Page 238 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

[Q. Show your true self.]

A very long time ago...

There was a girl who had a one-sided love for a boy.

He was like the prince from a fairy tale, the one who reached out to a girl abandoned by her parents and left all alone.

The first meeting between the girl and the boy wasn’t exactly romantic. The underside of a bridge in a slum wasn’t exactly a romantic setting, after all.

A meeting between a beggar and an orphan.

Despite not having anything extraordinary, the girl came to like the boy.

The boy’s dedication opened up the heart of the young girl, who had always dreamed of being a princess.

Just that.

However, the ending of that one-sided love was a tragedy, but the girl still liked the boy. Even now, as an adult, she couldn’t forget him.

After experiencing the pain of parting and growing up, the girl met a man.

A man with red hair, similar to the boy’s.

A man with a completely different character from ? Nоvеl?гht ? (Don’t copy, read here) the prince in the fairy tale, a rough and violent man who said that power was closer to him than the law. The grown-up girl met him.

The girl didn’t like the man.

He was always causing trouble.

He had no mercy.

He was a man who couldn’t be found with even a speck of justice, and the girl hated him.

But he had many similarities to the boy...

Without even having a single conversation, without even having a sincere talk, the girl saw only the man’s fragmented appearance and hated him.

She didn’t know the man’s heart, after all.

(!) Please listen to the story of the man you hate, Ricardo.

1. Show Ricardo your true self. (0/1)

2. Go on a date with Ricardo. (0/1)

3. Hear Ricardo’s sincerity. (0/1)

Will you accept?

Mikhail clenched his fist.

He gritted his teeth, determined to reveal the truth he had lost again, with the blue window’s piercing gaze.

He hated it.

He hated facing Ricardo, hated talking to him, and it made his blood boil.

But...

The compensation: the survival of Lee Min-hyuk.

In front of the sweet proposal that made his heart skip a beat, Mikhail was wavering violently.

Just once. If he could just endure it once, he would get the compensation for all his efforts so far.

Mikhail clenched his fist and suppressed the rising anger. The blue window appearing before his eyes itself contained an affirmative answer about the child’s survival, after all. Perhaps the blue window would bring him the miracle he had been longing for, and Mikhail closed his eyes tightly.

“I... can’t give up.”

Mikhail suppressed the boiling anger, gritted his teeth, and nodded his head.

“I’ll accept.”

-Confirmed.

The blue window emitted a bright light, left a faint message, and disappeared.

-Ricardo’s eyes are covered.

-A magic is cast on the executor ‘Mikhail’.

The reflection of Mihail in the mirror began to change as if under a small spell.

*

Today, the peaceful streets of the capital.

I, who had come to the capital after a long time to buy snacks for the lady, sat at a café, leaving the lady at the Desmond estate.

-“Take care.”

-“Yes.”

-“Bring chocolate when you come back.”

-“Yes.”

-“And greet Auntie too.”

-“Take care.”

“Hmm...”

Even in Hamel, chocolate was plentiful, but I wanted to indulge in luxury, so I came to the capital, where money was abundant.

I gazed out the window and nodded.

“It’s crowded.”

As expected, the capital was bustling with people.

Students in academy uniforms.

Nobles in dresses.

Couples holding hands and strolling.

The capital’s streets, filled with many people, brought joy to my heart, which was tired of its duties as a butler.

“Sometimes, it’s nice to have some alone time like this. It would be better if I could play with the lady, but that wouldn’t be a butler’s dignified behavior.”

Although I was a bit annoyed that my Favorability Window was malfunctioning, I couldn’t help but think so.

[You cannot use the Favorability Window.]

“It’s on strike.”

I let out a small sigh and brought the straw to my mouth, feeling a bit disappointed that my trusty Favorability Window was on strike.

-Hmm-

The rich flavor of the coffee filled my mouth, reviving my tired butler’s daily life.

“It’s good.”

The current time was 12:50 pm.

There were only 10 minutes left until the chocolate shop, which catered to the lady’s tastes, opened.

And the line was long.

As expected of a popular chocolate shop that catered to the lady’s demanding tastes, people were lined up in front of the shop, which only opened for three hours.

I let out a small laugh as I gazed at the long line in front of the chocolate shop.

“I’ll get scolded by the lady...”

I tried to be a butler who knew how to enjoy the luxury of a cup of coffee, but it seemed I wouldn’t be able to buy the chocolate.

I smiled wryly and took a sip of my coffee.

I thought, “Since I’ll get scolded anyway, I might as well indulge in some comfort food and then go in.”

I turned on my comms device.

“Since I’m in the capital, I might as well visit the tteokbokki shop and Malick’s candy shop too. That should be enough.”

I savored my coffee, enjoying the brief moment of leisure.

And at that moment...

“Huh...?”

“...”

“Who is it?”

My eyes met those of a woman who was pressing her face against the glass window, staring at me.

Her silver-long hair.

Her white one-piece dress.

The woman with large breasts was continuously gazing at me.

“,,,”

I shook my head, avoiding her gaze. It seemed like she wasn’t looking for me.

It was our first meeting, and she was extremely beautiful.

I wasn’t someone who could forget a beauty’s face, so I shrugged and moved my body to make it easy for her to find her companion.

Right.

-Tsk.

Left.

-Fast.

“What’s going on.”

The woman’s deep gray eyes were following me.

“I’m too handsome, is that the problem?” I thought, but her rugged expression didn’t seem to suggest that.

Then what? If I had a strong hypothesis, it would be that she was one of the people from the Academy who held a grudge against me.

-Fast.

It didn’t seem like a good intention.

I carefully stretched out my finger, pointing to my chest. I wanted to confirm if I was the person she was looking for.

-Tilt. Tilt.

I saw the woman nodding, and I awkwardly smiled, opening my mouth wide.

“Is it me?”

-Tilt.

“Why?”

-...

The woman didn’t answer.

After a long, silent battle of nerves, the woman who couldn’t win the staring contest turned around, walked into the store, and sat down in front of me.

“...”

“There.”

The woman silently stared at me, her eyes fixed on mine.

I spoke to her in a serious tone.

“I apologize, but this is a one-person, one-drink café.”

“Ah...”

The flustered woman rummaged through her pockets, her clumsy movements and awkward demeanor making me chuckle. I couldn’t help but gaze at her, hiding my smile as she searched for her wallet.

“There’s no pocket in that one-piece dress.”

She was quite an amusing woman.

Ordinary women would carry a bag, but this woman was full of surprises.

“Can’t I...?”

As a pro at being a burden, I slowly got up from my seat today to open my wallet.

“Don’t go!”

The silver-haired woman, who had hastily called out to me as I stood up from my chair, looked at me with a flustered expression while grabbing my sleeve.

“G-...”

The woman bit her lip and spoke.

“Don’t go, please...”

As I looked at the woman, who was speaking in a sulky tone while lowering her head, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. She wasn’t the kind of person who would just leave after coming all the way here.

I gently shook off the woman’s hand, which was still holding onto my sleeve, and replied to her.

“I won’t run away.”

“...Really?”

“You said one person, one drink, didn’t you? I happened to have finished my coffee, so I was on my way to buy another one. I’ll buy you one too.”

“Ah... thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Do you have a drink you’d like? Black tea? Coffee?”

The woman lowered her head and replied in a small voice.

“I’ll have a mandrake tea.”

“What’s that?”

“Why?”

“No, I just thought it was an unusual taste.”

I smiled slightly and nodded.

“And what’s your name?”

“M-...”

The startled woman hastily covered her mouth, took a moment to collect her thoughts, and then opened her mouth with difficulty.

In a very small, timid voice.

“It’s a secret.”

“I’ll keep it a secret too.”

I smiled slightly and nodded.

I had a feeling I knew who she was.

For some reason, though.

*

At that moment, Mihail, who was sitting in the café, clenched his fist as he looked at Ricardo’s back.

“Is this a lie...?”

It was clearly visible in Mihail’s eyes.

– You are under a magical spell.

[Mihail’s favorability towards Ricardo: 71 ＞ 80]

Mihail felt like something was going wrong.

The favorability rating, which was higher than he had imagined.

Ricardo’s kind tone, too.

Mihail was surprised that he didn’t show any hostility towards him, even though he had treated him rudely.

But it wasn’t a big change.

My heart started to turn like a small gear.

Mikhail gazed at Ricardo, who was carrying a tray of drinks, and thought.

Just achieve the goal and quickly return.

Don’t waste time and get back to wielding my sword, Mikhail thought.

“There’s a secret drink.”

“Ah... thank you.”

“This is my drink.”

Mikhail opened his mouth.

He thought that Ricardo’s true intention was to dislike and curse him, so he thought.

“You’re saying you dislike...”

“Ah.”

Ricardo cut off Mikhail’s words and said.

“You’re lovely.”

“...What?”

“I’ve wanted to say that since earlier.”