The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 105

During the time Kyle was away from the Empire, he poured immense effort into curing Olivia.

Even during an overwhelmingly busy period where two bodies wouldn’t have been enough, he couldn’t accept the fact that his sister couldn’t walk.

No matter how much he disliked his sister.

Even though she was the sister who nearly brought down the Desmond Family with one wrong decision, Kyle couldn’t ignore the fact that the person he cherished most in the world, his lovely sister, would be confined to a small room for the rest of her life without someone’s help.

He had many discussions with doctors renowned as the best in the Empire and even sought out wandering healers outside the Empire to discuss Olivia’s condition.

My sister used Dark Magic.

She failed, and the circuits in her lower body burned, leaving her unable to move her legs.

Half of the doctors ran away upon hearing the term Dark Magic, while the other half listened only after receiving an exorbitant amount of money.

Despite being experts in their respective fields with exceptional medical skills, none could provide the answer Kyle was looking for.

He met an old man referred to as a “divine healer” and even a female doctor known as the “Hand of the God of the Underbelly,” but all of them concluded that it was incurable.

One doctor from the underbelly, who sighed after seeing Olivia’s medical records from a year ago when she collapsed, shook his head and said:

-There’s no solution to this.

-Can’t you take another look? I’ll ensure absolute secrecy. Don’t worry and just tell me how to fix it.

-Secrecy? I work in the underbelly; I don’t care about that. And this…

The female doctor pointed to a section of the medical record with her finger and said:

[Damaged Magic Circuit/Lower Body Nerves Damaged by Dark Magic/Lower Body Paralysis/Traces of Dark Energy Present]

-There’s no solution. Even if you consult another doctor, they’ll say the same thing. If you’re desperate to make her walk again…

The female doctor trailed off, muttering softly.

-There’s no other way but to use Dark Magic again.

Kyle had given up.

The reason he went to the hospital today was purely a formality.

It was his father’s wish.

It was merely a meaningless visit to ease his mother’s worries; he hadn’t expected to hear any positive answers.

The hope Kyle had was nothing more than an invisible speck.

His father must have felt the same.

Not just him, but his father and mother had also made countless efforts to cure Olivia’s condition.

We went to the hospital simply to find some solace for our hearts.

And then.

We heard something completely unexpected.

-The test results are out, but there’s…

-What is it? Has it gotten worse?

-No, it’s quite the opposite.

The spark of hope ignited with a triangular hammer topped with pink rubber.

It was called a reflex test.

When the pink hammer struck the knee, the expected result for a normal person would be a slight twitch.

Conversely, Olivia’s knee was expected not to move, but today, defying everyone’s expectations, there was a small movement in her leg.

-Twitch.

It was a very faint movement.

A movement so small it could be mistaken for a tremor caused by the hammer’s impact. However, the experienced doctor and Kyle’s father immediately realized that Olivia’s movement wasn’t caused by such a trivial reason.

Afterward, many additional tests were conducted.

We found hope that Olivia’s health was improving.

The doctor said:

-This is just my opinion, but I believe the Young Miss might be able to walk within three years at the earliest.

-…

-Her sensation is returning, and the severed nerves appear to be gradually recovering… The only word that comes to mind is miracle.

I’ve heard plenty of good news, like business successes or reaching a new realm, but it had been a long time since I’d been so excited that I clenched my fists.

It felt better than hearing about the successful conclusion of a business deal I had spent years on in a foreign country.

However.

Kyle couldn’t smile.

Because he knew it was impossible for her to recover.

The time he had spent.

The money he had poured into gathering information.

The countless times he had heard people say, “Give up.”

Kyle knew this wasn’t something that could be achieved with the faint hope of a miracle. He couldn’t smile.

No, that wasn’t it.

There must have been a reason.

Kyle clenched his fist as he looked at the face of the Red-Haired Butler standing before him.

Kyle.

“We need to talk.”

Ricardo was suspicious.

***

Kyle and I sat on a park bench a little distance from the estate.

Sitting alone on a bench with a man wasn’t particularly pleasant, but since I thought the rare opportunity to talk with Kyle wasn’t so bad, I searched for an open café and asked:

“Instead of sitting out here in the cold, how about we talk at a café?”

“I’m not particularly fond of going to cafés with men.”

“…I see.”

Kyle, who seemed to share my sentiments, casually ignored my gesture of reaching for my wallet.

I thought sitting alone on a bench with another man might look even stranger, but I decided not to voice it.

“Phew… So, how’s life in the capital?”

“It’s been great. You’ve been so kind that I feel like I could live off you like a parasite.”

“Haha… That’s good to hear.”

I looked at Kyle, who was smiling faintly.

It was an unreadable expression.

He looked like he was about to say something heavy, yet he was smiling warmly, making it impossible to predict what he would say.

He mentioned it was about the Young Lady.

‘Gulp.’

I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly, worried that the Young Lady might have caused trouble in my absence.

I knew Kyle wasn’t the type to wait for me over something trivial.

Kyle was someone who valued time. His success in business was due to his precise use of time.

For someone like Kyle to make time for me, it meant this wasn’t a trivial matter or a simple favor.

Knowing how much Kyle valued time, I skipped unnecessary preliminaries and got straight to the point.

“So, what is it you want to tell me? You said it was about the Young Lady, but I can’t think of anything.”

“Hmm…”

Kyle lifted his head to look at the moon in the night sky.

He wasn’t someone who usually indulged in sentimentality, but tonight, as he gazed at the moon, his eyes seemed to be filled with worry, or so it felt.

Kyle finally spoke with difficulty. The white breath escaping his lips vanished into the cold winter air.

“I heard something strange at the hospital today.”

“…At the hospital?”

Kyle quietly recounted what had happened at the hospital.

“They said Olivia might be able to walk.”

“What?! Is that true?”

“That’s what they said. They claimed she might be able to walk within three years at the earliest.”

“…That’s a miracle.”

Kyle looked at me suspiciously, as if my reaction wasn’t what he had expected. Glancing at me sideways, he shook his head and tapped his forehead.

‘Was my acting too clumsy?’

I glanced at my right hand, the one I had used for the Hand of Rehabilitation, while watching Kyle’s reaction.

Since I had anticipated this outcome ever since gaining the Hand of Rehabilitation ability, I tried my best to act surprised, but I wondered if there had been a flaw in my performance.

“Hmm…”

It seemed Kyle hadn’t noticed.

I spoke in a trembling voice to avoid raising Kyle’s suspicions. I wanted to keep the Hand of Rehabilitation ability a secret.

I couldn’t hide the penalty.

The blood spilling from my mouth, no matter how much I tried to endure it with sheer willpower, was impossible to suppress.

So, I acted.

With a trembling yet calm voice.

“It’s a miracle…”

“A miracle…?”

“Yes.”

Kyle let out a small empty laugh.

“I don’t really see it that way.”

Kyle spoke in a heavy voice.

“Ricardo, you may not know this, but I’ve met many people in my efforts to heal Olivia.”

“Every doctor said the same thing.”

“That the aftereffects caused by the failure of dark magic cannot be cured.”

Kyle stared at me with eyes filled with conviction, like the eyes of a wild beast.

“One doctor did say there was a single way to heal Olivia.”

Kyle locked eyes with me, who remained silent, and asked.

“Do you know what they said?”

I kept my mouth tightly shut.

Seeing me like this, Kyle let out an empty laugh.

“It was a simple method. A very simple method.”

“A foolish treatment that involved using dark magic again.”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

I could sense why Kyle had called me. Only a fool would ignore such a blatant hint, and doing so would be an insult to Kyle.

Even so, I avoided giving Kyle an answer.

“That’s a foolish method.”

“Yes, a foolish method indeed.”

Kyle nodded as he spoke to me. Under the moonlight, Kyle’s gaze was sharp.

“Stop doing foolish things.”

“…”

“I’m satisfied as long as Olivia is alive.”

I replied to Kyle with a bitter smile.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Is that so…”

Kyle looked at the brightly lit estate and spoke.

“Go. Olivia is waiting for you.”

“She stayed up just to show off to you.”

Kyle’s eyes were filled with bitterness.

***

After returning to the estate.

The Young Lady was smiling brightly.

“Ricardo!”

The Young Lady handed me a small piece of paper. Having heard the contents from Kyle, I gave her a small smile and asked.

“What is it?”

The Young Lady, smiling like a girl planning a surprise, said with a fresh grin.

“They said I can walk again!”

Looking at the Young Lady’s smile, I thought to myself.

I will make sure to heal her.

I gave her a small smile in return.

“That’s a relief.”