Page 280 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Ten minutes ago.

Through the carriage window, I saw a woman kneeling in front of the mansion gates. Even from a distance, her hunched figure seemed to carry a heavy story, and I found myself staring at her, a question mark hanging above my head.

"Who is that...?"

The young lady, noticing her as well, voiced her confusion with the same perplexed expression.

"Ricardo, there’s someone at our house."

"..."

"...Ricardo?"

"Uh... pardon me."

Pausing, I studied the woman’s face, unsure of who she was or what had brought her to the mansion.

From the back alone, it was impossible to tell. No one ever came to visit a villainess's mansion, after all.

But as the carriage changed angles and I caught a glimpse of her face, I recognized her immediately.

‘Why is she here?’

I was startled, but the young lady’s reaction was even more extreme.

"Heh...! It’s the chocolate thief."

"I don’t think that’s the case."

"No, no one ever comes to my house."

Her serious expression, paired with that sad statement, made me lower my head with a bitter smile.

"That’s true."

I knew her.

The woman kneeling at the gates, the one who appeared in the novel with a sorrowful backstory, seemed to be waiting for me, her face drenched in cold sweat.

With a heavy heart, I stepped down from the carriage. I wasn’t sure I could give her the answers she was looking for right now.

"..."

Wearing a solemn expression, I approached her to help her stand.

In a tale no one else could know.

"...Why?"

A girl, covered in blood, was clutching a man with red hair, crying desperately.

"Why... why... why!!!"

Her anguished cries echoed through the field of white canary flowers, spreading sorrow. It was a cry full of hatred and love.

Perhaps "love-hate" was the best term to describe the storm of emotions swirling in her eyes—it couldn’t be summed up in a single word.

The man in her arms smiled faintly and spoke with difficulty.

"You wouldn’t like it if I said it was just because, would you?"

"Stop joking!!! Tell me!"

"Haha... I know."

The man’s breath was growing fainter.

Amid the white canary flowers, where his life could end at any moment, the man smiled peacefully and gently caressed the girl’s cheek.

"Do you still hate me?"

"..."

"Of course you do..."

White petals floated down, leaving behind only a heavy sense of regret.

__________________________

An uninvited guest visited the lady's mansion.

The young lady furrowed her brow, a question mark hovering over her head at the sight of this rare visitor.

"Hmmm..."

"..."

"Hmmmm...."

She even flared her nostrils, as if sniffing the air for clues. As the owner of the mansion, her display of rudeness toward a first-time visitor was impressive. I pulled back my chair slightly, trying to calm her down.

"Miss, it's impolite to sniff at strangers."

"I know... I know, but... hmmm..."

"Why are you doing this?"

"She feels familiar."

Surprised by the young lady's sharp intuition, I quickly tried to ease her curiosity.

"Of course she seems familiar. You met her the last time, remember?"

The young lady looked at me, now with an exclamation mark over her head, as if to say she’d never seen this person before.

"I don't know her, I don't remember."

"She’s the owner of that new restaurant in Hamel."

"The one with the bad food?"

At the young lady's brutally honest evaluation, Ella flinched and lowered her head, seemingly accustomed to such harsh words. I offered an awkward smile, unsure of how to respond, especially since I had a good guess of what she was here for.

With the young lady muttering, "She does seem familiar..." I gently suggested,

"Miss."

"Yes?"

"Could you go to the second floor and give Gomtangi a snack?"

"No. I want to play with Ricardo. Besides, he doesn’t listen to me, so it's no fun."

"I’ll bring you a snack too, miss. Gomtangi's and yours—three bags."

"Hmm..."

She nodded with a bright smile.

"Okay. But, is that person your friend, Ricardo?"

"Not exactly..."

I glanced at Ella, who looked dark and upset, and thought carefully about what to say that wouldn’t offend her.

"Let’s call her an industrial spy for now."

"Ooh... a spy."

Luckily, the young lady didn’t press further and accepted my words.

With the room now just the two of us, I looked at the empty table and spoke, my voice filled with embarrassment.

"Ah... I was so distracted, I forgot to offer you tea. Please wait a moment—"

Thud.

Ella grabbed my hand before I could leave the room, kneeling on the floor. Her actions clearly showed she wasn’t interested in having tea. I frowned, reaching out to help her stand. After all, I didn’t want to see my old friend’s mother on her knees.

"Please don’t do this."

"...Please!"

"..."

"Please, help me. Let me see my daughter. I’ll give you as much money as you want! Please, just let me see her once!"

A heavy silence fell between us.

I couldn’t respond, and Ella's quiet pleading filled the room. She desperately waited for an answer I couldn’t give.

With a solemn voice, I finally said what I could to Ella.

"Please... go home."

I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted.

It had been less than a week since I returned from the academy. I couldn’t suddenly arrange a meeting between Mikhail and her mother, especially with everything happening with Shuen. I simply wasn’t ready to act on this.

In my heart, I knew that bringing them together now wouldn’t end well. More time was needed.

Nodding with difficulty, I looked at Ella, who was weeping quietly, and gave her the best response I could muster.

"We’re not close with that person."

Night at the academy.

Hannah, who had just finished reading some risqué books in the library, was walking under the moonlight, taking a long-overdue stroll. Though, to be honest, it was more the path back to the dorm than an actual walk.

"Yaaawn!"

For Hannah, who loved the crisp air, this was the perfect kind of relaxation.

As she walked under the streetlights, she thought back on recent events and muttered quietly.

"I want to see him again."

She wanted to see the butler.

Spending more time with Ricardo lately had only made her miss him more.

There hadn’t been any particularly sweet moments, but still...

"It was nice..."

For Hannah, moments with Ricardo always made her feel alive. He was a refreshing escape from the monotonous academy life, giving her a sense of vitality and excitement.

"..."

Even just thinking about him made her heart warm. Her heart raced, and her face grew hot.

"I must be crazy..."

Thump.

Hannah gently placed her hand over her pounding heart, smiling faintly. She reached up to touch her earring, the one Ricardo had gifted her, and played with it absentmindedly.

"The greatest luck in my life was meeting him. How could I possibly be any happier than this... heh."

Ricardo’s gift, which had added luck to her already lucky life, made her smile with warmth in her heart.

After walking for about three minutes, she spotted something unusual in the distance.

"Ohoho...!"

A girl, carrying a large black bundle on her back, was walking ahead, giggling madly.

"Wow..."

Hannah couldn’t help but be impressed as she ? Nоvеl?гht ? (Don’t copy, read here) watched Shuen, who was making her way back to the dorm with an armload of what seemed like bags. Despite carrying so much, she was laughing like Santa Claus, a thought that made Hannah smirk.

"Huff... huff... haah...!"

‘What... a crazy girl.’

Hannah had nearly caught up with Shuen but was planning to walk past her without acknowledgment. However, Shuen’s hurried voice called out.

"Hi...Histania Hannah!"

With her eyes tightly shut, Hannah turned her head and sighed.

"What."

"Ohoho...! Huff...huff... hello, Histania Hannah!"

"Yeah... hi."

"Haah... let me just catch my breath."

Shuen, panting heavily, adjusted the massive bundle on her back before continuing the conversation.

"Are you on your way back from studying?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

"I’m on my way home after closing the convenience store!"

Shuen then exclaimed, "Oh, right!" and plopped her black bundle onto the ground with a thud, rummaging through it.

"Have you had dinner yet?"

"Uh... no?"

"I knew it! Skipping meals will make you sick!"

With a bright smile, Shuen pulled out a lunchbox from her bag and handed it to Hannah. Judging by the packaging, it was likely past its expiration date—probably something Shuen had snagged from work.

Shuen grinned widely, proud of her generous offer.

"Take it!"

"I don’t need it."

"Take it! It’s a gift from me, Shuen!"

"Uh... okay. Thanks. Are you going to eat all of this?"

"Nope! It’s my breakfast, lunch, and dinner for tomorrow!"

"Huh...?"

"Thanks to my new job, I can eat alone without feeling awkward, so I, Shuen, am sharing my wealth with you!"

"Is that a good thing...?"

With an innocent smile, Shuen scratched the back of her head, seemingly genuinely happy.

"Well then, I’ll be off...!"

With a bright smile, Shuen grabbed the edge of her bundle and gritted her teeth.

And then...

Wobble!

"..."

Looking flustered, she turned back to Hannah.

Shuen glanced down at her bundle, then back at Hannah, her voice trembling slightly.

"Uh... do you by any chance need another lunchbox?"

Sigh.

"You idiot."

"Hehe..."

Hannah hoisted the bundle onto her back and started walking toward the dormitory. It was on her way anyway, so she decided to help.

For Hannah, who was in the swordsmanship department, the weight of the bundle wasn’t much at all. She strode toward the dorms while Shuen, grateful, followed closely behind.

As they walked, Shuen nervously tapped Hannah on the shoulder and spoke.

"Histania Hannah, would you like a hot dog?"

"I don’t need it."

"I’m offering it especially for you! In fact, I snuck out one that hasn’t expired yet!"

"You..."

‘Does she not know that my brother owns the store?’

Hannah sighed as she looked at Shuen’s mischievous grin.

"Forget it, it’s fine."

"Huh? Are you going to report me?"

"No, just... steal in moderation."

"Ohoho! Of course!"

Hannah walked on, chatting with Shuen as they neared the dorm. And as they got closer, a thought crossed her mind.

How many times... have you died, I wonder...

"..."

Curious, Hannah turned to Shuen and asked,

"Hey, Shuen."

"Yes?"

"Is there a magic spell that can turn back time?"

"...What?"

Shuen stared at her blankly for a moment before muttering, "Wait a second," her face growing puzzled.

"Uh..."

"..."

"I think there might be?"

Shuen’s response was uncertain, but she quickly followed up with her own theory.

"In theory, it's possible. But..."

"But?"

"It’s impossible with regular magic."

"What do you mean...?"

"Miracles that people can create... are all..."

"Dark magic."

And just then...

Ding.

A foreboding sound echoed in Hannah’s ear.