The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Chapter 12: The Uninvited Guest (2)

"Hoo…"

Hanna blew on the hot green tea. Clasping the teacup from which white steam arose with her freezing hands, she took a hesitant sip and shivered.

Smiling awkwardly and with an apologetic look, Hanna said,

"I'm sorry for being so abrupt. It's just my personality… if I crave something, I need to have it right away."

A retort came to mind, but I didn't voice it.

I felt pity for the drenched girl before me.

And it was sad that she came all the way here just to drink this lackluster tea.

"The lady is quite picky, so I learned a special tea-brewing technique seven years ago in the East. I thought that might be why she felt that way since this technique enhances the tea's flavor."

"Ha… is that so? It did taste unusually better."

"I’m glad you think it tastes good."

It was a lie. In truth, East or not, I just served the tea once it turned green. The lady, whose taste veers toward the cheap, prefers cocoa over any fancy tea.

I lied so as not to embarrass her.

I watched Hanna closely.

Swollen eyes.

Her eyelids, reddened as if after a bout of tears, weighed down my tongue.

It felt more fitting to comfort her by asking if she was okay, rather than why she came here.

I hesitated for a moment.

Honestly, I never imagined she would come here. It made no sense for her to traverse this downpour to a mansion that resembled a ruin. After all, our house was so visitor-less that I thought she was a ghost.

The current time was 7 p.m.

It was about time for the sun to set.

The sky, drearily overcast, bore the ongoing downpour outside.

I didn't need to think hard to know.

That a noble young lady showed up at the house unannounced, during early evening, and for bland green tea of all things? It was an undeniable fact.

Quite likely, Miss Hanna had run away from home.

Creak. The sound of Hanna scraping an old teacup with her nails reached me. She bit her lip, deep in thought.

She seemed uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere.

"It's really coming down, isn't it…"

"Yes, it is."

“I’m worried the laundry won’t dry.”

Our eyes met. I answered with a small smile, choosing to stay silent.

Would she answer if I asked what had happened? Probably not. Instead of prying questions, right now she seemed to need time to just think.

When I ran away from the orphanage, I needed that time. Back then, I spent time with homeless men at the subway station, but since there were no places like Seoul Station, a hub of encounters in this other world, she probably sought refuge here.

Perhaps this place served as a subway station for Hanna.

Quiet and sheltered from rain—a hideaway.

Seeing her in my past, I didn’t feel bad. Rather, I wanted to be kind to her.

Slurp. I sipped my tea while looking outside.

"Tea indeed is best when it rains."

"It does seem to calm the mind."

"Would you like more?"

Hanna declined firmly.

"No, thank you."

Indeed, it must be that the green tea at our house lacked flavor.

If only I had expensive tea leaves, I was confident I could present heaven’s flavor, but unfortunately, I had already sold those at secondhand prices.

"I'll serve you better quality tea next time."

"It's already quite nice."

Twitch. Hanna shivered, her lips looking pale, cold to the eye.

Perhaps the outer clothing I provided was insufficient.

Feeling it might be time to offer her a bath and a change of clothes, I contemplated as I looked out the window.

Underneath the translucent underwear.

She might catch a cold.

Worried, I gazed out the window.

As time passed, concern piled up on Hanna’s face. It seemed her problems weren’t easily resolved.

I thought time would help her unravel them, but it appeared to be a matter more in need of a conversation than time.

The day was cold.

The temperature dropped.

And Hanna’s complexion grew worse.

By the time the tea was nearly finished, she started picking up the puddled rainwater she had brought in, preparing to leave the estate.

Her figure, crouching to clean up, looked pathetic.

A musty smell rose from the old floorboards. Unable to watch, I reached to snatch the rag she was using.

"Uh-oh?"

Our hands unintentionally overlapped.

I had inadvertently grabbed Hanna’s hand, feeling terribly embarrassed. I wasn’t trying to make the guest do anything; perhaps I was just too hasty.

Hanna…

Did not react at all and held the towel tightly.

With a calmness hiding her troubled heart, I spoke.

"Just rest for now."

"No, I need to go back home immediately."

"Do you intend to leave me jobless?"

Despite being a runaway teen, taking a butler’s work was unforgivable, but it was low-ranked butlers who made their guests clean the floors.

And I didn't want to impose such a task on a runaway teen.

"Please, have a seat."

"Still, I made it dirty. I should clean it."

"It's alright."

Hanna gripped the towel firmly.

She demonstrated strong determination not to let it go.

I waited patiently.

Until she loosened the strength in her hand.

Hanna hung her head low.

After a brief time had passed, and the warmth from my palm began heating her cold hands, a drop fell. From the back of her hand holding the towel came a warm sensation.

Tiny water droplets. Not from the rain-drenched hair, but a slightly heavier drop, carrying more emotion.

"You know, Butler."

Hanna’s voice resonated lowly in the echoing mansion.

"Yes."

I responded softly.

"Today is my birthday."

"Oh… Happy Birthday."

"But why can’t I get celebrated?"

Hanna looked down at the floor.

Even without seeing her face, I felt as if I knew what expression she wore.

A birthday.

Not a particularly big day, but one day when one wishes for rest and celebration. I too wanted to make sure the lady lacked nothing on her birthday.

It was the same in my previous life.

Even if I was swamped with work, I would buy a cake to celebrate my birthday. And the gift cards my friends presented, though not much, meant the world to me.

In my memories, a birthday was both the happiest day and strangely the loneliest.

Hanna spoke.

"Today, you’re the first person to wish me happy birthday."

"This is… quite an honor."

"Right?"

Hanna shook her head. No matter how much she pondered, it seemed that she was unable to find an answer to an unsolvable problem.

"Tell me, Butler. What did I do so wrong?"

Hanna gripped the towel even tighter.

"I want to be praised by my father too, to be a sister that my brother and sister can be proud of."

Hot tears fell onto her hand.

"Is it a sin to have no talent?"

Her voice, frail and soft, echoed through the mansion.

Feeling the heat of Hanna's tears on my hand, my heart grew heavy.

"I told my father today that I would beat senior Michail."

She buried her forehead into the back of my hand.

"Can you guess what he said? He told me to not entertain thoughts above my station. You don't think so too, do you? Not you, right?"

Hanna kept her head down.

"Couldn't a father at least offer empty words of encouragement?"

I've never had parents, so I'm not completely sure, but I'm aware that typical parents don't act that way. That's how the parents I dreamed of in my past were like. Offering praise and encouragement, a support that was all my own.

I wasn't confident to offer comfort.

I hadn't comforted or been comforted much, so I was afraid I might say something hurtful.

Nevertheless, at this moment, I felt as though I had to do something—anything. Although I didn't know much about Hanna during the short time of two weeks.

I decided to tell her what I had learned during that time.

"Miss Hanna, I—I don’t invest in endeavors without potential."

"…."

"I’m rather materialistic. I calculate everything, and if the answer doesn’t add up, I give it up."

"…."

"I’m truly sorry to say, but if I had thought you lacked talent, I wouldn’t have even proposed the bet."

Hanna cautiously opened her mouth.

"Do I have talent?"

"Yes. I swear it by the goddess."

"But I have less talent than my brother and I'm not as good as my sister…"

"Are those people my concern?"

Hanna raised her head to look at me.

A look of incredulity was on her face.

But she seemed to like my resolute words.

[Hanna's affinity has increased by +15.]

Hanna looked up at me.

Her expression had calmed down from before, and I felt relieved. It was much better to see her like this than crying.

"I am selfish."

"I know."

"Saying it that way makes me sound very bad, doesn’t it?"

"Pfft… That's right."

"Well, I am. So quickly defeat Michail and fill my wallet with a thousand gold."

"…"

"We will make it possible."

I took the rag from her hands and, as I patted her head, I said:

"I happen to be quite skilled in baking. Why don’t you have some birthday cake before you go?"

Hanna looked at me.

Her gaze was somewhat naive, and seeing her dressed that way was awkwardly stirring. I quickly turned my head away upon glimpsing her exposed underwear.

"I… have plans."

"The plans have been canceled."

Her plans were not my concern. Perhaps she had intended to go to the adventurer's guild.

Nothing helps get rid of restless thoughts quite like swinging a sword.

Perhaps this day was destined to be Hanna's last in the original story, maybe gambling in a state of resignation.

However, I intended to have her stay at our house tonight. I wanted to make her friends with the lady of the house as well.

"Stay tonight."