The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 169

The Young Lady was trembling in my arms, breathing unevenly for quite some time.

I didn’t know what had frightened her so much, but she clung to me, refusing to let go until her ragged breaths gradually calmed.

“Ricardo…”

“Yes.”

“Ricardo…”

Her hands wandered.

“Ugh…”

I didn’t know where to hold the Young Lady who was nestled in my arms.

I hesitated, unsure whether to pat her back to comfort her or wrap my arms around her waist.

Pattering her back alone felt insufficient, but embracing her waist made my heart race uncontrollably.

I prided myself on being a butler who excelled at everything, but moments like this reminded me I still had a long way to go.

“It’s all right.”

My wandering hands, which had lost their direction, finally found their place and firmly embraced the Young Lady’s back.

With a small smile, I murmured words of comfort to her, saying, “It’s all right,” while gently patting her back.

“Everything will be fine.”

I didn’t know what had happened, but I held her close, offering reassurance that everything would be okay.

“No matter what it is…”

I would stay by her side.

“I’ll always be by your side, Young Lady.”

There was no need to worry.

*

In the late hours of dawn.

Olivia lay wide awake, clutching the edge of her blanket, blinking her eyes.

-Blink, blink.

She wasn’t sleepy.

The drowsiness that had fled because of the sudden appearance of the Blue Window refused to return. Olivia, whose favorite pastime in the world was sleeping, tossed and turned with wide-open eyes, frustrated by the elusive sleep.

“I can’t sleep…”

Turning toward the window didn’t help, and neither did lying facing the door. Feeling uneasy, Olivia clutched the edge of her blanket tightly.

The one fortunate thing was that she wasn’t alone in the room.

If she had been alone, she would have been terrified, thinking a ghost might appear. Thankfully, Ricardo stayed behind, waiting until Olivia fell asleep.

Looking at Ricardo, who was dozing off with his legs crossed, Olivia wore an apologetic expression.

“…”

She had told him he could leave, but Ricardo, who insisted on staying until she fell asleep, was now sleeping in a chair.

-You can go.

-I don’t want to.

-Why?

-Because I’m too bored to sleep.

-I’m not bored, so go to your room and sleep.

-It feels like you’re trying to see a ghost without me. I can’t allow you to have fun without including me.

-I won’t. Besides, I hate ghosts because they’re scary.

He was such a worrywart of a butler.

And strangely odd in many ways.

Though he often joked around, there probably wasn’t anyone else who cared for her this much.

Olivia knew that Ricardo’s grumbling words stemmed from genuine concern.

Anyone who wasn’t a fool could see that much.

With an apologetic smile, Olivia stared intently at Ricardo. Despite the cold, Ricardo, without even a blanket, sat in the chair with his arms crossed, dozing off.

“Ricardo, are you asleep?”

“…”

“Looks like you are.”

With trembling hands, Olivia pulled off the blanket covering her. Then, as she moved closer to Ricardo to drape the blanket over his shoulders, she shifted her body carefully.

She crawled toward Ricardo, gripping the bed sheet to pull herself forward, hoping her noisy, awkward movements wouldn’t wake him.

She reached out her hand to cover him with the blanket.

“Ricardo might catch a cold.”

“…”

“Cover yourself with the blanket.”

Her arms were too short.

Hmm…

Determined to cover Ricardo, Olivia stretched her hand holding the blanket once more. The weight of the cotton blanket, likely a winter one, felt heavier than expected, making Olivia frown.

What had started as a warm gesture turned into an exercise, and Olivia furrowed her brows as she exerted more strength.

“Ughhh…!”

What had she been doing while others were growing stronger? Olivia bit her lip, frustrated by her frail arms that couldn’t even reach Ricardo’s shoulders.

“Eeeek!”

Trying to avoid waking Ricardo while covering him, Olivia let out a strange sound as she mustered her strength.

“Hrrrgh!”

Her eyes wide open.

Olivia tried to lift the blanket again.

For some reason, the blanket felt heavier than usual, and Olivia tilted her head, puzzled.

It was as if someone was holding it down.

Even though she wasn’t athletic, it didn’t make sense that she couldn’t lift a single blanket. Olivia stared at the immovable blanket, lost in thought, when suddenly, a black object moved at the foot of the bed, causing her eyes to tremble.

“What is this…?”

A massive creature slowly moved from the direction of her feet. As the black creature shifted, the blanket was gradually pulled along.

With a trembling heart, Olivia muttered softly.

“A ghost…?”

Suddenly, Olivia remembered why she had called Ricardo.

She had momentarily forgotten because of the sudden appearance of the Blue Window, but now the memory resurfaced. Olivia stared at the dark space in front of the bed with trembling eyes.

-Wriggle.

Olivia swallowed hard and gripped the edge of the blanket tightly. No matter how scary the ghost might be, she couldn’t let it take her blanket, so she held on.

“It’s mine…”

Wriggle…

“Eek…!”

Realizing this creature was beyond her ability to handle, Olivia decided to give up. She had tried to hold on, but fearing she might fall off the bed, she let go.

“Ricardo…”

With a trembling voice, Olivia called out to Ricardo. Her voice, small and tearful from fear, called for him, but Ricardo remained asleep.

-Wriggle…

It moved slowly.

Gradually, onto the bed.

Olivia, with trembling eyes, began a staring contest with the black object in front of her. Clenching her fist, she prepared to wake Ricardo at any moment while trying to calm her pounding heart.

The black object slowly revealed itself as it climbed onto the bed.

As its massive body moved, it gradually came into view, and Olivia swallowed hard, clenching her fist.

-A bear?

Seeing the familiar creature place its front paws on the bed and wiggle its hips, Olivia shouted in an exasperated voice.

“You bear brat!”

-A bear?!

Olivia was annoyed.

She had been terrified, thinking it was a ghost, only to find out it was Gomtangi chewing on the blanket.

With an irritated voice, Olivia threw a pillow at Gomtangi, who happily began chewing on it instead.

“…Huh?”

In an instant, Olivia lost her pillow.

Feeling dejected, Olivia stared blankly at the shredded pillow, her face filled with gloom.

And then.

“Pfft… Puhaha! What is this!”

The butler’s laughter-filled voice slowly reached her ears.

“Ahaha… Oh, my stomach hurts.”

Ricardo, with eyes that seemed perfectly fine, was looking at her. His gaze, neither drowsy nor tired, rested on her as he propped his chin on his hand and spoke with a smile.

“Were you that scared of Gomtangi?”

“Eeeek! Stop teasing me!”

“Puhahaha! A Gomtangi Ghost…!”

Olivia, pouting her lips, spoke toward Ricardo.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Just because.”

“Why?”

“How could I sleep with the most beautiful person in the world right in front of me? I was only pretending to sleep.”

“Well, I am kind of pretty.”

“I know. You even seem to have a kind heart, considering you were trying to cover me with a blanket.”

“That’s right. I am pretty kind.”

Olivia smiled pleasantly as she looked at Ricardo. Then, as she tidied her hair fluttering by the window, she spoke to Ricardo.

“You really didn’t sleep?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I told you, I stayed up to watch.”

As expected, Ricardo is strange.

Staying awake just to watch.

Giving up delicious food for others.

Never showing annoyance, even when dealing with whiny complaints. Ricardo truly is strange.

Olivia smiled bashfully as she looked at Ricardo. At her sudden smile, Ricardo furrowed his brows and asked, “Is this flirting?”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Just because. You’re ugly, Ricardo.”

“I think I have a fairly handsome face, though.”

“Ricardo, your pride is ridiculously strong.”

“It’s not pride; I really am handsome.”

Seeing Ricardo’s smiling face, she felt a little less scared.

Of ghosts.

And of the stories the Blue Window might reveal.

Smiling at the sleep that wouldn’t come easily, Olivia moved a little closer to Ricardo. Or rather, perhaps it was more accurate to say she moved slightly away to make room for him to lie down.

Though her crawling on unmoving legs looked a bit awkward, Ricardo didn’t laugh at her clumsy movements.

Olivia patted the empty spot beside her on the bed and said,

“Lie down, Ricardo.”

“What?”

“Lie down. I don’t have a pillow.”

“Ah…”

Ricardo suddenly ran a hand down his face.

Though the darkness made it hard to see Ricardo’s face clearly, she could tell he was embarrassed.

Because Ricardo was shy.

“Lie down!”

Olivia urged Ricardo, telling him to lie down. She wanted to let Ricardo, who had been working hard because of her, rest. At the same time, she wanted to ease her fear of ghosts.

More than anything.

-Will you view it?

Because having Ricardo beside her seemed to make the fear less overwhelming, Olivia made a special exception to let him take the spot next to her.

Ricardo let out a deep sigh and slowly climbed onto the bed, lying down.

“It’s been a while since we’ve lain down together.”

“It has.”

“You used to hate it, saying I smelled like sweat.”

“You don’t smell now.”

With a ‘click,’ the light of the stand lamp turned on. Ricardo opened a fairy tale book with a small smile.

“Ta-da.”

“Oh…!”

“A hot new release.”

Leaning against Ricardo’s shoulder, Olivia spoke with a serious expression.

“I can’t understand a single word of this.”

“…”

“Is it in an ancient language?”

“…”

Ricardo disliked Olivia.

*

As the darkness that had come passed.

Olivia leaned against Ricardo’s shoulder and slowly closed her eyes.

Now she had to face it.

Ricardo must be sleepy, too.

She couldn’t avoid it forever.

Olivia slowly closed her eyes and spoke in her heart.

‘I’ll view it.’

And then.

-Blame me, Young Lady.

She saw Ricardo, blood-soaked, standing before her. Unlike now, his hair was grown out and tied back, his eyes weary.

-No…! It wasn’t your fault! So… so…!

And there she was, crying.

Ricardo wore a bitter smile.

And as always.

He smiled as he looked at her.

-So, Young Lady, become a hero.