Page 276 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Shuen stood in front of the mirror, her expression dark.

"...Huaaah."

Even though she tried to force a bright smile, it was far from natural. Her heart raced uncontrollably, refusing to calm down.

"This isn't like me."

Facing the overwhelming wall of anxiety, Shuen sighed deeply, staring at her reflection in the mirror. A young lady adorned in a frilly dress and a large pearl necklace stared back at her.

"Haaa..."

Shuen was full of doubt.

"I'm just too perfect."

Too perfect to be rejected by Michail, that is.

To shake off her nerves, Shuen lightly slapped her cheeks. After all, the self-proclaimed most beautiful woman of the Empire was standing right there in front of the mirror.

"Ohoho...! I’m absolutely flawless!"

Shuen shouted at her reflection, brimming with fake confidence.

"Ohohoho!!!"

What man wouldn’t be attracted to her violet drill curls? Shuen, who had been told she was beautiful from a young age, felt her confidence begin to rise, albeit shakily.

The commoner told her not to dress up, but...

"The commoner knows nothing about fashion."

Since the commoner wore the same black butler outfit every day, Shuen hadn’t taken his advice seriously. While she could understand his other tips, when it came to fashion, her pride wouldn’t allow her to bend.

"Ohoho...!"

"Oho...ho..."

"Huaaah... this is terrifying."

Of course, it was only her confidence that was growing.

Her complexion darkened.

She was scared, and the thought of rejection loomed over her, preventing her from staying calm. Memories of past mistakes haunted her, amplifying her anxiety.

"Haaa..."

For Shuen, the academy had been a series of trials.

She didn’t know how to navigate a place where commoners and nobles mingled. She had made countless mistakes.

Raised in the rigid social structure of the Tetra family, where the nobility was held above all, the academy felt like forcing a clean brush into dirty paint.

Everything was unfamiliar—interacting with people, especially commoners. Shuen didn’t yet understand that not everyone could like her, and the academy had taught her that lesson the hard way. Before coming to the academy, everyone around her had liked her.

"Commoner... do you think I can do this?"

Staring at the mirror, as she fixed her makeup, Shuen was reminded of a painful memory she had momentarily forgotten.

The disastrous mistake she made during the entrance ceremony.

-Ohoho...! I am Tetra Shuen! Unlike the commoners here, I am the proud daughter of the noble House of Tetra!

-...What the hell?

-As a noble of integrity, I will treat all commoners without discrimination! I want to be friends with everyone here, so please bring your friendship to me!

-She’s so annoying.

It wasn’t until long after that Shuen realized how wrong her words were. The term “commoner” was the issue, though she had no idea at the time.

Raised with the strict education that nobles and commoners were inherently different, Shuen didn’t understand why people reacted so poorly to her speech. But after seeing the scowls every time she said "commoner," she eventually realized her mistake—commoners didn’t see nobles as kindly, no matter how well-meaning they were.

'...'

Shuen had been arrogant, oblivious to the fact that in the eyes of commoners, a good noble and a bad noble were all the same. She had continued speaking {Novelight} haughtily, unaware of the consequences, and she had done so right up until now.

It was her fault.

"Like that matters!"

It was her own foolishness.

She had tried to fix her mistakes.

-Ohoho... so this is where commoners eat! Today, I’ll eat with you!

-Let’s go somewhere else.

-Huh? Where is everyone going?

-Let’s just toss the food in the trash and leave. I’ll buy us lunch somewhere else.

'...'

But it wasn’t easy to find opportunities. By that time, there were already too many people who disliked her.

Approaching others became frightening. They gave her no chance to explain herself. And her pride had kept her from apologizing.

So, she had been lonely.

So lonely that she began to convince herself that studying alone was more enjoyable, that the academy was boring.

Then she met Michail-senpai.

'Wow...'

And she fell for him.

There wasn’t any deep reason behind it.

She had hoped that someone as radiant as Michail could help her fix the buttons she had misaligned. Maybe people would stop looking at her the way they did if he were by her side.

Of course, his good looks were a huge factor too.

But still.

"It’s so hard."

Love was incredibly difficult.

With a strained smile, Shuen glanced down at the notebook resting on her vanity.

[☆The Great Tetra Shuen's Noble Confession Plan☆]

Writer: RicardoWritten by: Tetra Shuen

☆Absolutely no flashy clothes.☆☆☆☆Frills, pearls, rings: 1 gold fine per item.

Avoid using the word "commoner."Don’t get overexcited and lose your cool.Don’t overshare unnecessary details.

"I'm not a child!"

Shuen let out a laugh as she read Ricardo’s notes. She had asked him to write them for her since she wasn’t confident in her handwriting, and seeing all the stars he added for emphasis was amusing.

As she read the notes, she could practically hear his voice.

"So ridiculous."

She sighed deeply and put on her earrings—far too extravagant for the occasion. Staring into the mirror, Shuen forced a stiff, toothy grin.

"I can do this!"

The time was 10:45 AM.

Shuen hurried to make it to the meeting spot early.

In front of the academy’s fountain, crowds of students milled about. From couples to familiar faces, the weekend drew out more people than on weekdays.

Standing there, Shuen clutched her black leather bag tightly, taking deep breaths.

'Don’t be nervous.'

'I’m Shuen, the most perfect woman in the world! I won’t let something like this faze me!'

'So...'

-Hey, look at her clothes.

She froze.

-Where does she think she’s going dressed like that? Doesn’t she feel embarrassed?

-Babe, should I dress like that too?

-Please, don’t.

'Wait...'

Shuen's shoulders trembled as she overheard their conversation. She had no intention of believing they were talking about her, but their stares felt piercing, filling her mind with anxious thoughts.

'They can’t be talking about me, right?'

But the students passing by began mocking her even more.

-Look at her makeup.

-She looks like a goblin.

-Shh, you’re too loud.

-No, seriously, she looks like she got punched in the eyes.

-Clench.

Her heart started pounding uncontrollably.

The words stung because she knew they were aimed at her. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them, every passerby’s comment scratched at her fragile self-esteem, making her heart race even faster.

Shuen gripped her bag tightly, glancing down at her reflection in the fountain.

"What should I do? I must look ridiculous...."

It hadn’t seemed weird when she looked in the mirror back at the dorms, but now everything about her seemed off.

She wanted to look her best. She had woken up early and worked so hard to prepare. But now, at the start, her heart was already sinking.

"I feel so embarrassed."

If only the commoner were here. Shuen’s eyes trembled as she scanned the area around the fountain.

Then.

-Waah!

"Wait...?"

In the distance, a strange figure caught her eye, and Shuen couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Ah... It’s been a while since I dressed up like this. The stares are a bit intense."

Ricardo was standing a little way off, holding a magic music device, dressed in a sparkling blue outfit, wiggling his hips to a bizarre dance, and drawing a stream of curses from onlookers.

From the clownish makeup to the ridiculous outfit.

"Pfft..."

Ricardo winked at her and mouthed, "I told you not to wear that outfit."

"Ugh..."

"Get ready to pay 30 gold in fines."

"Commoner!!!!"

Despite everything, a smile crept across Shuen’s face as she watched Ricardo.

"What are you wearing?!"

Just as she started walking toward him.

"Uh... Shuen?"

A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

Turning awkwardly, Shuen saw the man she had been waiting for. The star of today’s show.

"Michail-senpai?"

"Uh... yeah."

As Michail awkwardly smiled at her, Shuen’s own expression began to stiffen.

"You... You look really dressed up."

It was a lie, and a poorly disguised one at that.

She couldn’t even bring herself to laugh.

After Shuen had disappeared.

Near the fountain, in the bathroom.

"Haaa..."

I let out a heavy sigh as I wiped the ridiculous makeup from my face.

"I told her over and over not to wear that. Ugh..."

'Still, I guess it was worth preparing for this.'

Smirking at the thought of Shuen’s antics, I patted my face dry with a towel.

"At least she didn’t get hurt."

The embarrassment was all hers to carry now, but I felt like I’d done my part. Her smile, free of tension, was thanks enough.

And then.

"Sniffle."

"Hm?"

"Dammit...!"

Moments later, I heard the sound of sobbing coming from the women’s restroom.

"Bwaaaah!!!"

"..."

"Sniff! Hic! Ohhh..."

"..."