114 – Cold -2-
“Hmm…?”
Staring at the firmly closed door with vacant eyes, Olivia sighed impatiently as Ricardo, who didn’t show up even after a long while, left her breathless.
“Weird… Why isn’t Ricardo coming?”
Ricardo’s figure, swiftly rushing at the slightest sound, was nowhere to be seen.
It was quiet, and only the ticking of the clock filled Olivia’s empty room.
Tired of the continued waiting, Olivia let out an annoyed sigh.
“Ugh… He told me not to sleep late, and now he’s late himself!”
Whether it was out of spite or frustration, Olivia protruded her lips and sighed with irritation.
“I’m annoyed.”
Hungry and bored…
Although she hadn’t overslept to start the lively morning, Ricardo had ended up oversleeping. If this continued, Olivia would have to infuse life into him this morning, as per the De Mont family tradition.
Thinking about resorting to the uncooperative method of fasting if Ricardo brought a chilly morning, Olivia sighed while glancing at the clock.
[10:43]
Despite waking up earlier than usual, the lazy butler hadn’t shown up. He had even woken up at a whopping 9:50 AM.
Having energetically prepared breakfast or perhaps engrossed in making intricate dishes, Olivia’s current mood was undeniably not good.
Hungry and irritated.
The thought of scolding the lost-in-thought housekeeper crossed her mind. Of course, scolding a heartless employer who doesn’t pay wages would undoubtedly lead to a speechless moment when confronted with the retort, “Then please pay the overdue wages.” But Olivia was angered by the lazy demeanor of the housekeeper.
“Why isn’t he coming…”
Olivia grumbled while lying comfortably on the bed. Today, of all days, the time alone felt dull to Olivia, who twiddled her fingers to alleviate the boredom.
“Hmm… boring.”
Playing alone was indeed not fun. Talking with Ricardo about unexpected stories was much more enjoyable and time seemed to pass quickly. Above all, he had promised to introduce the newly decorated mansion today…
“When is he coming…”
With a hungry stomach, Olivia doubted if she could focus on guarding the house. So, hurry up and come.
“I’m bored.”
Olivia spoke in a soft voice, looking at the bear soup lying next to the bed.
“Hey.”
The bear soup ignored her, pretending not to hear, and let out a snore. A cheeky bear soup that listened well to Ricardo’s words but casually ignored her.
“You’re going to make bone broth.”
Olivia genuinely craved ‘bear soup.’ Not the one in front of her but a real ‘bear soup.’ Ricardo occasionally made a white broth that was rich and delicious, calling it ‘bone broth.’ The thought of turning that into a hearty bear soup, full of strength, made Olivia’s mouth water.
The bear soup, sensing the scrutiny of Olivia’s discerning eyes, trembled and reluctantly got up from its cozy spot.
-Bear.
“Yeah, you. Go outside and call Ricardo.”
-Bear? Pondering.
Bear Tangyi smirked and lay down again.
Frustrated by the insolent pet’s lazy gaze, Olivia threw her cherished pillow, shouting, “This bear cub!”
With a ‘thud,’ the pillow hit Bear Tangyi’s back, but the feathered cushion couldn’t inflict any damage on him.
-Bear. Go, go, go, go.
Bear Tangyi lay down again with a small laugh.
Angry at Bear Tangyi’s provocative behavior testing her patience, Olivia, already irritated by Ricardo’s absence, yelled loudly. As Bear Tangyi’s leisurely attitude scratched Olivia’s patience, she screamed, “Emergency rations!”
-Bear?
“Come here!”
-Bear. Ugh.
Although it was clear that he didn’t understand human speech, Olivia, passing off the feeling of ‘shut up,’ shouted at Bear Tangyi as if a screw had come loose.
“Ee-ik!!!”
After a long fight, the only thing left on the bed was a blanket. Olivia, scratching her head with her hind leg, glared at the cockroach bobbing on the remaining food.
Bear Tangyi, looking at the brave Olivia with a perplexed expression, approached and began to crawl, biting the blanket Olivia held tightly in her hands.
“Ee-ik! Don’t take it!!!”
-Goooong!
The bear soup, which I thought was some kind of amusement park ride, roughed up its head and moved its body to snatch the girl’s blanket.
“eeek!”
Relentlessly dragged away, the girl.
Maybe it’s because she’s not an ordinary puppy, but it was impossible for Olivia, with her weak body from exercise and stacking boxes, to defeat the muscular bear soup.
Olivia being dragged away.
“eeek!”
In the end, Olivia’s bed, from which the blanket was snatched, was left with nothing.
Looking at the empty bed with blurry eyes, Olivia suddenly began to feel different emotions as she thought about Ricardo, who still hadn’t come.
What would you call this messy room?
It’s definitely something to sigh about and get angry about.
But Ricardo, who would scold her, seemed to have no intention of coming anytime soon.
“Why… isn’t he coming?”
With a gloomy face, Olivia lowered her head and tapped the wall, thinking about Ricardo in the next room, with her fingers.
-Tok.
“Ricardo.”
-Tok tok.
“Ricardo, are you there?”
-Tok tok tok…
“I’m hungry…”
When the soliloquy continued with no response, Olivia, exhaling a deep sigh, decided to find the maid who was running late.
And then,
Her heart started to beat a little faster.
The memories from yesterday, momentarily forgotten.
– Hurt?
– No.
As she exhaled a languid breath, the flushed face of Ricardo gradually came to her mind.
Due to Ricardo’s pleasing flattery, she had almost fallen for it, but as the memories from yesterday slowly surfaced, Olivia’s calm expression began to stiffen, gradually turning cold.
“Hmm…?”
– Knock…
“Is Ricardo hurt?”
– Knock knock knock…
“Ricardo?”
And come to think of it, has Ricardo ever been an hour late?
Doubt spread gradually into certainty.
Certainty began to be dyed with fear.
Olivia stared at the door that seemed so far away from her.
Her legs, represented by Perry’s first model, were parked on the first floor, so there was nothing in this room to be her legs.
The firmly closed door, just a few steps away, was too far and out of reach for the immobile Olivia.
From Noble mtl dot com
In a reality where even a distance of less than ten steps was unreachable, Olivia’s face was tinged with impatience.
“Uh… Ugh… This isn’t working…”
I need to go to Ricardo.
But my stupid legs wouldn’t cooperate with my anxious heart.
The doorknob, reaching up to my waist, stood tall like a flower blooming on a cliff.
In the moment when my bewildered eyes darted around…
– Gom.
The bear soup, licking Olivia’s hand, extended its back and calmly sat down.
“What’s this…”
– Gom.
The bear soup, sitting and looking at the door.
As if telling me to hop on its back. Showing its sturdy back, the bear soup’s actions made Olivia slowly reach out her hand.
What if I fall off the bed?
The worry of what if it reaches my knees was only fleeting. Urgently, the need to gather courage was pushing Olivia’s back.
Like that, slowly.
As she reached out her hand and grabbed the bear soup’s scruff…
– Kwadang!
“Ow!”
Sudden movement from the bear soup made Olivia’s face crash onto the floor.
“Ew…”
A sniffle. Olivia’s nose was running.
Olivia, wiping her nose with her sleeve, mumbled as she looked at the beef soup with eyes that sparkled like you.
“Grr… you little bear!”
-Bear.
“I told you to carry me!”
-Grrr?
The beef soup casually scratched its head with its hind leg and then playfully nipped at the collar of Olivia’s neck.
“Eugh…”
-Bear.
Olivia, whose shoulders twitched as if caught on a hanger, looked at the bear soup wagging its tail with just its thumb and asked,
“What’s up?”
-Bear.
“Did you avoid me because you thought I was heavy?”
-Bear, bear.
“This little bear… sigh…”
Olivia sighed and pointed towards the door with her finger.
“Over there.”
-Bear.
“Take me over there.”
Reluctantly, Olivia was dragged along, wearing a chubby expression, as if cleaning the floor.
-Grrr.
“Hurry. Ricardo is in pain.”
-Bear.
Olivia was afraid.
Because the foolish servant seemed to have lied again.
“Hurry…”
It was frightening.
*
-Creak.
Ricardo’s room, reached with Bear’s help.
“Ricardo…?”
Through the slightly open door, Olivia cautiously peeked in.
Ricardo’s room, concealed by curtains, was pitch-dark. The only things visible by the dim light seeping through the crack were the silhouettes of a desk and a bed.
Though scared that a ghost might appear, Olivia swallowed her fear and mustered courage.
“Ricardo… are you there?”
No response came back.
Only Ricardo’s faint, raspy breaths were answering Olivia’s question.
“There…?”
“Haa… haa…”
The room warmed up. Despite the cold winter, there was a comforting warmth, and considering Ricardo’s preference for a cool environment, it was unthinkable for him to be sleeping without turning on the heater.
As the warm glow enveloped Olivia’s cheeks, her heart began to beat intensely. Olivia knelt on the floor. It was a disgrace unbecoming of a noble, but somehow it felt like her heart was easing a bit now.
Fearful.
Terrified.
“Ricardo…”
And in that moment…
-Ding.
-A quest has been triggered.
Olivia’s fearful heart crumbled.
[Q. The Sad Love Story of a Wicked Woman.]
In a tale unknown to you.
Your servant, Ricardo, could not overcome dark magic.
Your dark magic failed, and its aftermath solely afflicted your servant, Ricardo.
Decaying.
Rendered immobile in bed.
On the day he wept tears onto the pillow due to excruciating pain.
What were you doing back then?
(!) Nurse Ricardo, who caught a cold.
1. Provide satisfactory care for Ricardo. (0/1)
2. Cooking to Death for Ricardo (0/1)
Reward: You can access the ＜3rd Extra Edition＞ ‘The Sad Love Story of a Villainess’.
Olivia hated herself.
i’m sure ‘Cooking to Death’ means ‘do your best to cook a dish’, not ‘food poisoning’, right?