The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 68

The cold gaze was piercing into me.

Malik’s bewildered expression.

Hanna, crying.

And.

“What did you just say?”

Rowen, who had lost his composure.

The intensity emanating from Rowen was sharp enough to sting my skin, as if to prove he was the strongest in the Empire. The oppressive killing intent was directed straight at me.

I looked at Rowen with a bitter smile.

‘I can endure this.’

Had enduring the sincere killing intent of a Young Lady who had her chocolate stolen helped me train for this? Rowen’s killing intent was bearable.

-Damn! Don’t dodge!

-Young Lady, that fork just now… it seemed to carry killing intent.

-Ugh…! It’s because Ricardo made me angry!

-Even so, where does it make sense to direct killing intent at your butler?

-Then don’t dodge!

-You’re too slow for that to work…

-Eeeek!!!

I decided to gift chocolate to the Young Lady who had helped me train.

Overcoming Rowen’s intensity, I brushed the dust off my pants. Malik’s furrowed, flustered expression was directed at me, but I smiled nonchalantly and spoke to Rowen.

“I offered presumptuous advice.”

“If you knew, why did you bring it up?”

“For the happy retirement of the Head of the House of Histania?”

Rowen furrowed his brow.

“…Are you joking right now?”

Shaking my head, I replied.

“Joking? This is heartfelt advice.”

“If you continue like this into your old age, you might not even get buried in a sunny place, let alone have visitors to your grave.”

To my sincere advice, Rowen replied coldly. It seemed my true feelings hadn’t reached him.

“…Do you have a death wish?”

I answered Rowen’s question seriously.

“No.”

Rowen’s expression turned icy. It seemed my genuine desire not to die hadn’t reached him either.

I conveyed my true feelings to Rowen once more.

“I really don’t want to die.”

The intensity emanating from Rowen became even more menacing.

Histania Rowen.

A stubborn swordsman with his own unyielding convictions, comparable to Mikhail, who viewed the world as a field of flowers. He believed his choices were right, and his success proved it—a self-made man with unshakable pride.

The kind of person I disliked the most. Yet, at the same time, someone whose achievements I couldn’t help but acknowledge. His success wasn’t a lie, after all.

Even so, I disliked Rowen.

‘Because he made Hanna cry.’

That’s probably why I stood before him.

The incident with the ceiling wasn’t something that happened by the whims of fate. It started because I, who had lost my composure at Hanna’s tears, had broken the ceiling.

Hanna was my first disciple.

Though our relationship began out of necessity, bound by money, it grew into one of trust between master and disciple, through tears and laughter.

At the same time, she was like a savior of life who introduced me to Malik, my patron.

For Hanna, who would one day succeed Malik as an excellent patron, I couldn’t stand Rowen speaking carelessly. To protect my livelihood, I stood here, feigning coincidence.

Rowen was looking at me.

Once at the Tirbing in my hand.

Once at the red aura rising from my hand.

Rowen’s pupils began to narrow rapidly. Not only had I stolen the cursed sword stored in the estate, but now the impudent thief was brazenly offering unsolicited advice.

Rowen spoke to me in a cold voice.

“I won’t kill you. Instead, I’ll cut off that insolent mouth of yours.”

Before he even finished speaking, Hanna’s sword, which had fallen to the floor, began to float. A technique straight out of martial arts novels.

Sword Control.

Not the martial arts method of lifting a sword with inner energy, but a technique that manipulated surrounding mana with one’s aura.

A kind of performance by a martial arts master to break the opponent’s will to fight. A display of confidence that said, ‘I don’t even need to hold my sword to defeat you.’

‘Crazy bastard.’

Feeling the prowess of a Swordmaster firsthand, I let out an empty laugh and took a step closer to Rowen.

-Whoosh.

The sword floating in the air sliced through the wind and stopped just before my throat.

With a gap barely wide enough for a finger, the sword halted, delivering a chilling warning. Smiling nonchalantly, I said.

“Is this all it takes to determine whether someone has talent?”

[‘Limit Break’ tests the limits of the cursed sword ‘Tirbing’s’ unique ability, ‘Nullification.’]

Clang. With a sound, Rowen’s floating sword fell to the ground.

Rowen’s eyes wavered.

“What did you do…?”

Shrugging, I replied.

“I just showed you a cheap trick.”

It didn’t seem like an ability I could use often. It felt like it placed a severe burden on my body.

Hiding my trembling hand, I walked past Rowen’s fallen sword.

As calmly as possible.

As if I wasn’t scared.

I had to deceive myself.

Only then would Rowen be deceived.

As I was now, I couldn’t defeat Rowen. Unless I revealed all my hidden fortuitous encounters, defeating a Swordmaster in an unprepared state felt like smashing an egg against a rock.

However.

A crude trick was enough to make Rowen suspicious.

I wanted to create an atmosphere where we could talk. That was the only way I could defeat Rowen.

If Rowen doubted my martial arts even once, it would turn into certainty from then on.

The Rowen before me was doubting me. Perhaps, in Rowen’s eyes, I appeared like this.

‘Someone on par with me, or perhaps even greater.’

The effect of the Potion of Concealment, which made my presence undetectable.

The effect of Tirbing, which caused Rowen’s Sword Control to fall helplessly.

And my calm expression combined to suppress Rowen’s intensity.

As Rowen adopted a defensive posture, I seized the advantage and stared straight at him.

“From the beginning, I didn’t like you. A married man who is better-looking than me and has a worse attitude, no less. But what I disliked the most…”

“…”

“Was telling my precious disciple to lay down her sword… That, perhaps.”

At my flowing words, Hanna’s eyes widened.

At the word ‘disciple,’ her eyes blinked once.

At the word ‘precious,’ she teared up and lowered her head.

Seeing Hanna like that, I gave a bitter smile.

‘I should have stepped in sooner.’

Though I felt regret at Hanna’s trembling shoulders, Rowen didn’t seem to interpret it that way.

With a complicated expression, Rowen retorted to me.

“This doesn’t seem like something you should be concerned about.”

“And it seems even less like something the Head of the House of Histania should concern himself with… I have no intention of hosting a parent-teacher conference.”

“Stop joking around. This is your final warning.”

“Does it look like a joke to you?”

I looked straight at Rowen and said.

Through countless moments in time, I whispered to Rowen the words he should have said to Hanna.

“The talent the Head of the Household speaks of.”

“…”

“Isn’t it actually your own lack of talent?”

“What did you just say…?”

“The inability to recognize Hanna’s talent. Even a young guy like me can see it, yet someone like you, the Knight Commander, can’t? That’s what’s truly strange.”

“Say that one more time. This time, I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart.”

“Oh my, how terrifying.”

Rowen’s expression began to change in real-time. At the insult, he started exuding a malicious aura, as if he didn’t care what happened to the people around him, suffocating the air with his presence.

The more he did, the more my words began to pierce Rowen’s heart.

You insulted my disciple.

So I decided you should suffer the same.

“A pathetic father who couldn’t even celebrate his daughter’s birthday.”

“Going so far as to cut open the goose that lays the golden eggs… Ha, this is nothing short of madness.”

Like the Archbishop in the novel who shattered Rowen’s heart with regret after losing Hanna, I provoked Rowen’s temper.

“You should have done at least one of the two things properly. In fact, isn’t it you who lacks talent?”

“Shut up.”

“Even shutting up requires talent. Unfortunately, I lack the talent for that. Haha…”

I began to release red aura from beneath my feet.

In terms of aura manipulation, I was several steps ahead of Rowen, and I slowly began to engulf his aura.

The possessor’s skill creates results akin to magic, overwhelming everything.

Knowledge from the original work.

The system’s assistance.

Efforts from my childhood.

All of these combined to produce a performance so remarkable it left everyone astonished.

-Crack…

With a loud noise, the golden aura that had filled the surroundings began to be overtaken by my aura.

The walls started to crack.

The estate began to shake.

Rowen’s eyes trembled violently.

Looking at Rowen’s flustered face, I spoke.

“Isn’t this what it means to have talent?”

“…This is absurd.”

“I am, indeed, an absurd existence.”

Rowen’s eyes began to quiver.

He was witnessing the most flawless aura control he had ever seen. Aura that enveloped the entire estate without leaking any mana would appear more beautiful than any masterpiece to a swordsman aiming for the pinnacle. Knowing this, I lifted my head with a smug expression.

“I would appreciate it if you could refrain from paying attention to my disciple from now on. It’s disruptive to her studies.”

“…”

“If you have any complaints, hmm… please send them in a letter. Oh, and one more thing.”

I muttered to Rowen.

“The Head of Histania should start by learning humility.”

It’s ironic for someone as far from humility as I am to say such a thing to anyone, but still.

I held Hanna’s hand.

Hanna’s hand, cold as ice.

Drip. A tear from Hanna fell onto the back of the hand I was holding.

“Is it true…?”

Hanna spoke to me in a trembling voice.

“Am I truly a precious person to you, Butler?”

I glanced back at Rowen behind me and smiled.

“Yes. Of course.”

Hanna’s face turned bright red.

Hanna’s heart pounded wildly.

***

The peaceful Young Lady’s estate.

In front of the black Tirbing, the Young Lady wore a curious expression.

“I want to touch it.”

“If you touch it, you’ll get shocked.”

“…Did you steal it?”

“No. It was a gift from Malik.”

The Young Lady tilted her head, a question mark forming above it.

“Malik?”

“The boss of Friends of Forest.”

“…Oh, what a kind person. Stay close with him from now on.”

“Understood.”

The Young Lady nodded and spoke to Tirbing.

“It’s so pretty. It looks like chocolate.”

I said to the Young Lady.

“That’s dark chocolate, so it’ll be very bitter.”

“Eek…”

The Young Lady, who had been reaching out to Tirbing, quickly withdrew her hand in surprise.

The Young Lady spoke firmly.

“No touching.”

I gave the Young Lady a small smile.

“Yes, no touching.”

Hanna let out a deep sigh as she watched this scene.

“Seriously, what kind of cursed sword…”

I gave Hanna a small smile and said.

“Miss Hanna, would you like to touch it too? Just a brief touch won’t drive you mad.”

Hanna let out a deep sigh and replied.

“No, thank you…”

He seemed like a man far too overwhelming for her to handle.

And yet…

Everything about him felt precious in Hanna’s eyes.

Hanna clenched her fists and whispered softly.

“I… like you.”

It was Hanna’s small act of courage as she began to understand love.