The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 401-402
The peaceful Hamel mansion, today as always.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Give me food."
"You ate 30 minutes ago."
"Hiiiing... But I'm hungry."
Today, as I sat on the young lady's bed looking out the window, I was chatting with her while drinking black tea.
"Slurp..."
"Sip..."
"Maybe because it's expensive tea leaves, the aroma is very nice."
"Hmm... No matter how much I drink it, I can't seem to find black tea delicious."
"To be honest, me neither."
The young lady and I nodded our heads and let out an awkward sigh.
If a guest had come, we could have gotten rid of all the black tea, but the chances of a guest visiting the young lady's mansion are close to zero.
The young lady, with a refreshed expression, put her teacup down on the windowsill and said to me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Drink mine for me."
"I refuse. It's good for your health, so just drink it."
"Is black tea good for your health?"
"Since it tastes bad, wouldn't it be good for you?"
"I guess so."
"It's so bitter..."
"It is. Just like my life."
"Ricardo's life is sweet."
"Why is that?"
"Because you have me, the prettiest person in the world."
"Oink. Oink."
"Eeeeeek!!!"
The young lady and I were looking out the window, exchanging silly jokes.
-Swoooosh.
It was raining outside the window.
Perhaps because the beginning of summer was approaching, the atmosphere of the rainy mansion didn't seem too bad. Times like these are the best for telling scary stories.
I looked at the young lady with a spooky expression, but.
"My lady."
"Hm."
"Shall I tell you a ghost story?"
"No."
"Yes."
I gave up at the young lady's blunt refusal.
-Swoooosh.
What should we do for fun?
We already folded paper cranes.
We also made bath bombs, so we needed something new to do.
I thought about playing a game called Blue Marble that I played in my past life, but I figured the young lady, being a high noble, wouldn't understand the common sense of commoners...
-I want to buy this.
-Isn't this an uninhabited island? This land isn't for buying, it's for resting...
-Eeeek... What is there that I can't buy?
"..."
Some time passed as I pondered over activities that just wouldn't come to mind, when,
"Eek?"
The young lady, who was looking out the window, pointed her finger at a corner of the yard and spoke to me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Gomtang is acting weird."
"Gomtang is?"
"He's running around like a sick dog."
"..."
-Gom gom.
-Muuuuuuung...
Perhaps happy that it was raining, Gomtang was running excitedly around the yard with Tangtang in his mouth.
-Muuuuuuung...
-Gom gom gom...!
Why was a smile spreading on my face at the sight of the pet dogs? getting along so well?
-Muuuuuuuuuung!!
-Gom gom!!!
Realizing anew the heart of a pet owner, I gave a small smile and nodded.
"It's a nice sight."
"It's nice to see the emergency rations getting along."
"I told you, they're not emergency rations."
"Hmph..."
-Swoooosh.
"It's raining a lot."
After watching Gomtang for a long while, I turned my gaze to the rain falling outside the window and uttered a sentimental remark. The weather known as 'rain' had the effect of enriching a person's sensibilities.
"A lot of things have happened whenever it rained, you know."
"That's right. I ate chocolate, and I ate meat too."
"Why is it always related to eating?"
"...It's not?"
I let out a small laugh at the young lady's cute complaint and nodded. She wasn't wrong, after all.
"That's also true, but aren't there memories? Like, 'this happened when it rained.'"
"When it rained? Hmmm..."
"Think carefully. There must have been something memorable."
"Hrmmmmmm."
I began to recount the events I remembered to the young lady, who was furrowing her brow in thought.
"When it rained, didn't our fateful meeting begin?"
"Right. I saved the dying Ricardo. You were ugly then, but you're even uglier now."
"...And when it rained, you also soaked the bed."
"Eek?"
"Ahem... And you pestered me to let you sleep next to me because you were scared of the thunder. Thinking about how the Lord of the house glared at me then still makes my knees weak."
"What was I supposed to do, I was scared."
"I suppose it couldn't be helped."
It was also raining when I met Hanna, who said she missed the taste of cheap green tea...
Now that I mention it, there were so many memorable events that I could almost think that guests arrive when it rains. I can't tell the young lady, but it was also raining when I parted ways with Mikhail.
"So many things have happened."
"Ricardo said everything, so now there's nothing for me to say."
"..."
"Ricardo, you're no fun."
"I'll make sure to say less next time."
The sulking young lady pouted her lips and let out a lazy yawn.
"Haaam... But I hate it when it rains."
"Why?"
"It's so gloomy. It puts me in a bad mood and I can't go outside."
"Do you want to go outside?"
Just three years ago, she was the young lady who would throw a pillow at the mere mention of the word 'outside.' Seeing how much she'd grown in such a short time, I smiled slightly, took a step closer, and casually suggested we go on a picnic for the first time in a while.
"My lady."
"Hm,"
"When the rain stops, shall we go fishing?"
"Fishing?"
"Yes."
"...I've never been fishing before."
Seeing the blatant displeasure on her face, I put on a bright smile and began to entice her.
"If we go fishing, we can grill and eat the freshly caught fish right away."
"Freshwater fish don't taste good."
"That's because you've never had a truly delicious one, my lady."
"I don't want a fish that looks like Ricardo."
"Just where does such a handsome fish live?"
"Eek..."
"That hurts."
The young lady's indifferent reaction gradually started to soften. It had been quite a while since the two of us went out alone, after all.
"Fishing...? Hmm..."
It seems like she'll give in with just a little more persuasion.
In my past life, I used to enjoy fishing when I had the time, so I had a bit of a desire to go fishing after a long while. When you want to relax leisurely, there's no better pastime.
It's so much fun to play while feeling the cool breeze and to waste time basking in the warm sunlight.
"As they say, the beauty of fishing lies in the waiting. I'm sure you'll find it fun if you try it, my lady."
"It's no fun if you don't catch anything."
"Who am I? Am I not the god of fishing?"
"Ricardo. Cannibalism is a bad thing."
"..."
"I will give you a piece of chocolate for every fish you catch."
"Hiiiiik?"
"If you catch one the size of your palm, you get one piece. If you catch one the size of your forearm, I'll give you a big piece."
The young lady retorted with a sullen expression.
"What if a fish eats me?"
"If its mouth is big enough to eat you... that's practically a target for subjugation."
"Hrmmm."
After thinking for a long while, the young lady nodded and answered me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Do you want to go, Ricardo?"
"Pardon?"
The young lady was staring intently into my eyes. As if to say I should stop if I was pushing myself for her sake.
"If you're going because of me, it's okay not to go."
"...Oh."
"You worked a lot because of the Crown Prince. You can't get sick from overworking, so I'll allow you to rest a little."
"Is my lady worried about this humble butler?"
The young lady let out a small smile and said to me.
"Who else would worry about you but me?"
"...I'm touched."
"I'm taking care of you because you're mine."
"Haha..."
She really is such a warm person.
I nodded at the young lady's suggestion and answered happily. With this kind of consideration, I would have gone even if I were sick.
"I want to go."
"You do?"
"Yes, I'd like to go fishing for the first time in a while."
"Then I'll specially go with you."
"Thank you."
"In return, make a delicious lunch box."
"Of course. I will prepare a healthy lunch box full of bell peppers and carrots."
"Eeeeeeeeeek!!!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
The young lady and I, wishing for the rain to stop even a day sooner, began to sing inside by the rainy window. A work song we sing whenever we go fishing.
"Then, I'll teach you a song that will guarantee you catch a fish when you go fishing."
"Okay."
"To catch a fish."
"To eat a fish."
"No, to catch it."
"Eeeek! You're so strict."
"Okay, again."
"Okay."
One, two, three.
"Let's go to the sea to catch a fish."
"Let's go to the sea to catch a fish? But we're going to the river."
"It's just the song's lyrics. And the word 'river' appears in the later lyrics."
"Eek..."
It seemed the young lady had no talent for singing.
Was it around the time I was feeling the young lady's hopeless talent while we sang for a long while?
-Gooooooooom!!!
The young lady pointed her finger at Gomtang, who was visible outside the window, and said.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"Gomtang brought something."
"Pardon?"
I slowly looked out the window, thinking. No one should be visiting the mansion.
However.
-Let go of meeee!!!!
At the appearance of the unexpected guest, I let out a hollow laugh. I wondered why that person had come to the mansion.
-How dare you, you beast with ears!
Why do guests come to the mansion when it rains?
-That discriminatory Schuen! I can forgive a beastman, but I can't forgive a beast!
I looked out the window where the loud noise was coming from and held my throbbing forehead.
"Ricardo."
The young lady looked at me and asked.
"A strange person has appeared."
I smiled at the young lady and replied. He was indeed a strange person, but he was an acquaintance.
"He's... my friend."
"Eek?"
-Let go!!!
The young lady let out a small sigh and said.
"Ricardo picked up something strange again."
A few days ago.
"This won't do."
Shuen, who was working part-time at a convenience store, clenched her fist and slammed it on the desk.
"I, Shuen, must have a showdown with the villainess-yot."
Because she had overheard Ricardo say that he liked the villainess's mansion more than the magnificent mansion in the capital.
"This is an unexpected variable-yot."
Shuen, who had thought Hanna was her only rival, was quite flustered by the appearance of an unexpected enemy.
"A ducal family..."
Because even for her, with her perfect background and looks, a ducal family was hard to beat.
Special measures were needed.
A way to raise her own stock before the villainess's stock rose any higher...
"I have to find it-yot."
Shuen thought that she had to find it before Hanna.
"The love doctor said so-yot."
[(The new work of the super-popular author Mamarickrick!) You can do it too. 100 ways to capture a man's heart.]
-What is scarier than a childhood friend is a person of the opposite sex in a lord-vassal relationship. If you don't think you can win against a relationship born from a sense of immorality...
"He said I have to find a way before my spot is taken. Histania Hanna must know it too. The relationship between the villainess and the commoner..."
-Thump...!
"It's like I'm the only one who doesn't know. The two of them... in that... in that mansion...!!"
Shuen, lost in a deep delusion, slammed her head on the convenience store desk and shook it from side to side.
"It's lewd-yot...! Even I, Shuen, who mainly reads lewd books, can't afford to lose-yot."
Shuen could not give up.
Because it was too much of a waste to give up on the ideal type she had finally found.
Shuen, with her head on the desk, muttered lowly in a meaningful voice.
"At least third."
"No...! Fourth!"
"I can't concede any more-yot...! I can forgive having more concubines above me...! But I can't be pushed behind a commoner-yot...!"
Her determination, that is.
And so, now.
-Staaaaare.
-Staaaaare.
Shuen had succeeded in her first meeting with the villainess.
Another peaceful day at the Hamel mansion.
Shuen and the young lady were staring at each other, having a battle of wills. There's a saying that people who are alike recognize each other.
"Hoooooom."
I, feeling keenly that the saying was true, was smiling awkwardly and praying for one of them to say just a single word. This was the first time I'd experienced something like this.
It wasn't like this with Hanna.
-Who are you?
And it wasn't like this with Yuria.
-...
Why.
"Hooooooom..."
"Hmmmmmm."
I don't know the reason why they aren't saying anything.
They've been like that for 10 minutes already.
Water was dripping from her wet hair, but they just stared at each other without a word, as if they knew each other.
'Is this some kind of telepathy only mages have...'
"Hmmmm."
"Hoiiik?"
'No, the young lady can't use magic. She shouldn't be able to use telepathy...'
Faced with the gazes of the two people conversing with just their eyes, an awkward laugh kept escaping me.
If the young lady tilted her head to the side, Shuen also tilted her head to the side.
"Eeeeek..."
"Hoiik...?"
An ambiguous situation continued where if one made a strange noise, the other would respond with an equally strange noise.
What is this situation?
This situation right now.
It's a scene I've seen many times somewhere before.
-Grrrrrrrr.
-Grrrrrrrr.
'Why...'
...am I reminded of my time working part-time at a dog cafe? Specifically, a Maltese and a Chihuahua.
I had thought it might be nice for two similar people to meet at least once, but now that they have, I was quite flustered by this novel reaction I'd never seen before. Right now, the two of them...
"Excuse me, you two..."
"Hooooooom."
"Hiiiiiiik."
-Scratches head.
...were really like dogs.
"Pok pok...?"
"Hmmmmm."
"Eek...?"
'Huh...? Is the young lady being pushed back?'
"Eeeeeek?"
"Heek...?!"
'Of course.'
As the war of nerves that had continued without a single word of conversation tilted in the young lady's favor, she ended the long silence, nodded her head, and opened her tightly shut mouth.
"Ricardo..."
"Yes."
"Who is this?"
"Isn't it a bit too early to be asking that?"
"A strange kid came."
"I think you resemble that strange person, Young Lady."
"Eek?"
Shuen, who was listening, also looked at me and threw a question.
"Commoner."
"Yes."
"Who is this person-yot?"
"You were staring at her this whole time without even knowing who she is?"
"She stared at me first, so I stared back-yot."
"..."
What on earth is with these people?
Seeing the two of them show a reaction more ferocious than I expected, I let out a hollow laugh and began to introduce them to each other.
"Now... stop the battle of wills."
"Eek?"
"Me-yot?"
Because if I left the two of them alone, it seemed like they would forget about introductions and everything and just keep staring.
Just like now.
-Staaaaare.
-Staaaaare.
As their staring contest seemed about to reignite, I let out a light, dry cough and began to speak.
"This is the master of this mansion, the eldest daughter of the Desmunt Ducal Family, Lady Olivia Desmunt."
"Ohot...! I knew it. I thought so-yot."
"..."
"Only high-ranking nobles don't avoid my gaze-yot."
"Isn't that just because you keep staring at them, Ms. Shuen?"
"Commoners are too foolish in their thinking to understand-yot."
"..."
I decided to lightly ignore the words of the self-proclaimed 'high-ranking noble detector' and continue the introductions.
"Young Lady."
"Mhm."
"This is the eldest daughter of the Tetra family, Ms. Shuen Tetra."
"Tetra...?"
"Do you know something about them?"
The young lady, who recalled the name Tetra from the encyclopedia of nobles, began to speak, her eyes sparkling as if she had some information.
"Nope."
"...?"
"They're a family that studies philosophy, right?"
"Yes."
"Boring."
"You can't say something like that. The eldest daughter of the family is right in front of you."
I glanced over to check Shuen's reaction, but...
"Hooo..."
Shuen just stared intently at the young lady, showing no particular reaction.
"Ms. Shuen, I apologize for the rudeness just now..."
"It's fine-yot."
"Huh?"
"You can insult my family-yot! Because we're high-ranking nobles-yot."
"Oh..."
"Of course, you can't insult me, but it's true that we're a boring family-yot!"
Why is she agreeing?
The young lady, seemingly a little pleased by Shuen's reaction, nodded her head and smiled.
"Ricardo, this one is smart."
"Thank you-yot."
"Keep it up."
"Yes-yot!"
Surprised by Shuen's obedient response, I let out a hollow laugh and stopped trying to think. It seemed like I'd have to become a noble myself to understand them even a little.
The most normal noble I've met so far is...
-That seems like it would make money.
-That also seems like it would make money.
-Good. Let's proceed with it immediately.
Why am I thinking of the boss who's suspiciously good at business?
Sighing at my pathetic network of connections, I shook my head and decided to leave first. I felt like I would go crazy if I stayed here any longer.
"I'll... go make some tea."
"Mhm."
"Thank you-yot, commoner."
A strange sound came from behind me.
"Eeeeeek..."
"Hooooooom."
I decided to take my time brewing the tea.
The mansion's office, after Ricardo had disappeared.
An awkward tension filled the office.
Shuen, who believed in noble superiority.
And Olivia, who didn't possess a thought in her head except when fighting.
The gazes of the two were coldly freezing the space. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"You."
Olivia was the first to part her lips and speak to Shuen.
"What is your relationship with Ricardo?"
Shuen, who had been staring at Olivia with a straight gaze for a long time, spoke to Olivia in a timid voice.
"A beauty..."
"...Huh?"
"You're much more beautiful than I heard-yot."
"..."
"Amazing-yot... from your face to your figure."
"Hm...?"
"I'm quite good-looking myself, but compared to your beauty, Your Ladyship, I become an incomparable fool-yot."
A small smile began to bloom on Olivia's lips. However, Olivia also had a history of reigning as a queen in high society, so she didn't fall for Shuen's words.
Of course.
'I like it.'
It felt good, though.
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Just answer what I asked."
Shuen shook her head and spoke with sincerity.
"Nobles don't lie-yot."
"Hwi?"
"I, Shuen, was not taught to lie-yot."
Olivia snorted and shook her head.
"You came here to ask Ricardo for a favor, didn't you?"
"Yes-yot?"
"Didn't you come to ask for help?"
"..."
"You must have something you can't solve with your own power, so you came to ask that pushover Ricardo for a favor... Go back. Ricardo is busy right now, so he can't."
Shuen, who had been listening silently to Olivia's words, sent a cool gaze, lifted her lowered head, and began to open her mouth.
"Which bitch is it-yot."
"Huh?"
"I, Shuen... am not a noble who begs a commoner for help-yot. Of course, a commoner did help me at the academy disguised as Cupid... but the newly reborn Shuen-gel will not do such a thing-yot."
"You..."
"He's a poor commoner as it is...! Which bitch!!!"
Olivia looked at Shuen with a satisfied smile and said.
"Smart."
"Yes-yot?"
"I like you."
"Eh...?"
"You're polite and pretty."
"Hiiik?!"
"And you seem to treat Ricardo well."
A smile was forming on Shuen's lips.
[If the positions for the person you like are all full... then you just have to get on the good side of the main wife. That is... the life of a concubine.]
'As expected, the author wasn't wrong.'
Because when she saw Olivia and Ricardo sticking together, she had decided she needed to change her plan.
'I can't beat that monster-yot.'
Shuen knew instinctively.
-Boing... Boing...
That she couldn't win against those treasure pouches.
Olivia, thinking that Shuen was a creature that would not harm Ricardo, looked at her and said.
"So, what is your relationship with Ricardo?"
Shuen nodded her head and answered.
"The commoner is my benefactor-yot."
"Benefactor?"
"That's right-yot."
"Ricardo is my benefactor too."
A desolate silence flowed.
A time of staring each other down, testing the waters.
And then.
"Hooooom."
"Eek..."
"Hooooom..."
"Uhihihit..."
The two began to speak without words again.
I came back with the tea and saw...
"Fuhihihit..."
"Hihihit."
The situation had taken a strange turn.
