Page 234 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

In front of a restaurant in Hamel, where people lined up in a long queue.

Three people, who looked suspicious to anyone, sat on a bench waiting for their turn.

A man wearing a brown coat.

A man dressed as a butler.

And...

“Eeek!! Let me go!”

A woman arguing with a child. They exuded an unusual atmosphere as they waited for their turn.

*Cough*. I held the paper number plate with “12” written on it and looked at the man sitting next to me, saying:

“Boss.”

“Don’t talk to me right now, I’m analyzing.”

I ignored Malik’s firm rejection and asked him a question. There was something more important than analysis – shame. I steeled myself and asked Malik:

“Why did you stick that weird mustache on your face?”

“...Is it about the mustache?”

Malik, who was pleased that I recognized his disguise, smiled lightly and replied:

“It’s a disguise.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s what it is.”

Their suspicious attire was evident to anyone.

Malik, dressed in a brown coat, sunglasses, and a fake mustache, looked like he could be dragged away by the passing security guards at any moment.

“You look really suspicious.”

“...”

“We’re not spreading rumors that we’re industrial spies, but it’s really weird.”

Malik took off his sunglasses and asked, “Is it really weird?”

“Very weird.”

“Is the mustache too much?”

“The mustache makes it even weirder.”

“...The staff really liked it, saying it was perfect.”

“Can’t you just tell the boss it’s not good?”

“...”

As the carefully prepared disguise turned out to be a failure, Malik looked disappointed and removed the awkward mustache from his face.

“Is it really weird?”

Malik still seemed hesitant, holding the half-removed mustache in his hand. I gave a firm answer, nodding my head.

“Yes.”

Malik looked upset.

The line was long.

There were so many people waiting that it would take about 40 minutes for our turn to arrive.

“A lot of people.”

It was a considerable wait, unlike the quick meals Hamel was known for. I questioned Malik, wondering why.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance!

“There are a lot of people, aren’t there?”

“That’s right.”

“How long has it been since it opened?”

“It’s been two weeks. It opened when you went on your northern trip.”

“Two weeks?”

I looked up at the restaurant.

[Restaurant: Yu Ram]

An ordinary sign and ordinary interior. The staff wasn’t abundant either. The table turnover rate wasn’t fast, and it wasn’t spacious.

There was nothing special about the menu either. I wondered why there were so many people in a restaurant that didn’t stand out, even considering the initial buzz from its opening.

I asked Malik, filled with curiosity.

“There are too many people. Even considering the initial buzz from its opening, there are too many customers. It’s already time for the buzz to wear off.”

“That’s right.”

Malik nodded, looking at the customers entering the restaurant.

“I also found it strange, so I came here. I’m curious about why there are so many customers in an ordinary restaurant like this.”

“Is it affecting profits?”

“No, the customer demographics are different, so there’s no loss. It’s just that I think there’s something to learn. I invested with capital, so I don’t know the ins and outs.”

“Hmm...”

I looked at the menu board outside the glass window and shrugged.

‘It’s too ordinary.’

If they had a unique tteokbokki recipe that attracted customers in the city, I could understand. But the food they sold in the restaurant was too ordinary.

Salads and risottos.

With a menu that only had steak and bread, there was no reason for people to be this enthusiastic.

I let out a small sigh, still puzzled, and looked down at the girl eating chocolate.

“Miss.”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get the chocolate from?”

The girl pointed to a little boy crying on the street and replied.

“I took it from him.”

“Oh...”

“He gave it to me when I asked.”

“Isn’t that robbery?”

The girl smiled brightly and said confidently.

“That’s also a skill.”

“It’s definitely a talent.”

I nodded, praising the girl for teaching the child about social norms. If you spoil a child too much, they’ll end up like someone who sets off the morning alarm.

“Ricardo scolded me in his heart.”

“...How did you know?”

“His eyes said so.”

“You’re quite sharp.”

I forced chocolate into the lady’s mouth and closed her lips. I couldn’t win an argument with her, so I shut her up with a genuine butler’s mindset.

“Hmm...”

As the chocolate melted in her mouth, she smiled and nodded her head. I waited until her mood improved and carefully asked a question.

“Lady,”

“Yes.”

“Do you think this restaurant is good?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does the smell seem good or bad?”

The lady frowned and looked at me.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not a dog.”

The lady spoke the truth.

Time kept passing.

The customers in front of us entered, and new ones lined up behind us.

As time went by, enough to give a crying child a piece of chocolate, the long wait finally came to an end.

– Number 12 customer!

It was time for me to work as an industrial spy.

*

– Clatter.

“...”

“...”

“...”

– Clatter.

The sound of plates being roughly handled came from the table. We exchanged awkward smiles and tried to ease the tension.

What can I say?

The food was okay, but it was an unimpressive taste.

It was a flavor that fell short of being called a “good restaurant,” and I smiled awkwardly as I emptied my plate.

“Hmm...”

The lady, sitting in seat number one, was seething with anger, her knife and fork trembling in her hands.

“It’s not cooked...”

“It’s like they’re serving raw meat!”

“Manager...”

The lady slammed her ‘Changrang’ fork on the table, her eyes blazing as she glared at the busy waiter, her lips quivering.

“Hmm...”

I covered the lady’s mouth and smiled.

“Please, Lady.”

“I can’t stand it. I asked them to cook it well, but they served raw meat on the plate!”

“It seems like the order was wrong. I’ll ask them to cook it again. Please, just this once.”

“Eeeeek!”

The lady’s expression was terrifying.

As she was extremely sensitive to the topic of meat, she was seething with anger, her nostrils flaring as she gritted her teeth.

With a serious expression, she gazed at the kitchen and drew a rational conclusion.

“It’s clear they’re trying to assassinate me.”

I calmly pacified the lady, who was holding a knife and her eyes were blazing, and gazed at the food on the plate.

“It’s not delicious.”

To be honest, it didn’t have any flavor.

Maybe it was because we only ate good food, and our taste buds had become picky, but it wasn’t something worth waiting for.

Malik was the same.

After finishing the food on his plate, Malik wiped his lips with a handkerchief and nodded.

“It’s strange.”

“...”

“It’s not delicious, but it’s not bad either.”

“That’s right. The portion is large, but the price isn’t overwhelmingly cheap.”

Malik let out a dry laugh and muttered.

“It’s not delicious, and it’s not cheap either... but it’s interesting.”

With a fascinating smile, as if he was obsessed with the food industry, Malik tasted the sauce on his plate and nodded.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know why this restaurant is so popular?”

I hesitated in my response. Honestly, I didn’t know. With cooking like this, I thought I could also get a title like “tasty restaurant,” so I couldn’t find a suitable answer.

“I honestly don’t know. I think what I make is more delicious, so I can’t say anything.”

“Hmm.”

Malik held up three fingers and looked at me.

“I’ve seen three cases of restaurants that succeeded despite serving bad food.”

One.

“A restaurant with a wide network of connections.”

Two.

“A restaurant run by a celebrity.”

Last, three.

Malik gazed at the kitchen with a serious expression and said.

“A restaurant with a pretty owner.”

“What?”

“In my opinion, this restaurant falls into the last category.”

Malik wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and placed it on the table, then subtly raised his hand to call the waiter.

And.

“Eeeeek?!”

The lady snatched the plate she was eating from and pointed at the undercooked steak.

The lady wore an expression as if the ? Nоvеl?гht ? (Don’t copy, read here) world had collapsed.

The lady, who had tried to order the most expensive dish as a prank, clenched her fist upon seeing the undercooked meat, but Malick lightly dismissed it and spoke to the approaching waiter.

“The meat is undercooked.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll replace it right away!”

Malick firmly waved his hand at the flustered waiter and said.

“No, I want to see the owner.”

“What?”

“As a fellow worker in the food industry, I can’t help but feel that way.”

Malick handed the waiter a tip and said.

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything bad.”

About 5 minutes passed.

The woman who brought out the remade steak bowed her head in apology to Malick.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. It seems our waiter made a mistake with the order... If you’d like, we can make your desired menu as a service.”

Malick looked at the woman and said.

“...Are you the owner?”

And...

The woman, who had removed her mask, pushed her hair back and nodded.

“Yes, I’m the owner.”

It felt familiar.

I had a feeling like I’d seen her somewhere before, but the unfaded beauty despite her age raised my curiosity.

‘Who is she?’

As I looked at the owner chatting with Malick, I searched my memory.

Not long after, I found the reason for the familiarity in the faint murmur of the lady beside me.

“Mikhail...”

Mikhail.

I instinctively knew.

The fact that this woman was Mikhail’s mother.

Although her name didn’t appear directly in the novel, I knew, having read the story and its ending.

The woman in front of me, who couldn’t smile, was the protagonist of a sad reunion.