The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 53

Another quiet day in the Young Lady’s room.

The clock struck 3 PM, and the bright sunlight streamed through the window.

Normally, the Young Lady would be napping at this hour, but ever since the Teacher’s home visit, she had bid farewell to her naps and was now sitting on a chair for the first time in a while.

The Young Lady glanced around the room like a cat.

She was wary, wondering if another Teacher might visit to “educate” her, as she was rumored to be a master of reactions.

Wrapped tightly in a blanket and seated in front of the table, the Young Lady was reacting sensitively to even the smallest movements.

A rustling sound? She flinched.

A faint scratching noise? She hid her head under the blanket.

When the shadow of a tree swayed in the wind, she cried out, “Hiiiik!” and called for me.

Wrapped up like a gimbap in her blanket, the Young Lady pointed at a black button on the floor with her finger and said,

“Ricardo, look over there…”

“Yes?”

“That… isn’t that a cockroach?”

I bent down and picked up the black button.

“Oh…”

The Young Lady peeked out from the blanket, her face showing fear. Feeling mischievous, I decided to tease her.

I stood still, staring at the button.

How should I play this? I needed a way to tease her without lying. If I tried something clumsy, she’d catch on immediately.

After observing carefully and coming up with a good idea, I suppressed a laugh and said to her,

“Something a bit big has fallen here.”

“Big…?”

“Yes, I wonder where something like this came from… Oh dear…”

Shaking my head, I clenched the button tightly in my hand. The ominous “crack!” sound echoed through the room, and the Young Lady let out a strange noise as she pulled the blanket over her head.

“Heeeek… Haaa!!”

Pretending to extend my hand, I startled the Young Lady. Then, with a straight face, I opened my hand to reveal the broken button pieces.

“It was just a button.”

The Young Lady glared at me.

“Don’t joke around.”

“I’m not joking…”

“Liar.”

With a sullen expression, the Young Lady pouted her lips and shot me a sharp look.

Just as the corners of my mouth were about to lift at her adorable reaction, the Young Lady, who had grown sharper lately, warned me not to laugh and said,

“From now on, any word with ‘Roach’ is banned.”

“Cockroach.”

“Eeeek!!!”

The Young Lady threw a fork from the table.

*

Today was the day to make bath bombs.

Having given up her nap, the Young Lady and I were finally attempting some creative work together.

On the desk were the materials for making bath bombs and an open book.

[Anyone Can Make Bath Bombs!]

The book was filled with detailed instructions and illustrations on how to make bath bombs.

The Young Lady furrowed her brows as she read the instructions, and I scratched my head at the unexpectedly complicated content.

“Uh… one spoon of citric acid, five spoons of food coloring?”

“No, just one spoon.”

“Ah, you’re right.”

Carefully adding the ingredients to the beaker, the Young Lady and I focused as if we were cosmetic researchers.

To prepare for any accidents, we donned white lab coats and protective goggles, though our clumsy actions betrayed our amateur status.

The desk was cluttered with various items.

Powder as the main ingredient for the bath bombs and beakers.

Scents to add to the bath bombs and molds to shape them.

Although it seemed a bit ambitious for beginners, it was enough to soothe the Young Lady’s wounded heart after the Teacher’s visit.

When we saw the completed test bath bomb, the Young Lady’s eyes widened.

[Apple-Scented Bath Bomb]

“Oh…!”

It turned out better than expected.

The color was nice, and the round shape was well-formed. For a beginner’s creation, it was quite impressive.

“Is it finished?”

“Yes, I followed the book’s instructions for now…”

“Hooo!”

The Young Lady picked up a new beaker, her creative spirit ignited.

I smiled faintly and said to her,

“Let’s each make our own now.”

-Nod, nod.

“Since it’s my first time making one, it might be a bit clumsy…”

Before I could finish speaking, the Young Lady threw off her blanket and began adding ingredients to the beaker.

Grabbing whatever was within reach and tossing it in, the Young Lady grinned like a mad alchemist obsessed with her craft.

“Hehe… my very own bath bomb.”

One hour later.

Smoke was rising from the Young Lady’s beaker.

Black smoke billowed from the beaker.

Bubbles were forming and popping, making me wonder what on earth she had created. A sense of foreboding crept over me.

Just in case, I rubbed my eyes and looked again at the beaker, but nothing had changed.

The Young Lady was adding all sorts of things to the beaker.

From her treasure pouch, she pulled out a piece of chocolate, dropped it in, and smiled with satisfaction. Then, she squeezed out some toothpaste and nodded approvingly.

Watching her, she looked like a witch concocting poison, so I asked,

“Is this poison?”

Zap. The Young Lady shot me a sharp glare.

“It’s not poison.”

“It looks like poison to anyone.”

Shaking her head, the Young Lady replied,

“It’s a Vanilla Ginseng Mint Chocolate Bath Bomb.”

“What…?”

“It tastes like toothpaste, so it’s mint chocolate.”

“Why did you add ginseng?”

“For health benefits.”

The Young Lady’s eccentric creation was beyond comprehension. Mixing chocolate and toothpaste was one thing, but adding ginseng? It felt… off. Or maybe it was actually a good idea?

Strangely, her proud posture and confident words inspired trust. Like how green tea baths improve skin, perhaps this could have a similar effect.

Thinking it over, I realized the Young Lady might be right. Masterpieces are often born from mistakes.

With a satisfied smile, the Young Lady handed me the beaker and said,

“Ricardo, you should use this.”

“…I’d rather not.”

“Why not?”

I politely declined.

No matter how groundbreaking the invention, its safety needed to be verified first. Bathing with that might do more harm than good.

The Young Lady, with a regretful look, bid farewell to her second bath bomb and began working on a new one.

I needed to start making mine too…

Staring at the empty beaker, I fell into thought.

Watching the Young Lady burn with artistic passion, I realized I hadn’t made anything yet. Tapping my fingers on the table, I pondered.

What should I make?

Should I make a rose-scented bath bomb using rose concentrate, or should I make one with chocolate, which the Young Lady likes?

Driven by a sudden burst of creative desire, I began pouring ingredients into a small beaker.

Using just one ingredient seemed insufficient.

I added ginseng.

I added deer antler velvet.

I even added a potion.

By the time I realized it, I had absentmindedly created a purple-tinged poison.

The Young Lady let out a deep sigh as she looked at the bath bomb I had made.

“Ricardo. If you eat that, you’ll die.”

“It’s not for eating.”

“…Even so, you’ll die.”

The Young Lady was brutally honest.

Smiling, I sprinkled shimmering powder over the bath bomb. I gave her a triumphant smile, as if to ask, “Doesn’t it look pretty now?” However, to the Young Lady, an expert in bath bombs, it seemed that a mint chocolate-colored mess or a glittering poison were all the same.

She used to like things just because they were pretty….

Seeing how much the Young Lady had grown was both admirable and a little bittersweet.

It didn’t take long to create a decent-looking bath bomb.

Maybe it took about three hours. Though it wasn’t completely hardened, the bath bomb was solid enough to use and lay stretched out on the table.

I felt a sense of pride as I looked at the radiant appearance of the healing bath bomb, made with rose, chocolate, and medicinal ingredients.

After meeting Mikhail, I had been in a bad mood, but it felt like my spirits were lifting after creating something for the first time in a while.

“Oh…!”

The Young Lady rested her chin on the table and patiently waited for the bath bomb to harden. Watching her point at it with her finger and repeatedly ask when it would be ready made me chuckle softly.

It was a peaceful moment.

So peaceful and cozy that it made me forget about what had happened a week ago.

Feeling a somewhat sentimental thought that I had made the right choice in becoming a butler, I gave the Young Lady a small smile and spoke.

“Young Lady.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to take a bath?”

Pause.

The Young Lady stopped touching the warm, hardening bath bomb and looked at me. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she was about to throw off her clothes immediately.

“A bath?”

“Yes.”

“A bath…?”

The Young Lady nodded vigorously.

“I want to.”

Before heading to the estate’s bathhouse, the Young Lady gestured for me to come closer. She seemed to have something secretive to say.

As she whispered mischievously, as if sharing a secret, I leaned in to listen.

When I brought my face closer, the Young Lady began to stroke my red tousled hair like one would pet a puppy, smiling warmly.

It felt like she was telling me not to worry, but with a sharp tug, she suddenly yanked out a handful of my hair.

An awkward silence filled the air.

The Young Lady, who hadn’t expected to pull out so much, and I, with a betrayed expression, stared at each other.

“Uh…?”

The Young Lady awkwardly looked at the hair in her hand and gave a bright smile.

“Hehe!” she laughed with a bright smile. I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

“Why are you pulling out someone else’s hair? It hurts…”

“Does it hurt?”

The Young Lady reacted strongly to the word “hurt,” so I quickly shook my head to deny it. It seemed I shouldn’t carelessly mention pain around her.

The Young Lady blew softly on her bandaged hand.

“That’s not where it hurts, though.”

“I just felt like doing it.”

“Oh….”

Surprisingly, I didn’t mind.

The Young Lady placed the hair she had pulled out into a new beaker. Then, she added some powder and began making a bath bomb.

Smiling proudly, the Young Lady said,

“This is the Ricardo Scent Bath Bomb.”

“…No… Ha!”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

A Ricardo Scent Bath Bomb? I wasn’t sure if it would even be usable. Seeing her innocent attempt to make a bath bomb with just a few strands of hair, I plucked a strand of her hair in return.

As I held three long strands of her hair in my hand, the Young Lady teared up and rubbed her stinging scalp.

“It hurts.”

“I pulled it out so it would hurt.”

Gritting her teeth, the Young Lady clenched her fist and prepared to throw a stick at me. I dodged the stick she threw and added her hair to the so-called Ricardo Scent Bath Bomb.

“This is the Young Lady’s Bath Bomb.”

“Oh…!”

The Young Lady held up the beaker and beamed.

It seemed she liked it.

I wished things could always stay like this…

I muttered softly to the empty space.

“Ha…”

-A quest has been triggered.

[Save Yuria.]

The situation wasn’t on my side.