The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen chapter 115

115 – Cold -3-

Olivia, who was lost in the blue window that suddenly appeared, barely held onto her sanity as she heard Ricardo’s faint moans that made her feel like she was going to collapse.

“Haah… Haah…”

Ricardo’s rough breathing, filled with pain and wheezing, faintly reached Olivia’s ears.

Olivia couldn’t do anything but panic.

In her confusion, she shook her head, alternated between looking at her trembling hands.

“That…”

Olivia was terrified.

Because Ricardo, who always showed a healthy appearance, was in pain. The eerie words from the blue window were scary, but what was even scarier was the fact that Ricardo was suffering.

He always made lively laughter.

Even when he stumbled and fell, he would make a casual smile and say, “Hmm. My head is as hard as a rock, after all.” Olivia was not used to seeing Ricardo in a sickly state.

Olivia had never seen Ricardo in pain in reality, not in the hallucinations shown by the blue window.

Ricardo always smiled and disliked showing his weak side. That’s why Olivia was more shocked and scared.

What should she do?

She didn’t know anything about how to make Ricardo feel better, where to start. Olivia was always in a position to receive care, and as a noblewoman, she had never thought about taking care of someone, so her mind felt like a blank sheet of paper.

“What… What should I do?”

To Olivia, the field of nursing felt like an unknown world. That’s why it was even more frightening, and it felt like her head was turning white.

Olivia trembled as she climbed up the bed where Ricardo lay, making a creaking sound.

It was pitch black climbing up with her own strength, but she still wanted to see Ricardo’s face to put her heart at ease.

There was nothing she could do, but she thought that seeing Ricardo’s face might alleviate her trembling. Olivia grabbed the sheet of the bed and exerted her strength.

“Come on…! Climb up!”

The sheet was slippery.

Despite biting her lips and exerting her strength, the slippery sheet easily slipped out of Olivia’s grasp.

The worn-out sheet, unable to bear the weight, tore apart, and Olivia fell down once due to her lack of strength.

With the continuous failures, Olivia’s hand began to twitch. It wasn’t a serious wound that would bleed, but drops of sweat began to gather on Olivia’s hand, stinging it slightly when they touched.

If it were the usual Olivia, she would have complained with a clumsy whimper like “My pretty fingers are ruined,” but now, such minor injuries seemed alright.

“Climb up…!”

She repeated climbing up the bed for about five minutes. Olivia’s body slowly began to climb onto the bed where Ricardo lay.

Her body was sweating.

It was hot and irritating.

But finally, the thought that she could see Ricardo’s face made a small smile blossom on Olivia’s lips.

“Haa… haa… I made it up.”

Olivia wiped the sweat droplets that clung to her forehead with her sleeve as she looked at Ricardo lying on the bed.

“Ricardo… are you awake?”

“Se… se…”

“Ik…”

Ricardo looked unwell.

His flawless white skin was flushed, and his breaths were rough, as if he had swallowed a hot iron bead.

When sharp breaths reached Olivia’s ears, she flinched and whispered in a quiet voice to Ricardo’s ear.

“Ricardo, are you in pain?”

…

“You shouldn’t be in pain…”

Olivia pondered deeply.

“Now what should I do…?”

Although she had managed to bring him up, she hadn’t made a specific plan for what to do next.

Furrowing her brow, Olivia recalled the past. She repeated the process of recalling her own past, thinking, “What did Ricardo do when I was like this?”

“When I was sick…”

Olivia hesitantly reached her hand to Ricardo’s forehead.

When she had a cold, the first thing Ricardo did was place his hand on her forehead. Thinking of the memories that remained in her vague recollection, Olivia murmured.

From Noble mtl dot com

“I’ll take your fever away.”

Slowly… the moment Olivia’s small and delicate palm touched Ricardo’s forehead.

“Oops… It’s hot.”

Olivia quickly withdrew her hand.

It was too hot.

Ricardo’s forehead was burning like holding onto the handle of a hot pot, and it was so scary that Olivia unconsciously let go of her hand.

An awkward atmosphere filled the moment.

Even though it was a perfectly solitary space, Olivia lowered her head, feeling extremely embarrassed by her clumsy actions.

“Uh… sorry?”

Without receiving a response, Olivia offered a small apology to the silent Ricardo. It was just because he was surprised, so please understand.

Taking care of someone was a first for her.

And Ricardo was in pain because of her mistake.

So, please understand, Olivia whispered softly.

With a bitter smile at her own pathetic appearance of being unable to do anything, Olivia gently stroked Ricardo’s head.

Ricardo’s hair was fluffy.

Even though he wasn’t under any medical care, it was incredibly soft. Soft enough to want to keep stroking it.

The person who used to always stroke his head was Ricardo. It wasn’t unpleasant to be the first one to do it.

It felt more like petting a fluffy teddy bear.

The warmth of Ricardo felt at her fingertips.

And Ricardo’s contented sigh was capturing Olivia’s heart.

“Why… does it hurt?”

He promised to speak up if it hurt.

Angry at Ricardo’s foolish insistence on not keeping the promise, despite being a stubborn and complaining caretaker every time, Olivia clenched her fist in frustration.

“Why are you being so foolish like this…”

Especially when he hadn’t done anything for her.

Received only.

Nothing but curses.

My voice kept trembling incessantly.

Perhaps emotions heightened.

Whether it was because of seeing the suffering Ricardo or feeling sad about it, my voice kept trembling like a fool.

I don’t understand why Ricardo is so kind to his stupid self, and it annoys me to think that receiving such attention is natural.

I’ve never questioned the reason behind Ricardo’s devotion, not even once.

Olivia felt her own wretchedness in taking Ricardo’s devotion for granted since childhood.

Only receiving, never giving.

Being a burden.

That’s why she was angry with her pathetic self.

And…

She feared the story revealed by the blue window.

She didn’t know how she would reflect in it.

If it were the past her…

The her who took Ricardo’s devotion for granted…

Of course, she is still an shameless woman who considers his devotion natural, but back then, she was colder to him than now.

She was afraid of what terrible things she might have done to the suffering Ricardo.

The most feared future.

And the mistake she most wanted to avoid.

If it were the past me…

I would have undoubtedly abandoned Ricardo in a dreadful manner.

Knowing well that my past self wouldn’t even do the trivial act of placing a hand on the forehead of a suffering person, Olivia was afraid.

“Ricardo…”

Olivia looked at Ricardo.

“Don’t be in pain. We planned to have fun today.”

Ricardo’s face, which always adorned Olivia with a bright smile, felt particularly fragile today.

Faint breaths.

A body drenched in sweat.

So, Olivia decided to do the thing that made her happiest when she was unwell.

Since nursing was something unfamiliar and never attempted by herself, she decided to gift Ricardo with a joyful memory she remembered.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Olivia spoke with a trembling voice.

“I will…”

Olivia embraced Ricardo tightly.

She held Ricardo as if her heart would burst.

“I’ll hold you.”

When her heart ached due to Mikhail, the warm embrace Ricardo had given her was comforting to Olivia.

Unreservedly, Olivia shyly returned the affection she had received from Ricardo.

“Hurry up…”

-Thump… Thump…

The palpitations of the throbbing heart echoed through the silent room for about 10 minutes.

A familiar touch was felt on Olivia’s head, which had fallen asleep.

Swoosh. A gentle touch that tidied up Olivia’s tousled hair. Olivia blinked and raised her head at the familiar touch.

It resonates.

The always soothing voice she heard.

“Miss. Flirting like this apparently hurts the butler’s heart.”

Ricardo chuckled, wearing a weak smile, delivering a playful remark.

“Do you plan to give me a heart attack?”

The moment Olivia’s eyes met Ricardo’s, a clear notification sounded in her ears.

-Ding!

[Ricardo’s satisfactory nursing. (1/1)]

Olivia couldn’t lift her head.

Out of disbelief.

And out of apology.

She couldn’t lift her head.

“Really…”

What a foolish person.