The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 121

Within a story not included in the viewing.

Ricardo, unable to overcome the Dark Magic, let out a deep sigh as he stared at the worn ceiling.

“No luck, huh…”

Everything is a mess.

My body.

My mind.

Everything is a mess.

It all began when the gamble, with the lives of two people as the stakes, ended in failure.

At the crossroads where giving up the Young Lady would grant the rare attribute of White Magic, and choosing her would provide resistance to Dark Magic.

I placed my life as the stake and started betting.

The absence of luck, which always seemed to be on my side, led to failure, and as always, downfall came in an instant, gnawing away at my life.

The Status Window spoke to me, who had lost.

[Main Quest ‘Two Lifelines’]

◈Olivia, in her unrequited love, is attempting to use Dark Magic.

1. Go to the second floor and save Olivia.

Rewards

1. Olivia’s survival

2. Olivia’s Favorability +1

3. Trait 〈Dark Magic Resistance Lv.3〉

Penalty: 50% chance of death.

2. Ignore it.

Rewards

1. Favorability of all characters +10

2. Magic Stat +30

3. Trait 〈White Magic Lv.3〉

───────────

Penalty: Olivia’s death.

[Your luck did not reach the 50% chance. Due to the penalty from using Limit Break, all rewards except 〈Olivia’s survival〉 are nullified.]

[Two years remain until your body ceases to breathe.]

───────────

It seems this is the first time I’ve been sentenced to a limited time left to live, including both my previous and current lives.

The fear of death felt less heavy than I expected. Perhaps because it was an anticipated outcome, it was a little frightening, but as time passed, I found myself nodding and preparing to accept it calmly.

Rather than the fear of death, I was more worried about the image of the Young Lady left alone, and I felt a sense of relief knowing I had twisted her fate.

And I was saddened by the fact that I could no longer see the Young Lady, and depressed that I couldn’t share the end of the novel with her.

Still, it was a gamble where I managed to secure half the stakes. Isn’t that a decent ending?

“Idiot.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Just like Yuria said, I wondered why I went to such lengths.

How could I answer when I didn’t even know myself? I found it difficult to respond to Yuria’s question.

Six months after the Young Lady used Dark Magic.

I realized my body was deteriorating.

The discoloration of my skin, which I thought would stop at black spots, began to spread and grow larger, and the itching symptoms of my skin gradually turned into pain that felt like it was scraping my bones.

As time passed, the pain showed no signs of subsiding, and my breathing grew rough.

I thought I could endure it.

Until then, I had been healthy.

I believed the Goddess of Hope would visit me once more.

But…

The Status Window did not show me another path, as if telling me to take responsibility for the consequences of my mistakes.

“Petty bastard.”

It was a thing that never showed up when it was truly needed. That Status Window, I mean.

There was a way to survive.

The Tears of God, known as the Elis Stone.

But the Elis Stone played a crucial role in the novel, and since I didn’t know its location, I couldn’t find it.

Choosing to kill a hero who saved countless lives just to save myself also weighed on my conscience.

So, I chose to say goodbye, and that’s why I’m lying here in solitude.

I wanted to stay by the Young Lady’s side until the end, but I didn’t want to show her my pitiful state. I didn’t want to be a burden, nor did I want to show her my dark side.

I felt I couldn’t bear to show her my deteriorating state. No matter how much the Young Lady and I bickered, I wanted to end things beautifully.

I wanted to live on as a memory, like a never-ending story, believing she was doing well somewhere.

But things never go as planned.

What started as a terrible accursed karma has strangely turned into someone I now long to see.

The villainess who appears in the novel.

A villainess with a filthy personality who enjoys causing trouble.

When I first possessed this body, I thought she was the person I should avoid the most, but somehow, she became the most significant presence in my life.

“Truly a villainess.”

Lying on the bed, I covered my heated eyes with my sleeve.

“So ridiculously beautiful… If her personality matched her looks, I wouldn’t have even glanced at her.”

It was largely the fault of the Young Lady, who was too beautiful to be a villainess.

It started as the worst, didn’t it?

Back in the slum days, she saved my life, gave me a new home, and over time, through all the bickering, I grew attached to her.

The resolve to run away someday turned into a purpose to twist her fate, and I found joy in the time spent with her.

Over the 13 years we spent together, Olivia, the villainess, became an enormous presence in my life. She approached me as an object of admiration, someone I wished happiness for, even if it wasn’t with me.

And now.

It seems the time has come to burn the last flame.

Ricardo slowly lifted himself from the bed.

His unmoving legs felt especially heavy today. His physical condition was at its worst, and even his breathing was labored, but the thought of seeing the Young Lady after so long almost made him smile.

If I struggled any further, I might live for another two months, but as a man, I couldn’t stand by and watch the woman I loved face sorrow.

And I knew the Young Lady wasn’t someone who would take things lying down.

With a small smile, I lifted myself up.

[Limit Break is testing the limits of ‘Regeneration.’]

[Limit Break is testing the limits of ‘Stamina.’]

[Limit Break is testing the limits of ‘Narcotic Painkiller.’]

[Limit Break is…]

·

·

·

“Let’s go.”

It was time to carry out my final duty as a butler.

*

Ricardo stood before Olivia, who had her head bowed.

Ricardo, whom she thought had abandoned her, stood there in his black butler’s attire, just as he always had.

Olivia’s eyes trembled violently.

Her lips quivered as she clenched her fists and shouted at Ricardo.

-Why! Why are you coming now!

It wasn’t a shout born of emotional relief, but anger at the butler’s appearance, far too late.

-Do you have any idea how much hell I’ve been through!

-I apologize. The long vacation was just too sweet.

-You’re docked a year’s pay! And what’s this about my personality?

Thud. A rotten egg slid down Ricardo’s forehead awkwardly as he smiled.

-This… is a bit much.

Thud, thud. Stones and tomatoes thrown by the crowd fell on Ricardo’s back, carrying their anger toward Olivia.

-Get lost from the Academy!

-That kind of villainess should’ve been kicked out ages ago…!

-Birds of a feather flock together!

-Crazy woman, make sure she never sets foot in our Academy again!

-Do you know how much I had to watch my back because of you? You ruined my Academy life….

-Get lost, you villainess!

Ricardo was smiling gently as he looked at Olivia. No matter what fell on his back or what the crowd shouted, he simply wore a gentle smile while checking Olivia’s body.

To see if she was hurt.

To see if she was scraped.

He carefully examined Olivia’s body.

-Everyone’s making such savage jokes.

Ricardo asked Olivia with a cold smile.

-Should I kill them all?

In a tone that suggested he would genuinely do so if she wished, Ricardo kindly inquired about Olivia’s intentions.

Even with his dying body, he was more than capable.

Because his dying body could still perform a sword dance.

Realizing Ricardo’s sincerity, Olivia’s pupils trembled greatly. Though he spoke in a light tone as if suggesting a casual stroll, she knew exactly how he would act depending on her answer.

Slowly, a red aura began to seep out from behind Ricardo. A malicious aura unlike anything seen before quickly subdued the crowd.

The curses directed at Olivia were silenced under Ricardo’s killing intent. Even the filth that had been thrown could not approach, blocked by Ricardo’s aura.

Ricardo dusted off his hands and smiled.

-It’s a joke.

Ricardo gently bent his knees and patted Olivia’s head.

-So.

Then, he took the black object from Olivia’s hand. Gripped so tightly that it was drenched in sweat, the black stone brought a bitter smile to Ricardo’s lips.

-Let’s not do things like this with your hands. I went to the trouble of stopping the dark magic, and if you use it again, what does that make me?

-You knew…?

-I know everything about you, Young Lady. After 13 years, I could guess the color of your underwear without even looking.

-What color is it…

-White with teddy bears?

-No. It’s black.

-Oh dear… Still, I’m glad I got to know the color of your underwear.

Ricardo was smiling.

-Don’t you think it’s time for you to live a new life, Young Lady?

The black stone he had taken from Olivia’s hand began to tremble, radiating a pitch-black darkness.

Formulas. Calculations. Innate talent for magic. And even the experience of failing with dark magic.

All the conditions Olivia possessed were enough to make her the worst witch. Furthermore, the swamp of emotions pulling her into darkness was more than sufficient to lead her to corruption.

-So.

Ricardo gave Olivia a small smile and held her tightly in his arms.

-Let’s stop now.

Ricardo, who had been her shadow, enduring abuse and persecution, bit his lower lip and began to cry.

His tear-streaked face turned bright red as he tried to hold back his sobs, and a small tear drop rolled down his cheek.

With trembling pupils, a small light flickered in Ricardo’s hand.

And at that moment.

Ricardo bid farewell to Olivia.

-I hope the memories we shared were joyful.

-Why are you saying this all of a sudden…?

-I just feel like being sentimental today.

-No… Something feels different.

-It’s the same.

-What.

-It was a good life.

Ricardo’s body began to burn away.

Leaving behind the scars that covered his body.

And Yuria, unaware of the hidden scars.

Finished her farewell with a small smile.

[Viewing has ended.]