The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 48

The Young Lady shouted at me.

“Take it off!”

The Young Lady uttered provocative words.

Hugging myself, I said to the Young Lady.

“Eek! How can you say something so indecent?”

The Young Lady became irritated. She said she never said such a thing, looking at my gloved hands.

“Take it off! I’m going to return it!”

Take it off? Such indecent words.

Fiddling with the mittens on my hands, I snorted at the Young Lady’s words. They might be small, but they’re still useful. Why would she ask me to take them off?

I refused the Young Lady’s demand firmly, feeling that returning them would erase the memories of that time.

“Why bother with a return?”

“They’re too small!”

“They’ll fit if you stretch them.”

“That’s not why I bought them for you!”

“I thought you bought them small on purpose.”

Shaking the tight gloves in front of the Young Lady, I boasted.

“They’re warm and nice, you know.”

The Young Lady glared at me. Her eyes looked like they could devour me, but her lips curled up into a pouty smile.

I responded to the Young Lady’s smile and said.

“Clothes naturally stretch when worn and shrink when washed, don’t they? Since they’ll stretch anyway, it’s better to wear them snugly.”

“Still….”

The Young Lady seemed apologetic.

She felt sorry for buying me gloves that were too small for my aching hands. She said wearing tight gloves would hinder blood circulation and harm my health, but I felt reluctant to return them, fearing the memories would fade.

-Sniff… Are they really that small?

Just looking at the gloves made me laugh.

It reminded me of the Young Lady, who had a runny nose while desperately trying to put on the gloves.

Judging that negotiations were hopeless, the Young Lady sighed deeply and looked at my gloved hands.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“The chick has turned into a chicken.”

The Young Lady commented, referring to the stretched chick embroidery. Since I had forced my hands into the gloves, the embroidery inevitably stretched.

Stroking the embroidery on the mittens, I said to the Young Lady.

“It needs to grow too. That way, we can raise it and eat it.”

“…You can’t eat gloves.”

“I know.”

The Young Lady pouted and bit into a piece of chocolate.

“You’re mean.”

“I know.”

A day that began with a small mishap.

We didn’t leave the estate for a week. Though the Young Lady begged to visit the Friends of Forest, I knew faces I didn’t want to see would soon arrive in Hamel.

If we met, there would surely be growling, and the Young Lady would undoubtedly bite. Thinking of my master’s dental health was part of my duty as a butler, so I decided on seclusion.

Though I welcomed the Young Lady’s change in wanting to go outside, I hoped she would hold off for a while. Gently, I wiped the chocolate smudged on the corner of her lips.

“By the way, Young Lady.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you remember the wheelchair I made for you last time?”

“Wheelchair?”

The Young Lady, erasing the monstrosity from her memory, fell into deep thought. I wasn’t sure if she would remember the ill-fated masterpiece, the Venx Prototype 1, which had vanished into the annals of history.

Thinking of the Poxche Prototype 1, set to debut in December, I cautiously asked. Even if the Young Lady didn’t like it, I still planned to let her ride it. But it was only polite to hear the owner’s opinion.

With a nervous heart, I awaited the Young Lady’s answer.

“Hmm…”

Tap.

The Young Lady bit into her chocolate and chewed thoughtfully. To jog her memory, I grabbed a nearby chair and mimed pushing it.

“The chair where I push from behind, and you move the wheels.”

“Hmm… Oh! The wheeled firewood?”

Firewood?

As the creator of what she called firewood, my pride took a hit.

“It’s not firewood; it’s the Venx Prototype 1.”

“…You name wood?”

“Venx Prototype 1… Anyway, what do you think about that firewood? I think it’s fantastic.”

The Young Lady firmly shook her head.

“I don’t like it.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“You’re going to make it again, aren’t you?”

The Young Lady was unnecessarily perceptive in such matters.

I questioned her in return, embedding my rebuttal. I needed to change her perspective now, so she would enjoy the test ride later.

If she dismissed it after unwrapping it, that would be troublesome in its own way. Thinking of the three million gold coins, I began persuading the Young Lady.

“This time, it’s different.”

With a hint of madness.

“Using the latest magical technology and immense capital….”

Letting the masterpiece, created with the patron’s resources and the possessor’s soul, rot in a warehouse without seeing the light of day would be an insult to the world.

“A whopping… three million…”

“Three million?”

The Young Lady, unusually perceptive today, caught on quickly. To prevent further questions, I stuffed chocolate into her mouth.

“Ugh… It’s sweet.”

“It’s fine. You should eat a lot at times like this.”

Nodding, the Young Lady bit into the chocolate.

“Anyway, this time it’s different. I can confidently say it’s a masterpiece I’ve put a lot of effort into preparing, and I believe you’ll be satisfied.”

The Young Lady asked me.

“It’s not made of wood like last time, is it?”

“Don’t compare it to such trash. It’s made of mithril…”

“Mithril?”

“No, it’s crafted with intricately worked steel, designed to look quite elegant. It will also reflect the preferences of modern nobles, and I plan to make it in black, your favorite color.”

The Young Lady’s eyes sparkled with interest.

Saying “Oh…” she set down the chocolate in her hand. I felt like I was close to winning her over.

As I passionately made my case, the Young Lady asked.

“Is it faster than a carriage?”

As expected, the Young Lady had an eye for vehicles. I straightened my shoulders confidently and replied.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Oh…! Then does it shoot fireballs too?”

“If it couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”

The Young Lady’s eyes gleamed brightly. She looked at me with the same gaze as someone eyeing an imported car at a used car dealership, ready to commit to a full loan.

I had her.

If only I had realized my talent for negotiation earlier, I might have become a used car dealer in my previous life instead of a corporate drone. I could have escaped the convenience store gimbap life much sooner.

The Young Lady was falling for my eloquent persuasion.

“Then can it climb mountains and stuff?”

“Mountains?”

“Yeah. The air is nice.”

“Do you want to go hiking?”

Looking at the sunny Hamel Mountain Range, the Young Lady shook her head.

“No, it’s tiring, so I don’t want to.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“Isn’t there a chocolate tree on the mountain? Fresh chocolate would taste better, don’t you think?”

“There’s no such thing.”

The Young Lady clicked her tongue with disinterest. She said it wasn’t necessary then.

The Young Lady looked up at the blue sky and asked one last question.

“Can you fly?”

“No. Only Archmages can do that, right?”

“You can’t do it with that?”

“…”

I should ask the Patron.

Judging by the Young Lady’s reaction, she seemed to like it. It had cost an astronomical amount compared to the first work, and since the previous one had been such a disaster, it probably heightened her anticipation even more.

Was it actually a blessing that the first one failed?

It was fortunate that I had unintentionally laid the groundwork for the Young Lady.

The Young Lady looked at me.

To be precise, she looked at my right hand.

She glanced at my right hand, still wrapped in layers of bandages, then lowered her gaze to the floor and muttered softly.

“I’ll ride. Ricardo’s arm hurts, after all.”

A butler wouldn’t simply ignore the Young Lady’s sullen words. I slung my mittens around my neck and crouched down to meet her eyes as she mumbled.

“Why are you crouching like that? Do you think I can’t carry someone like you?”

The Young Lady nodded.

“Yeah. I’m heavy, you know.”

“No, you’re incredibly light.”

The Young Lady shook her head, telling me not to lie.

“Last time, Ricardo called me a pig. Said I was heavy and fat. What if your arm hurts?”

She was a considerate Master.

For now, carrying the Young Lady was still an easy task. My dulled senses were gradually returning, and whether it was due to increased Dark Magic Resistance or something else, the oozing wounds and cracked scars on my hand were slowly fading.

At most, it would take a month. At the longest, about a year, and my right hand would likely be back to normal. I waved my bandaged hand at the Young Lady to reassure her.

“It’s fine. You’re just a tiny, tiny bit heavy, but I can manage.”

“Liar.”

“If I’m lying, I’ll take you to the Friends of the Forest at sunrise tomorrow.”

“…”

The Young Lady spread her hands wide.

She dared me to carry her.

Claiming she was heavy and that I’d be shocked once I tried, the Young Lady issued her challenge. I chuckled lightly and offered her my back.

-Hup!

With a loud noise, the Young Lady climbed onto my back.

She was lighter than a feather.

If the Young Lady ever felt heavy to me, I’d have to quit being a swordsman or a butler and go straight into recovery. My body wasn’t that far gone yet.

Just as I was about to flash a smug smile and show her how effortlessly I could carry her—

-Squish…!

A vivid sensation, more distinct than usual, pressed against my back.

“Huh…”

No way. It couldn’t be.

I looked at the Young Lady with trembling eyes. Her pale face came into view as she held her breath, trying to make herself lighter.

It was definitely a funny situation…

She was so adorable I felt like laughing.

But this—

Uh…

“Young Lady.”

“Whap! (What?)”

“Well…”

The Young Lady, still holding her breath, urged me on.

“Hurry up and say it… I’m suffocating.”

“Well… by any chance, Young Lady…”

‘Are you not wearing underwear?’

The blatant words didn’t leave my lips. Instead, the black underwear crumpled in the corner of the bed answered for me.

Underwear of a rather… formidable size.

Hmm.

I gently set the Young Lady down on the bed.

“I concede.”

“…Ugh…”

Leaving the Young Lady, who had just declared she’d go on a diet, behind, I quickly fled the room to cool my flushed face.

***

On the way to the Friends of the Forest.

-Rattle, rattle…

The Young Lady, riding in the cart, wore a pleasant smile. The cart, a common sight on the streets, carried the Young Lady, who looked around excitedly.

“This is fun.”

“Young Lady.”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you just let me carry you?”

The Young Lady, dressed in a black dress,

had taken the time to dress up, but now she was riding in a cart. I spoke to her cautiously.

Though she had pulled her hat down low to hide her face as much as possible, we couldn’t avoid the stares directed at us.

The Young Lady replied to me.

“Your arm might hurt.”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable? And the people…”

The Young Lady pulled her hat down further and said,

“It’s fine. It’s better than you being in pain, Ricardo.”

My heart swelled with emotion.

Compared to her first outing, she cared less about people’s stares, but a complete change wasn’t possible in one go. Whenever her eyes met someone else’s, she flinched and pulled her hat down further.

Though we were walking in less crowded areas, avoiding every single person on the street was impossible. I feared this rare outing might become a bad memory for her.

When I offered to carry her, she refused.

When I suggested not going out, she scolded me for breaking my promise. As a butler who wanted to give the Young Lady only the best, it weighed on my mind.

I needed to hurry.

I quickened my pace.

Until I overheard a conversation between a father and child passing by.

-Dad… That looks fun.

-It does, doesn’t it?

Huh?

-I used to play like that when I was young.

-Really? Do it for me too!

-No, Dad’s back isn’t great these days…

-Why not!

Come to think of it, I used to play like this too.

Riding in a cart, pretending to be a king,

and speeding downhill only to get hurt.

Rather than avoiding attention, it seemed like we were openly drawing it, making it look like the playful antics of a spoiled noble lady.

If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it—that famous saying flashed through my mind.

Confidence surged within me.

I spoke to the Young Lady with a meaningful tone.

“Young Lady, aren’t you going too slow?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you want to go a little faster?”

“…?”

The Young Lady looked at me with trembling eyes.

“Ah… no?”

I pressed the Young Lady’s hat down firmly, grabbed the cart’s handle, and spoke.

“Gear 3.”

“Huh?”

-Whaaaaaaaat!!!

The Young Lady’s scream echoed loudly.