The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

"Huh…?"

With a vacant gaze, Olivia stared at the firmly closed door of her room. She let out an exasperated sigh as Ricardo, who would usually come running at even the smallest of her sighs, was nowhere to be seen.

"This is strange… Why isn't Ricardo coming?"

The silence prevailed, only the ticking of the clock's second hand filled her empty room.

Wearied by the continual waiting, Olivia sighed with irritation.

"Eek… You tell me not to stay up late, yet why are you the one who's late…!"

Was it petulance that took hold of her?

Olivia pouted her lips and expelled a sigh laced with annoyance.

"I'm annoyed."

She didn't oversleep to start the morning energetically, yet Ricardo had. By the customs of the Desmond family, one must pour their soul into the morning meal if they wake up late.

The thought of having to resort to pickiness, an uncooperative tactic, if the breakfast was disappointing made Olivia sigh and glance at the clock.

[10:43]

Even though she had woken up earlier than usual, the lazy butler was nowhere to be found. She had gotten up at 9:50, after all.

Whether he was preparing a grand breakfast or cooking something elaborate, she couldn't be sure, but one thing was certain: Olivia was not in a good mood.

Being hungry was frustrating.

The thought of scolding her complacent butler came to mind.

Of course, scolding the butler who had been exploiting her by not paying his salary would undoubtedly lead to his retort of "Then pay my overdue wages," choking any further reproach. But Olivia was angered by her butler's slothful behavior.

"Why aren't you coming…"

Olivia grumbled as she lay sprawled on the bed. The solitude of the day was particularly unentertaining, leaving her to fidget with her fingers in an attempt to alleviate the boredom.

"Hmm… This is boring."

Indeed, playing alone lacked appeal.

It was far more amusing and time flew quicker when she engaged in meaningless chatter with Ricardo. Especially since he had mentioned introducing her to the newly decorated mansion today…

"When will you come…"

Her hunger was so distracting that she felt she couldn't even focus on guarding the house.

So… hurry up.

"I'm bored."

Olivia spoke in a small voice to Gomtang, who was coiled up beside the bed.

"Hey."

Gomtang ignored her, nonchalantly snorting. The cheeky pet, who would keenly listen to Ricardo but casually dismiss her own words, was quite presumptuous.

"You’re going to end up as bone soup."

Olivia truly desired ‘Gomtang' to eat. Not Gomtang the pet in front of her but the actual dish of ‘Gomtang.'

Saliva pooled in Olivia's mouth at the thought of making a dish out of Gomtang, recalling the rich and delicious white broth Ricardo sometimes made her. ‘Bone soup,' wasn't it? The food that filled her with so much strength.

Seeing the look of a food-deprived owner, Gomtang shivered and sluggishly stood up.

-Gom.

"Right, you. Go fetch Ricardo."

-Gom? Gomgom.

Gomtang tilted her head and lay back down.

Irritated by the pet's dismissive behavior, Olivia threw her beloved pillow at Gomtang in frustration.

"You bear cub!"

The pillow struck Gomtang's back with a ‘thud,' but the fluffy pillow couldn't inflict the slightest damage on her.

-Gom. Gogogogo.

Gomtang lay back down, dismissively snorting.

Angered by the brazen behavior that was testing her patience, Olivia yelled out. Already annoyed by Ricardo's absence, the leisurely demeanor of Gomtang was pushing Olivia's patience to the brink.

"Emergency ration!"

-Gom?

"Come here!"

-Gom.

Was it her imagination, or did Gomtang's reaction feel like a brush-off, despite her inability to speak human language? As this thought crossed Olivia's prefrontal cortex, she screamed at Gomtang as if coming unhinged.

"Eeeek!!!!"

After a prolonged skirmish, and with only a blanket left on the bed, Olivia glared at the slothful dog who was only contributing to making a mess.

Gomtang, looking puzzled, approached Olivia, who was tightly holding on to the blanket, and bit onto it, beginning to crawl away.

"Eeeek! Don't take it!!!"

-Goooom!!!

Considering it a tug-of-war game, Gomtang shook her head vigorously, trying to wrest the blanket from Olivia.

"Eeeek!"

Olivia was hopelessly dragged along.

Perhaps due to her not being a typical dog by birth, it was impossible for Olivia, who had shunned physical activity and was frail, to overcome the muscular Gomtang.

Dragged along Olivia.

"Eeeek!"

Eventually, nothing was left on Olivia's bed after the blanket was taken.

With a dazed expression, Olivia looked at the now empty bed and suddenly, a different emotion began to well up regarding Ricardo, who still hadn't arrived.

What would he say upon seeing the room turned upside down?

He would surely sigh and scold her.

But Ricardo, who was supposed to chastise her, showed no signs of coming.

"Why… aren't you coming?"

With a crestfallen expression, Olivia fidgeted with her fingers and tapped on the wall, thinking of Ricardo, who should be in the next room.

-Knock.

"Ricardo."

-Knock knock.

"Are you asleep, Ricardo?"

-Knock knock knock…

"I'm hungry…"

As her monologue went unanswered, Olivia deeply sighed and decided to seek out her tardy butler.

And little by little, her heart began to pound.

She had briefly forgotten yesterday's memory.

-Are you hurt?

-No.

Ricardo's flushed face, as he exhaled heated breaths, started to come back to her. She'd fallen for his flattery yesterday without thinking much of it, but as the memory slowly returned, Olivia's calm face began to turn cold.

"Huh…?"

-Knock…

"Is Ricardo sick?"

-Knock knock knock…

"Ricardo?"

Come to think of it, had Ricardo ever been late by an hour?

Suspicion grew into certainty.

And certainty slowly tinged with fear.

Olivia looked at the door that seemed too far away from her.

Her trusty Fenx Unit 1 was parked downstairs, leaving nothing in the room that could serve as her legs.

For Olivia, who could not walk, the firmly closed door felt impossibly far away, and unreachable.

Her face flushed with urgency, despite the mere ten steps to the door being insurmountable.

"Oh… Uh… I can't…"

She needed to see Ricardo.

But her foolish legs wouldn't follow her anxious heart.

The doorknob, as high as her waist, was as unreachable as a flower blooming on a cliff.

As her eyes darted frantically,

-Gom.

Gomtang licked Olivia's hand and then sat down calmly, showing her back.

"What…"

-Gom.

Gomtang, sitting and facing the door, looked as if she was inviting Olivia to climb on her sturdy back. Encouraged by Gomtang's gesture, Olivia slowly reached out her hand.

What if I fall off the bed?

What if I scrape my knees? The worries were fleeting. An urgent push from within urged her to be brave.

And slowly,

As she reached out and grabbed Gomtang's neck,

-Plonk!

"Ugh!"

Olivia tumbled to the floor, deceived by Gomtang's sudden movement.

"Kkuk…"

Drip. Nosebleed flowing, Olivia.

Wiping her nose with her sleeve, Olivia glowered at Gomtang with fiery eyes, threatening, "You're on the menu tonight."

"Eeeek… You bear cub!"

-Gom.

"I told you I'd roast you!"

-Goom?

Gomtang casually scratched her head with her hind leg and then naturally bit the nape of Olivia's neck.

"Ugh…"

-Gom.

With her shoulder hoisted up as if hung on a hook, Olivia looked at Gomtang, whose tail was the size of a thumb, and asked,

"What's this?"

-Gom.

"Did you dodge because you thought I was heavy?"

-Gomgom.

"You bear cub…! Sigh…"

Exhaling a sigh, Olivia pointed her finger towards the door.

"There."

-Gom.

"Take me there."

Olivia was dragged along the floor with a blank expression, as if she was dusting the floor with her clothing.

-Goooom.

"Let's hurry. Ricardo is sick."

-Gom.

Olivia was afraid.

Afraid that the foolish butler might have told another lie.

"Hurry…"

She was scared.

*

-Creak.

Having arrived at Ricardo's door with Gomtang's help.

"Ricardo…?"

Olivia peered through the slightly ajar door.

The room was pitch-dark, with the curtains drawn over the windows. All she could make out with the sliver of light peeking through the door was the silhouette of a desk and a bed.

It was scary, like a ghost might appear, but Olivia swallowed hard and mustered her courage.

"Ricardo… asleep?"

No response came.

Only Ricardo's breathing could be heard, answering the questions Olivia had posed.

"Asleep…?"

"Hah… Hah…"

The room was stiflingly hot.

Even though it was a cold winter, the room was filled with a warm haze, and considering Ricardo's preference for coolness, him not turning on the heater and sleeping was an impossibility.

The warmer the air that caressed Olivia's cheeks, the more fiercely her heart pounded.

Olivia crawled on the floor.

It was an undignified act for a noble, but for some reason, her heart felt lighter at that moment.

She was frightened.

And terrified.

"Ricardo…"

And then that moment.

-Ding.

-A quest has occurred.

Olivia's fearful heart collapsed.

[Q. The Sad Love Story of a Wicked Lady.]

Somewhere in a story unknown to you.

Your butler Ricardo could not overcome black magic.

Your black magic failed, and the backlash was borne solely by your butler Ricardo.

His flesh rotting away.

Unable to move from the bed.

The days he soaked the pillow with tears from terrible pain.

What were you doing then?

(!) Take care of Ricardo who has caught a cold.

1. Nurse Ricardo to his satisfaction. (0/1)

2. Cook porridge for Ricardo (0/1)

Reward: 〈Third Side Story〉 ‘The Sad Love Story of a Wicked Lady' will be unlocked.

Olivia hated herself.