Page 273 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

In front of the chaotic hallway.

Shuen, gripping Vienna's hair, was panting heavily, her anger palpable.

“Let go of me!”

“Shuen!!”

“I said, let go! I’ll cleanse this noodle-brained wench in the name of nobility!”

For someone who looked like half-eaten sausage, Vienna dared to insult others. Even nobles like Shuen were cautious not to lose their livelihoods, and the idea of fabricating evidence to frame someone as a criminal was enough to snap her patience completely.

“What are you doing! I told you to let go. Let go!”

“Tell that to your grandmother! I have no intention of letting go.”

“You bitch!”

“Noble Special Move! Leg Sweep!”

Shuen, naming a technique she had never learned, tried to hook Vienna’s legs.

However.

For someone from the swordsmanship department, Vienna’s balance was far too solid for Shuen’s slender legs to topple.

“Hrk! I thought only your brain was filled with noodles, but your body too? Typical of those brutish swordsmanship students! Both their minds and bodies are brainless!”

“You crazy bitch!”

Shuen didn’t shy away from Vienna’s flailing hands, facing her head-on. She avoided using magic to keep the situation from escalating. Holding onto her composure, Shuen fought back, gritting her teeth.

“Noble Special Move...! Commoner Bite!”

“AAAAAHHH!!!”

“When you have no teeth, you bite with your gums! Die, commoner!”

“Just let go already!!!”

Shuen refused to release Vienna, biting down harder.

“Apologize! Now!”

“For what?!”

“For being ugly!”

It wasn’t until Ricardo arrived from the second floor, after hearing the commotion, that things started to calm down.

“What are you all doing...?”

Ricardo pressed his temples, sighing deeply.

“Huff... huff...”

“...”

“Huffffff!!”

Shuen, having shifted her career ambitions from student to robber, and then to pressure cooker, still hadn’t fully cooled down. She gripped a fork backward, glaring daggers at Vienna, who was receiving comfort outside the convenience store.

-Sob sob... I thought that’s what everyone else was thinking...*

-It’s okay, senior...? Shuen’s always been weird like that. Just try to understand.

-No, it’s my fault... Waaaahhh...

“That bitch!”

“Whoa, whoa...! Calm down, Shuen.”

“Let me go! I’ll turn her into a proper commoner!”

I held back the fuming Shuen, smiling as I did so. I wasn’t sure how she’d ended up fighting, but her furious expression was oddly cute. Not as cute as the lady, of course, but still cute enough to make me chuckle.

“Huff... huff...”

Shuen had shown every possible disgrace a noble could display, yet she continued panting with frustration.

“If my special move had worked, that wench wouldn’t be standing! I didn’t make her enough of a proper human.”

“Pfft!”

“Why are you laughing?!”

“This whole situation is just too funny.”

“W-What?”

“Vienna is a swordsmanship student, isn’t she? What kind of mage fights a swordsman in hand-to-hand combat... Pfft.”

“She made me mad!”

“Haha! Alright, then. Let’s hear it. Why did you fight her?”

Though I already had a pretty good idea.

I assumed Shuen fought because Vienna had tried to switch partners. It was something that had happened in the novel, and given Vienna’s usual behavior, it seemed likely enough.

But Shuen’s answer was completely unexpected.

“She was trying to frame you as the culprit! So, I fought her!”

“...?”

“She dared to insult my noble lunch companion! That deserves punishment by death!”

I blinked, staring dumbfounded at the proudly standing Shuen.

“W-What?”

“What?!”

“No, did you just say you fought because of me...?”

“Yes.”

“Because of me?”

“Are you hard of hearing now, commoner?”

I shook my head, chuckling in disbelief, and then widened my eyes at her earnest expression.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes!”

“Why, though?”

“Because you’re my lunch companion!”

“So, it wasn’t because she tried to switch partners?”

Shuen shook her head.

“That didn’t matter. I just didn’t let her switch.”

“Then...”

“She made me angry, trying to frame someone who’s done nothing wrong!”

At Shuen’s bold words, I paused, staring at her face. Her cheeks, puffed out in anger, bore a small scratch.

‘She got hurt.’

I pushed my chair back and gently brushed Shuen’s cheek with my hand.

“Eek! That hurts!”

“...You’re hurt.”

“Huh?”

“You have a scratch here.”

“Oh... It’s fine. A little spit will heal it.”

Shuen’s innocent smile left me momentarily speechless. For a noble... no, for any woman, a scar on the face was no small matter.

As if to confirm my thoughts, Shuen couldn’t help but touch the spot, her fingers brushing the wound with a hint of concern.

-Clench...

Even Shuen wasn’t the type to enjoy fighting as much as the lady.

-Eek! Stop! Let me go!

-Miss, please calm down.

-Eeeek!

-He’ll die if you keep hitting him.

Shuen, with a far softer heart than what her noble title of "villainess" might suggest, made me smile bittersweetly as I bowed my head slightly toward her.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying thanks. You got yourself caught up {Novelight} in something troublesome because of me...”

“You’re making me blush when you say it like that.”

Watching Shuen sheepishly scratch the back of her head, a strange sense of discomfort settled over me. Discomfort directed at the girl who had hurt her.

“Pfft...! Now I’ve finally broken free from my 100-loss streak! I’ve finally won one, commoner!”

“Congratulations, Shuen.”

I quietly fetched a white box from behind the counter and sat in front of Shuen. Taking out some ointment, I began applying it to her cheek.

“This will sting.”

“Uguu...!”

“‘Uguu’?”

“That’s the sound nobles make when something stings. It’s a family secret for enhancing our charm.”

“...”

I shook my head at her ridiculous explanation and focused on cleaning the wound.

“Don’t fight anymore.”

“...No.”

“You don’t want to ruin your pretty face.”

“You know I’m pretty, huh.”

“Of course. I’ve got high standards.”

“...You must really like me, huh?”

“Should I pour this whole bottle of disinfectant on you?”

“Uguu... I’m sorry.”

As I finished treating Shuen’s wound, about ten minutes had passed, and the bell above the convenience store door rang.

-Ding.

I closed my mouth as the unwelcome visitor entered the store. I had hoped to avoid them, but my unease couldn’t be ignored.

-Step...

-Step...

Watching the woman confidently approach, I clenched the cotton swab in my hand tightly.

-Sniff... sniff...

Vienna was crying.

She glanced at me once. Then at Michail. She kept her head down, carefully managing her expression.

‘I don’t like this.’

Closing the first aid box, I made no effort to hide my displeasure as I spoke.

“Sorry, but we’re closed for the day.”

“...”

“I’d appreciate it if you could leave.”

Vienna ignored me and walked toward Shuen. Her tear-filled eyes didn’t carry sadness; they were cold and calculating.

‘If you’re going to act like that, this won’t be any fun.’

I shot a quick glance at Vienna as she approached, then turned to Michail beside her.

“I guess you didn’t hear me?”

“...Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you think I’m the thief too, just like she does.”

“That’s not it...!”

“I thought I was being considerate, but I guess I need to try harder.”

Michail met my gaze with sad eyes, biting his lip.

Standing beside the sniffling Vienna, Michail turned to Shuen with a heavy expression.

“Shuen.”

“What is it?”

“Could you apologize to Vienna?”

“Are you talking to me?”

Without even glancing at Vienna, Shuen responded with clear irritation.

“No way. Not even if Vienna’s mother asks me.”

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

“Can’t she speak for herself?!”

Not waiting for Michail to finish, Shuen shot back at Vienna, telling her to speak up if she had something to say. Why was she using Michail as a shield?

“As long as that noodle-brained girl doesn’t apologize to the commoners, I won’t apologize.”

“Shuen.”

“Even if you ask me, Senior Michail, I can’t do it. It’s a matter of pride for me as a noble.”

Shuen shook her head firmly.

And then.

“It’s fine...”

Vienna’s dejected voice filled the air.

“I was in the wrong. Don’t be too hard on Shuen.”

“Vienna...”

“I just... sniff. I just wanted to talk things through. I wanted us to be close again like before, but if you hate me that much...”

Shuen, watching Vienna’s act, gripped the fork backward again, muttering about when she would get her chance to use her "Noble Special Move: Commoner Cleansing."

I quickly took the fork from Shuen’s hand and set it down on the table.

Then, leaning in close to Vienna’s ear, I whispered softly.

“How’s the black magic coming along?”

Vienna’s body stiffened as I spoke, her eyes trembling with fear. She glanced at me, her lips moving silently as she tried to understand how I knew.

Smiling faintly, I whispered again.

“What’s with the shock? Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

“...”

“With all the money you’ve stolen from the academy, you’ve bought some pretty expensive spell books, haven’t you?”

“How did you...?!”

“Shh. You don’t want Michail to hear, do you?”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head.

“You’d better use that magic carefully.”

“...”

“Failing that spell could seriously injure the caster. Just like what happened to my lady.”

“What are you trying to say?”

I ran my hand gently along Vienna’s shoulder, smiling as I spoke.

“It’s just funny. This whole situation.”

“...”

“Don’t you think so, Michail?”

Michail, who had overheard everything, looked at me with shaking eyes.

“What? You still think this is all my doing?”

“...”

“How amusing.”

I smiled at them both, eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Better make sure to find solid evidence next time.”

“...”

“If you want to frame me, that is.”

The next evening.

“Commoner!!!”

Shuen was looking at me with eyes full of admiration.