Page 235 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

The deserted streets of Hamel.

-Terp.

As I walked down Hamel’s dark streets, I gazed at the sign of a certain restaurant at the end of ? Nоvеl?гht ? (Don’t copy, read here) the road.

[Yu Ram]

“A wandering restaurant, indeed....”

What a difficult name.

It was currently 11 pm.

Apart from a few bars in Hamel, there were no lit restaurants on the dark street, but ‘Yu Ram’ was radiating a soft light.

It wasn’t a sign of business hours.

All the lights outside the restaurant were turned off, so it was probably closing time.

“Uninvited guests, indeed...”

I wasn’t thrilled to see customers coming in at closing time, to be honest. I wouldn’t have liked it either if I were in their shoes.

The reason I visited “Haram” at such a late hour was to uncover the identity of a woman named “Ela”.

[Ela Lv.13]

Occupation: Former Imperial Dancer

Favorability: 10

Favorite conversation topics: Cooking, customers, money, Mass, news, success, a proud mother, an unashamed mother, hope, miracles

Disliked conversation topics: Past, nobility, lost children, nightmares, ashamed mothers, resentment, hatred, betrayal

The favorability window I saw at lunchtime was filled with many stories.

Lost children.

Ashamed mothers.

And “Mass”.

While her genuine love for cooking was impressive, the keyword that caught my attention was the desperation of a mother searching for something she had lost.

Especially with the name “Mass”, I had many questions.

Let me tell you in advance, I wasn’t meeting “Ela” for the first time.

I remembered meeting her in a poor neighborhood a long time ago, wearing shabby clothes.

The expression of a woman who seemed like she would collapse at any moment, searching for a girl named “Mass”, was a memory I couldn’t easily forget. It was impossible to erase.

Back then, I didn’t think much of Ela. There were many adults who visited the poor neighborhood with regrets. I thought she was just one of them.

But now...

“...”

It was different now.

Whether it was intuition or a reader’s instinct, I felt an inexplicable unease.

I had a hunch that “Ela” was someone deeply connected to Mihail.

Mihail’s mother.

Or Mihail’s relative.

The name “Mass” didn’t even appear in the novel, yet I was writing my own story.

I let out a dry laugh and took a step forward into the store. I had to confirm my suspicions.

Through the glass window, I saw a middle-aged woman closing up shop. The employees had all gone home, leaving her to tidy up alone.

At first glance, she didn’t seem to resemble Mihail at all, but when I looked at her face, I couldn’t help but laugh at how much she looked like him.

“...”

This wasn’t going to be easy.

I grasped the door handle and thought back to a certain part of the novel.

I recalled a scene that had sparked outrage and explosive reactions from many readers.

– I don’t know anyone like you.

– Take this, Mom wanted you to have it...

– Don’t call me Mom. I don’t have a mom.

A bittersweet smile formed.

As a reader who knew the ending of this story, I couldn’t accept this situation positively.

Their reunion had ended in a sad, bad ending.

“...”.

I couldn’t take sides with anyone, so I let out a sigh.

It was pitiful to take Mihail’s side, considering her past, which was briefly mentioned in the novel.

I couldn’t take Mihail’s mother’s side either, knowing that what she did was unforgivable.

“It’s not even accurate... Why am I thinking so deeply about this?”

I felt like a fool.

There was only one question in my mind.

– Had I seen Misara, the girl?

Misara was a ‘girl’ with that name.

If Elara, the woman, was Mihail’s mother, and if Elara was looking for Mihail...

“...”

I reached a new hypothesis, and my thoughts became cautious.

“I must have read too many novels.”

I let out a dry laugh and carefully pushed open the door of the lit restaurant.

“Click.” As expected, the locked door.

I smiled awkwardly and peeked through the gap between the doors, careful not to make a sound. I felt apologetic, but I had to take a chance and visit at this late hour.

The faint sound of the lock being opened didn’t catch Elara’s attention, and I carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Excuse me.”

As the door creaked, Elara, who was resting under the dim light of a single lamp, locked eyes with me.

With a startled expression, Elara got up from her seat and bowed her head in greeting.

“I apologize. We’re closed for business now.”

“Ah... Is that so?”

I looked disappointed and bowed my head. Then, I muttered, “Can I at least get a simple soup?” while gazing at Elara, trying to appear as hungry as possible.

“I’ll eat quickly and leave. I’ll pay double... no, five times the price, so how can you refuse?”

“...Ah... That’s...”

Elara was taken aback, hesitant. The offer of five times the price was tempting, but she didn’t have any food prepared. Moreover, she felt guilty about sending away a hungry young man, so she stood still, contemplating.

I saw Elara’s hesitation and intentionally turned my back, trying to appear like a person with a purpose. I turned my body to give a natural impression.

“I apologize for the trouble. I’m sorry.”

“Wait a minute!”

“Yes?”

“Please take a seat. I’ll prepare something quickly.”

Luckily, Elara called me back.

About 10 minutes passed.

I looked at the food on the table and bowed my head. The stale bread and lukewarm soup, along with the quickly made stir-fry, seemed like an excessive treat for a late-night visitor, and it warmed my heart.

“...”

Elara, who had placed the food on the table, stood still, gazing at me with eyes that seemed to hold a deep emotion, her hands holding a tray.

I slightly lifted my head and asked, wondering if something was wrong, “Will I be able to eat quickly and leave?” Elara erased her puzzled expression, waved her hand, and said, “No, it’s okay. Take your time and eat. I just thought of my daughter.”

“...”.

I grabbed the fork.

I held the fork lightly and asked Ela in a curious tone.

“Do you have a daughter?”

“Yes, I have one daughter.”

“You don’t seem like the type, but you have a daughter.”

“Haha... no.”

“You must be very beautiful, just like the CEO.”

“...”

Ela didn’t answer and smiled faintly.

The conversation continued with small talk.

Who I was.

Where I lived. If I gave her information, Ela would share a little about herself, and if I told a story, she would respond within her limits.

And.

If I threw a hook that resonated with her, she would take the bait.

“I got beaten to death for trying to steal a loaf of bread back in the day...”

“You got beaten because of bread?”

“Ah... actually, I grew up in a slum, so I had to steal to eat, you know?”

“You lived in a slum?”

The other person took the bait.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I told a random story. I have to eat quickly, sorry.”

“Where did you live, by the way?”

I answered Ela’s question.

The questions continued.

About my past.

About the mistakes of my past.

We kept the conversation going, each maintaining our boundaries, and as the topic shifted to something more substantial, Ela’s eyes lit up with hope.

And

I found the answer.

*

My footsteps felt heavy as I walked away.

“...”

I didn’t know what to say.

I didn’t know how to react, so I kept letting out meaningless sighs.

-Do you know a kid named Misa?

-I think I’ve heard of her.

I gave a partial lie as an answer.

-Is she the kid with silver hair who carries a teddy bear?

-Uh... how did you know?

-...

-Yes, yes...! She carries a white teddy bear, and... and...! Ah! She has a mole under her right eye.

I saw Ella’s tears.

My thoughts deepened.

Although I couldn’t completely erase my doubts, the image of Mihail I remembered and the ‘Misa’ girl Ella remembered were the same, so I could only attribute it to a meaningless stubbornness.

I looked up at the bright night sky and let out a sigh.

“Was it wrong from the start?”

Somehow, it felt strange.

Even the descriptions in the novel.

Even the secrecy that never revealed her clothes in the novel.

I only now realized how strange it was that her body was unusually small.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe it.

Even if this was the truth, it wouldn’t change much.

What’s with this...

“Haah...”

The only words that came out were “it’s complicated”.

“x-pletive.”

I thought of the cigarettes I hadn’t lit.

*

Inside the dark, gloomy mansion.

“Hmm.”

Olivia, waiting for Ricardo, leaned against the window and rubbed her nose.

“There’s no chocolate.”

Olivia wanted to eat chocolate.