The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 90

Another peaceful day at the estate.

After oversleeping, I stopped in my tracks when I saw the Young Lady sulking in a corner of the corridor.

[I will never date again.]

The Young Lady, seated in a wheelchair, had a wooden signboard with strange letters hanging around her neck.

The sight alone was enough to lift my spirits, and with a small smile, I asked her,

“What are you doing?”

“Being punished.”

“Punished?”

“Yeah. My brother told me to hold my hands up all day today.”

The Young Lady, receiving punishment by order of the next Head of the Family. As expected of the Desmond Family’s eldest son, he was a cruel man who did not forgive without action.

Watching the Young Lady’s trembling hands, I remarked,

“That’s quite a harsh punishment.”

“Yeah. So I was secretly lowering my hands to rest.”

“Shall I report this to the Young Master?”

“No!”

The Young Lady and I exchanged awkward glances.

My gaze, as if I might run straight to Kyle’s room at any moment, and her icy glare, as if she’d force me into resignation if I did.

As an ominous tension flickered between our eyes, the Young Lady sighed deeply, admitting defeat.

“If you tell Ricardo, my arms will fall off.”

“I’ll pick them up and reattach them for you.”

“Ricardo, you’re so clumsy you’d probably attach my right hand to my left arm.”

“Wouldn’t that be unfortunate?”

“Stop teasing me!”

Barely holding back a rising smirk, I continued to tease her, prompting her to glare at me with dissatisfaction.

“If you’re not going to help, just leave!”

“I haven’t done anything wrong, though?”

“My brother said you’d get punished too, Ricardo.”

“…”

Uneasy, I glanced toward the firmly closed door at the end of the hallway—Kyle’s room.

“Really?”

“No, I made it up.”

Annoyed by the Young Lady’s joke, I flicked her forehead.

“Why did you hit me!”

“Just because.”

“Eeeek!!!”

The Young Lady clenched her fists and waved them furiously.

Even with the weird signboard hanging around her neck, her threats were far from intimidating.

It was more like scolding a puppy caught chewing up tissues in a room—the sight of her sitting there with the signboard was more endearing than frightening.

The Young Lady, sulking with her hands raised.

I gently held her wrist, allowing her a small reprieve.

Her furrowed brow, tense from holding her hands up, softened at the light touch.

“Is it very difficult for you?”

“Yeah. My shoulders have been screaming since earlier.”

“How long have you been like this?”

The Young Lady smiled sheepishly and replied,

“Three minutes.”

“Ugh.”

I let go of her hand abruptly.

“How can you claim to be tired after just that much!”

“What! It’s still tiring!”

“Endure it for ten minutes.”

“Eeeek! No way!”

The Young Lady whined and pleaded for me to hold her hand again, saying it would make it less tiring. She even provocatively suggested we spend the entire day like this.

It was a tempting offer, but knowing Kyle would surely scold me if he found out, I resisted the alluring suggestion with tears in my eyes.

“So, did you have a good talk?”

I asked the Young Lady softly.

Did the conversation go well?

Judging by how she was being punished in such an adorable manner, I thought the discussion must have concluded reasonably well.

Seeing no servants in the corridor, it seemed Kyle had restricted access to this area.

The Young Lady lowered her head and answered in a shy voice,

“I don’t know… My brother said he’d still be angry until tomorrow, so I’m not sure.”

“And yet he gives out punishments like this?”

“…Isn’t he scolding me a lot?”

I flicked the Young Lady’s forehead again and smiled at her innocent question.

“Pfft… I have no idea either.”

The Young Lady tilted her head, a question mark practically floating above it, and asked what I meant. But I kept my lips sealed, leaving her to figure it out herself.

Truly, Kyle was someone who couldn’t be honest with himself.

As I continued my lighthearted conversation with the Young Lady—

-Click… Clack…

The sound of shoes striking the floor echoed from the stairs on the fourth floor. As the clear sound of footsteps drew closer to the third floor where we were, I straightened my clothes and peeked at the approaching figure.

Today, dressed in a deep navy uniform.

A middle-aged man with neatly styled hair slowly came into view. I bowed my head respectfully as he approached.

“Good morning, Head of the Household.”

“Yes, good morning, Ricardo.”

Impeccably dressed, Darbav waved his hand in greeting.

Standing in front of us in the corridor, Darbav looked down at the Young Lady with a surprised expression.

“You’re doing something amusing, Olivia.”

The Young Lady replied with a sullen face,

“Father, good morning.”

“Yes. Did you sleep well, Olivia?”

“No.”

“I see.”

Darbav nodded and patted the Young Lady’s head. He stroked her soft hair for a while.

The Young Lady looked up at Darbav and asked,

“Father, did you come to rescue me?”

“No.”

“…”

The Young Lady lowered her head, dejected.

“Kyle’s stubbornness is something I can’t break.”

“It’s fine.”

A solemn atmosphere enveloped the estate’s corridor. After a brief silence, I noticed the wooden signboard in Darbav’s hand and asked,

“Head of the Household, what is that in your hand?”

“Ah… This?”

Darbav shrugged his shoulders.

With a confident voice, Darbav stood next to the Young Lady and declared,

“It’s a love message from Rosanna.”

Then, as if it were second nature, he hung the signboard around his neck.

The Young Lady looked at Darbav and asked,

“Father, what are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

[I will not cause a disturbance in the morning.]

“I came to receive my punishment.”

After getting an earful from Rosanna, Darbav sighed, hung the signboard around his neck, and raised both hands as if it were second nature.

Darbav looked at me and asked,

“Did you come to get scolded too?”

“No, I did not.”

“How enviable.”

The Head of the Household spoke with genuine envy.

Seeing my flustered expression, Darbav, with an unwavering look, said,

“If you have a moment, could you ask Rosanna how long I need to keep my hands up?”

His blunt expression and unexpected words almost made me laugh, but I barely managed to suppress it, seeing how serious he looked.

A household where the Head of the Family is treated like this—it would be unimaginable elsewhere, but in Desmond, it was a common sight.

Admiring his demeanor, I headed down toward the kitchen where Rosanna was.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

“Take your time; there’s no rush.”

Darbav glanced at the Young Lady and spoke.

I later learned that Rosanna had never actually ordered him to do such a thing. It was merely a small excuse for a father to spend time with his daughter.

Truly.

“He’s a good person.”

Smiling, I welcomed the night at the estate.

***

Late into the night,

Darbav and Rosanna were sound asleep, and the Young Lady’s snoring echoed fiercely in the stillness.

Unable to sleep, I decided to take a walk in the mansion garden to breathe in the fresh air.

A vast park.

Statues of the previous Heads of the Family stood tall.

Walking through the mansion garden, where Rosanna tended the rose garden, I found myself lost in memories.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

-From today, this will be your home. If there’s anything you want to steal, ask for permission first. Got it?

-I want to run away.

-No. I picked you up, remember?

-Then I’ll officially become a stray dog starting today.

-Eeeek!

I vividly remember the Young Lady when she first picked me up.

Her plump cheeks and cat-like face from her younger days flashed through my mind.

Back then, I never imagined things would turn out like this.

The cold winter air stung my chest, and my breath came out in visible puffs.

It must have been weather like this when I first met the Young Lady.

Who would have thought that a fistfight with an orphan from the slum would lead to saving my life? As a possessor, I never imagined my relationship with the villainess would grow this deep.

She was the person I least wanted to meet.

And the one I least wanted to get involved with. Yet, our connection had grown unexpectedly long.

After walking for a while, just as I started to feel the chill,

a familiar voice called out from behind me.

“Ricardo.”

A strong male voice.

The person I thought would be the most awkward to meet alone in this mansion was calling me.

A man with black hair and blue eyes.

“Young Master.”

Desmond Kyle.

With his hands in his pockets, he called out to me. The immature boy from before had vanished, replaced by a man who now suited the title of the Next Head of the Family.

We had fought often.

He was my companion during childhood, along with Olivia.

Kyle waved his hand, refusing to stand on ceremony. He grimaced, saying he had never cared for such formalities, as he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to me.

“Care for a smoke?”

Though it was a tempting offer, I waved my hand and declined. The Young Lady disliked the smell of cigarettes.

“I’ll smoke next time.”

I bowed my head politely.

“I see.”

“I apologize.”

“No need to apologize.”

It was awkward.

Being alone with Kyle.

Especially after the incident with the Young Lady’s dark magic.

Kyle lit his cigarette and exhaled deeply. The white smoke rose into the night sky, adding to the silence of the garden.

“So…”

After another puff, Kyle finally spoke.

“How long do you plan to keep it a secret?”

Kyle stared at me with unwavering eyes.

“A sword-wielding commoner. I know you have ties to him from your days in the slum.”

Kyle hated Mikhail.

“Why… are you keeping it a secret about him?”

To the point of wanting to kill him.