NOVEL NEXT In a narrative not included in the reading…
Defeated by black magic, Ricardo sighed deeply, staring at the old ceiling.
"Bad luck…"
Everything is a mess.
His body.
His mind.
All in disarray.
It all started with a bet where the stakes were the lives of two people.
At the crossroads of choice, he could forsake the young lady and gain the rare attribute of white magic, or choose the lady and gain resistance to black magic.
He started betting with his life on the line.
The absence of luck, which always seemed to be on his side, led to failure, and as always, downfall came suddenly to devour his life.
The status window spoke to him after his defeat.
[Main Quest ‘Two Lifelines']
? Olivia, unrequited in her love, attempts to use black magic.
1. Go to the second floor to save Olivia.
Rewards:
1. Olivia's survival
2. Olivia's favorability +1
3. Trait 〈Black Magic Resistance Lv.3〉
Penalty: 50% chance of death.
2. Ignore it.
Rewards:
1. +10 Favorability with all characters
2. +30 Magical Power attribute
3. Trait 〈White Magic Lv.3〉
───────────
Penalty: Olivia's death.
[Your luck did not reach the 50% probability. The penalty for using ‘Overlimit' renders all rewards null except for 〈Olivia's Survival〉.]
[You have 2 years left until your body ceases to breathe.]
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It seems like his first time receiving a terminal prognosis, including his past and present lives.
The fear of death was not as heavy as he thought. Perhaps because it was an expected outcome, he was a little scared, but as time passed, he was able to nod and accept it indifferently.
More than the fear of death, he was concerned about the young lady left alone, and he could nod in relief that he had twisted her fate.
And he was sad that he could no longer see the lady and depressed that he couldn't be with her until the end of the story.
But it was a gamble where he saved half of the stake. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad ending.
"Idiot."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Like Yuria said, what's the reason for going this far?
How could he answer if he himself didn't know? He had found it hard to respond to Yuria's question.
Six months after the young lady used black magic…
He realized his body was deteriorating.
The discoloration of the skin, which he thought would stop at the black spots, started to spread and grow. The itching of the skin gradually turned into pain as if his bones were being scraped out.
As time passed, the pain did not subside, and his breathing began to grow harsh.
He thought he could endure it.
Until then, he had been healthy.
He thought the goddess of hope called Luck would come to him once again.
But…
The status window showed no other path to the hopeless. It was as if it was telling him to take responsibility for his mistakes.
"Petty bastard."
Always absent when needed. That was the status window for you.
There was a way to live.
The Tears of God, also known as Eliseon.
But the existence of Eliseon played an important role in the story, and he didn't know its location, so he couldn't find it.
The thought of choosing to save himself at the cost of the death of a hero who saved many others also weighed on his mind.
So, he chose farewell and ended up lying here alone.
He wanted to stay by the lady's side until the end but didn't want to show her his wretched state. He didn't want to become a burden, didn't want to show her a dark image.
He couldn't bear to show her his crumbling form. Despite their frequent bickering, he wanted to end their story beautifully.
He wanted to become a memory, living on like a never-ending story where he was somewhere faring well.
But it's not as easy as one might wish.
She was undoubtedly a terrible foe at first, but strangely, now he wanted to see her.
The villainess of the story.
An evil woman with a dirty character who enjoys committing atrocities.
The villainess who, upon possession, he thought he should avoid at all costs had become the most significant existence in his life.
"She's a real villainess."
Lying in bed, he covered his warming eyes with his sleeve.
"Stupidly pretty… If her personality matched her looks, I wouldn't have given her a second glance."
The lady's fault was that she was too beautiful for a villainess.
It began in the worst way.
Since the time in the slums when she saved his life, he obtained a new haven, and it seemed like affection had developed amidst their squabbles.
At some point, the determination to run away turned into a desire to twist the young lady's fate, and he found joy in the time spent with her.
During the 13 years together, Olivia the villainess had become a colossal presence in his life. Even if it wasn't him, he wished for her happiness, approaching her as an object of longing.
And now…
It seems the time has come to burn out the last flame.
Ricardo slowly got up from the bed.
His legs felt unusually heavy today, not moving. Despite his worst physical condition and the worst breath, the thought of seeing the lady after a long time made him smile.
If he resists here, he might live for another two months, but he can't stand by as a man and watch the woman he likes suffer.
And he knows she's not someone to suffer gracefully.
He got up with a small smile.
[Overlimit tests the boundary of ‘Regeneration.']
[Overlimit tests the boundary of ‘Stamina.']
[Overlimit tests the boundary of ‘Narcotic Painkillers.']
[Overlimit tests…]
·
·
·
"Let's go."
It's time for the butler's last duty.
*
In front of Olivia, who was bowing her head, Ricardo stood.
The Ricardo she thought had abandoned her was there, as always, dressed in black butler attire.
Olivia's eyes trembled greatly.
Biting her lip in shock, Olivia clenched her fists and shouted at Ricardo.
-Why! Why are you coming now!
It wasn't a cry of overwhelmed emotion but anger at the butler who arrived far too late.
-Do you know how much I suffered!
-I'm sorry. The vacation was too sweet.
-You, a year's salary cut! And what about my personality?
Thunk. Rotten eggs slowly slid down Ricardo's forehead, thrown awkwardly by him.
-This is… a bit too much.
Thud. The stones and tomatoes thrown by the audience landed on Ricardo's back, full of anger toward Olivia.
-Get out of the Royal Academy!
-Such a villainess should have been driven out long ago…!
-Birds of a feather flock together!
-Crazy woman, make sure she can't step foot in our academy again!
-Do you know how much I've had to watch my back because of you! You ruined my academy life…
-Get lost, you villainess!
Ricardo smiled gently as he looked at Olivia. Regardless of what fell behind him or what the audience said, he checked Olivia's body with a kind smile.
To see if she was hurt.
To see if she was scraped.
He carefully observed her body.
-Everyone has quite savage jokes.
Ricardo asked Olivia with a cold smile.
-Should I kill them all?
As if he truly would if she wished, Ricardo kindly inquired about Olivia's desire.
Although his body was dying, he was fully capable of it.
And because he was dying, he could dance with the sword.
Olivia, realizing Ricardo's sincerity, trembled greatly. Although he spoke as if he was proposing a casual walk, she knew how Ricardo would move based on her answer.
Slowly, a crimson aura began to flow from behind Ricardo. The horrific aura like never seen before was swiftly overtaking the crowd.
The insults hurled at Olivia were silenced by Ricardo's killing intent. The garbage falling toward them was blocked by Ricardo's aura and couldn't get close.
Ricardo shook off his hand and smiled.
-Just kidding.
Ricardo gently bent his knees and stroked Olivia's head.
-So.
He then snatched the black object from Olivia's hand. Holding the black stone, soaked in sweat from her tight grip, brought a bitter smile to Ricardo's lips.
-Let's not do this with the lady's hands. If you use black magic again after I've gone to great lengths to stop it, then what am I?
-Did you know…?
-I know everything about the lady. After 13 years, I can guess the color of your underwear without looking.
-What color is it then…?
-White with a teddy bear?
-No. It's black.
-Well… at least I'm glad to know the color of your panties.
Ricardo was smiling.
-It's time for the lady to start a new life.
The black stone taken from Olivia's hand began to quiver with pitch-black darkness shining from it.
Formula. Calculation. Innate talent for magic, and the experience of failing at black magic.
Olivia had all the conditions to become the worst witch. Moreover, the swamp of emotions falling into darkness was enough to lead her into corruption.
-So.
Ricardo smiled softly and pulled Olivia into a hug.
-Let's stop this now.
Ricardo became the shadow that was scorned and persecuted, biting his lower lip and crying.
Small tears rolled down Ricardo's cheeks, now red from holding back his tears.
As his trembling eyes glistened, a small light flared from Ricardo's hand.
And at the same time…
Ricardo bid farewell to Olivia.
-I hope the memories we shared together were enjoyable.
-Why are you like this all of a sudden…?
-Just, today I want to be sentimental.
-No… it's different.
-The same.
Well.
-It was a good life.
Ricardo's body began to wither away.
Leaving a body full of scars.
And hiding the scars that even Yuria didn't know about.
He finished with a small smile.
[The reading ends.]