Page 155 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Ruin glared at Hanna.

“What did you say?”

Anger surged through Ruin as she heatedly confronted her arrogant junior.

– Comparing yourself to me? Can’t let that slide.

The junior’s audacity to compare herself to Ricardo was a remark Ruin could not lightly overlook.

No matter how Ruin had lost the foundation of her talent, she believed she had nothing inferior to that guy.

Not in personality. Not in kindness. Thinking she was better than Ricardo, Ruin bit back at the impudent reply from her junior.

“Compare if you dare. Disgusting.”

Hanna stared fixedly at Ruin.

After absentmindedly looking at Ruin’s face, Hanna burst into laughter, causing Ruin to clench her fists.

“hahahahaha! Ahahahaha...! Oh... Senpai, you really know how to make things fun. Can I become a comedian? Compare yourself if you want. I thought I was going to die laughing.”

Ruin, biting her lip tightly, looked particularly small to Hanna, whose laughter seemed to suppress the anger welling up inside her.

Suppressing the rising anger, Ruin bit her lip, while Hanna, unable to contain her laughter, tilted her head with a mischievous smile.

“Isn’t it?”

“...”

“I find it hilarious.”

“Shut up.”

“Are you telling your junior to shut up, mother? Scary...”

Hannah covered her mouth with her hand, her face showing a surprised expression. Behind the covered hand, a blossoming smirk.

Ruin, too, could tell from the blossoming smirk behind Hannah’s hand, so he gritted his teeth and glared at Hannah.

Meeting Ruin’s lively eyes straight on, Hannah said, “Why? Trying it out once?”

With a short, thick word, Ruin, seeing the light brown blush rising from her fingertips, closed his mouth like a cat that got the cream.

“Look. Doing nothing at all.”

Hannah spoke directly to Ruin, blocking the corridor.

“Move. You’re in the way.”

With a ‘thump’, as Hannah’s shoulder brushed past, Ruin sat down in the corridor as if collapsing.

Ruin, wiping his face with a dry hand, stood still for a while in that spot without moving.

Today, once again, the peaceful mansion of the young lady.

“hehehehe! Come here!”

-Growl!

“I-Iik! Don’t bite me, go fetch that ball!”

-Bear?

The young lady, playing in the yard with the bear whose size had grown ferociously, was enjoying life, scolding the bear trying to swallow her head instead of the ball.

“eeek! Ricardo, I’m gonna get eaten!”

-Growl!

“Ugh...! Don’t drool on me!”

I found myself laughing at the eco-friendly sight of the young lady experiencing the ways of nature firsthand.

Thanks to the bear, I had plenty of free time, so I sat on the rocking chair, leisurely watching the young lady.

Is this the life of a successful person?

“Next time I go to town, I should buy a toy for the bear.”

The rubber ball, now bearing harsh tooth marks, had long since finished its role as a toy.

Smiling at the barely intact rubber ball, I stirred the tea on the table.

Savoring the warm scent of tea leaves spreading through my body, I looked at the swaying branches and said, “Hans, come sit next to me. Aren’t you lonely by yourself?”

Hans, revealed in transparency, seemed surprised as he dropped the pen he was holding and looked at me.

“My transparency spell is that bad?”

Hans, looking at me with a face of not knowing how to react, said in a flustered voice.

A transparency spell.

Although the magic greatly depended on skill level, Hans’s magic was not that impressive.

Just me being more sensitive and detecting well thanks to the effects of Tierwing. Hans’s transparency spell could be seen as rather mediocre.

He boasted a high skill level, enough to fool even a bishop.

I shook my head and answered Hans’s question, “No, it’s me being weird.”

“To say that...”

“Yes?”

“No.”

Hans glanced at the young lady and shook his head, dispelling any distractions. In a murmuring voice, he said, “It must be a coincidence.”

As the sound of a chair being pulled was heard, I turned to Hans and asked, “What were you doing?”

“Oh, I was jotting down the necessary items.”

“What? Didn’t I provide a separate annex for you? Though it’s in the mountains, everything essential for living should be there.”

Hans, who had descended from the tree and sat beside me, openly extended his notebook.

“It’s not for me...”

With a smile, I leisurely read through the notebook handed by Hans.

[Errand List]

1. Chocolate.

2. Detergent.

3. Cleaning brush.

4. Replace the lightbulbs in the 3rd-floor corridor.

4. Dog toys.

Hans’s notebook, filled with items needed for the mansion rather than for himself, was brimming with information to the extent that it could be mistaken for a steward’s log, meticulously noting what was needed when no one was ★ ?????????????????? ★ at the mansion.

From noting which lights were out in the mansion to muttering to himself and even planning to buy the necessary items, Hans’s methodical intentions made me burst into laughter as I asked, “Why did you write all this?”

“I was feeling a bit restless doing nothing.”

“You don’t need to do such things. It’s my job, so I should take care of it.”

“No. If you find it really uncomfortable, I’ll stop, but I want to be of some help as well...”

Seeing Hans bow his head in regret, I raised my hand to calm him down.

“No. It’s much easier for me if you do it, but I feel sorry for that...”

With a grateful smile for the help, Hans tucked the notebook into his chest and said, ‘Then I’ll continue,’ sounding like a fresh recruit.

It felt like becoming a heartless employer who doesn’t pay wages.

Watching Hans, whose passion was unmatched by anyone, I awkwardly smiled and steered the conversation towards more productive topics.

“By the way, how is the Academy running?”

“Oh...”

Hans scratched his head coolly, displaying a strained smile.

“It’s in a terrible state.”

“Really?”

I had asked Hans for a difficult favor.

Since I was taking care of the mansion, I requested him to briefly leave to check on the Academy’s situation. With the focus now on Ruin’s downfall, I needed someone to keep an eye on things.

Nodding along to Hans’ story, I inquired, “Will the scheduled ‘Orc Subjugation’ assignment be skipped then?”

“No, it won’t. Due to the recent increase in orc numbers near Hamel, they plan to proceed by raising security to conduct the practical task of subjugation.”

“Hmm...”

There doesn’t seem to be any significant changes in the story.

I thought there might be some damage to the story due to Ruin’s absence, but seeing how things are progressing, it seemed there was nothing to worry about. We’ll have to wait and see as time passes, but so far, there haven’t been any major events or events where Ruin was the main focus.

Moreover, Hans is expected to fill Ruin’s vacant spot.

I nodded in agreement to Hans’ words and thanked him.

From Noble mtl dot com

After a while of silence, Hans brought up the topic of the academy’s security.

“And there was one matter that the student council brought up regarding this assignment.”

“A matter...?”

“Yes.”

As someone who had capable messengers, I nodded in admiration.

Hans spoke in a casual tone.

“Princess Shartia had an opinion...”

“An opinion...?”

“Yes.”

Hans, with caution, opened his not-so-easily parted lips. The words coming out of his mouth were unexpected to me.

“There’s a proposal in progress to appoint Histania Malik as the supervisor.”

“Really?”

“I was surprised too, but it was a suggestion brought up by Hannah and Princess Shartia.”

“Hmm... Is there a need for that?”

Hans shrugged, unsure himself.

“As you know, the atmosphere at the academy isn’t very good right now. There’s talk that we need someone reliable.”

“But why Malik? He’s already a busy person.”

“Probably because Histania Malik has had experience handling incidents and is from the Histania family, which makes him trustworthy. I’m just saying, there are precedents like me as well.”

“Ah... that’s true.”

Hans awkwardly smiled and lowered his head.

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about it right now. It’s something we can think about later.”

Malik had sufficient skills, so there was no lack of leadership qualities.

As we were about to finish our tea.

Hans, noticing my gaze, retrieved a hot, burning gem from his pocket.

With a hesitant expression, Hans cautiously brought up the difficulty of dealing with it.

“What should we do with this?”

Hans’ touch as he presented me with magic stolen from Ruin was unwavering, like that of a loyal servant to the organization.

Upon Hans suggesting whether to return it to Ruin or absorb it, I shrugged my shoulders in response, indicating a postponement.

“Let’s leave it aside for now.”

“Excuse me?”

Hans replied to me with a troubled expression.

“What if Ruin decides to learn black magic like me?”

I chuckled and waved my hand.

“Do you think he would?”

“Honestly... that’s right.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it’s me.”

I smiled, thinking of the green-headed scholar crumpled up at the academy.

“Let’s leave him to his struggles.”

“Even if he learns dark magic, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“What do you mean by that...”

I asked, looking at Hans.

In this field, Hans was an expert. He should be able to understand my thoughts.

“When a dark magic expert looks at it, what talent does Ruin possess?”

“...”

“See.”

With a sleepy smile, he let out a lazy yawn.

“Even if he turns dark, Hans can stop him.”

“...Is he a demon?”

“Well, I’m the villain.”

I smiled at Hans.

“Do you find it uninteresting?”

“...”

Hans replied without hiding his smile.

“No.”

*

And I...

“Long time no see, Master!”

I was sold here instead of Malik.

‘x marks the spot.’