Page 386 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Ricardo took hold of Shartia’s hand and led her forward.

“Where are we going...?!”

She had no idea where they were headed.

No, she didn’t want to know.

She hadn’t expected Ricardo to return to her office, and she certainly didn’t want to show him her vulnerable side.

Right now, all she felt was humiliation. She wanted to hide, far away where no one could see her.

Her current state was far from that of a proud princess or the resolute student council president. She was nothing more than a defeated girl.

“Stop...”

She didn’t want to follow Ricardo.

Ricardo let out a long sigh as he spoke to her.

“Just come with me.”

“What...?”

Did he even know where he was going?

“That’s what happens when all you do is work—you end up losing to someone less than human.”

What could he possibly know?

A sudden, sharp thought surfaced: what could someone like him, who knew nothing of the years of torment she had endured, possibly understand?

And yet—

—Grip.

Ricardo’s hand, holding hers, was warm. It wasn’t a painful grip, nor did he apply enough strength to prevent her from pulling away if she wanted to.

That warmth left her without words, and before she knew it, she was walking alongside him, entranced by the gentle heat emanating from his hand.

After some time, Ricardo came to a stop. He took a deep breath and finally spoke.

“We’re here.”

—Saaaaa...

It was a field of white flowers.

A blindingly bright field of white flowers.

The wind from the hill brushed past her hair, gently settling the strands that had been disheveled. It was as though her emotions were settling in tandem.

—Saaa...

“...”

A sense of calm began to envelop her.

It was a strangely peaceful place. She had never been here before, nor did she have any interest in flowers. Yet the turmoil in her heart began to subside, replaced by an unfamiliar feeling of serenity.

“What do you think?”

Ricardo let go of her wrist, his bright smile standing out as he walked slowly to the center of the flower field and turned to face her.

“Where... where is this?”

In response to her question, Ricardo smiled like an inventor revealing his greatest masterpiece and began to speak.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“...”

“Haha...!”

Ricardo, as if embarrassed, stretched out his hand and said,

“This is the first time I’ve brought someone here. Well... not quite the first. I did bring Miss Olivia once, so I suppose it’s the second.”

“...”

“Welcome.”

“...”

“To my secret garden.”

Ricardo’s red hair swayed gently with the wind, glowing warmly like the setting sun.

Shartia reached out to touch one of the fully bloomed white flowers. The petals, soft and thin enough to tear easily, wrapped delicately around her fingers, filling her with a pleasant sensation.

Ricardo, watching her with a satisfied smile, said,

“They say the iris’s flower language means ‘purity.’”

“Purity...?”

“Yes. Doesn’t really suit me, does it? But it’s still beautiful, don’t you think?”

“It is...”

“Oh, by the way, I’ve been growing this iris field in secret since my academy days. Believe it or not, this is private property. I saved my wages to buy this land.”

“It must’ve been expensive.”

“There were rumors about ghosts here, so I got it cheap.”

“...”

Ricardo laughed heartily, brushing off Shartia’s skeptical gaze with a casual remark about never having seen a ghost.

“Well, you might say it’s strange for a man to take up flower gardening... but it’s surprisingly enjoyable, you know.”

“...”

“Though, I admit, I’ve left it untended for the most part. Still, they’ve grown beautifully, haven’t they?”

With a soft chuckle, Ricardo led Shartia further into the field of irises.

“Would you like to come closer?”

“...Alright.”

The subtle floral fragrance wafted through the air, tickling her nose. It was sweet yet earthy, perfectly fitting the flower’s symbolism. As Shartia gazed at the sea of white irises, she murmured to herself,

“It must have been difficult to gather this many white irises.”

Ricardo, smiling modestly, pressed his thumb and forefinger together in a playful, exaggerated gesture.

“With enough money, nothing’s impossible.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Being too humble would make me even more insufferable.”

“...”

Compared to other flowers, irises had a rather unique appearance. Their buds seemed to hide their beauty, as if deliberately concealing their allure.

“Beautiful.”

Yet when the buds opened fully, the plain exterior gave way to an unexpected elegance—a trait all flowers shared, yet somehow unique to these.

“Truly beautiful.”

The white irises bloomed in full glory, revealing their hidden charm. Butterflies fluttered around the golden stamens, busily working.

Ricardo quietly approached Shartia, who was gently touching the petals, and spoke softly into her ear, as if sharing a secret.

“This place is known only to me.”

“...”

“Perhaps a few adventurous students might stumble upon it, but until I leave the academy, it’s been my personal sanctuary.”

“...”

Shartia, her voice slightly muffled, finally turned to Ricardo and spoke.

"Why... why are you showing me this?"

“...”

"I just thought the flowers would be in full bloom by now," Ricardo replied, answering her question with another.

Shartia let out a small, disbelieving laugh and shook her head.

"Ha... I’ve really shown you an unsightly side of myself."

"Not at all. You were absolutely beautiful," Ricardo retorted.

"What nonsense... Are you trying to get scolded?"

Ricardo shrugged, giving her an awkward smile.

"You held back well. If it were me, I would’ve thrown a punch."

"You already did."

"Well, that was because he deserved it."

The gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers, as if celebrating their shared moment. It felt like spring was blooming in her heart, warming what had felt cold and heavy not long ago.

Her mood, previously so foul, was lightened. The floral fragrance mingled with her thoughts, soothing her mind.

Shartia lowered herself to the ground and laid back, gazing at the sky.

"Haaah... Resting like this does feel nice."

"Doesn’t it?"

"Yeah... It really does."

"Why not take a little nap?"

"Maybe I will..."

As she closed her eyes, Shartia thought to herself,

What a remarkable man.

He was someone who could stand unshaken before her greatest enemies and someone who had the strength to crush anyone who threatened her.

And yet—

—Saaaaa...

Here he was, calmly sitting among flowers, encouraging her to rest. It made her envious of his peace.

With a faint smile, Shartia sighed.

"Alright. Just a little nap."

She decided that today, she would take it easy.

Her brother’s cruelty, the pressure of confronting the Crown Prince—all of it could wait. Today, she would set aside her complicated thoughts and enjoy a moment of leisure. Surely, that’s what her stubborn butler wanted for her.

"Just a little... Just a little rest..."

Shartia resolved to grant Ricardo’s quiet wish.

It felt like she’d dozed off for only a moment.

"Shartia..."

"..."

"Lady Shartia..."

"Mm...?"

Lying amidst the white flowers, she frowned as she turned to look at the man beside her, ° N ?? v ?? l i g h t ° annoyed at being woken from her slumber.

The man smiled faintly, gently stroking her hair in her dream.

"You’re here again, aren’t you?"

"..."

"You shouldn’t sleep out in the open like this. You’ll catch a stiff neck."

Dream-Shartia accepted his touch as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Shall we get up? The breeze is turning cold."

His face was obscured by shadow. She couldn’t see his expression, couldn’t tell if he was smiling or serious.

But one thing she knew for sure—

“How kind,” she thought.

The man in her dream cared deeply for her.

Dream-Shartia’s platinum blonde hair spread out like a halo as she grumbled.

"I want to sleep more."

"It’s already been three hours."

"So what? I can sleep a little longer."

"I’d worry too much to allow that."

"Haaah..."

Despite her irritated whining, the man merely shrugged and continued stroking her hair with a serene smile.

The wind blew gently through the field.

And then—

"Don’t push yourself. It’s okay not to force it."

Her words were cold, almost cutting. They weren’t the warm words exchanged between people, but something more distant, more detached.

"After all, my revenge is the same as yours. So stop pushing yourself."

"Is that so?"

"You live such a difficult life. Not that I’m any better."

"Well, this is my duty."

"That promise you made to that dead woman—it’s ridiculous."

"Even so, I made it."

"It wasn’t your fault. Why do this to yourself? You’re so foolish."

"...Because I don’t want her to be forgotten."

Dream-Shartia clicked her tongue in frustration, grinding her teeth.

"Idiot."

"I get that a lot."

Just as she was about to lash out at him again, the faceless man knelt down and wrapped his arms around her.

"But right now..."

"..."

"I’m just trying to stop a beautiful woman from crying herself to sleep every night."

"..."

"Foolish, isn’t it?"

"You..."

The sunlight began to peek through the clouds, as if trying to reveal his face.

"Lady Shartia."

Her eyes shot open at the sound of the familiar voice.

"It’s time to wake up."

The man standing before her now overlapped perfectly with the one from her dream.

And then—

Quest Complete.

The chilling notification echoed in her ears.