The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 377-378

Shartia, with a gentle smile, placed her hand on the teacup and spoke in a low voice.

"There was a fire at the academy."

"Are you talking about the fire in the manufacturing lab? I know about it because it's famous. I believe... they never caught the arsonist."

"..."

Shartia smiled wryly and held her tongue. She always had to be careful with her words in front of the head of the information guild, who bought and sold information. Shartia wanted to avoid a single slip of the tongue becoming a rumor throughout the empire.

At Shartia's tight-lipped response, the guild master let out a hearty laugh and expressed his disappointment.

"You're not taking the bait. I thought I might get some good information."

Shartia smiled and said.

"Don't be too disappointed. I'm giving you high-quality information after all. The guild master is the only one who will hear the story of the man who saved the princess's life, so isn't that good information?"

"Puhaha...! That's true too. A story from Your Highness is easily worth over 1000 gold."

"I'll be counting on you to maintain secrecy."

"I'll think about it."

At the guild master's playful joke, Shartia smiled faintly and continued the story.

"It caused quite a stir in the capital. The fire that happened at the academy..."

"That's right. I remember there were many complaints, like the academy is going to be ruined, or that taxes are being wasted due to a student's mistake."

"Right... It was really tough back then, I don't know how I endured it."

"Haha...! If it were me, I would have embezzled and run away."

"I should have run away back then too."

Shartia smiled gently.

"That day, I was cooped up in my office as always. There was always a lot of work..."

"I could hear the sound of a late student running down the hallway, and there were also students who snuck out of class to play."

"And not long after..."

Shartia, who had been smiling gently, clenched her fist and then opened it with a 'pop' in the air, adding the sound effect 'bang'.

"Bang."

She began to talk about what had happened that day.

That day was an ordinary day.

She was processing the piles of documents in her office and spending her time sighing at the childish complaints of the freshmen.

-The academy feels too gloomy. I think it would be nice to have a rose garden in the center, please.

"Damn it. There are already over three gardens in the academy, what are you talking about without even looking around."

-The history professor gives too much homework. I wish you would replace him with a young and handsome professor.

"Ha... I wish that too."

Surrounded by trivial documents, Shartia's physical condition that day was not very good.

Because she had been pestered by the Desmunt ducal lady for a while.

-Eeeek? A chocolate thief!

-...I have to run!

-Eeeeeeeeek!!!! If you have any hidden chocolate, give it to me!

-If it weren't for that bastard...!

Her energy was already low from overworking, and to top it off, she had come down with a cold from the Desmunt ducal lady's rampages in her office every other day.

"That son of a bitch... I hope you get ruined."

Even while she was sick, one of Shartia's pleasures was to find the name of the student 'Ricardo' and deduct points from his attitude score from time to time.

It was polite to return a bomb if you received one.

"You won't be able to rest during the vacation to make up for your grades. Hehehe..."

Shartia, who had deducted Ricardo's attitude score again today, was dozing off at her office desk.

Her physical condition was particularly bad that day.

Was the black tea she drank bad?

Or was it the problem that she had stayed up all night to focus on her work? It seemed her body was out of sorts.

"Haa... why does my head hurt so much."

She couldn't concentrate on her work because of the fever that wouldn't go down even after taking a fever reducer. It seemed as if the letters and the paper were playing separately.

"I have a mountain of work to do... my head feels like it's going to break."

Her head just wouldn't work.

The students were moving around, changing classrooms for their classes, and she could also hear the sound of a late student running hard.

"..."

She felt she could finish today's work if she just did a little more, but right now, she didn't have the energy to work any more because of her headache. Shartia stretched and let out a languid sigh.

"Should I sleep for a bit."

After all, no one would come into the office.

Unless it was for official business, almost no one came into the student council president's office for personal reasons. There were people who came in to be scolded, but no one came in to suck up.

At that time, my personality was so twisted that no one visited me.

-I heard a rumor that you are shortlisting the student council members.

-...Who did you hear that from.

-It's a secret. Anyway, please put our young lady in the student council too.

-...Ah?

Except for that guy.

Just thinking about the man who came into her office without permission was enough to give her a headache. Because he would always give her chocolate and spout strange things.

-It's a good day to skip class.

-It looks like it's going to rain. And go to your classes. You won't graduate at this rate.

-Hmm... It looks like it's going to pour suddenly, would you like to go and maintain the waterway with me?

-Are you crazy?

-...Heeing.

"...Phew."

Knowing that no one would visit her room except for that man who always came, Shartia gently closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Just a little.

Yes, it felt like she had dozed off for just a little while.

She had a nightmare.

A nightmare of her second older brother playing a prank on her with filth in front of her.

-Dirty blood can be washed away with water.

-D...don't.

-Are you scared? If you wash yourself with this water, you can become a royal just like us. If you wash away the commoner's blood with clean water, you can be treated just like me.

-N...no.

-Hey, get in.

-D...don't.

-What are you doing, you're no fun. If you get in once, I'll tell mom to be nice to you.

-...U...uwaaaah... don't. I'm scared.... I'm sorry.

-Why are you crying. Are you scared because it's too deep?

Even though there wasn't a big age difference, she was dreaming of the nightmare of her second older brother, whom she couldn't win against.

-Mooooom...

She couldn't struggle in her dream or in reality. Having nothing, I could only look at the filth reflecting my crying face.

Cold.

-I'm scared...

And afraid.

-I'm sorry...

Her weak self, who felt like she would drown in the bottomless puddle.

Even though she knew such things wouldn't happen anymore, it felt like her body would still tremble in fear when she had such dreams.

Just as her older brother's hand was about to move roughly in her dream.

"..."

'Cold...? Hot?!'

She felt her breath catch in her throat.

She gently opened her eyes.

It was the same office, but strangely, her body felt heavy. As if someone was pressing down on her, her body was so heavy that her eyes wouldn't open easily.

She had definitely slept, but her body felt worse instead of better. Just as she was feeling that something was wrong.

-Fwoosh...!

A hot heat brushed past her face, as if to tell her to come to her senses.

"...!!!"

Shartia, who had barely come to her senses, opened her surprised eyes and looked beyond the door.

"What... is going on...?"

-Fire!!!!

-Fire!!!

The office was strangely fine. Unlike the commotion outside, it was just as it was when she had taken a nap.

But.

"...Uh... uh huh?"

The moment she saw the black smoke seeping through the crack in the door, she began to be filled with fear.

The room is all black.

The rising smoke filled the room, and her eyes stung so much that she couldn't open them.

As her thoughts cleared, a violent cough began.

"Cough... cough...!"

Shartia hurriedly tried to open the door, but.

"Ouch, hot...!!!"

She failed due to the doorknob, which had already heated up.

"...Uh... uh huh.."

Panic set in.

She could have easily gotten out if she had used magic, or if she had jumped out of the window, but she couldn't make the right judgment in a situation she had never experienced before.

"Cough... cough..."

She couldn't breathe.

Her body wouldn't move because she had inhaled too much smoke.

"Ah... ah ugh..."

Shartia, whose body was so heavy that it wouldn't be strange if she fainted right now, let out a long sigh and dragged her body towards the window.

Just in case...

"No."

She was worried that a student who hadn't escaped might still be there.

If no one had been able to get out because of her nap, Shartia, who didn't have the confidence to take responsibility, looked out the window, and.

"Thank goodness."

-Fire!!!

-Where are the other students!?

-All the students in our department are out. It seems the other students are all out too...!

Only after seeing the students filling the area outside the window did she let out a sigh of relief. It seemed everyone had gotten out.

It was too late to do anything.

The office window was made of reinforced glass that wouldn't break with ordinary magic. Foolishly, she didn't think of breaking the window. Perhaps her body had reached its limit from the moment she woke up.

"...Cough."

It felt like the last chance God had given her.

When she instinctively felt that death was near, many thoughts came to her.

She thought she should have played a little more. And she also felt regret that she should have talked back to the royals who ignored her once.

Terrible memories.

Happiness she didn't want to forget.

Watching the many thoughts pass by like a panorama, she thought she had lived a truly fleeting life.

And in the midst of it all, I was also a fool for thinking of that man.

-Are you working again?

-Do some classes. This makes it meaningless for me to deduct your attitude score.

-Oh...! So the mastermind was here. Anyway.... If you keep working like that, you might die.

-Mind your own business.

-I'm saying this because I'm worried, aren't you being too cold?

-...Haa.

-This won't do. You and I are skipping work today and going out to play....

-Get lost.

-Heeing...

Strangely.

So.

"I don't want to die."

I didn't want to die.

No matter how shitty life was, there were still so many things I wanted to do, and it felt too unfair to just die. Because I hadn't even been in a relationship once.

She gathered her magical power to break the window.

"I'm going to live..."

-Bang!!

"I can't die yet...!"

-Bang...! Bang!!!

"Not yet...!"

-Bang...!

"Cough! Cough...! I can't die yet.... Please...! Pleeease!!!"

Just as tears were about to fall on the window that wouldn't crack.

-Swoosh.

"Are you crazy!!!!"

With the murmuring of the students outside the window, she could see someone entering the building.

The students were trying to stop him.

She couldn't see the face of the student who was pouring water on his head because of her blurry vision, but she felt a sense of envy. Because the person that man was going to save must be a precious person.

Was I also a precious person to someone? If so, there would have been someone who would have come to save me, doused in water.

There probably wasn't.

Because I hadn't lived such a life.

Regret is bound to remain no matter what you do. Even if you make choices in life without regret, regret will still remain after that.

"...I don't want to die."

Tears well up.

I had never shed a single tear since coming to the academy, but today, I felt like I would cry unbecomingly.

If only I hadn't taken a nap back then. If I hadn't been lazy and had always lived responsibly, I could have made a better outcome than now.

As regrets keep coming to mind, tears well up. After experiencing such an unfair time that I couldn't even think, I cry like a child.

"...I want to live..."

Is this the end.

Just as my heavy eyelids were about to close.

-Bang!!!

"Are you there?!"

A man drenched in water opened the door and came in with a bright smile.

"...Huh?"

It was Ricardo.

The daily uninvited guest in her office was standing before her.

Ricardo checked the complexion of Shartia, who was looking at him with a trembling expression, and then pointed to his hair and said.

"Ah, my hair is red, so I'll probably have fire resistance."

"..."

Ricardo was smiling.

With burn marks all over his body.

"Probably."

Ricardo was smiling brightly, like a carefree fool.

"It still stings a bit, though."

"...How?"

"How do you think? I walked up."

Ricardo's childlike smile never faded. As if he didn't know he had risked his life to get through the flames, he was looking at her with the same expression he always showed.

Reality fades away.

Looking at Ricardo's smile now. I find myself smiling like a carefree child, and I feel like the fear of facing death just moments ago will not return.

But the water droplets falling from his hair told me that Ricardo had not come here with an ordinary heart.

-Fwoosh...

He was also risking his life.

-Rumble...!

I slowly began to realize that he was holding his ground, fearing the debris that could fall on his head at any moment.

Shartia shouted at Ricardo with trembling hands.

"Go...!"

Telling him not to worry about her and to get out.

"I can get out on my own, so hurry...!"

If you stay any longer, you'll be in danger too, so don't worry and get out.

She said things she didn't mean to Ricardo. In fact, she wanted to say thank you for coming and to hold her and get her out of here, but she foolishly said such things to Ricardo.

Ricardo smiled gently and grabbed Shartia's shoulder.

"Shh. Don't say anything. I know what you want to say."

"...Huh?"

"You've inhaled too much smoke. So don't breathe in too deeply."

Ricardo, after saying his piece, placed a wet towel over her mouth. He placed it over her mouth, intertwining his fingers with hers, which were limp and weak, so she could hold the wet towel, and he stroked her hair with a small smile.

"Fortunately, we've protected the national treasure."

"National... treasure?"

"Aren't you the treasure of the empire, Princess?"

"..."

"Of course, the young lady is the treasure of the world."

As the cool wet towel helped her breathe, she felt a sense of relief. The relief of being alive. And she also felt a strange emotion at his calm, smiling face.

You....

'You're different from other people.' That's the feeling.

Touching the body of a royal without asking for permission.

"I'm going to grab your shoulder."

Not knowing what would be said about it, but holding her in his arms like a princess from a fairy tale. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"I'll hold on tight, so just stay conscious."

You, unlike others, are not afraid.

I think that's when I first felt it.

That contrary to what I knew, the person named Ricardo was a strong person who could give his back to others.

Though his thoughts are unknown.

Though he shows completely unpredictable actions, I realized that what he does is not so bad.

"Then let's go."

It felt like time had stopped.

Like the passage in a book that says time seems to stop during a first kiss. The moment she was held in his arms was so impressively etched in her mind that it felt like it would never be erased.

Even though it was a place full of black smoke and hot flames, she felt that the moment she was here was more peaceful than any other time.

"Ouch, hot...!!"

Pfft... how foolish.

"That's amazing."

"...It is."

The guild master, who had heard the story, smiled innocently as if he had returned to his youth and began to tease Shartia.

Because even on the lips of the iron-like Shartia, a girlish smile remained.

The guild master, intrigued by the princess's first-time naive appearance, added fuel to the fire.

"Isn't this a romance between a young man and woman that you wouldn't even see in a novel?"

"Don't tease me too much. It's embarrassing...."

"Teasing? When I was young, my wish was to meet a man like that. Of course, I did meet my husband now.... but anyway, who wouldn't fall for a hero who appears through the flames in a moment of crisis? I think I would fall for him too."

"That's true."

"So... so what happened after that? It doesn't seem like Ricardo-kun is completely without feelings either."

"...Haa. I'm busy with my own life, how can I be in a relationship? On the contrary, a woman like me would be a nuisance to him."

"Aren't you beautiful? Just by looks, you seem to be on par with the empire's greatest beauty, Lady Olivia."

"Olivia is...."

-Eek? I didn't pick my nose.

Shartia, who recalled Olivia's usual behavior, let out a hollow laugh and nodded.

"I think I can win in a different sense."

"Hmm..."

Shartia raised her teacup and began to talk about the aftermath.

"Well, if Ricardo had hit on me after that, I might have fallen for him."

"That means...!"

"Listen to the end."

Shartia ran a hand through her hair as if the thought alone gave her a headache and let out a long sigh.

"I'm still angry when I think about what that guy did at the hospital."

After regaining consciousness, the place she woke up in was a hospital.

Even if a renowned doctor was stationed in the academy dormitory, it was impossible to accommodate a sudden influx of patients.

"..."

She raised her hand to check the time.

5 p.m.

It seemed about two hours had passed since the fire. Because the clock she had seen just before fainting had pointed to 3 o'clock.

"Haa... this is a big problem."

She wanted to run to the academy right away and finish things up, but she didn't have the courage to do anything in her condition, where she could barely lift her hand.

She had to write a report on the fire.

She had to investigate the list of students and the damage.

And the documents for recovery and support requests....

Shartia, whose head ached just thinking about it, dropped her hand, which had been looking at the clock, onto the bed and let out a sigh.

"...Never mind. I'll just rest."

She didn't think she could do anything in her sick condition. It would look good to people if she went to the front lines in a patient's gown, but if she collapsed, it would be even more troublesome.

"No one's here...."

There was no one in the hospital room.

No visitors.

Not a single person who was worried and stayed by her side, she was alone in the empty hospital room.

Perhaps they had given her a private room because she was a royal. Shartia, who was staring at the ceiling of the hospital room alone and lonely, covered her eyes with her sleeve and let out a sigh.

"..."

It wasn't sad, but how should I describe this feeling?

"..."

It wasn't that good.

Time passed.

-Tick.

For 10 minutes, she spent a lonely time staring at the firmly closed door.

Maybe that door would open.

She had spent a silent time, where one minute felt like an hour, thinking that maybe one person who was worried would come.

-Grip...

Her chest felt heavy.

She had barely made it back alive, but instead of being moved, she was feeling regretful, which was so sad.

She had to get better quickly and thank Ricardo, but her sinking heart showed no signs of recovery and was only sinking further.

And so, when the clock hand had passed the 5-minute mark.

-Knock knock.

"I'm coming in even if you don't give me permission."

A familiar voice reached Shartia's ears.

"Uh...?"

And beyond the open door, a man with red hair, carrying a bunch of fruits, was walking in.

The moment Ricardo's eyes met hers, he made a face as if to say, how are you awake, and then his pupils began to tremble.

"..."

"I guess you can't blindly trust a doctor's words. He said you would wake up in 5 days.... it seems there are only quacks in the capital."

"....You."

"Are you awake?"

"..."

Ricardo began to pour water into a cup with a refreshing smile.

Shartia quietly watched Ricardo, who was silently pouring water. Perhaps he hadn't received treatment, as there were red burn marks on his face, and traces of him having administered first aid himself could be seen here and there.

-Grip...

Why was he doing this?

Shartia, who had nothing to give, was just awkward at Ricardo's kindness, which didn't expect anything in return.

So she spoke stiffly for no reason.

"The fire?"

"It's been suppressed."

"Anyone injured?"

"There are no fatalities. The most seriously injured person is you, Princess. Of course, you fainted not because of the fire, but because of overwork."

"I see... that's a relief. How long has it been since I woke up? It feels like it's been about 2 hours."

"Ah..."

Ricardo, who handed her the glass of water, answered with an awkward smile.

"It's been about 2 days."

"What...!"

The moment the surprised Shartia tried to get up, Ricardo shook his head and stopped her.

"Let go."

"Ahem... you can't move in the hospital room without my permission. It's a life I saved, after all."

"There are things I need to take care of right now...."

Ricardo, who silently held out the glass of water, smiled cheerfully and said to Shartia.

"I've finished the urgent paperwork. I've also written the report."

"...Huh? You did it?"

"I'm a gifted student who received an elite education in a ducal family. Oh, and I've temporarily entrusted the position of student council president to a capable person."

Shartia was dumbfounded by Ricardo's words, who had solved so many things in such a short time. Because she had realized that the punk she thought was a fool was actually a gifted student that all nobles would covet.

"He's someone who learned from a teacher who is as good as... no, better than me, so his work will be solid. Probably."

She coveted him.

In many ways.

The man who made her laugh, was competent at his work, and knew first what she wanted to hear, was honestly so coveted that she wanted to steal him away.

"So the young lady...."

"Puhaha!! Are you crazy?"

"No... and after that."

"Uh huh... keep talking."

Shartia and Ricardo, who had found their composure, were getting closer as they talked.

What kind of life they had lived.

What academy life was like.

A smile bloomed on Shartia's lips as she had a peaceful conversation, wondering when was the last time she had a conversation like this.

"..."

Shartia shyly said to Ricardo, who was peeling a fruit.

"Thank you..."

Ricardo answered as he speared the fruit with a fork.

"Don't mention it."

And so, when she returned to the academy with a happy heart.

"Eeeeeeeeeek!!! Shut up! I'll do as I please! I'm the president now, so if anyone has a complaint, get out... no! You're expelled!!!"

She thought her world was collapsing.

"When I think about the trouble I went through back then.... ugh..."

"Puhahahahaha!!!!"

The guild master burst out laughing and said.

"That friend of yours, Ricardo, is really considerate."

"What?"

At the guild master's unexpected remark, Shartia glared at her with a look of displeasure. Because the thought of the trouble she went through that day made her feel gloomy.

However.

"He diverted the spearhead, didn't he?"

The guild master began to talk in a direction she had never imagined.

"He diverted the criticism that the student council president would have received, didn't he? That person."

"..."

"Though Lady Desmunt would have liked it."

Something she hadn't understood because she had only seen it from a distance.