The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen chapter 101

101 – Let’s Be Friends Again.

It was charred black.

It felt like time had stopped. All I could see was Ricardo’s contorted face, emitting a groan.

Yuria, who had just opened her eyes, thought so.

That something was wrong.

Seeing Ricardo’s hand, charred black like charcoal, Yuria’s emotions that had just settled began to crumble.

Ricardo, leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. His usual strong appearance was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a contorted face emitting a groan.

“Huh…?”

Yuria blinked.

She wondered if what she was seeing was not right.

Maybe it was because of the alcohol, or maybe she was just tired, but the sight of Ricardo in front of her was not the familiar sight she knew.

Exhausted.

Groaning in pain.

Ricardo, with dreadful scars, was waking her up from her drunken stupor.

“What’s wrong with you…?”

Yuria couldn’t recall any memories of being intoxicated, so she desperately tried to remember, but nothing came to mind.

Hans’s face.

The faces of men in black priestly robes were vaguely remembered, but Yuria couldn’t remember what Ricardo had done or why he was so badly injured. She blamed herself for being so foolish.

“You idiot…!”

Only now did her vision gradually start to brighten. As her eyes, which had been immersed in darkness, began to clear, she could see the chaotic space around her.

Collapsed walls.

The floor marked with the traces of a sword.

Ricardo, lying defeated.

Everything around pointed fingers at him, holding him responsible. Everything except his immediate surroundings was in chaos.

And then,

Even the corpse, its breath chillingly stilled.

Uria could only be bewildered.

‘Is it because of me again…?’

‘Again…’

Why do the threads of fate intertwine like this?

Uria, filled with emotions on the verge of exploding, staggered towards Ricardo.

And then,

“Oh?”

She locked eyes with a bewildered Ricardo.

“Ah… something happened.”

As always, Ricardo, with a casual smile, spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“I messed up again.”

In Ricardo’s brief apology, Uria’s emotions crumbled.

*

It was an expression I had never seen before.

Ricardo looked so startled.

And Yuria had never seen Ricardo, who was always strong, look so weak.

Yuria reached out with trembling hands to hold Ricardo’s hand.

He needed healing.

She had to heal the horrifying wounds in front of her. Otherwise, it felt like her heart would explode.

“Ah… why…”

If you were to ask what had hurt him, it would probably be because of his own existence, standing there perfectly fine.

If she could just think for a moment, she could find the answer to the destination of responsibility for the things that had unfolded before her eyes.

There was only one undamaged person, and that was me.

Yuria looked at Ricardo with trembling eyes. Cold sweat was running down his forehead as he awkwardly smiled and apologized.

His hand was decaying pitch black.

Yuria thought she had encountered many patients in her life, but she had never met someone with such a severe injury.

The pain she felt when going through the cycle of healing and decay was beyond imagination.

The wound was so severe that it wouldn’t be strange if he died right now.

That’s just how dark magic worked.

A magic that tormented people and took away their lives. That was Ricardo’s sin that resided in his hand.

Ricardo’s wounds greatly shook Yuria’s heart.

With a trembling voice, Yuria asked Ricardo if this happened because of her. And if he got hurt while trying to protect her, the worthless self.

But Ricardo’s calm response cut off Yuria’s questions.

“It’s nothing at all.”

“…”

“It’s not related to Yuria.”

Yuria’s hand trembled at Ricardo’s calm words. Yuria, who had expected what she would say in her confusion, lowered her head at Ricardo’s nonchalant response and tightly clenched her fists as she spoke to him.

“It’s nothing…”

“It’s true.”

“What do you mean it’s nothing? I’m standing here perfectly fine…! Everyone else is hurt except me…! What do you mean it’s okay!”

Ricardo responded with a bewildered look in his eyes. He said that his own injuries had nothing to do with me, that they only looked strange due to the darkness, a response that not even an elementary school student would believe.

“Are you telling me to believe that?”

No matter how much of a fool I may be.

Even if I’m a useless person who only blames others.

Saying something like that… it hurts so much.

What do you expect me to do…

When the man I once loved is injured.

I hate it, I hate it to the point of madness… yet he speaks so kindly just by looking at his face.

Seeing Ricardo, who lies and says it’s nothing, Yuria felt a sadness that she couldn’t put into words.

Even if those words were true.

In this situation, Yuria felt a suffocating emotion towards Ricardo, who was apologizing.

Ricardo awkwardly smiled and cautiously lowered his raised sleeves. As he observed Yuria’s reaction, Ricardo slowly stood up from his seat and reached out his hand to her.

But Yuria stood still, not moving, as Ricardo offered his left hand instead of his right.

“Let’s go. It’s too late.”

Yuria lowered her head.

“After getting treatment, let’s go.”

“You know.”

Ricardo shrugged.

And looking at his injured arm, he said softly,

“This can’t be treated.”

“Still…”

“It’s a pretty old wound. So you don’t need to worry.”

Dark magic cannot heal.

Attempting it is illegal in itself.

And the process of treatment is also different from regular wounds.

At Yuria’s stubborn persuasion, Ricardo awkwardly smiled, withdrew his hand, and said,

“Sorry for showing a terrible sight.”

“…”

A terrible sight.

How can that be considered a terrible sight?

Despite Ricardo’s continued apologies, Yuria shook her head firmly.

Ricardo cautiously brought up the events that had just occurred, speaking in a hesitant voice to Yuria.

“I just met a villain. He was jealous of my handsome appearance.”

In order to hide the somber atmosphere, Ricardo, who was spewing jokes, gave me an awkward smile when our eyes met.

“It really wasn’t a big deal. This wound, too. Yuria knows, right? That I’m not someone who goes around getting beaten up.”

Upon hearing the words “someone who doesn’t get beaten up,” Yuria’s head dropped to the ground.

‘Someone who doesn’t get beaten up…’

Ricardo’s words, pierced by the dagger I had thrust, offered no comfort at all. They overlapped with his current bitter smile.

The excuses Ricardo is now spewing only sounded like excuses to make me feel better.

Finally, Ricardo said softly, looking at the lifeless body on the ground.

“The ones who killed them were…”

Ricardo let out a deep sigh.

I was the one trembling at Ricardo’s deep sigh, thinking that he would curse.

They weren’t pitiable anymore now.

Was it because of the experience that had deeply marked the dungeon? Or was it because Ricardo was more precious than the lifeless ones? The fate of the cold-hearted villains was no longer pitiable.

I don’t know what will happen in the future, but at this moment, I actually detested them.

Ricardo, hesitating to reply, lowered his gaze to the ground and spoke in a small voice.

“I did it because I thought Yuria might get hurt.”

“…”

“I know you’ll hate it, but still, Yuria is precious to me.”

Yuria recalled the countless pieces of advice Ricardo had given.

-Don’t be disrespectful.

-It’s for Yuria’s sake.

Giving a small piece of advice, it was Ricardo who ended up dirtying his hands, and memories of his actions lingered in Uriah’s emotions.

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And.

Those emotions spilled out.

“You say it’s precious…”

“Then you should also protect yourself preciously.”

“Why…! It’s only me getting hurt… Why! Why should I become a bad person alone? I’m your friend too. We’re friends who laugh and cry together…”

Since a long time ago, Uriah had been thinking.

Even when eating alone.

Even when harboring resentment towards Ricardo at the academy.

All of Ricardo’s actions that tormented her were both hated and heartbreakingly painful.

Back then, she couldn’t find the reason.

She hated Ricardo.

And everything seemed to stem from him.

But.

Now, she seemed to know the reason.

Because she felt sorry.

Because she couldn’t do anything.

Because she received help… and hated him for receiving it…

So.

It seemed she had hated Ricardo a lot.

Yuria held back her tears and shouted at Ricardo.

“Let’s become friends again from the beginning.”

“…”

“Forget about the past… Start anew.”

Yuria bit her lip tightly and said,

“We’re friends.”