Page 354 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

The Grand Casino in the Capital

?Place your bets on who will take first place in the Academy!

Mikhail, Wielder of the Holy SwordOdds: 1.2xYuria, the Dark Horse of the Healing DepartmentOdds: 3xHanna, Youngest Aura AwakenedOdds: 1.5xShartia of Noble BloodOdds: 2x...Shuen, the Rumor-mongering StalkerOdds: 100x“Oh my...”

Just before the round of 16 began, a woman hidden under a deep hood clutched her pouch of gold, eyeing the high odds.

“100 to 1 odds, huh...”

High odds usually meant a 100% chance that the bet wouldn’t win, but the woman’s thoughts ran differently.

“I believe in myself!”

After all, she herself was the very star of those 10,000% odds.

“Ji Shuen will absolutely take first place!”

Fingering her heavy purse, Shuen fell deep into thoughts of a happy future.

What will I buy with this money?

She could buy a house. Or gifts for the commoners. Or even quit the Academy and open her own shop.

And so, in the round of 16:

Heh... I’ve researched everything about you. You’ve got a girl you like, right? Recently got rejected?Y-You... You!Hehe... a weak spot!

[Cursed Mouth, Tetra Shuen]

Odds: 50x

In the quarterfinals:

So... you’re secretly in love with the Senior Director, right? I saw you sneaking letters into his office!What are you saying?! I don’t like him! I just... wanted to make a good impression!Heh, that’s a peculiar taste! Everyone, here’s a hot scoop!Shut up!Now’s my chance!

[Shuen, Finder of Embarrassing Secrets]

Odds: 30x

Shuen found herself chewing on her own fist, trembling with an expression of disbelief.

“This is a miracle!”

Luck had shielded her from facing anyone strong. It was as though Lady Luck herself had steered all the dangerous opponents into Group A, leaving only the Crown Prince and Shartia, the powerhouses, in Group B.

If she could just hold out until the semifinals, the massive payout would head straight for Shuen, who had poured her entire salary into bets. If she somehow won the championship, she’d earn enough to buy a castle in the outskirts.

“Heh heh heh...”

Shuen glanced at the attendant, a chilling smile on her face.

“Heh...”

The attendant returned a stiff smile, feeling as if he were watching someone a bit unhinged.

“Um... are you here to claim your winnings?”

“...How much can I get if I withdraw now?”

“Did you place your bet during the round of 16?”

“Yes!”

“What’s your betting alias?”

“Shuen-Gel!”

“Excuse me? Oh... one moment, please.”

Heheh.

“...Yes, Miss Shuen-Gel, we’ve confirmed your bet. You placed 100 gold on ‘Tetra Shuen, Finder of Embarrassing Secrets’ advancing to the semifinals, so... just a moment.”

As the attendant tapped on his abacus, Shuen’s eyes began to quiver with excitement.

“If you withdraw before the final winner is determined, you won’t receive 50% of the payout. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Then this would be the approximate amount.”

“Oh... oh... how many zeroes is that?”

Seeing the look of sheer delight on Shuen’s face, the attendant forced a smile, offering his congratulations.

“Congratulations. It seems you have a talent for gambling.”

“...I’m not getting carried away. I did this purely for fun!”

“Haha, of course. So, shall I process the withdrawal?”

“Wait a moment!”

Grabbing the attendant’s hand, Shuen hesitated. If she withdrew now, she’d have enough to buy a cozy house in the capital, but... if, just if she managed to win first place, she might even afford a castle in the frontier.

“Oh-ho-ho... My castle! Are you impressed, commoner?” “Wha... How did you acquire such a magnificent castle?! I’m impressed, Shuen... no, my lady!”

“Heh...”

“Um... miss?”

Wiping the drool from her lips, Shuen shook her head. The time to cash out wasn’t now.

“I’ll wait a little longer.”

“Are you sure? It seems unlikely that this student will reach the semifinals.”

“What did you say?!”

“N-Never mind.”

Shuen, humming to herself, strolled out of the casino, her steps light with excitement.

Since the capital’s casino was royal-run, there was no worry of being scammed. Her only task now was to cash out at the perfect moment and reach the championship.

“The strongest power in the world isn’t philosophy or magic... it’s money!”

Shuen’s steps felt lighter than ever.

“Wait for me, Crown Prince! Or maybe even the Princess! This Shuen will disgrace the royal family in the most glamorous way!”

Arena

The match is over...

I let out a deep sigh, observing the chaos in the arena, awed by the intense showdown that had just taken place.

The winner of this match is...

“I didn’t expect it to go this far.”

The winner is... third-year Swordsmanship student Mikhail!!!

The arena bore clear signs of the fierce battle, with deep cuts in the floor, evidence of the all-out fight between the two warriors, who were both breathing heavily.

Hah... hah... Ha... damn it.

It had been Hanna versus Mikhail. And the victor was Mikhail, not Hanna.

As I looked at Mikhail standing alone in the arena, I murmured,

“I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”

“...Neither did I.”

Honestly...

“She’s become quite a monster, Hanna.”

I hadn’t thought she’d last this long against Mikhail. Despite only recently awakening the Holy Sword, Mikhail was far from weak. In fact, he was stronger than I’d expected.

I’d assumed Hanna wouldn’t stand a chance against Mikhail in this fight. Yet my prediction had missed its mark entirely.

It’s been a while, Senior.Indeed.That’s a fine sword you have.Haha... a skilled helper aided me in obtaining it.No problem. My butler gifted me a sword too...Oh?What?

The tension between the two had been evident from the start. We should have known then that it would be an intense duel.

I won’t lose.Neither will I. I’ll show you the strength of a senior.You say that, yet I’ve already beaten you twice. And if we include unofficial duels, I’ve won countless times....I won’t go easy on you.Bold words, Senior.

As their clash unfolded explosively, Malik and I couldn’t tear our eyes away, too captivated to even breathe.

“When did they get so strong?”

“I was wondering the same.”

“Is this the true power of the swordsmanship family, Histania?”

“I don’t think it’s just that. Don’t I serve as a fine example myself?”

“Oh, come on. You’re strong yourself.”

“Not like my younger sister.”

Tap, tap.

Mikhail reached out a hand toward Hanna, who was kneeling, and commented,

“You’re a monster.”

“So are you, Senior.”

“...” “...”

Mikhail knew well that if he hadn’t fought with the Holy Sword, Hanna would have likely claimed victory.

“You know the Holy Sword saved me, right?”

“Of course.”

Both wore small smiles, proud of having upheld their pride even after such an intense battle.

The most astonishing part of the duel was undoubtedly Hanna’s growth.

“...”

Looking at the deep cut Hanna’s technique had left in the arena floor, I let out a chuckle. The technique she’d used was unmistakably from Histania.

Impressed by Hanna’s rapid mastery of the Histania sword style, I began walking toward the lower arena.

“Where are you off to?”

“Restroom.”

“Going to console her?”

I shrugged at Malik’s question, replying that comfort would feel out of place for someone who had fought so well.

“I’m going to congratulate her.”

“You’re better than I am.”

I chuckled and # Nоvеlight # shrugged.

“Of course. I am a specialist in reading hearts.”

“Quite the charmer.”

“Can’t be helped.”

Malik let out a hollow chuckle and murmured softly,

“Be quick before the next match starts. It’s the Princess and the Crown Prince up next.”

In the Infirmary

From behind the curtains, I could see the tip of Hanna’s toes as she lay on the bed.

Sob... Sniff... Sigh... sniff...

Hearing the quiet sounds of her frustration, I gently stepped inside, pulling a chair next to the curtains and sitting down.

...!

At the sound of my arrival, Hanna stopped sniffling, fidgeting nervously.

Imagining her embarrassment, I quietly spoke, telling her she was amazing.

“You fought well.”

“Butler...?”

“You looked incredible out there.”

“...Were you watching?”

“Of course. I watched every match you had.”

“Heh...”

Hanna spoke in a bittersweet tone.

“I wasn’t amazing.”

“...”

“I screamed and lost so easily.”

Seeing her hunched-over silhouette, I shook my head. To me, the way she overcame adversity was always inspiring.

“Not at all. You were amazing.”

“Liar...”

“If I were lying, would I be here now?”

“...”

“You’ve gotten so strong... When you broke through Mikhail’s blessing, I was genuinely astonished.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Whoever your teacher is, they did an excellent job.”

“Yes, they’re truly incredible.”

I watched as Hanna, lying on her side, turned her body slightly toward me, and I smiled gently.

“Soon, you’ll be able to surpass me.”

“It’ll take me ages to catch up to you, Butler.”

“But if you think back to when we first met, you’ve come a long way.”

“P-Please don’t mention those early days... It’s embarrassing.”

“Why?”

I replied with a chuckle, looking at Hanna.

“You were adorable.”

“...That’s unfair.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s unfair... Saying things like that makes me...”

“Haha...”

Pulling back the curtain, I looked at Hanna’s face.

There she was, with her knees drawn up, bandages and patches covering her skin. She looked up at me, her eyes trembling slightly before she lowered her gaze, blushing.

“Honestly...!”

Hanna seemed to gather her resolve, nodding and meeting my eyes.

Thump... thump... thump...

“Is there something you want to say?”

Hanna bit her lip, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth.

“Butler...!”

“Yes?”

“Uh... so... about that promise...”

And then, the door burst open.

Bang!!!

“HISTANIA HANNA!!!”

In came none other than her father, the overprotective Lowen.

With a wry smile, I looked at Lowen and gave a small farewell to Hanna, lightly patting her head.

“Well then... I’ll take my leave.”

Blushing furiously, Hanna lowered her head.

Sigh...

Honestly... Really...

My heart feels like it’s going to burst.

Meanwhile, at the Same Time

“Eeeeeek!!!!!”

Olivia was soaring through the sky, held by Darbav.