The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

[Q. The Sad Love Story of a Villainess.]

In a story unknown to you.

Your butler, Ricardo, could not overcome the black magic.

Your black magic had failed, and only your butler, Ricardo, bore the brunt of its side effects.

Flesh decaying.

Immobile in bed.

On days when tears of pain soaked the pillow.

What were you doing at that time?

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

2. Make porridge for Ricardo. (1/1)

Reward: You can access 〈The Third Side Story〉 ‘The Sad Love Story of a Villainess'.

[Would you like to read it?]

*

It was the third time. The third time that the blue window appeared.

The first was a story about a past where Olivia would have died due to black magic if Ricardo hadn’t been there.

The second was about how Ricardo bore the aftereffects of black magic for her.

And the third is the story when Ricardo couldn’t survive the aftereffects of black magic.

Olivia's eyes trembled, frightened by the tragedy born from her own stubbornness.

Of course, what she was about to witness were illusions that would not occur in reality, but they represented things that could potentially happen.

Her heart felt like it was being constricted.

Was it déjà vu?

The sensation of déjà vu for events that were quite possible.

Olivia couldn’t fathom why the blue window showed such illusions. Whether it was a punishment for her misdeeds or a divine jest, Olivia couldn’t dismiss the illusions lightly.

They were mere illusions, after all.

A problem that could be overlooked with a simple eyeshut, yet she couldn’t take it lightly.

Even though she could escape by simply choosing not to read, she opted to witness the terrible illusions without avoidance.

Foolishly so.

The vivid illusions that felt as real as her own experiences always caused Olivia's shoulders to tremble.

"Sigh…"

A deep sigh escaped her.

What misdeeds had she committed this time?

The thought that she might be unable to bear the forthcoming illusions flitted through Olivia's mind.

If she took it lightly, it would be but a trivial tale, yet her heart kept growing heavier with every moment.

All these events.

They might be the whimsical machinations of a capricious god, or the pranks of a malevolent devil, but surely there was a reason behind these visions.

Olivia decided to engage with the cruel games of the gods, nodding her head with a heavy heart, accepting it as punishment for her past life.

[Would you like to read it?]

"Yes."

〈The Third Side Story〉 ‘The Sad Love Story of a Villainess' reading commences.

With the pounding of her heart, Olivia's vision went black.

She somewhat anticipated the future the blue window would show, so she closed her eyes with the arrogant belief she wouldn't be as startled this time as before.

Because it was an event that hadn’t happened.

[The reading will now begin.]

*

[The reading will commence in 10 minutes.]

The room was familiar.

Not in Hamel's mansion but in her room in the capital’s mansion.

Pictures of Michail were attached to the ceiling, and photos secretly taken of Michail by a hired photographer were developed and framed on the desk.

The place where Olivia stood upon awakening was familiar, yet also filled with bad memories that made her eyes shake.

She had been infatuated with Michail, in a place filled with memories of Ricardo’s dissuasions.

The calendar pointed to a time six months after the use of black magic.

She still appeared foolish and infatuated with Michail.

Olivia’s fists clenched at the sight of her unenlightened self. Still enamored, still caught in the same trap, Olivia questioned the illusionary self, though no response came.

The clock showed 7:10 PM. An early night with a bright full moon. In a hushed space lit by soft lamps, Olivia stood still without surveying the room.

She didn't want to linger on the room full of old memories any longer than necessary, wishing she could rip down the pictures on the ceiling and the desk. It wasn’t just a dislike for Michail that overwhelmed her, but a profound contempt for her own ongoing foolishness. Olivia simply wished for time to pass without raising her head.

Feeling the gap between the detachment of her now and the engagement of her past, the 10 minutes trickled by.

With the ticking of the clock, the blue window dispensed an alarm, signaling the start of the narrative.

[The reading will now begin.]

*

-Bang!

-Say it again.

The woman who entered the room, slamming the door as if to shatter the handle, was Olivia herself, walking past the illusionary Olivia.

This other Olivia, strong and healthy with fierce eyes, strode in and sat down in a chair, demanding.

-Say it clearly with your own mouth.

Cross-legged and with a stern look, the illusionary Olivia seemed furious. It wasn’t petty anger, but a deep, simmering rage that she directed at Ricardo, who cautiously entered through the open door.

-Ricardo. Say it again.

Ricardo closed the door with care and turned around.

-I'm sorry.

As Ricardo came into view, Olivia let out a breathless gasp. Not from surprise, but from the dissonance between his appearance now and then.

‘Ricardo…?'

She looked at Ricardo.

His normally lustrous red hair now looked as if it had been dusted with sand, and his complexion was pallid.

And.

Ricardo's hands were trembling uncontrollably, as if with a tremor. Always in a white shirt, Ricardo bowed his head with an uncomfortable smile.

-I am truly sorry.

The illusionary Olivia seemed oblivious to Ricardo's change, but Olivia, who had only known a healthy Ricardo, immediately noticed the difference.

‘Is he sick…?'

Ricardo was holding his right arm with his left, veins standing out in his left hand as if to prevent further shaking.

‘Why is that?'

As the illusionary Olivia glared at him, she pulled an envelope from within.

[Resignation letter]

-Hah.

The illusionary Olivia frowned at the scrawled handwriting, murmuring in disgust, "It's so badly written I can hardly read it."

Despite the cold response, Ricardo offered an awkward smile as he always did, apologizing.

-Ahaha… I'm sorry.

He apologized for his lack of writing skill, bowing his head. Olivia's eyes trembled more than usual at the sight.

‘It's better written than usual…'

Olivia was aware of how poor Ricardo's handwriting was, and over time she had realized that it was an unchangeable trait.

Therefore.

The resignation letter in the hands of the illusionary Olivia was clearly written with more care than usual, and Olivia instantly recognized that fact.

It was readable without the need for interpretation.

She knew the extent of his anguish and effort.

The time he must have spent erasing and rewriting that letter.

The illusionary Olivia glared at Ricardo, her face twisted in a frown. She threw the resignation letter at Ricardo's feet, looking down on him with disdain.

-You're quitting?

Ricardo, with an awkward smile, hastily picked up the fallen letter and clenched it tightly in both hands.

-Yes, I plan to resign from being your butler.

The illusionary Olivia arrogantly asked for his reason, as if she had become the absolute superior in their relationship.

-What's the reason, is your salary insufficient?

Olivia, who would never dare to utter such words now, was exceedingly haughty, as if her black magic had not been exposed due to her unscathed condition, and Ricardo had taken the full brunt of the black magic's aftereffects, leaving her family unharmed.

And. Ignorant of what Ricardo had suffered because of her.

Ricardo's eyes were filled with sorrow.

He looked at the resignation letter in his hand, his eyes almost closing.

-It's too hard, I plan to quit.

-What?

Ricardo, smiling bitterly as if bidding farewell, sighed deeply and spoke to her with a trembling voice.

-The young lady's personality is quite difficult, you see.

-…What did you just say?

-I've put up with it for 13 years. I've saved enough money, so I think I'll open a little shop on the frontier and live a relaxed, healing life.

-You're saying my personality is terrible?

-Yes.

The illusionary Olivia let out a breath as if she couldn't believe it, her eyes cold.

-Don't be absurd. What's wrong with my personality?

-Exactly. What's wrong with it… Why am I doing this?

Ricardo carefully pushed the crumpled resignation letter on the table away with both hands.

Even as Ricardo gave his sad smile and uttered his final farewell, the illusionary Olivia was nothing but angry.

-You're really quitting?

-Yes.

-I won't hold you back, you know. I was so annoyed by your nagging I was about to fire you, only held back by affection.

-That's fortunate.

Tears welled in Ricardo's eyes. As he bid her farewell with moist eyes, Olivia felt a realization.

He wasn't just resigning.

He was preparing for a farewell.

-Young lady.

Ricardo gave one last bright smile and bowed his head.

-Take care. And…

-I liked you.

The softly spoken words of Ricardo went unheard by Olivia.

Neither by the illusionary Olivia nor by the present Olivia.

It was too soft for her to hear.

[The perspective will shift.]