The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 112

Before returning to Hamel.

The Young Lady and I had come to a pet hotel on the outskirts of the capital to pick up Gomtangi, whom we had left at the animal hotel.

I thought the concept of a pet hotel wouldn’t exist in Another World, but it turned out that the empire had plenty of sharp merchants who realized that the trivial hobbies of nobles who loved luxury could be turned into profit, resulting in more peculiar shops in the capital than I had expected.

Like pet hotels.

Things like pet training centers, which exist as leisure concepts in modern times, were not uncommon in Another World.

Perhaps because the world I possessed was a Romance Fantasy, the fields of dating and travel were as well-developed as in my previous life.

Thanks to that, when we decided on a trip to the capital, we didn’t face much difficulty and were able to enjoy a comfortable journey.

And so, here we were at the pet hotel.

Although the daily lodging fee of 100 gold was somewhat shocking, the corresponding service was impressive enough that I endured the painful expense and entrusted Gomtangi to them.

In front of me, having finished the payment, I could see Gomtangi wagging her tail. Perhaps feeling a bit upset from not seeing her master for a while, the look in my pet’s eyes as she made eye contact with me made me feel that the expense wasn’t wasted.

-Gooooom!

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

-Goooooom!

Gomtangi, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, looked happy. Her fur was fluffy and well-maintained, her sharp fangs were neatly cleaned, and even her claws were meticulously trimmed. Seeing her regal appearance, I was able to erase the sting of my financial loss.

She seemed a little different from when I last saw her, though.

Did she gain some weight?

Gomtangi had grown sturdier overall, not just sideways. I wondered if she had met a decent male dog here, but seeing the other guest dogs whimpering and lowering their tails whenever they looked at Gomtangi, I dismissed the thought.

“Hey.”

Kyle, standing next to me, asked with a serious expression. Having come to see us off on his day off, Kyle frowned every time he looked at Gomtangi.

Was it because she was too cute? I thought so, but the doubt emanating from him quickly corrected my delusion.

“This is a puppy…?”

“Yes.”

“In what world does that look like a puppy?”

Kyle voiced his doubts while watching Gomtangi, who was chewing on the heads of other guest dogs like they were candy.

He asked, incredulously, what kind of puppy played like that, and whether my puppy wasn’t essentially marking emergency food supplies with her saliva.

-Goomooom…

-Whimper… Whimper…

I shrugged my shoulders and countered Kyle’s question.

“Don’t they look like they’re getting along?”

“That…?”

“Yes.”

Kyle, unable to understand Gomtangi’s charm, shook his head in disbelief.

“Unbelievable.”

“Sure, our Gomtangi has bigger front paws and a larger face compared to other puppies, but isn’t she cute? The Young Lady likes her too.”

I glanced at the Young Lady, who was petting Gomtangi’s head beside me, and asked.

“Hmm?”

Hearing us talk about her, the Young Lady tilted her head with a question mark practically floating above her head.

“Gomtangi is cute, right?”

“Hmm.”

The Young Lady nodded, giving a confident answer that supported my opinion, which had been losing credibility.

“She looks like she’d taste good when she’s fully grown.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re not raising her to eat, are you?”

“I told you last time, I’m not eating her.”

“I thought you were lying.”

“I was being sincere.”

Losing interest, the Young Lady gazed wistfully at Gomtangi’s plump belly fat before wheeling her wheelchair next to me.

Kyle let out a sigh.

“This is concerning.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not about whether you’re fine; it’s about whether others should be worried.”

“That’s fine too. Our Gomtangi doesn’t bite people.”

Kyle tilted his head and glanced at the Young Lady beside me before speaking.

“I don’t think so.”

At some point, Gomtangi had bitten the Young Lady’s head with a playful “chomp.” Kyle, watching the fierce battle between the Young Lady and Gomtangi, gave me a doubtful look.

“Eeeek!!! Let go! I’m not food!”

-Goooooom!!!

“You’re drooling on me! Ricardo! She’s trying to eat me! Put chili sauce on her!”

I gave Kyle an awkward smile and offered an embarrassed excuse.

“She’s still a good girl.”

“…I’ll trust you on this.”

With awkward smiles, we exchanged farewells. With a brief goodbye of “Let’s meet again in good health,” we wrapped up our time in the capital.

*

Inside the carriage heading back to Hamel.

Watching Gomtangi’s plump bottom wobbling as she trotted alongside the horse, the Young Lady marveled with a curious expression.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“She looks like a bear.”

“…You’re right.”

I thought she’d just grown bigger since I hadn’t seen her in a while, but…

The thought I’d eventually get used to it over time was starting to feel less certain.

Something about her…

-Gooooom!

Made me think I’d picked up something very strange.

Those sharp claws that looked like they could tear a person apart, even though they were well-maintained.

The seasoned way she licked her lips while staring at the horse running ahead.

And the words of the pet hotel staff.

-Gomtangi’s owner, I’m really sorry, but… What breed is Gomtangi?

-Why do you ask?

-We won’t be accepting this breed again. Gomtangi seems more suited to the wild than a pet hotel.

-Are you telling me to abandon her?

-No…! That’s not what I meant. It’s just that… she seems more at home in the mountains.

At the time, I’d felt a little offended, but seeing her running like that now, I was starting to understand the staff’s weary expression. I should’ve left a tip.

Her indomitable stamina that didn’t falter even during walks.

Even with my rose-colored glasses, I was starting to think Gomtangi wasn’t really a puppy. Considering she still had room to grow, it seemed likely she’d grow three times her current size. If she got any bigger, I’d have to give up on raising her indoors, just as the staff had suggested.

With a trembling voice, I shyly asked the Young Lady, who was fighting off sleep.

“Young Lady, don’t you think Gomtangi… might not actually be a puppy? Maybe she inherited some luxurious bloodline…”

The Young Lady, with a matter-of-fact expression, gave a confident answer.

“She’s a bear.”

“…”

“I told you I was right.”

“…Still, she’s cute, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”

The Young Lady shook her head firmly and replied.

“She looks like a bear.”

“Not cute at all?”

“Nope. She looks delicious.”

Well, that’s a relief.

Being told she looks delicious is a kind of compliment too, I suppose. With the hope that she’d live a long and healthy life, I offered Gomtangi a blessing.

“Just grow up healthy. I’ll make sure you’re never hungry, so don’t bite people.”

Had it been an hour since we started talking about Gomtangi?

As the carriage climbed the steep slope, the Young Lady’s head began bouncing around like a bouncy ball due to the vibrations of the carriage.

“Ack…! Gravity…!”

“Aaaack!! It’s rejecting me!”

“The world is spinning… Ack!”

The Young Lady’s head, displaying dazzling movements, was bouncing around like a billiard ball on a pool table. Worried that she might get motion sickness, I quietly moved closer to her and offered my shoulder.

Resting her head on my shoulder, the Young Lady looked up at me with a satisfied smile.

“Mmm… It’s comfy.”

“It’s an expensive shoulder. Please use it sparingly.”

“Mhm. Since it’s expensive, only I should use it.”

The Young Lady gave a mischievous smile and chuckled softly.

That kind of smile is just unfair.

Holding my breath, I blushed at the faint sound of the Young Lady’s delicate breathing against my nape. My heart seemed to race wildly at the sight of her abyssal cleavage peeking out.

This is why being the Villainess’s butler is worth it.

Satisfied with the excellent employee benefits, I smiled brightly and urged the carriage toward Hamel.

As the sun set and darkness fell, the familiar sight of the estate appeared in the distance.

Not the estate that looked like a ghost might live there.

But our newly remodeled estate.

The Young Lady, who had been dozing off, opened her eyes and widened them at the sight of the newly renovated estate.

“Wooow! Ricardo!”

Rubbing away her drowsiness, the Young Lady’s eyes sparkled brightly. Pointing at the estate, now painted pink, she exhaled sharply and spoke in an excited voice.

“It looks like beef!”

“What kind of comparison is that?”

“It’s a compliment. It’s so pretty.”

“Is that so? I put a lot of effort into it, so I’m glad you think it’s pretty.”

Seeing the Young Lady’s satisfied smile as she looked at the newly renovated estate, I was relieved we hadn’t just patched up the broken walls.

The walls of the estate, which had been punctured by Fairy Unit 1, were now decorated with delicate patterns, and the vine-covered walls were painted with a pink tint.

The Young Lady’s estate, once called Hamel’s Eyesore, had been transformed into something entirely new.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I love it!”

I’m glad the Young Lady is pleased.

With a heart full of anticipation, I stepped out of the carriage. Stretching, I took a deep breath of Hamel’s air for the first time in a while.

The smell of manure was in the air.

The refreshing air of Hamel felt rich and full.

Although this air could also be felt in the capital, perhaps because it was the nostalgic air of my long-awaited home, it felt different.

“Yaaawn… Thank you for your hard work…. Cough… cough.”

Ugh… It’s so cold.

It must be winter.