The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 194

I recalled memories of the past and let out a faint sigh.

The current relationship between Mikhail and me.

I kept sighing because I wasn’t sure if our relationship was the right one.

It was a relationship that had become far too tangled. Mikhail and I had a deep chasm of emotions that couldn’t intertwine, and we were pushing each other away.

I wondered if it would have been different if Mikhail’s memories were intact, but since the world itself rejected that, there was nothing I could do about it.

Since that day, as soon as my body recovered, I went to the slum. I was worried that Mikhail might have been harmed by that guy, and I wanted to tell him that I was alive and well. Knowing better than anyone how hard it is to wait without any promise, I searched for Mikhail in the slum.

-Not here today either.

The empty slum greeted me.

Mikhail wasn’t there.

Even after an hour passed and I went back.

Even after a week passed and I went back.

Even after a month passed and I went back.

Mikhail never came.

-What are you doing here! You said you’d play ball with me.

-I was waiting for a friend.

-A friend?

-Yeah.

-You have a friend?

-Yeah, I do.

-Hiiiik! But I don’t have one?

-That’s because you’re hopeless.

-Eeeek! I’ll make one too!

In the slum where I used to live, there was no one left who remembered my existence. The kids who used to follow me had left to find their own lives, and Mikhail was gone too.

According to the rumors, Mikhail had been adopted into a nunnery, like something out of a novel. I only learned this information through an informant, who said he had disappeared, holding tightly onto the hand of a sister who had come on a pilgrimage from a distant region.

Perhaps because I had been unconscious for so long, I hadn’t even been able to say goodbye, but I was relieved that Mikhail’s departure had ended on a good note.

I looked at the small mound of dirt beneath the bridge and let out a bitter smile.

[Here lies my beloved hero. – Lee Minhyuk]

The tombstone, made by tying wooden sticks into the shape of a cross, was truly striking. Seeing a tombstone with my name on it wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.

After that, nothing particularly eventful happened.

I followed the Young Lady and received training to become a butler.

-Hey.

-Don’t speak informally!

-Why?

-I’m paying you!

-True, then I’ll call you Brother.

-Okay.

While arguing with the Young Lady, I was solidifying my career path.

At first, I thought my life would be ruined if I took the hand of the villainess, but after she saved my life, wavering would have been ungrateful. With the mindset of fixing a rotten straw rope of hope, I firmly took the Young Lady’s hand.

I did my best to change the Young Lady’s future.

Her success was my survival, and her peace was my peace.

I lost weight.

I improved my appearance.

I worked hard to change my twisted personality.

-Eeeek… Don’t starve me.

-It can’t be helped. Your obesity has exceeded the limits of my imagination. If you continue like this, a catastrophic tragedy might occur, like the Earth’s axis tilting.

-I don’t care about that kind of thing.

-That’s true.

Of course, the process wasn’t smooth, but it was fun, and since I could smile through it, it became a meaningful time for me.

The villainess who became kinder through great effort.

-Chirp!

-What is it?

-A sparrow is chirping.

-I’ll catch it.

-Okay. Cook it deliciously.

Others might not understand, but knowing the cold villainess from the novel, I liked seeing the Young Lady gradually change.

Not only did she secure me a decent job, but she also let me receive an education alongside her.

She said a foolish butler was unnecessary, yet she herself had no connection to studying.

-So, today’s lesson is… Excuse me, Young Miss, who is that?

-My butler.

-I see. But why is he attending the lesson with you…?

-Because he’s my butler.

-I’m sorry, but my lessons are not group etiquette classes.

-Just teach! It’s boring!

-Young Lady, speak nicely.

-No!

-Do you want to go hungry again today?

-Eeeek… Just teach.

-More politely.

-Please teach.

The home tutor liked me. They said they were an elite teacher, but it had been truly exhausting until now. When they hugged me tightly while crying, I patted their back, thinking they must have been through a lot.

-You’ve worked hard.

-Sniff… Until now, I thought I had no talent.

-That’s not true. You’ve raised a disciple like me.

-Sob…

Thanks to the unexpected trust, I was able to learn a lot.

I learned history, etiquette, and even how to win the hearts of high nobles, so in the end, I was the one who benefited.

Not that there wasn’t opposition from the household.

Darbav frowned as he looked at Olivia, who had brought me, a scruffy child, into the family.

-Olivia, what is this?

-My butler. From today, he’s my butler.

-What happened to the butler who saved you last time? Did you abandon them and get a new one?

-I didn’t need them, so I threw them away.

-I thought it was admirable that you picked up an injured child, but that wasn’t it?

-No, I’m not that kind.

-…I see. But no, that boy is too weak to handle my daughter.

-Eeeek, let me have him!

Even now, I laugh when I think about the Young Lady picking her nose and whining in front of the head of the family.

The Young Lady’s stubbornness was something no one could stop. Thanks to that, I was able to become a part of Desmond without much difficulty.

Thinking about everything that happened with the Young Lady would take a lot of time. Over the 13 years, there were many funny moments and many tearful ones. I decided to reminisce about those memories another time, carefully storing them in the drawer of my mind with a smile.

“It was a good choice.”

When time passed and I met Mikhail at the Academy, many things had changed.

Mikhail, who had grown enough to wield a sword and matured mentally, was a pleasing sight. I even chuckled softly as I noticed his empty hands, no longer carrying a teddy bear.

[If Mikhail becomes aware of your existence, the future’s events may change significantly.]

Because of that thing called the system, I couldn’t approach him. Not that I had intended to approach him anyway.

Over the 13 years, I had come to prioritize the Young Lady and worked tirelessly to protect her future.

Well, what could I do? The possessor had already sided with the villainess. Even though I tried hard to maintain a good relationship, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

Mikhail had disliked me from the beginning, and the Young Lady’s antics had started back then. It was impossible to get close to him.

So, I ended up disliking Mikhail too.

I felt really sorry for Mikhail, but at the time, I resented him for being harsh to the Young Lady.

I hadn’t raised him to be like that.

I hadn’t taught him to treat people so coldly, yet it honestly annoyed me that he forgot the love I gave him and only showed cold treatment toward the Young Lady.

That’s why I came to hate Mikhail, and I suppose that’s how our current relationship came to be.

Whatever the case, I didn’t regret it.

Not the fact that I chose the Young Lady.

Not the fact that my relationship with Mikhail fell apart.

There was nothing to regret.

Because I’m happy now.

I let out a small sigh and closed the book of memories I had opened in my mind. Thinking about it any further wouldn’t change anything. Instead of dwelling on such thoughts, I knew it was far better for my mental health to think about what to eat tomorrow. Smiling faintly, I closed my eyes to end the day.

And at that moment.

-Knock. Knock.

A knocking sound came from the door, reaching my ears.

“Are you asleep?”

“…”

“I was thinking of having a drink after a long time, but I don’t have anyone to drink with.”

Smiling faintly, I opened the door.

*

Darbav poured liquor into the glass with a silent smile.

“It’s been a while. Drinking together like this.”

“Indeed. It’s been over three years since I first drank after becoming an adult.”

“Back then, Olivia kept pestering us to let her have some too.”

Darbav touched his forehead as if reminiscing and shook his head.

“It was tough trying to calm her down.”

“I struggled too when the Young Lady got upset and said she’d never play with me again.”

“Pfft! Olivia said that?”

“Yes, she didn’t talk to me for quite some time.”

“That’s truly unfortunate.”

Smiling faintly, I shared a small boast with Darbav.

“Come to think of it, I recently had a drink with the Young Lady.”

“Olivia drank alcohol?”

At the mention of alcohol, Darbav perked up his ears and looked at me with a face full of worry.

Resting his chin on his hand with a serious expression, Darbav muttered, “You’ve accomplished something big,” showing he had a clear understanding of what kind of person his daughter was.

Meeting Darbav’s worried gaze, I smiled faintly.

“She drank better than I expected.”

“Did she?”

“Yes, she did. She drank fruit wine and handled it well.”

“Olivia’s all grown up now. She even knows how to drink.”

“That’s right.”

“How’s her drinking habit? She doesn’t go around hitting people, does she?”

“Thankfully, she doesn’t.”

“That’s a relief.”

Talking about the old days with Darbav was enjoyable.

From his initial thoughts of, “Why did she bring home a beggar?” when he first saw me, to how difficult it was to stop the Young Lady from packing her things and leaving when he refused to take me in, Darbav’s memories were so entertaining that time flew by.

I was also quite surprised when I heard that he originally intended to raise me as the Young Lady’s knight.

“It seems raising you as a butler was the right choice. You grew up well on your own.”

“It’s all thanks to your support, Head of the Household.”

“You’re quite good with words.”

At first, I thought the Head of the Desmond Family was a frightening person. After all, he was a villain who supported the Lady Villainess.

Truly, what a peculiar family. The House of Desmond, that is. Of course, this was the side they showed to their family members, but I liked this family.

The Desmond Family was not one to be underestimated, not even by its own members. As one of the founding contributor families that didn’t bow their heads before the Emperor, it was a household that once held greater prestige than Histania.

Though its influence had waned somewhat due to the Young Lady’s situation, the name Desmond alone remained an unshakable mountain of power that no one could ignore.

Especially Darbav, who stood before me now, was one of the monsters rivaling the Head of Histania.

One of the reasons the Empire couldn’t move against the Desmond Family was this man’s existence. Despite committing the taboo of dark magic, the Desmond Family remained nobles largely because of the presence of Darbav, the Archmage.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, Darbav swallowed hard and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes, Head of the Household.”

Darbav was fiddling with his glass.

As if about to make a difficult request, he kept touching the liquor glass, letting out a deep sigh before lowering his head.

“Never mind.”

“You’re committing the worst crime in the world right now.”

“How did you know?”

“Are you serious?”

“No.”

As expected, he was a master at teasing people.

Darbav let out a small sigh and finally spoke with difficulty.

“Olivia isn’t eating.”

Truly, what a peculiar family.