The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 205

Watching the falling star, the Young Lady and I were gazing at the dawn sky.

“Hehe…”

Perhaps because it was a commemorative day when the Seed of Hope sprouted, the Young Lady wore a pleasant smile, not hiding the corners of her lips that silently curled upward.

“Hehehehe…”

Lying on the bed and looking at me, the Young Lady kept laughing. Her gaze, filled with the expectation of praise, bore into me, and I returned her look with a small smile.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Hehe… Just because.”

The Young Lady flared her nostrils, waiting for the answer she wanted. Pretending not to know, I turned my head, but she kept staring at me, exhaling through her nose once more as she spoke.

“Hehe… Ricardo, aren’t I amazing?”

A question uttered in a wavering voice.

At the Young Lady’s sincere expression, I gave a small smile and nodded.

“Yes, you are amazing.”

“How amazing?”

“As much as the sky and the earth, you are amazing.”

“Hooo…! As much as the sky and the earth!”

The Young Lady chuckled softly and murmured, “I know…” Her candid nature, always true to her feelings, never failed to make me smile.

In the Young Lady’s room, where a Cold Breeze blew, a warm atmosphere and a swelling emotion began to rise.

It might seem like A Trivial Thing to others, but to us, it was like an unsolvable task with no end in sight.

With no promise.

A task that seemed endless.

I couldn’t think of a proper metaphor, but to us, it felt like a miracle, as if we had received a hint to a question that hadn’t progressed in two years.

“Huhu…”

The Feeling of Elation was not easily erased.

Every time she came out of the bathroom, the Young Lady’s shyness, as she glanced at me, was trapped within the emotion of pride, showing no sign of dissipating.

“Huhuhu… I’m amazing.”

Watching the Young Lady pat her own head, I smiled faintly and spoke.

“Aren’t you laughing a bit too villainously? If someone saw, they’d think you were a civil servant who just succeeded in smuggling.”

“It’s such a great achievement that I can’t help it.”

“That’s true.”

I liked the Young Lady’s honest answer. Her straightforward words, unashamed and direct, eased the burden of responding. I enjoyed conversations with the Young Lady, who always spoke candidly no matter what I said.

Rubbing my tired eyes, I looked out the window. The sky, still cloaked in Darkness, showed no sign of light, suggesting that morning was still far off. One thing was certain: if I slept now, I’d oversleep.

To declare, with justification, that she should skip breakfast, I cautiously posed a question designed to elicit the answer I wanted.

“Yawn… Tomorrow… No, today, shall we sleep in as much as we want?”

“Hmm… Maybe.”

Deep in thought, the Young Lady blinked her Bright, Shining Eyes and furrowed her brow. Judging by her sparkling eyes, she seemed full of energy. She was sharp enough to notice my attempt to slack off, being sensitive to hourly wages.

“Lack of sleep negatively affects skin health, you know.”

“But my skin is fine.”

Grabbing my hand to press it against her cheek, the Young Lady rubbed her face against it, prompting me to nod.

“That does seem to be the case.”

As expected of the most beautiful woman in this world, the Young Lady had no flaws when it came to Appearance. While her inner qualities needed improvement, perhaps this was the world’s way of being fair. Once again, I began planning how to slack off under legal pretense.

“Hmm…”

No suitable method came to mind. Given my Job, as a butler, I had no choice but to follow the Master’s wishes.

I had no option but to wait until the Young Lady gave me a positive answer.

Turning her body, the Young Lady stared at me and cautiously opened her mouth.

“Ricardo, are you sleepy?”

“Pardon?”

“You keep yawning and seem tired.”

“Isn’t it just because it’s dawn? Despite how I look, my Growth Plate hasn’t closed yet, you know.”

“Ricardo, your dreams are too big. You’re older than me, so don’t act like that.”

“Please stop with the Elderly Assault.”

“Hehe…”

As expected, the Young Lady lacked consideration.

After rubbing her cheek against my hand for a while, the Young Lady began fiddling with my fingers. Stretching my palm and fingers as if they were fascinating, she resembled a cat about to deliver a soft punch. She stared at me quietly before stopping her actions.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…”

“Young Lady?”

Suddenly, the Young Lady opened her mouth.

-Ahhh… Chomp!

“Eek! Why are you biting me!”

Slowly opening her mouth, the Young Lady bit my hand and refused to let go. Though her grip strength wasn’t enough to hurt, I shook my hand to detach her head, but she showed no intention of letting go.

“Mmm… Nom!”

The more I shook my hand, the more her head bobbed along. Puffing her cheeks full of air and leaving saliva on my hand, the Young Lady seemed pleased, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

By the time my hand was thoroughly drenched in saliva, the satisfied Young Lady released my hand with a refreshed expression.

“Huaa…!”

Wiping her saliva-stained mouth with her sleeve, the Young Lady raised her thumb with a “chuck.”

“Ricardo, you don’t taste good!”

“What is that supposed to mean!”

“It’s an insult.”

“…?”

“I thought your red hair would taste sweet, but it’s salty.”

“Wouldn’t it be strange if a person tasted sweet?”

“Hehe… You’re right.”

As expected, it seemed impossible for a commoner’s dull mind to fully grasp the Young Lady’s thoughts.

Smiling pleasantly, the Young Lady began wiping the saliva off my hand with her clothes. In the past, she would have left me to clean it myself, but seeing her newfound consideration for her butler, I felt a surge of emotion.

The Young Lady carefully touched the teeth marks on my palm and fell silent.

“…Ricardo.”

As she touched the Calloused Skin, she swallowed a breath.

“…”

Looking at the faint scars on my fingers, she exhaled softly.

After silently caressing my fingers for a long time, the Young Lady cautiously opened her mouth in a voice soft enough not to wake the birds at night.

“…Does it still hurt?”

“Pardon?”

“Your hand. Does it not hurt anymore?”

“If you’re asking whether it hurts because you bit it…”

The Young Lady unbuttoned her sleeve and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Not that… This.”

Before the Young Lady’s eyes, the scars that once made her cry began to come into view.

Perhaps due to the recent use of Rehabilitation’s Touch, the black marks scattered across my forearm weren’t a pleasant sight. Though they would fade with time, it would take at least a day for them to disappear completely.

Gazing at the scars with wistful eyes, the Young Lady spoke to me with a voice full of concern.

“Does it still hurt a lot?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I answered honestly. It didn’t hurt anymore.

“No, it doesn’t.”

“You’re lying. It still looks so painful…”

Stroking the Young Lady’s head as she pouted in distress, I smiled.

“No, truly, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“With the Young Lady’s devoted care, how could it still hurt? If it did, that would be strange.”

Stroking the Young Lady’s head as she gloomily touched the scars, I replied in a calm voice.

“Now, it doesn’t hurt at all—so much so that I feel like exaggerating the pain.”

Though the scars were unsightly to show others, having a beauty who cared so much made it more than worthwhile.

Hearing my answer, the Young Lady pouted her lips and replied in a sulky voice, calling me a fool.

“Ricardo, you don’t take care of yourself enough.”

“Who takes care of themselves better than I do? I even secretly make herbal tonics and drink them.”

“Those taste bad, so it’s fine if I don’t drink them.”

“I was trying to get you to drink them with me, but I failed.”

“Hehe… I don’t like things that taste bad.”

The Young Lady, with a small smile, kept her gaze fixed on my hand, showing no intention of letting go.

I couldn’t fully understand her emotions, but I thought it was probably due to guilt. Somehow, she had learned the reason behind these scars. Honestly, her concern was a bit burdensome, but it also made me feel a warm, fluffy sensation.

It wasn’t like I had done it expecting a Hero’s Treatment.

Feeling embarrassed, I silently accepted the Young Lady’s cautious touch, unsure of how to respond to her concern.

The Young Lady repeated the words she had said to me before.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“…”

“When Ricardo is in pain, I feel pain too.”

“…”

“Do you know how much my heart ached last time when you said you were hurt…?”

“I’m sorry.”

The Young Lady tightly held my hand and bowed her head. Perhaps embarrassed by her words, she didn’t lift her head, and seeing her like that filled me with warmth.

“If you’re hurt, you have to tell me.”

Extending her pinky finger, she demanded I sign the contract. Normally, I wouldn’t easily agree to such a contract, but with a small laugh, I sealed the fraudulent contract.

“Understood.”

“No lying like last time.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Eeeek…”

“…Promise.”

She wasn’t someone who gave in easily.

I yawned as I looked at the dawn’s sun rising.

“Then, Young Lady, may I sleep in late today?”

“Ugh…”

“And skip breakfast too.”

“Ughhh…”

“It’s because the butler is unwell.”

Buttoning up my sleeve, I smiled faintly.

“You promised.”

Struggling to respond to the suggestion of skipping breakfast, the Young Lady finally nodded with a gloomy expression at the mention of the promise.

“Alright. I’ll allow it.”

As expected, the Young Lady is a kind person.

Carefully rising from the chair to head back to my room, I spoke.

“How about going on a trip this Thursday?”

At the mention of a trip, the Young Lady, who had been sulking with her head down, slowly lifted her head and looked at me.

“A trip?”

“Yes.”

“To where…?”

She seemed excited about the rare opportunity to travel. I hoped she wouldn’t get her hopes up too high.

With a small smile, I said to the Young Lady.

“Anywhere. We’ll decide slowly once we wake up.”

The excited Young Lady seemed unlikely to get any sleep.