Page 221 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

The words that came out of Olivia’s mouth grasped Yu-ri’s heart.

“You don’t know anything.”

“You don’t know what Ricardo did for you, how much he was scolded because of you.”

Olivia gazed at Yu-ri coldly, as if her hatred had no reason.

“Do you know why Ricardo went to the academy early in the morning?”

“Do you know why he wandered around your shoe rack like a puppy?”

Olivia looked straight into Yu-ri’s eyes, conveying the feeling that Yu-ri was greatly mistaken.

“It’s frustrating, isn’t it? I know this situation is ridiculous and can be misunderstood... because I made it happen.”

“What’s the point of knowing it’s frustrating...?”

“Exactly.”

Olivia shrugged in response to Yu-ri’s rough question.

“There’s no point.”

“...”

“I don’t intend to make excuses to you. Even if I say they were deceived or swayed by the atmosphere, it’s a pathetic excuse.”

“Why are you saying this? Are you trying to make me hate Ricardo instead of you? Are you saying I should stop hating you because you’re under pressure?”

“I already said that. You don’t know anything right now.”

Olivia calmly opened her mouth, revealing the secrets that Ricardo had told her not to say, one by one.

“The scribbles on the desk.”

“The hidden objects in the shoe rack.”

“The rumors. You think Ricardo did all of that.”

Yu-ri was silent.

She just clenched her lips and focused on Olivia’s words.

“That’s right. Even if I ordered him to do it, if Ricardo did such things, the sense of betrayal would be huge.”

“But... but...”

Olivia smiled slightly.

“That fool can’t do such things.”

Recalling the fool who wouldn’t do unpleasant things even if he died, Olivia bowed her head. Even she thought Ricardo was too kind.

“That fool can’t do such things.”

“...”

“He’s not one to take the blame, and he doesn’t try to shift the responsibility. He doesn’t say he did something he didn’t do. What’s with his humble background? I’d believe it even if he said he was from an orphanage.”

As Olivia spoke, something inside Yu-ri began to crack.

-Ting.

Something that was slightly cracked was trying to emerge from the complex emotions inside Yu-ri, like a crack spreading.

Yu-ri’s eyes wavered as she spoke.

“What do you want to say...”

“Ricardo didn’t bully you.”

Olivia took a calm breath, gazing at the moon. The bright moon seemed to evoke someone’s appearance, making her feel a bit strange.

She had been told to keep it a secret, but she had revealed everything.

It was the same back then. On that day when she was blinded by jealousy and made Ricardo do something unreasonable, the moon was bright like today.

“-Don’t play around with Yuria.

“-I don’t want to.

“-If I tell you to do it, do it. They’re looking at us unfavorably, after all.

“-You’re a popular idol, aren’t you? It’s actually good for you, isn’t it?

“-You’re talking nonsense again.

“-Anyway, I don’t want to. If you have any complaints, come ? Nоvеl?гht ? (Don’t copy, read here) and say it to my face.”

Olivia thought of Ricardo, who had disobeyed her orders, and spoke in a low voice.

“-Hmph.

“Do you really think that idiot will do as I say?”

She then turned to Yuria and said.

“No, that idiot can’t do it.

“He did the same to me, after all.

“So Ricardo is just pretending to be nice.”

“He only does things that kids hate, ignores everything I say, and cleans up his own mess, so he’s just pretending to be nice.”

Olivia let out a deep sigh and said.

“When did Ricardo start treating you badly?”

“...”

“After that, your school life got a little better, didn’t it?”

“...”

“Why do you think that’s the case?”

“...”

Don’t do that. Just don’t.

Olivia coldly turned away from Yuria’s inner thoughts and spoke of the harsh reality.

“Do you think people changed because of that?”

Olivia shook her head.

“No, it’s because of Ricardo. He deliberately acted pitifully to make you his friend, and he became a bad guy in the process.”

Please don’t do that.

If you do, I’ll fall apart.

“No...”

“It’s nice to hear the tragic heroine’s story, isn’t it?”

“No...”

Don’t make me waver.

How did I come to hate Ricardo so much...

Please...

“Just stop it.”

“It’s fun to see a commoner bullying another commoner, isn’t it? If there’s someone who’s more annoying than you, I’d want to bully them and see who’s better.”

“Stop it, I said!”

Olivia lightly ignored Yuria’s warning and opened her mouth.

“That’s all because of Ricardo’s actions.”

“I’ll make you comfortable, just for you.”

“I’ll buy chocolates with my meager salary and put them on your desk.”

“I’ll make your image look good.”

“I’ll put all the trash, milk, and paper clips on my desk, not yours.”

I’ll just take care of you.

“Every morning, I’ll come to school and tell you that nothing happened today.”

Olivia looked straight at Yuria and said,

“That fool will never be able to do it, even if they die.”

*

In a story that no one knows.

A woman was crying in front of someone’s grave, her tears falling like rain. The grave was surrounded by black roses that seemed to be withering away, and lilies were piled high around it.

“It’s all because of me.”

The woman with pink hair was kneeling in front of the grave, pounding her chest and stroking the grave.

“It’s all because of me... you...”

The woman’s sorrowful muttering continued to seek an answer from the silent grave.

-Doubt.

If she could curse someone, she would curse her past self.

Don’t believe, don’t trust, don’t have too much faith, or you’ll suffer unbearable pain.

-It’s fortunate. You didn’t get hurt....

If only she could go back to the past and avoid this pain.

A pain that she couldn’t share with anyone.

The woman cried, wiping away her tears as she looked at the grave.

“Doubt.”

It was because of something trivial that she hated him.

At the same time, if she had been more careful, she wouldn’t have started it in the first place.

The woman cried all night, wiping away her tears as she looked at the grave.

Hoping for another chance.

***

A week had passed, but Yuria’s mood didn’t improve.

Even if her dad woke up.

Even if she ate something delicious.

There was no sign of improvement.

Yuria had a dark expression and hung her head low.

It was weird.

What Olivia had said was too weird. She thought it was a cruel prank, and everything she had believed in was a contradiction.

She couldn’t believe Olivia’s words, but the memories of the past that flashed through her mind were casting doubts on her negative thoughts.

-What were you doing?

-Uh... that...

Ricardo, who she had run into by chance in the shoe closet, was also strangely surprised.

-What’s going on!

-Oh, you came early today?

The scene where Ricardo was doodling on his desk in an empty classroom, earlier than usual, was replaying in Yuria’s mind.

Back then, I was angry.

It seemed like Ricardo was pointing out his own mistakes, and every word from our friends sounded like they were criticizing me. I was overly sensitive and scared.

So, I didn’t have the luxury to observe Ricardo, to see what he was doing or who he was with. I liked him, but I didn’t know anything about him. It was laughable.

The puzzle pieces in my mind were slowly coming together.

From the moment friends started to gather in class, Ricardo’s lonely figure, not talking to anyone, made sense.

As the number of friends asking me to eat together increased, Ricardo stopped showing up at the cafeteria. I finally understood.

I thought he was avoiding me.

I thought he didn’t want to eat with me because I was uncomfortable, but everything was contradictory.

Why was he avoiding me?

Why was he bullying me?

Why did he hate me?

If he had said something back then, it would have been different. If he had given me a hint, it would have changed a little....

-Yuria, are you happy with your academy life now?

-It’s fine as long as you’re not here.

-Is that so? That’s good to hear.

‘Ah.’

Now, I finally understand the meaning behind Ricardo’s words when he was expelled from the academy. His gentle farewell, which only I received, finally makes sense.

It’s all because of me.

Late at night, Yuria sat beside her father’s hospital bed, feeling the warm sensation on her cheeks.

“What...?”

Tears fell.

“Why is this...?”

She felt like a fool, suspecting Ricardo.

The hatred she had been harboring until the end was going in the wrong direction, and tears flowed.

“Ah... Ahh...”

Even wiping her eyes, the tears wouldn’t stop.

The emotions she felt between the tears, glistening with moonlight, were more of guilt than regret.

This isn’t right.

This isn’t what I wanted.

Yuria swallowed her sorrow and lifted her head.

She would take a deep breath.

If she took a deep breath, it would get a little better.

Yuria hid her tears from her father and ran out to the balcony.

-Creak.

And.

“What...?”

“Yuria?”

I met the person I least wanted to see right now.

“The wind is blowing.”

I encountered someone who always worries about themselves at the most difficult moment.

And at that moment...

– Snap.

The shell in Yuria’s heart began to crumble.

*

[■■■ The curse of Yuria’s “jealousy” begins to stir.]

– The stopped needle of memory begins to move.