Page 389 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

The perspective is being adjusted...

As Shartia’s vision darkened, a faint voice, too soft to be fully heard, drifted past her ears.

—You are a selfish woman.

—Ugly... selfish...

—And foolish.

She couldn’t hear it clearly. The voice had come and gone too quickly to catch, but one word stood out clearly in her mind:

"Selfish."

Selfishness.

Why had the blue screen chosen to emphasize selfishness of all things? Shartia furrowed her brow, deep in thought.

She wasn’t someone who sacrificed herself for others, but she believed she had a basic understanding of consideration.

"Selfish...?

As Shartia focused on the word, the blue screen’s cold voice cut through her thoughts, urging her to prepare.

-The viewing will begin in 10 minutes.

"Haa..."

With the blue screen’s announcement, Shartia’s vision cleared, and she blinked, looking around.

Why here...?

She hadn’t expected the “viewing” to proceed like this.

She thought the side story would play out like a dream or written text. Instead, the vivid and immersive scenery left her momentarily speechless.

The smells, sounds, and textures—it felt as though she were truly standing here. Not even magic could replicate this level of realism.

As she sighed, trying to make sense of her surroundings, Shartia recognized the place.

It wasn’t unfamiliar.

Desks.

A blackboard.

This was her classroom. The very room she had spent the last three years in.

It was eerily silent.

There were no murmurs from students walking the halls, no lectures drifting from neighboring classrooms.

The only sound was the echo of her footsteps as she moved across the floor.

And something was wrong.

...It won’t open.

The classroom door wouldn’t budge.

And the windows...

The view outside was completely obscured, as if blocked by an opaque barrier.

-You may view the reason for the viewing.

Shartia let out another sigh.

Just what are you trying to show me...?

Unable to leave and trapped inside the empty classroom, she decided to use the remaining ten minutes to look around. If this was the future being shown to her, there might be valuable details hidden in the environment.

"Hmm..."

The classroom looked completely normal.

The potted plants were still there.

The academy motto, “Equality for All,” hung proudly on the wall.

Nothing’s different...

That’s what unsettled her the most.

Why a classroom?

Shartia spent more time in her office than in any classroom. If the blue screen wanted to show her something impactful, it would make more sense to show her the office.

"I should stop overthinking this..."

She glanced at the clock, which read 11:08.

Two more minutes.

Whatever the blue screen wanted her to see, she would know soon enough. Shartia sat down by the window, patiently waiting.

-Tick.

"..."

-Tick...

Hoo...

-One minute until the viewing begins.

The blue screen’s chilling voice made her swallow hard. She steeled herself.

This was it.

Whatever it shows, I’ll make full use of it.

Even if it was her own tragedy, she was determined to absorb every detail, no matter how painful.

-The viewing will begin.

With the blue screen’s announcement, Shartia heard faint footsteps approaching.

-Step... step...

And then—

[The protagonist of the viewing is arriving.]

With the blue screen’s words, the classroom door swung open.

-Bang!

Shartia’s eyes widened as she stared at the woman standing in the doorway.

It was herself.

Her fists clenched tightly, her head bowed as though she were holding back tears, the Shartia in the viewing slammed the door open and trudged inside.

"That’s... me?"

Frozen, Shartia could only stare. It wasn’t pleasant to see herself like this—defeated and small.

"It’s me..."

It was one thing to see herself in the mirror, composed and steady. But to see this version of herself, on the verge of breaking, was deeply unsettling.

The Shartia in the viewing didn’t acknowledge her presence. She shuffled forward, her gaze fixed on a desk.

Then, Shartia heard it.

A voice laced with sorrow. Her voice.

"Why... why are you doing this to me?"

The voice of herself in the viewing quivered with rage and tears barely held back, her sorrow cutting through the silence.

"Why does it have to come to this...?"

She looked pathetic—no, more than that. Wretched.

Like a war hero returned home only to be scorned by their king, the version of herself in the viewing carried a heavy burden of grief.

"I never said I wanted to be king..."

...

"I never killed my family like my second brother did!!!"

...Ha.

"I just wanted to live happily with my mother. I worked hard only because I didn’t want to be shunned... Why... why does it have to be like this?!"

Watching herself in this state, Shartia frowned and clicked her tongue. Was this what she would look like if she broke?

She didn’t pity herself.

The moment she resolved to seize power, she had accepted that this kind of future ? Nоvеl?g?t ? (Official version) was always a possibility.

And yet—

"Why is everything being taken from me? My mother... my life... Why..."

Seeing her grief-stricken self, mourning the loss of her mother, was anything but pleasant.

The blue screen had warned her.

This Shartia had suffered a wound deeper than any other—the loss of her mother.

If, she thought. If my mother were truly gone... would I wear that same expression?

Probably. She could see herself breaking just as this Shartia had.

She watched in silence, feeling an emptiness take root as the scene played out.

And then—

-Waaaahhh!!!

The sound of cheers rang out from outside the window.

Shartia’s brow furrowed as she turned to look. Loud voices in the academy were rare, especially such celebratory ones.

But the Shartia in the viewing stubbornly kept her gaze fixed away from the window.

When Shartia looked, however, her breath caught at the sight.

-[Congratulations to all graduating seniors.]

...Ha?

Her heart dropped. Even though this was something that hadn’t happened, the sight of herself alone, isolated, struck a deep chord.

She wasn’t there.

She was alone.

The blue screen’s voice intruded upon her thoughts, narrating as though it had been waiting for this moment.

-You stood on the eve of your graduation.

-Your peers reveled in this moment, celebrating the end of their long journey.

-But you, who had made no friends, had no one to stand with. No one to hand you a bouquet of flowers.

-You were a coward.

-Afraid to stand alone at a graduation where no one would welcome you.

-You believed it was better to be alone than to be in a place where you were unwanted. You carried your grief with you, thinking, ‘Why is it always me?’

-The world was truly cruel.

The announcement outside continued.

"Now, we’ll have the final speech from the student council president."

"It’s over!"

"Please welcome the president, Taeo Leogarde, to the podium."

Shartia’s fist clenched tightly. At the same time, the Shartia in the viewing bit her lip, exhaling sharply.

Who...?

The blue screen answered her question as though reading her mind.

-When Taeo Leogarde began to oppose you, rumors started to spread.

-They said the academy’s misfortunes were caused by your incompetence. Some even suggested you might be conspiring with heretics.

"Don’t talk nonsense. How could Taeo... become student council president?"

-Naturally, you were forced to relinquish your position.

-Bang!

"Why is it always me?!"

-You finished your time at the academy alone, surrounded by silence and sorrow. No one acknowledged the efforts you made. You sat in that empty classroom, weighed down by grief, with no one to remember you.

...Ha.

Watching the scene, Shartia let out a hollow laugh and clicked her tongue.

It could have happened, she supposed.

Taeo was charismatic. His eloquence and ability to rally people would have made him a formidable rival.

But still—

This is it?

You dragged me through all that to show me this?*

What the blue screen was showing her felt so small compared to the emotions she’d endured until now.

She’d imagined it before—losing to Taeo, being crushed under the weight of failure.

"..."

It was unpleasant, of course, but it was nothing she couldn’t accept.

As she watched herself in the viewing, Shartia thought that perhaps this would serve as motivation to work even harder.

But that resolve didn’t last long. Even she could feel pain.

-Creak.

The door opened.

Students who had finished the graduation ceremony began filtering into the classroom.

Caps on their heads, smiles on their faces.

Some wiped away tears, overcome with emotion. Others touched their desks one last time, their expressions bittersweet.

And then—

"It’s finally over!"

"Should we grab a drink?"

"Anyone who skips out dies!"

"Can I come? I’m just a commoner."

"Pffft! Of course you can. Aren’t you our friend?"

Everyone ignored the Shartia in the viewing, treating her as though she didn’t exist.

(I... want to disappear.)

A strange voice echoed faintly.

(I want to run away...)

The voice of the Shartia in the viewing.

No.

It was the voice of her own cowardice.