The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Once again, the view darkens.

-So, I should have cut ties earlier. I should have hired someone with a good education and who is good at their job.

Through the hazy view, Olivia's voice in a black dress comes faintly.

Speaking with a voice that seems slightly excited, she chatters about a topic as sharp as scratching broken pottery, seemingly enjoying the conversation.

-It's better that that trash resigned, all he did was waste money.

‘…'

Olivia didn't need to think hard to know who the ‘trash' being referred to was.

‘Shut up.'

The next moment her eyes opened, she was in a glamorous ballroom.

Everyone was dressed finely, everyone was smiling; a splendid ballroom so different from the shabby room where Ricardo had been just before.

Beneath the stage with an opulent chandelier, there she stood in a black dress, smiling among noble ladies.

Holding a glass of shimmering purple wine and twirling it in the light, she seemed to wear a gleeful expression.

-So then, what did you do?

-What do you mean, what did I do? I told him even breathing was a waste and to get out.

-Puhaha! Crazy! Didn't he cry?

-So what if he did? It was true.

Olivia in the illusion seemed pleased to be engaged in conversation after so long.

Though she pretended not to be interested in forging friendships, in truth, she envied those who had many friends. She appeared excited.

Spinning tales she never said, embellishing provocative topics more provocatively; that's what she did during her academy days.

She wanted to appear strong and at the same time take the upper hand in relationships.

She was clumsy at making friends.

A poor excuse but without Ricardo, she had no one she could call a friend. She didn't know how to make friends.

They liked her when she paid them. They were touched when she bullied those they didn't like, and they approached her when she had power. She thought that was the image she had to show, and that's the only way she knew how to make friends.

Ricardo always stressed the importance of sincere friendship, but she didn't want to bother with such cumbersome processes, so as always, only those attracted by power approached her.

In reality, those who left with the fall of her family were all there was.

But still, she was happy.

Because she wasn't lonely.

-Puhaha!

Laughter is heard.

Olivia in the illusion doesn't know, but the current Olivia can tell their laughter is filled with pretense.

Her face, enjoying such attention, seemed equally full of pretense.

In this hollow social space, she took a step closer to the illusionary Olivia and said with a trembling voice.

‘Ricardo is sick.'

Her voice keeps shaking.

‘Ricardo is… very sick.'

Olivia spoke with a trembling voice to her illusionary self who was maliciously speaking of Ricardo.

‘So, don't talk like that…'

The image of Ricardo lying on the bed keeps flashing hazily. The figure of Ricardo, who seems about to collapse, keeps flickering in front of Olivia's eyes.

‘Ricardo is very sick…!'

While the illusionary Olivia just kept laughing, oblivious to the rough breathing.

As the music of the ball slowly started and one by one people found partners and disappeared behind masks of pretense.

She was left standing alone, as she always did, feeling isolated.

A deep sigh is heard.

-It's boring.

No one approached despite wearing an elegant dress. The loneliness only grew as her pitiful self received no attention from the person she truly wanted to impress.

While Yuria and the gleaming Michail were surrounded by people, Olivia, like a solitary flower on a cliff, was left alone sipping her wine.

-Irritated.

The illusionary Olivia bowed her head and muttered softly.

-What's wrong with my personality that he make such a fuss, if he just shut up, he could keep his place at the table.

-What's the dissatisfaction?

-What haven't I done for him, that he quit?

-Idiot.

The illusionary Olivia still seemed angry. Fuming over Ricardo, who left with harsh words, and wanting to scold him if he returned.

-Just you try coming back.

The feeling of waiting for Ricardo couldn't be hidden.

Olivia spoke to herself with a melancholy voice, looking at herself foolishly thinking there's no time for this.

‘He won't come back… He can't come back.'

It was just a dream of never seeing him again. That's what the illusionary Olivia thought.

As time passed, a familiar figure with pink hair approached her, standing alone.

A woman in a simple sky-blue dress approached with quick steps, glanced at her, put her hand on her chest, and sighed deeply.

-You can do it. Just ask her.

The illusionary Olivia grimaced at the sight of the woman approaching while muttering softly to herself.

-Excuse me…

-Ugh. What is it? You're putting me in a bad mood.

-May I have a word with you, Lady Olivia?

The person who approached the isolated Olivia was Yuria. With eyes as bright as a frightened rabbit, Yuria wrung her hands, took a deep breath, and couldn't meet the cold gaze of the illusionary Olivia.

Yuria, who had suffered much bullying, perhaps more intense without Ricardo, braved her pounding heart and asked carefully.

-Where is Ricardo? It seems you haven't been together these days.

-What?

-Could it be…

Yuria bowed her head and swallowed hard.

-Is Ricardo… very sick?

-What are you talking about?

-Well…

-We're not in a relationship where we exchange such pleasantries. It's unpleasant to be approached by a filthy commoner.

Just as Yuria, who would typically turn away, stood her ground despite her trembling legs.

The illusionary Olivia found humor in Yuria's shaky legs and smirked at her.

-He quit.

-What…?

-He quit, I said.

Confusion started to spread across Yuria's face. Her expression was more distorted than when she was usually bullied by Olivia.

-What do you mean, Ricardo quit?

-How should I know?

-But… that's…

-Don't bother me when I'm in a bad mood, go away. I feel terrible.

-But you shouldn't…

-What?

Yuria grasped Olivia's hand roughly as she tried to leave.

-Didn't Ricardo say anything to you?

-He didn't.

-Please, think about it properly.

-Stop annoying me and go away.

-Olivia!

Yuria grabbed Olivia's hand tightly and looked at her with trembling eyes.

-Huh? Olivia?

-Snap out of it and listen to me.

-Looks like you're the one who needs to snap out of it. How dare you call me by my name so insolently.

-Please just listen to me.

Yuria's hands were shaking. Her eyes, like those of someone who saw a terrifying monster, trembled as they looked at her.

-I'm a healer.

-So what? You want me to get a health checkup because you're a healer?

-No.

The illusionary Olivia looked down at Yuria's hand holding hers with disgust. Despite Olivia's scornful look as if she wanted to shake her off immediately, Yuria lowered her head and insisted once more to think about it.

-Not long ago, I saw Ricardo in the capital.

-…What?

-I didn't recognize him because he looked so different, but it was definitely Ricardo.

Upon hearing about Ricardo for the first time in a while, Olivia's eyes trembled. There was a subtle change, but waves began to stir on Olivia's face.

-He bought a lot of medicine at the pharmacy and left. I didn't see it closely, but it looked like a very strong painkiller.

-…You must have seen wrong.

-That might be. It could be, but…

Yuria held Olivia's wrist with shaking hands.

-I was so scared…

-I was so scared, I had to ask.

Yuria looked at Olivia with trembling eyes.

-Nothing's wrong, right?

-…

-Nothing's really wrong, right?

Constant questioning left Olivia clamping her mouth shut, then she blurted out a cold response. Although doubts of ‘what if' crept into her heart, she comforted herself thinking there's no way, and spoke in a low voice.

-What does that have to do with me?

-What?

-Whether he lives or dies, what does it have to do with me?

Yuria spoke with a lowered head and a cold voice.

-Don't speak carelessly.

-Huh…? What did you say?

-If…

It was an expression Olivia had never seen before.

-If something happens to Ricardo…

Yuria's expression filled with murderous intent.

-Be prepared.

*

The banquet ended, and on the way home.

In a corner of the street, a man wearing a black hood sat in a wooden chair.

The man sitting in a wheeled wooden chair was just watching Olivia from hiding.

Walking down the street with noble ladies, Olivia glanced at the man and shuddered.

For some reason, she felt familiar and was about to turn around when one of the ladies beside her furrowed her brows and spoke up.

-Did you see that man's hand? It's really grotesque.

-Why?

-Look at that hand on the armrest.

Olivia's eyes caught sight of the grotesque hand resting on the armrest.

The rotting, scarred hand came into Olivia's view.

Olivia frowned upon seeing the man.

-I'm embarrassed.

The man looked back at her.

Covering his face with his hand, he trembled weakly.

[The perspective shifts.]

[〈The Third Side Story〉 ‘The Sad Love Story of a Villainess', the final chapter, ‘I Have Always Been on Your Side,' begins.]