SWNOVELXO Chapter 114
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 114
“Huh…?”
Olivia, staring blankly at the firmly closed door, let out a dazed sigh at Ricardo’s absence, even after a long wait.
“That’s strange… Why isn’t Ricardo coming?”
The sight of Ricardo rushing over at the slightest sound was nowhere to be seen.
The room was quiet, filled only with the ticking sound of the clock’s second hand.
Growing tired of the prolonged wait, Olivia let out a sigh tinged with irritation.
“Ugh… He told me not to stay up late… So why is he the one who’s late…!”
Perhaps it was fair to say she was sulking.
Olivia pouted her lips and let out another irritated sigh.
“So annoying.”
She was hungry and bored…
She hadn’t slept in to start her morning energetically, but Ricardo had overslept. In the Desmond Family, it was common sense to pour one’s soul into preparing breakfast on such occasions.
If he brought out a lackluster breakfast, Olivia thought she might have to resort to the uncooperative tactic of picky eating. With that thought, she sighed and glanced at the clock.
[10:43]
Even though she had woken up earlier than usual, the lazy butler was nowhere to be found. She had woken up at 9:50, no less.
Whether he was preparing a grand breakfast or making a dish that required a lot of effort, one thing was certain—Olivia was not in a good mood.
She was irritated because she was hungry.
And she was starting to think she needed to scold the butler who had lost his initial diligence.
Of course, as a stingy employer who didn’t pay his salary, scolding him would only lead to the inevitable retort, “Then pay me my overdue salary.” Still, Olivia was angry at the butler’s laziness.
“Why isn’t he coming…”
Lying on her bed, Olivia grumbled. Today, the time spent alone felt unusually dull, and she fidgeted with her fingers to stave off boredom.
“Hmm… This is boring.”
As expected, playing alone wasn’t fun.
Rather than spacing out, chatting about trivial things with Ricardo made time pass much more enjoyably. More importantly, he had promised to introduce her to the newly redecorated estate today…
“When is he coming…”
Olivia felt that she couldn’t even focus on her duty of guarding the house because she was so hungry.
So… hurry up and come.
“I’m bored.”
Looking at Gomtangi, curled up beside her bed, Olivia spoke in a small voice.
“Hey.”
Gomtangi didn’t even pretend to listen and snorted. While she listened attentively to Ricardo, she arrogantly ignored Olivia’s words.
“I’ll turn you into bone soup.”
Olivia genuinely wanted to eat “gomtang.” Not Gomtangi in front of her, but the actual dish, “gomtang.”
Ricardo occasionally made a white, rich, and delicious broth—was it called “sagol”? Olivia’s mouth watered at the thought of turning Gomtangi into such a dish that gave her strength.
Seeing her owner’s crazed expression, Gomtangi shuddered and lazily got up from her spot.
-Gom.
“Yes, you. Go and call Ricardo.”
-Gom? Gomgom.
Gomtangi tilted her head and lay back down.
Her lazy eyes seemed to say, “Don’t bother me.” Furious at her arrogant pet’s behavior, Olivia threw her attachment pillow at her and shouted.
“You little bear brat!”
With a “thud,” the pillow hit Gomtangi’s back, but the feather-filled pillow didn’t even faze her.
-Gom. Gogogogo.
With a small chuckle, Gomtangi lay back down.
Angered by Gomtangi’s insolent behavior, which seemed to test her patience, Olivia shouted loudly. Already upset by Ricardo’s absence, her patience began to run thin at Gomtangi’s leisurely demeanor.
“Emergency Food Supply!”
-Gom?
“Come here!”
-Gom. ㅗ
Though Gomtangi couldn’t speak human language, Olivia felt as though the gesture meant “Get lost.” The thought flashed through her frontal lobe, and she screamed at Gomtangi as if a screw had come loose.
“Eeeek!!!!”
After a long fight, all that remained on the bed was a single blanket. Olivia glared at the freeloading pest scratching its head with its hind leg.
Gomtangi stared at the huffing Olivia with a puzzled expression.
She lazily walked over, bit the blanket Olivia was clutching tightly, and began crawling away with it.
“Eeeek! Don’t take it!!!”
-Goooooom!
Thinking it was some kind of tug-of-war game, Gomtangi shook her head roughly and moved her body to snatch the blanket from the Young Lady.
“Eeeek!”
The Young Lady was helplessly dragged along.
Perhaps because she wasn’t an ordinary puppy by nature, Olivia’s frail body, unaccustomed to exercise, couldn’t possibly overpower the muscular Gomtangi.
Olivia was dragged along helplessly.
“Eeeeeek!”
In the end, Olivia’s bed was left completely bare, with nothing on it.
Staring blankly at the now-empty bed, Olivia’s emotions began to shift as she thought about Ricardo, who still hadn’t arrived.
What would he say upon seeing the chaotic state of the room?
He would surely sigh and scold her.
But Ricardo, who would scold her, showed no signs of coming.
“Why… isn’t he coming?”
Lowering her head gloomily, Olivia fidgeted with her fingers as she thought of Ricardo, who was likely in the next room, and tapped on the wall.
-Knock.
“Ricardo.”
-Knock knock.
“Is Ricardo asleep?”
-Knock knock knock…
“I’m hungry…”
As her unanswered monologue continued, Olivia let out a deep sigh and decided to go find her tardy butler.
And then.
Her heart began to pound little by little.
Memories of yesterday, momentarily forgotten, resurfaced.
-Does it hurt?
-No.
Ricardo’s face, flushed and breathing heavily, began to come to mind.
She had been swept away by his sweet flattery yesterday, brushing it off at the time. But as the memories slowly returned, Olivia’s calm expression began to harden coldly.
“Huh…?”
-Knock…
“Is Ricardo hurt?”
-Knock knock knock…
“Ricardo?”
Come to think of it, had Ricardo ever been an hour late before?
Doubt gradually turned into certainty.
Certainty began to give way to fear.
Olivia stared at the door, which felt impossibly far away.
Her legs, which had always been her “Fairy Unit 1,” were parked on the first floor, leaving her with nothing in the room to act as her legs.
For Olivia, who couldn’t walk, the firmly closed door felt impossibly far, unreachable.
Even though it was less than ten steps away, the reality of being unable to reach it filled Olivia’s face with urgency.
“Oh… Uh… This can’t be…”
She needed to go to Ricardo.
But her useless legs wouldn’t keep up with her anxious heart.
The doorknob, which came up to her waist, was as unreachable as a flower blooming on a cliff.
As her panicked eyes darted around…
-Bear.
Gomtangi, who was licking Olivia’s hand, sat calmly with her back turned to her.
“What the…”
-Bear.
Gomtangi sat facing the door.
As if telling her to climb on, Gomtangi showed her sturdy back, prompting Olivia to slowly reach out her hand.
What if I fall off the bed?
What if I scrape my knees? Those worries were fleeting. The urgent thought that she needed to muster courage pushed her forward.
Slowly, like that.
As she extended her hand and grabbed Gomtangi’s nape…
-Thud!
“Ugh!”
With a sudden twist of her body, Gomtangi’s unexpected move sent Olivia sprawling face-first onto the floor.
“Sniff…”
Drip. Blood trickled from Olivia’s nose.
Wiping her nose with her sleeve, Olivia glared at Gomtangi with a fiery gaze and muttered.
“You stupid bear!”
-Bear.
“You said you’d give me a ride!”
-Gooooom?
Gomtangi scratched her head with her hind leg and then casually grabbed the collar of Olivia’s shirt with her teeth.
“Ugh…”
-Bear.
With her shoulders hunched like a coat on a hanger, Olivia looked at Gomtangi, who wagged her thumb-sized tail, and asked.
“What are you doing?”
-Bear.
“Did you dodge because you thought I’d be too heavy?”
-Gomgom.
“You little bear…! Ugh…”
Letting out a sigh, Olivia pointed her finger at the door.
“Over there.”
-Bear.
“Take me over there.”
Dragged along the floor, Olivia wore a sullen expression as she was pulled like a rag cleaning the floor.
-Gooooom.
“Hurry up. Ricardo is sick.”
-Bear.
Olivia was scared.
Afraid that her foolish butler might have lied again.
“Hurry…”
She was terrified.
*
-Creak.
With Gomtangi’s help, she arrived at Ricardo’s room.
“Ricardo…?”
Peeking her face through the slightly open door, Olivia called out.
Ricardo’s room, shrouded by curtains, was pitch dark. The only things visible in the faint light streaming through the door crack were the silhouettes of a desk and a bed.
Though it felt like a ghost might appear, Olivia swallowed hard and summoned her courage.
“Ricardo… Are you asleep?”
There was no answer.
Only Ricardo’s soft breathing responded to Olivia’s question.
“Asleep…?”
“Huff… Huff…”
The room was stiflingly warm.
Despite the cold winter, the room was filled with a cozy warmth. Considering that Ricardo, who usually preferred the chill, never used a heater while sleeping, it was an unusual occurrence.
The warmth enveloping Olivia’s cheeks made her heart pound harder.
Olivia crawled across the floor.
It was an undignified act for a noble, but somehow, it brought her a strange sense of relief.
She was scared.
She was terrified.
“Ricardo…”
And at that moment.
-Ding.
-A quest has been triggered.
Olivia’s fearful heart crumbled.
[Q. A Villainess’s Sad Love Story.]
In a story you don’t know.
Your butler Ricardo couldn’t overcome dark magic.
Your dark magic failed, and the side effects fell solely on your butler Ricardo.
His flesh rotted.
He became unable to move from his bed.
On the days his pillow was soaked with tears from unbearable pain.
What were you doing then?
[!] Nurse Ricardo, who has caught a cold.
1. Provide nursing that satisfies Ricardo. (0/1)
2. Cook porridge for Ricardo. (0/1)
Reward: [The 3rd Side Story] ‘A Villainess’s Sad Love Story’ will be unlocked.
Olivia hated herself deeply.