Page 240 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Mihail took me to many places.

A café.

A dessert café.

And then a restaurant.

I couldn’t help but laugh absurdly, raising a question mark above my head, as I returned to the tteokbokki shop less than an hour after leaving it.

“We’re back again.”

The flustered woman stared blankly at the tteokbokki shop’s sign.

“Ah...”

I threw a question at her, wondering what was going on. We agreed to go on a date, but it seemed like it was already over.

I should have known from the moment we devoured cake at the dessert café. This woman seemed to have no experience with dating, consuming the schedule at an incredible speed. Perhaps it was only natural, but still.

“Are we eating again now?”

I smiled, looking at Mihail, who had lived as a man all his life.

“I’m still not full, you know.”

“Ah... that’s.”

“Secret Girl.”

I smiled at Mihail, who was standing still, and asked.

“Where are we going now?”

“...”

“Are you expecting something huge, but saying it’s the end?”

“It’s...”

“You said you’d turn your mind around, but it’s still far from enough as my disciple.”

*Hwak*

Mikhail’s face turned bright red. With his strong sense of pride, Mikhail couldn’t tolerate being ignored like that.

Normally, Mikhail would say, “No, there’s still a lot left,” but now, he just bit his lip and looked down, unable to come up with a plan.

“If it ends like this, it’s not okay... there’s still a quest...”

“Yes?”

“No, just wait a minute, please.”

I watched Mikhail move his head quickly, searching for a place to go, and fell deep into thought.

‘A date.’

I wasn’t someone who had been on many dates, so I couldn’t think of a good place to go. It was a nice house, but the person I was dating was special, after all.

-Iik! Chocolate!

I let out a small laugh and carefully grabbed Mikhail’s wrist.

I was thinking about the things she wanted to do when she was young.

-Ikuminhyuk!

-Im Inhyuk.

-...Anyway! When I grow up...

-Yes.

-I want to go to a festival, wear pretty clothes, and have fun.

-Uh-huh.

-I want to put money in a beggar’s bowl too.

-Oh, that’s a great idea.

-I want to drink with you too.

-Alcohol?

-My mom said it’s fun to drink.

-That doesn’t sound like a good thing.

I recalled the trivial conversation we had under the bridge filled with ivy and grabbed Mikhail’s wrist.

The sudden skinship startled her, and she looked at me with a surprised expression.

“What...”

“Follow me.”

“Yes?”

“Haven’t you run out of schedule?”

Mikhail looked at me blankly and followed me, her hand in mine.

As I led her by the wrist, I gazed at her red hair and took a step forward.

Let’s take a walk.

-Here’s 10 gold coins.

-Why are you giving this to me?

-You told me to put it in the beggar’s bowl.

-Yes?

-You seemed like you wanted to do it at least once.

Let’s go to the festival too.

-Ta-da. It’s a cat ear headband.

-You don’t need something like this.

-Don’t say that and try saying “meow” instead. If you talk to an animal with this earpiece on, you can hear its story.

-Really...?

-No, I’m lying.

-Haha... I’ve never done this before, so it feels awkward.

-It’s okay. You’re pretty, so it’s fine.

As I gazed at the night sky and the blue galaxy at the fountain square, I thought, “This is fun.”

I spent time with Mihail until nightfall, doing the tasks I had wanted to do when she was in the slums.

Mihail’s cold expression gradually softened as he got into the atmosphere. His face, which had looked like it would leave at any moment, now had a subtle smile, and his shoulders, which had seemed uncomfortable, were now relaxed.

I smiled as I looked at Mihail, who was enjoying the festival, and stopped in front of a grilled chicken skewer stall.

“Secret Girl, do you want to eat grilled chicken?”

“Uh? No... yes?”

“Grilled chicken.”

Mihail nodded slightly.

While touching the cat ear headband on his head, he smiled brightly.

“Yes.”

Of course, his loud voice was due to the vendor’s joke.

-You two make a great couple.

-No!

-Not at all.

Mihail had erased his stiff expression and was now enjoying the present moment as a woman. As he breathed in the peaceful night air, he walked with a light, unencumbered step.

“There’s a circus {Novelight} over there... let’s go!”

“Shall we?”

I smiled as I watched Mihail, who was holding my hand, being led to a crowded street performance venue.

Mihail, wearing a white dress and smiling brightly, looked like a girl at that age, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s because of that, she looks just like a normal student.”

I didn’t like Mihail. There were still many things I couldn’t accept and many issues to resolve.

But for today, I wanted to treat Mihail like they were in the slums, not like they were at the academy.

I was tired of always complaining.

Perhaps I had made many choices because I wanted to see that side of them. Choices that involved sacrifice or getting hurt.

I was led by Mihail’s hand and enjoyed the festival for a while.

Time had become a bright, moonlit night.

The sun had set, and the moon, a captivating emotional beacon, had risen in the sky.

The street vendors were closing their stalls.

As the Friday night festival in the capital was coming to an end, and the date was slowly wrapping up, I stopped in front of a cozy bar with a good atmosphere, grabbed Mihail’s hand, and said...

“Secret Girl.”

“Yes?”

“This is the last schedule for today.”

“Yes? Ah...”

Mikhail looked disappointed when he heard the word “last” and gazed at the bar. It was already night, and he looked up with an awkward expression.

“It’s time to say goodbye, isn’t it? So, this is the last schedule.”

I smiled slightly and pointed to the bar in front of us, pulling Mikhail’s wrist.

“Are you not a minor?”

“Yes...”

“Then how about a drink? To get closer and to mark the beginning of a new relationship. It seems like it would be nice to have a drink together.”

“...”

Mikhail nodded.

The first drink we shared together.

After getting to know Mikhail, I had never had a drink with him before. I wondered what kind of story we would share as I opened the door to the bar.

Two beers and some squid.

It wasn’t an impressive menu, but I ordered a simple anju (Korean-style snack to accompany drinks) and looked at Mikhail, carefully gathering my hands and gazing at him.

“Did you have fun?”

“...”

Mikhail didn’t answer and just nodded.

“I’m glad.”

“...”

“But, Secret Girl.”

“Yes...?”

“How long do you plan to wear that headband? I’m glad you’re wearing the gift I gave you, but it’s a bit embarrassing.”

Mikhail, who seemed to like the cat headband, continued to wear it and quickly moved her hand, as if she was making a gesture.

“Ah! I should have said it earlier!!”

“Hahaha...! I thought you were wearing it on purpose.”

“There’s no way that’s true!!”

As I watched Mikhail make a loud, exaggerated gesture, I burst out laughing.

The glasses kept emptying.

We clinked our cold glasses together and laughed.

We talked about what had happened that day and laughed.

“I was really surprised. You suddenly looked at me through the glass window... I thought you were challenging me to a duel.”

“...Heh. Do you want to challenge me to a duel?”

“No.”

“You would have accepted it anyway...!”

I clinked glasses with the woman who had Mikhail’s name and took a sip.

It was good.

Not getting angry and being able to share memories and drinks with Mikhail was unusual and nice. The memories we made together looked good, and we could slowly adapt, so it was also colorful.

“Why did I act like that at the academy...?”

I let out a hollow laugh and, with a gaze blurred by intoxication, I cautiously threw a question at Mikhail.

“Excuse me, Miss Secret.”

“Yes?”

I looked at her and asked.

“What do you think of me?”

“Yes?”

“You must know a little about me, not just the rumors, but today. I’m curious about how I was.”

I sought an honest answer from her as I looked into her eyes.

Just as I questioned the time Mikhail had given me today, I asked her for a rating of the person named Ricardo for just this one day.

“Don’t you know? That I’m not such a good person.”

“...”

“I’m somewhat famous at the academy, so I don’t think you haven’t heard rumors about me.”

“...”

“I just want to hear your thoughts about today.”

“...”

Mikhail opened his mouth with difficulty.

He muttered the keyword ‘just for today’ and cautiously began to speak.

“I didn’t dislike it.”

“...”

“I don’t know much yet, but you seemed like an interesting person.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes.”

I smiled faintly and raised my glass.

“I guess I did fairly well.”

This time, Mikhail threw a question at me. Perhaps he couldn’t be the only one on the receiving end, he took a gulp of his drink and parted his lips.

“May I ask you a question then?”

“Of course.”

With trembling lips, Mikhail asked me.

“What do you think of a person named Mikhail?”

“...”

Mikhail’s question was sharp.

I let out a hollow laugh and, with a gaze blurred by intoxication, I cautiously threw a question at Mikhail.

“Excuse me, Miss Secret.”

“Yes?”

I looked at her and asked.

“What do you think of me?”

“Yes?”

“You must know a little about me, not just the rumors, but today. I’m curious about how I was.”

I sought an honest answer from her as I looked into her eyes.

Just as I questioned the time Mikhail had given me today, I asked her for a rating of the person named Ricardo for just this one day.

“Don’t you know? That I’m not such a good person.”

“...”

“I’m somewhat famous at the academy, so I don’t think you haven’t heard rumors about me.”

“...”

“I just want to hear your thoughts about today.”

“...”

Mikhail opened his mouth with difficulty.

He muttered the keyword ‘just for today’ and cautiously began to speak.

“I didn’t dislike it.”

“...”

“I don’t know much yet, but you seemed like an interesting person.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes.”

I smiled faintly and raised my glass.

“I guess I did fairly well.”

This time, Mikhail threw a question at me. Perhaps he couldn’t be the only one on the receiving end, he took a gulp of his drink and parted his lips.

“May I ask you a question then?”

“Of course.”

With trembling lips, Mikhail asked me.

“What do you think of a person named Mikhail?”

“...”

Mikhail’s question was sharp.