The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Chapter 45: Two Guests (3)

Just after the young lady collapsed.

I began to create medical equipment that would serve as the lady's legs.

Walkers to aid in rehabilitation, or an assistive device that could help the lady, like the blueprint spread out on the dining table.

The lady hated them, embarrassment coloring her cheeks, but I kept making them, again and again.

This world was not kind to those with physical disabilities.

There were simple aides like crutches, but devices like walkers or wheelchairs had not yet come into existence.

There had been a similar invention to the wheelchair, but due to the lack of proper brakes, it led to numerous accidents, casting a negative social perception.

There had even been a case involving high-ranking nobility, branding it a useless artifact among the aristocrats.

Therefore, the lady disliked wheelchairs as well.

-It's ugly.

-…I haven't even unwrapped it yet.

-It just looks ugly no matter what.

The ‘BenX Model 1', a surprise unveiling hidden beneath a thick blanket for the lady, featured an old-fashioned design made of wood and brakes that could be manually controlled. Despite being an invention that could have turned the era on its head, the lady expressed her disinterest even before unwrapping it.

-You'll feel differently if you sit in it.

-I don't like it. It's ugly.

-Doesn't it make you want to sit in it…?

-Ricardo's back is faster and more comfortable.

-…Oh.

The Model 1, discarded by the lady's sweet-talking persuasion.

It wasn't due to any impure intentions of liking her chest pressed against his back. If she liked my back that much, who was I to argue?

It was good for me.

And the lady enjoyed it too.

The first model had its flaws—dangerous braking by hand, a bumpy ride, a clunky design.

I had to admit, it was unsuitable as the lady's first vehicle.

One should enjoy the ride, especially if they were of noble birth.

After all, opulence was part of being a noble.

To create such opulence for the lady, I discarded the first model in the mansion's storage and started working on Model 2.

Thus, the creation of ‘BenX Model 2'.

Rectifying the disadvantages of the previous model, Model 2 featured upgraded design and brake safety, a polished black paint, and a metal frame which together produced a masterpiece filled with dwarf excellence.

A masterpiece was born from the sweat and hammering of a dwarf.

I couldn't forget the expression of the dwarf, wiping sweat from his brow and donning a refreshing smile.

-With this… you could even take down an orc.

-It's marvelous…!

The Model 2, three times larger than the original blueprint.

It was only after it was made did I realize it had turned into a war machine.

I had been too excited while adding this and that.

-Shouldn't you be catching orcs?

-Orcs? If it just rolls…

-Ah! In this dangerous world where you might encounter an orc on the road, such careless thoughts won't do!

-Certainly…

Model 2, crafted more ominously than requested due to my artistic fervor, remained untested and ended up in the mansion's storage.

It would have been perfect if the lady had ridden it…

But I held back, fearing I'd be chased away if I showed it to her.

Model 3, delayed by many trials and financial difficulties, was on the verge of becoming a part of history's backdrop, but it began to see the light of day with Malik's assistance.

Malik showed interest while looking at the blueprint, pointing at the handle of the wheelchair.

He had the excited expression of a child.

"Brake pads made of rubber… I hadn't thought of that."

Of course. This world had the convenience of magic rather than the science of engineering.

With magic stones as an energy source and magic as a more efficient method readily available, there was no need to spend money on inefficient alternatives.

Commenting to himself upon seeing modern knowledge, Malik mused.

"With this, we can even apply it to carriages. Brake pads made from orc leather and a handle with wire for deceleration… This could be profitable. It reduces the cost of magic stones and increases convenience…"

His expression brightened at the thought of expanding the business.

Malik asked me.

"Are you a genius?"

"Yes, a genius and handsome too…"

"Skip that part."

"Jealous? You can always be reborn."

Malik looked at me with an annoyed expression.

The fifth rendition of the blueprint.

Malik furrowed his brow.

Not my handwriting, but that of a translator turned the blueprint intently studied, Malik marveled and repeatedly brainstormed ideas for new businesses.

On the face of it, one might wonder why he was swinging a sword at all, why such a clear-cut businessman was acting in such an incomprehensible manner.

Time passed quickly.

Malik pointed out flaws in the blueprint with his pen, and I clapped in awe at his insights and acumen.

What started as a simple wheelchair turned into something more as the opinions of a fashion-conscious noble and a possessed individual combined, stepping beyond the original blueprint.

From ‘BenX' to ‘PorscheX'.

In less than an hour, dense text spread across the margins of the blueprint. It all started with the intention of creating something people could use.

But when two knightly men get together, the original purpose began to fade.

Malik, pen in hand, suggested.

"How about adding a magic stone as a power source here?"

"A power source?"

"Yes. A villainess… I mean, if Lady Olivia were to use it as a chair, wouldn't it be too mundane? Wouldn't the lady hate something so dull?"

With an earnest expression, Malik rambled on a novel idea. Creating a wheelchair powered by a magic stone.

I earnestly asked Malik.

"Is that possible?"

"There's nothing impossible with money in this world."

It wasn't a saying befitting a royal knight.

But I admired Malik for stating such a clear principle of the world.

Cautiously, I added flesh to Malik's considerations.

"Then how about adding protective magic? It'd be serious trouble if it toppled over."

"Hmm… Certainly. We could then increase the output a little more, couldn't we? If there is protective magic, then safety is assured. By lightening with mithril instead of iron, it could even be faster than a carriage."

"Certainly… then maybe add a fireball feature on the handle as well, one that the lady likes…"

"That, too, might…"

"Oh…! Splendid."

The ‘PorscheX Model 1' was born from the fusion of masculine dreams and knightly aggression.

Malik ran his nose and smiled in satisfaction, while I couldn't help but beam at the thought of the lady enjoying it.

Feeling good about making a definitive product, Malik showed me an estimate with rows of zeros in the margins of the blueprint.

"One. Ten. Hundred. Thousand. Ten thousand… A hundred thousand… A million?"

With a soft chuckle, Malik said.

"It looks like we could make it for 3 million gold."

A foreboding sense of dread washed over me; we would have to stick to eating porridge for a while. Surely the lady would be delighted if she received it, but it seemed unmanageable.

I put on an awkward smile and spoke to Malik.

"Can't we reduce the estimate a bit? Just for the amount including the protection magic…"

"Why's that?"

"The amount is a bit of a burden… Haha."

An awkward chuckle slipped out.

3 million gold.

I didn't want to invest my entire life into a single wheelchair. I wanted to give the lady her first high-class vehicle, but an airplane would be too much.

As the birth of a masterpiece was on the verge of being aborted due to cost, Malik frowned.

"Money?"

"Yes…"

3 million gold as if it were the name of someone else's dog.

The Histania family, with its deep history and honor, might be able to cover the amount, but to me, a young head of household, it was a crushing sum.

At the same time, another thought crossed my mind.

‘If it were only 500,000 gold…' I contemplated.

I spoke to Malik, who was turning the pen in his hands with an awkward smile.

"I'll deposit the money into the account…"

Malik’s face became stern. He looked as if he were about to scold me for paying the bill after dining with a close brother.

"Why are you putting down the deposit?"

"Excuse me…?"

"Didn't I say I came to thank you?"

"You did, just earlier. You even gave me 10 meal vouchers."

Malik chuckled incredulously.

"That was a greeting."

Malik slipped the blueprint into his inner pocket as he spoke.

"This is my way of saying thank you."

I asked Malik in all seriousness.

"Can I call you brother?"

Malik grimaced.

"That's disgusting."

***

In the dark room.

Olivia was sitting on the bed talking with Hanna, discussing how things had been and the current state of the Royal Academy.

Hanna satisfied Olivia’s curiosity and in turn, Olivia listened to Hanna's stories.

In the room only illuminated by a small lamp.

Hanna spoke with a laugh, relaying a story about Michail.

"So there I was dodging Michail's sword, and ‘pop' I put my sword right under his chin!"

Olivia's expression soured.

In the past, she felt good just from hearing Michail's name, but now it just made her uncomfortable.

The heart-pounding, blushing excitement was less than before.

Maybe it was because she hadn't seen him for too long.

After reflecting on her past, Olivia found her feelings for Michail growing fainter. She was certain she liked him, still feeling like she did, but her heart was in a constant state of unease.

His vivid memory of rescuing her from the pond was clear, yet…

Her heart seemed to mutter some uncertainty.

Hanna continued to unfold her tales, with an excited face proudly claiming she had bested Michail.

"And then, there was Michail sitting on the ground glaring at me, do you know how I felt…? My lady? Are you listening?"

Olivia asked Hanna.

"Do you… not like Michail?"

It was odd. The Hanna of Histania she knew had been a girl infatuated with Michail, but the Hanna she saw, gleeful from her victory over the man Olivia liked, did not appear to be a girl in love.

Rather, Olivia, who still harbored feelings for Michail, found Hanna's expression to be glowing as if she had extracted a sore tooth, and therefore Hanna seemed strange to her.

So Olivia asked her.

"You like Michail, don't you?"

Hanna looked at Olivia, seemingly taken aback by the unexpected question.

Clearing her throat with a cough, she opened her mouth.

"I used to…"

Hanna awkwardly smiled, doodling on the blanket with her finger, as Olivia quietly waited for her answer, wondering why she was acting so shy.

It was incomprehensible.

Hanna then said to Olivia.

"I've come to like someone else."

"It's not Michail?"

Hanna shook her head.

"No…"

Glancing downstairs, Hanna blushed.

"There's someone else I really like. A very cool person."

Just as Olivia was about to ask who that person was, Hanna, sensing the difficulty in answering such a question, redirected the inquiry.

"What about you, my lady?"

Dropping her shy facade, Hanna spoke to Olivia earnestly.

"Don't you like Sir Michail?"