The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 98

I stopped by a tavern after a long time.

To reward myself for working hard, I briskly walked to a place filled with short but cherished memories.

A tavern located on the outskirts of the capital city.

‘Grape Tavern.’

The ‘Grape Tavern,’ known for its delicious draft beer and dried snacks, was run by a young female proprietor and had appeared in the novel as Yuria’s favorite spot.

-Ding.

“Welcome~ This is the Grape Tavern. Oh my!”

The female tavern owner, who had been in the kitchen, exclaimed “Oh my!” upon seeing the face of a regular customer she hadn’t seen in a while. Greeting me warmly, she said it had been a long time. I waved lightly and bowed my head toward her.

“It’s been a while, Proprietress.”

“It’s been so long. I thought you were dead.”

“How could you think a young man with a bright future was dead? Apologize.”

“Hohoho, it just means I’m that happy to see you.”

I responded to her joke with a light laugh and said,

“I happened to be in the capital, so I stopped by for a bit. Is there a seat available?”

“Of course~ If there isn’t, I’ll make one for you.”

The female proprietor replied brightly with a smile. She was an unusually kind person who had once kicked out a troublesome guest and had since been generous with her service.

As we exchanged stories about each other’s recent lives with bright smiles, the proprietor glanced toward a corner of the restaurant and said to me,

“By the way, didn’t you come with a friend?”

“A friend?”

“Yes. You used to come here with someone occasionally. They’re already here, sitting over there.”

A friend… Who could it be?

As someone who had endured lonely academy days without any friends, I felt a bitter doubt about whether I even had someone I could call a friend. Following the proprietor’s gaze, I turned my head and saw a woman with pink hair sitting alone in a corner, sipping beer.

Taking a sip of beer, she furrowed her brows and muttered, “Ugh… bitter,” with a familiar expression that made a small smile escape my lips.

Noticing my ambiguous expression, the proprietor cautiously asked,

“Should I set up a separate table for you?”

I shook my head, politely declining her consideration.

“No, I’ll sit over there.”

With light steps, I walked toward the secluded corner where Yuria was sitting.

Despite there being plenty of good seats, I found it amusing that Yuria had chosen such a secluded place. And seeing someone who disliked alcohol acting like this was funny, making me smile uncontrollably.

*

“Why are you drinking alone, like a tragic heroine?”

Yuria looked at me with startled eyes. Half-closed from drunkenness, her eyes reflected a sense of surprise as she stared at me.

“Ricardo…? How did you end up here?!”

“Why would the most handsome and perfect man in the world come to a tavern? To drink, of course.”

“What nonsense…”

Flustered, Yuria chuckled softly and responded to my words. Though I had spoken sincerely, her reaction of brushing it off as a joke made me smile along with her.

Scrrr. Carefully pulling out a chair, I sat down across from Yuria.

Drinking alone had felt lonely, but having company now lifted my spirits.

Looking at Yuria, who wore a bitter smile, I asked,

“May I sit here?”

“You’re already sitting.”

“If you’d said no, I was planning to run away.”

Yuria chuckled softly again and gave her approval.

“Sit.”

“Thank you. I almost had to drink alone, but now I don’t have to.”

“What about the Young Lady…?”

Yuria glanced behind me and asked, but I shrugged and answered her curiosity with, “The Young Lady is asleep.”

After ordering beer and dried squid from the clerk, I gazed softly at Yuria.

Her eyes, slightly moist.

Her expression, tinged with sorrow.

Seeing Yuria’s downcast face, as if she’d just been crying, I thought, ‘The heroine is always crying.’

Though the novel often described her in a melancholic light, seeing it in person… It didn’t sit well with me.

While the romance fantasy novel was bright and hopeful for its female readers, that only applied to the male leads.

The heroes were physically strong but carried their own deficiencies.

Yuria, on the other hand, was physically weak but filled the emotional voids of others.

This dynamic made the novel entertaining, but for Yuria herself, it probably wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Not that Yuria was weak. She possessed unparalleled talent in healing magic and extensive knowledge of holy magic, far beyond her peers.

Mikhail, Ruin, and the other supporting male leads were simply exceptional in every field. It was never that Yuria lacked anything.

Their talents were just in different areas.

The same went for Hans’ matter.

I cautiously thought that she might be feeling disillusioned with her reality, where she always seemed to be the one receiving help.

Though she received praise from those around her,

She herself felt she couldn’t do anything.

The novel had described Yuria’s feelings at this point in time—a period of wandering, questioning her worth amidst complex interpersonal relationships.

She had been bullied since her 1st year.

Hans had fallen to darkness.

And during crises, she could only rely on the male leads, feeling disheartened by her own incompetence.

So I could somewhat predict the worries Yuria might be harboring.

Though I could be wrong.

I cautiously spoke to Yuria, who wore a sorrowful expression.

“You’re having a hard time, aren’t you?”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“I just thought you might be struggling with your studies and academy life. Unlike me, you haven’t thrown away your grades.”

“…It’s manageable.”

Yuria replied with a bitter expression.

Though her voice was firm, as if telling me not to meddle, her gloomy face revealed the stress she felt about her studies.

Hoping to make her smile, I put on an obnoxious expression and said,

“Just live off your looks like I do. It’s exhilarating.”

Yuria chuckled softly and replied,

“You know you’re incredibly annoying, right?”

“That’s exactly what I was going for.”

“Pfft! What even is that…”

I thought I had lightened Yuria’s burdens a little, but it seemed I hadn’t been much help.

Seeing her somber expression, I gave a bitter smile and shifted the conversation to lighter topics.

“Did you enjoy the tteokbokki today? I worked hard on it since it was a special order.”

Yuria gulped down her beer and answered,

“It was really delicious.”

Not being good with alcohol, Yuria furrowed her brows and muttered softly, “Ugh… bitter,” expressing her honest feelings.

‘Drinking too much isn’t good for you.’

Recalling the novel’s description of her getting drunk after just three beers, I smiled faintly, worried about her overdrinking.

“I’m glad you liked it. I put a lot of effort into making it. Though I accidentally used salt instead of sugar in the unfamiliar kitchen, it’s a relief it turned out well.”

“…What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I made it with care.”

“…”

At my straightforward words, Yuria lowered her head.

In a trembling voice, she cautiously asked,

“Do you do that for just anyone?”

Seeing Yuria’s ears turn red as she kept her head down, I shook my head. Perhaps it was because she’d exceeded her drinking limit, but her ears were flushed bright red.

“My tteokbokki, made with all my heart, isn’t for just anyone.”

“Then why did you make it for me?”

“Because you’re a precious friend?”

“…”

Yuria’s ears turned even redder.

‘I don’t think I should let her drink any more.’

I had expected a cheerful drinking session, but at this rate, it seemed like a tragedy might unfold where I’d have to deal with a drunken Yuria’s ramblings.

Taking advantage of the moment when Yuria lowered her head, I carefully moved the beer glass next to her to the corner.

-Softly.

Yuria, who was intently watching my hand as I stealthily hid the glass at the edge of the table.

With her chin resting on the table and a sullen expression, Yuria puffed out her cheeks and spoke to me.

“Why are you hiding it?”

“…I didn’t do anything.”

“Lie.”

Awkwardly smiling, I returned the beer glass to its place beside Yuria.

Yuria, who had puffed out her cheeks, saw the beer glass returned to her and immediately broke into a silly grin before gulping down the remaining beer.

She wiped the foam from her lips with a quick motion and scrunched up her face, saying, “Ugh… bitter.”

Shaking my head at her antics, I said,

“For someone who can’t handle alcohol, taking a shot is truly admirable.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

-Softly.

Yuria, her pride in drinking slightly bruised, stared at me intently again.

“Who do you think is the reason I’m like this…?”

At Yuria’s cheeky tone, with her words ending on a rising note, I replied with a small smile.

“By any chance… did you know I overcharged you today? I added 10 more gold.”

“?”

Yuria looked at me with startled eyes.

“…Didn’t you?”

“No.”

“Oh…”

Unintentionally confessing, I scratched the back of my head and gave a cheerful smile.

“Looks like I’ll be hauled off by the Imperial Army.”

“…”

“I’ll make sure to tell the boss to give you some service next time.”

Faced with Yuria’s cold expression, I was at a loss for words.

An awkward atmosphere lingered.

As the tavern gradually filled with more people, Yuria and I continued drinking.

One glass.

Two glasses.

As I began to feel uneasy at the increasingly unfocused look in Yuria’s eyes.

“Haa…”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Yuria finally spoke.

“Ricardo.”

Not in formal speech.

Yuria was speaking informally.

Smiling at her unguarded demeanor, I responded.

“Why are you calling me?”

“Well…”

Yuria hesitated for a long moment before finally opening her mouth.

“Do you not hate me?”