The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 256

A store named ‘Youlam.’

It was a restaurant with a decent taste, though the price was a bit steep. Not as expensive as ‘Friends of Forest,’ and the wait wasn’t long either.

It was the kind of restaurant where you could bring a guest and enjoy a decent dinner.

“How about steak?”

“Ah… Yes, I like it.”

“If there’s anything you’d like to eat, let me know. I’ll treat you, so don’t worry.”

Mikhail waved his hands in refusal and answered me. He said he couldn’t possibly accept a meal after even receiving guidance.

“No, no! I’ll treat you.”

“No, really. What reason would I have to take a meal from a student?”

Knowing Mikhail’s financial situation as a parvenu, I shook my head and stopped in front of a restaurant called ‘Yoram.’

“There are a lot of people.”

Perhaps because it was nearing dinnertime, there were many people waiting. Adventurers returning from their quests dragged their weary steps to catch a glimpse of the beautiful female tavern owner, while those who came based on word of mouth stood a step back, waiting for their turn.

Mikhail and I were standing at the back of the line.

‘What will happen when the two of them meet?’

Mikhail still didn’t know the identity of the owner of ‘Youlam.’ That she was his mother. And Ella, beyond the glass window, didn’t know that one of the customers in her restaurant was the daughter she had abandoned.

What I wanted wasn’t something grand.

It wasn’t an emotional reunion between mother and daughter, nor was I hoping for a catastrophe. I simply wanted Mikhail to recognize the existence of her mother. That was the reason I had come to this restaurant called ‘Yoram.’

Honestly, I thought it would be too much to have Mikhail and her mother meet one-on-one. It would be too much of a shock.

Everything has its order. There was no need to rush.

There was only one thing I wished for.

I just wanted Mikhail to know how her mother was living. That she wasn’t living a completely happy life. And I hoped she would remember that her mother was still searching for her.

As a possessor who knew the ending of the novel, I wanted to avoid the worst possible outcome.

It might be an unusual whim for a possessor, but honestly, I didn’t want to see them leave each other with lingering regrets.

“…”

Hoping that my whim might help even a little, I patted Mikhail’s head.

“Why…?”

“I’m praising you for your hard work today. Do you dislike it?”

“Ah… No?”

I smiled at Mikhail, whose face had turned red, and nodded.

“That’s a relief.”

My choice might not have been the most rational one, but what could I do? The possessor wanted it this way.

I shrugged lightly and waited in the long line for the restaurant.

After a bit of a tedious wait, I cautiously asked Mikhail, who seemed extremely tense. It was a question that could be taken sensitively, so I carefully phrased it.

“Miss Misa.”

“Yes?”

“This might be a sensitive question, but what’s your family situation like? Judging by your pretty face, I’d guess you have an incredibly beautiful older sister.”

“Ah…”

“Would you be able to introduce her…?”

Mikhail awkwardly shook his head and answered.

“I don’t have one.”

“…”

“I don’t have a mom or dad either.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Last time, I was the one who asked a more impolite question.”

Mikhail smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

“And I’m used to these kinds of questions, so you don’t need to apologize. I’ve completely forgotten about it now.”

With a hint of bitterness, I spoke cautiously in response to Mikhail’s words.

“Did they pass away?”

Even though I already knew everything, I pretended it was the first time.

Mikhail shook his head with a bitter expression. His gaze dropped to the floor, and he spoke in a subdued voice, as if lacking confidence.

“I was abandoned by my mom when I was little. I don’t even know who my dad is.”

“…”

“It’s okay. It really doesn’t bother me anymore.”

“Miss Misa.”

Glancing at the lady carrying food out from the kitchen, I carefully spoke to Mikhail.

“What if.”

“…”

“What if you were to meet a lost family member again? How do you think you’d feel?”

“Pardon?”

“I was just curious. For me, I wouldn’t even recognize my parents if they walked past me on the street since I’ve never seen their faces. But that’s not the case for you, Miss Misa. No matter how much they abandoned you, you’d still remember their faces. So I was wondering if you’d want to see them.”

“I…”

Mikhail hesitated and then asked me a question in return.

“Then, Mr. Ricardo, what about you? If someone suddenly told you, ‘I’m your mom,’ how would you feel?”

“Ah, I…”

I had never once thought about that.

Having lived well without parents, I didn’t understand familial affection. So I thought about the question that had always intrigued me the most and answered. That was my greatest curiosity.

“I think I’d ask why they abandoned me. Whether there was a reason or if they just thought I was ugly and left me. That’s what I’d want to know since I was abandoned without ever seeing their face.”

“Ah…”

“It’s fine. I’m used to self-deprecating jokes like this since the Young Lady often makes harsh remarks. Of course, I do the same to her.”

“Harsh remarks?”

“It’s a thing.”

I chuckled softly and pressed Mikhail for an answer to my earlier question. Soon, she would see her. I needed to confirm how she felt about the possessor’s meddling before it was too late.

“Miss Misa, do you feel the same way as I do?”

“I…”

“Yes.”

“I just want to call her ‘Mom.'”

“Don’t you resent her?”

Mikhail nodded slightly and answered me.

“I do. I think I’d curse her out a lot if I saw her. Ask why she’s showing up now, if she lived well after abandoning me. I think I’d ask those things. But…”

Mikhail swallowed her silence and spoke with a trembling voice.

“I think I’d be really happy to see her.”

I nodded slightly and said.

“I see. Then that’s a relief.”

And at that moment.

“…Huh?”

I felt their gazes meet.

-Crash!

The sound of a plate shattering echoed from inside the restaurant. Along with it, I felt Mikhail’s frozen gaze beside me.

A loud commotion came from inside the restaurant. The sound of an apron being hastily untied and hurried footsteps rushing out.

And then.

“I’m sorry. Something urgent came up.”

The sound of Mikhail running away in a panic reached my ears. She ran in the opposite direction of the restaurant without even looking back.

I put the queue ticket into my pocket and thought.

‘The rest is up to you.’

I had done everything I could.

I didn’t know what kind of result this meddling, risking potential trouble, would bring, but I felt somewhat satisfied.

Now that I had given them both a push, they’d figure it out themselves.

With a bittersweet smile, I nodded.

“But I wonder what my mom and dad are doing.”

For the first time, I envied Mikhail.

Still, there was someone who gave me a name.

-Ricardo! That’s your name.

‘Ah… I had one too.’

Smiling faintly, I turned my back to the restaurant. Thinking that this was enough for today, I slowly started walking toward the estate. If I pushed too hard and tried to tie things together further, the delicate thread would surely snap.

I walked lightly toward the Young Lady, who would be waiting for her meal.

***

“Ricardo.”

The Young Lady didn’t look pleased.

“…Eek!”

With a sullen expression, she stared at the plate full of vegetables, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t like greens.”

“Once you try them, you’ll find them delicious.”

“No, I won’t.”

For the first time, I had made a dish called Vietnamese spring rolls, but the Young Lady, displeased, pursed her lips and glared at me.

It seemed that the dish didn’t suit the Young Lady’s taste, as she always insisted on meat. Engaged in a staring contest with the plate, she set her fork down on the table and began rummaging through her treasure pouch.

“Mmm, chocolate.”

“That’s not allowed.”

“Then candy.”

“That’s not allowed either.”

“Why!!!”

Shaking my head, I kindly explained the reason to the Young Lady. Even if she didn’t like the new dish, there was an order to things.

“It’s a 100-gold meal plan.”

“Gasp…! That’s 100 chocolates!”

“That’s correct.”

Glancing at the Young Lady, who closed her eyes tightly as if resigning herself to fate, I began assembling a spring roll in my hand.

“Here, this is paprika.”

“Ugh.”

“This is carrot.”

“Ughhh.”

“This is radish sprouts.”

“Ricardo is abusing nobles. Nobles should be expanded, not abused…”

“That’s the nature of a butler’s job. To both shrink and expand nobles.”

“Eeeek…!”

The Young Lady showed no signs of wanting to get along with the vegetables.

Screech. The Young Lady pushed the plate with the spring rolls toward the table where Gomtangi was sitting. It was as if she was saying, “This is unfit for humans, so you, a beast, can eat it.” Displaying a truly master-friendly attitude, the Young Lady glanced at me and muttered softly toward Gomtangi.

“Eat.”

-Bear?

“Hurry and eat!”

-Bear.

Gomtangi gladly ate what was offered.

Smiling faintly, I addressed the picky-eating Young Lady. Was it really right to give the butler’s carefully crafted spring rolls to a bear?

“Isn’t this too much? It’s still a dish made with care, yet you coldly discard it.”

“Ricardo, what’s wrong with taking care of a pet? With the heart of a true master, good things should be given first…”

“Then I’ll wrap your portion with even more vegetables. I must also take care of my master in a friendly manner.”

“Eek! Ricardo is trying to kill me! Gomtangi, bite him!”

-Bear?

“Yes, bite him!”

-Chomp.

“Eek! Don’t bite me! Bite Ricardo!”

-Bear!

Gomtangi held onto the Young Lady’s head and wouldn’t let go.

Laughter bubbled up. It was moments like this that made living in the estate worthwhile.

“Puhahaha!!”

And so, time passed slowly.

The time when the Young Lady became proficient in dark magic, and the brief period when she adapted to the power of the Sword Master, passed.

And then.

The Academy began convening the Student Council.

Their destination: the outskirts mountain near the capital city.

It was the nest of the Apostle.