The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 143

“Sob…”

Yuria was crying.

Her trembling shoulders shook like tree branches swaying in a fierce storm, and her sobbing echoed faintly into the night sky that had quietly descended.

As I moved toward the veranda, Yuria’s figure caught my eye, illuminated by the moonlight, as if she were performing a sorrowful dance.

She seemed at a loss.

As if in anguish, she appeared sorrowful.

-I don’t want to show this….

-I don’t want to show this side of me….

-Why did you notice?

-No one else noticed, so how did you figure it out… sob.

Muttering in a sorrowful voice, Yuria stomped her foot while clutching her dress hem tightly in her fist. When people are deeply upset, they tend to throw tantrums, and Yuria seemed to be doing just that.

With a small smile, I began walking toward the veranda where Yuria stood.

As the sound of my footsteps echoed in the silent space—plod—Yuria, who had been trembling, hurriedly began wiping away her flowing tears.

From a distance, I watched Yuria rub her eyes with hands covered in bandage tape. I paused my steps briefly, giving her time to prepare herself.

Because Yuria wouldn’t want to show this side of herself.

After all, a gentleman should know how to be considerate of a lady. Barging in and asking, “Why are you crying?” would be an act of insensitivity toward her feelings.

So I waited until Yuria raised her head.

When the sound of her sniffing echoed—sniff—and she slowly lifted her head, I resumed the steps I had momentarily halted.

“Have you calmed down….”

“Don’t come closer.”

Yuria, gazing at the garden with sorrowful eyes, spoke in a firm voice.

With a small smile, I took another step toward Yuria and said,

“Why are you telling me not to come closer?”

At my question, Yuria clutched her dress hem tightly and took a deep breath. From her trembling back figure, I could tell that she was still crying.

Yuria shouted in a voice filled with emotion.

“I’m not the person you think I am.”

“Why do you think that? You might be the person I’m looking for.”

“That’s impossible!”

Yuria shouted, clenching her fists tightly. Her voice echoed sorrowfully throughout the veranda, amplifying her emotions.

“I said it’s impossible…”

Yuria’s voice grew endlessly small.

I didn’t feel good.

In a trembling voice, Yuria began to explain herself, biting her lip as she questioned why she was saying such things and rejecting me.

“I’m neither pretty nor charming. My face is covered in freckles, and people call me ugly.”

“Hmm… so what?”

“Don’t speak so lightly! What do you even know?”

“That’s true. I don’t know much about you, but it seems like you’re completely mistaken.”

“What?”

“The person I’m looking for isn’t someone who’s pretty or charming. I’m looking for a kind friend whose smile suits them well.”

“Don’t lie!”

Yuria shouted in a voice that didn’t hide her emotions.

“I said don’t lie…”

As if she didn’t want to continue the conversation, Yuria shook her head repeatedly, uttering only bleak words. Watching her, I let out a bitter smile and sighed deeply.

‘Is this the time to just listen to her complaints?’

Conversations have their timing.

There’s a time to interject and a time to listen. Right now, it seemed like the time to take a step back and let Yuria vent her whiny complaints.

It felt like Yuria needed time to pour out her frustrations and empty her heart, so I silently watched her and focused on her words.

“When I came to the banquet hall, people said things like this to me: ‘She’s so ugly. Yet her dress is so fancy.’ And every time I attended a ball, they’d say, ‘She knows how to dress up, doesn’t she?’ That’s what I’ve always heard.”

“…”

“At first, it hurt, and I felt heartbroken. At first, I mean….”

Yuria lowered her head to the ground, overwhelmed by her swirling emotions.

Even now, Yuria’s fists remained tightly gripping the dress hem, unmoving.

“I didn’t want to hear it, and I wondered why I had to be treated like this. But, strangely enough, people adapt. Do you know what’s funny? Even though my heart tells me it’s okay and that they’re the strange ones, deep down, I’ve come to accept it. That I’m not someone who should wear such expensive clothes, that dresses don’t suit me.”

Yuria spoke with a tone of resignation. Her weak voice felt sorrowful, and now, Yuria slowly turned around to face me.

Her face, covered in freckles and swollen red from crying so much, briefly made me think that even without the influence of magic, she might appear unattractive.

Not that her face was unattractive.

It was more that crying made her look less appealing.

Personally, I don’t like seeing someone cry. It makes me feel unnecessarily guilty and puts me in a bad mood. Who would enjoy seeing someone sad? I’m sure others feel the same way I do.

Yuria let out a deep sigh as she saw my bitter smile.

“You think so too, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

“You think I’m someone who doesn’t suit these clothes. That I’m just a commoner wearing clothes that don’t fit me, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Liar.”

“If that were a lie, I don’t think I would have come all the way to the veranda to find you.”

“You just came to comfort me, didn’t you? Because you feel sorry for me.”

“Feel sorry? I’m someone who believes there’s no one in the world more pitiful than me.”

I meant it.

I truly believe there’s no one in the world more pitiful than I am.

The protagonist doesn’t grow.

The young lady complains about side dishes.

My salary is delayed.

At this point, I’m not just pitiful; I might as well be called a disadvantaged neighbor.

Of course, there are countless people more unfortunate than me, but selfishly, I’m one of those people who think of themselves as pitiable.

Well, life is still happy, though.

I kindly responded to Yuria’s objection.

Because now it was my turn to speak.

Listening further to Yuria’s story wouldn’t change anything, and I felt like it would only make me more uncomfortable. So I began to slowly open my mouth.

“I’ve never once thought of you as pitiful.”

“…”

“Why would I think someone bold and loved by others is pitiful? Even setting aside such trivial things, I don’t think of you as pitiful.”

“I don’t believe such lies anymore.”

“I’m not forcing you to believe me. I’m just saying what I want to say. It’s like this: I wouldn’t be able to live like such a push-over, but you’re amazing for doing so. Respect. Oh, is that mocking?”

“…”

“Anyway, every time I see you beautifully dressed up, I’m always in awe. Isn’t it funny? People say, ‘A poor commoner woman wearing an expensive dress is disgusting,’ but to me, I always think, ‘How can someone be so beautiful?’ Of course, not as much as Lady Olivia, whom I serve.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s an occupational habit.”

I looked up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky and took a step closer.

Plod. Even though the distance between us had lessened, Yuria didn’t say, “Don’t come closer.”

That meant my cheesy words had provided her with at least a little comfort.

I took another step closer, stood beside Yuria, and looked up at the stars in the night sky. In a calm voice, I said,

“You said I’m not the person you’re looking for, right?”

“…”

“But what should I do?”

The moon seemed unusually bright tonight.

The number of stars in the sky.

The Milky Way stretched out like a watercolor painting, bright and beautiful, stirring up emotions.

I turned my head to look at Yuria.

Even though the magic hadn’t worn off, I strangely felt as if I could see Yuria’s appearance clearly. Was my eyesight deteriorating? No, it must be the miracle created by the atmosphere’s magic.

Avoiding Yuria’s gaze, which was fixed on me, I spoke.

“In my eyes, at this moment, you look so incredibly beautiful.”

“…What?”

“Even your freckled face and the way you’re crying are exactly like the habits of the person I’ve been searching for. There’s so much I want to ask about what happened, but….”

I took off my jacket and draped it over Yuria’s shoulders, smiling.

“The weather is too cold to leave you outside for long.”

“Don’t you think so?”

“Miss Yuria.”

“…Please don’t do this. I…”

“Let’s stop playing hide-and-seek here.”

-Would you like to select ‘Yuria’ as your target?

‘Yes.’

[Selection has been completed.]

***

[You have successfully found ‘Yuria, Who Lost Her Beauty.’]

-The restriction on the Affinity Window has been lifted.

-The curse placed on Yuria has been lifted.

-As part of the reward, ‘Hidden Magical Talent’ has been unlocked.

[Unique Magic: Thunderbolt] has been unlocked.

*

-Protect Yuria.