “Poxche Prototype 1,” born from the fusion of a man’s dream and a knight’s boldness, came to life.

Malik wiped his nose with satisfaction, smiling contentedly, and I couldn’t help but smile, thinking the Young Lady would love it.

Feeling good about making it perfect since we were already doing it.

Malik, having roughly calculated the estimate, showed me a number with several zeros written in the blank space of the blueprint.

“One. Ten. Hundred. Thousand. Ten thousand… A hundred thousand… A million?”

Malik chuckled softly and said.

“Three million gold coins should be enough to make it.”

I had a foreboding feeling that I’d be eating porridge for a while. I was sure the Young Lady would love it, but I couldn’t handle the cost.

I gave an awkward smile and said to Malik.

“Can’t we lower the estimate a bit? Just to the cost of adding protection magic…”

“Why?”

“Because the cost is overwhelming… Haha.”

An awkward laugh escaped me.

Three Million Gold Coins.

I didn’t want to pour my entire life into a single wheelchair. I wanted to give the Young Lady her first ride like an imported car, but an airplane was out of the question.

As the birth of a masterpiece faced the threat of cancellation, Malik furrowed his brow.

“Money?”

“Yes…”

Was Three Million Gold Coins supposed to be someone’s pet dog’s name?

The Histania Family, with its deep history and honor, might be able to afford it, but for a young breadwinner like me, it was a crushing amount.

At the same time, another thought crossed my mind.

‘If it were 500,000 Gold…’

I spoke to Malik, who was spinning his pen with an awkward smile.

“I’ll transfer the money to your account…”

Malik’s face hardened. He looked at me as if scolding a younger brother for trying to pay for a meal.

“Why are you paying the down payment?”

“What…?”

“Didn’t I say I came here to express my gratitude?”

“Didn’t you already do that earlier? You even gave me ten meal vouchers.”

Malik let out an empty laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“That was just a greeting.”

Malik tucked the blueprint into his inner pocket and said,

“This is my way of showing gratitude.”

I spoke earnestly to Malik.

“Can I call you brother?”

Malik’s expression turned serious.

“That’s creepy.”

***

In the dark room.

Olivia was sitting on the bed with Hanna, chatting about how they had been and how things were at the Academy.

Hanna answered Olivia’s questions, and Olivia responded by listening to Hanna’s stories.

In the room lit by a small lantern.

Hanna smiled as she began talking about Mikhail.

“So, I dodged Senior Mikhail’s sword and went ‘pop’—right at his chin tip…!”

Olivia’s expression wasn’t good.

In the past, just hearing Mikhail’s name would have made her happy, but now it felt uncomfortable.

The excitement that made her heart race and her face flush was less intense than before.

Was it because it had been so long since she’d seen him?

After witnessing the past, her feelings for Mikhail had faded. She was sure she still liked him, or at least thought she did. But her chest felt heavy.

She could still vividly remember Mikhail saving her when she fell into the pond…

Yet, it felt as though her heart was mumbling, unsure of itself.

Meanwhile, Hanna continued her story, boasting excitedly about defeating Mikhail.

“At that moment, Senior Mikhail sat on the ground glaring at me. Do you know how it felt? Young Miss? Are you listening?”

Olivia asked Hanna.

“You… don’t like Mikhail, do you?”

It was strange. The Histania Hanna Olivia knew was a girl who liked Mikhail. But Hanna, who was happy about defeating the man Olivia liked, didn’t seem like a girl in love.

Rather, it felt like she was smiling in relief after pulling out a painful tooth. Meanwhile, Olivia, who still had lingering feelings for Mikhail, found Hanna’s behavior odd.

So Olivia asked Hanna.

You like Mikhail, don’t you?

Hanna looked at Olivia.

She seemed surprised by the unexpected question.

Clearing her throat, she let out a small cough and opened her mouth.

“I used to…”

Hanna smiled awkwardly, tracing patterns on the blanket with her finger.

Olivia, finding Hanna’s shy demeanor strange, quietly waited for her answer.

Why was she acting so embarrassed?

Olivia couldn’t understand.

Hanna spoke to Olivia.

“I have someone I like now.”

“Isn’t that Mikhail?”

Hanna shook her head.

“No…”

Hanna glanced down at the first floor.

Her cheeks flushed red.

“I’ve found someone I like even more. Someone incredibly amazing.”

Just as Olivia was about to ask who that person was, Hanna, sensing that it would be a difficult question to answer, shifted the conversation and asked Olivia instead.

“What about you, Young Miss?”

With her embarrassed expression gone, Hanna looked at Olivia with a serious face and said,

“Do you like Senior Mikhail, Young Miss?”