Page 246 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Rain was falling.

A rain full of regret poured between the two of them, over the scars of memories that could not be erased.

—Whooosh—

Mikhail was looking at me.

With eyes drenched in the rain, Mikhail stood there, silently watching me.

It seemed like there was something she wanted to say, as her lips trembled slightly, but Mikhail just closed her eyes tightly and shuddered.

"I..."

What had happened?

Mikhail was trembling as if she were scared. She couldn’t look me in the eyes, her trembling gaze not knowing where to settle.

Though I couldn’t know what had happened, I looked at the melancholy in Mikhail’s eyes and gave a small smile.

"Misa."

Just like always.

I couldn’t say anything.

"Misa."

At his gentle voice asking, I couldn’t bring myself to respond. I couldn’t even say a simple "yes," nor could I meet his eyes.

Mikhail couldn’t think of what to say, how to start the conversation, so she dared not open her mouth.

The red eyes that were looking at her... The shoulders she once despised, realizing now they belonged to him, made her heart ache.

—Whooosh—

Ricardo, standing in the rain and covering her with an umbrella, was smiling at her. That smile, which she once loathed for its incomprehensible meaning, was now directed at her.

Her heart ached.

It hurt so much that she could hardly breathe.

"I..."

What had she done?

"I...."

Who had she hated?

"I...I..."

Why had she done it?

An overwhelming wave of regret crashed over her. The kind of regret that could neither be denied nor escaped gripped her heart painfully.

As if to say, “Don’t speak carelessly,” her heart pounded like crazy, telling her she had no right to lift her head.

"Are you okay?"

Ricardo looked at her with eyes full of concern.

"—Are you okay?" "—Don’t pretend to care, it’s disgusting." "—You seem okay, seeing as you can say something like that."

His voice, along with memories of past mistakes, echoed in her ears.

"Misa, you don’t look well. It’s raining like this, and you’re without an umbrella..."

"—Are you a training freak? It’s raining like this, why are you training?" "—Don’t worry about it. It’s none of your concern." "—But still..." "—Don’t cover me with your filthy hand!"

The umbrella that had fallen to the ground back then flashed before her eyes.

Ricardo’s concerned expression overlapped with the face of the boy from her memories. The voice of that boy, who had always smiled at her and never spoke harshly, overlapped with Ricardo’s smile.

She had finally found her way at the crossroads she had searched for so desperately. She had found not only that the boy had survived, but also who he was and what he had lived for. But now, she could only stand there, unable to say anything.

Mikhail couldn’t look Ricardo in the eye.

After all, it was her who had driven him out of the Academy, where graduation meant success. She was so full of regret toward her past self, who had spoken such cruel words to him.

"Why..."

There were so many things she wanted to ask.

Why did someone as brilliant as you become Olivia’s servant? Why did someone who once showed kindness to an orphan filled with anger become someone who bullied the weak?

There were so many things she wanted to ask, but...

Mikhail couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Maybe...

"Why..."

Maybe all of it had been for her. She didn’t dare to open her mouth.

"..."

Knowing that it was too late to clear the emotional scars that had built up over time, she was cautious about everything.

He wouldn’t know, which is why he hadn’t revealed his identity to her. Maybe he didn’t want to be a burden, or maybe he didn’t want to be remembered as someone from the slums. If it was that boy, it made sense.

"..."

Memories of what Ricardo had done for her started to surface.

He had deliberately lost to her in the ranking match. "—What are you doing...! Fight until the end." "—I thought it would suit you better." "—Are you insulting me?"

He had smiled brightly when he saw her standing outside during the Academy fire. "—Why are you smiling?" "—I was just relieved, that’s all."

The realization that all the things she had hated had been done for her sake tore at Mikhail’s heart.

"I never said a single kind word to you." "I told you I didn’t need help from someone like you."

Realizing that he had quietly helped her despite her harsh words, Mikhail couldn’t bear to lift her head. The reflection of herself in the puddle looked too ugly.

Her clenched fists trembled.

It felt like her nails were digging into her skin, but it didn’t hurt. Her heart hurt more.

"Don’t..."

Ricardo was looking at her. Not as the man "Mikhail," but with eyes full of concern for the woman "Misa."

She didn’t know what emotions he felt.

Whether they were positive or negative, she wanted to know, but she didn’t have the courage to ask.

Ricardo continued to look at her.

His back was soaking wet from the rain, but he was smiling gently as he looked at her.

"Please don’t look at me like that."

Because if you knew who I was, you’d hate me.

"Please, don’t look at me like that."

Mikhail bit her lip and clenched her fists. Despite knowing what she had done to him—being harsh, rejecting, insulting, and humiliating him—he still looked at her with those eyes. Why was he looking at her like that?

Her heart felt like it was collapsing.

It felt like her heart, shackled by guilt, was refusing to beat properly, as if saying, “You don’t deserve this. Think about what you said.” It felt like she was being kicked.

"Yes, I know."

If Ricardo had spoken the truth.

If he had lost his temper and exploded in anger, she wouldn’t even have this chance.

She wouldn’t be able to see his face.

She wouldn’t be able to see that smile.

She wouldn’t be able to hear his voice.

Mikhail, disguised as "Misa," looked at Ricardo. The thought of Mikhail as a man was probably a nightmare for Ricardo.

Even though this was her true self and the way she most wanted to meet him, she faced Ricardo under the mask of a lie.

Because if he knew that she was Mikhail, she didn’t know how Ricardo would react. Honestly, she was afraid.

Afraid of how she should treat him. "—Why are you suddenly being nice?"

Afraid of how she should look at him. "—Just act like you normally do. Tell me to get lost. Tell me you don’t need someone like me."

She was afraid of being hurt by his coldness, even though what she had done was far worse.

Mikhail knew that these thoughts were just pathetic excuses, but she was more afraid of being hated by him, so she decided to wear the mask of a lie.

Ricardo watched Mikhail’s trembling eyes and finally opened his mouth.

"Did you ask why I’m looking at you like this?"

He smiled faintly, shielding her head from the rain with the umbrella, and spoke in a soft voice.

"A beautiful woman is standing in the rain looking so pitiful. How could I just pass by? I’m not capable of that."

"..."

Ricardo smiled gently at Mikhail, who hesitated to speak.

"Weren’t you going to learn swordsmanship?"

"..."

"I’m not in the capital often... If you come down to Hamel, I’ll teach you."

"..."

"But don’t come to our estate. Make sure to send a letter first, saying, ‘I’m coming at this time and place, please make time for me.’"

Ricardo looked around, his voice playful.

"We have a terrifying monster living at our estate... If you get caught, you’ll die."

Mikhail nodded.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She nodded with a heavy heart, filled with regret.

Just having a means to talk to him was enough. The idea of approaching him as "Mikhail" was unthinkable, so she thought this was the only way she could reach out to him.

Even though she knew this wasn’t the best approach, even though it might be the worst choice, Mikhail couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

"Can I..."

"Yes."

"Can I really do that?"

"Hmm..."

Ricardo placed the umbrella in Mikhail’s hand and smiled.

"For a small token of appreciation, it’s possible."

As Mikhail, hiding under the umbrella, lowered her head, Ricardo nodded and said goodbye.

"You’ll catch a cold."

"..."

"And don’t cry."

"Ah..."

For a moment, Ricardo’s face overlapped with the face of the boy from her memories.

Just like the day he gave her the box to cover her head in the rain.

"—Don’t cry, you’ll look ugly." "Don’t cry, you’ll look ugly."

It was the same.

After Ricardo’s figure disappeared from the street,

—Thud—

Mikhail collapsed to the ground and cried uncontrollably.

She dropped the umbrella in the street and cried endlessly.

"Huhu... Huaaah. I..."

"What... krrp... am I supposed to do now?"

She pounded her chest and sobbed.

Today, as always, it was peaceful at the Darvab estate.

"Father."

"It’s alright. Father will take care of everything."

"Brother approves as well."

"Mother also approves."

Sitting on the floor, Olivia was picking her nose as she received the full support of her family.

"Sniff."

Olivia shook her head and spoke calmly.

"No. What if we fail again?"

"At worst, it’ll just be another demotion. But what’s more important to me is right now."

"We’ve sent all the servants home, so it’s fine. I’ve set up double and triple barriers, so if anyone comes in, they’ll leave this world without a sound."

"Mother will help too."

I smiled and stopped the young lady as she was about to put her fingers in her mouth.

"That’s not something you eat."

"...It’s not?"

"No."

"..."

The young lady smiled bashfully and nodded.

"Then, let’s do it."

The Desmond family looked on expectantly, watching the young lady roll up her sleeves.

"Eeeek!!!"

They were waiting for little Olivia.