The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 179

Hanna stood alone in the training grounds, closing her eyes and sinking into thought.

She was taking a moment to calmly reflect on the will contained in her sword.

‘I don’t know.’

Ricardo had said it was okay to harbor selfish desires. He mentioned that while short-term goals for success were fine, it was also acceptable to indulge in endless ambition.

-Isn’t it dull to start wielding a sword with a set purpose? I’m the type who achieves things too quickly. Ah, was that too obnoxious?

Though it was certainly obnoxious, Hanna could understand Ricardo’s words. After all, he was someone who had always kept his promises.

That’s why she could trust his words and believe they were the right answer.

‘My sword is…’

Hanna had swung her sword merely for recognition.

She started wielding it to uphold her family honor and to gain her father’s approval.

She stubbornly held onto the sword, waiting for the day her father’s warm hand would stroke her head.

Without knowing anything about swords.

Without the support of her family, she simply trained by striking a training scarecrow with the sword she had received in childhood.

That was the reason she had to wield her sword.

It was the purpose given to her as she wandered down an endless path, like a shepherd guiding their flock, leaving her with only one choice. She could only nod and follow.

Because she believed that was the only way to find happiness.

She thought the only way to prove her existence was through the sword. Yet, her dream collapsed, and the continuation of that dream began anew.

The continuation of gaining her father’s approval, that is.

It was a conclusion that would eventually be reached.

That conclusion could come today.

Or it could come thirty years later—a goal with an ending.

While having a clear ending might seem like a good thing, upon further reflection, she thought this ending might not necessarily be a happy one.

A sword for others.

Even she thought that starting with a reason meant for others wouldn’t lead her down a good path. Perhaps, after gaining her father’s approval, she might experience burnout, like someone with no purpose.

She would give up on further growth, satisfied with the sense of achievement.

She imagined herself whining to the butler and spending her remaining time increasing the moments they shared together.

While that time might bring happiness, it wasn’t the conclusion she desired.

Hanna wanted to be acknowledged.

As a swordsman.

As a person.

She wanted to be recognized by her father through her sword and to earn her benefactor’s trust as a disciple.

Just as seeing the butler’s face brought her peace of mind, she wanted to become someone who could bring him the same.

Hanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, she slowly drew her sword.

She focused on her sword, not to mimic the butler, but to reveal her true feelings. After countless hours of contemplation and practice, the conclusion she reached in her wrong answer notebook was to find her own sword.

Hanna knew well that she couldn’t imitate the butler.

She wasn’t strong enough to peer into the immeasurable abyss. She knew she wasn’t even capable of skimming the surface.

That’s why Hanna decided.

To imbue her sword with her own unique desires.

She wanted to become someone the butler could trust.

She wanted to become a precious person to the butler.

She wanted to destroy anyone who threatened the butler.

Because that was her way of repaying the grace she had received… no, it was the wish she truly desired.

It was a bit cowardly, but she wanted to stand beside Ricardo and envision a future with him.

And she wanted to be with him.

She wanted to grow as a swordsman, not a burden, and to stand by his side as a woman.

Hanna poured her desires into her sword.

‘I want it.’

A happy daily life.

The butler’s attention.

‘I’m tired of compromising.’

She was tired of giving things up because of her father and of hiding her feelings because of the burdens she carried.

Of course, the main wife’s position should follow the proper order, but she didn’t want to give up the second position to anyone.

So.

Hanna poured her desires into her sword.

‘I’ll have it all.’

The selfishness of greed.

And.

The violence of wanting to destroy everything that stood in Ricardo’s way, she imbued into her sword and swung it.

-Sharpening sound.

At the same time as the hunch that she had achieved something, a familiar ‘ding’ sound rang out.

[Q. Histania Hanna’s First Love.]

In the story you don’t know, you were someone who received Ricardo’s affection.

In that story, you became Ricardo’s protagonist.

Ricardo became your butler.

And you, amidst your household’s hardships, gained a foothold to rise slowly with Ricardo’s help.

Of course, during that process, you said hurtful things to Ricardo and hurled abusive words like, “What do you even know to tell me what to do?” But he stayed by your side, whispering hope.

No one knows how this story ends, though.

(!) Win the duel against Mikhail.

Reward: Viewing of the 41st Side Story, “Histania Hanna’s First Love.”

Now, there was one more reason to win.

***

Mikhail raised his sword.

No matter how many times he thought about it.

To find the reason he couldn’t reach it.

To understand the purpose of wielding his sword and the feelings he should have while doing so, Mikhail couldn’t figure it out.

He already knew the answer.

To protect innocent people from villains like Ricardo. That was the conclusion he had reached and the purpose of his sword.

But his heart kept wavering.

A foreboding hunch that something was fundamentally wrong crept into his chest. Mikhail couldn’t pinpoint the source of this dissonance that felt inherently flawed.

The reason he first picked up a sword was because of a boy.

A boy he liked the most.

Perhaps, a boy he might have loved.

-Why did you take the hit for me?

-Kid, you’re weak.

-I’m not weak.

-Is that so?

On the day delinquents took away the teddy bear his mother had given him, the boy had protected him like a hero with just a wooden sword.

Like a prince from a fairy tale, the boy wiped the blood from his nose with a snort and smiled.

He looked so cool.

The sight of the boy wielding a sword to protect someone.

I wanted to be like him.

I wanted to protect someone, just like the boy did.

The boy had said to me back then.

-I protect you because you’re weak.

-…What if I get stronger?

-Pfft! That’ll never happen. Even if I don’t want to, I’ll have to protect you. Just wait… When I become the strongest in the later chapters… Hmm! Then you can protect me.

-I’ll protect you?

-Yeah, until you’re weaker than me, I’ll protect you no matter what.

-Really?

-Yeah. But you have to keep your promise too.

-What promise?

-If you become stronger than me, you’ll protect me.

That day, I held a wooden sword for the first time.

The faint memory of smiling while holding the wooden sword the boy left behind still lingered.

It had been enjoyable.

The thought of being able to protect someone, instead of always being the one receiving help, was both exciting and uplifting.

Dreaming of the day I could protect the boy, just as he had said, I secretly swung the sword underneath the bridge. That memory remained.

The desire to protect the weak had never changed.

To resolve the injustices of the weak and show them that there is hope—that was what the boy wished for and the burden I had to carry.

So…

I will become stronger.

Rowen, looking at Mikhail’s sword, opened his eyes with interest.

“Hooh…”

The aura emanating from Mikhail was pure, yet it carried a newfound sense of violence.

As the gentle waves of aura flowed, Rowen stopped speaking and quietly observed Mikhail’s realization.

Mikhail closed his eyes and swung his sword.

-Swish.

And then,

A ‘ding’ notification sounded for Mikhail as well.

A tempting offer, filled with an impulsive allure he couldn’t refuse, appeared before Mikhail like a devil.

-A quest has been triggered.

[Q. The Reason You Wield a Sword.]

A long time ago, you had a friend. A precious friend you sent away with your own hands.

Due to someone’s scheme, you were cursed to not recognize him, but you still remember him as someone like spring to you.

It’s a memory.

A very old memory.

The weight of your untold evil deeds and the burden you bear are now flying back at you like arrows.

The boy you long for so much might still be alive.

Despite the pain, oppression, and injustices he suffered because of you, he didn’t hate you.

Well, whether he’s alive or not, who knows?

(!) Defeat Hanna in a duel.

Reward: [15th Side Story] ‘The Secret of That Day You Abandoned’ will be unlocked.

There was now one more reason to win.

*

A peaceful afternoon.

I was walking through the streets of the capital with a smile.

“What kind of charm should I buy?”

I don’t believe in superstitions, but having one can be reassuring, so I smiled as I headed toward the shops.

While passing through the streets, I noticed a charm symbolizing luck displayed in front of a shop.

A pair of four-leaf clover earrings symbolizing luck.

Smiling, I decided on the gift and slowly entered the shop.

And then.

I opened my eyes slightly.

[Q. Mikhail’s Guardian.]

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Reward: [16th Side Story] ‘The Risk of Truth’ will be unlocked.

Let’s postpone it just a little longer.