The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 245

-Within the viewing Ricardo observed.

I subtly glanced at Mikhail’s eyes.

“What…?”

Mikhail’s eyes, which initially held the emotion of confusion, soon began to harbor an emotion called rage.

“How do you know that name?”

“Because I am that person…”

Mikhail spoke in a trembling voice.

“Shut up…”

Mikhail demanded to know how I could possibly know the name of a memory no one else could. Revealing his emotions more openly than when he harmed someone, Mikhail roared in anger.

“Don’t sully my memories with that filthy mouth of yours.”

I wore an awkward smile. My expression showed I was troubled, as if unsure of what to do.

It was the first time someone denied me when I claimed to be myself.

Watching that scene, I let out a bitter sigh and shook my head. I wondered if I had been that precious a person to Mikhail.

I was merely a friend to Mikhail, yet I felt both grateful and awkward that he remembered and refused to forget the me from his memories.

‘This is going to be troublesome.’

I spoke to Mikhail in a calm voice, as if it were nothing.

“Thank you for remembering me like that.”

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t expect you would still remember me.”

Indeed, I must still be myself.

Even my thoughts remain the same.

I let out an empty laugh and shook my head.

There was one thing I had been curious about for a long time.

After revealing the truth to Mikhail, I wondered how he would perceive me.

A benefactor who saved his life.

A classmate he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Honestly, I hadn’t thought Mikhail would treat me warmly. By my standards, I didn’t believe I held much significance to Mikhail. At least, that was my assumption.

Above all, I was curious about my own reaction. Even I didn’t know myself well.

Would I laugh openly about the past, or would I unleash pent-up resentment and anger at Mikhail? I wasn’t sure how I would react when that moment came.

Within the viewing, I began to open my tightly shut mouth toward Mikhail, who was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.

Given the situation, I was exhausted and spoke to Mikhail in an irritated tone.

“I did my best, but Mikhail, you seem to hate me so much.”

“…Who told you that name?”

“Here we go again. Why can’t you believe what I’m saying?”

“Answer me.”

“Ha…”

Within the viewing, I began to hurl sharp words at Mikhail, who refused to believe me.

“I gave you everything I could, Mikhail.”

“Stop dodging the question and answer me properly…”

“I tried my best to help you grow more comfortably and did everything I could to avoid causing you harm.”

“…Ricardo!!!”

“I…!!!”

As I slowly revealed the truth, Mikhail’s complexion began to pale and harden.

“That day, I held back the archbishop in your place…!”

“Please…”

“Even when I saved you from being swept away by the river, I didn’t hear a single word of thanks, yet I kept helping you.”

“No… This isn’t…”

“Why are you so disappointed in me?”

Within the viewing, I shouted toward Mikhail as the rain poured down on me. It seemed like I was swept up in my emotions as I spoke. Foolishly so.

“Why is everything I do considered arrogant and wrong to you?”

“…No.”

“Do you hate me that much?”

“…”

“I never asked for anything in return, and I only helped you! As your childhood friend who stood by you, am I really that detestable to you?”

“…That’s not it. I…”

“What am I to you? I’ve been going through hell just to keep the promise I made to protect you as a child. Even when the academy caught fire, I rushed in, worried you might be there. Why do I have to be called trash by you?”

With a desperate voice, I poured out my resentment to Mikhail.

“Do you think I killed a friend because I wanted to? Do you think I killed them for fun? I’m human too. I feel guilt, you know. Sure, I might be trash, but I’m still a person.”

“…”

“That so-called friend of yours was plotting to stab you in the back. Was protecting you a crime?”

“…Why.”

“Why did I do it?”

Within the viewing, I, filled with more resentment than I had expected, began to pour out a torrent of words once the dam of conversation was opened.

Misunderstandings.

Complaints that had festered deep inside, even if I hadn’t shown it outwardly, spilled out as I clenched my fists and vented.

“Because I made a promise.”

“…”

“To keep that damn promise. To make sure you suffered less.”

“…”

“Even though you hurt the Young Lady, and I hate you for it, and I want to hit you right now, I did it because of that promise. Damn it… A promise is something you keep once you make it. I didn’t want to break it, like your mother broke hers.”

“I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know! Then why do you only hate me?”

Watching myself within the viewing, I gave a bitter smile. I was thankful for finally saying it all, but it wasn’t exactly a proud moment.

I lowered my head and muttered softly.

‘Wasn’t that a bit too harsh?’

Still, she is a lady.

‘You wouldn’t understand.’

I let out an empty laugh and nodded.

Mikhail stood silently, unable to say anything. Tears were already streaming down his cheeks, soaking the ground, and he couldn’t look me in the eye.

Sobbing, Mikhail stretched out trembling fingers to grab my sleeve.

“I… I… I…”

“…”

“I’m a bad person. I deserve to die… So, please.”

Within the viewing, I avoided Mikhail’s outstretched hand and declared the end of our relationship. I hurled curses at him, declaring I no longer wanted to be entangled with him.

“I don’t want to be involved with you anymore.”

“…Minhyuk!!!”

“Don’t call me.”

“…What?”

“Just like you told me. Don’t call me with that mouth of yours.”

“Ah… Ah…”

Mikhail chased after me as I walked away.

Begging me not to leave.

Even tripping over puddles of rainwater.

Even as the gazes of murmuring students turned toward him.

Mikhail ran for a long time, trying to catch the me within the viewing.

‘…’

I didn’t feel good.

Watching that scene didn’t bring me any sense of relief. Perhaps knowing Mikhail was a girl had changed my perspective, but seeing myself coldly ignoring the desperate girl running after me didn’t sit well.

‘Idiot.’

Watching myself walk resolutely, I shook my head. If I had been swept up in my emotions back then, this might have been the outcome.

I kept my mouth shut and refrained from speaking.

The perspective shifted.

The image of Mikhail sitting alone in a dark room continued to unfold in the viewing.

The rain stopped.

The sun rose.

The moon set again.

Even as countless dates passed on the calendar, Mikhail remained holed up in the dormitory, refusing to move.

“I’m sorry…”

In the darkness where no light entered, Mikhail spent his days hugging his knees, worrying about someone who would never come.

Occasionally, someone knocked on Mikhail’s door.

-Mikhail, are you in there…?

Yuria came to visit.

-Mikhail, student.

A professor came to visit.

-If you don’t come out right now, you’ll be expelled.

Chartia came to urge him to continue his studies, but Mikhail remained shut in his room, unwilling to come out.

“I’m trash…”

Mikhail opened a notebook and sent a letter. The recipient was Ricardo. At the same time, he wrote letters to Lee Minhyuk, the owner of the memories he recalled, apologizing repeatedly for the replies that never came.

-I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.

Sorry.

-I want to come find you, but I’m afraid you’ll hate me. I’ll write and send a letter. If you tell me not to send it, I won’t. If you say you don’t want to see me, I’ll leave. So please.

He desperately poured his heart into writing the letters.

-Reply to me just once.

As he wrote unanswered letters, Mikhail’s darkness deepened further.

***

-…The viewing ends.

They each saw a different future.

One man let out a deep sigh.

-Haa…

One woman writhed in unbearable sorrow.

-No. This isn’t right…

Seeing different futures, they harbored complicated emotions.

Love.

Jealousy.

Friendship.

The music sheet, filled with elements of indescribable emotions, placed a period on what seemed like endless sorrow.

A period, not a repeat mark.

“…”

The two closed their eyes and swallowed their thoughts.

*

-Plop.

The rain falls.

-Plop, plop, plop.

Raindrops began to fall one by one onto my outstretched palm. The droplets landing on my shoulders as I walked through the streets of the capital soaked into my collar slowly.

I smiled faintly and opened my umbrella.

“Damn.”

I thought it was wrong to speak.

I concluded that once I regained a bit more stability, I might be able to speak then. I thought choosing the best effort over the worst would be better for the possessor’s life.

“Hoo.”

Smiling faintly at things that hadn’t happened, I strolled leisurely through the streets of the capital.

And then.

-…

Beyond the carriage road, a girl drenched in rain stood.

I smiled faintly and walked toward her. Placing the umbrella over her, I greeted her.

“Miss Misa.”

“…”

“You’ll catch a cold.”

Mikhail gazed at me endlessly.

“…I.”

Cutting off Mikhail’s words, I smiled and spoke.

“Sword.”

“…”

“Come learn when you have time.”

Her name was Misa.

At the same time, she was my friend.