The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 84

Yuria wandered the streets with empty eyes.

Since that day, many things had happened.

A disciplinary committee was convened by the student council.

Despite the student council president’s warning, Mikhail, Ruin, and Yuria were disciplined for going to the dungeon.

A heated argument broke out between Ruin, who claimed the disciplinary action was unfair, and Princess Chartia, who exploded in anger, while Mikhail and Yuria humbly accepted the punishment.

Chartia told us. She said it was dangerous enough, warned us not to go, and then got furious, almost throwing documents at us, asking why we acted so recklessly.

-You almost died. If the Knights’ Order had been even a little late, you all would have died. Are you insane, going there with just the three of you? Did you ignore the warnings from the student council members? Do you think I’m a joke? Do my words mean nothing to you?

-Fine, I get it. Ruin’s always been self-willed, so I’ll let that slide. That guy lives without thinking anyway.

-What?

-Shut up. Before I sew your mouth shut.

-Damn it. My mood was already shitty…

-I said shut up. If you run your mouth one more time, it won’t just be a suspension; I’ll have you expelled.

-…

Chartia, with dark circles hanging heavily under her eyes, looked at Yuria and spoke.

-Sigh… And Mikhail, Yuria. Shouldn’t you two know better? You’ve always been diligent, and Yuria, you haven’t even been able to enter a dungeon since your 1st year… Sigh… Seriously…

-…I’m sorry.

-Anyway. All three of you are suspended.

-Why are we suspended? We didn’t even do anything wrong…!

-Shut up! Ending it at this level was the best I could do.

Yuria was given a one-month suspension.

If it had been an ordinary student, it wouldn’t have ended with just a suspension. Expulsion was considered, but the faculty and Chartia argued that expelling top students, who were the faces of their respective departments, would be a loss for the academy, so the punishment was reduced.

And.

The student council president mentioned that several letters, suspected to belong to heretics, were found in Hans’ room. He expressed resentment, saying they had set up an encirclement to capture him alive without getting too close, but we ruined it, and then added a single irritated comment.

-If there are any casualties because of that guy, it’s on you. You might say I’m shifting the blame… but you’re right, so don’t resent me.

-If you feel wronged, you should’ve listened to me.

“Sigh…”

Yuria wandered the capital city, lost in thought.

It wasn’t because of her suspension that she roamed the streets like a lost child. She had prepared herself for this the moment she stepped into the dungeon to search for the missing Hans.

But.

-Trash.

The events shown by the Blue Window that day kept replaying in her mind, making it unbearable to stay in her room.

She hadn’t been sleeping well for a while, and the dagger her father had gifted her when she entered the academy remained buried in her dormitory drawer, untouched.

Whenever she looked at that dagger, her hands trembled, and her breathing grew ragged.

The certainty she thought she had was revealed to be a horrifying mistake, and Yuria couldn’t shake off her gloomy mood.

She wanted to apologize immediately, but…

She felt she couldn’t face Ricardo as she was now.

She had said harsh words to him and hadn’t even thanked him for saving her from the heretics in the dungeon. If she apologized for what happened in the dungeon as well… she wouldn’t know what kind of expression to make.

‘It’s shameless.’

Even if she apologized now, nothing would change.

The mistake had already been made.

Forcing something in a broken relationship might only make things worse. Yuria hesitated.

It wasn’t that she had forgiven Ricardo.

She wasn’t sure if she had the right to forgive, but she hadn’t forgiven what he had done.

What Ricardo had done at the academy still left a deep scar.

And if it were Ricardo.

-It’s fine. Just run away.

He would surely smile and say it was okay, which made it even harder for Yuria to apologize.

What she had done to Ricardo couldn’t be resolved with a simple apology.

She wanted to be hated. Even if it was resentment for only now remembering, she felt it might ease her heart a little.

Even now, the chilling sound that pierced Ricardo still seemed to echo in her ears. Yuria wore a gloomy expression and let out a sigh.

“I don’t know either…”

What to do first.

Where to start fixing things.

This was the first time Yuria had faced something like this, and she couldn’t find the correct answer.

Helping others.

Having always been the one bullied, the feeling of being a perpetrator was far from pleasant.

As she wandered the streets with a heavy heart.

-Murmur, murmur.

Yuria stopped walking at a spot where people were gathering. Seeing the dense crowd, she hurried over, thinking.

‘Is there a fight?’

If this many people were gathering, it was likely a famous circus troupe, a dancer, or a fight. With that in mind, Yuria began pushing through the crowd.

No matter how downcast she was, she couldn’t just pass by if someone was hurt.

With a fragile heart, she pushed through the crowd, but her small stature made it hard to see what everyone was looking at.

‘I can’t see…!’

Yuria spoke to a tall man standing nearby.

“Excuse me… Why is everyone gathered here?”

“Hmm? Ah… There’s something amazing.”

“Something amazing?”

“A chair with wheels is carrying people.”

“A chair with wheels?”

Yuria thought to herself.

Was this really worth all the fuss? She could understand it being an unusual sight, but she couldn’t grasp why so many people had gathered.

The tall man stroked his long beard and exclaimed in admiration.

“It’s no ordinary chair… It’s a self-propelling wheelchair! The fact that it can carry two people and still move at that speed… It’s thrilling.”

Another man standing next to him nodded, clenching his fist with the fervor of youthful excitement.

“It’s a cart that carries people, but is it really okay for it to go that fast? It seems dangerous.”

Though he spoke with concern, his eyes were filled with burning curiosity.

“Should I ask for a ride… just once?”

The middle-aged man murmured wistfully, his gaze full of longing.

Driven by growing curiosity, Yuria pushed through the crowd. After much effort, she finally broke through and saw what everyone was looking at. She couldn’t hide her astonishment.

-Vroom, vroom, vroom.

-Eek!!!

It was a chair that actually moved.

With a red body.

Making a loud “Vroom” noise, the chair sped through the streets at high speed, catching Yuria’s eye.

And.

When she saw the person riding the chair, Yuria couldn’t hide her trembling gaze.

“Hehehe!!! Hehehehehe!!”

“Young Lady! Didn’t I tell you speeding is prohibited?”

“Ricardo didn’t tell me how fast it is.”

“Go at 30—no, 20!”

“20?”

Hearing the man’s words from the footrest below the backrest, the woman suddenly hit the brake.

The chair, which had been speeding, came to a sudden stop with a screeching sound. The man’s body flew into the air.

“Huh?”

“Eek…! Ricardo is flying!”

“You made him fly, Young Lady.”

The man, who landed among the gathered crowd, performed a somersault before touching down on the ground and dusting off his hands.

“Nice landing.”

The crowd erupted into applause at the sight.

“Did you come here to perform in a circus?”

“Woohoo~~~!”

The man lowered his head and gave an awkward smile.

“Thank you. I’m not with a circus troupe; I’m a butler.”

As he glanced around and tried to return to the chair where he had been sitting—

“Huh?”

Yuria accidentally made eye contact with the man.

When the man saw her, he smiled brightly and said,

“Aren’t you Miss Yuria?”

It was a meeting that happened sooner than expected.

While the flustered Yuria stammered and hesitated, the woman left stranded in the middle of the street began scolding Ricardo.

“Ricardo. Let’s go quickly. The chocolate shop will close.”

“It’s only 10 o’clock, Young Lady.”

“What if it’s sold out?”

“Then it can’t be helped.”

“…Ugh!”

Ricardo smiled softly as he approached her. Watching Ricardo calmly adjust his attire and walk toward her, Yuria’s gaze faltered.

“How are you here…”

“Ah.”

Ricardo turned his head to look at the woman sitting in the chair. Though her face was hidden by a helmet, her voice made it clear she was Olivia.

Seeing his master fidgeting with her fingers and feeling embarrassed under the gaze of others, he whispered softly,

“Well… there are some circumstances.”

“Pardon?”

“The Young Lady is inexperienced at driving. The estate—no, anyway! We came to the capital for a trip, and to celebrate the Head of the Household’s birthday.”

As always, Ricardo spoke with a serene smile.

“Have you been doing well, Miss Yuria?”

“I…”

No words came out.

Her lips trembled, and she struggled to think of what to say. With her mind blank, Yuria forced out,

“I’ve… been doing well.”

“That’s a relief.”

“And… have you been well, Ricardo?”

“Me?”

Once again, Olivia’s irritated voice echoed from the middle of the street.

“Ricardo!”

As he began to walk away, Ricardo replied,

“Yes. Very much so.”

Ricardo looked genuinely happy.

*

On the way to the chocolate shop after parting with Yuria in the capital.

The Young Lady, seated in her wheelchair, turned her head and asked,

“Ricardo, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Yes. I feel like I might finally grow a little.”

“Grow?”

“I mean in height.”

“I know.”

Ricardo was aware of what had happened with Hans. He knew they wouldn’t die. And he also knew this event would serve as a catalyst for growth.

Ricardo understood this with the benevolent heart of a possessor.

“Now, I’m going to live a carefree life.”

“You’ve always been like that.”

“…”

Ricardo pressed down on Olivia’s helmet.

“Ack!!! I’ve turned into a dwarf!”