The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 349-350

-Thump... thump...

In the living room of the young lady's peaceful mansion.

"Ooh..."

"Gulp..."

"That's it..."

In the living room, the Desmunt family, with their fists clenched, swallowed hard as they watched the young lady sitting in the Pexri No. 1.

Darbav's eyes reddened as he held back tears.

"Sniff... Olivia. Don't push yourself."

Kyle repeatedly bowed and raised his head as if he couldn't bear to watch.

"Haa... I can't watch. What if she falls..."

Rosanna, likewise, watched the young lady, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Sob... You can do it, my daughter."

The young lady, sitting in the Pexri No. 1, clenched her fists and looked at me, and I, too, nodded in encouragement to the mentally prepared young lady.

"Phew...!"

The Pexri No. 1 is shaking.

The young lady's hands, which bore the weight of her center of gravity on the wheelchair, were trembling. A bead of sweat dripped from her focused brow, and simultaneously, the smile on my lips faded.

Because I was nervous.

I wasn't afraid of the young lady's failure. Depending on her condition, she could fail or succeed. What I was afraid of was the young lady being disappointed if she fell. I was worried that her spirit would break if she fell in front of her believing family.

"Eeeeeek...!"

'You can do it.'

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!"

The young lady, who was the center of everyone's attention, gathered her strength and moved her body, and soon, seeing her bottom slowly lift from the wheelchair seat, the Desmunt family began to exclaim in admiration.

"Olivia!!!"

"Well done... my sister."

"Hic... It's a miracle."

I was proud.

It wasn't something I did, but I felt a sense of pride seeing the young lady receiving praise.

Slowly, very slowly.

It was the moment the young lady, who had only been seen sitting for a long time, began to walk.

It wasn't a great step, but.

"Phewwoooooo!!!"

Someone might compare the young lady's steps to those of a newborn calf and laugh.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!"

Everyone here was watching the young lady's steps with more meaning than anyone else.

"Hah!"

Standing up, the young lady took a deep breath in front of the people with reddened eyes. The young lady, who was placing a hand on her chest and catching her breath, looked at me once and then let out a 'heehee' sound and smiled brightly.

"Haha."

The young lady's clear smile brought a smile to my lips as well. My nervous heart was also turning to joy.

She may be the young lady I serve, but isn't she just too amazing? But that's probably not it. I'm completely smitten, after all.

So.

"It's not over yet!"

'Show them something amazing, young lady.'

The young lady stretched out her hand to stop Darbav, who was about to embrace her, adding the meaningful words that she still had something to show.

"Uh..."

Darbav, frozen like ice, looked at the young lady's palm and nodded, and soon, his eyes began to widen as he saw the young lady slowly moving her steps.

"This is..."

One step.

"Olivia..."

Two steps.

The young lady's focused expression could not be called beautiful. The way she walked with her lips pouted showed she was solely focused on walking.

I added a narration from the side. Because I felt the young lady would want to say these words right now.

"The young lady's best record is two steps."

"No way...!"

"Ricardo, don't provoke Olivia."

"...Mom believes in Olivia."

"Now, this very moment is when the young lady sets a new record!"

The corners of the young lady's mouth were twitching upwards. Seeing the young lady's twitching lips, as if she had heard the words she wanted to hear, I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

Because I believe she can do it.

So.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!"

-Thud!

I prayed that she would show them something amazing.

-Drip. Drip. Drip.

On the evening of the day of the young lady's 'first steps reception,' which ended with a warm welcome from many.

After finishing my meal and entering the bathhouse, I smiled at the familiar backs of those who were already there.

Because there were men with sturdy muscles for mages.

Darbav and Kyle were sitting in the bath, talking enthusiastically about what had happened today.

"It was amazing."

"Right."

"Not one step, but three. We must hire a painter to capture this in a painting."

"A good idea. I'll consider it favorably."

"How about 'The First Step for the World' as the title?"

"Good."

They were a bunch of doting fathers.

I smiled slightly and walked towards Darbav and Kyle, throwing out the question, 'Did you like it?'

When they arrived, saying 'Olivia...! I have to see Olivia,' and parked the carriage in the yard, I was so flustered. It was a relief I had finished cleaning; if they had come while I was cleaning, it would have been troublesome in many ways.

After the successful reception, I slowly approached and started a conversation.

"Did you enjoy your day?"

"Hmm?!"

"Mm."

"Hahaha..."

"Ricardo-gun."

"That's right, it's Ricardo."

The two men nodded, then looked at the spot obscured by the thick steam and nodded once more.

"It's a monstrous thing no matter how many times I see it."

"...The best in the empire. No, I think it's the best in the world."

"Uh... um. Thank you."

Darbav nodded and replied.

"Be proud. It's the highest compliment among men."

My face flushed at Darbav's words, who spoke the embarrassing joke with a serious expression. Those two are not ordinary either.

"May I sit next to you?"

"Of course."

"Sit down."

Dipping my toes slightly into the water, I sat down next to Darbav and Kyle and let out a deep breath. The warm water enveloping my body relaxed my tension.

A moment of silence passed.

Darbav too.

Me too.

Kyle too.

Time passed in silence, with no one saying a word.

And.

"...Your body."

Darbav broke the silence and started to speak.

"Is it alright?"

Darbav spoke to me while looking at the wall of the bath. The question of whether my body was alright. At the same time, Kyle also pressed his lips together, looked into the air, and gently closed his eyes.

A question arose.

'The question of why he was asking about my body.' Today was the young lady's day. I couldn't understand why he would ask me such a question, but Darbav added, as if he understood my confusion.

"I heard you and Kyle talking."

"..."

"That you are ruining your body."

'Ah...'

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I happened to hear it."

"..."

"That you are ruining your body to treat Olivia's legs."

"That's not true."

Darbav ignored my denial and continued to speak firmly. As if a clumsy lie wouldn't work.

"The price must be your lifespan."

"..."

"If it weren't for your lifespan, a miracle of this level wouldn't be possible."

"It is not black magic."

"I don't care if it's black magic or not. What's important is that you chose to sacrifice yourself for Olivia, and that makes me angry."

"...That is."

Darbav let out a long sigh and spoke in a choked voice.

"When you first came to this mansion, I didn't welcome you very much."

"..."

"When Olivia brought home a strange little boy and said she was going to make him a 'butler,' honestly, I wasn't pleased. There are many smart kids, and many nobles who want to work for the Desmunts, so I wondered why it had to be a boy from the slums..."

"..."

"Do you know what I even thought...? I thought you were a spy sent by another family. As you know, the Desmunts have many enemies."

"I... see."

"Because Olivia liked you, because you were a child Olivia doted on, I thought it would be alright. And I thought you would run away soon enough because of Olivia's personality."

"..."

"But you endured, and you knew what Olivia liked and disliked and made her happy. To be honest, Olivia's personality isn't that great."

"You knew."

"Hahaha! Of course. If it weren't for the Desmunt family, she would have had her family line exterminated long ago."

Darbav let out a hearty laugh and continued to speak. With the meaning that he was glad Olivia was being influenced by my color.

"A blessing in disguise."

"..."

"When the family was struggling, the information you gave was a great help."

"..."

"The days when I suspected you, who knew a suspicious amount of things, are long past. Now, I only feel proud."

Darbav let out a long breath and said.

"I'm glad Olivia is becoming like you. So..."

Darbav squeezed his eyes shut and said.

"Stop this reckless behavior now."

"..."

"I don't want to neglect you any longer for my own greed."

"..."

"When I heard you and Kyle talking, I ignored it with a father's heart... But not anymore."

"..."

"We have to stay together, don't we?"

Darbav's eyes were moist.

"I have had enough good dreams."

At the same time.

In the women's bath, Rosanna was washing Olivia's hair. The mother and daughter, whose monstrous breasts inherited through genetics were covered with towels, were chatting casually.

"Hue..."

"You have to stay still."

"Ughhhhh..."

Rosanna spoke softly while washing Olivia's hair.

"Olivia."

"Ung?"

"Olivia, what do you think of Ricardo?"

Olivia turned her head and looked at Rosanna.

"...Huh?"

At Rosanna's question, Olivia's eyes trembled greatly. She had asked something Olivia had never deeply considered before.

"...Huh?"

"..."

"Well, he's a good person..."

Rosanna cut Olivia off as she lathered shampoo into her hair, as if to say that wasn't what she was asking.

"I'm not asking as a butler, but how you think of him as a man."

"...Huh?"

A faint smile appeared on Rosanna's lips as she saw Olivia's flustered expression. It had been a long time since she had seen her less-than-honest daughter look so flustered.

It was amusing.

And at the same time, she felt sorry for Ricardo.

It seemed he still had a long way to go.

Rosanna spoke bluntly to Olivia, as if to say, "This is what I think, what do you think?"

"I like Ricardo."

"Huh...?"

"I said, I like Ricardo."

Olivia turned her head to look at Rosanna and said.

"No cheating. Dad would be sad."

"Oh ho ho...! What is this child saying! That's not what I meant. I'm saying that Ricardo seems like a good person."

"...A good person?"

"He's a good cook."

"Yeah."

"He's a good worker, he's quick-witted, and he's even amiable. Above all, he's good at putting up with you, Olivia."

"...That's true."

"He's also handsome, so I was just saying that I would like Ricardo as a son-in-law."

"...Son-in-law?"

Olivia frowned. She wasn't too pleased with her mother telling her to take an interest in something she had never seriously considered.

Love.

The wind blowing from a place where she had experienced a great failure still felt frightening.

Not yet.

Yes, she didn't want to think deeply about love just yet...

As Olivia was about to finish her thought, Rosanna's warning reached her ears. A warning that if she hesitated too long with rash thoughts, she might be too late.

"You might feel at ease now because the spot next to Ricardo is empty, but if you hesitate, another woman will come and take that spot."

"..."

"Don't you ever feel that way, Olivia? The feeling of wanting to be the first and not wanting to be stolen from."

"...Ugh."

"I think I heard recently that Lady Histania is interested in Ricardo..."

Olivia pouted and turned her head away.

"...I don't know."

She said shyly.

Rosanna chuckled at the sight of Olivia blushing. It didn't seem like a hopeless case.

'Should I stop here for today?'

It wasn't good to provoke her shy daughter too much. Rosanna decided to tease her just this much for now and save the rest for later.

"I'm going to rinse the foam, so close your eyes."

"Okay."

-Shwaaaaaa...!

As the water poured over her head, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and thought of Ricardo. The dumb, foolish, and amusing butler.

"..."

Her face felt hot.

As if her mother had poured hot water on her.

"I don't know..."

It's hot.

"Answer me."

Darvav said to me with a sad expression. He said that he had had enough of pleasant dreams.

I didn't know how Darvav had come to hear this story, but I thought it would take a lot of conversation to clear up the misunderstanding. I was grateful for his concern, but I also had a stubbornness that couldn't be broken.

"Say that you'll stop now."

-Grip...

I couldn't give Darvav the answer he wanted.

I've come so far.

Just when a glimmer of hope appeared in the seemingly endless despair, and we've reached a point where we can avoid hurting each other, it would be too much of a shame to give up. No, I've come to a point where I can't give up, so I couldn't answer Darvav's words.

I put on a firm expression and retorted to Darvav.

"I can't do that."

Kyle, who had been watching me quietly, shouted with a cold gaze, as if telling me to stop being stubborn and obey his father.

"Father is thinking of you."

"I am grateful for that. I am truly grateful that you took me in and have looked upon me favorably."

"Then... just quietly obey Father's words. That would be better for you, for me, and for Olivia."

"But."

I said with a faint smile.

"How can I, when I've come so far? When happiness is just around the corner..."

"..."

At my bitter reply, Darvav and Kyle were speechless. They were also the young lady's parents and family. Perhaps the ones who wished for the young lady to walk more than anyone else could only swallow their breath with complicated expressions.

Telling me to stop must have taken a great deal of courage for them as well.

"I can't give up."

"Even if you are disowned?"

"I can gladly accept it. If it is for the young lady's sake."

"...You foolish bastard."

Darvav let out a hollow laugh and then shook his head.

"Why are you doing this?"

"..."

"I'm asking, why are you going this far?"

"..."

"Is it because you pity Olivia, or is it to repay a debt of gratitude?"

I smiled slightly and shook my head, implying that if I had chosen this sacrifice for such reasons, I would never have started in the first place.

"She is the cutest person in the world."

I spoke my honest feelings.

"She has the worst personality of anyone, but at the same time, she's also the kindest person... She's stubborn, but she also has the consideration to know when to bend her stubbornness at times."

"..."

"And above all..."

"..."

"Isn't she the prettiest in the world? And I am such a young lady's butler."

Darvav bowed his head and said that while he thought he was lenient when it came to his daughter, I seemed to be even worse.

"You're completely smitten."

"Haha! I can't help it. I'm the butler who must protect the young lady's smile."

"Haa..."

Darvav ran a hand through his wet hair and spoke.

"Honestly, I want to beat you down. It seems I should correct a disobedient fellow by force."

"..."

"But... looking at you now, I feel like words won't get through. It's like seeing myself when I was young."

Darvav let out a long sigh and said.

"I won't stop you. It's a selfish thought, but I also want to see Olivia run."

"...Thank you."

"But you must promise me this one thing."

Darvav looked me straight in the eyes and replied.

"Don't die."

"..."

"That promise to protect Olivia's smile. You must keep it to the end."

"...Understood."

I smiled and nodded, filled with the conviction that I could protect it.

"I will definitely protect it."

"Yes... I understand."

As he came out of the bath, Darvav looked at me and said.

"Follow me out."

"What?"

"I need to confirm if you are qualified to protect my daughter."

Darvav wore a chilly expression and uttered a threat, looking like a bear whose cub had been taken.

The conversation seemed to have ended on a good note, so why was he making such a face?

"I have no intention of giving my daughter to someone weaker than me."

Ah.

"Come out to the yard."

This is bad.

In the mansion's yard stood Darvav, myself, and Kyle.

Kyle was glaring at me with sharp eyes, and Darvav was warming up.

Darvav, who was lightly warming up like an instructor preparing for battle, frowned as he looked at me standing there blankly.

"Why are you just standing there?"

"What?"

"You need to warm up too. We're about to spar."

"Ah... well..."

Darvav let out a hollow laugh and said to me.

"Didn't you say you wanted to see my daughter happy? Then isn't it a father's duty to confirm that you have the strength to do so?"

"Even so..."

"Draw your sword."

The villain Darvav, darkening as in the novel.

In the original work, Darvav was a great magician who used powerful magic.

A monster capable of dropping countless meteors on the capital and destroying the empire.

Facing the powerful villain who, in the novel, couldn't have been killed without a joint attack from Rowen and Mikhail, I drew my sword with an awkward expression.

-Lady Caliburn.

-Yes.

-I will borrow your strength.

-Use it whenever you wish. I am a strong lady, after all.

I looked at Darvav and thought.

'Can I even reach him?'

Facing Darvav, whom I had never fought before, I gripped my sword, hiding my nervousness.

Darvav smiled slightly and said.

"I will hold back."

"Thank you."

"Just don't go down in one hit."

-Grip...

A huge amount of magical power flows.

Hands and feet.

And I can feel my whole body being enhanced with rough magical power. I also had a gut feeling that if I got hit wrong by Darvav's fist, something bad could happen.

"...Die. You thief."

"What?"

"Here I come."

With a short cry, Darvav kicked off the ground and began to run.

In an instant, Darvav was right in front of me, swinging his fist at my face. The fist came at me faster than I expected, and I reflexively swung my sword.

Not with the blade.

"...Huh?"

But with the flat of the sword.

The moment Caliburn's blade flashed, Kyle rubbed his eyes and looked at me. And.

-Rumble.

"..."

Darvav, who had broken the wall, also looked at me, his eyes trembling.

"Haha... I couldn't control my strength."

Darvav grimaced and ground his teeth.

"This is why I hate swordsmen."

The exchange continued.

-My apologies.

-...

-Ah... My apologies.

As the exchange continued, worry began to build on Darvav's face, and at the last moment, as he was sent flying into the air by Caliburn.

-...Try and block this too.

The spar finally ended after Kyle stopped him from dropping a giant meteor on the mansion.

-Let go!!!

-Calm down!

-If I just use magic, my daughter...!

-Father!!!

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head and smiled.